She didn't have any idea where he was going to take her, but she hoped it would be far away from the hub: somewhere they would be able to forget about everything that had happened, where they could just be together. They were in the SUV, Jack driving fast and although they were quiet, it was comfortable. They were happy to be with each other without talking, just basking in the others presence.

Gwen turned from gazing out of the windscreen to look at Jack and she saw that his face had a slight smile on it, lighting up everything to her.

"Staring at me again, Miss Cooper?" he questioned her, using her unmarried name: Jack had never managed to get used to her being married now, and it had never bothered her being called by her old name, but now for some reason Jack had bought Rhys into her head, and she felt guilty. He would never have done the things that she had done to him; he would never have hurt her this way but she had hurt him, without him even knowing it.

"No, no of course not. Stop flattering yourself, I was just... looking out the window", she replied, trying to think of some excuse and knowing that no matter what he would know the truth.

"Whatever", he turned and grinned at her and then she felt his hand on hers, his fingers intertwined with hers. Her heart sped up, and she felt the butterflies in her stomach she always felt when Jack touched her and immediately Gwen felt so guilty. She should have said no to Jack when he suggested taking her out for the day, because it would just make her fall even more in love with him, which in the end would mean more pain for someone.

"So Jack, where are you taking me?" Gwen had become curious by now. She didn't recognize the area they were in; even though she had been looking out the window she didn't seem to remember taking anything in.

"Oh, just some place I know. It's beautiful, but I'm not telling you anymore. This is supposed to be a surprise". He looked at her again, their hands still linked and she felt him gently squeezing hers. "We're nearly there."

She looked out the window again and could see the sea getting closer. They were on a tiny track, far away from the city and the land around them looked to be deserted, but everything was beautiful. The sun was high in the sky, giving everything around a soft warm glow that she didn't remember seeing for a long time.

"Wow." Gwen couldn't think of any other words to describe it. But why had Jack chosen to bring her here, out of all the places they could have gone.

"Whenever I need to think, I drive out down here. I find it relaxing. Nobody ever comes out here, I don't think that anyone really knows about it", he said and his voice trailed off, leaving Gwen to stare out towards the beauty of the beach.

Then they pulled over onto a small patch of grass just off the road. Gwen looked out towards the sea and lost her breath. It was even more beautiful than she had imagined: The sun lit up everything, reflecting the sea onto the branches of the trees which were hanging close by. There were patches of different colours all over the sand and it took Gwen a moment to realise that they were shells, of all shapes and sizes.

"Jack, it's gorgeous" Gwen said before climbing out of the SUV, and walking towards the beach.

"Hey, I bought you all this way and now you're trying to leave me behind; not very polite behaviour Miss Cooper!" he called from behind her and she turned. Immediately Gwen lost her breath, somehow she always forgot how perfect everything about Jack was.

"Oh I'm sorry Captain, but you're going to have to catch me first", she laughed before turning and running towards the beach.

He stood and watched her for a second, laughing at her; noticing how alive she looked because although she may not have realised it, but recently, since Tosh and Owen, it was as if the life had been drained from her but now it was coming back and at the same time it made Jack's spirits rise.

A second later he was chasing her across the beach, his jacket blowing behind him in the wind, just as Gwen's hair was doing in front of him. Then he caught her. His arm around her waist and he felt the electricity between them. He wanted to kiss her again, but he knew he couldn't, he shouldn't: They had already gone too far that morning, she was married, she had chosen him, chosen Rhys and it was all his fault because maybe if he hadn't left, they would have been together. But he had left. He had left her on her own, and he couldn't forgive himself for that, and now he had more to blame himself for; it was his fault they died, and that Gwen had lost her smile. He looked at her again and realised that she was actually happy again, for now. Somehow, he was always able to pick up the pieces, and whether she realised it or not, picking up the pieces of her, made him feel better as well: Whilst Gwen was happy, he was happy too.

They sat down on the golden brown sand, staring out into the sea, both lost in their different thoughts: Rhys was on Gwen's mind now, she couldn't forget about him. The guilt was coming back, worse than the guilt she had felt after she had slept with Owen because that meant nothing: although she had only kissed Jack, she knew that it was so much more because she felt something, and he felt it too. She would always feel that towards Jack; feel more strongly for him than her husband. And it would be impossible to change that but she knew she would have to try.

After a while, Jack broke the silence; he couldn't bear not knowing what Gwen thought about that morning, about what they had done.

"Listen, Gwen, I'm sorry about this morning. Recently, we've all been feeling depressed and I took advantage of you, by doing what I did. And I'm sorry." It took a second for her to realise that he was apologising because he kissed her, and she didn't know what to do: she could accept his apology, pretend that the kiss was a mistake and that she didn't feel anything for him, or she could tell him the truth. That she was in love with him, and that for as long as she could remember now, she had been in love with him. Thinking back on it all, she couldn't actually remember when it began: He had always been flirty with her, but then he was always flirty with everyone and anyone. When was that second that she fell for him? Or was everything with them always going to lead to that.

"Okay then, guess you don't have to pay any attention to me", his voice made her realise that she had totally forgotten to answer his question; she had become so lost in her thoughts.

"Oh, sorry Jack. Guess I'm just a bit confused right now. Um, don't worry about this morning; it was just a thing. It happens, you know." And she had said it; she didn't need to worry about Rhys and ruining everything, she just needed to stop this thing with Jack before it got too far.

Jack was stunned; he had thought that she felt something that morning. That she loved him, the look in her eyes: he thought that told him everything about her feelings towards him. How could he have got it wrong? He had never seen her looking at Rhys the way she looked at him, she didn't love Rhys, but then again, if she didn't love Rhys why would she deny what she felt.

Again they fell into silence: Gwen was regretting what she had said to Jack, but she knew that she could never tell him the truth. She couldn't hurt Rhys that way; he had always been there for her, taken a load of shit since she had joined Torchwood and she couldn't leave him now. Her thoughts were broken when she heard a beeping coming from Jack's direction:

"Something's happened with the rift: We need to get back to the Hub, now", he called and his voice was suddenly sharper, harsher than it had been before and Gwen immediately knew that she had hurt him.

"Coming", she called after him, watching him climb back into the SUV. It could have been such a perfect day, why did things always go wrong for them?