"I can't do this to you both." Jack's voice was sad, his eyes searching their's beseechingly. They sat informally in the boardroom. Jack had his head in his hands his eyes moving from Gwen to Ianto and back again. Ianto sat upright his arms folded, as if guarding against something. Gwen had her feet up on the desk and was twiddling her hair pretending not to really care. Tosh and Owen were periodically peeking around the door; so far they had not been caught.

"It's easy Jack who do you love?" Gwen's tone made the whole problem sound simpler than it was. She looked at him expectantly, wishing it was her name he said.

"I don't want to see either of you hurt." Jack evaded the question like a professional and stared down at the empty cup in front of him. He couldn't look into their eyes anymore they'd shut off from him, glazed themselves over so he couldn't get in.

"Choose Jack." Ianto mumbled, just wanting the situation to be sorted once and for all. Gwen nodded her agreement.

"I don't think I can." All three sighed, how many times had he said this in the past hour? They were getting nowhere.

"Oh for fuck sake Jack get some balls. Do you want a girlfriend or a boyfriend?" She smiled, as she spoke trying to make light of the conversation. She'd had enough of feelings the past few days.

"You have Rhys, as well." Jack's comment surprised her finally they were taking a new direction. It was true she did, bugger. She could see where he was going with this. Not bloody likely.

"You're not having us both is he Yan?" Gwen looked at Ianto for the agreement that would surely come she frowned slightly as he took his time to answer.

"Well erm..." Ianto went bright red, as he considered the option. He gets Jack he knows Jack will be there when he needs him. She gets Jack when she wants. It made sense, as long as they all knew where they stood. He already knew he couldn't bare the alternative.

"Yan seriously you could share him?" He let this sink in. Could he? He and Gwen were friends the atmosphere was flirtatious between all the colleagues anyway. But, could he watch them kissing knowing she had part of him. It would be better than watching them kissing knowing that she had all of him. His next words were confident, he could work with this.

"It would be better than not having him at all. Think about it?" His eyes lit up, he was obviously thinking about it.

"No, no, no." Gwen shook her head to dismiss the idea further. Ianto couldn't be serious.

"You can love more than one person. You still love Rhys." Jack cut in he'd been watching Ianto with avid interest just as Tosh had. She couldn't believe he wanted Jack that much. If she did ever really get Owen (and after last night things were looking promising) she could never share him.

"I love you though." Gwen had a child like insistence in her voice, as she repeated such an obvious fact. All was quiet for a moment.

"Would you leave him for me?" Jack looked deep into her eyes reading her reply carefully. He wanted her to say yes, but doubted she would he knew her too well. The question was more about getting her to see it from his point of view. He loved them both in different ways. Gwen was stubborn, funny, loud and honest. Ianto was shy until you got to know him then his personality really shone through.

"I couldn't do that to him."Gwen looked down, like even thinking about his reaction hurt.

"My point exactly I can't do that to either of you." Jack smiled surely she understood. He'd loved Ianto for a while now then all the feelings for her came along, bombarded him. Owen was watching Gwen now, who was chewing her bottom lip, as if she was thinking very hard about a difficult sum. He'd seen her do it many times and could predict her next words.

"Fine if I leave Rhys then would you choose me?" She tried to not let the pain show on her face and didn't dare meet Ianto's eyes. Jack didn't hesitate.

"No, this isn't a compromise Gwen we're not the only ones confused and hurting." She nodded expecting his answer, Ianto audibly sighed. He didn't realise he'd stopped breathing. Again it was quiet, as they all contemplated their next move. It was a bit like chess you had to attack and defend at the same time. Gwen took a deep breath.

"To be honest Jack I think if you can't choose maybe we should make the decision for you. Take one of ourselves out of the equation." She sat up and crossed her arms to emphasise that she meant it.

"You couldn't do it Gwen you've tried." Ianto mumbled beside her, he couldn't go through the loves and hates of Gwen and Jack's relationship again. Jack put his head on the table obviously out of ideas.

"Urgh." Gwen mimicked his position clearly there was a stale mate in her mind too.

"Look there's 4 options here." Ianto spoke in a decisive business like voice. "1. You choose Gwen, I find someone else. 2. You choose me, Gwen finds someone else. 3. You really honestly can't choose in which case you have neither of us. And 4. We decide if we can cope with sharing you. It's as simple as that really." They couldn't help it all of a sudden they were all laughing, even Tosh and Owen in the corridor. The way Ianto put it made the whole matter seem ridiculous. Life was too short especially at Torchwood. "Jack?"

"Four." He said it like it was the only option to choose from.

"Gwen?" Every was abruptly silent waiting for her answer.

"Four." She said it smiling, as if considering the idea in her head.

"That's unanimous then." Ianto looked at his watch. "Why the hell couldn't we have done that an hour earlier?" All three smiled, as Tosh and Owen walked guiltily into the room. Owen sat down and grabbed Tosh pulling her onto his lap in an inescapable grasp.

"But no rota's or any shit like that." Gwen laughed.

"Hell no." The men agreed.

"Do we really have to cope with two of Jack's rollercoaster relationships?" Owen whined. Tosh playfully hit him in the ribs, causing an "ouch" and a tickle fight to break out.

"Let's go for a drink." Jack suggested, the team followed eagerly.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Jack?" Gwen was curled up in his arms on the hub sofa everyone else had left off. She'd called Rhys to tell him she probably wouldn't be home that night.

"Yeah." Jack lightly kissed the top of Gwen's head.

"I love you." She whispered closing her eyes and snuggling into the embrace.

"That's good." He responded arrogantly. Her eyes shot open, instantly she was facing him.

"Excuse me!" Her mouth was agape. She was so caught up in disbelief she didn't see the smile in his eyes.

"I said that's good." He emphasised the last two words as if she was simple. Her mouth impossibly opened wider. She got up and started gathering her things she was so easy to wind up.

"Well fine then, I might as well leave if that's how you feel." Her words all ran together, her face flustered. He grabbed her in his arms, leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"I love you." She pushed him away smiling and lightly punched him on the arm.

"Arsehole. I might leave anyway now just to spite you." He raised his eyebrow, as she went back to collecting her stuff.

"I love you even more when you're angry." He laughed. She started to reply but his mouth captured hers stopping her from complaining. Soon they were on the sofa again interlocked.

Life's too short.