Notes: This chapter was rather difficult to write. I wanted Tosh and Owen to rip Jack to shreds. I know how I am writing the character at the moment and how he is in the series deserves it, but after reviewing my outline for the story, I couldn't go as harsh as I planned.

For those wanting me to serve Gwen to the weevils, have her retconned, or kill her off; I apologize, sort of. I'm glad you're disliking her as much as I intend, but I also cannot do any of the previously mentioned to her. She is pivotal through at least this first part of the three part series. For what I have outlined for the second part of the CLCA series, she's pretty pivotal there, too. But trust me, she will get what she deserves by the time I finish the entire three parts.

Finally, check the extra notes. I had a review that has now left me posing a question to you all.

Chapter Spoilers: None, but is the aftermath of my cover of episode 2.04 (Meat)

Tosh and Owen were frozen in shock. The case, and therefore the past two days, had been emotionally draining for all of them, and now Rhys was involved. And in the process, the newly forming relationship between Jack and Ianto seemed to be crumbling, again. Neither knew if the new damage would be repairable.

Owen finally broke the silence. "Well, fuck." Tosh nodded in agreement at the frustration.

"What are we going to do, Owen?" Tosh asked.

"Well," Owen began voicing his thoughts. "I think you need to go after Ianto. Harkness should be doing it himself, but you saw how broken Ianto became. They need distance, but I don't want Ianto doing anything stupid."

Tosh nodded. "I agree, so long as you get our Captain to get his head out of his ass."

Owen was caught off guard by the fury in Tosh's voice towards Jack. He knew Tosh and Jack were best friends and she considered the Captain a father, and sometimes brother, figure. But her words were fused with hatred at the moment. "Oh, trust me, Tosh, I plan on giving him an earful and setting him straight."

He walked over to Tosh and gave her a hug to calm her nerves. He pulled out of the embrace and continued talking, "Just calm down and focus on keeping Ianto from doing anything stupid. When he's calm and hopefully not in a stupor, call me and let me know. I'll set Harkness straight and once they're both ready, we'll make them meet up and talk."

Tosh took a deep breath. It was a good plan. "Okay," she finally replied, gathering her things and leaving the Hub. She immediately called Ianto, and they arranged to meet at the pub near his flat.

Owen watched as Tosh left. He waited until she was definitely gone from the Hub before heading up to Jack's office.

Upon entering, Owen noticed Jack's attention was completely fixed to the CCTV footage on the screen. Jack never even noticed his presence. Owen headed around the side of the desk to see what Jack was watching.

Gwen bloody Cooper. What the fuck, Jack?! Owen couldn't keep his thoughts to himself anymore. "What the fuck are you doing, Harkness?"

Jack jolted out of his thoughts and turned toward Owen. When did he come in? Where is Ianto… and Tosh? Jack looked down at this keyboard, and with a few strokes, shut off the CCTV program. He went to answer Owen, but was beat to a response.

"Jack, what the hell is your problem?! You basically just told Gwen, in front of Ianto and the rest of us, that you have feelings for her, and now you're up here fucking watching her with Rhys! Meanwhile, Ianto is somewhere out there," Owen pointed, emphasizing that Ianto left the Hub, "broken, probably drinking himself into a coma! I thought you only wanted Ianto?!"

Jack was caught off guard, but immediately snapped out of it, gathering to his feet to defend his feelings for his young Welshman. "I do only want Ianto!" He wanted to say more, but was cut off by Owen, again.

Looking square into his boss' eyes, "Well you sure as hell aren't acting like it! First we catch you pinning Gwen up against the side of the warehouse, looking as if you two both wanted a room, and now you confess some sort of feelings to Gwen and are spying on her! How is that only wanting Ianto?!"

Jack tried to stand his ground, but knew he was defeated. His actions over the past two days were inexcusable. His slumping back into his chair proved his defeat to Owen.

Owen sat in the chair on the other side of Jack's desk and waited for the Captain to speak.

Jack took a deep breath and looked at Owen. "I will try to explain my emotions, but please don't interrupt me and hold off commenting until I'm finished."

Owen looked into Jack's eyes. He feels guilty. Good; he should. But I have a feeling there's more to this, so he agreed and nodded for Jack to continue.

"First off, I promise you, I do only want Ianto," he opened, reiterating his feelings for the young Welshman. "My emotions have been out of whack for the past few days, and I'm not sure why. And Gwen… she reminds me of an old friend, one who I lost long ago and can never see again since she's in an alternate universe now." He paused, realizing, I haven't even told Ianto about Rose and how Gwen reminds me of her. If he'll even speak to me again, I need to tell him. "And I used to have feelings for that friend. And between sending Tommy to his death, and having to see this creature die, and having Gwen remind me of my old friend who I can never see again… I couldn't let Gwen go and lose someone else… not when I consider you all family. I know it's selfish, but I lose everyone in the end. Therefore I'd like to hold onto all of you as long as possible."

Owen hoped he could find insincerity within Jack's confession so he could let out all of his frustration and tear him a new one, but he couldn't. Jack's being completely honest and vulnerable. Shit. "Okay, I believe you, for now."

Jack started crying. "I know I hurt Ianto," he confessed. "I knew Gwen was using this case to draw a wedge between us, and I let it happen."

Now Owen really didn't know what to do. He'd never seen Jack cry before. The best thing he could think of was inform him of his and Tosh's plan. "Harkness," he waited until he had Jack's full attention. "Before I came up here, Tosh and I agreed that she would go after Ianto and talk with him, calm him down enough for you two to talk. Would you agree with that?"

Jack nodded emphatically. "That's all I want. I know I lost all of his trust again, but I need to explain that none of this was what I intended and none of what I said to Gwen is what I truly feel. Or at least not in the way he's assuming."

"I understand. And if Ianto agrees, Tosh will call me and then you can explain everything again to him. Tosh and I will stay nearby, but out of your way, in case we are needed," Owen further explained.

Suddenly, Jack wasn't feeling so well. What now? I never get sick. But he couldn't control himself from vomiting anything and everything in his stomach. Luckily enough, Owen saw the change in Jack and grabbed the trash bin, throwing it under him just in time.

"Uh… Jack. I thought you told me you don't get sick?" Owen grew concerned.

Once Jack was sure the episode was over, he replied, "I don't. There are only a few times I ever do, but none of them are possible." Jack grew lightheaded and the next thing either man knew, Jack was passed out on his office floor.

"Shit!" Owen cursed.

Ianto headed straight for his flat after Jack's revelation of feelings for Gwen. I knew he was lying! He does want Gwen! He can't live without her! There's no other reason he would miss her if she were gone from Torchwood and retconned! It was all a lie, a scam! It's all about sex! I'm just his part-time shag; the consolation prize! Tears continued streaming down his face.

He just reached his building when his mobile rang. He checked the ID; Tosh. He really didn't want to talk to anyone, but his best friend and confidant had always been trustworthy. "Hi Tosh," he answered, trying not to sound as broken as he truly was.

"Ianto, where are you? I'm coming to meet you whether you want me to or not," she answered, leaving no room for Ianto to argue.

Ianto heard it in Tosh's voice that there was no getting out of them meeting. "I was going to my flat, but how about we meet up at the pub down the street instead."

"Okay, but no drinking without me. I'll be there in ten," she agreed and hung up immediately, again, leaving no room for argument.

Ianto made his way to the pub. He ordered two pints and gathered into an empty booth. He wanted to down both drinks, but waited as he promised. I can't have Tosh angry at me when she's the only happiness I have now.

Tosh arrived shortly thereafter and joined Ianto in the booth. She was glad to see that Ianto hadn't started drinking yet, but was a little upset that he downed half his pint upon her arrival. "Ianto, slow down."

"Why should I?" was Ianto's immediate retort. "I've lost him, Tosh, though I probably never even had him to begin with. I'm so pathetic!" More tears started forming in his eyes.

Tosh began sipping at her pint, not really in the mood to drink. Her best friend was heartbroken, and her other best friend caused it. She was stuck and worried that things would not get fixed between the two men, but she had to try with all her might to lay down a foundation for them to build upon. Or at least lay down enough for them to talk about tonight.

"Ianto, you are not pathetic! If anyone is, it's Jack," she replied, attempting to be the voice of reason. "I don't know what his true feelings for Gwen are, now that it's evident he has them, but I do know his feelings for you."

Ianto gave her an incredulous look, so she continued. "The day you had off before the date, you were all he could talk about in his free time. When I asked him where he planned on taking you, he mentioned remembering the French restaurant, and how it was a place you wanted to go before he left. He got insecure thinking about it because he didn't know if you were with anyone while he was gone. After setting his mind at ease, he confessed to not being with anyone while he was gone and how he only thought about you."

Ianto had been sipping on the half of his pint he still had left while Tosh explained what she knew of Jack's feelings for him. He was touched, but argued, "That still doesn't explain his feelings for Gwen and why he's been lying about it to me. If he cares about me so much, he wouldn't lie."

"True, but after everything that happened between you two at the hotel, can you blame him for not wanting to bring up Gwen in conversation?" Tosh didn't want to defend Jack, she was still furious, but she needed Ianto to at least agree to meet with him and talk.

"No, I guess not," Ianto conceded as he gulped down the rest of his drink.

Tosh started getting worried that Ianto might decide to get pissed instead of talking to Jack, so she laid out her plan. "Look, Owen is with Jack right now, setting him straight. We want you two to talk. I'm supposed to call him if you agree and are calm enough to handle it. We'll leave you two, but still be nearby in case either of you need us. But seriously, Ianto, you two need to talk this out now, rather than wait and let it build up. That will only make things worse and leave no chance of fixing things. You still want to be with him, don't you?"

Ianto hesitated, thinking over Tosh and Owen's plan, and then thinking about Tosh's question. I love Jack. Even after tonight, I am still in love with him. Of course I want to be with him. Ianto nodded. "I do, Tosh. Because even though I won't tell him yet, and even after all of this, I love him; I am in love with him."

Tosh just smiled. She knew Ianto's feelings for Jack were strong, and now she only hoped Jack's were true and just as strong. The only problem was Gwen. "So will you talk with him? We could do this at my place. You and Jack can talk in the living room while Owen and I will admittedly listen in, but keep out of the way in the kitchen."

Ianto thought it over, eventually agreeing. "Okay." They got up from the booth and prepared themselves to leave. Before turning to exit the pub, Ianto hugged Tosh. "Thank you," he added while pulling away. Tosh smiled her welcome.

Upon arriving at Tosh's flat, she suggested to Ianto he take a shower and freshen up. Some of his clothes from when he stayed over while Jack was with the Doctor were still there. Ianto complied and while he was in the shower, Tosh called Owen.

"Yeah?!" Owen answered not bothering to look at the caller ID. He just finished getting an unconscious Jack into the med bay from his office. He was now running tests, trying to wake the man up.

Tosh knew something was up. "Owen, what's wrong?"

"Bloody Harkness threw up then passed out. I don't know what's going on or what to do. He never gets sick and now he won't wake up," Owen answered in a hurry, putting the last of the blood sample into one of his many machines.

"Owen, try to stay calm," Tosh consoled, knowing that Owen was probably ten times worse than how he sounded.

Owen took a deep breath. "I'm trying, Tosh. I just put in the last of the blood sample. I'm running all known tests." Then he heard stirring behind him. "Tosh, he's awake, hold on."

Over the phone, Tosh could hear Owen explaining to Jack what happened and why he was in the med bay. He finally convinced Jack to lie back down and rest while the tests were running by the time Owen picked up the phone again. "Still there, Tosh?"

"Still here," she quickly replied. She could still hear the shower running, but she lowered her voice and stayed as far away from the bathroom as possible. "What happened, is Jack okay?"

Owen breathed a sigh of relief. "Yea, he says he's fine. He has a headache, but he hit his head after he fell, so that's expected."

"Owen, is that Tosh?" Jack asked in the background.

"Yea," he answered him.

"Can I speak with her?"

"Tosh, Jack wants to talk to you," he said before handing over the phone.

"Tosh?" Jack asked.

"Yes, Jack," she answered, relieved.

"How's Ianto?" He was the only thing on Jack's mind right now.

Tosh was relieved to hear that Jack was truly concerned about Ianto's wellbeing more than his own. There's still hope for them. "Ianto's… well, he's upset, but he's willing to talk to you if you're willing to talk to him," she answered honestly. "But only after Owen's clears you and finds out what's wrong," she added.

"I'm willing to. I really need to talk with Ianto and explain everything," Jack replied.

"Yes, you do," she stated harshly. She was still angry at Jack, despite him being sick. There was a beep in the background.

"I think Owen's got some results. We'll meet you as soon as we can," Jack said before handing off the phone to Owen.

Tosh was about to reply, but Owen got there first. "Tosh, it's Owen. I do have some results, but I need to talk with Jack about them first. Where are you and we'll be over after?"

"My flat. I'll leave the door unlocked. Come right in when you get here," she answered before hearing the click on the other end.

By that point, Ianto was showered and dressed and standing in the archway of the living room. He saw the worry on his best friend's face. "Everything okay?"

Tosh gave a small smile. "Yea. Something minor just came up, but it's being sorted. They'll be over as soon as they can. How do you feel?"

Ianto wanted to know more, but since Tosh rarely avoided giving detailed answers, he knew he wouldn't be getting more out of her. "I'm feeling better. Bit tipsy, but I'll make us some coffee while we wait." He retreated to the kitchen as Tosh sat on the couch, distractedly flipping through the TV channels, thinking about what Owen could have found.

"Owen, what is it?" Jack asked, seeing the confusion and shock displayed all over the doctor's face.

"Here," was all he could say as he handed Jack the results.

Extra Notes: Julia - I honestly don't think Jack, Ianto, and Gwen having a threesome would EVER be a good idea. Both in the series and in my story (so far), Ianto has his insecurities about Jack and Gwen, and seeing them, even participating with them, in bedroom affairs, would not end well. Not to mention, Gwen is completely infatuated with Jack. She wouldn't want to share him. If anything, they'd agree to go along with it, but then vie for Jack's attention the whole time.

But with my personal opinion aside, what do the rest of you think? I can think of a handful of ways, if that, in which a threesome could be written without it being distasteful. Shall I consider those ways and either write a one-shot or include it in a future story? I honestly want some thoughts here. Thank you!