I was sitting on the bench in the rose garden. The sun was setting. Jack held my hand gently. It was peaceful. He leaned over and kissed me.

"Promise you'll stay with me forever, Anna," he murmured.

I smiled. This was so nice. I never wanted it to end.

"I-"

"Anna, don't choose him! Choose me!" Another voice shouted.

I turned, it was Victor. Victor? What was he doing here? He had the same pain-filled face as the last time I saw him. He ran over and pulled me away from Jack. He crushed his lips to mine desperately.

"Anna, I'd care for you a hundred times more than he would. Choose me instead," he pleaded.

"Wait, I-"

"Anna, neither of them is right for you!" A voice from behind me called.

I turned toward it. Arthur?! What was going on? He pulled me from Victor and held me gently. He glared at the other two.

"Neither of them understands you like I do. What do they have that I don't? I'm the one who would be here for you no matter what. Choose me, only me," he begged.

Jack? Victor? Arthur? My head was spinning. Why were they here?

"But I can't," I said, confused. "I-I don't know who to choose."

"Choose me!" Jack shouted, standing.

"No, me!" Victor cried.

"Anna, pick me," Arthur said, holding me tighter.

The world went dark. Suddenly, more of Mr. Weston started to appear. Dozens, then hundreds. They surrounded me. All I could see was his face over and over again. All of them begging for the same thing.

Anna, Anna! Pick me! Choose me! Not him! Me! Me!

Their voices all blended together. I couldn't make out the words anymore. His voice was roaring, echoing. All I could hear was the desperation in their voices. I covered my ears. It was too much, too loud. I didn't want this.

Anna, Anna, Anna!

I felt my body shaking slightly. What was happening now? Mr. Weston and all of his voices started to disappear slowly. They faded away until only one was left. It grew stronger as the world became darker.

"Anna? Anna, wake up!"

I gasped and sat up suddenly. The bright light of morning blinded me temporarily. I covered my eyes with my hands. What was going on? Where was I?

As the stinging in my eyes faded I uncovered them. I blinked a couple times to help adjust to the light. Bed? That's right, I was in our room. With who though? I turned, Mr. Weston gave me a concerned look. He reached out and grabbed my hand.

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to scare you awake. I got a little too excited when I saw you were still here," he muttered.

My brain was still confused. I only woke up a moment ago, after all. Someone who was happy to find me in his bed? I blinked at him a couple times.

"Victor?" I said cautiously.

His eyes grew wide. "Oh no, what did Victor do this time?"

Not Victor? Who else did I share a bed with? I gasped as the realization hit me. I threw my arms around him and hugged him close.

"Jack!" I cried.

I heard him chuckle. He pulled me closer and kissed my neck.

"Good, you do still remember me," he murmured.

"Jack, I was starting to think you'd never come back," I said, burying my face in his shoulder.

"How long was I gone this time?" He asked.

That was right, he liked a report of what happened while he was gone. I pulled away from him and cleared my throat.

"Would you like me to tell you what happened while you were gone, sir?"

He burst out laughing. "A moment ago you were literally throwing yourself at me, now I'm 'sir' again?"

I felt déjà vu as he said this, I pushed where it came from to the back of my mind. Jack was back, I needed to focus on him now. There was a lot we had to talk about.

"Anyway," he continued, "I don't think I'll be able to listen properly until after I've had breakfast. I'm starving, so I'm guessing Arthur showed up yesterday."

"Yes, sir."

"Well let's hurry," he said, getting up. "Thomas is probably waiting for us."

I paused. Right. He wouldn't remember Thomas left already. I felt bad. Jack was the one who didn't get the chance to say goodbye. I felt a pit forming in my stomach.

"Actually, yesterday was his last day," I said sadly. "He left very early in the morning. I'm afraid I'm your sole caretaker now."

"Oh."

He said it simply, but I could tell it was upsetting. It had to be. I grabbed his hand. He turned to me, startled.

"He said he'd visit," I said quickly. "I'm sure he'd be happy to come any day you're available if you'd like me to call him."

He smiled and patted my hand. "Thank you, Ms. Walton, but that won't be necessary. I've known this was a long time coming. Thomas and I said our goodbyes plenty of times. Come, let's have breakfast."

He went to the closet to change. He said it as if it were all so casual, but I knew he had to be hurting a little. I had to do my best from now on. Thomas left me with big shoes to fill. Jack walked out, adjusting his clothes.

"Shall I wait for you, or-"

"You can head downstairs, sir. I'll be there shortly," I finished.

He smiled a bit at my formality. He nodded and left. My first day with Jack again. How was I going to handle it?

Well, "relationship" or not, my primary duty was as his caretaker. I should start with that. Breakfast and a summary of his condition. Then maybe I could think about the other issues.

I headed downstairs, my mind was filled with my various jobs. Was today the day for the cleaners? When should I meet with them? When would be a good time to have that conversation with Jack? Did he have any plans for today? I was still wondering all this when I entered the dining room.

Jack was waiting for me at the table, it seemed like he prepared a plate for me. I smiled as I saw this. Sweet, considerate Jack. He was kind to me before our relationship was secure, I wondered what he would be like now.

I sat next to him. We ate in silence for a while. It seemed like neither of us knew where to start.

"Well," he said finally, "I think I'm full enough to properly hear about what's been happening now. So what's been happening?"

"A lot, honestly," I said, sighing. "Where would you like to start?"

He thought for a second. "How long has it been since I 'left' exactly?"

"About a week, I think. Not too long."

"Who was I?"

"Arthur, Victor, Henry, then Victor again, and Arthur again," I said, counting them on my fingers.

Jack looked shocked. "You had to deal with Victor twice. God, if that didn't send you running for the hills then nothing will."

He seemed relieved by this, but I felt a little upset. Victor wasn't that bad. I guess Jack only had Thomas' stories to judge him off of, but it still upset me.

"Actually," I said sharply, "Victor isn't that bad. He's pleasant to be around most of the time, in fact."

"Oh, really," he said, surprised. "Well, umm, why don't we just go in order? It'll be easier that way. How was day one with Arthur?"

"Tiring," I said with a sigh. "He decided he liked me as a model so I was on my feet posing all day."

He smiled as he heard this. "That's wonderful! I'm happy to have some pictures of you around the house. Can I see them?"

I blushed a bit. "They're your pictures, technically, but I'd feel more comfortable showing you in Arthur's studio."

"Sure," he agreed, slightly confused.

I heard the clock in the hall. Right. I had to meet the cleaners.

"Actually, sir, you can go first. I have to meet with the cleaning crew. It shouldn't take long," I explained.

"Of course," he said, standing. "I'll meet you there."

He headed up to the studio, I went down the hall to the meeting room. As I entered, the same mumbling group stopped and stared at me again. I felt a little anxious, I realized I had no clue what to say.

Suddenly, I noticed a note on a nearby desk. I sighed with relief as I realized Thomas kept his promise to make a cleaning schedule for me. I explained to the crew what needed to be done and they filed out in the same fashion as last time. I still had butterflies, but they weren't as bad as the first time. I glanced at the clock. It'd only been about twenty minutes, but I shouldn't keep Mr. Weston waiting.

I hurried down the hall and upstairs to the study. Jack was toying around with Arthur's camera. It made me feel uneasy for some reason.

"Don't touch that, please," I asked sheepishly.

He looked at me in shock. I looked down at the floor. I was being silly, all of this stuff was his, after all.

"It'll cause trouble for me if he finds anything wrong with it," I explained.

It was probably true, but I knew that wasn't the problem. Arthur cared deeply about his photos and his equipment. I cared too. The truth was, it bothered me seeing Arthur's camera handled by not-Arthur. He seemed to accept this explanation though. He set the camera down gently on the table.

"I'd hate to do that. I cause you plenty as is," he said with a chuckle. "Now, where are these pictures so special we had to come to the studio to see them?"

I blushed a bit as I walked to the shelf. I glanced at the spines until I saw it. The Nine Muses: A Discussion. I pulled it from the shelf and handed it to him. He stared at the cover in confusion.

"Arthur has a special way to hide his 'special' photos," I explained.

Jack looked at me skeptically but opened the book. His eyes went wide. He glanced up at me a moment before blushing and going back to the book.

"Umm, well," he said, trying to find the words. "Arthur has excellent taste and they're... very well done. I guess I'm more surprised you agreed to this than anything else."

I rolled my eyes. "Arthur's excitement is contagious. I was hesitant, but he seemed so passionate about getting these photos I felt like I couldn't say no."

"Passion or not, you can always say no, Anna," he mumbled. "I never want you to feel forced into something."

"No, it's not like that," I explained quickly. "Arthur would never do that. He said himself that if I really didn't want to do them he wouldn't force me. I guess a better explanation is that when I see him so excited it makes me want to help him. Even with things I normally wouldn't be interested in."

"It sounds like you two get along well, so I guess that's good," he said smiling.

He flipped through the pictures. He smiled every now and then. I guess I was happy he was enjoying them, but I was still a little embarrassed about the subject. He closed the book.

"Day one with Arthur seemed to be okay. You said Victor was day two though?" He asked cautiously.

"Yes. I'm afraid our first meeting wasn't very pleasant, but things improved after that," I explained.

"What exactly made your first meeting so unpleasant?" He asked.

I laughed a little remembering it. "He gave a brief introduction, then proceeded to kiss me. Thomas actually had to pull him off of me."

Jack let out a small groan. He shook his head and covered his face with his hands. After a moment he let out a sigh. He dropped his hands, he looked tired.

"Allow me to apologize for his terrible behavior. Sometimes he-"

"It's alright," I interrupted. "I didn't realize he knew our situation. He got the wrong idea, we talked things out. It's okay now."

Was it though? True, our initial misunderstanding was all but forgotten, but what about now? Our last fight came to mind again. Would it be just as easy to overcome this one?

"What do you mean by 'he knew our situation?' What situation?" He asked.

That was right. Jack had no clue Victor was self-aware of his situation. I guess there was no harm in telling him. I wasn't even sure how I'd explain everything else if I didn't tell him, honestly.

I sighed. "Long story short, Victor knows you and the others exist and that he's a personality."

His eyes went wide. "How?! When did this happen?!"

"A couple years ago, apparently. I guess Thomas accidentally left his guidebook out and Victor found it one night," I explained.

Jack's face was a mask of shock. He walked over and sat in a nearby chair. He stared blankly for a while before sighing and running his hand through his hair.

"If it was any of them it would be Victor," he mumbled, mostly to himself. "Does Thomas know?"

"No," I confessed. "Victor asked me not to tell him. With Thomas leaving I didn't see much point in it."

He nodded vaguely. "So that 'misunderstanding' you two had..."

"He's been training himself to remember things that happen when the other personalities are in control. I guess he remembered you and I had a more... intimate relationship and thought I would be okay with it," I said, shrugging.

"He's got a lot of nerve if he thinks that," he muttered, crossing his arms.

I looked down guiltily. If I was going to explain the situation to Jack, then sooner was better than later. I didn't want to keep secrets from him, and I didn't want to hide Victor.

"Actually," I said, quietly, "he wasn't wrong."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. What did I mean exactly? Where should I even start? I thought of Arthur's straightforward, blunt way of speaking. That would probably serve me best here.

"You asked me to consider your feelings while you were gone, and I have," I said simply. "I accept your feelings for me and return them as well."

His face lit up, he smiled warmly. It seemed like he had forgotten anything to do with Victor. He stood and walked over, embracing me. He held me close a moment before leaning in and kissing me. Gentle, passionate. It made my heart race. He pulled away after a moment. He was still smiling ear to ear.

"I'm so glad," He said, stroking my hair. "In bed that last night, all I could think about was if you'd still be here the next time I 'woke up.' To see that not only have you stayed but that you accept my feelings? It's like a dream."

He was so happy. I was too, but I didn't want to stop here. I needed to tell him everything, even if it would upset him. I pulled away and stepped back. He looked confused.

"That's not the only thing, I'm afraid," I continued. "Victor and I have also started a kind of relationship."

He still didn't seem to understand. "What do you mean?"

I sighed. "It's really hard to explain, but the simple version is that Victor has also confessed to having feelings for me, and I care enough about him that I accept his feelings as well."

"You and Victor have a relationship?" He asked.

I nodded. He still seemed confused. He sat back down. He seemed to be taking in everything I said.

"Have you two... done anything?" He asked nervously.

"Some things, but we haven't slept together," I admitted. "I share the bed with him too."

He nodded but didn't say much else. We stayed in silence for a while. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. He wasn't thrilled, obviously, but he didn't seem upset either.

"What about the others?" He asked finally.

"The others?"

"Arthur and Henry. Are you seeing them as well?"

"Not exactly," I said, shaking my head. "Henry only appeared once and seems to take me more as a test subject for recipes than a love interest. As for Arthur..." I sighed, remembering last night. "I think Arthur might have feelings for me, but he hasn't actually said anything to me yet."

He nodded slowly. "That sounds about right for them. If Arthur confessed to you, would you accept his feelings as well?"

I thought about it. Arthur. Blunt, demanding, oblivious Arthur. Thoughtful, gentle, shy Arthur. I remembered the way he cared for me when I cried, the way he held me gently in my sleep. Could I fall in love with Arthur?

"Probably," I sighed.

This was all so complicated. Having three men who loved me. How many more would appear? How many more could I handle?

"This is difficult," he mumbled finally.

I nodded. "Even more than you know, honestly."

"Why? What else is happening?" He asked.

"Victor," I said sadly. "He's already jealous of the relationship you and I have. Last time he was here I was still having trouble accepting this whole situation. I said some things that hurt him. I'm not sure how to make things up to him, and I'm still not sure where our relationship stands in all of this."

"What is he upset about? I thought he knew our situation?" He said, confused.

"He does, but..." I paused. How to even explain this? "Victor believes I only see you as real and I treat the rest of the personas like illnesses. He wants to be seen as an individual. I'm having trouble separating the individual personalities from the body you all share."

"Well, he is a personality and this is my body, so I don't know what he expects exactly," he said, shrugging. "We're all the same person."

"You're not though," I sighed. He looked confused. "All of you are so completely different from each other. To compare you, Victor, or Arthur is comparing apples to oranges. There's no way to measure one against the other.

I wish I could, then it would be as easy as choosing who I wanted to be with, but you're all so different. Those differences are what I love. The way you treat me so gently, the way Victor has this childlike desire to monopolize me, the way Arthur can be so blunt about facts but so shy with his own feelings. They can't even be compared, so how can I even begin to choose?"

I was getting upset again. Tears welled up in my eyes. I felt the emotions building up inside of me, ready to explode. I was hoping talking to Jack would make things easier, clearer somehow, but it didn't. It didn't with Victor, it didn't with Arthur, I don't know why I ever thought talking with Jack would be different.

"Then don't choose," he said simply. I looked at him in shock. "Anna, I can't stand seeing you so upset. I can tell you've been agonizing over this, and I can't stand the idea that I'm the cause of it all. Look, am I happy with this situation? No. In an ideal world, I would be your one and only choice, but this isn't an ideal world. If it were they wouldn't even exist."

He stood and came over to me. He held me close and kissed my forehead. I leaned my head against his chest.

"Anna, when I am here I want to devote myself to you entirely, but I'm not always here," he said, sighing. "That being the case, I'm grateful there are other men willing to do the same for you in my absence. I'm even more grateful that, in a way, they're all me."

"What about relationships though?" I asked desperately. "It's not as if they just want to keep me company. They want intimate relationships. Emotional and physical. How does that work exactly? You're honestly saying you'd be okay if I slept with Arthur or Victor?"

I felt him tense up a bit. This is what I was afraid of. How can you have a physical relationship when your partners are all the same man? Am I violating boundaries with Arthur if I sleep with Victor? Am I betraying Victor if I sleep with Jack? How can I reconcile all this with their various personalities and feelings?

"Anna, do you love me?" He asked finally.

I froze. Great, on top of all the other questions, I had to answer this now? Another question I was still figuring out the answer to.

"You don't have to say 'yes.' I understand it's still too early for a definite yes," he explained. "Just tell me if the answer is 'no' or 'not yet.'"

Things would never be easy if I loved him. My life would always be like this. I'd always have these problems, these questions, and as time went on it would only get harder. I knew all this, but I also knew the idea of leaving him was far more painful than the idea of staying.

"Not yet," I said quietly.

He leaned in to kiss me again. "Do you feel the same way about the others?" I nodded. "Then that's all there is to it. You've said yourself, we're individuals in the same body. As for my personal feelings, as long as you are entirely devoted to me when we're together, then I'll accept whatever happens with the rest of them. As for Victor and Arthur? You'll have to discuss that with them."

I let out a deep sigh and nodded. Well, if nothing else, I at least had Jack's blessings for this screwed up situation. I doubted Arthur would confess anytime soon. What about Victor though? How would he react?

Offended that I'd sought Jack's consent? Happy that I felt comfortable enough to proceed with our relationship? Jealous he'd have to share me? All of the above? I didn't know. I was still figuring out how to make things up to him from the last time. Either way, Jack was right. It was something I could only discuss with Victor.

"Anna?" Jack asked.

"Hmm?" I hummed, still half in my thoughts.

"As you know, I like hearing updates about what's happened when I'm gone," he started cautiously.

"Should I continue with what happened this week, sir?" I asked.

He chuckled a bit and held me closer. "No, Ms. Walton. Actually, I was hoping you could give more information about something."

The sarcastic way he said my name sounded almost exactly like Victor. It stung a bit, but I shook it off. I was with Jack. I had to remain entirely devoted to him right now.

"What would you like to know?" I asked, forcing a smile.

"Those 'things' you did with Victor... what were they exactly?" He asked.

I blushed deeply. Of course, he had the right to know, but to actually say it out loud? It felt personal. Still, he deserved to know. I cleared my throat.

"Well, umm. I- well, we- umm," I stuttered, trying to find the least embarrassing way to explain.

He smiled mischievously and kissed me. He stroked my cheek.

"My, my. Victor must have experienced something very enjoyable if you're blushing like this," he teased.

I looked at the floor. I couldn't even get the words out. I wasn't embarrassed when I did these things with Victor, why did talking about it feel so embarrassing?

"You don't have to tell me. There should be some level of privacy between your individual relationships with us, I suppose," he said thoughtfully.

I gave a relieved sigh. That would solve a few problems with Victor's "permission" issue. Besides, I did want some private moments between them. What Victor and I shared that night was personal.

"That being said," he continued, "I do have one request if we're going to have this... unorthodox relationship."

That was fair. He was already being more than understanding trying to accommodate me and his other personalities. It made sense that he should ask for something for himself.

"What's that?" I asked.

"You seem to think of me as this gentle, patient man, and I'd like to think I am too," he said, shrugging, "but I'm afraid I can be just as childish and possessive as Victor at times. Especially when it comes to you. I just can't stand the idea that he's somehow explored your body in a way I haven't."

I blushed a bit. I wondered how much more it would upset him if he actually knew what we had done.

"Well, of course, every relationship progresses at its own natural pace," he explained, "and your feelings will always be my first priority in ours, but if it's not too inappropriate of a request..."

He trailed off. He seemed hesitant to actually ask me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me. I pressed my forehead against his gently. He had been so considerate of my feelings, the last thing I wanted was for him to feel like I didn't care about his.

"It's my job to care for you, Mr. Weston," I said teasingly. "So what can I help you with?"

He chuckled softly. "Well then, if it's not too inappropriate of a request, I want to have you in the same way he does."

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

He smiled. I felt his hand trail down my side until it reached the edge of my dress. I gasped a bit as it slid under my skirt and up my thigh. His fingertips rested against the edge of my panties.

"The way you share your body with the others is your decision and yours alone," he said softly. "My only request is that when we're together you will share it with me in the same way."

I felt my blush deepen. His eyes darkened with lust as his fingers traced along my thigh. Share my body with him the way I did with the others?

He leaned in and kissed my neck. His teeth grazed against my skin gently. It sent a shiver through my body. His tongue slowly trailed up my neck. I felt his lips against my ear.

"Well, Ms. Walton," he whispered huskily, "can you fulfil this request?"