Author: d8rkmessngr
Pairing: Jack/OMC, Jack/?, Jack/Ianto eventually, het and slash
Rating: NC-17 (betaed)
Summary: He left Jack on the game station. Abandoned. But then…he came back…different. An AU look on what happens if things happened differently. Doctor Who 'verse with Torchwood later on. Be sure to read the warnings.


Warnings: Please read each chapter's individual warnings. Some parts down the road may briefly mention non-con, abuse, and/or violence. Dark in the beginning. Please note there are some dark thoughts as my boys are broken…for now. Each chapter will be labeled for your convenience.
Author's Notes: Please note this is an AU that will cross over DW to TW season one. I'm probably spoiling my own story, but it will eventually be Janto. There's a bit of a journey first. I hope you enjoy. I'm working on this and intend to post regularly every other day. And again, I always believe in happy endings. So without further ado…
Disclaimer: RTD and BBC owns them. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Warning For This Chapter: DARK, mentions m/m situations, strong language

Notes For This Chapter: Note there are parallels to TW's "Fragments", "Everything Changes" and "Cyberwoman"


Prologue + Ch , Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6, Ch 7, Ch 8, Ch 9, Ch 10, Ch 11, Ch 12, Ch 13,Ch 14, Ch 15, Ch 16, Ch 17, Ch 18. Ch 19, Ch 20, Ch 21 Act I


Master Fic List: here


Chapter 21 – "Cyberwoman"
Act II: "In order to save what we love, we have to risk losing it."
One week later…

"…thanks." Jack smiled at the barkeep as he turned away to fill his orders. Idly, he sipped his glass of water and looked around him.

The bar everyone insisted on was apparently a known local spot. One of Owen's favorites, Ianto had commented before declining the invitation to join them for drinks. Gwen, Owen and Tosh had found a booth and were already chatting, joking, and plainly enjoying life as it was meant to be enjoyed.

Jack took another sip. The barkeep was busy but Jack didn't mind as he wistfully looked at the patrons deep in conversation.

"…told him if he didn't want his ass out the street…"

"…turned me down twice. Cheeky…"

"…never thought I would vote for him, but he sounds good…"

"Mother would have a fit if she knew…"

The television behind him was switched from channel to channel. Jack caught snatches about the Ministry of Defense, a rugby game that was playing, Archangel, and Elvis Costello playing in some hall before someone finally settled on a sporting match he didn't recognized, but people cheered. None of it really made any sense to Jack, not that he ever cared. He just wished there was someone here he could ask; aside from Gwen—which only invited more questions from the ever inquisitive former PC—Jack didn't dare ask the others. Well, maybe Ianto.

At the thought of Ianto, a pang churned in his chest, the lump in his gut that never seem to go away growing harder and colder. Jack sighed to himself and looked glumly at the barkeep as he tried to dodge more demands as he filled orders.

It was ridiculous to miss someone who hadn't really left. For weeks, Ianto couldn't look Jack in the eye and Jack thought that was far worse than waking up alone that night.

…his hands…his voice…

Jack drummed his fingers on the tall glass.

It was unrealistic to think one encounter could convince Ianto Jones that being with a man could be just as satisfying as with a woman. Although, in his day, Jack could be very convincing. Or so he thought. But sex with a man apparently proved to be a little too overwhelming for Ianto Jones.

His chest tightened and he found he needed to look down and concentrate on the water stain on the counter. Ianto had to believe it was just sex otherwise things wouldn't go back to the way they were. And the thought of one more person not being able to look at him made him ill and the thrum-thrum-tap-tap in his head grew too loud to bear.

It was for the best, Jack decided. Ianto wasn't the type of man to indulge in sex just for the physical intoxication of it. No, Ianto Jones looked like the kind of person who would court, care, and try to connect with someone. Sex would only be the end result; a bonus. No, Ianto Jones looked for love. And Jack couldn't give him that. Not with forever coursing in his blood. He just wished Ianto would stop looking at him like that had never occurred to him, that Jack wasn't a freak, that forever didn't matter. Jack almost wished Ianto would just stare at him like the Doctor had. That, Jack knew how to deal with.

"Buy you a drink?"

Jack blinked and looked up. Again, a face that under the right light, right turn, could be someone else. He was clean shaven, dressed in dark clothing, the leather jacket a nice fit over narrow shoulders. He had a young face but his smile was definitely older.

"No, thanks," Jack quipped, flashing him a smile in return. "I don't really drink."

"Mm, yet here you are in a bar." Blue eyes darkened as he considered Jack up and down.

Jack resisted rolling his eyes. Didn't matter what century, he recognized this look. It was the one constant among humans. Their smiles are pleasant, but their eyes always said something different.

"Just getting drinks for my friends there." Jack gestured towards the booth. They were all huddled together, deep in thought, not looking his way.

"More non-drinkers?" The teasing smile stretched across his face and suddenly, it was like looking at Ianto.

Jack's breath caught and he couldn't help but laugh at that smile, feeling more in place with the hungry look cast his way. It was a language he knew how to respond to finally.

"Sorry, three pints. I'm the only non-drinker here." Jack nodded to the barkeep when he finally got his tray of orders.

"Well, let me get you another." Smoothly, before Jack could do anything, the other grabbed his glass and whistled for a refill. Done, the man turned back to Jack, his smile a little too broad, a little too easy. "Here you go." The tall sweaty glass of water slid his way. "I like cheap dates."

Jack could smell the taint in the clear water even from here. "Apparently, not cheap enough. No thanks," Jack said smoothly, pushing the glass away. He felt a pang of disappointment when the man's eyes narrowed and the illusion morphed to something more feral. Jack tensed. Great, was he going to get thrown out of a bar again?

"You know, we're dying of thirst here," Owen announced, suddenly shouldering between Jack and the other man. He dropped into the empty stool between them. He looked over his shoulder at the man.

"I think you're in the wrong bar, mate," Owen said pleasantly, but his eyes drifted to the tattoo of talons on his tanned collarbone. "Caveat's on the other side of town."

The other pressed his mouth together in a thin smile. "We were just talking."

"Actually," Jack interrupted. "He was just leaving." Jack plastered a smile on his face. It dropped when the other left finally. Jack rolled his eyes. Ianto was right. Very predatorial.

"New glass please," Gwen swooped in, plucked the drinking glass away from Jack. "Glass was dirty," she explained to the barkeep before she slid onto another stool. She scowled matronly at Jack.

"Thought we would keep you company," Toshiko explained as she popped up next to him.

Jack gave them all an eye roll as well. "My heroes," he teased as he accepted the new glass of clean water and moved down a few stools for them to join him.

"Christ, Jack. We can't take you anywhere," Owen grumbled. "Don't tell me you don't go to the bars in London either. Of all the people to chat up."

"Hey, all I said was hello. Wait, I didn't even get to say that!"

"Good thing," Owen scowled at the doorway the other man had left through. "Unless you were into kinky."

Toshiko raised an eyebrow at Owen. "Oh, was he from Caveat?"

"Same tattoo and everything—Hold on, how do you know about Caveat?"

Toshiko just smugly drank her beer, ignoring Owen's sputtering.

"Caveat, huh?" Jack pretended to give it some thought. He wondered what this century's people meant by kinky.

Gwen glared. "Don't even think about it, Jack! I think I must have made a dozen arrests there while I was PC."

Toshiko brightened. "Okay, there must be a story or two in there!"

Jack laughed when Owen exclaimed, "Just how much did you have to drink already?"

The conversation drifted from Gwen's strangest arrests to someone's old flat mate before he had enough and joined the conversation.

"Tusks?" Gwen was laughing. "Are you serious?"

Jack snickered. "She said 'Do you know how hard it is to find a man? What's a few tusks?'."

Gwen snorted. "And I thought Rhys leaving the seat up was bad."

Toshiko made a comment and the girls laughed even harder, drawing attention.

Jack grinned, not quite getting the reference and hid his confusion with a long drink of water.

Owen, stuck between the two women, shot Jack a long suffering look before he wiggled out from between them and stood, slouching, next to him.

"The blonde down the bar, drinking the Guinness," Owen muttered out of the side of his mouth.

Jack's eyes flitted over. The blonde was pretty. He beamed at her and her coy smile widened.

"Cute but nope," Jack turned back to Owen.

Owen shook his head. "She's practically salivating."

"No." Jack made a face. "I once dated a guy who had an overbite problem." Jack took a sip of his water before continuing. "Used to wake up with slobber all over me. So over it." Of course, it could be because he was a member of the Trebganian family, known for their carnivorous appetites, but Jack decided to leave that part out.

Owen gave him a disbelieving look. "Okay then, that bloke drinking the rum."

"Don't like heavy drinkers. Bad breath."

"The red head with the briefcase."

"Nope."

"The—"

"Okay, there can't be that many…" Jack trailed off when he looked around. Turning back, Owen smirked.

"Welcome to happy hour," Owen muttered. "Have you been living under a rock?"

More like a police box, Jack thought. Jack poked him with his elbow. "I thought we were just getting drinks here, not…" Jack shrugged, but he did look around curiously at the ones Owen had described. Yup, they all wore the same look. Jack relaxed. He could deal with predictable.

"The one time we convince you to go out for drinks with us and you drink water," Owen snorted in disgust.

"Hey, it's a drink," Jack protested.

"Jonesy, I could understand, but I would have thought you would already be out there drinking back when you were working for Torchwood London."

"They kept me pretty busy there." Jack frowned at Owen. The doctor scrutinized him like a puzzle he couldn't quite figure out. Jack ignored the open curiosity and took a few more gulps of water.

Owen leaned over and lowered his voice. "You know, he's probably just feeding that pterodactyl of ours," Owen grunted as he took a gulp of beer as well. "If you give him a call; he could probably get here in time for the second round."

"Who?" Jack gave him a puzzled look. Owen shook his head, snickered, and just took another sip of beer. Gwen then said something else and the three were all back talking about the worst flat mates they ever had. Jack listened curiously, laughing when they did, wondering why he was wishing he was back in the Hub.

Then, Toshiko's scanner rang. UFO sighting in Cardigan Bay. Everyone, especially Owen, complained, but Jack almost grinned. It was time to head back to Torchwood.



Act III: "Why is there one in our bloody basement?"

Even though Owen had warned him, running into the Cyberman was still a shock. More so when he realized it was a woman. And when it approached…

"Lisa?" Jack blurted out when the cyborg came closer. "What? How? You died…" She took another step closer and his gun automatically went up. He aimed and—

"No!" Out of nowhere, someone grabbed him, bodily slammed him up against the wall.

Ianto's red rimmed eyes filled his view and Jack knew.

"You brought her down here," Jack hissed and Ianto gave him a tight nod before Jack released him, turning to the power switch as Gwen screamed, terrified, trapped on the platform.

Jack staggered back, bumping his legs against Owen's prone body. He thought a rift had somehow opened, another breach, another…anything but this. How did he get so blinded?

"We have to go," Jack hissed as he grabbed Owen and hefted him over his shoulders. Ianto looked at him, dazed and almost stupor-like, before he averted his gaze. Jack's gut turned ice cold but he didn't have the luxury to let out the lump ramming in his chest, demanding to be released.

"This way," Ianto rasped, still not looking at him, his fingers tugging at Gwen's sleeve for her attention. She gawked at the conversion unit—it shouldn't be here—but at Ianto's pull, she followed, her eyes wary and alert again. Jack shifted Owen's weight evenly across his shoulders, gritted his teeth and followed Ianto out of the vaults. The other's sure footing and direction in the dark made his mouth sour.



It felt like his hands belonged to another when he prodded the gun to Ianto's head.

"What else have you been keeping from us?" Jack didn't know him anymore. Maybe he had never known him at all.

"Jack, for God's sake, what are you doing?" Tosh sounded horrified and she stopped in her tracks.

"Tosh! I gave you an order! Gwen, help her."

Ianto didn't flinch at the gun pointed at his forehead. He stared up to Jack, his hands behind his head. "Jack, I—"

"What else?" Jack clenched his teeth to keep from screaming, to keep his gun steady. The entire Hub was on lockdown, everyone's faces a ghoulish red. "How many more are down here?"

"One! Just Lisa! Jack!" Ianto's eyes pleaded with him. "I had to save her."

At all costs apparently. Jack choked back whatever wanted to come out. He had been a fool.

"Who is she?" Gwen demanded, not moving.

Ianto looked past Jack and answered her. "Her name's Lisa. She's my girlfriend. She was caught up in the battle at Canary Wharf."

"Oh my God," Tosh breathed. "They tried to convert her."

"She wasn't converted!" Ianto stared up at Jack again. "She's still human inside. It's still Lisa."

Jack lowered his gun as Gwen tried to wrap her head around what Ianto was saying. "B-but you could have told us about her. We could have helped you—"

"Torchwood exists to destroy alien threats." The loathing Ianto had for Torchwood London spilled out like venom. Jack felt his chest squeeze. "Why would I tell you about her?"

Jack fought for composure. "Torchwood's different now," Jack rasped. "I changed it. You know that," Jack grated out.

"How could I risk it?"

"A little loyalty, perhaps?" Owen groused, rising to his feet swaying with Tosh's help, his hand to his head.

Ianto wouldn't look at Jack. "My loyalty's to Lisa."

The room went completely dark for a second. The air drained from his body. Just a second, only a second of eternity, but when his vision returned, Jack realized everything looked different now.

"You love Lisa," Jack rasped. "You did all this for her. Everything."

Ianto's face crumpled as he gasped out, "I owe it to her."

We owe it to her, Jack thought he could hear Ianto saying. His eyes burned.

"There's no cure for her," Owen argued. "All you've done is just sent her down here to slaughter us all!"

"You're not listening! The conversion was never completed. I can still save her!"

Toshiko kept anxiously looking back and forth between them. "Jack, it'll take at least six hours to get the power back up."

"There's no way we can get into that weapons store without power!" Owen argued.

Ianto kept his gaze on Jack as he rose to his feet. "Let me talk to her. I'll make her listen. She'll listen to me!"

Jack shook his head, sick. "Forget it, Ianto, she won't list—"

"I have to try!"

Jack stared hard at Ianto.

"I have to try. I…I love her. Haven't you ever loved—" Horror crossed over Ianto's face at whatever he saw on Jack's. "God, I didn't mean—"

"You better decide whose side you're on," Jack said, his voice thin. "Or you won't see the end of this. None of us will."


Conclusion

Additional Notes: Many thanks to soullessminion for betaing this chapter. And trtmx for her magic trick that saved my sanity! LOL.