AN: Don't own TW or DW – they belong to RTD and the BBC – and ain't making a dime from it. This was just niggling in the back of mind for a while and then lived on the back pages of my notebook until I decided to give this one a chance.
We know from DW lore that there is another universe that runs parallel to this one. This is my take on the Ianto and Lisa of that place…and what happened after the Lumic's Cybermen attacked. WARNING: Suicide and strong themes.
Torchwood: Alternate Ends
The dream was always the same.
She screamed as they pulled her back; metallic hands grabbing her from behind. She put her two legs together and kicked the man she loved more than anything in the back, propelling him forward. Pushing him away from the horrors that had taken hold of her.
'RUN! GET OUT, DAMN YOU!' she screamed with all of her might as he ran towards her, trying to get the metal hands that held her in place off of her. She felt as the metal men then injected something into her back; she screamed and convulsed as the element ran through her bloodstream like molten lava. She ripped her earpods off as she screamed and writhed on the floor – but he had not! When the signal was sent he stopped fighting and blindly followed the metal men – Lumic's CYBERMEN – out of the Torchwood facility where they both worked as Head Archivists – to Lumic's factory in London.
She got up from the floor on unsteady feet, falling and ultimately crawling as he pleaded with him to stop, but he couldn't hear her. Two Cybermen followed her, watching dispassionately as she screamed at her man, her love, her husband…her Ianto. She watched in horror as they integrated metal into his flesh – as they converted her beautiful man into a half – creature…an abomination.
She screamed again – long and loud, alerting those watching over her, protecting her from herself. She awoke shaking and sweating, mumbling incoherently as she was wrapped in a warm doona and warmer arms. She turned and looked into the faces of her colleagues, Doctor John Smith and Rose Tyler. She opened her mouth to apologize, but the good doctor simply put a hand on her shoulder.
'It's all right. I…I am just so sorry,' he said softly. She nodded. The dreams became worse when she was tracking the Cybermen – and that was what Torchwood used her for nowadays. Six years later – and she still could not let go. Her husband, her Ianto Jones…the man she would have given her life for time and again…ripped to shreds by a dying man's dream of immortality.
~~TWDWTW~~
The machines shut down half-way through the process as parts of the factory blew up – and then he started screaming. For six months Torchwood tried everything they knew – and things they didn't know to stop the progression of the Cyber technology. But in the end it won out. She had been the one to…deactivate…him. Not because she was his wife, but because she was the only one that could. She laughingly referred to herself as "Human-point-one-five". Whatever it was that the Cybermen injected into her body left her looking human outside; made her totally immune to infection or disease and ten times stronger than the average human. She had laughed herself into a catatonic state once when she realized that process Lumic subjected all the Cyberdized humans to was already obsolete. She was the ultimate…a human with the power of a Cyberman. And she hated herself even more for it.
In those last moments before Human-point-two programming took over, that he begged her to kill him…to not let him hurt anyone else. He then cried in her arms, knowing that the deepest hurt would be to her. 'Forgive me,' he whispered, stroking her face with hands encased in metal. 'My lovely Lisa,' he said softly. She nodded, understanding what she had to do, then kissed him deeply as she put both of her hands on either side of his metal encased face – and twisted. There was a resounding snap in the quiet room as the technicians and support staff around froze at the sound. She then gathered him close in her arms and cried softly over him, rocking him as she watched the light in his eyes go out.
~~TWDWTW~~
She died that day – and every day since. He was gone…and she simply couldn't go on anymore. This day was their wedding anniversary. They would have been married eight years today. He would say that the day they met he had survived a lightening strike – because he swore he saw stars. She ached for him on this day…on every day. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to think. Her bed was so cold at night…she wanted nothing more than to curl around his body and say to hell with their world. Let the damn machines be done with it…because now she was.
She was on suicide watch – they always put her on it this time of year. They realized it when for three months after the death of her husband she tried repeatedly to kill herself. They always got to her in time – and eventually they had to keep her in a titanium woven strait jacket and dope her to high heaven to keep her under control. She had survived – and helped them find three more Cyber nests – but this time would be different. They had gotten lax – and she silently thanked a God she no longer believed in.
She could hear them banging on the door behind her, yelling at her to open it. But even she could not open it once she sealed it. It was a transfer of information from a dying Cyberman that gave her the key to end her miserable existence. She now stood on the roof of the Torchwood Tower; the wind was bracing as she watched airships whizz by. When she gained access to the roof, she was able to dead lock seal all the doors. Not even Doctor Smith's handy little sonic screwdriver could get through that.
She was wearing her wedding dress – a simple cream colored silk tea length sleeveless dress with pearl beading on the bodice and lace on the hem that Ianto's father worked tirelessly on after they picked out the pattern and the color of the fabrics. Her bridesmaids and his groomsmen all had their suits and dresses made by Ianto's father at his shop – Jones and Sons. Ianto was his youngest; his older brother had taken over the shop and was pleased as punch to do this for the baby of the family.
The old man had come out of retirement just for this – and had all eight tuxedos and dresses done in record time. She remembered the gasp her mother gave when she saw her in the dress. Her mum had commented that Ianto was absolutely right – cream looked gorgeous against her skin. The color of blue they chose for the bridesmaids' dressed and cumberbunds matched Ianto's eyes perfectly…like the blue of a perfect sunny day…
She remembered their wedding night as she stepped up barefoot unto the ledge and looked down…long drop down. Good. She wanted to make sure there wasn't anything that would survive. That crap that they injected into her had helped with the healing process before…but not now.
Ianto's hands were so warm and gentle as he removed her dress. She took her time slipping off his jacket, waistcoat and unbuttoning his shirt. He was such a beautiful man…his blue eyes shining like polished turquoise…Oh, Ianto!
A resounding explosion behind her brought her back to reality. She could dead lock a door – but not a brick wall. She knew that would be their point of entry…and her signal that it was time. She heard voices behind her screaming her name.
Lisa! LISA JONES!! Lisa – STOP!!! Don't!
They just didn't understand…she just wasn't strong enough anymore. She had left her reasons in a letter in her room within the facility. Hopefully, they'd read it. It wasn't their fault. She looked down again…she didn't think she believed in Heaven…she knew she believed in Hell. She had been living in it every single day without him.
Even if there was a Heaven, she figured she wouldn't be allowed in. She had killed her own angel after all.
'Ianto,' she breathed out as she toppled off the edge, the screams of Rose and John following her until they were lost in the wind. 'Ianto,' was her last thought when she made contact with the pavement below.
~~TWDWTW~~
The funeral was a quiet, somber affair. The parents, siblings and relatives to both children comforted each other as best they could. Lisa's parents understood completely; they had seen their daughter deteriorating over the years and told Doctor Smith and Rose Tyler that they knew they did their best to save Lisa. But she was tired and broken and pining for her lost man, her mother said to them as she held their hands. And sometimes that just can't be fixed.
~~TWDWTW~~
Lisa Ann Jones was laid to rest next to her husband, Ianto Emrys Jones (his coffin had been deadlock sealed as a precautionary measure – as was hers). The families planted two rose bushes – one red for Ianto (Lisa had always said red was his color) and one cream (for Ianto said cream was hers).
Years later, as family continued to visit the graves, they found that the bushes intertwined and the roses blended until they were the perfect shade of pink – a color they both liked.
FINIS
AN: Well, it's done…reviews are like manna from Heaven – so please help me feed the Plot Bunnies. Working on a sequel to The Century Mark and the next chapter to Doppelgangers. Thanks you so much for your support and reading of all my fics…MAJOR boost when RL is kicking the crap out of you…