Cyberwoman:

Chapter Seven-

"You're not listening" he tells me, his voice stern. The stoic mask was back and it was creeping into his tone of voice as well. I tried to hide all the emotions that were rising inside of me. It was difficult. I've been pretending not to have a heart for many, many years but it never gets easier, especially at times like this. I keep looking at him, forcing my emotionless mask to stay in place, just like his. I was listening; it was him that wasn't listening. I can feel my heart thumping against my chest, it was so loud I was sure everyone around me could hear it as well, thought it they did, they didn't say anything.
"You're not listening to me, the conversion was never completed."
"She already tried to kill Gwen, do you really think she's going to stop there?" I ask, stepping forward again, getting into his personal space. It's an intimidation technique picked up over the years and in most situations it works. For a moment or two he looked intimidated, but it faded, like all of his emotions did. Covered by the mask he wore. "There is no turning back for her now" I wasn't shouting. I was trying hard not to because he didn't needed me to shout in his face as well as get all up in his business.
He closed his eyes briefly before opening them again, his blue eyes locking with mine once more.
"I'm" he hesitates. "Not giving up on her."

It's been awhile since I've heard such devotion, such love and determination that it hits home and I'm glad that only Ianto can see my face for awhile because I must have looked like a puppy begging for food. I was imploring him to see reason, though I said nothing, my eyes screamed for him to give in and help us take Lisa down. I guess, I knew it was a hopeless beseech but I haven't stopped living off false hope either. I don't think I've ever felt more connected to another human being than I did with Ianto at that moment. The false hope, the emotionless masks, the shadows we carried around with us everyday, everywhere we went.
"I love her" he breaks the silence that had been building up while we stared into each others eyes. "Can you understand that Jack? Have you ever loved someone?"
I search his face, as if I'm looking for a clue as to how I should answer. Do I lie, do I tell the truth? Or is it best to not say anything at all.

I ignore the question completely and get even closer to him,

"You need to figure out whose side you're on here... Because, if you don't know, you're not going to make it out of this alive!" I turn away, not being able to look at his face any longer and not wanting him to possibly see behind my words. I want him to think I'm angry, I want him to think that he has no other choice. Does he have another choice? Did he have another choice? He could have put up a better fight. He could have helped. Switched to our side at that very moment. Was I expecting him to just give up on her and help us? No. Was I expecting him to give up on us and try to fight us to help her? No. I was expecting him to do what he was doing before, what I would have done. Continued to play for both sides. I care about the person I want to protect, I also care about the people who are trying to kill her. Protect both. Keep trying to get the other side to change their mind. He needed Lisa to stop doing what she was doing, he needed her to be herself again even if it was just for a few minutes. He needed us to stop trying to destroy her. It didn't seem like she was going to stop and because she wouldn't stop, we couldn't stop. That's the way it is. If the other side gives up, you give up and it's over. If the other side continues, continue until you have nothing left to give and because I can't die, I will forever have something to give and I would never stop trying to keep her contained. She was not leaving the Hub alive and she was not going to get her metallic hands on another member of my team.

"There's no way, this weapon stores not going to open" Owen told me when my attention was back on the rest of my team.
"It's going to take six hours for the power to come back online" Tosh explained.

And that is when Ianto joined in again.
"Let me talk to her" he said. "I can still save her."
No, Ianto, the hole point of this conversation has been based around the fact that you can't save her. And he said I wasn't listening.
"Save all of us" he continued. "She's not a monster" his voice was sad again. More than sad. It was nostalgic. I almost couldn't believe that what after she almost did to Gwen, Ianto wanted to try and talk to her. Then, Lisa appeared out of nowhere, giving Ianto his chance. I wasn't sure if I should stop him or not. I felt like I should but at the same time part of me wanted to let him have a chance. Part of me wanted him to have a chance at getting her back so he could be happy again, smile again. It wasn't often you got to see him smile. I myself have only seen it a few times and a real smile I've only seen once. After our first sexual encounter and then, it was only for awhile because it had been in my office and he left soon after getting his clothes on and waving goodbye.

Before we even had a chance to stop him, he was walking towards her.
"Ianto" Gwen called, not moving from where she was standing. Although she hadn't moved from the spot since she got there. When she moved, so did Owen I stopped them both. Ianto deserves a chance to prove himself. I watched, ready to jump in at any moment, if there was even a hint of trouble, a doubt that she wouldn't hurt him, I was ready to step in and end it. I wasn't going to let anyone's life be put at risk because of this.

"Lisa" Ianto said, her head turned towards him. "It's me."
Lisa was looking around the Hub, as if she hadn't even noticed him.
"You can't just let him go-" Gwen began but I shushed her, telling her to keep quiet. I wanted to hear this, I couldn't deal with the distraction, if something went wrong, I had to be able to step in straight away, we couldn't afford to be distracted.
"The army will be built from here. This building is suitable" her voice gave me the creeps. It was so robotic, so far from sounding human and I was sure it hurt Ianto to hear it.
"Who are you?" I ask. No one comes into my home and tries to kill my employees, even if they are one of my employee's girlfriend... Especially if they're an employee's girlfriend. The girlfriend of the employee I've been shagging for over a month. For over two months. Although, he'd properly find a better word for our arrangement.

"Human point two" she answered, looking straight at me.
"No" Ianto said, walking closer to her. "Lisa" he stopped in his tracks again. She responded to her name, that was always a good sign.
"So, how come you look like human point one?" I ask. Not willing to let Ianto have this conversation on his own. He wasn't trained to lead conversations of life or death. I could and I didn't need the training because if I died, I'd only come back and try again. Keep trying until I finally did it. Although over the years, I've been able to know what to say and what to avoid. I was facing her sideways as I spoke, Ianto looked at me. Clearly not impressed that I was getting in the way of his talking to her. But, I didn't trust him to talk to her alone, he knew that, it was written all over his face, but if he expected to be able to pull a stunt like this and be trusted not even an hour after, he was wrong.
"I don't understand" Lisa said.

"Look at yourself" I was surprised that she didn't know she was still half human. The cyber race were obsessed with perfection, hence they removed emotions. It's hard to be perfect while polting the revenge and death of someone who cut you off while driving to work that morning. Or arguing with the one you love over something so stupid like which bed cover you wanted on the duvet. "Go ahead" I encouraged her. When she saw herself, she'd understand right. Notice she was still half human and remember who she was.
"Remember Lisa" Ianto contuied, taking a few more steps in her direction as she turned to look at her reflection in the glass. "Remember who you are."

"The upgrade is incomplete" that voice, I hope her human voice was a lot more settling that the robotic one she now possessed.
"You're still human" Ianto was getting closer and closer with every word he spoke and I wanted to shout at him, wanted to tell him to stay back but for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to speak.
"I am... Disgusting... I have... I am..." she seemed lost for words. That is a sight, a Cyberman without an answer. "Wrong" she finished in the end.
Clearly not the answer Ianto was hoping for. He was on her level now, stepping closer again.
"We can help you" he said.
"I must start again" Lisa was completely ignoring him. He was offering her help, offering to help her get fixed and she wasn't even paying attention to him. I kept one of my hands on my gun, ready to aim and fire if the time called for it. "Upgrade properly."
"For god sake, have you heard yourself?" Ianto's voice was raising. He was getting impatient and embarrassed that he hadn't been able to bring her around yet. It was hard to watch but I had to watch. He was moving towards her again. "Lisa, please. I brought you here" every time he says it I'm filled with the emotion of betrayal. "To heal you. So we can be together" how he hadn't started crying yet, I'll never know. He was good at keeping his emotions hidden, but hiding them and not feeling are not the same thing. Just like not know what you feel is far from being the same of feeling nothing.

Lisa took her eyes off of her reflection in the glass and she looked at him.
"Together" she said, must have been a trick of the light but her lips appeared to be cracked, ever so slightly, into a smile. Was she coming back, returning to Lisa. Remembering who she was. Ianto's girlfriend? "Yes. Transplant my brain into your body" okay, never mind. Still a member of the Cyber community. There was no way I was going to let her put her brain into Ianto's body, nor was I about to let her touch Ianto's body. He bowed his head, I could see it now, he was going to start crying at any moment. It was getting harder and harder every time she spoke. It was also getting harder and harder to watch but I had to watch, so that I knew when and if I was needed to step in. "We'll be one complete person" she continues. "Isn't that what love is?"
What Ianto said was exactly what I was thinking.
"No."
"Then we are not compatible!"

And before I had the chance to react Lisa had taken Ianto by the throat and thrown him across the Hub. Landing not far away from me. I get my gun out, he doesn't move and although it scares me I know I have to act professional and I point my gun at her. Not sure why I pause long enough before shooting, it only gave her time to get me first. Electricity running through my hands, making me drop the gun.