Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Torchwood , It all belongs to the BBC and profit is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended

A/N: Thanks to my awesome beta-reader "J3d1M0nk3ySp0ck, for her guidance and suggestion to improved this story. THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to leave a review.

T

Chapter-7

Ianto slowly opened his eyes only to be horrified by his surroundings. This place has been in every nightmare he's ever had since Canary Wharf. Nothing had changed from the tattered couch he awakens on, to the mismatched chairs at the kitchen table.

While scanning the room his eyes fell on the one other friend besides Tosh he'd believed would always remain by his side. But that was destroy with the realization that Liam was the one he was meeting.

Before Ianto could speak Liam took the lead. "Ianto when we came up with the plan to seek out Harkness to help Asil, we knew of his reputation and were prepared, if necessary, to use it against him. It was Asil, you and I against them (Torchwood). They were the ones who would've destroyed Asil without a second thought, never trying to save her. My greatest fear came true when Harkness killed her."

"Liam what has this to do with what you've done to me? Framing me for murder? You were supposed to be my friend!'' Ianto asked, angry as well as confused.

"It has everything to do with it!" Liam shouted. "How could you be with him after what he did? He killed Asil, destroyed the happiness and future we would have had together. Then he finds the same thing with you her best friend that he took from her and me."

Ianto listen to Liam as tears ran down his cheek "Liam we did everything we could, but Asil was gone long before we took her off that conversion unit. We were blinded by our love and belief that we could fix Save her. We were wrong. I have to live everyday with the guilt for the innocent people she killed. I know you didn't want to hear this at the time neither did I, but Jack was right. He had no choice, Asil had to be stopped."

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Liam shouted, "Is that what you tell yourself when you're fucking Harkness, to help ease your guilty conscience? Don't look at me like that. I know about the two of you. Tell me this, how does it feel knowing you're sleeping with the man that murder my fiancee , your supposed best friend? Is that why you call her Lisa, to help erase the truth?"

"Newsflash Mr. Ianto Harkness-Jones, you can call her Lisa but it's still Asil no matter how you reverse it."

Ianto listened, devastated by the harsh words he was hearing. Had Liam blamed him for Lisa/Asil's death? Was this supposed to be his penance? Going to prison for a murder he hadn't committed, to pay for the one he believed he helped commit with his betrayal, by being with Jack.

Ianto decided to take a different approach. This wasn't the Liam he remembered; something had to happen to set this all in motion.

"Liam, Asil wouldn't want this" Ianto said pleadingly. "She would want you to be go on with your life and be happy. You were supposed to destroy all this."

Liam took a deep, shuddering breath. "How dare you tell me what Asil would want I couldn't erase her as easily as you. This is all I had left of her; this place gave me strength as well as comfort. Did you know I work at Cardiff University now? No, because just like Asil, you erased me from your life. When you stayed with Harkness and Torchwood after Asil's death, I had nothing but this place that held so many memories of her and our struggles to save her."

Ianto listened silently keeping his shields up. He knew his moment of weakness had given Liam the upper hand at the Millennium Center; he didn't want him to get it again.

"I remember how you and I worked so hard to find the perfect place to care for Asil, until we could sneak her into the hub. This abandoned warehouse was it, secluded on the outskirts of Cardiff." Liam smirked "The owner was more than happy to get rid of it".

"At night while you kept Harkness away, I stayed with Asil. Sneaking in and out of the hub through the secret passage we found. Bringing in any supplies Asil needed."

"That horrible night still burns in my brain like an inferno I had gone to the airport to meet Dr. Tanizaki, unaware he had called you and took a cab. If I hadn't gone to the airport she would still be alive and be cured."

"Dr. Tanizaki was able to make her breathe on her own again, without the help of a machine, but Harkness was back before he could finish, I watch from afar as Asil started to lose her battle with reality, she never would have killed the delivery girl, Dr. Tanizaki or attacked you, if Harkness and his team hadn't arrived and stopped Dr. Tanizaki from completing his treatment. Asil's conversion was incomplete he could have saved her."

"Liam that isn't true, I tried to reason with Asil but she wouldn't listen. I didn't understand at the time, but Asil mind was slowly being taken over by the Cybermen components that had been implanted", Ianto paused before continuing, "In my eyes Jack was the monster, but that wasn't true. We could have endangered thousands of innocent lives by our actions; we would have been the monsters."

"He is a monster!" Liam yelled. "Did you know Asil and I were about to leave when we heard Harkness threaten you at gunpoint? Giving you an ultimatum, either you kill Asil in ten minutes or he would come back and kill you both. That was when she completely lost it, she refused to leave thinking Harkness would hurt you."

"I ran back to get a sedative and when I returned Harkness had sprayed her with what smelled like barbecue sauce. It summoned that prehistoric creature, I watched as that beast ripped her apart, killing her while Harkness stood with his team and watched. I was devastated; I ran and ran until you found me here."

Ianto listened, stunned by Liam's words. His account of Asil's actions that night was distorted; Asil's mind had been controlled by her Cyber components. If Jack hadn't stopped her she would have killed everyone and convert him and Liam. Hearing Liam call his name Ianto refocused on his captor.

"Ianto, you used to come around every day but then you stopped. One week later, I found an envelope on the table stuffed with money, a plane ticket and a new identity. You said for me to destroy all this and forget Torchwood. You couldn't come to see me anymore. Why ...Why did you abandon me when I needed you? Why Ianto?"

"I was being watched. No one trusted me; I didn't know what Jack was going to do." Ianto painfully explained. "I had betrayed him and my teammates, by Torchwood protocol I was a traitor and should be executed. But Jack gave me another chance and with time and hard work the incident was forgiven by my teammates but not forgotten."

"Liam, you had lost so much I didn't want you to suffer any more. So I kept your involvement a secret giving you the name Liam Spencer, I put your birth name on the list of deceased Torchwood employees, Jack thinks I did it all myself."

Liam was shocked by Ianto's admission, his irrational mind told him it wasn't to protect him, it was to keep Ianto's lover from learning the depth of his deceit and betrayal. Liam growled as he realized this was what he had sensed in Ianto, his fear of Harkness finding out.

Taking a deep breath Ianto nervously spoke, "Liam why am I here?"

"Because you are my key to Harkness, "Liam smirked. "Jack Harkness killed my Asil, I have tried to put it behind me, in fact I had finally decided to destroy this secluded warehouse with all its memories and return to London when I spotted you two in the park together. How could you start a family with him? Why should I be alone and in pain and he not suffering at all?"

Ianto had heard enough, he had to do something. Instead of helping Liam he had caused him more pain and grief. He should have retconned him, but he hadn't wanted to take the memories of Asil from him. All these months, years, he has been a walking time bomb ready to explode. Now he had to correct his mistake.

Ianto was so deep in memories and his own guilt; he had let his shields down again. Liam picked upon his thoughts and lunged at Ianto with another drug filled syringe, but this time Ianto had also entered Liam's mind. Before Liam could inject Ianto, he wrestled the syringe from him and plunged it into Liam's thigh.

As Liam's awareness faded into darkness Ianto spoke, his voice shaking with venomous rage "You think I'm going to let you destroy my life and hurt my family after all the pain and torture I suffered in the aftermath of the Asil the Cyberwoman fiasco? I went through Hell to help Asil and protect you. Think again!"

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~TBC