Chapter 6

Alliance

Yes, so this is the 6th chapter. Thank you to everyone who is following this. You make my day brighter. Speaking of bright days, it was absolutely gorgeous and sunny and warm today and I hope you all appreciated it. I know I did.

Disclaimer: Owning nothing.

Apologies, this is another freaking short chapter, my people are working on the issue. My people are very competent, and should be respected.

"What is he doing?" Gwen whispered to the Doctor. She was staring at Jack and Ianto, who were facing each other, both with slack, blank expressions.

"They're back in the cyberlock," said the Doctor. His jaw was tight, as though he was fighting to keep his face expressionless. "God knows what he's doing."

oOo

He was back in his office. Through the window, he could see that the Hub was empty. Knock knock knock knock. Ianto pulled the door shut behind him.

"Hello, Jack." Oh God, it was that adorable smile Jack could never resist. "I hope there's no hard feelings between us."

"Hard feelings?" Jack scoffed. "You shot me in the head."

"Yes, but there wasn't any lasting damage, was there? Can't we just…move on?" Ianto settled one hand on Jack's waist and drew him close, so that their noses were almost touching. Jack pushed him away.

"Keep away from me."

"Jack, it's me. It's Ianto." He held out his hands, almost pleading. His forehead wrinkled in that way it always did when he was confused, which happened a surprising amount for someone who knew everything. "I don't understand, what's going on?"

Jack shook his head. "It's not you. You're not real."

Ianto looked down at himself. He dug his hands through his pockets. "Where's the watch? Jack? What's happening?"

The desk was between them now. Ianto stood where he was, looking forlorn and frightened. And then his expression changed, back to the cruel, clever Time Lord. "Ianto's still here, Captain Harkness," he said, all traces of fear gone. He tapped a finger to his temple. "Right in there somewhere. I can bring him back if you want."

"Why?" asked Jack without moving.

Time Lord Ianto shrugged as though it was obvious. "I need you on my side, Jack. If this is what is takes, so be it."

"You can just…bring him back? My Ianto." Jack didn't dare believe it. His hand hovered over his holster.

In response, Time Lord Ianto gave a shiver. His eyes rolled up in his head, and when they returned to Jack, they were the same sweet eyes he had fallen in love with. "Jack?" Ianto looked around. "What happened?"

In less than a second, Jack was on the other side of the desk. He wrapped Ianto in his arms. "I'm sorry, Ianto. I'm so sorry. I never should have let you open that watch. I'm so sorry." Jack wanted the moment to last forever. Ianto pressed against him, alone in the office. It was as close as an immortal could get to Heaven.

"No," Ianto muttered into his shoulder. "You really shouldn't have."

A sharp pain exploded in Jack's stomach. His body went rigid and his eyes opened wide with shock. Ianto extracted himself from the embrace, revealing the hilt of a knife protruding from Jack's shirt front, surrounded by a growing dark stain. Ianto's hand closed around the hilt, and he twisted it slowly.

"Ah!" Jack groaned and dropped to his knees. "Please…stop."

"No," said Time Lord Ianto. He twisted the knife further, kneeling over Jack. Jack screamed.

oOo

Jack screamed, making everyone jump. His head shot up and smacked against the stone wall. Ianto's face became animated once more. He stroked a hand along Jack's cheek. Jack squirmed away.

"It's too bad," Ianto murmured in Jack's ear. "We could have been great." He spun on his heel and left the cell.

"Jack?" said Gwen gently. "Jack, what happened?"

"Leave him alone, Gwen," said the Doctor.

"So, what now?" asked Owen. "We're stuck in a stinking cell, Ianto's an asshole, and Jack's…we're dead in the water."

"This isn't the end yet," said the Doctor. "We've got one last line of defense."

oOo

"Doctor!" Martha pounded her fist on the side of the monitor. All the 10 Downing Street security feeds had gone static, and she could hear nothing on her earpiece. "Doctor!" Desperately, she raced out of the Torchwood One warehouse in which they'd made their base, approximately a mile from Downing Street, and out onto the sidewalk. No one noticed her at first, because the Doctor had put a perception filter on the door. The civilians walked by without a care in the world, too distracted by their shiny new Toclafane pets.

"It's rubbish, it is." Martha jumped. Standing beside her, also watching the Toclafane, with an expression of extreme suspicion and distaste, was a red-haired woman a few years older than Martha.

"The Toclafane," the woman clarified in a voice dripping with sarcasm, sketching quotes in the air with her fingers. "I'll buy that they're aliens, sure. But here to serve? I've seen The Twilight Zone, and 'To serve man' never means what we want it to, does it? Nah, they're after something else. The question is, what?"

"Sorry, who are you?"

The woman held out her hand. "Donna Noble."

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