Alternate Title: Jones, Ianto

Hey, guys! I came up with the idea for this story while reading "Can't You See Them?" by Ghostfish. My dear twin, debussy88, inspired me to write it down. Check them both out. They're awesome.

Disclaimer: Don't…..own….It's….killing…..me. You can tell, can't you?

Jack nearly skipped out across the Plass for lunch, in spite of the sunlight blinding him as soon as he stepped outside of the tourist office. Today had been a good day, a rarity. The rift had been quiet since ten this morning; and the only adventure that that alarm had announced, hours ago, was a dive into the bay for some strange glove. An easy retrieval, considering the horrors they were usually forced to contend with.

He had actually slept a little the previous night, and the team seemed to be getting along in a general sort of way. At least, the Hub had been devoid of Suzie and Owen's usual biting comments, brought on by their lack of caffeine. Both were too lazy to learn to make anything for themselves, and unfortunately both were night people.

Jack chuckled to himself as he sprang over the pavement. He might have to start setting a curfew. Today, though, Owen had stopped for coffee on the way in, and he and Suzie were milling about the place in peace, instead of on the verge of throttling each other.

He reached the edge of the Plass. Yes, it had been a good day. He had even heard shouts of joy coming from Tosh's desk. Usually all that came from that direction was the sound of furious typing. He figured she had finally worked out the kinks in new program that had been giving her trouble for a month now. Rift prediction, or something like that. Complicated, but it would make their lives a lot easier.

Maybe we can actually get a start on organizing the Hub now. The state of it was becoming ridiculous. Hours would pass before he could dig up information vital to a mission. And when he said vital, he meant it. He could start looking for some general support…Nah. They could handle it. Owen wasn't the filing type, but Suzie was good with artifacts. And Tosh had their computer system in impeccable condition, plus she was great with cross referencing. They would make a day's work of the complicated files and archives. Now when would be a good day? Before the rift gets fussy again-

That's when it hit him. Hard.

Not like a lightning bolt, that was simple. Too kind. He had been to planets where getting struck by lightning was a must-have for any decent party. No, this was more of a sucker punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of him and leaving him gasping for air. This was more like being doused with liquid nitrogen, freezing him where he stood and sending pain tingling through every nerve.

His vision flickered as one thought crashed into his mind. Lisa!

The desperate cry swept through the walls guarding his own thoughts like they were rice paper. He crumpled to the ground as the numbing agony of it enveloped him. He dimly saw people's stares wheeling towards him before he was dragged into someone else's consciousness.

How? The question swirled around his head. How could this man be struggling for the door despite the crippling heartbreak and terror flooding through him? Jack was submerged for a second beneath the emotions, feeling a cold doorknob under his scrabbling hand before a crushing choke hold dragged him into the air. Seeing a terrifying sight, a sight from so many nightmares, through desperate eyes.

It can't be real! But he saw the glint of metal, felt its cold grip, heard its harsh voice. The image crawled over his skin like ice.

The shock of the impossible monster pulled Jack out of the man's head for a split second. The bright sky came back into focus, replacing his – the apartment. He fought against a tide of panic. His team. He needed to call his team. He gasped as he felt the man crash into a wall and crack his head against plaster. That's bad injury. Really bad. But then, more frightening than anything he had seen, he saw the struggle drain out of those handsome blue eyes.

As the connection dimmed, the fight for control of his faculties ceased. He stumbled to his feet and raised a shaking hand to his earpiece; the blue eyes in his head appealing to his rationality, suppressing his horror and confusion. Whatever was going on, they needed to contain the monster now, before more people got hurt.

"Owen!" He only registered the crowd gathered around him when his voice rang out sharply into silence instead of the usual babble. "Torchwood business folks, move along" he called casually, knowing how close he was to throwing up. They easily dispersed, relieved that this crazy man was the government's problem and not their own.

"Yeah, what is it Harkness?" came Owen's preoccupied reply.

"Possible…" He spat the word out. "…cyberman."

"No…" the doctor choked. "It's NOT possible. How do you kn-"

"No time, Owen" Jack said shortly. "Get everyone in the SUV along with the full trauma kit and get up here now! Tell the girls to pack gear for a Class 1 alien threat. And don't forget the big guns."

"Roger that. Don't have to tell me twice." Owen cut out with a buzz of static.

Jack took a deep breath. Don't do it, he told himself. Owen and the others are coming. We'll find him. He tried to rationalize it. Opening up your mind only leads to trouble. What if an old time agent buddy is passing by, senses you, and decides now would be a good time to settle the score, drop by and kill you? What if… He shook his head. It was hopeless trying to resist looking for the man, so he gave up. He closed his eyes and searched for any glimpse of the powerful, shattered mind. Nothing. He was heartsick at the thought that it might already be too late.

Right when Jack was on the edge of having a full out panic attack, the car screeched up. He wasted no time shoving Owen off the driver's seat.

"What the hell is going on?" Suzie demanded, voicing the question that everyone was thinking. He floored the gas pedal as he explained as best he could through clenched teeth.

"You guys read the Canary Wharf file, right? That really-horrible-I-know-but –read-it-now-or-highly-regret-it-later assignment?"

"Yeah" said Tosh in a clipped voice, looking shaken. "Owen said something about a cyberman."

"I...heard…a man being attacked by one." He squealed around a corner to get to the highway, and revved the engine up to 90.

"But you were-"

"No time, Tosh. I'm just hoping he isn't already dead."

"Of course" she replied, looking a little sick. "God, cybermen. They were eradicated!"

Jack veered across three lanes of traffic to the Clarence Road exit, where most of the apartment buildings in the city were. "I don't know how it's here. But give it time to fortify a base and it'll take a hundred lives. Tell the police to cordon off a square mile area and evacuate everyone inside."

"A hundred irritated civilians coming right up. What area should they cordon off?"

Jack closed his eyes and slammed the car to a stop. Flung out with everything he had, praying for an answer. Where are you?

Ianto wondered if he was going crazy. I wouldn't be the first one, he thought, his mind racing. There were what, thirty survivors? Half of them committed suicide that first month. Henry, Jeff, Anne, Carol, they all put bullets in their skulls. I'm probably just the last to lose it.

He must be seeing things, because this couldn't be real. He felt a throbbing wrench in his chest as his senses provided overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Lisa, metal shining around her body as it had for months, was advancing towards him. Her eyes were empty.

He took an involuntary step backwards. His shoe squished into half-congealed blood. Dr. Tanizaki's. He looked down reflexively at the body on the floor. Panic trickled in through the shock as he finally realized what those mechanical hands could, and probably would, do to him. But he still loved her. With every fiber of his body.

"The army will be rebuilt from here." A drone voice. She was a slave to the machine. Buried underneath it. He had to reach her.

"Lisa!" Ianto cried in anguish. He didn't know it, but his trained mind, in full fight-or-flight mode, instinctively sent the name out over the psychic intercom, so to speak. His distress multiplied the cry's volume a thousand times over until it reverberated through space. One and a half miles away, Jack collapsed under the power of it. Meanwhile her foot thudded into the kitchen tile, a step closer. "It's me." he said, voice breaking. "Ianto."

"You will be upgraded." she droned.

He fought the terror in his body and the fire in his heart and walked over to her, running his hands down her arms desperately. "No! You're still human." She remained expressionless. "I love you" he whispered, tears flooding his face now. They didn't matter. "We belong together."

"Together. Yes" she said. It was an alien voice. But a twitch of that old smile graced her face and a spark of eagerness lit up her eyes.

"Transplant your brain into my body." His face crumpled in an instant, as the hopelessness and despair leaped down upon him. Her eyes widened. "Isn't that what love is?"

No! The denial hammered at Ianto. He stared at her, his eyes softening. He shook his head as the word shaped itself in his lips. No. Oh how he loved her. "No" he croaked out, and let go of her. The darkness of finally being alone in his suffering swept in. Her voice sounded again, but he couldn't hear the words. His legs were giving out, but he made for the door doggedly. He pushed his hand through syrupy air and felt the doorknob under it for an instant. Then wind swept his face and he felt his feet lift off the ground, too quickly for him to react.

Its hand pressed into his throat, and he shuddered under the hard, angry gaze of a dead woman. He could hear the whirring of gears as it hurled him into his cream colored wall, as well as a loud, sickening crack. That's probably bad, he thought, as the room was bleached of all light. But I can't fight anymore. He embraced the black.

Now for the bad news. The chapters will probably get shorter, and the updates will be few and far between. I'm a slow writer, sorry. *winces* If anyone would like a sneak peek of future chapters, they're yours! All you have to do is give me a little feedback on them! You know, what's confusing, what you hate, how the word floccinaucinihilipilification would fit sooo perfectly in this one paragraph (yes, it's a word). Couple more things. One, who doesn't love reviews? They're so much fun! Get your opinion out there! Help out fellow writers! (When they're famous they'll owe you favors. The kind that gets you free rides to Europe) Secondly, just FYI, this is my first fanfic. Enjoy!