Title: Punishment
Author: Jigot
Rating: PG
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Summary: Ianto must be punished.
Notes: Set sometime after Cyberwoman.

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Ianto woke with a jolt. He was cold and hungry. It took a few seconds for his general discomfort to resolve into pain. He tried, slowly, to sit up but with his wrists and ankles bound it took more strength than he could summon. He settled for rolling from his stomach to his side. This gave him a better view of the door with its small glass window through which he could see the dim, orange-tinged light.

He lay shivering on the rough blanket which afforded little comfort against the damp concrete floor of the basement room. The angry weals across his back complained at every movement. As he lay, waiting for his tormentor's return, he tried to remember how long he had been there. Days, he thought, but how many?  Two?  Three?  More?

The sound of approaching footsteps interrupted his thoughts. They stopped outside the door and Ianto could see a figure silhouetted against the window. His stomach lurched as he heard the scraping sound of the bolts being drawn back before the heavy door was opened. Ianto closed his eyes against the light that flooded into the room and tried not to think about what his captor might have planned for this visit.

The footsteps came to a stop a few inches from his face. "Get up!" spat an angry voice.

Ianto struggled in vain to push himself up. When he failed, a hand reached out and grabbed his arm, roughly hauling him up to a sitting position.  Ianto opened his eyes but kept his gaze directed to the floor.  He knew better than to look at his captor's face – that had been a painful lesson but one that he had learned quickly.

"Thirsty?"

Ianto continued to stare at the floor and said nothing. Apparently this was not what was expected of him as it earned him a swift kick to the ribs and a slap across the face which left the taste of fresh blood in his mouth. It was all he could do to remain upright.

"I said, are you thirsty?"

This time, Ianto nodded. The man reached down and grabbed his hair, pulling his head back. Water poured from a bottle into Ianto's mouth, causing him to choke and splutter, more of the water ending up down his blood spattered shirt than down his throat.

The man pushed him roughly back to the ground. Unable to break his fall, Ianto fell heavily onto the thin blanket. His ribs screamed with pain and his head smacked against the ground, sending shards of bright light darting across his vision. He screwed his eyes shut and managed to stop himself from crying out, knowing that any sign of weakness would only earn him further punishment.

Ianto heard the footsteps retreat across the room. The door was pulled shut and bolted once more from the outside, leaving him alone again in the near-darkness. Pain and exhaustion conspired to send him into a fitful sleep. 

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The screaming came from all around him as he dragged her to what he hoped and prayed was safety.  But that was not the worst of the sounds he could hear.  The heavy footsteps that echoed louder and closer sent chills down his spine as he tried desperately for a way out of the nightmare that had befallen Torchwood One.

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The hours spent waiting for the others to leave the Hub seemed interminable.  It was all he could do to maintain his calm facade, knowing that she lay alone in that room, in that vile machine that kept her alive but not living.

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What had she done?  He had come so far to help her and she had killed him, leaving his body broken and mutilated.  His beautiful Lisa had killed their last - their only - hope.

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Why couldn't they understand?  Why couldn't they see what he saw when he looked at her?  Where he saw life and happiness and memories, they saw only death and destruction.  They could save her, if they tried.

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She loved him.  She had to love him.  He had risked everything to save her but now she rejected him, casting him aside into darkness.

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The screaming came from all around him.  This wasn't supposed to happen!  How could she have done this?  How could he have been so wrong?  So many familiar faces, friends and family, neighbours, so many lives taken or taken over.  The footsteps came closer and there was nowhere left to run.

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The footsteps came closer and then stopped.  Ianto opened his eyes - he didn't have the strength to hide anymore.  "I'm sorry," he whispered.

His captor lunged towards him, fist raised in anger.  "What did you say?" he growled.

Ianto whimpered, cowering from the blows that he felt sure would soon come.  "I'm sorry.  I'm so sorry."

The man before him sank to his knees, shaking.  He pulled Ianto close and held him tight, breathing in the smell of sweat and grime and tears.  "Please, Yan, please, don't ever ask me to do this again," he pleaded.

Ianto lifted his head to look at Jack, but his expression was blank and his eyes distant.

"Don't worry Jack, I won't need it often."

***