With thanks to my beta, Kiaga.

This is penance for the long delay on an update on The Doctor's Broken Rule Book. Sorry, guys! And enjoy!

Ianto was woken before dawn by cramps in his stomach. He groaned and screwed his eyes shut, clutching his stomach. Eventually the pain subsided enough for him to roll out of bed and literally crawl into the bathroom for some painkillers. It hurt his head too much to tip the tablets back with water, so he just swallowed them. He grimaced as they left his tongue and throat dry, causing him to cough weakly. Coughing made his stomach and chest hurt, so he desperately gulped down water, using his hand as a cup.

Every muscle ached. Muscles he didn't realise he had ached. His head was throbbing painfully and he was weak all over, especially in his hands and fingers. Luckily, his painkillers were enhanced with alien microbes, and they got to work within a few minutes. It didn't stop the pain entirely, but after five minutes of sitting against his bathroom wall, the pain had faded enough for him to stand up. Pausing for the dizziness to subside, he made his shaky way into the kitchen.

Coffee, he thought, that was what he needed. Wake him up. Cornflakes. They would be good too. Top cupboard.

But reaching up was too painful, so he stuck with the coffee. He felt like he was living on coffee nowadays. The only thing he'd eaten in almost two weeks was the odd doughnut or sandwich that someone at Torchwood gave him. That was it. He was so sick of hurting in this way.

Ianto glanced at the clock on the wall. Eighteen minutes to eight. Time to go. He stood slowly, and swallowed another couple of tablets before leaving his house. He took a second at the door to compose himself, simply not allowing the pain to overwhelm him.

The journey to Torchwood was better than most days. Tremours in his hands only caused him to swerve his car three times.

He was watching a large creature with six fluid legs descend in front of him. One leg was raised - revealing it to be as supple and mobile as an arm. He just had time to register this information before the leg in question was wrapped tightly around him.

"What do you want?" he had gasped.

The answer chilled his blood.

Ianto jerked himself back to the present as he nearly span off of the road again. He pulled up in his usual spot, and took the lift down to Torchwood, every jerk and movement hurting further. He hated this. He hated this constant agony.

Stepping down from the stone, Ianto made his way to his trusty coffee-maker. He drank two himself before he could even start on Jack's and the other's.

The creature pulled out a needle. The point was so thin he could barely see it. He certainly didn't feel it as the alien injected him with the alien bacteria.

He went upstairs to find some cups, and saw Tosh reading. She looked preoccupied and anxious. There was nothing he could do, so he began to clear up, every movement measured and precise to he would hurt himself as little as possible.

I can't imagine a time when this isn't everything. The pain's so constant, like my stomach's full of rats.

He tried not to breathe too deeply, because it pained his chest, as he began to pick up the cups.

Feels like this is all I am now. There isn't an inch of me that doesn't hurt.

Instinct took over as he saw that Tosh still looked worried.

"I'm about to brew some of Jack's industrial-strength coffee. Would you like a cup?" His voice was measured, not too loud to hurt his stomach.

"What do you want?"

"I'm…I'm fine. Thanks, Ianto."

He turned and picked up the other cup, placing them on top of the coffee-maker. A few moments later, the coffee was ready, and he picked up Jack's cup.

"What do you want?"

Ianto left Tosh and slowly ascended the stairs, the muscles in his legs pulling painfully as he tensed them. He paused to gather himself outside of Jack's door, then knocked.

"What do you want?"

"I want Jack Harkness."

"Come in!" Jack called, and Ianto pushed open the door with his foot.

"I am Jack Harkness," he had lied.

"I am forbidden to kill, but you will be pained for what you have done."

He entered Jack's study, which exuded organised chaos from every corner. The desk was strewn with various artifacts and papers, and some had even fallen to the floor. Every shelf was covered with boxes and oddments.

But Ianto ignored all of this in favour of the man sitting behind his desk with his big boots on it, leaning back in his chair. And as Jack turned his perfect eyes on Ianto and smiled his warm smile, Ianto had only one thought.

It's worth every second.

WHY CAN'T CYBERWOMAN BE AFTER GREEKS BEARING GIFTS?? I had such a great idea worked out, then I checked the episode order and found that it wouldn't work, so I had to perform major surgery on it. Grrr…….

Reviews may help to cheer me up. -sniffs-

…………Though I actually quite like this, now I've finished it :D