Title: Twisted Every Way
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Doctor/Ianto Jones
Fandom: Doctor Who/Torchwood
Rating: PG-13
Table: 2, letter100
Prompt: 98, Treachery
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the Tenth Doctor or Ianto Jones, unfortunately. Please do not sue.

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My dearest Ianto,

We've had an easy time of it since we've been traveling and you've been with me on a regular basis. I've thanked whatever gods exist for that; after what you've had to go through at the Master's hands, I want to spare you dealing with him again.

But I know that we aren't always going to be so lucky. His treachery knows no bounds; he'll somehow find a way to get to us at some point. We won't be able to avoid him forever, and sooner or later, I know you'll have to face him.

I wish that wasn't going to happen; I wish that I could hide you from him and keep you safe forever. But I'm realistic enough to know that isn't possible -- and that you would probably only be annoyed at me for wanting you to stay in the background.

It's hard for me to accept that there may be times when you're going to put yourself front and center in any battle with him, where he'll be able to get at you in any number of ways. But I won't stop you from doing it, not if it's what you want.

What terrifies me the most is that I know he'll try to use you against me in any way he can -- up to and including taking you away from me permanently.

I'm going to do my best not to have that kind of a confrontation with him. But from what you've already experienced at his hands, you know that I can't promise our lives won't come to that. I just want you to be prepared if that happens.

And I want you to promise me that if it does, you won't put yourself at any unnecessary risk for me. I can see you reading these words now, a frown settling onto your face, turning to me to protest and insist that you'll give your life for mine.

I'm very serious about this, Ianto. I don't want you to think of doing any such thing. You may feel that in the great scheme of the universe, I'm somehow more important than you, but I don't see it in that way. I never will, and you know it.

That's something we can argue about over and over again, until we're both blue in the face and probably exhausted from trying to come up with reasons why each of us is right. But we'll simply have to agree to disagree on this subject.

You've seen how treacherous the Master can be. You know that he'll try to use you against me if he can -- he's done it before, and he's left you fighting for your life. He knows that's the easiest way to hurt me, to render me utterly helpless.

He won't hesitate to use that. And he also won't hesitate to use me to trap you, if he has some sort of plan that involves you in some way.

I don't want to have to sit in the lobby of a hospital while you're struggling to hold on to life, wondering if I've lost the person who means more to me than anything else ever has. I can't deal with going through that again. It nearly killed me the first time.

That sounds somewhat selfish, I know. But isn't that so with any feelings that we have for others? It's not so much them that we want to protect -- but our own happiness in having a world that contains that person, when they're safely by our side.

I don't want to go through the rest of my life without you, Ianto. And I know that if the Master has his way, that's what will happen. He'll put me through hell, twisting me in every way he can, until he knows that I'm broken and he's won.

The fear of him using you in that way, and then doing away with you and tearing my hearts out, is the main reason that I never wanted you to come with me before. I thought that you were much safer on Earth, amongst people you knew, in a familiar place.

Admittedly, there's still a part of me that feels you'd be safer in Cardiff. But I also know that your being with Torchwood could be just as dangerous, and that you can't be happy away from me. And I can't be happy without you, either.

We've talked about this so many times, but I know those fears aren't going to go away for a long time. They may always be with me.

Having you here does still them somewhat. Knowing that you're by my side, that no matter what happens, you'll be with me every step of the way, gives me a courage that I might not have otherwise had when I had to think of you alone on Earth.

I just want you to be crystal-clear about what we could be facing, my love. I want you to realise just what you're walking into, to beware of any kind of treachery that might come our way and to try and be as prepared to face it as you can.

He's twisted me in so many different directions before, and I know that he'll delight in doing it again. But this time, I'll have you with me, and even though he may think that he knows us both, I don't think he quite knows what he will be facing the next time we meet.

Yes, there's a part of me that's afraid for you -- afraid for what could happen. And in that vein, I'm afraid for myself as well, because I can't bear the thought of anything happening to you. But all we can do is step into the future together, with our eyes open, and hope for the best.

Your loving

Doctor

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