emeraldsnakes

Summary: There comes a time in every Sentinel's life when their immortality is revealed. When 21st Century Earth is the epicenter of the change that will decide the survival of the human race. What kind of consequences affect those who are preparing for the change as this immortality is revealed amongst one of their own. Is Torchwood really ready?

Words: 1,020
Title: Inhuman

Ianto looked down at himself and scowled. At least there was a sheet but apparently Owen had begun the autopsy preparations and stripped him. How utterly humiliating.

He glanced up at Owen with a glare, "I hope you like what you saw. It's the only time you're ever seeing it."

"You were dead Teaboy," Owen shot back.

"Well I'm not dead now!" Ianto snapped.

"Which means you're not really Ianto," Jack said. "I don't know what you are, but there is no possible way you can be Ianto."

"Run more tests then, I'm not lying."

Jack was silent for a moment, glaring at Ianto. "Then you've always been lying to us. Humans do not come back from the dead and if you're the Ianto Jones we've always known then your purpose must have been to infiltrate Torchwood. Gwen, put him in a cell."

Ianto never expected things to end up like this. He always thought he'd be telling the team on his own terms at a time when he thought he was ready for them to know. He had no choice now, unless he wanted to remain locked up for an indefinite amount of time.

"You're right Jack, I'm not human." he said making Jack stop and turn around just as he was about to leave. The others - Gwen and Owen anyways - looked at him in shock and betrayal. Tosh was gazing at him sadly, she knew how much he preferred to divulge his secrets in private and under better conditions.

Jack's pain was the worst and a cruel part of Ianto though he deserved it for what he'd done to the team. Ianto hated seeing his pain, he didn't need it on top of what he'd suffered on the Valiant.

"Then what are you?"

"I'm an Ancient, Alteran, Lantean, Anquietas, Ancestor but most of all I am a Sentinel. We go by all those names, our legacy is far older than you can imagine." Ianto answered. "My father is Colonel Cameron Mitchell, former companion of The Doctor."

Jack started at him in stunned silence and Ianto knew that this would decide his future with Torchwood, with Jack. If Jack didn't want him anymore he would leave quickly, pack up and be gone within hours to lessen the pain.

"Wait," Gwen said. "Does that mean you knew exactly where Jack had gone?"

Ianto nodded, "But unlike you I never expected him to return." The pain in Jack's eyes intensified as he continued. "I've known about aliens since I went to live with my biological father and he'd often tell me about his time with The Doctor. The way he talked about him and the look in his eye told me that if The Doctor ever came back and offered him the chance to travel again he'd take it, drop everything and go because that's the kind of effect The Doctor has on people. Why settle for good old boring Earth when you can have the universe? Why settle for something, someone, less than you really love?

Gwen was about to say something, Ianto could see it in her eyes but Jack interrupted her. "The Alterans were not immortal."

Ianto stared at Jack. That little revelation implied Jack had met the Ancient before. Calling them Alterans meant that it was before the Great Plague, although that was forty million years worth of time.

"Some are. In their home galaxy, before the split with the Ori the Alterans were all perfectly the first evolution of humans. Something happened though one day when a set of twins died in an accident on their twentieth birthday. Their bodies resurrected and like you Jack, every time they die they just come back. Their offspring develop the same genetic changes and are thus immortal as well. I am the only great grandson of the older twin Supreme Commander Jonathan."

Recognition flashed through Jack's eyes and Ianto decided to press it. "Jonathan has led the Ancients through millions of years of war, science and evolution. If you want more proof, he goes by Major General Jack O'Neill, USAF, and works at the Pentagon."

"I thought we didn't like aliens with high power," Owen said testily.

Ianto chuckled, "We've lived on this planet for almost fifty million years Owen, we're not about to send it all to hell. Besides, he's only in that position because he didn't want some random human in charge of the Astria Porta."

"Astria Porta?" Gwen questioned.

"Stargate," Jack replied. "A device capable of instant travel between two planets. The only device like it, strangely enough. The Alterans have amazing technology. I take it then that America has the Stargate?"

Ianto nodded. "Ever since they dug it up in Egypt. They’ve only been using it for eleven years though. If you want to know everything they have, I suggest going through UNIT. You can throw my father's name around too as he has very high standing both with UNIT and all programs related to the Stargate."

Chapter Seven