Part 14

Sara awoke to see the ground moving in an odd fashion. Blinking she realized she was being carried over someone�s shoulder. She looked around trying to get her bearings without alerting her captor to the fact that she was awake. She looked to her wrist, but the Witchblade wasn�t there. Damn. It would appear Gabe was right. The Witchblade left its wielder in her time of greatest need. She could tell they were headed to Iron�s mansion. Right to the front doors. Damn.

Kenneth Irons opened the doors as they approached, his arms thrown wide in welcome. "Excellent, my dear Ian. You have the Witchblade I presume?"

The man pulled the bracelet from his pocket and held it out to Irons.

Irons accepted the bracelet and smiled. "You have done well. Bring her in." Irons stepped aside allowing them passage.

Sara was carried into the study and deposited unceremoniously into one of the leather chairs by the fire. She did her best to appear unconscious, lolling her head to the side as she was put down.

Irons, captivated by the bracelet, didn�t notice Sara watching him through the fringe of her lashes. Ian�s double stood beside Irons, assuming Ian�s typical stance with one exception . . . he kept his head held high.

All three of their heads jerked upwards as a voice came from the balcony, "Get away from her." Ian, �her� Ian, leapt from the balcony in one fluid motion, landing a few feet away from his look-a-like.

Sara jumped out of the chair and the shaven Ian turned to grab her. As he turned �her� Ian was upon him, landing a devastating blow to the chest. Sara watched in fascination as the two men fought, it was a breath-taking dance of martial arts prowess. Irons stood passively by the fire, his eyes locked onto Sara, the Witchblade in his hand. With each strike that reached �her� Ian, Sara winced. A bloom of red appeared on his lower lip from a hit that was nearly too fast to see. Irons and Sara stepped back out of the path, entranced with the battle, as the men came nearer them. Her Ian was being backed up near the wall, taking the worst half of the fight. A shot rang out, reverberating around the room. She watched in horror as Ian sagged to the floor, blood flowing from his abdomen causing the black of his clothes to appear even blacker where it seeped into them.

Sara couldn�t stand it any longer, Witchblade or not, she lunged at the clean-shaven combatant, grabbing his shoulders from the rear. Her attack was rebuffed by a strong arm, which knocked her backwards and landed her on her ass. She rose and determinedly tried again, growling as she tackled him around the mid-section. It was enough to knock him off balance for the briefest of moments, but that was all that was needed. The powerful hit that followed, delivered by her Ian, was enough to knock the other man backwards and knock the pistol from his hand. Sara scooted out of the way, snatching up the pistol and watched as the fatal blow was dealt. A sickening crunching sound reverberated through the room as the double�s neck was snapped.

Sara looked to Irons, "I believe you have something of mine."

"Does anyone ever really own anything?" Irons smiled enigmatically at her, his eyes shifting to Ian as he knelt by his double with his head bowed, his breathing ragged.

"In this case, yes." Sara extended her arm, willing the Witchblade to come to her. Iron�s eyes widened as the bracelet pulled against his grasp. He fought to hold it, but it flew from his fingers and formed the gauntlet as it connected with Sara�s wrist.

Sara raced to Ian, bringing the crimson stone in contact with the wound. His eyes met hers for a brief moment before Irons spoke, "So you have learned to control the healing powers of the blade as well." His voice was cold and calculating, not in the least pleasant.

Sara rose to her feet and turned to Irons. She stood with the extended blade pointed at Irons for a long moment before willing it to retract. As the gauntlet became a dainty bracelet on her wrist once more she looked at Irons, venom dripping from her voice, "I�ll be leaving now, unless you plan on having my own husband stop me." Her eyes cut to Ian, who had risen to his feet, but still stood with his head bowed.

Irons spoke, "This is not through, Sara."

"Oh but it is. Unless you�d prefer I bring kidnapping charges against you."

"Merely your word against mine."

Sara glared at Irons and then with a glance at Ian, turned and headed for the door. She stopped at the door and sighed, dreading the reply to the question she was preparing to ask. "Ian? Staying or going?" She closed her eyes, waiting for his answer. There was a long silence and Sara felt the tears welling in her eyes.

Part 15

**The song included in this part, "Written in the Stars" is by Leanne Rimes and Elton John. Just giving credit where credit is due.**


Sara gasped audibly as she felt two strong arms wrap around her. Ian�s low husky voice sounded in her ear, "Going." Sara�s tears of sorrow turned to tears of joy as she turned to smile at Ian. Her Ian.

Hand in hand they walked out the door, leaving Kenneth Irons standing by his fireplace. He watched them go, his lips coming together in a cruel smile, "It is far from over."

Sara and Ian sat across from each other at the small booth. They sat with her hands clasped in his gloved ones across the tabletop, the rest of the smoky bar escaping their notice.

"I was so scared you wouldn�t follow me out of that house."

Ian lifted Sara�s hands to his face, resting his cheek against them. "I could not leave knowing what he had in the underbelly of that place. I could not leave until that was," he paused, "finished. Knowing he could not turn them loose to interfere with our lives any longer, it was easier to act against his wishes." Ian lowered his gaze to the tabletop.

Sara glanced towards the bar. She could have sworn she saw Danny leaning against it, but he was gone now. She turned back to Ian, "He won�t leave us alone will he?"

"No."

Sara sighed. She moved one of her hands to Ian�s chin, raising it. Her fingers played in his dark beard and then traced the outline of his lips. She lowered her hand as she spoke, "I guess its up to us then. Do you want to go back to him, Ian?"

"There will always be a part of me under his control, Sara. I cannot explain it. It is something more than his having raised me. But no, I do not wish to go back there." Ian reached into his pocket and retrieved something small. He put it in Sara�s hand, pressing her fingers closed over it.

Sara opened her hand and smiled through her tears as she saw the tiny, fragile seashell resting there.

The waitress interrupted them, putting a beer down in front of Sara and a glass of cola in front of Ian. Sara smiled at her politely and waited until she had wandered off to speak again. "I can call Joe Siri and see if we can stay at his house tonight if you like."

"A hotel would be fine. No need to trouble your boss."

Sara smiled at Ian. "Yeah that might get a bit embarrassing at work tomorrow." She winked.

Ian stood and held out his hand as music began to play, "May I have this dance, Mrs. Nottingham?"

Sara took his hand and they walked to the dance floor, their bodies pressed close, swaying in time to the music.

I am here to tell you we can never meet again.
Simple really, isn't it? A word or two and then
A lifetime of not knowing where or how or why or when
You think of me, or speak of me, or wonder what befell
The someone you once loved so long ago, so well

Never wonder what I'll feel as living shuffles by
You don't have to ask me and I need not reply
Every moment of my life from now until I die
I will think or dream of you and fail to understand
How a perfect love can be confounded out of hand

Is it written in the stars
Are we paying for some crime
Is that all that we are good for
Just a stretch of mortal time

Is this God's experiment
In which we have no say
In which we're given paradise
But only for a day

Nothing can be altered, oh, there is nothing to decide