By Fire

 Jake ran up the stadium steps, his thoughts drifting back to the last time that he was there. Rolling his eyes to himself and continuing to run up then back down the many steps, he thought of the dark assassin. He had to give the man credit for one thing, he had the mysterious stalker bit down to an art. And leave us not forget the whole bowed head servant persona that he so well portrayed for Kenneth Irons.

Okay, so he had gotten his ass kicked by Ian Nottingham, or at least it appeared that way to everyone. He had a cover to protect and no it wasn't that of a DOJ agent, it was something much more important. Like the fact that he knew of Sara's involvement with the witchblade and that he was part of a package deal that came with the weapon. Do you honestly think that his appearance in the department just so happened to come just before Sara discovered the Witchblade? Or before the Witchblade discovered her?

No, he had felt the connection humming in his blood, felt it flowing through his veins, beckoning him to answer its eternal call. So powerful a weapon, so ancient. The Witchblade was timeless, just as he himself was timeless. Never aging, never growing old, watching every wielder that had ever lived die before his very eyes.

Stopping on the bottom step he rolled his shoulders and closed his eyes. Feeling a presence close to him he opened them again, sighing deeply at the dark look Nottingham was giving him, perched on the back of one of the seats, his head bowed.

"Hello again Nottingham." He said tiredly.

Ian leapt lightly from the chair and walked up to him. "You're still betraying Lady Sara." He said quietly and Jake looked at the man.

"I've never betrayed her! And I never will." Jake replied harshly, staring Ian in the eye, unflinchingly.

Ian’s fist flew right at him, it was nothing but a blur of black leather as it flew at his nose. Jake caught it in mid air and held it suspended there.

"Not this time Nottingham." He said quietly, watching with some satisfaction as the ever in control assassin eyes widened in shock.

"I'm not who you think I am Ian. I will never betray her, never hurt her. I never have before and I never will. Now you can try the same thing you did the last time we were here or you can accept what I have told you and walk away. The choice is yours." Jake said, tightening his grasp on the other mans fist. In response Ian's foot flew into his midsection and connected with the hard muscle there.

"So be it."

And the fight was on. Only this time Jake pulled no punches, he didn't allow himself to get bloodied and beaten. His fists and feet flew at Ian, taking him by surprise as he connected with every punch and kick that he delivered, the blows amazingly powerful, taking the other man down in a matter of seconds. He stood over him, no cocky smile on his face, just a look of disappointment. He knelt down beside him and grabbed a fist full of hair.

"You work for a man that is trying to kill Sara. He succeeded in getting past me with Elizabeth. He won't with Sara that I will promise. Go tell your boss. Although I doubt he will believe you." Pausing and rising to his feet he looked down at Ian.

"After all, I'm just a naive rookie. Oh, and Irons doesn’t know as much as he thinks he does about the Witchblade." With that Jake turned, retrieved his bag from the steps and walked away, never looking back, not in the least bit worried about what Ian would tell Irons, or even if he would tell him. Irons couldn't touch him. A soft chuckle escaped him as he got into his car. Well there were perks to being immortal. He started the car and drove away.

Jake stepped out of his car and started toward a restaurant where he was meeting Sara. When he was almost to the door he sensed a familiar and unwelcome presence behind him, hiding in the shadows. He dropped his head and sighed deeply.

"I thought we went through this already." He said, turning to face the dark assassin.

"Mr. Irons would like to speak with you." Ian muttered, not raising his bowed head.

Jake laughed and shook his head, his blue eyes glittering. "You can tell your precious Mr. Irons he can shove it. I have other plans tonight." He said, jerking his thumb toward the resutrant. Through a window Sara could be seen already eating a bowl of shrimp fried rice, and twirling the Witchblade on her wrist with her free hand.

"If you don't come with me I will have to tell Lady Sara about your true nature." Ian warned and Jake raised an eyebrow.

"That's a problem sport. Because I was planning on telling her myself tonight." Jake shrugged well-muscled shoulders and looked at the man across from him indifferently. At the stunned expression on Ian’s face he laughed.

Jake and Sara walked into Sara's apartment a few minutes after they left the restaurant. Sara took a bottle of water out of the fridge and opened it, threw he jacket across the room and plopped down on the sofa.

"What’s so important?" She asked taking a sip.

Jake leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. Bluntness was always best.

"I know about the Witchblade."

Sara spewed water across the room, showering him in a fine mist of water. He looked at her and wiped the water off his arms.

"Not exactly the reaction I was looking for." He said dryly.

"How can you know about the Witchblade?" She whispered, rubbing the bracelet on her arm.

"Lets just say I am a hell of a lot older than I look." He said, going to sit beside her.

"Don't go all cryptic on me damn it! What do you mean by that?!" She demanded, slamming her bottle of water down on the table.

"I was there when the Witchblade was cast Sara. I can't even remember my own birthday. I watched as the molten metal was poured into its cast, I watched as the stone was placed in its center. I was knocked off my feet by a powerful energy force as the creator held it high above her head. I came to and i knew that everything had just changed, I knew then that my mission in life would be to guard the blade and its wielder. I didn't care about the past anymore, the Witchblade was all that mattered. I haven't aged a day in five thousand years." He explained and at the look of disbelief shook his head.

"Irons doesn't know all he thinks he does about the Witchblade. All the myths he has told you are true, except one. A male can wear it, but only one. Me." He told her, glancing at the witchblade glowing warmly on her wrist.

"Yeah right. It'll take you're arm off. And if you could why wouldn't you us it for yourself? " She asked suspiciously.

Jake shook his head and sighed. "Whatever happened to me al those years ago bound me to it. I can control it just like you, better actually because of the experience but I can't and I won't use it for my own gain, it wouldn't let me."

"Yeah right." She scoffed.

"One way to find out. Let me wear it" He grinned and held out his hand. Sara shrunk away and put a protective hand around the bracelet.

"It will either kill you or take your arm off. No way." She insisted, not giving up the Witchblade.

"It's not going to hurt me. It knows me better than it does you." He told her gently and she sighed.

"Fine! Don't come crying to me when it takes off your arm." She snapped, taking it off and handing it to him. Jake smiled brightly and slipped it on his wrist. Sara winced and squeezed her eyes shut waiting for the yell of pain. When she heard none she opened her eyes and gaped in shock at Jake manipulating the Witchblade with ease.

"Told you it wouldn't hurt me." He said lightly. "Watch this." He stood and suddenly he wasn't in his street clothes but in a gleaming suit of armor. He flexed his wrist and as quickly as it was there it was gone again. Sara swallowed convulsively and shook her head.

"I can't believe it." She muttered and sighed. Jake took the bracelet off his wrist and handed it back to her.

"That’s not all. There is just one more tinny tiny thing." Jake said carefully, gauging her reaction.

"Dear god what else?!"

"I think I'm gonna need some help with this one. Danny can you show yourself please?" Jake asked and Sara's mouth fell open as her partner appeared at her side.

You can see him?" She gasped and Jake nodded.

"Since day one." He said.

"Sorry Pez but I couldn't tell you until he wanted you to know. Why do you think I kept telling you to trust him?" Her ghostly guide asked and suddenly she burst out laughing.

"This is to much! My god I thought I was all alone in this!" She gasped between fits of laughter, unsure why she was laughing.

"There is something you should know Sara." Jake said and she stopped laughing.

"What?" She asked, fearing there was more. And she was right, there was more. Lots more.

"You are the last of the wielder line Sara. There will be no more." He said.

''No more bearers? What will the Witchblade do? Cease to exist? Go dormant?" She was starting to get hysterical now, everything compounding at once.

"It means that you will be it's bearer forever. When you die, you'll come back. I've known that this time would come for five thousand years." Jake paused and took a deep breath. "The strongest and most power bearer to wield the blade will never die, never grow old, she will be its final bearer, until the world no longer needs the Witchblade to protect it. That’s you Sara." He reached out and took her hand, kissing the back of it gently.

"Do you know how many times I've lost you?" He asked quietly. Wordlessly Sara shook her head. "To many to count. I know that this time I will not loose you again." Jake smiled slightly and closed his eyes. "For that I thank whatever gods there is for that."

"I hate to interrupt guys but you might want to duck and cover." Danny said from his position. Immediately both Sara and Jake hit the floor, as the front door splintered into a million pieces. Ian and several goons burst in, the goons brandishing weapons and Ian moving very quickly to their position on the floor.

Sara jumped to her feet and began fighting the man closest to her. Knocking the gun out of his hand in seconds and putting him down with a simple swing of the witchblade. Jake on the other hand was busy fighting Ian, who even after their little encounter had decided to try his hand once again. And the same thing was happening this time as it had the last time. He was getting his ass kicked. Sara dispatched the last of the hired hands and turned to help Jake out but stopped dead in her tracks. Jake was looking down at a beaten Ian, shaking his head. Slowly she walked over to where the fallen man lay.

"Please Lady Sara." Ian reached out a bloodied hand toward her and Sara backed up.

"Get out Ian. Don't come back. Ever. The next time I see you you will meet the business end of the Witchblade." She threatened. Ian got to his feet painfully and took one last longing look at her before disappearing out the door.

Sara turned and looked at Jake, and he looked back at her. "Looks like my rookie partner can take care of himself." She said quietly, stepping closer.

"I've had five thousand years of practice." He replied, a hand going to caress her cheek.

"Makes me wonder what other things you've learned in all that time." She smiled wickedly just before his mouth went down on hers.

He broke off after a few minutes and smiled just as evilly at her. "You would be shocked at all the things I have learned." He said grinning. He took her hand and led her out of the apartment. They had eternity to explore each other, why not take it slow?

… to be continued??

This story ©copyright Fire, July 15, 2002