Sara had fished out the dart with a pair of tweezers and put it in zippered plastic bag. Ian had been calling out to find out what she was up to during her trips in and out of the house to find tweezers and a baggie. With the baggie in hand she went back into the bedroom, holding it up in front of her so that he could see it.

"I'm taking it to the precinct and having it dusted for prints. Do you want me to call Gabe and have him come over while I'm gone?"

"Yes, please."

Sara looked at Ian quizzically, "Do you have to . . .um . . . do anything before I go? I should have thought to ask sooner."

"Now that you mention it . . . this is going to be problematic isn't it?"

Sara and Ian both started laughing at their predicament simultaneously. Finally Sara said, "Ok, let me call Gabe first and get him here for the muscle." Sara went to the phone and dialed. As she waited for an answer, she kept trying to peek back into the bedroom. She couldn't quite see around the corner.

After a few rings Gabriel answered, "Talismaniac."

"Hey Gabe. Listen, I need a huge favor."

"Whatcha want me to do research on, Chief?"

"Am I that bad?"

Gabe laughed, "No, I just figured you'd come up with something new and unusual."

"Ian has had some serious health problems, Gabe."

"Oh God, I had no idea. I'm sorry."

"I need you to come over if you can. I've got to run down to the precinct and I don't want to leave him alone. Can you come?"

"Sure Chief. On my way."

"You're a good friend, Gabe." Sara smiled as she realized she was now talking to a dial tone.

Standing in front of the house, the man pretended to be looking for something he dropped as the car he didn't recognize pulled into the driveway. A young man got out of the car and headed to the front door. The man studied him. Who was this? This newcomer bore watching. The man headed around to the back of the house after the woman had allowed the young man in. If he was lucky they'd head to the kitchen.

Gabe hugged Sara as he came into the house. "So what happened, Chief?"

"Ian got hit with a drugged dart." Sara lowered her voice, "He's probably going to be a bit embarrassed to ask for anything, just so you know."

Gabe nodded. "Gotcha. How bad is it?"

"He can't move to get out of the bed."

"Damn." Gabriel gawked.

Sara nodded. "First order of business is going to be getting him up and into the bathroom. Sorry to lay this on you."

Gabe shook his head, "Not a problem. You guys are my friends."

Sara smiled and nodded. "He's in there if you want to go in and say hi. I'm going to get some things out of the way so we'll have an easier time of it." Sara opened the door to the bedroom and as she walked through towards the bathroom said to Ian, "You've got company."

Ian opened his eyes to see Gabe standing in the doorway to the bedroom.

Gabriel waved, "Hey man. Hear you got hit with some heavy duty stuff."

"I would wave back but I am having a slight problem managing that currently." Ian smiled at the younger man.

"At least you haven't lost your sense of humor." Gabe grinned, "Feel like being drug around?"

"I never thought I would say so, but yes."

Sara came back into the room, "Ready?"

"More than ready." Ian replied.

"Ok, Gabe you get on that side," Sara instructed, "and I'll stay on this side and we'll move him towards the end of the bed."

Helmut poked his nose in the doorway, curious as to what was going on. He sat in the doorway, his head tilted to one side, not sure of what was happening.

With some effort, Sara and Gabe managed to lift Ian and stagger to the bathroom with him. After the ordeal was over and they had him back on the bed, Gabe and Sara sat on the floor at the end of the bed, both of them trying to catch their breath.

"That's it. We're going to have to hire someone. Someone big. I can't do this by myself." Sara wiped her forehead.

"Well at least we didn't start laughing halfway there. That would have been disastrous." Gabe grinned.

Ian's voice came from the bed, "There is one other option."

Sara and Gabe both turned to look at him.

"You could deliver me back to Irons."

Sara nearly shouted, "You have got to be joking! After all we've been through? No way!"

Ian kept his tone calm, "I am very serious. This was his doing, I feel certain. He would have whatever is needed to stop the virus as well."

"No, Ian. I'm not delivering you back into the hands of that . . . that . . . ," Sara threw her hands up in frustration as she couldn't find the word to describe Irons properly. "If anything I will go there myself and . . . "

Ian cut her off, "and what, Sara? Deliver the Witchblade to him?"

"If need be."

Ian closed his eyes and sighed. His jaw clenched in anger.

"Dammit Ian, I'm not going to let you lie there and rot. I've got to do something."

Gabriel watched and listened as the argument progressed. Finally he stood and walked to the doorway where Helmut still sat. He knelt down and started petting the Doberman gently, talking to him in a low voice. "Rough when Mommy and Daddy fight isn't it, buddy?"

The dog laid down, resting his head on his front paws as if he understood. He jumped up again as the phone rang, letting out a sharp bark to alert his people to the phone.

Sara stalked out of the bedroom to answer the phone. It was Vicki Po.

"Just calling to let you know I've not made much progress, but that I'm still trying."

"Thanks Vic. Listen, do you know any good home health people? I'm going to be needing some help here."

After a moments pause, Vicki replied, "No, I don't. I wish I did. Maybe call one of the agencies in the phone book? Oh. That does remind me though, I got that prescription for Ian."

Sara fought the urge to ask Vicki what good it would do now. Better not look a gift horse in the mouth. "Ok, I'll get it from you in a bit. I'm coming up to the precinct shortly to get a print . . . OH! I forgot to tell you! We found what Ian got hit with! It was a dart. Helmut found it in the pool cleanout."

"You didn't touch the tip did you?"

"No, I used tweezers and have it in a bag now."

"Just be careful with it. Even though it has been in the pool, you just never know."

"Will do. See ya in a bit, Vic." Sara hung up and went back to the bedroom. "I'm headed to the precinct now. Help yourself to anything in the fridge, Gabe. Try to get some food in him as well. I'm setting the alarm on my way out. If you need to unarm it the code is 4752."

"Sara?" Ian called out softly before she could leave the room.

Sara turned to regard him, "Yes?"

"Be careful. I love you."

Sara walked back to the bed, leaning down to kiss Ian softly on the lips. Her face less than an inch above his, she whispered, "I love you too."

Ian watched as she walked out of the room and heard her arm the alarm system and close the front door, followed momentarily by the unmistakable rumble of the Buell. He sighed.

"What's wrong, big guy? Well, other than the obvious . . ."

"She is going to go face Irons."

"But she said she was going to the precinct." Gabe looked confused.

"I have no doubt she will," Ian replied, "but as soon as she is done there, she means to go face him." A solitary tear slid down his cheek.

The man watched as the young brown-haired man rummaged around in the refrigerator. He had watched the woman leave earlier. Sara. What a beautiful name. He frowned slightly as the younger man walked back out of the kitchen.

"So big guy, feel like having a go at some pizza? There's nothing in the fridge that doesn't require some cooking. Emeril I'm not." Gabe lifted his hands in an apologetic shrug.

"I think I could manage to eat it. You would have to prop me up some."

"Good deal. I'll call one in. My treat." Gabe smiled as he turned and headed back to the kitchen to place the call.

The man watched with interest as the younger man returned to the kitchen and picked up the telephone. He wished he could hear the conversation. He hadn't seen the black-haired man today. He wondered if perhaps that one had gone out while he wasn't watching.

Sara entered the precinct and headed downstairs to the forensics lab. On her way she stopped in and dropped off the dart with someone who owed her a favor. She doubted it would turn up any prints, but it never hurts to try she thought. She continued on to the morgue, where she found Vicki talking on the phone.

"Yes, you can come make that pickup. 4 o'clock? Ok, it will be tagged and waiting." Vicki looked up and saw Sara and waved. "Great. See you then." She hung up. "Sorry. Funeral home on the line." Vicki smiled at Sara, "How are you holding up?"

Sara returned a smile, "Hanging in there. I'd trade places with him in a heartbeat though."

Vicki nodded. "It's always hard to see people you love going through something like this. My dad had a stroke when I was in med school. It left him paralyzed on one side."

"I never knew that, Vic. I'm sorry."

Vicki smiled. "S'ok. I don't talk about those years much." She paused before continuing, "Anyway, I'm no closer to finding how to stop this thing." She sighed. "It's like nothing else I've seen. Just when I think I'm close to killing it off, it resists and comes back as strong as ever."

Sara stopped hearing Vicki's words as the now familiar flash of red came from the Witchblade, the swirling colors transporting her mind's eye into a vision. An image of Ian sitting beside her in a theater, the light from the screen flickering across his face. An image of Kenneth Irons standing with Dr. Immo behind a table laden with test tubes. Another image of Ian holding up his wrist with two small wounds on it. Sara's own words from what seemed a lifetime ago, . "So if I am to believe you, which I'm not saying I am, but if I were to. . . then I can trust this Gabriel kid, I can't trust Jake, Irons is setting me up in order to play vampire with my blood, and was behind the death of my father at the hands of Tommy Gallo?" An image of an aging and dying Kenneth Irons.

Sara blinked and looked up as Vicki was shaking her on the shoulder.

"You ok? You looked as if you weren't here." Vicki tapped the side of her head.

"I don't think I was, really." Sara smiled at Vicki. "Hey Vic, how much trouble would it be for you to draw some more blood from me?"

Vicki gave Sara a strange look. "Do I even want to know?"

The ringing of the doorbell heralded the arrival of the pizza man. Gabe rubbed his hands together in anticipation before diarming the alarm system and opening the door. The smell wafting up from the cardboard pizza box was heavenly. He quickly paid the pizza man, closed the door and took the pizza into the bedroom

He grinned at Ian, "Lookie, lookie!" He sat the pizza down on the dresser and lifted Ian up in the bed, propping him up with two extra pillows from Sara's side of the bed. Once Ian was positioned, Gabe began the task of feeding him as well as himself. Helmut sat at the side of the bed with perfect posture, hungrily licking his chops.

Gabe looked to the dog and back to Ian, "Can he have some too? He looks hungry."

Ian managed a small laugh, "Don't tell Sara."

Gabe grinned and gave the dog a slice of pizza, which was devoured in moments.

"You really think she'll go to Irons'?"

"Yes. I do. I fear he will kill her."

"But she's got the Witchblade. Couldn't she kill him just as easily?"

"Nothing is for certain, Gabriel. Except that it is killing me not to be able to protect her." Ian sighed heavily.