CH 8 -- My Master's Dragon (Part C) -- Witchblade Karma

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Date Posted: 15:05:07 09/11/02 Wed
Author: wormie
Subject: CH 8 -- My Master's Dragon (Part C)
In reply to: wormie 's message, "A Complex Genesis" on 20:48:06 05/20/02 Mon

A/N: I debated whether to post this today or not--a year later & my heart is heavy with sadness. I believe today is about remembering the lost, but also about celebrating life and its simple pleasures since we can lose them in an instant. With that in mind, here is more story.

CH 8 -- My Master's Dragon (Part C)

Sara waited for Jake McCartey on the roof across the street from 111 Richard Street. She crouched behind the ledge of the building, trying to focus on the task at hand and not on her growing unease. This building, several stories taller than the surrounding ones, afforded her a view of the abandoned building where she was to meet Jake. She grinned-even Nottingham would have to approve of her little recon mission. She glanced at her watch. Jake was due any minute. She had been watching the building for about half an hour and hadn't seen anyone enter the building, but that didn't relieve her anxiety. It was possible that Jake's FBI cohorts were already in place...or not there at all.

Still crouching, Sara quietly walked away from the edge to the brick wall that encircled the roof access stairwell. Sara straightened up to her full height, happy to stretch her tightening muscles.

"Sara."

She turned to the familiar voice, not really surprised that Nottingham had tracked her down. "Don't even try to stop me from doing this."

"As if I could." He smiled faintly. "I only wish to say goodbye."

Goodbye? That was one thing she was sure she would never hear from Nottingham. Did Irons order him out of town or did he finally grow the stones to abandon Irons?

Sara frowned. "Where are you going?"

"Far away," he replied softly.

But not as far as you.

Sara had heard his voice, but his lips had not moved. She was confused but didn't say anything. Something was wrong. Sara wasn't sure what was wrong, but there was something different about Nottingham. He looked different -Sara couldn't remember ever seeing Nottingham with his hair loose- but there was something in his expression that she couldn't quite describe. This was definitely not the bad-ass Ian Nottingham she knew. What was up with him?

He suddenly dropped to one knee before her and she took a surprised step back. Sara sighed, accepting it as one of those weird Nottingham things. He had probably read too many stories about knights. She was only glad that they were on a roof and not some place more public-like a parking lot. He held his left hand out, palm up. She wanted to be annoyed with him, but she really wasn't. This was his thing, the way he wanted to say goodbye, and she didn't want to take that away from him - she owed him that much for helping Gabriel and her.

Nottingham took her hand in both of his and Sara felt a surge of despair from the Witchblade. He brought her hand to his lips and laid a tender kiss on the back of her hand. She felt the shift in her perception of time, Nottingham frozen at that moment with his lips on her hand, as the Witchblade assaulted her with visions:

Nottingham at the precinct, "If you want to stay close to me, just ask...Sara."

Irons to Nottingham, "And now you agonize between your devotion to me and your 'passion' for Sara Pezzini."

A memory from another time of Nottingham speaking to her, "Take the cause out of a man, there is no cause for a man."

Ina's voice,"The incalculable sadness, Deep within my dragon heart..."

Dante on the ground aiming a gun at her and Jake...Nottingham leaping out in front of them and taking the bullet in the heart...

Nottingham stood, but Sara wouldn't let go of his hand. Her mind and heart reeled from the visions. His life, like hers, had been turned upside by the Witchblade and by Sara.. She saw it, then, in his eyes -his beautiful eyes, always so expressive either angry, contrite, shy, resolute, sad or proud- seemed...resigned, hopeless...defeated. This Nottingham had no purpose. He was in mourning for his honor. He thought of himself as a knight -a warrior- and so his grief was too much to bear. That was something Sara understood all too well.

She knew that Nottingham's life depended on this moment. She knew Nottingham shouldn't die like that and she wouldn't let him.

"Nottingham, stay close to me."

His eyes searched her face. After a moment, his brow crinkled slightly in confusion in the childlike way that was quintessentially Nottingham.

He probably thought that she didn't know what she was asking, but she did. He probably thought that she had only said that because she didn't want to be responsible for another death - even Nottingham's. Maybe he thought she owed him for helping her with Conchobar and Gabriel or even because he was a source of information about the Witchblade but not because she might actually care about what happened to him. Why did it sadden her that he might think that?

He wanted to understand, but, in the end, he would just accept it. Truthfully, his devotion to her frightened her. She didn't like having so much say in anyone's life.

He needed orders. Nottingham understood orders-he followed them. "Jake will be here any minute. I've got a plan." She grinned. "Sorta. If you're up to it."

He nodded once, starting to look like her Nottingham - the one who seemed like he could walk on water.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N #2: Thanks to Jessica, my beta-reader, & Beck, my cheerleader. ;) More tomorrow...or even later today

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Replies:

Yeah there's more!! .... -- Spin, 20:57:15 09/11/02 Wed
- "her" Ian.... -- wormie, 21:06:01 09/11/02 Wed