Eli: Here, just for you, Joy. Hope everyone is satisfied. Enjoy.
Dawn approached them steadily. Sara only half woke too tired from the night before to be fully awake just yet. She felt his arms circling her form. She just leaned against him more. She knew this is where she belonged. She then went back to sleep.
Ian heard his alarm go off and turned it off. He looked down on Sara's form against him. He had gotten through the lairs. He knew her now, and he was not disappointed. He could feel one of her hands on the back of his neck. He liked the fact she had finally did not have her gloves on. He smirked at the fact her gloves weren't the only thing missing off her.
He traced the scars that ran over her back. The last ones had healed, but left a lasting impression. He still blamed himself for that. After all, if it wasn't for him, that would have never happened to her. Then again, he would have never realized he was in love with her.
Fate was so strange.
The scars on her back were not rough as a man's is, but as soft as the rest of her. When marks are on men, they are courageous and honored. When marks are on women, they are hated and considered ugly. This was not so in Sara. It just made him remember how he would die to free her from her pain. Every scar, every bruise. It all just made him love her all the more.
He contemplated ditching work and decided on it. He would call in sick later. He closed his eyes and slept on next to her.
-Flash-
Young Sara, at the time ten, sat before her mother. Correction, the person who had been her mother. She laid out a book before Sara. It showed a man raping a woman. The illustration bothered Sara greatly.
"You see this, Sara?"
"Yes, mistress."
"Know it well. This is what it looks like to be with a man. See the woman's pain? That is all it is, pain. It is pain before, during, and after. Turn the page."
Sara did as she was told. She saw the woman, bruised from her encounter, being discarded from her family.
"After the act is done, the man leaves you. He cares only for himself. As soon as he has bedded you, he throws you away like a soiled shirt. As soon as your usefulness for the night is done, he ignores you forever. You are heart broken and can no longer function. Learn from this, Sara. The less emotional attachment you have, the less vulnerable you'll be. Isolation is safety." She kneeled down to Sara's level so that she was forced to look her in the eye.
"Virginity is invulnerability."
Sara's eyes flew open at the end of the dream/memory. Her breathing was heavy as she clutched the person at her side. She then realized she was clutching somebody. Then, everything from the night before fell into play in her mind. She gasped at the realization for her actions.
She will know. She will get us. No! I can't let anything happen. And I have sinned. He has used me and wants me no longer. I will leave before he bothers to get up to discard me.
She pulled away from him and sat on the edge of the bed. She felt a deep pain in her heart. She had believed him when he said he loved her. She turned back to look at him. As she did, she saw a reflection of her back on the mirror. The ugliness of her beatings. She turned back around and wanted to weep.
How foolish I am. Who could love something that looks like I do?
She grabbed her clothes and started to dress. She was dressed up to her pants and tank top when she felt someone staring at her. She turned around to meet Ian's quiet gaze. His eyes seemed almost sad. He sat up and reached toward her. She moved away from him. Hurt, pain, rejection. It all flashed in his eyes.
"Sara?" He whispered. She felt her eyes swell. She felt herself let out her emotions.
"Don't! Isn't it enough that you led me on to believe you loved me only so you could sleep with me?! Haven't you hurt me enough?! Don't bother to tell me the rest of it, I won't bother you again!"
"Sara? What are you talking about?" He started to get up, and Sara turned. She had seen enough of him the night before and cared to see him no more. He crossed over to her, after he pulled some pants on, and looked into her face.
Where the hell did that out burst come from?
"Sara, I do love you. Where did you get the idea that I didn't?" She turned from him.
"Stop! You have misleaded and used me enough for this lifetime." He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. Sara didn't bother to stop him. She knew she didn't have the power to.
"I would never use you. Why would you think that? You don't sleep with someone just to throw them away in the morning. I love you, Sara. Believe me when I say that. It's true."
"She taught me what happens after this. She said you discard the woman."
What is she talking about? Meredith! What did she teach her? I forgot that she was raised by Meredith. Why does this all frighten her so? Wait, raised by Meredith all her life, trained as an Amazon. Was last night her first? Of course! I pushed her into something she wasn't ready for. Damn, how could I be so damn stupid?
Ian turned her around so he could see her face.
"Sara, last night was new to you, wasn't it?"
"Yes." She lowered her eyes.
"I didn't know. If I had known, I wouldn't have.. Sara, I'm sorry." He wanted her to look at him. She did. "You were not ready for that. I just sprung it on you. I didn't mean to scare you or to upset you. I just wanted you to know how much I love you. Please understand, Sara. I'm not discarding you. I want you to stay here with me. I love you, and don't let anyone or anything else make you think otherwise."
She knew it for a fact. It was true. His eyes could never lie to her. He would never leave her. Not in this life, nor in any other. She slowly nodded and a peace washed over them.
"So, what do we do now?"
"I must go back." Ian tightened his grip on her. He was about to detest her decision when she put a hand over his mouth. "To collect my things. I can't make do with only one pair clothes. I will come back, I promise. My allegiance, my heart, is yours. She no longer has power over me." She removed her hand over his mouth and moved away from him to finish dressing. "You should go to work. It will keep you busy."
Ian nodded and watched her. She pulled on the rest of her clothes and braided her hair back up. She smiled at him when she noticed his attention on her. "Go to work." She kissed him one last time before she left.
Ian looked at his clock and groaned. He only had half an hour to get to work. He rushed through getting ready and only stopped to pick up the phone when it rang.
"Nottingham."
"Ian! Tell me all!"
"Moby, this is not the time."
"Well, at least give me a brief summery."
"Talked, revealed, sex, and she's moving in."
"Whoa! You lucky bastard."
"I know."
"Promise me one thing."
"What?"
"Best man position at the wedding?" Ian rolled his eyes and let out a laugh.
"Of course, whenever that is. Shit! I have to go. See you this afternoon."
"Right. Bye." Ian hung up the phone and went to work.
Eli: More to come. Was it to everyone's pleasure? Reviews, if you please.
Dawn approached them steadily. Sara only half woke too tired from the night before to be fully awake just yet. She felt his arms circling her form. She just leaned against him more. She knew this is where she belonged. She then went back to sleep.
Ian heard his alarm go off and turned it off. He looked down on Sara's form against him. He had gotten through the lairs. He knew her now, and he was not disappointed. He could feel one of her hands on the back of his neck. He liked the fact she had finally did not have her gloves on. He smirked at the fact her gloves weren't the only thing missing off her.
He traced the scars that ran over her back. The last ones had healed, but left a lasting impression. He still blamed himself for that. After all, if it wasn't for him, that would have never happened to her. Then again, he would have never realized he was in love with her.
Fate was so strange.
The scars on her back were not rough as a man's is, but as soft as the rest of her. When marks are on men, they are courageous and honored. When marks are on women, they are hated and considered ugly. This was not so in Sara. It just made him remember how he would die to free her from her pain. Every scar, every bruise. It all just made him love her all the more.
He contemplated ditching work and decided on it. He would call in sick later. He closed his eyes and slept on next to her.
-Flash-
Young Sara, at the time ten, sat before her mother. Correction, the person who had been her mother. She laid out a book before Sara. It showed a man raping a woman. The illustration bothered Sara greatly.
"You see this, Sara?"
"Yes, mistress."
"Know it well. This is what it looks like to be with a man. See the woman's pain? That is all it is, pain. It is pain before, during, and after. Turn the page."
Sara did as she was told. She saw the woman, bruised from her encounter, being discarded from her family.
"After the act is done, the man leaves you. He cares only for himself. As soon as he has bedded you, he throws you away like a soiled shirt. As soon as your usefulness for the night is done, he ignores you forever. You are heart broken and can no longer function. Learn from this, Sara. The less emotional attachment you have, the less vulnerable you'll be. Isolation is safety." She kneeled down to Sara's level so that she was forced to look her in the eye.
"Virginity is invulnerability."
Sara's eyes flew open at the end of the dream/memory. Her breathing was heavy as she clutched the person at her side. She then realized she was clutching somebody. Then, everything from the night before fell into play in her mind. She gasped at the realization for her actions.
She will know. She will get us. No! I can't let anything happen. And I have sinned. He has used me and wants me no longer. I will leave before he bothers to get up to discard me.
She pulled away from him and sat on the edge of the bed. She felt a deep pain in her heart. She had believed him when he said he loved her. She turned back to look at him. As she did, she saw a reflection of her back on the mirror. The ugliness of her beatings. She turned back around and wanted to weep.
How foolish I am. Who could love something that looks like I do?
She grabbed her clothes and started to dress. She was dressed up to her pants and tank top when she felt someone staring at her. She turned around to meet Ian's quiet gaze. His eyes seemed almost sad. He sat up and reached toward her. She moved away from him. Hurt, pain, rejection. It all flashed in his eyes.
"Sara?" He whispered. She felt her eyes swell. She felt herself let out her emotions.
"Don't! Isn't it enough that you led me on to believe you loved me only so you could sleep with me?! Haven't you hurt me enough?! Don't bother to tell me the rest of it, I won't bother you again!"
"Sara? What are you talking about?" He started to get up, and Sara turned. She had seen enough of him the night before and cared to see him no more. He crossed over to her, after he pulled some pants on, and looked into her face.
Where the hell did that out burst come from?
"Sara, I do love you. Where did you get the idea that I didn't?" She turned from him.
"Stop! You have misleaded and used me enough for this lifetime." He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. Sara didn't bother to stop him. She knew she didn't have the power to.
"I would never use you. Why would you think that? You don't sleep with someone just to throw them away in the morning. I love you, Sara. Believe me when I say that. It's true."
"She taught me what happens after this. She said you discard the woman."
What is she talking about? Meredith! What did she teach her? I forgot that she was raised by Meredith. Why does this all frighten her so? Wait, raised by Meredith all her life, trained as an Amazon. Was last night her first? Of course! I pushed her into something she wasn't ready for. Damn, how could I be so damn stupid?
Ian turned her around so he could see her face.
"Sara, last night was new to you, wasn't it?"
"Yes." She lowered her eyes.
"I didn't know. If I had known, I wouldn't have.. Sara, I'm sorry." He wanted her to look at him. She did. "You were not ready for that. I just sprung it on you. I didn't mean to scare you or to upset you. I just wanted you to know how much I love you. Please understand, Sara. I'm not discarding you. I want you to stay here with me. I love you, and don't let anyone or anything else make you think otherwise."
She knew it for a fact. It was true. His eyes could never lie to her. He would never leave her. Not in this life, nor in any other. She slowly nodded and a peace washed over them.
"So, what do we do now?"
"I must go back." Ian tightened his grip on her. He was about to detest her decision when she put a hand over his mouth. "To collect my things. I can't make do with only one pair clothes. I will come back, I promise. My allegiance, my heart, is yours. She no longer has power over me." She removed her hand over his mouth and moved away from him to finish dressing. "You should go to work. It will keep you busy."
Ian nodded and watched her. She pulled on the rest of her clothes and braided her hair back up. She smiled at him when she noticed his attention on her. "Go to work." She kissed him one last time before she left.
Ian looked at his clock and groaned. He only had half an hour to get to work. He rushed through getting ready and only stopped to pick up the phone when it rang.
"Nottingham."
"Ian! Tell me all!"
"Moby, this is not the time."
"Well, at least give me a brief summery."
"Talked, revealed, sex, and she's moving in."
"Whoa! You lucky bastard."
"I know."
"Promise me one thing."
"What?"
"Best man position at the wedding?" Ian rolled his eyes and let out a laugh.
"Of course, whenever that is. Shit! I have to go. See you this afternoon."
"Right. Bye." Ian hung up the phone and went to work.
Eli: More to come. Was it to everyone's pleasure? Reviews, if you please.