Disclaimer: I do NOT own Witchblade or any of the characters involved. The plot - and the SnakeMan - belong to me. *eg*


The song is "Rock of Ages" by the one and only Grant Lee Buffalo. It's off of the "Mighty Joe Moon" album along with "Demon Called Deception" and "Honey Don't Think" from Season One, and "Happiness" from Season Two. ;) It's a GREAT CD...check it out!


Author's Notes: Well, I'm sorry it took so long for me to get back with this...I've been WAY busy! Here's chappie seven! Enjoy, and don't forget to R&R!!


-Rayvin-


Third Time's A Charm
- Seven -



The lights dimmed once again as Conchobar took to the stage and picked his guitar. He pulled the shoulder strap over his head and let the acoustic guitar come to rest across his stomach.


"All right. This next one is new...I don't think some of ya have heard it yet, unless ya made it to sound check this mornin'." He gazed at Sara and winked. "Aye, I hope you like it!"


With that, he strummed the guitar and the rest of his band picked up behind him. Shortly, he began to sing. The song was a slow one, and the combination of his deep voice, the Irish accent, and the sparks that flew as Conchobar and Sara matched gazes made the evening a near-perfect one.


If only she wasn't there on business.


"Rock...of Ages
I...am tumbling down
Where the roots of trees
Embrace you
I do fall...upon my knees
And ask you how...
You can just sit there and be..."


That voice. Those eyes. How much better could it get? Probably the better question would be how much worse could it get? Sara sighed and glanced down at the black handheld radio that matched the ones Danny and Jake carried. The radio crackled to life and Jake's voice came over the radio.


"Pez?"


Sara rolled her eyes. The boy really needed to work on his radio skills. "Whatcha got, Rookie?"


"Nothing. A whole lot of nothing. Just checking in."


"Thanks, Jake. Check back in five. Pezzini, out."


The radio went silent and she set the handheld down on the corner of the bar as she felt a slight tap on her shoulder. She shrugged it off at first, but when it happened again, she turned quickly, her gaze filled with venom.


"What?!" She barked, and her gaze softened as she saw a girl, obviously a little tipsy, trying to squeeze in between her and the man on the barstool behind her.


"S..sorry. I just wanted another..." the girl hiccupped. "...brewskie." Sara had to laugh.


"No, I'm sorry." Sara grabbed her radio and scooted forward allowing the girl to get in between herself and the drunk behind her. "Go ahead."


The girl grinned a lopsided, drunken smile. "Thanks, Lady."


Sara nodded. 'Hopefully you won't be driving tonight.' She thought as she turned her attention back to Conchobar who was into the third verse by now. The song was a strange one: it didn't quite have a chorus, a bridge maybe, but not an actual chorus. Despite that, Sara was in love with the song. And the singer. Conchobar smiled at her while he continued to sing, and all of the girls in the bar turned around to try to see who it was that the gorgeous Irishman was smiling at. Some of them frowned when they followed his gaze back to a beaming Sara. Pez couldn't care less. She was intently watching the man on stage.


"Father now I have stepped...
Beyond my bounds...
Now the pack I wear
It weighs a thousand pounds...
It drags me down...
Makes me think crazy..."


Sara felt another tap on her back, much harder than the one before, and she growled within her throat. "Damnit..," she muttered to herself before turning around.


"You just got a beer..." Sara turned to see the perpitrator from the signing, a sardonic grin on his face. His eyes were blue and the maniacal look in them made Sara intensely frightened. On her wrist, the Witchblade buzzed and swirled red angrily, ready to jump into action should the life of her Wielder come into jeopardy.


"Yeah? And if I did?" The man hissed...quite literally. His voice reminded Sara of a snake, and in the flashing of the strobe lights overhead, she had thought she saw a snake in his place. "What would you do...Detective..Pezzini?"


The sound in his voice frightened Sara to her very core, it was almost threatening, and the Witchblade also seemed to slightly shy away from his voice.


"I'd..." Sara began bravely, her voice wavering ever-so-slightly.


"Do nothing. You know as well as I do that you, Detective, are afraid." His face twisted up into an evil, triumphant grin.


"What do I have to be afraid of? You?" She glared at the unknown man, as his smile lessened slightly. Suddenly she felt the muzzle of a gun pointing into her hip.


"Perhaps...or perhaps you're afraid of being rejected... " The maniacal grin returned and the man leaned in to whisper in Sara's ear. "...by the Witchblade."


"No. The Blade wouldn't reject me." The Witchblade heated up on her wrist, and made Sara wince as the urge to kill the man surfaced. She took in a deep breath and swallowed the bloodlust that rose in her throat. 'Not in public,' She thought. 'Not with the Witchblade.'


"Are you certain? TRULY certain?" He eyed her warily, his eyes suddenly holding an endless amount of wisdom that scared Sara and made her think twice.


Sara was silent for a moment before opening her mouth to speak. "No," she whispered.


"Just as I thought. I will find you again, Sara Pezzini. Beware...next time I may not be so civil."


In a flash, the man disappeared, and Sara was once again in shock. She shook of the encounter for the moment, and turned back to Conchobar as he finished out the song. Hopefully the rest of the night would remain uneventful so that she might replay the event over and over in her head.


What did it mean? And why didn't he kill her? He very well could have...she was under his control. And how did he know about the Witchblade? Sara's thoughts fell away as Conchobar's voice entranced her once again, long into the night...


"I reach for the rock
In the avalanche
In the avalanche
Heavy rock
Heavy rock
Such a heavy rock..."