SAVE THE LAST DANCE

Chapter 8

Sara watched Ian go and sighed. She wanted him to stay, but she knew that it was not possible. Irons would find out that they were back together, and Ian might be hurt. Or worse. She shivered. She rubbed her arms briskly to warm them and rid them of the gooseflesh that had popped up, noting that the Witchblade was glowing softly. As she listened more closely, she realized that it was also humming. She touched the red stone lightly, then rolled out of bed and pulled on a t-shirt. She wandered into the kitchen and brewed some coffee. Cradling a fresh mug of the steaming liquid a few minutes later, she went out to the fire escape and sank down against the windowsill, sipping the hot beverage. She stared up at the starry sky, wondering silently what else was in store for her. After a long time, she returned to bed, sleeping fitfully until morning, when she awoke to find herself clutching Ian's pillow to her body, her nose buried in the sweet scent of his cologne that still lingered there.

********

She curled her body against his, one arm flung across his chest, her head tucked into the space between his left shoulder and his chin. The fingers of her other hand rested above her head, tangled in his dark locks. She knew he'd have to leave soon, but she just lay there, enjoying this rare moment of peace until…

"MAMA!! DADDY!!" A small form hit them with the force of a freight train as Michelle sprang up onto the bed, landing sideways over them both. "Oooh, that was fun—I'm gonna do it again—!"

"Oh, no, you're not!" Before she could move, her father leapt from the bed, grabbed her by one ankle, and turned her upside down, holding her a foot above the floor.

"AAAAHHHH!!" she shrieked. "Daddy, let me down!!"

He moved so that she hung over the bed, then released her. She landed in a heap on top of her mother. He fell onto the bed after her, tickling her as she giggled madly. Sara scooted up and out of the way as they rolled about the mattress, laughing. She just shook her head and grinned, finally feeling like she had a real family.

********

Sara stared, shocked beyond all belief.

Not now. This couldn't happen now.

She was eleven weeks pregnant.

The doctor pointed out the shadowy shape of the fetus on the monitor before her, and Sara gaped. How could this happen? I can't be pregnant. Not now. Not now. Please, not now.

She closed her eyes briefly, the consequences of this news flashing through her mind. Irons could find out about our being together, he might hurt Ian or Michelle…or the baby. What if he hurts the baby? Oh, God. Oh, God.

********

Sara was waiting anxiously for Ian when he came through the door of the apartment later that night. He moved to embrace her, then stopped when he saw that her beautiful green eyes were missing their usual sparkle.

"What's wrong, love?" he asked, becoming concerned.

"Ian, I've not been feeling well lately, and I went in for a checkup at my doctor's, and I found something out that's both good and bad." She swallowed hard.

"What is it?" He took a step closer to her, enfolding her in his arms.

She buried her face in his shoulder, her voice muffled as she said, "Ian, I'm pregnant."

"You—you are? That's wonderful—but how? When? We've used protection every—"

"Not every time. Not the first time. Not eleven weeks ago." With each 'not,' Sara pounded her fist against his other shoulder lightly in frustration. How could she have been so stupid? How? Well, it didn't matter now; she was having Ian's baby. She was—

"Ian, I'm having your baby!" she cried softly, amazed. She pulled away from him a little ways. "What are we gonna tell Michelle?"

He looked down at her, pride and happiness overflowing in his expression. "The truth."

"Oh, I love you, Ian!"

"I love you, too, Sara. I love you, too."

********

Before long, they told the big-sister-to-be the good news. She was ecstatic over the idea of having a new baby sister or brother. The couple wasn't sure how they were going to handle Irons, however. Fortunately, he went out of town on a three-week-long business trip, leaving Ian to watch over the house and the Wielder on his own. Ian stayed with Sara every night, and every day that she didn't work, they spent together. Ian met his daughter at the bus stop every weekday, and watched her until her mother returned from work. Sara had told Captain Siri that she was once again pregnant, and had been placed on desk duty as a result. She grumbled about having to do paperwork all day, and neither Danny nor Jake would tease her about it. Danny was too smart for that; Jake apparently knew enough to follow Danny's lead in anything regarding Sara. In any case, he managed to keep all of his limbs fully intact—for the time being. When Irons came back, Ian returned to his nightly ritual of visiting his family before heading back to the mansion he shared with Irons. He and Sara had long late-night conversations about what they were going to do about the whole Irons situation, but neither of them could come up with a feasable plan of action. Sara, meanwhile, had told the rest of her friends—namely, Vicky Po and Gabriel Bowman—about the child she carried. Both were delighted for her. A few more weeks passed, puncuated occasionally by slight morning sickness, though it ws not nearly as bad as it had been with Michelle. The Witchblade also took to glowing at the most inopportune times—while in public, speaking to people about cases—and she had taken to wearing long-sleeved shirts. She had to pull out some of her maternity clothes from her first pregnancy when her jeans would no longer zip up, as well as going out shopping for a few new things. By the time she was five months along, she already felt like a blimp. It wasn't until her next checkup that she discovered why.

"Well, Sara, how are we feeling today?" her doctor chirped cheerfully.

"Like an elephant," Sara replied.

"Let's take a look at how you're coming along, then. You do seem to be gaining weight a little more rapidly than you did last time." She smeared the cold, clear jelly over Sara's stomach and began to slide the tool across her skin. At first, all Sara could see on the screen was darkness, but then, a foot appeared, followed by another foot, two legs, a torso, arms, and a head. "There you are. Would you like to hear your baby's heartbeat?" Sara nodded. The other woman turned up the volume on the machine, and a soft woosh woosh woosh filled the room.

"It sounds faster than last time. Is that normal?" Sara asked, levering herself up on her elbows and peering at the monitor.

"Sometimes, yes. It is, however, a little faster than what we've seen so far. One moment." She slid the tool to the other side of Sara's belly, moving it around until a pair of feet came into view. One gave a sharp kick, making Sara jerk slightly. "You've got a strong little one in there, haven't you?"

"Sure seems like it. Wait—what's that?"

"I don't know…" She moved incrimentally to one side, and the shadow became clear. "It's…it's a…a third foot!"

Not yet understanding, Sara's brow furrowed. "Third? How can there be three?" Even as she asked her question, the scanner picked up something else. Sara gasped. Two heads were bowed together, one with the beginning nub of a thumb touching its mouth.

"Congratulations, Sara—you're having twins!"

Her mouth fell open.

********

Sara was sitting up in bed, holding an ultrasound picture in her hand when Ian climbed in through the unlocked window and settled onto the bed beside her. "Hey, Babe. Something wrong?" He stroked her hair lightly. He loved to touch her thick, silky mane whenever he could get his hands on it, and tonight was no exception.

Sara handed him the picture. As he turned to her questioningly, she said, "Daddy, meet the twins."

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B1: So? What do you think? Is this still any good? Should I write more? Should I post more? Let me know what you think, and if you want me to, I'll put more up!

I hope you've enjoyed this so far!

~BelovedOne