~

Back at the Precinct Danny and Jake sat sifting through evidence. The trouble was they didn't have anything; no fingerprints, murder weapon, clues, witnesses, links between victims and no motives. They were sinking fast the first 24 hours in a murder case were crucial, anything that was to be learnt was usually in those first hours but they hadn't learnt zip.

Sara walked in with her eyebrows raised in question and unzipping her leather jacket. Before Danny could grill her on where she had been the phone rang.

"Talk about timing" he said when he came off the phone

"Who was it?" Jake asked

"It was another murder, they think it's our guy" Danny said putting his jacket on.

"What is this time?" Sara asked as she zipped her jacket back up and followed Danny out the door, with Jake in tow.

"A couple in central park"

When they arrived the place was buzzing with reporters and grim on lookers. The first murder had taken place in the early hours of the morning the second hours later it was late in the evening now and dusk was upon the city. So much had happen in such a short space of time that Sara felt wiped out emotionally but she knew that her body was primed for action, the Witchblade saw to that.

The bodies of Earnest Goldberg and Diane Keller laid side by side both sets of eyes had been gouged out of their sockets. Naked like the others their bodies had been cut like the last victim so their blood could be drained; they where laid beneath the over lapping branches of two trees. The trunks of the trees had the words 'she has come for you' knifed into its bark over and over, the blood was in the groves the words had made.

Sara and Danny stood silently looking over the murder scene, Danny hoping he could forget as much as he could before he got home to his family and Sara feeling guilty for being the cause of their death.

Jake had been talking to the first officers at the crime scene and now walked over to them and cleared his throat for their attention.

"It seems we might be in luck, apparently we have a witness"

"You're kidding?" Sara asked, she couldn't believe Clarissa had been sloppy enough to let someone see her, let alone let that person live.

"A man out walking his dog saw three people walking off the path and towards the trees he was curious so he followed them at a distance, he was shaken up so the paramedics want to take him in for observation".

The three detectives walked over to where the paramedics were treating the old man for shock. They informed the trio that they could question him briefly before he was taken to the county hospital.

The old man removed his oxygen mask and looked straight at Sara and smiled cheekily, it looked like he was feeling better already.

"Can you state your name Sir?" Sara asked removing her notepad and pen.

"Sure, Joe Masters"

"Can you tell us in your own words what you saw tonight Sir?"

"Well like I told your friend here" he nodded at Jake and continued "I was out walking Freddie" He stroked the dog laying on his lap, the dog looked up at the mention of his name and seeming bored yawn and closed his eyes.

"I was walking along the path over there when I saw three people; a man and two women walk off into the trees. I thought it was odd, you know at this time of night and the way they walked as well. So I followed them"

"How do you mean the way they walked?" Danny asked Joe

"Well the last one was the woman she walked normal - eloquent even, like a lady. The other two they walked stiff like those zombies outta of a horror picture, I hate those horror pictures".

"So what happen when they got to the tree?"

"Well the man and woman began taking their clothes off and the other woman just watched. It looked like they were up to something kinky, so I thought it was my job as an concern citizen to see that nothing untoward happen" the old man said as Sara tried not to smile.

"After the two got naked they just went and laid down on the ground, they didn't move a muscle not one.the whole time" Joe Masters faced paled and he pull the oxygen mask up over his mouth and took a few deep breaths.

"Are you okay Sir?" Danny asked putting a hand attentively on the old man's shoulder.

"I'm fine son. At my age I've seen a lot of things, been in two wars - WWII and the Korean War. I've seen plenty of things that would have most people question God and their sanity but this, it was the way they seemed almost happy that she was cutting them".

Joe shook his head sadly thinking of the horrors of the past, the present and those that would surely come in the future.

"What happen then Joe?" Sara asked trying to coax the words out of him with a comforting voice.

"Well they were laid real still and then the woman knelt down and was doing something to them, I couldn't see what at the time. Then she stood up and took a knife out and began carving into the trees. When she was done she knelt back done and picked something up, I think it might have been a bowl. Then it looked like she was painting the trees with paint. After that she put the knife and bowl away in her bag and began walking towards me. I was terrified - don't know why but I knew something was wrong even though those other two never screamed once I knew something was up and boy was I right!"

The old man exclaimed taking another deep breath of oxygen. Sara had stopped taking notes and waited with bated breath to hear what the man would say next.

"She walked right up to me and I wanted to walk or even run away but I couldn't she kept looking at me and just couldn't move. Then she smiled and told me I better ring the police.so I did"

Just recalling the exchange with the woman had turned Mr. Masters into a confused scared old man. Sara knew that if Clarissa had wanted to she could have killed the old man and left no witnesses but she had let the man live for a purpose. The killings were to draw Sara out, so that she would hunt Clarissa. Letting Joe Masters live was to let Sara know once and for all whom she was if she didn't already.

"I rang on my mobile phone; you know a few years ago I hated these things and the internet, computers and all those other modern contraptions. My Grandson said to me 'Grandpa you need a mobile for emergencies' and he wasn't wrong I use the little thing all the time now. I'm even on the internet and everything now, my Grandson paid for it all, such a good boy looking after his Grandpa - he's a Doctor you know"

He looked over at Sara and gave a wink and a smile "A Doctor" he repeated.

"Can you describe the woman who talked to you Mr. Masters?" Danny asked taking the notepad and pen from Sara, before Joe tried to fix the Grandson up with her.

"Sure I can what a looker she was. She looked like she was in her late 30's, brown hair tied back and brown eyes, no wait green.actually I'm not too sure about the eyes. She was the same height and size as you" He pointed at Sara as Danny wrote down all the details.

"After she had walked by me I went over to the guy and gal, thinking maybe it was some joke they were playing on people - Like Candid Camera. But then I got close enough to see them" He took a shaking breath and went on "They were dead, still warm though. Their eyes were gone; all that was left was sunken bloody wholes"

He shivered and a paramedic who was standing close by ushered the three detectives away and told them if they wanted anything else they could see him in Hospital. Danny waved two street cops over and told them to ride in the ambulance with Mr. Masters and keep watch on him at all times as he was now their eye witness and could be in danger.

The paramedic took Freddie away from his master and the dog began to bark, Joe looked worryingly at the Sara and Danny.

"It's alright Sir we'll take Freddie here with us to the police station, your grandson can pick him up" Danny said smiling reassuringly. The old man thought this over as the paramedic secured Joe in the ambulance and gave a weak smile and called goodbye to his dog and the paramedic closed the doors.

Danny handed over the dog to a uniform and told him to take him to the station and inform the man's grandson. As the ambulance pulled away Sara asked Danny;

"So do you really think our fem fetal will come after Masters, she could have killed him early" Sara said

"Maybe but I don't want to take any chances" Danny replied.

When they got back to the Precinct Danny was quite and Jake sensing tension said he would hang out with Vicki until she was done with the bodies. Sara had driven back on her motorcycle in peace avoiding any questions but she could tell that Danny was about to play '20 questions'.

"So are you going tell me what your informant told you and if it panned out?"

Danny sounded tired and exacerbated, Sara now felt guilty even more if that was possible. Lying to her best friend, making him run-down and oh yeah being responsible for the deaths of four people.

"He told me a name and I was checking it out. I still don't know if the name matched the woman who our witness saw"

"Why didn't you let me in on all this earlier?"

"I wasn't sure how reliable the information was, I mean he could have been yanking my chain. I thought that I would check out the name and see what I found."

"So what did you find?"

"The woman's name I was given was Clarissa Reed. She's from France, born in 1963 and is from a very wealthy back ground"

"So why do you think she here in New York killing what looks like random people?"

"Honestly I have no idea, I was given the name and I checked it out, oh I have this is a picture of her aged about 17"

Sara took out the photo of Clarissa at her father's funeral and passed it over to Danny. He studied it and looked over the description that Joe Masters had given them.

"She fits the bill; apart from the age gap of course. I'll get a sketch artist to age her face and then I'll go over to the hospital and see if our witness can identify her"

"I'll search for when she came into the Country and if she owns any property here in the City, a millionaires might have thrown some money around" Sara said sitting at her desk and turning on the computer.

"I'll catch up with you later, call me if you find anything of interest before then" Danny called leaving the office and taking the photo with him.

Sara spent the next couple of hours sat at her computer and using the phone, she had found out new information but as yet no home address or phone. Clarissa Reed had entered the States legally on matters of business six months ago, there were phone numbers listed but they ended up going to voice mail.

According to a few web sites Reed Corporation was a company that had its fingers in many pies. It was a silent partner in many small companies and invested in global enterprises.

As she stared at the computer screen Sara couldn't help but let her brain wander. She thought about Daniel, how she had been drawn to him. The Witchblade glowed and once again she witnessed her lover's death as if it was happening all over again. Briefly the hatred she felt for Nottingham resurfaced.

How could it be that she felt such passionate feelings towards Ian Nottingham when she hardly liked him? He had had a hidden agenda and a not so hidden one from the moment they met.

He saved her life and she saved his, not only did she not like him but did he really like her. It seemed like a school boy crush, an infatuation. But he was right they had loved each other in a past life and those feelings of the past were mixing with the ones of the present. He wasn't all that bad, apart from when he was trying to kill her, stalking her or being creepy obsession guy.the rest of the time he's sweet, caring and lets not forget good looking.

Sara shook her head to clear away the unwanted thoughts. She sat back in her chair and looked over her desk and the ever mounting piles of paper work.

When she turned back to the computer she began searching for information on what type of business the Reed Corporation was in town for. After searching for a while Sara found what she was looking for in the archives of the New York Times paper. There were several articles covering the Reed Corp. and its plan to renovate buildings that were condemned or deemed to be falling behind the times.

The mainly European business was now setting its sights on New York and was starting what some felt was an ambitious plan to renovate numerous buildings in run down areas of the City. It then gave a list of buildings that were in the process of or already given the green light for renovation. Mostly were owned by the City others Reed Corp. brought to be restored / remodeled and then be sold on.

Sara scrolled down the names of the buildings; the ones that had been green lighted and where owned by the City had been in effect handed over to the Reed Corporation with monthly checks by City workers.

Anyone of those buildings that Reed Corp. had purchase could be a perfect place for Clarissa to live in. Sara made a list of the ones that work hadn't begun on, two condemned apartment buildings, a bank that had long ago closed and a church.

A church.that's when she remembered the vision she had early the one that didn't fit with the rest, a stain glass window. Is that where Clarissa Reed is hiding? Sara checked the address and went over to the map that was on a far wall. The crime scenes had all been marked; she traced her finger along the map until she found the church and stuck a pin in. Standing back she looked the map over, the church was practically in the center of the three crime scenes.

She didn't have any evidence to back it up how would she be able explain it to Danny, the only real reason she was going to the church was because she had a vision of a stain glass window. She would have to go by herself and hope Danny wouldn't mind.

She wrote a note saying: Danny, gone to check out a church that Clarissa Reed's business owns, marked on map the location. If I'm not back when you return come looking for me, Pezz.

The time was just after ten o'clock when Sara arrived at the Church, she parked her bike across the street. The church was so old the stone work was crumbling and the roof had a number of wholes in it. The church windows were boarded and the door had a heavy chain stopping it from being opened.

Sara gave a quick look to make sure no one was around and watched as the bracelet morphed into the gauntlet. Using the gauntlet she pulled the chain links apart and broken it fell to the ground. As she pushed opened the door the Witchblade was once again a bracelet.

She was in the entrance hall of the church, in front of her was a set of heavy wooden doors leading she guessed into the church hall. She expected the doors to be locked but they opened and she had the sudden feeling that she was being expected.

Light came in through cracks in the boarded up windows and someone had placed a few lit candles around the room. Sara drew her gun and moved slowly forward down the aisle, the darkness made it hard to see anything beyond a few feet away.

The Witchblade glowed and Sara halted in mid stride, her ears had caught a sound at the other end of the hall from the pulpit. She cleared her throat and called out,

"This is the NYPD, come out into the opened with your hands on our head".

This was met with silence; Sara shook her head and thought 'why when given the chance to do it the easy way, do the jackasses always choose the hard way?'

She walked down the aisle and drew near the pulpit. The church was the length of half a football field, filled with pews and nooks and crannies Sara's nerves were set on edge.

As she stood a few feet away from the steps that led to the pulpit, she saw a figure behind the lectern. By the shape it was a woman - Clarissa no doubt, her back was turned and she was lighting candles. Sara was poised ready for action her gun trained on the woman.

"I'm an officer with the NYPD put your hands on your head, turn around slowly and make your way towards me"

The woman finished lighting the candles and blew the match out. She turned around and made her way down the short stairs, her hands remaining by her side.

"So you found me, it's about time" Clarissa Reed stood before Sara, she looked more like a youthful thirty then a forty year old woman.

She had on a tight black polo neck top and pants, she was very beautiful but it was her eyes that stood out the most. As Sara studied them it was as if they changed colours, before finally settling at a light blue/grey colour.

The woman smiled at Sara who remained glaring at the woman, her gun still aimed at Clarissa. The two women studied each other. Both were curious about the other, the one that was and the other that had been.

"Why did you kill those people?" Sara asked as she broke her gaze on Clarissa. The deaths had been so random and although she knew that it was her fault she still hoped that there was some other explanation.

"A warning, you see I thought it would be fun to play with you for a while. As you're a homicide police officer I went into your world to tell you I was here. After searching for the Witchblade."

As soon as she said the word Witchblade Clarissa began to stare at it and had taken a few steps forward, Sara had clicked the safety off the gun and Clarissa stopped moving. With both hands on the gun she could see the Witchblade, it was glowing red and to Sara it felt like it was being pulled towards Clarissa Reed.

".for two decades it seemed anti-climactic to just sneak into your apartment and take the blade, I wanted to tease you a while" As she finished she stopped looking at the Witchblade but being so near to it again after all these years was making her anxious to own it again.

"I hate to tell you this but you've wasted all the years you spent looking for the Witchblade, your never going to get it back"

Sara was certain of this, although the blade felt heavy she knew that it was Clarissa drawing it back not the blade wanting to leave her. Sara knew that the blade was intertwining with her body and soul; both she and the blade were two halves of the same whole. It was designed to give power and she was born to wield it.

"Irons knew that you weren't the true wielder of the Witchblade that's why he took it from you" Sara said knowing that it push Clarissa's buttons and it worked.

"That stupid fool.thankfully you already got rid of that problem" Clarissa smiled at Sara who glanced down and then back up again, hoping not to have given away just how wrong she felt for killing Irons.

"Tell me why he took it from you" She was trying to buy some time until Danny got there and they could handle the situation as cops but apart of her did want to know a small part of the blade's history.

"I'll tell you everything Sara if you would like, I feel almost sisterly towards you. I guess it's because we've both worn the blade". She sat on the bottom step and Sara lowered her gun slightly and listened.

"I first met Kenneth Irons at my family home in the country. He was a friend and business partner of my fathers; I was sixteen and besotted with him. When my parents threw parties he would drift away from them and spend hours talking with me, he never treated me differently because I was blind"

Clarissa's eyes began to change colour again, Sara could tell that the woman had truly cared for Irons.

"For a year we met in secret, my child like crush bloomed into love and we became lovers. A few day's before my seventeenth birthday he told me of the Witchblade. Kenneth told me all it could offer but it was the chance that it would restore my sight that made me eager to possess it".

She laughed and shook her head, not quite believing how stupid she had once been.

"On my birthday he presented me with a box and inside was the bracelet. It was beautiful but I didn't really believe it was anything special. Then of course I put it on"

Clarissa smoothed her left hand over her right wrist and her eyes once again became blue.

"After a few days of wearing it my eye sight came back no one could believe it I was sent to specialists around the globe, they all agreed I had perfect eye sight. The truth was my eye sight was better then anyone could ever imagine"

Clarissa stood up and began walking back and forth, this was the part of her tale that she loathed and hated.

"It started small I wanted a car and father said no that it was to soon after regaining my sight back. I didn't even know I was doing it; I just stared at him and wished hard that he would do as I asked and he did. I began to use it all the time, and of course there are all the other added benefits of the Witchblade. I could see certain things that were about to happen and those that already had, and I possessed a new found strength and agility"

She clenched her fists at her side remembering all of what she once was, her back to Sara she hung her head in shame over what she had done next.

"I used it for all the wrongs things but I couldn't see it at the time. I hurt and blackmailed and used it for doing wrong but my final act was the worse. One night as I lay wrapped in Kenneth's arms my father walked in on us, he was distraught and embarrassed of me. He left and I ran after him, we got in a huge fight. He banned me from ever seeing Kenneth again and told me that he would ruin Irons. I lost controlled and before I knew it the Witchblade had become a gauntlet with a sword and I was angry."

She spun around and her once calm blue/grey eyes were now bright blue and icy cold. Her pupils became small as pin points and she gazed at Sara. Her face had contorted with raged and angry at herself, Irons, her father and the world.

".I was so angry before I knew it I had plunged the sword into is chest. He fell on to his knees and then the sword had vanished and all that was left was the bracelet. He looked so betrayed and shocked. I sunk on to my knees and began to weep, that's when Kenneth came up behind be, he looked from me to my father and told me that our relationship was finished".

Her eyes remained icy and strange but the anger subsided into pity and sadness.

"I loved him; I killed my own father for him. The bracelet slipped off my wrist, it didn't want me and neither did Irons. I thought that I would lose my vision but I never it stayed with me as did the ability to command others to do my bidding".

"I don't understand why you want it back" Sara said feeling pity for the woman before her.

"I still remember the power that it once gave me even for that short time. But now I have notice that my sight is fading, I'm afraid I'm going blind and losing my power of.shall we say suggestion"

"Not only do I have a gun I also have the Witchblade what makes you think you can take it from me?" Sara asked

"Lets try shall we" said Clarissa she held out her right hand palm up and said "give me your gun Sara" She smiled and then is seemed to Sara as if all the candles dimmed and went out, Clarissa's her eyes becoming the only source of light in the room.

Sara felt the power Clarissa had trying to bend her will, but she wasn't under the woman's spell. The Witchblade glowed, the light returned to normal and Sara lifted the gun and pointed at Clarissa.

She titled her head slightly to the side and raised her eyebrows and asked in a fake concerned voice "I'm sorry isn't it working"

Clarissa's confusion showed on her face, how could it be that for decades she had waited to get the Witchblade and now her mind control ability wouldn't work. This angered Clarissa; she let out a yell and kicked the gun out of Sara's hand. She grabbed for the gun as it flew through the air as soon as she caught it she began to fire bullets at Sara.

Just as Clarissa had pulled the trigger Sara held her arm in front of her and the bracelet changed into the gauntlet and began to deflect the bullets whizzing towards her, Sara lunge side wards out of the aisle and behind a row of pews on her right.

Clarissa fired all the remaining bullets at the pew and when the chamber was empty she flung the gun away and screamed.

"Just give me it back" Clarissa screamed in a mad childish rage.

Sara stood up and walked towards Clarissa, she hit her across the face with the gauntlet and Clarissa fell to the ground. She rolled away from Sara and jumped to her feet, it seemed that a fraction of the strength she had whilst wearing the Witchblade had remained.

She ran towards Sara and jump high and moved her body so her feet would connect with Sara's torso. Sara watched Clarissa fly through the air and time slowed down. As Clarissa moved in slow motion, Sara stayed in normal speed and was able to step aside. Time resumed its normal speed and instead of Clarissa hitting her she hit the ground feet and then back first. She landed with such force that her body rolled a few times before stopping, sprawled out on stomach.

As Sara came towards her for the final time Clarissa unsteadily pulled herself up on to her knees. She knelt in front of Sara, her arms hanging by her sides and met Sara's eyes.

Sara moved closer and the church was filled with the metal clinking of the sword extending, the tip touching Clarissa's neck. Now she would die the same way she had killed her father she thought as she gazed up with her eerie eyes at Sara.

But something happened within Sara, she knew what she was about to do and also that it would work but she didn't understand it.

The sword re-tracked and Sara pressed the gauntlet against Clarissa's forehead, a white light emanated from the gauntlet and seemed to fill Clarissa Reed. A sudden force hit Clarissa and her arms flew up from her sides and hung in the air, a white light shining from the palms of her hands and eyes.

The white light grew brighter and brighter before becoming so blinding even Sara had to close her eyes and then with a flash the light was gone. Sara pulled back her hand, the gauntlet gone and looked down at Clarissa.

Clarissa's arm's had fallen to her sides and her head hung limp, she swayed and was about to fall over when Sara caught her and helped her to her feet.

As she was regaining her balance Clarissa looked up at Sara and smiled a warm smile, gone was the bright blue eyes with pin point pupils all that remained was unfocused pale grey eyes.

"Thank you" she whispered. Sara opened her mouth but didn't know what to say, she gulped and looked into the face of the now blind woman.

She could hear the wailing of sirens and knew that at any moment the Calvary would be bursting through the door. She wrapped her right arm around Clarissa's waist and put the woman's arm around her neck.

As they neared the exit the church doors burst open and there stood twenty uniform cops with Danny and Jake in the lead, all with their guns pointing directly at the two women.

Sara held up her left hand and Danny and Jake lowered their guns and turning told the troops behind them to follow suit.

Danny came forward with his gun still out but as he neared them he could see that Clarissa was nearly out cold; he holstered his gun and took out his handcuffs.

At first Sara was going to object but knew that it had to be done, Clarissa Reed had killed four people - five including her own father.

"Clarissa my partner is going to handcuff you now, don't be afraid"

Clarissa nodded and with the help of Sara she put her wrists out in front of her for Danny to handcuff.

"Clarissa Reed you are being placed under arrest for the suspected murder of Laura Foster, Lyle Conner, Earnest Goldberg and Diane Keller. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, and if you can not afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights?"

Sara watched as Danny led Clarissa out of the church and into a police car, she had not only taken away the woman's sight but she had also taken away the evil that had been inside her.

Back at the station Danny and Jake were interrogating Clarissa Reed while Sara watched through the two-way mirror. It was a few hours later and a lawyer representing Reed Corp. in America sat beside Clarissa, she had decided to co-operate fully and was in the process of answering the same set of questions for the fourth time round.

"How did you pick your victims Miss Reed?" Danny asked

"By chance, I just went out and picked them off the street" She didn't boast about her crimes or took any pride in her actions. She genuinely seemed ashamed and remorseful.

All those years without the Witchblade had left Clarissa Reed needy, dangerous and insane. When Sara took her sight that night she also redeemed the woman, it was sad that the now sane and wholesome Clarissa Reed was the one that would be serving life behind bars.

Jake was asking more questions when Danny left the room and joined Sara. He watched his partner watching Clarissa and then spoke.

"She intends to plea guilty by insanity, I still think she was working with some one"

"Why?"

"Well because the woman sat in there is blind and seems physically weak"

"She wasn't blind when she committed the crimes you heard her, she was born blind, regained her sight and when she found out that she would lose her eye-sight she went mad and went on a killing spree"

Sara said looking away from Clarissa and staring at her partner. Danny was sharp she could tell he wasn't buying it but with the evidence that they had found in the church, an eye witness and the confession of their suspect the case against Clarissa Reed was strong.

"Tell me again what happened at the church" Danny asked

"Well she was telling me about how she was blind and loosing her sight, I was trying to stall her hoping you would show up. She kicked the gun out my hand and grabbed it, she fired at me and I dived behind a pew for cover" It kind of glossed over all the parts she couldn't tell but at the same time still being the semi-truth.

"And she didn't hit you once?"

"Well most of the bullets didn't go near me and when I was behind the pew the wood took most of the damage"

"Yeah, I guess you were lucky" Danny said smacking his partner on the back and heading back into the interview room.

~

Later on Sara visited Clarissa in her cell. She looked up at Sara and smiled, she knew who it was. Standing she came over to the bars and looked in the space where she presumed Sara stood.

"Hello Sara"

"Hey Clarissa, are you doing alright"

"As well as can be expected, I wanted to thank you again for lifting my curse"

"Curse?" Sara asked

"For you the Witchblade is a weapon for good for me it was a curse. Maybe it was because I wasn't a true wielder, that's why it changed me. I was once innocent and caring that's what Kenneth loved about me. He told me you see that the main reason he didn't want me anymore was because I had lost the thing he had loved about me the most"

Clarissa had been holding the bars but now let go and Sara saw a single tear fall down her cheek. The woman seemed to have return in spirit to the seventeen year old she had been before ever wearing the blade.

"Thank you Sara, now I can finally pay for all my crimes. My father loved me and I loved him, it was the blade and my love for Irons that twisted me"

"Take care Clarissa.if you ever need anything give me a call"

"I doubt I ever will but thank you for everything Sara".

Sara went to leave but then she turned around and approached the woman's cell again.

"I need to know one more thing, why did you leave the message 'she has come' in the third person?"

"I see myself as three people, the young innocent girl, the power hungry killer and the woman I am now. It was if a part of me was still seventeen and whilst I was killing those people I was watching but not able to stop. I guess I left the messages to try and warn you that she was on her way. If you hadn't been immune to her.my powers then I would have easily killed you and with the Witchblade on my hand I would I have been unstoppable".

"I guess because the Witchblade gave you your power and I wear the blade now I wasn't affected, it protected me"

Sara looked at the small silver bracelet and back at the blind woman, she felt sorry for that young girl Kenneth Irons had taken under his wing and accidentally turn into a killer.

The pair said their goodbyes again and this time Sara kept on walking. Clarissa sat down on her bunk and for the first time felt free, she was being brought to justice but also she didn't feel the pull of the Witchblade her addiction to it was gone.

~

Back in her apartment Sara fell on to her couch and kicked off her shoes and started to drink a cool refreshing beer.

Looking at the clock she couldn't believe that just over twenty-fours had gone by, it had been a hell of a day. She picked up her phone and punched in Gabriel's number and took a quick swig of beer.

"Hello"

"Hey Gabriel its Sara, I was just checking in to make sure your neck's alright"

"Its find, it hurts like hell but I'll be find. So everything ok at your end?"

"We arrested Clarissa Reed; medusa is now off the streets"

"Good job, so what do you have planned for the rest of the day"

"Your kidding right, the Captain gave Danny, Jake and me the day off. I plan on going to bed and sleeping until my next shift"

Gabriel laughed and smiled into his phone; closing his eyes he loved her deep voice.

"Goodnight Sara, sweet dreams" he said softly

"Night kid" She replied, sensing his feelings for her but not being able to think of him in that way.

Sara finished the beer and changed into her night wear - men's boxers and a tight top. She climb into bed and tried to go to sleep. Every now and again her thoughts would drift back to Daniel but to her amazement she didn't feel anger anymore. She knew it was one more thing that she had to deal with and get pass other wise she would turn into Clarissa Reed. Empty apart from the need to hurt others, the Witchblade was a curse but it was also a gift. Clarissa was right with the Witchblade she could do good and she would.

She was drifting off to sleep when her phone rang, she expected to it be work or maybe Gabriel calling her back but it was neither.

"Congratulations Sara"

"Nottingham, what do you want I'm trying to sleep"

"I'm sorry Sara but when I heard about your victory I wanted to offer my well-wishes"

The Witchblade glowed and she had a vision of her apartment window from the perspective of someone looking up from the street, she got out of bed and went over to her window. Below in a telephone booth stood Ian Nottingham staring up at her, he raised a gloved hand and pressed it against the glass.

"Hello" he said, Sara put her own hand against her window and gazed longingly at Ian.

"About running out on you earlier.I'm sorry"

"I forgive you" he whispered in his usual deep and throaty voice, she licked her lips at the memory of his touch on her skin.

How fast could he get up here she wondered.

"I have to go, I need my sleep" She pulled her hand away from the glass and stepped backwards from the window.

"And I wouldn't want to delay you, goodnight sweet Sara"

"Goodnight Ian" she whispered before hanging up and climbing into her bed.

Ian Nottingham stood in the phone booth and dropped his hand from the glass and lent his head back. He thought of the feel of their skins touching, her voice telling him goodnight and a smile crept on to his face and then in a flash he was gone his black jacket trailing behind him.

The light and noise of a new day crept through her window but it didn't matter within minutes Sara was fast a sleep; a trace of a smile on her lips, dreaming happy thoughts.

~ THE END ~