Dr. Immo arrived promptly at ten o'clock. Ian was showing all the signs of
having his father's patience. Wilson greeted him at the door as usual and
began to show him through to the den.
"Morning, Wilson, I take it that he is waiting?"
"Yes, Doctor, as well as the Detective."
Ah, thought Immo, I finally get to meet Sara Pezzini in person. Interesting."What do you make of the Detective, Wilson?" Wilson gave him a reserved look, making it obvious that he found the question impertinent.
"It is not my place to say, Sir. I believe any questions regarding the lady should be directed either to herself or to Mr. Nottingham." Changes here too, the Doctor noticed, Ian had brought the household staff firmly under his control, securing their loyalty to him as to Irons, no longer anyone's lost little boy. Wilson opened the door, admitting Immo into the den. Ian was sitting in his father's chair before the ever-present fire. He noticed them enter and nodded a dismissal to Wilson in a gesture that the Doctor found both familiar and disconcerting in its own way. He walked across the floor to find the other occupant of the room standing in the shadows between the chair and fire, watching him, one hand resting casually on Ian's shoulder. The position was reminiscent of Irons in its own way, and suddenly he started to wonder exactly what the relationship was between them. She was smaller than he expected her to be, standing the shadows as Ian always had in the past.
Ian rose and shook the Doctor's hand, gesturing him to a chair. "Dr. Immo, may I present."
"Detective Pezzini, it is nice to finally meet you in person," he addressed Sara as she stepped forward.
she thought sharply at Ian. He glanced at her and smiled. The doctor reached out to shake her hand, noticing the interplay between them, even more confused about the relationship than ever. Telepathy, perhaps? He had assumed as much from some of the comments Irons had made over the years, but was never quite sure what he believed.
Sara took his hand as Ian started to say something. A vision- Ian, younger, strapped to a table, as the Doctor injected him with something, pain, fear. Ian crying wordlessly, struggling.
She looked at the man before her, dropping his hand as the Witchblade shifted suddenly into Gauntlet form, the eye opening red and angry. Ian, sharing the vision, his flashback, with her, put himself between them as Sara tried to put both the 'blade and her feelings into there respective places. Forewarned.Forearmed.Now that she knew who she was dealing with she was determined to have a chat with him about a few things. Irons might be beyond her, but his pet Frankenstein was alive, breathing and standing right in front of her.
Ian spoke reassuringly in her mind, trying to calm her, keep the situation from escalating.
Immo backpedaled suddenly, eyes wide, almost falling over the chair. He had heard everything Irons had to say, seen the artworks, the manuscripts, but had only ever half believed. He had certainly not expected to be confronted with it. He watched as it retracted into a harmless bracelet on Sara's delicate wrist, although the stone continued to swirl angrily. "Well, that was.educational," the Doctor said, trying to regain a certain amount of his scientific objectivity, his usual response to anything unknown. "I assume it does not react that way to everyone." Sara started to open her mouth, to say a few things to him that she might or might not regret later.
"That is not the matter which you were brought here to discuss," Ian interposed smoothly. "You are here to help us solve a little problem, not to speculate on matters which do not concern you." He once again gestured the Doctor to the chair, which he fell into, grateful to be off his rather suddenly unsteady feet.
Ian returned to his chair, but Sara remained standing in front of the fire. "Now," he began. "I need a few things from you."
"I will do what I can for you, what do you need?" Immo asked, glad to be on a safer topic. The sudden change in Sara's attitude reminded him rather sharply of the visions Irons had mentioned, and was sure he did not want to speculate on what she had seen.
"My birth certificate, the real one, proof of my parentage," Ian told him.
"That I can help you with, I kept a copy of your birth record. Also I witnessed the Will. Kenneth had it written in so that no one could challenge your rights as his heir, just in case. Wilson is the other witness, he can tell you the same. Am I to assume by this that you are ready to admit to Irons' death?"
"I am going to have to, aren't I?" he said quietly. Sara walked over and placed a hand on Ian's shoulder, a simple gesture that spoke volumes to the Doctor, as did the grateful look he gave her before taking her hand in his. Sara looked at Immo, noticed the softening of his expression, he seemed to care for Ian as well, but that was not going to stop her from having words with him, later.
"Now, Doctor, about Irons' Death Certificate."
An hour later, the details all worked out, Immo rose to leave. "Doctor, I would like a few words with you, privately," Sara said, a somewhat tight smile on her face.
"Sara, I." Ian broke in.
"Nottingham," she began warningly, before calming herself with an effort. She tried again, "Ian, I need to do this, and you need to be somewhere else while I do."
Immo spoke up quickly, not wanting to be the cause of disagreement between them, and also wanting to speak with her, reassure himself. Their relationship was a puzzle to Immo. He had not had enough time in this short interview to make an assessment. It was unclear as to which one of them was in control. She stood in the shadows beside him, but still.What was the balance between them? He did not want to see Ian's new freedom interfered with, to see him once again is someone else's power. And it would be so easy for a woman, this woman to take advantage of his inexperience. "Ian, she is right, there are things which should be said between us, alone." Ian backed down, more or less gracefully. He was concerned, wondering what Sara would say, what the Doctor would say, afraid that some of it would make Sara see him differently, bring fear, or worse, pity, to eyes that finally looked on him with love. She took his hand, slid her thumb beneath the leather to give him as much comfort and reassurance as she could.
"Go on, It'll be ok, I promise," she said softly as she walked with him part way to the doors, watching as he left slowly. When the doors had closed behind him, she turned back towards the Doctor. "Now then, what exactly have you done to him?" her voice going ice cold.
"That is a very broad question, Detective, perhaps you would like to be more specific?" Immo remained calm, he had known his life was in danger from the day he had first entered this house.
"You hurt Ian, helped Irons do.whatever you two did to him. I need some answers and since Irons is not here, I will get them, from you."
"Threatening me will get you nowhere, at this moment you need my help, both of you," he told her calmly. Having been threatened by Ian another one was not nearly as terrifying, even coming from this small woman with her supernatural weapon. "Besides, you are a police officer, isn't your duty to protect people?" his voice was almost flippant, after all he had nothing more to lose, really. His own self-worth had long ago plunged into the abyss.
"I am," she said pointedly, " I am protecting Ian from you."
"It's far to late for that," he said with mingled sadness and regret. "And he no longer needs it, not where I am concerned." Sara was taken aback by that. This was not the man.the monster she had expected.
"Then why did you do it? You are a doctor, you are supposed to save lives."
"I did," he said quietly, looking down at his hands. "My own." He stared straight into her eyes, letting her see the sadness there. "I sold my soul to Kenneth Irons long before either of you were even born." He continued in a voice filled with recrimination and self- loathing. " I wanted to change the world. With Kenneth's backing I thought I could." He gave a bitter laugh. "Instead I got drawn deeper and deeper into his obsessions, my own research long abandoned or corrupted. I brought Ian into this world and then had to watch, to help while he changed him. Kenneth loved him, in his own way, but he still continued, took a sweet, serious little boy and turned him into a killer, and all the time, Ian loved him, too, did anything that was asked, just to get his approval. It nearly broke my heart, but I had no choice."
"Then why didn't you stop it?"
He countered with a question of his own. "How many times did you meet Kenneth Irons?"
"Just a couple, and the last time he tried to kill me."
"Exactly, I did the best I could for Ian, but if I hadn't done it someone else would have. You couldn't fight Irons', especially where Ian was concerned." Immo looked at Sara's wrist significantly, " or maybe you could. But I didn't have your.advantage." There was a definite edge to the Doctor's words. Sara looked at the Doctor, her anger fading as she realized that he had a point. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Ok, but answer this. Is Ian all right?" Immo looked at her, a little confused by the question she asked.
"What do you mean exactly?"
"I don't know what you did to him." the Doctor started to say something but she held up a hand. "Don't, I probably wouldn't understand it anyway and it doesn't really matter. I care about Ian, and I just want to know that he is safe, that whatever has been done to him isn't going to kill him, or make him crazy or suicidal, or anything else." She looked at him and waited for his answer. The Doctor smiled at her, pleased with what he saw, what he heard, reassured that she was not trying to control him as his father had done, that she genuinely cared for him.
"No Sara," he said, daring to use her first name to reassure her. "If anything he is getting better, in large part thanks to you. Besides, you hold the key. Nothing else is necessary."
"Yeah, Ok," she said uncomfortably wondering what the hell the man was talking about. Key to what? Did this house give off cryptic vibes or something? You get exposed and turn into Kwai Chang Caine? She shook her head and decided against asking. She could ask Ian later, but right now she wanted to get back to him. The wait was probably making him uncomfortable and she felt the need to make sure he knew everything was all right. "That is all I wanted to know."
Immo rose from his chair, started to shake her hand, thought the better of it, reconsidered and shook it anyway. This time the Witchblade remained quiet. As Immo started to walk away, Sara called out after him. "Doctor?" He turned to look back at her. "Thanks."
Up in the library, one of the shadows breathed a deep sigh of relief as Ian detached himself from his favorite listening post. He had a brief moment of panic when Immo mentioned the key, but was reassured by Sara's vaguely disquieted brush off. He would explain when he was ready, he promised himself. Later. Much Later. He slipped swiftly out of the room, hurrying around and down to meet the Doctor in the front hall. Immo stopped and offered Ian his hand. "Congratulations, you have done well."
"Thank you." He walked the Doctor to the door, before returning to the den, and Sara.
"Yes, Doctor, as well as the Detective."
Ah, thought Immo, I finally get to meet Sara Pezzini in person. Interesting."What do you make of the Detective, Wilson?" Wilson gave him a reserved look, making it obvious that he found the question impertinent.
"It is not my place to say, Sir. I believe any questions regarding the lady should be directed either to herself or to Mr. Nottingham." Changes here too, the Doctor noticed, Ian had brought the household staff firmly under his control, securing their loyalty to him as to Irons, no longer anyone's lost little boy. Wilson opened the door, admitting Immo into the den. Ian was sitting in his father's chair before the ever-present fire. He noticed them enter and nodded a dismissal to Wilson in a gesture that the Doctor found both familiar and disconcerting in its own way. He walked across the floor to find the other occupant of the room standing in the shadows between the chair and fire, watching him, one hand resting casually on Ian's shoulder. The position was reminiscent of Irons in its own way, and suddenly he started to wonder exactly what the relationship was between them. She was smaller than he expected her to be, standing the shadows as Ian always had in the past.
Ian rose and shook the Doctor's hand, gesturing him to a chair. "Dr. Immo, may I present."
"Detective Pezzini, it is nice to finally meet you in person," he addressed Sara as she stepped forward.
she thought sharply at Ian. He glanced at her and smiled. The doctor reached out to shake her hand, noticing the interplay between them, even more confused about the relationship than ever. Telepathy, perhaps? He had assumed as much from some of the comments Irons had made over the years, but was never quite sure what he believed.
Sara took his hand as Ian started to say something. A vision- Ian, younger, strapped to a table, as the Doctor injected him with something, pain, fear. Ian crying wordlessly, struggling.
She looked at the man before her, dropping his hand as the Witchblade shifted suddenly into Gauntlet form, the eye opening red and angry. Ian, sharing the vision, his flashback, with her, put himself between them as Sara tried to put both the 'blade and her feelings into there respective places. Forewarned.Forearmed.Now that she knew who she was dealing with she was determined to have a chat with him about a few things. Irons might be beyond her, but his pet Frankenstein was alive, breathing and standing right in front of her.
Ian spoke reassuringly in her mind, trying to calm her, keep the situation from escalating.
Immo backpedaled suddenly, eyes wide, almost falling over the chair. He had heard everything Irons had to say, seen the artworks, the manuscripts, but had only ever half believed. He had certainly not expected to be confronted with it. He watched as it retracted into a harmless bracelet on Sara's delicate wrist, although the stone continued to swirl angrily. "Well, that was.educational," the Doctor said, trying to regain a certain amount of his scientific objectivity, his usual response to anything unknown. "I assume it does not react that way to everyone." Sara started to open her mouth, to say a few things to him that she might or might not regret later.
"That is not the matter which you were brought here to discuss," Ian interposed smoothly. "You are here to help us solve a little problem, not to speculate on matters which do not concern you." He once again gestured the Doctor to the chair, which he fell into, grateful to be off his rather suddenly unsteady feet.
Ian returned to his chair, but Sara remained standing in front of the fire. "Now," he began. "I need a few things from you."
"I will do what I can for you, what do you need?" Immo asked, glad to be on a safer topic. The sudden change in Sara's attitude reminded him rather sharply of the visions Irons had mentioned, and was sure he did not want to speculate on what she had seen.
"My birth certificate, the real one, proof of my parentage," Ian told him.
"That I can help you with, I kept a copy of your birth record. Also I witnessed the Will. Kenneth had it written in so that no one could challenge your rights as his heir, just in case. Wilson is the other witness, he can tell you the same. Am I to assume by this that you are ready to admit to Irons' death?"
"I am going to have to, aren't I?" he said quietly. Sara walked over and placed a hand on Ian's shoulder, a simple gesture that spoke volumes to the Doctor, as did the grateful look he gave her before taking her hand in his. Sara looked at Immo, noticed the softening of his expression, he seemed to care for Ian as well, but that was not going to stop her from having words with him, later.
"Now, Doctor, about Irons' Death Certificate."
An hour later, the details all worked out, Immo rose to leave. "Doctor, I would like a few words with you, privately," Sara said, a somewhat tight smile on her face.
"Sara, I." Ian broke in.
"Nottingham," she began warningly, before calming herself with an effort. She tried again, "Ian, I need to do this, and you need to be somewhere else while I do."
Immo spoke up quickly, not wanting to be the cause of disagreement between them, and also wanting to speak with her, reassure himself. Their relationship was a puzzle to Immo. He had not had enough time in this short interview to make an assessment. It was unclear as to which one of them was in control. She stood in the shadows beside him, but still.What was the balance between them? He did not want to see Ian's new freedom interfered with, to see him once again is someone else's power. And it would be so easy for a woman, this woman to take advantage of his inexperience. "Ian, she is right, there are things which should be said between us, alone." Ian backed down, more or less gracefully. He was concerned, wondering what Sara would say, what the Doctor would say, afraid that some of it would make Sara see him differently, bring fear, or worse, pity, to eyes that finally looked on him with love. She took his hand, slid her thumb beneath the leather to give him as much comfort and reassurance as she could.
"Go on, It'll be ok, I promise," she said softly as she walked with him part way to the doors, watching as he left slowly. When the doors had closed behind him, she turned back towards the Doctor. "Now then, what exactly have you done to him?" her voice going ice cold.
"That is a very broad question, Detective, perhaps you would like to be more specific?" Immo remained calm, he had known his life was in danger from the day he had first entered this house.
"You hurt Ian, helped Irons do.whatever you two did to him. I need some answers and since Irons is not here, I will get them, from you."
"Threatening me will get you nowhere, at this moment you need my help, both of you," he told her calmly. Having been threatened by Ian another one was not nearly as terrifying, even coming from this small woman with her supernatural weapon. "Besides, you are a police officer, isn't your duty to protect people?" his voice was almost flippant, after all he had nothing more to lose, really. His own self-worth had long ago plunged into the abyss.
"I am," she said pointedly, " I am protecting Ian from you."
"It's far to late for that," he said with mingled sadness and regret. "And he no longer needs it, not where I am concerned." Sara was taken aback by that. This was not the man.the monster she had expected.
"Then why did you do it? You are a doctor, you are supposed to save lives."
"I did," he said quietly, looking down at his hands. "My own." He stared straight into her eyes, letting her see the sadness there. "I sold my soul to Kenneth Irons long before either of you were even born." He continued in a voice filled with recrimination and self- loathing. " I wanted to change the world. With Kenneth's backing I thought I could." He gave a bitter laugh. "Instead I got drawn deeper and deeper into his obsessions, my own research long abandoned or corrupted. I brought Ian into this world and then had to watch, to help while he changed him. Kenneth loved him, in his own way, but he still continued, took a sweet, serious little boy and turned him into a killer, and all the time, Ian loved him, too, did anything that was asked, just to get his approval. It nearly broke my heart, but I had no choice."
"Then why didn't you stop it?"
He countered with a question of his own. "How many times did you meet Kenneth Irons?"
"Just a couple, and the last time he tried to kill me."
"Exactly, I did the best I could for Ian, but if I hadn't done it someone else would have. You couldn't fight Irons', especially where Ian was concerned." Immo looked at Sara's wrist significantly, " or maybe you could. But I didn't have your.advantage." There was a definite edge to the Doctor's words. Sara looked at the Doctor, her anger fading as she realized that he had a point. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Ok, but answer this. Is Ian all right?" Immo looked at her, a little confused by the question she asked.
"What do you mean exactly?"
"I don't know what you did to him." the Doctor started to say something but she held up a hand. "Don't, I probably wouldn't understand it anyway and it doesn't really matter. I care about Ian, and I just want to know that he is safe, that whatever has been done to him isn't going to kill him, or make him crazy or suicidal, or anything else." She looked at him and waited for his answer. The Doctor smiled at her, pleased with what he saw, what he heard, reassured that she was not trying to control him as his father had done, that she genuinely cared for him.
"No Sara," he said, daring to use her first name to reassure her. "If anything he is getting better, in large part thanks to you. Besides, you hold the key. Nothing else is necessary."
"Yeah, Ok," she said uncomfortably wondering what the hell the man was talking about. Key to what? Did this house give off cryptic vibes or something? You get exposed and turn into Kwai Chang Caine? She shook her head and decided against asking. She could ask Ian later, but right now she wanted to get back to him. The wait was probably making him uncomfortable and she felt the need to make sure he knew everything was all right. "That is all I wanted to know."
Immo rose from his chair, started to shake her hand, thought the better of it, reconsidered and shook it anyway. This time the Witchblade remained quiet. As Immo started to walk away, Sara called out after him. "Doctor?" He turned to look back at her. "Thanks."
Up in the library, one of the shadows breathed a deep sigh of relief as Ian detached himself from his favorite listening post. He had a brief moment of panic when Immo mentioned the key, but was reassured by Sara's vaguely disquieted brush off. He would explain when he was ready, he promised himself. Later. Much Later. He slipped swiftly out of the room, hurrying around and down to meet the Doctor in the front hall. Immo stopped and offered Ian his hand. "Congratulations, you have done well."
"Thank you." He walked the Doctor to the door, before returning to the den, and Sara.