As the evening came on, Sara grew more and more restless. Nothing seemed
to settle her; even sparring could not take off the edge. Ian did not know
what to do, to say to make her relax. She now paced restlessly in front of
the fireplace in the den, retracing everything in her head. Lying to Joe
was not exactly something she was looking forward to.
"What time do we need to leave so that you can drop me off?" she asked,
absentmindedly.
"Drop you off? I am coming with you, Sara. I will not let you face this alone." He looked at her sharply.
"You can't go with me. I need to do this alone. Joe is more likely to listen to me that way."
"Sara, I cannot."
"Nottingham," she said, a warning note in her voice, which he chose to disregard in his concern.
"You have no transportation. I will take you to your meeting and wait for you."
"Dammit, you just can't go around lurking.well maybe you can, but this is kind of a cop bar and you'll be noticed there. You can wait for me at the apartment; maybe stay the night." she threw out hopefully, trying to distract him.
"Or I could take you, wait for you, and bring you back here." He was equally determined. "What if your Captain wishes to ask questions of me? Is it not better that I be there?" Damn, I hate it when he is right, she thought to herself, suddenly hoping that she was not thinking too loudly.
"Yeah, well your car is a little flashy for the neighborhood, and the parking is pretty bad." She tried a different tactic.
"Then we will take my motorcycle, I know how much you love to ride." He smiled, knowing he had her caught. "Afterwards, I can bring you back here. It is a much longer trip that way."
"You have a bike?" she asked, intrigued.
"Yes, surprised?"
"A little, no, not really, more like I never thought about it."
"How else did you think I managed to follow you and find parking in the city?" he asked, amused. "I have two actually, a vintage Vincent and a new BMW. You choose."
"A Vincent? I've never actually seen one but it's probably not the thing to take where we're going tonight," she said, torn between excitement and regret. "Can we see them now?" she asked, as excited as a kid at Christmas.
"Of course, whatever you like," he said, pleased he had finally found something to keep her occupied for a while. He should have thought of that earlier, knowing how much she enjoyed her little Buell. Maybe he would even let her take the Black Shadow around the Estate. That would keep her more than occupied. He smiled and rose, offering her his arm as they walked out to the garage.
Sara was in the hall pacing when Ian arrived dressed for riding in black leather pants, a black sweater and over top a black leather jacket that had obviously seen hard use. She was surprised by how relaxed he looked; anyone would think that he was just out for a ride. He had a file in his hand, which he gave to Sara. "The information on Merano, we don't want him at that meeting," he told her. She nodded, taking the file and putting it inside her jacket.
As they got to where they had left the bike parked earlier, Ian looked over at her. "Sara, would you." He pulled three elastics out of his pocket and offered them to her.
"Sure no problem." He turned his back to her and she bound up his hair classic biker fashion, one tie every inch or so to keep it controlled on the ride. He leaned back into her hands, enjoying the simple pleasure of her hands in his hair.
"There," she said, letting go. It would be too easy to sink into the feelings and let them both get distracted. He shook his head, both to clear his mind and to double check the security of his hair. Ian threw her a helmet and they both got ready to go.
He got on the bike, a good-sized black BMW K1200, and offered her a hand up behind him. She settled in comfortably, it was nice to sit behind Ian, putting her arms loosely around him. She wondered how he would ride, his driving was pretty sedate but. The question was answered almost immediately, as he took off, opening her up so quickly that Sara immediately tightened her hold on him. The gates opened as they passed through and onto the quiet street behind the house. Sara decided to just relax and enjoy the ride. He was fast, but very good, weaving in and out of the complicated traffic patterns with the skill and finesse of a seasoned rider.
Ian was enjoying himself immensely. He probably should not have taken off like that, it was not particularly good for the engine, but he could not resist startling Sara a little. Besides it made her tighten her grip, lean closer to him, and for that alone it was worth it. He was enjoying the freedom, being out racing the wind with her holding on behind him. He was sorry it had to be this particular evening that got them out on a chilly evenings ride, but they were here and it was enough for now. All too soon they were pulling up before a sign marked "Callahan's", the bar where she was meeting Joe Siri. He found a place to put the bike and they got off, removing their helmets. Taking a quick look around to assure herself that they were alone, she gave him an all too brief kiss.
"Thank you, that was great."
"Wait until the ride home," he said, a promise implicit in his words that she could not miss. They entered the bar, as Sara scanned the interior of the bar for Joe. She spotted him in the back at a booth by himself. She gave Ian a reassuring look as he sat down at the end of the bar quietly, willing himself to relax and more or less disappear into the crowd.
Ian found himself a spot at the bar with a good view of both Sara and the door. He turned to the bartender and was ordering a club soda when something strange struck his eye. There, behind the bar, was the Longinius Lance, the ancient relic sharing the wall with photographs and fishing trophies. He almost choked, only keeping his expression under control through years of training. It was a subject that he and Sara would need to discuss, but not here and now. It was actually funny in a way, that the great weapon was relegated to a simple prop in a "cop bar". He almost laughed, but would do nothing to call attention to himself. He took a sip of his drink and let his mind wander as he kept an eye on Sara and scanned the room for trouble.
She walked over to Joe, calling back to a few people she knew as she went. She sat down opposite him, placing her helmet on the floor and gesturing to the bartender for a drink.
"So, Sara, what's so important that you have to meet me here on a Saturday? Marie is fit to be tied."
"Sorry, but it had to be. I need your help. I've got something big to tell you and it's a real mess."
"What's new? Vorschlag?"
"Yeah," she told him. "It's gotten a lot more complicated." She laid out the story for him, avoiding telling him anymore than absolutely necessary. It wasn't like he wasn't going to hear the rest of it soon enough.
"Damn, Sara, could you find a bigger mess to step in if you tried?"
"Hey, I didn't ask for this case," she said a little louder than necessary. She was feeling a little defensive and while she knew she should not take it out on Joe it was hard to keep the nerves in check.
"Ok, I'll give you that."
"There's more." She told him about Ian, or at least as much as was necessary. Joe sat and sipped his drink in silence. He had noticed the guy dressed in black who had entered with Sara, who now sat at the corner of the bar watching her every move with a sort of restless, protective intensity. He was dressed like a biker, worn leather and black, but he didn't move like Sara's usual biker bad boy. There was something about him that struck Joe's trained eye as out of place. He moved too smoothly, and was too cautious, not so much of the crowd around him, but of Sara. So she had finally met her match. Most people would have missed it, but he had known her all her life. She was not one for commitments or for bringing her boyfriends around to meet him. It meant a lot to Joe that he came with her regardless of who he was or how he was involved in this mess.
"Sara, why don't you go ahead and ask him to join us. I assume that is him in the corner."
"Yeah, that's him." She caught Ian's eye and beckoned him over. He picked up his glass and moved smoothly through the crowd to join them. Sara slid over and Ian sat next to her, shaking hands solemnly with Joe. He knew that this man was important to Sara, the man who had been such a big part of her life since her father's death. He had to handle this well. He slipped his helmet under the table with Sara's and gave Siri a small smile. Joe noticed with approval that he was drinking just plain soda.
"So you are Sara's new friend."
"Yes, Sir," he said formally, letting the older man set the tone for the meeting. He had the look of someone who knew how to take care of himself, but he was polite and something about his voice made Joe think that he was not exactly as he appeared. Siri was pleased and surprised by his manners, but was trying to reconcile the discrepancies in his mind: Head of Security for Vorschlag and Kenneth Irons, biker leathers and Sara, and impeccable manners that were too smooth to be anything but habit and upbringing. Not to mention the way he looked at Sara, as if she were his entire world. If she had not been so obviously comfortable with him, he might have almost felt sorry for the poor guy. Joe loved her, but he was under no illusions about her, she was hard on relationships, too much fear, too much loss. It had always pained both him and Marie that she was still alone, and now along came someone that she seemed to care for and he is involved with one of her cases. Joe shook his head and opened his mouth.
"Sara has explained it to me. Do you have documents, witnesses to prove all this?"
"Yes, Sir, I do."
"And you can produce the witnesses if it becomes necessary?"
"Yes, Sir, although I hope this can be handled as quickly and quietly as possible. A scandal would do no one any good, and indeed do a great deal of harm." Sara sat and watched the exchange curiously. Joe was giving Ian all his attention, questioning him thoroughly on the details that she had already given him. He had been a good investigator in his day and even though he was a Captain now, he had lost none of his edge. Ian answered his questions simply and respectfully, completely aware of the necessity of convincing this man, not only because of the case but also because of his relationship with Sara.
She reached out under the table and surreptitiously took his hand, offering her silent support. Not only did he have to deal with Joe in his official capacity, but for it to also be his first meeting with someone she considered family had to be a lot for him to take in. Sara had been so caught up in her own nerves this afternoon that she had really failed to consider just how hard this was for Ian. She thought back on the afternoon, the way he had focused on taking care of her needs and felt like a real heel. How could I be so selfish? He has never had to do anything like this before and all I could think about was saving my butt. She made a mental note to try and pay more attention in the future. It was so easy to forget that he had never done this before, never faced meeting a parent with his heart on his sleeve. This was something that most people got over in high school for crying out loud. She squeezed his hand a little tighter, anything to let him know that she was there for him.
Joe finished his questions, satisfied that he had everything he needed. There was definitely more to this man than met the eye, but his instinct was telling him that for some reason it was all right. Ian had answered all his questions simply and directly, not getting angry or upset by him, but accepting the necessity and responding. He looked a little pale around the edges, and Joe figured he must be having a serious case of nerves. How often did a man have to meet his girlfriend's boss and substitute father in the same night and all over business that was pretty nasty to begin with. He had a feeling that there were things that were being left out, but he knew that he would get the whole story soon enough. Right now he had all he needed to know to get the ball rolling.
"Well, I don't know how this will turn out, but I'll do the best I can for you, you understand that?"
"Yes, Sir," he answered.
"You don't have to be so formal, son. It's just Joe here."
"Very well, Joe. Did Sara give you." he inquired.
"No, here." She pulled the file out of her jacket and handed it to him, giving him a moment to look it over.
"Damn, this accurate?" he looked at Sara and she nodded. "Explains a lot. I'm not going to ask how you got it. No one else knows about this right?" This time it was Ian's turn for confirmation.
"The inquiries were made very discretely. I would never do anything that would put Sara at risk," he told him sincerely. Joe nodded, that was something he could believe. There was a look in his eyes that made his feelings for her abundantly clear. The tough old police captain would have felt sorry for him, if he had not seen a similar spark in Sara's eyes.
"I need to go if I'm going to get everything set up for you. I'll call you, Sara. Meanwhile you be careful, got that? If something happens to you, your dad would never forgive me."
"She is perfectly safe, Sir. I will see to that."
"Hey." Sara started. Joe looked at Ian's face, the expression completely clear.
"I do believe you mean that," he said as he rose to leave, shaking hands with Ian. She was definitely in safe hands. They rose as well and Sara gave him a hug.
"Apologize to Marie for me, ok?"
"I will, but you will have to bring Ian over for dinner to make up for it. She will be impossible until she meets him."
"Sure," she said, looking at Ian, who nodded.
"I would be honored," he said, politely.
"Good. I'll let you know about that too." He turned and left and they resumed their seats to finish their drinks.
"That went well, better than I expected. It's a good thing you came, it impressed him."
"I am pleased then, he is important to you."
"Yeah, he and Marie have been a big help. They are the closest things I have left to family."
"Then I will do my best to impress her as well," he said, considerable more calmly than he felt.
"With your appetite it won't be hard. It's kind of an Italian thing." Relief had flooded his system. They had gotten over what he considered to be the biggest hurdle and now he was feeling a little weak in the knees. He sat still, trying to regain his strength and listening to Sara tell her more about Joe and Marie Siri.
She finished off her drink and reached for her helmet, but Ian stopped her. The ride back was supposed to be a pleasant one and he wanted to take care of a last little piece of business before they left, get it settled so it did not interfere.
"Sara, there is one more little thing I would like to talk to you about before we leave," he said, his tone very serious. She gave him a confused look.
"Sure, what's up? I think you handled that really well."
"It is not about Joe. It is about a certain object of power which is at this moment decorating the back wall of this bar." Realization struck Sara like a lightning bolt. She had been so busy concerning herself with handling Joe that she had completely forgotten to warn Ian. She gave him an embarrassed look, suddenly concerned.
"Yeah, that.umm," she took a deep breath to focus herself. She had not even been sure at the time she was doing the right thing. The spear was powerful, dangerous and probably worth a fortune, and she had given it to a barkeep to decorate the wall. "Look Ian, at the time I was a more than a little concerned and confused. That thing is dangerous. I didn't want to keep it in my apartment, and I didn't want to give it to anyone, not knowing what it might do to them. I had to do something. Mike is a good guy, he is keeping it safe until I figure it out."
"Until we figure it out," he corrected her. "Sara, do you still not trust me? This is very important. You are right when you say that it is dangerous. It drove my father into insanity and you want to let it sit on a wall like a dress sword?" There was hurt in his eyes and more than a little concern as he looked at her.
"No, Ian, I do trust you.We would not be here if I didn't, but with everything going on, I just, it slipped my mind," she finished, lamely. Ian looked at her and his hurt vanished. It had been a week, a long week of lurching from emergency to disaster. There were plenty of things that he had not told her. He needed to let it go for now, he knew that. The Spear had been here for weeks and it was still hanging there.
"Very well, we have both been distracted. But when this is over we need to deal with it. Perhaps Gabriel can once again be of assistance?" he questioned.
"No," Sara said sharply. Ian gave her an inquiring look, and she hastened to explain. "I know what he told me about this thing, and I know what Irons said. You have seen yourself what it is capable of. I don't want anyone else taking the risk." He nodded. It was understandable that she did not want to put the young man in danger. Both of them had already handled it without side effect, that they knew. In this case perhaps knowing less was an advantage.
"As we are not dealing with this tonight," he said, "then why no return home?"
"Let's go," Sara agreed. Putting it off was probably not the best way of dealing with it, but at the moment it was all they really could do.
Ian smiled, picturing the trip back. With nothing waiting for them, they could take the long way. Although, he thought, perhaps with her behind me the shortest route would be best.
"Drop you off? I am coming with you, Sara. I will not let you face this alone." He looked at her sharply.
"You can't go with me. I need to do this alone. Joe is more likely to listen to me that way."
"Sara, I cannot."
"Nottingham," she said, a warning note in her voice, which he chose to disregard in his concern.
"You have no transportation. I will take you to your meeting and wait for you."
"Dammit, you just can't go around lurking.well maybe you can, but this is kind of a cop bar and you'll be noticed there. You can wait for me at the apartment; maybe stay the night." she threw out hopefully, trying to distract him.
"Or I could take you, wait for you, and bring you back here." He was equally determined. "What if your Captain wishes to ask questions of me? Is it not better that I be there?" Damn, I hate it when he is right, she thought to herself, suddenly hoping that she was not thinking too loudly.
"Yeah, well your car is a little flashy for the neighborhood, and the parking is pretty bad." She tried a different tactic.
"Then we will take my motorcycle, I know how much you love to ride." He smiled, knowing he had her caught. "Afterwards, I can bring you back here. It is a much longer trip that way."
"You have a bike?" she asked, intrigued.
"Yes, surprised?"
"A little, no, not really, more like I never thought about it."
"How else did you think I managed to follow you and find parking in the city?" he asked, amused. "I have two actually, a vintage Vincent and a new BMW. You choose."
"A Vincent? I've never actually seen one but it's probably not the thing to take where we're going tonight," she said, torn between excitement and regret. "Can we see them now?" she asked, as excited as a kid at Christmas.
"Of course, whatever you like," he said, pleased he had finally found something to keep her occupied for a while. He should have thought of that earlier, knowing how much she enjoyed her little Buell. Maybe he would even let her take the Black Shadow around the Estate. That would keep her more than occupied. He smiled and rose, offering her his arm as they walked out to the garage.
Sara was in the hall pacing when Ian arrived dressed for riding in black leather pants, a black sweater and over top a black leather jacket that had obviously seen hard use. She was surprised by how relaxed he looked; anyone would think that he was just out for a ride. He had a file in his hand, which he gave to Sara. "The information on Merano, we don't want him at that meeting," he told her. She nodded, taking the file and putting it inside her jacket.
As they got to where they had left the bike parked earlier, Ian looked over at her. "Sara, would you." He pulled three elastics out of his pocket and offered them to her.
"Sure no problem." He turned his back to her and she bound up his hair classic biker fashion, one tie every inch or so to keep it controlled on the ride. He leaned back into her hands, enjoying the simple pleasure of her hands in his hair.
"There," she said, letting go. It would be too easy to sink into the feelings and let them both get distracted. He shook his head, both to clear his mind and to double check the security of his hair. Ian threw her a helmet and they both got ready to go.
He got on the bike, a good-sized black BMW K1200, and offered her a hand up behind him. She settled in comfortably, it was nice to sit behind Ian, putting her arms loosely around him. She wondered how he would ride, his driving was pretty sedate but. The question was answered almost immediately, as he took off, opening her up so quickly that Sara immediately tightened her hold on him. The gates opened as they passed through and onto the quiet street behind the house. Sara decided to just relax and enjoy the ride. He was fast, but very good, weaving in and out of the complicated traffic patterns with the skill and finesse of a seasoned rider.
Ian was enjoying himself immensely. He probably should not have taken off like that, it was not particularly good for the engine, but he could not resist startling Sara a little. Besides it made her tighten her grip, lean closer to him, and for that alone it was worth it. He was enjoying the freedom, being out racing the wind with her holding on behind him. He was sorry it had to be this particular evening that got them out on a chilly evenings ride, but they were here and it was enough for now. All too soon they were pulling up before a sign marked "Callahan's", the bar where she was meeting Joe Siri. He found a place to put the bike and they got off, removing their helmets. Taking a quick look around to assure herself that they were alone, she gave him an all too brief kiss.
"Thank you, that was great."
"Wait until the ride home," he said, a promise implicit in his words that she could not miss. They entered the bar, as Sara scanned the interior of the bar for Joe. She spotted him in the back at a booth by himself. She gave Ian a reassuring look as he sat down at the end of the bar quietly, willing himself to relax and more or less disappear into the crowd.
Ian found himself a spot at the bar with a good view of both Sara and the door. He turned to the bartender and was ordering a club soda when something strange struck his eye. There, behind the bar, was the Longinius Lance, the ancient relic sharing the wall with photographs and fishing trophies. He almost choked, only keeping his expression under control through years of training. It was a subject that he and Sara would need to discuss, but not here and now. It was actually funny in a way, that the great weapon was relegated to a simple prop in a "cop bar". He almost laughed, but would do nothing to call attention to himself. He took a sip of his drink and let his mind wander as he kept an eye on Sara and scanned the room for trouble.
She walked over to Joe, calling back to a few people she knew as she went. She sat down opposite him, placing her helmet on the floor and gesturing to the bartender for a drink.
"So, Sara, what's so important that you have to meet me here on a Saturday? Marie is fit to be tied."
"Sorry, but it had to be. I need your help. I've got something big to tell you and it's a real mess."
"What's new? Vorschlag?"
"Yeah," she told him. "It's gotten a lot more complicated." She laid out the story for him, avoiding telling him anymore than absolutely necessary. It wasn't like he wasn't going to hear the rest of it soon enough.
"Damn, Sara, could you find a bigger mess to step in if you tried?"
"Hey, I didn't ask for this case," she said a little louder than necessary. She was feeling a little defensive and while she knew she should not take it out on Joe it was hard to keep the nerves in check.
"Ok, I'll give you that."
"There's more." She told him about Ian, or at least as much as was necessary. Joe sat and sipped his drink in silence. He had noticed the guy dressed in black who had entered with Sara, who now sat at the corner of the bar watching her every move with a sort of restless, protective intensity. He was dressed like a biker, worn leather and black, but he didn't move like Sara's usual biker bad boy. There was something about him that struck Joe's trained eye as out of place. He moved too smoothly, and was too cautious, not so much of the crowd around him, but of Sara. So she had finally met her match. Most people would have missed it, but he had known her all her life. She was not one for commitments or for bringing her boyfriends around to meet him. It meant a lot to Joe that he came with her regardless of who he was or how he was involved in this mess.
"Sara, why don't you go ahead and ask him to join us. I assume that is him in the corner."
"Yeah, that's him." She caught Ian's eye and beckoned him over. He picked up his glass and moved smoothly through the crowd to join them. Sara slid over and Ian sat next to her, shaking hands solemnly with Joe. He knew that this man was important to Sara, the man who had been such a big part of her life since her father's death. He had to handle this well. He slipped his helmet under the table with Sara's and gave Siri a small smile. Joe noticed with approval that he was drinking just plain soda.
"So you are Sara's new friend."
"Yes, Sir," he said formally, letting the older man set the tone for the meeting. He had the look of someone who knew how to take care of himself, but he was polite and something about his voice made Joe think that he was not exactly as he appeared. Siri was pleased and surprised by his manners, but was trying to reconcile the discrepancies in his mind: Head of Security for Vorschlag and Kenneth Irons, biker leathers and Sara, and impeccable manners that were too smooth to be anything but habit and upbringing. Not to mention the way he looked at Sara, as if she were his entire world. If she had not been so obviously comfortable with him, he might have almost felt sorry for the poor guy. Joe loved her, but he was under no illusions about her, she was hard on relationships, too much fear, too much loss. It had always pained both him and Marie that she was still alone, and now along came someone that she seemed to care for and he is involved with one of her cases. Joe shook his head and opened his mouth.
"Sara has explained it to me. Do you have documents, witnesses to prove all this?"
"Yes, Sir, I do."
"And you can produce the witnesses if it becomes necessary?"
"Yes, Sir, although I hope this can be handled as quickly and quietly as possible. A scandal would do no one any good, and indeed do a great deal of harm." Sara sat and watched the exchange curiously. Joe was giving Ian all his attention, questioning him thoroughly on the details that she had already given him. He had been a good investigator in his day and even though he was a Captain now, he had lost none of his edge. Ian answered his questions simply and respectfully, completely aware of the necessity of convincing this man, not only because of the case but also because of his relationship with Sara.
She reached out under the table and surreptitiously took his hand, offering her silent support. Not only did he have to deal with Joe in his official capacity, but for it to also be his first meeting with someone she considered family had to be a lot for him to take in. Sara had been so caught up in her own nerves this afternoon that she had really failed to consider just how hard this was for Ian. She thought back on the afternoon, the way he had focused on taking care of her needs and felt like a real heel. How could I be so selfish? He has never had to do anything like this before and all I could think about was saving my butt. She made a mental note to try and pay more attention in the future. It was so easy to forget that he had never done this before, never faced meeting a parent with his heart on his sleeve. This was something that most people got over in high school for crying out loud. She squeezed his hand a little tighter, anything to let him know that she was there for him.
Joe finished his questions, satisfied that he had everything he needed. There was definitely more to this man than met the eye, but his instinct was telling him that for some reason it was all right. Ian had answered all his questions simply and directly, not getting angry or upset by him, but accepting the necessity and responding. He looked a little pale around the edges, and Joe figured he must be having a serious case of nerves. How often did a man have to meet his girlfriend's boss and substitute father in the same night and all over business that was pretty nasty to begin with. He had a feeling that there were things that were being left out, but he knew that he would get the whole story soon enough. Right now he had all he needed to know to get the ball rolling.
"Well, I don't know how this will turn out, but I'll do the best I can for you, you understand that?"
"Yes, Sir," he answered.
"You don't have to be so formal, son. It's just Joe here."
"Very well, Joe. Did Sara give you." he inquired.
"No, here." She pulled the file out of her jacket and handed it to him, giving him a moment to look it over.
"Damn, this accurate?" he looked at Sara and she nodded. "Explains a lot. I'm not going to ask how you got it. No one else knows about this right?" This time it was Ian's turn for confirmation.
"The inquiries were made very discretely. I would never do anything that would put Sara at risk," he told him sincerely. Joe nodded, that was something he could believe. There was a look in his eyes that made his feelings for her abundantly clear. The tough old police captain would have felt sorry for him, if he had not seen a similar spark in Sara's eyes.
"I need to go if I'm going to get everything set up for you. I'll call you, Sara. Meanwhile you be careful, got that? If something happens to you, your dad would never forgive me."
"She is perfectly safe, Sir. I will see to that."
"Hey." Sara started. Joe looked at Ian's face, the expression completely clear.
"I do believe you mean that," he said as he rose to leave, shaking hands with Ian. She was definitely in safe hands. They rose as well and Sara gave him a hug.
"Apologize to Marie for me, ok?"
"I will, but you will have to bring Ian over for dinner to make up for it. She will be impossible until she meets him."
"Sure," she said, looking at Ian, who nodded.
"I would be honored," he said, politely.
"Good. I'll let you know about that too." He turned and left and they resumed their seats to finish their drinks.
"That went well, better than I expected. It's a good thing you came, it impressed him."
"I am pleased then, he is important to you."
"Yeah, he and Marie have been a big help. They are the closest things I have left to family."
"Then I will do my best to impress her as well," he said, considerable more calmly than he felt.
"With your appetite it won't be hard. It's kind of an Italian thing." Relief had flooded his system. They had gotten over what he considered to be the biggest hurdle and now he was feeling a little weak in the knees. He sat still, trying to regain his strength and listening to Sara tell her more about Joe and Marie Siri.
She finished off her drink and reached for her helmet, but Ian stopped her. The ride back was supposed to be a pleasant one and he wanted to take care of a last little piece of business before they left, get it settled so it did not interfere.
"Sara, there is one more little thing I would like to talk to you about before we leave," he said, his tone very serious. She gave him a confused look.
"Sure, what's up? I think you handled that really well."
"It is not about Joe. It is about a certain object of power which is at this moment decorating the back wall of this bar." Realization struck Sara like a lightning bolt. She had been so busy concerning herself with handling Joe that she had completely forgotten to warn Ian. She gave him an embarrassed look, suddenly concerned.
"Yeah, that.umm," she took a deep breath to focus herself. She had not even been sure at the time she was doing the right thing. The spear was powerful, dangerous and probably worth a fortune, and she had given it to a barkeep to decorate the wall. "Look Ian, at the time I was a more than a little concerned and confused. That thing is dangerous. I didn't want to keep it in my apartment, and I didn't want to give it to anyone, not knowing what it might do to them. I had to do something. Mike is a good guy, he is keeping it safe until I figure it out."
"Until we figure it out," he corrected her. "Sara, do you still not trust me? This is very important. You are right when you say that it is dangerous. It drove my father into insanity and you want to let it sit on a wall like a dress sword?" There was hurt in his eyes and more than a little concern as he looked at her.
"No, Ian, I do trust you.We would not be here if I didn't, but with everything going on, I just, it slipped my mind," she finished, lamely. Ian looked at her and his hurt vanished. It had been a week, a long week of lurching from emergency to disaster. There were plenty of things that he had not told her. He needed to let it go for now, he knew that. The Spear had been here for weeks and it was still hanging there.
"Very well, we have both been distracted. But when this is over we need to deal with it. Perhaps Gabriel can once again be of assistance?" he questioned.
"No," Sara said sharply. Ian gave her an inquiring look, and she hastened to explain. "I know what he told me about this thing, and I know what Irons said. You have seen yourself what it is capable of. I don't want anyone else taking the risk." He nodded. It was understandable that she did not want to put the young man in danger. Both of them had already handled it without side effect, that they knew. In this case perhaps knowing less was an advantage.
"As we are not dealing with this tonight," he said, "then why no return home?"
"Let's go," Sara agreed. Putting it off was probably not the best way of dealing with it, but at the moment it was all they really could do.
Ian smiled, picturing the trip back. With nothing waiting for them, they could take the long way. Although, he thought, perhaps with her behind me the shortest route would be best.