Danny knew that Nottingham was more then just a man Sara could trust. Their
connection ran deeper then Sara would have ever expected or allowed. Even
Danny had been surprised when he had found out. But sharing this
information now when Sara was still unwilling to accept would be useless.
It would only add to her anger and another layer to the walls surrounding
her heart. Which was something Danny was trying hard to avoid. Baby steps
he thought as he glanced over at Nottingham. But if Sara didn't hurry up
and open her eyes. She was going to loose him. The higher ups gave Danny a
quick glance into a possible future and he didn't like what he had seen.
The image of Nottingham's death replayed in his mind.
Sara could sense that there was something more her dead partner was holding back on. She could see it in his eyes. She raised her eyebrows at him hoping he would be forth coming with his little information. She wasn't too surprise when he didn't speak. Sara would have been more shocked if he had actually given her a straight answer.
"So Danny you're telling me you've forgiven Nottingham?" Sara stared incredulously at her dead partner. Danny's silence had already answered for him. That left Sara with just one more question.
"Why Danny?" She crossed her arms and waited. She was determined to get at least one answer from him before she was pulled from the vision and he vanished.
Danny's mouth began to move but there were no words coming out. He didn't know where to start. Danny tore his eyes away from Sara; he needed to think. But what could he honestly tell her? That the insights he had obtained eventually lead him to forgive Nottingham? That she wasn't the only person he had been keeping an eye on? Tell her all the terrible things he had witnessed as he watched over Nottingham? Danny shuddered at the mental images as he recalled all that the man had gone through. There was no way he could answer her question and make her understand at the same time.
"This isn't about me forgiving Nottingham, Sara." Instead Danny evaded her question all together.
"Oh yeah what the hell is it then, huh?" Sara furrowed her eyebrows together.
"It's about seeing the big picture, Pez!" Danny's waning patient had finally snapped and Sara could hear it in his voice.
Sara blinked back. Surprised to hear Danny raise his voice at her. She couldn't understand why he was getting so frustrated. This was her vision. She had the right to be upset, confused, and frustrated. She was stuck here in a vision and the blade didn't seem to want to let her go. Now she was here with her 'dead' partner who, in her opinion, had all the answers she sought. But he was sure as hell wasn't being forthcoming in the information department instead he became more and more cryptic. He was even worst then Nottingham; which was another issue she just didn't want to address at the moment. And he was snapping at her?! Sara lifted her eyebrow clearly upset at Danny's outburst; she uncrossed her arms and took a step closer to Danny. Her anger was evident in her voice.
"I've seen the 'big picture' and you know what I didn't like what I saw!" Sara used her hand and pointed at the blank canvas.
"You want to know what I got from the 'big picture'?" Sara didn't bother to hide the sarcasm.
"I always knew that Irons was a sadistic bastard but that little movie just confirmed that the man was just pure fucking evil reincarnated." Sara paused. Taking deep breaths to lower her rising anger.
"And Nottingham?" Danny added gently.
Sara bowed her head. Not wanting to look Danny in the eyes, afraid that he could see the anguish reflected there. She had been so stunned at what she witnessed. Her lower lip began to quiver again. She closed her eyes and took in another deep breath. She pursed her lips together, gathering herself before answering.
"And Nottingham." Sara voice trembled slightly. She cleared her throat and continued.
"Nottingham is certainly not a man I can depend on." Danny knew Sara didn't truly believe what she said. Her conviction was too weak. But she was so adamant about it that it didn't matter. Danny was about to protest but Sara raised her hand to stop him. When she spoke again her anger was back.
"How can I trust a man who was willing to accept a beating like that? He didn't defend himself and he sure as hell didn't fight back. So what makes you think he'll fight for me, Danny?!"
'Relax, Sara. I would do anything to please you.'
'If you want to stay close to me. Just ask, Sara. We could become inseparable.'
'I love you. In unguarded moments.'
Nottingham's voice and declaration ran over and over in Danny's mind. He turned his head to look at Nottingham still standing in front of the glass casing. 'I've done all I could do. Its up to you now.' Danny thought as he stared at him.
Her gasp was barley audible but Danny turned to see Sara. She was lightly touching her parted lips, her eyes narrowed, and the confusion was seen on her face. For a brief moment everything in her life made sense and she felt safe. She couldn't grasp what had just happened. Danny knew what had transpired. He smiled at the thought of Nottingham kissing Sara. His smile quickly turned into a sad smirk. Which was gone before Sara noticed.
"Sara?" Danny called to her. Sara still held her fingers to her tingling lips. 'I must be loosing my mind' she thought as she lightly bit down on her lower lip. "Sara?!" Danny's voice broke through her trance.
"There is more to Nottingham then you think. You just need to open your eyes. The answers you seek are there." Danny pointed to the Witchblade. "Use it."
"So this vision is for me to forgive and trust Ian? I can't do that Danny. I won't." Sara crossed her arms and lifted her chin in defiance. More for her benefit then Danny's. The corners of Danny's mouth rose slightly, wanting to smile. 'I guess this wasn't all in vain' he thought happily. Little did Sara know the brick walls that surrounded her heart were slowly crumbling.
Danny finally let his smile show on his face. "You mean Nottingham don't you?"
"What are you talking about? Of course I meant Nottingham." Sara narrowed her eyes at Danny. 'Was he smiling?' Sara wondered.
"Gee, I could have sworn you said Ian." The playfulness could be heard in Danny's voice.
Suddenly Danny's face grew solemn. He could feel the vision coming to an end. The Witchblade was done teaching Sara, for now. Hopefully Sara would be going back to reality with a little more knowledge gained. Yet, Danny could only pray.
Sara was about to protest to Danny's observation of what she said. But her ghostly partner had once again vanished. It wouldn't have mattered. She realize at that moment she actually did say Ian's name rather then addressing with her usual 'Nottingham'. It was one of many defense tactics she used to keep her distance. But it didn't mean anything, did it?
~*~
Sara could sense that there was something more her dead partner was holding back on. She could see it in his eyes. She raised her eyebrows at him hoping he would be forth coming with his little information. She wasn't too surprise when he didn't speak. Sara would have been more shocked if he had actually given her a straight answer.
"So Danny you're telling me you've forgiven Nottingham?" Sara stared incredulously at her dead partner. Danny's silence had already answered for him. That left Sara with just one more question.
"Why Danny?" She crossed her arms and waited. She was determined to get at least one answer from him before she was pulled from the vision and he vanished.
Danny's mouth began to move but there were no words coming out. He didn't know where to start. Danny tore his eyes away from Sara; he needed to think. But what could he honestly tell her? That the insights he had obtained eventually lead him to forgive Nottingham? That she wasn't the only person he had been keeping an eye on? Tell her all the terrible things he had witnessed as he watched over Nottingham? Danny shuddered at the mental images as he recalled all that the man had gone through. There was no way he could answer her question and make her understand at the same time.
"This isn't about me forgiving Nottingham, Sara." Instead Danny evaded her question all together.
"Oh yeah what the hell is it then, huh?" Sara furrowed her eyebrows together.
"It's about seeing the big picture, Pez!" Danny's waning patient had finally snapped and Sara could hear it in his voice.
Sara blinked back. Surprised to hear Danny raise his voice at her. She couldn't understand why he was getting so frustrated. This was her vision. She had the right to be upset, confused, and frustrated. She was stuck here in a vision and the blade didn't seem to want to let her go. Now she was here with her 'dead' partner who, in her opinion, had all the answers she sought. But he was sure as hell wasn't being forthcoming in the information department instead he became more and more cryptic. He was even worst then Nottingham; which was another issue she just didn't want to address at the moment. And he was snapping at her?! Sara lifted her eyebrow clearly upset at Danny's outburst; she uncrossed her arms and took a step closer to Danny. Her anger was evident in her voice.
"I've seen the 'big picture' and you know what I didn't like what I saw!" Sara used her hand and pointed at the blank canvas.
"You want to know what I got from the 'big picture'?" Sara didn't bother to hide the sarcasm.
"I always knew that Irons was a sadistic bastard but that little movie just confirmed that the man was just pure fucking evil reincarnated." Sara paused. Taking deep breaths to lower her rising anger.
"And Nottingham?" Danny added gently.
Sara bowed her head. Not wanting to look Danny in the eyes, afraid that he could see the anguish reflected there. She had been so stunned at what she witnessed. Her lower lip began to quiver again. She closed her eyes and took in another deep breath. She pursed her lips together, gathering herself before answering.
"And Nottingham." Sara voice trembled slightly. She cleared her throat and continued.
"Nottingham is certainly not a man I can depend on." Danny knew Sara didn't truly believe what she said. Her conviction was too weak. But she was so adamant about it that it didn't matter. Danny was about to protest but Sara raised her hand to stop him. When she spoke again her anger was back.
"How can I trust a man who was willing to accept a beating like that? He didn't defend himself and he sure as hell didn't fight back. So what makes you think he'll fight for me, Danny?!"
'Relax, Sara. I would do anything to please you.'
'If you want to stay close to me. Just ask, Sara. We could become inseparable.'
'I love you. In unguarded moments.'
Nottingham's voice and declaration ran over and over in Danny's mind. He turned his head to look at Nottingham still standing in front of the glass casing. 'I've done all I could do. Its up to you now.' Danny thought as he stared at him.
Her gasp was barley audible but Danny turned to see Sara. She was lightly touching her parted lips, her eyes narrowed, and the confusion was seen on her face. For a brief moment everything in her life made sense and she felt safe. She couldn't grasp what had just happened. Danny knew what had transpired. He smiled at the thought of Nottingham kissing Sara. His smile quickly turned into a sad smirk. Which was gone before Sara noticed.
"Sara?" Danny called to her. Sara still held her fingers to her tingling lips. 'I must be loosing my mind' she thought as she lightly bit down on her lower lip. "Sara?!" Danny's voice broke through her trance.
"There is more to Nottingham then you think. You just need to open your eyes. The answers you seek are there." Danny pointed to the Witchblade. "Use it."
"So this vision is for me to forgive and trust Ian? I can't do that Danny. I won't." Sara crossed her arms and lifted her chin in defiance. More for her benefit then Danny's. The corners of Danny's mouth rose slightly, wanting to smile. 'I guess this wasn't all in vain' he thought happily. Little did Sara know the brick walls that surrounded her heart were slowly crumbling.
Danny finally let his smile show on his face. "You mean Nottingham don't you?"
"What are you talking about? Of course I meant Nottingham." Sara narrowed her eyes at Danny. 'Was he smiling?' Sara wondered.
"Gee, I could have sworn you said Ian." The playfulness could be heard in Danny's voice.
Suddenly Danny's face grew solemn. He could feel the vision coming to an end. The Witchblade was done teaching Sara, for now. Hopefully Sara would be going back to reality with a little more knowledge gained. Yet, Danny could only pray.
Sara was about to protest to Danny's observation of what she said. But her ghostly partner had once again vanished. It wouldn't have mattered. She realize at that moment she actually did say Ian's name rather then addressing with her usual 'Nottingham'. It was one of many defense tactics she used to keep her distance. But it didn't mean anything, did it?
~*~