Part Three
"So she took off the Witchblade just like that?" Dianna was stunned. "And that's when Ian…?"
"Closest thing we can figure is when she took off the Blade, he felt he no longer had a purpose. He felt totally useless. After all he had been raised with the sole purpose of protecting the Wielder." Gabriel had talked steadily since they had left the café. "Sara moved into the mansion about four years ago after finding him just wandering around downtown. He walked right into the path of a bus."
"Oh my Goddess." Dianna closed her eyes at the thought.
"Ian does whatever Sara asks him to do." He finally pulled the car to a stop in front of a large gate. "He just doesn't do anything without prompting. I mean he dresses himself every morning, bathes, that sort of thing. But if she wasn't there, all he would do is sit in front of the fireplace. I don't even know if he would eat or work out if she didn't tell him too."
"Do you think he will ever be, what, normal?" Dianna looked at the gates and then at Gabriel. "Will he know who I am?"
"I don't know. I didn't want to take a chance of him not recognizing you and you not knowing about…" Gabriel took a deep breath. "Sitting here isn't going to see what happens. Come on Princess, let's go see Sara."
"And Ian." Dianna waited till Gabriel opened the door for her, and then took his extended hand.
"Sara?" Gabriel spoke into the intercom system and smiled when he heard his friend's voice.
"Come on in. I'll meet you in the foyer." Then she added softly. "Ian's out with the dogs, well meet him there."
"Coming?" Gabriel opened the gate and waited for Dianna to go through first. "Just down that path and through the white double doors. Sara should be waiting there for us." In silence they waked, Gabriel holding her hand tightly.
As they neared the double doors, they seemed to open on their own. Dianna's eyes were huge as they walked the steps up and then found herself face to face with the woman that had done so much to help Gabriel protect her years ago.
"Hello Sara." She smiled warmly as she looked at the changes in the older woman. She had aged well, her long hair fell loosely over her shoulders, and Dianna could see the lines that had formed around the woman's eyes and mouth. "I don't know what to say except for maybe surprise?"
"It was a surprise when Danny called and said that you and Gabriel were out together." Sara reached out to her. "Come here and give me a hug." The women embraced warmly. "Now, Gabriel did tell you about Ian, didn't he?" Dianna nodded. "Good. I tell you, if I had known that my taking off that bracelet would do this to the man, I think I might have thought long and hard on whether or not to remove it."
"Sara, you did what you thought was right at the time. You couldn't have had any idea that it would have affected Ian the way it did." Gabriel softly squeezed the older woman's shoulder. "Remember…"
"Gabriel Bowman, if you tell me one more time that everything is connected, I think I might just have to go and find my old service revolver and shoot you with it." Sara playfully spoke to her friend. "Now, he's right out here." She led the two visitors outside and around one corner of the house. "There he is." They all watched Ian sitting on a bench with one hand gently stroking the head of a rot wilier. Sara had combed and pulled his hair back and made sure his beard was neatly trimmed. "Come on." She sped up, not waiting for the others. "Ian, we have company. Gabriel has brought an old friend by to see you."
"Gabriel?" Ian looked into the sky as though in thought then back at Sara. "Oh yes, the Mythkeeper." Sara nodded. "And you say he has brought a friend? Do I know them?" A frown creased his features. "It's not Mr. Irons, is it?"
"No Ian, remember, Mr. Irons went away a very long time ago and will never come back." Sara touched the man's hair softly. "You remember?" Ian nodded. "Good, now stand up and greet Gabriel and his friend."
Everyone held their breaths as the man stood slowly and turned. Seeing Gabriel, Ian smiled politely then let his gaze fall on Dianna. For a moment his face remained blank, as though he were looking through her. Then slowly, as he turned his head slightly, his eyes grew wide as memories began to flood his brain. Tentatively he began to take steps toward them, glancing at Sara who nodded and was smiling with tears in her eyes. Finally he was practically toe to toe with the younger woman. He raised one hand shakily and caressed her long hair as he studied her face.
"Hell Ian." Dianna smiled and spoke softly as she laid her hand softly on his. "Do you remember me?"
"The young Princess." His eyes twinkled as he looked her up and down. "You have grown."
"Yes, it's been a very long time since we've seen each other." Dianna looked into Ian's dark eyes and saw recognition but little else. "I went away for a while."
"But you came back." Ian was still looking at her, touching her face and hair gently. "Why did you come back?"
"I came back because I wanted to come home." She softly placed her hands on his cheeks and brought his head to her shoulders. "I came back because I missed you and Sara." She hugged him and was pleased to feel his arms wrap around her shoulders to return the gesture. Finally she pulled back. "Ian? Would you let me meet your dogs?"
"I don't know. They don't like strangers." He took a step back and looked toward the bench where the one dog was still sitting dutifully, waiting for Ian to return.
"But I'm not a stranger. I'm the young Princess, remember?" She coaxed him gently. "Please, I really want to meet them."
"Do you think it would be all right Sara?" Ian asked taking hold of Dianna's hand. "I think they would like her."
"I think it would be perfectly all right." Sara smiled and brushed a stray lock of hair off Ian's forehead. "Gabriel and I will watch from here. We need to talk a little."
"Good." Ian began walking, leading Dianna toward the bench.
"Well." Sara watched as the two neared the dog, who at first seemed to take a protective stance, but calmed as Ian whispered something to it. "Do I let my hopes build?"
"I don't know, but it seems like a pretty good start. He recognized her." Gabriel smiled as Dianna crouched low and offered her hand toward the dogs muzzle. "Hope she knows what she is doing though. That animal could take off her hand."
"That animal could rip her throat out before anyone could do a thing about it." Sara whispered playfully, grinning at Gabriel's sudden look of concern. "Calm down, as long as Ian is there, she is perfectly safe." She turned slightly. "Come on, lets go make some drinks and bring them out; Leave the two of them alone for a few minutes." She took Gabriel's hand and led him back into the house.
"Princess." Ian had sat down and waited for Dianna to join him on the bench. "Do I scare you?"
"Why would you scare me Ian?" Dianna looked toward him in confusion. "You helped keep me safe."
"I am not the same man I was when you saw me last." He looked at his hands, void of the black gloves that Dianna had remembered. "Something is gone from my spirit." He turned his face toward her. "I feel lost."
"We all feel lost sometimes Ian." She touched his hands gently with hers. "Sometimes, when we think we know our destiny and that destiny is taken away from us, we feel like we have failed."
"Yes, that is part of what I feel. Sara no longer needs me." His voice was quiet and sad. "She is no longer the Wielder."
"Ian, if she didn't need you, why is she here? Why does she care enough to keep you safe and fed?"
"Pity."
"I doubt that she pities you Ian." Dianna looked over the grounds as she spoke. "Ian, sometimes our destiny changes. When that happens we mustn't be like an oak tree, rigid and unbendable. Sometimes we have to become like the grass. Bending and soft, so that we can see where the new destiny can take us."
"I understand." Ian took a deep breath. "But Princess, what if you know only the destiny before it is changed. That is all I was created for and all I know. Now that is no longer my fate."
"And what is your fate now Ian? To sit and stare into space? To have another tell you when to eat, when to sleep, when to breath?" Her voice was strong but not condemning. "You have someone that cares for you greatly. I don't know the reasoning behind Sara removing the Witchblade." She saw Ian flinch at the words. "Ian, all I know is that Sara does care for you greatly. Why else would she come here, leave the life she knew to make sure you were all right. Surely you can see that much."
"I love her Princess." Ian finally looked at her with tears in his eyes as he reached down and stroked the massive head of the dog at his feet. "I don't know if she feels the same and I am afraid if she does not, I will have nothing at all to continue…"
"Ian, you are a man wallowing in self pity." She stood and offered her hand to him. "Come, walk with me for a while." She took his hand as he stood and together they began to walk away from the bench together, with the dog following a short distance behind.
"So she took off the Witchblade just like that?" Dianna was stunned. "And that's when Ian…?"
"Closest thing we can figure is when she took off the Blade, he felt he no longer had a purpose. He felt totally useless. After all he had been raised with the sole purpose of protecting the Wielder." Gabriel had talked steadily since they had left the café. "Sara moved into the mansion about four years ago after finding him just wandering around downtown. He walked right into the path of a bus."
"Oh my Goddess." Dianna closed her eyes at the thought.
"Ian does whatever Sara asks him to do." He finally pulled the car to a stop in front of a large gate. "He just doesn't do anything without prompting. I mean he dresses himself every morning, bathes, that sort of thing. But if she wasn't there, all he would do is sit in front of the fireplace. I don't even know if he would eat or work out if she didn't tell him too."
"Do you think he will ever be, what, normal?" Dianna looked at the gates and then at Gabriel. "Will he know who I am?"
"I don't know. I didn't want to take a chance of him not recognizing you and you not knowing about…" Gabriel took a deep breath. "Sitting here isn't going to see what happens. Come on Princess, let's go see Sara."
"And Ian." Dianna waited till Gabriel opened the door for her, and then took his extended hand.
"Sara?" Gabriel spoke into the intercom system and smiled when he heard his friend's voice.
"Come on in. I'll meet you in the foyer." Then she added softly. "Ian's out with the dogs, well meet him there."
"Coming?" Gabriel opened the gate and waited for Dianna to go through first. "Just down that path and through the white double doors. Sara should be waiting there for us." In silence they waked, Gabriel holding her hand tightly.
As they neared the double doors, they seemed to open on their own. Dianna's eyes were huge as they walked the steps up and then found herself face to face with the woman that had done so much to help Gabriel protect her years ago.
"Hello Sara." She smiled warmly as she looked at the changes in the older woman. She had aged well, her long hair fell loosely over her shoulders, and Dianna could see the lines that had formed around the woman's eyes and mouth. "I don't know what to say except for maybe surprise?"
"It was a surprise when Danny called and said that you and Gabriel were out together." Sara reached out to her. "Come here and give me a hug." The women embraced warmly. "Now, Gabriel did tell you about Ian, didn't he?" Dianna nodded. "Good. I tell you, if I had known that my taking off that bracelet would do this to the man, I think I might have thought long and hard on whether or not to remove it."
"Sara, you did what you thought was right at the time. You couldn't have had any idea that it would have affected Ian the way it did." Gabriel softly squeezed the older woman's shoulder. "Remember…"
"Gabriel Bowman, if you tell me one more time that everything is connected, I think I might just have to go and find my old service revolver and shoot you with it." Sara playfully spoke to her friend. "Now, he's right out here." She led the two visitors outside and around one corner of the house. "There he is." They all watched Ian sitting on a bench with one hand gently stroking the head of a rot wilier. Sara had combed and pulled his hair back and made sure his beard was neatly trimmed. "Come on." She sped up, not waiting for the others. "Ian, we have company. Gabriel has brought an old friend by to see you."
"Gabriel?" Ian looked into the sky as though in thought then back at Sara. "Oh yes, the Mythkeeper." Sara nodded. "And you say he has brought a friend? Do I know them?" A frown creased his features. "It's not Mr. Irons, is it?"
"No Ian, remember, Mr. Irons went away a very long time ago and will never come back." Sara touched the man's hair softly. "You remember?" Ian nodded. "Good, now stand up and greet Gabriel and his friend."
Everyone held their breaths as the man stood slowly and turned. Seeing Gabriel, Ian smiled politely then let his gaze fall on Dianna. For a moment his face remained blank, as though he were looking through her. Then slowly, as he turned his head slightly, his eyes grew wide as memories began to flood his brain. Tentatively he began to take steps toward them, glancing at Sara who nodded and was smiling with tears in her eyes. Finally he was practically toe to toe with the younger woman. He raised one hand shakily and caressed her long hair as he studied her face.
"Hell Ian." Dianna smiled and spoke softly as she laid her hand softly on his. "Do you remember me?"
"The young Princess." His eyes twinkled as he looked her up and down. "You have grown."
"Yes, it's been a very long time since we've seen each other." Dianna looked into Ian's dark eyes and saw recognition but little else. "I went away for a while."
"But you came back." Ian was still looking at her, touching her face and hair gently. "Why did you come back?"
"I came back because I wanted to come home." She softly placed her hands on his cheeks and brought his head to her shoulders. "I came back because I missed you and Sara." She hugged him and was pleased to feel his arms wrap around her shoulders to return the gesture. Finally she pulled back. "Ian? Would you let me meet your dogs?"
"I don't know. They don't like strangers." He took a step back and looked toward the bench where the one dog was still sitting dutifully, waiting for Ian to return.
"But I'm not a stranger. I'm the young Princess, remember?" She coaxed him gently. "Please, I really want to meet them."
"Do you think it would be all right Sara?" Ian asked taking hold of Dianna's hand. "I think they would like her."
"I think it would be perfectly all right." Sara smiled and brushed a stray lock of hair off Ian's forehead. "Gabriel and I will watch from here. We need to talk a little."
"Good." Ian began walking, leading Dianna toward the bench.
"Well." Sara watched as the two neared the dog, who at first seemed to take a protective stance, but calmed as Ian whispered something to it. "Do I let my hopes build?"
"I don't know, but it seems like a pretty good start. He recognized her." Gabriel smiled as Dianna crouched low and offered her hand toward the dogs muzzle. "Hope she knows what she is doing though. That animal could take off her hand."
"That animal could rip her throat out before anyone could do a thing about it." Sara whispered playfully, grinning at Gabriel's sudden look of concern. "Calm down, as long as Ian is there, she is perfectly safe." She turned slightly. "Come on, lets go make some drinks and bring them out; Leave the two of them alone for a few minutes." She took Gabriel's hand and led him back into the house.
"Princess." Ian had sat down and waited for Dianna to join him on the bench. "Do I scare you?"
"Why would you scare me Ian?" Dianna looked toward him in confusion. "You helped keep me safe."
"I am not the same man I was when you saw me last." He looked at his hands, void of the black gloves that Dianna had remembered. "Something is gone from my spirit." He turned his face toward her. "I feel lost."
"We all feel lost sometimes Ian." She touched his hands gently with hers. "Sometimes, when we think we know our destiny and that destiny is taken away from us, we feel like we have failed."
"Yes, that is part of what I feel. Sara no longer needs me." His voice was quiet and sad. "She is no longer the Wielder."
"Ian, if she didn't need you, why is she here? Why does she care enough to keep you safe and fed?"
"Pity."
"I doubt that she pities you Ian." Dianna looked over the grounds as she spoke. "Ian, sometimes our destiny changes. When that happens we mustn't be like an oak tree, rigid and unbendable. Sometimes we have to become like the grass. Bending and soft, so that we can see where the new destiny can take us."
"I understand." Ian took a deep breath. "But Princess, what if you know only the destiny before it is changed. That is all I was created for and all I know. Now that is no longer my fate."
"And what is your fate now Ian? To sit and stare into space? To have another tell you when to eat, when to sleep, when to breath?" Her voice was strong but not condemning. "You have someone that cares for you greatly. I don't know the reasoning behind Sara removing the Witchblade." She saw Ian flinch at the words. "Ian, all I know is that Sara does care for you greatly. Why else would she come here, leave the life she knew to make sure you were all right. Surely you can see that much."
"I love her Princess." Ian finally looked at her with tears in his eyes as he reached down and stroked the massive head of the dog at his feet. "I don't know if she feels the same and I am afraid if she does not, I will have nothing at all to continue…"
"Ian, you are a man wallowing in self pity." She stood and offered her hand to him. "Come, walk with me for a while." She took his hand as he stood and together they began to walk away from the bench together, with the dog following a short distance behind.