CHAPTER NINE
Gabriel had convinced Dianna that before they spoke, they not only needed coffee but food as well. He left her sulking on the sofa as he entered the kitchen and started making sandwiches for the two of them. As he finished up, and had everything arranged on a tray, the sounds of clanking metal echoed from the other room. Carefully he picked up the tray and started out, stopping suddenly at the door to watch Dianna.
She was holding the arm with the Witchblade in the air, watching it transform to various objects. Sensing she was no long alone, she looked up and grinned in embarrassment and excitement at Gabriel.
"Should I even ask what you are doing?" He moved closer and placed the tray on a small table. "It isn't a toy you know."
"I know that." She grinned and patted next to her for Gabriel to sit.
"Then what were you doing?" He grinned as he sat.
"Just trying to get used to this thing." She grabbed a sandwich and began to eat. "I mean what's the use of wearing it if you don't at least have some kind of idea of what it can do."
"And what have you found out." He couldn't help but be caught up in the woman's exhilaration.
"I'm not sure." She frowned as she held her hand out, looking at the meshwork and the stone which had suddenly become still. "It seems to be bound only by my imagination as far as weapons are concerned."
"Well, with Ian and Sara's help, we can figure out . . ." He stopped talking as he realized that Dianna was staring at him. "What?"
"Good try Bowman." She grinned as she spoke. "The issue is not going to go away."
"What issue." Gabriel blushed as he reached for a cup and began carefully sipping.
"Gabriel Bowman! You know what issue." She slapped his shoulder and leaned back.
"Oh that issue." He placed the cup down carefully then turned to her, suddenly serious. "I don't know what to think on that issue."
"Don't you find me attractive?" Her eyes were wide.
"Of course I do. You are beautiful." He stumbled over his words. "Dianna, I took care of you when you were a child."
"But I'm not a child anymore Gabriel." She moved closer to him. "I'm a woman who knows what she wants."
"But you're so much younger than me." He tried to sound reasonable but found it becoming harder and harder. "I'm almost old enough to be your father."
"Almost but not quite." Her grin grew wider. "You could be thirty years older than me and I would still feel the same way."
"Are you sure?" His eyes looked deep into hers. "I just don't want you to make a mistake that would hurt either of us. After all, with that thing, we will have to be together for a long time." He shrugged. "The last thing anyone needs is for us to be feuding with each other all the time."
"Gabriel, I'm going to say this once." She took a deep breath. "I have never given up the hope of coming home to you. I have wanted to be with you since the day Uncle Rafe and Aunt Lydia took me away. Don't believe me? Call them. Ask Uncle Rafe what I have said from the day I left here." She fought from crying. "I told him that some day I would come back and be your wife."
"My wife?" Gabriel paled at the thought.
"Okay, maybe wife is a bit soon, but I knew and still know I want to be with you."
"What about other men? Shouldn't you kinda test the waters, date for a while before you decide on me?"
"I have dated." She was stern, never looking away from him. "I have had sex, many times."
"But. . ." He blushed as he tried to form his words but was cut off by Dianna.
"Gabriel, I don't need a definite answer right this moment. All I need is to know that at least I have a chance." She finally broke her glance from him. "Just a chance of you seeing me as a woman, and not a child."
"Dianna honey, I can only say, I will try." He grabbed her hand and held it to his lips gently. "Just work with me, give me some time to try to sort out my feelings."
"I can do that." She blushed this time. "I can try at least."
"That's all I ask for." He pulled back and smiled broadly. "Now, show me what you have learned to conjure up with that blade."
The ride back to the mansion was quiet. Sara simply drove while Ian looked out the window. Once inside they had gone their separate ways, each gathering things they thought they might need to help the new Wielder begin her journey with the Blade.
Finally in the room with the fireplace they both sat quietly, looking at the flames dancing before them. Sara stole glances at the man sitting next to her and thought about the words they had shared the night before. She marveled at the way his eyes seemed to dance with the flames as though he could see images within its seductive ballet.
"Ian." She spoke softly and waited for him to turn toward her. "What you said last night."
"If it makes you uncomfortable, we will not discuss it again." His words were even but his eyes held hope. "I never want my words to cause you distress."
"Would you please stop being so damn chivalrous." She snapped before she could stop herself. Instantly he turned away, but not before she saw the hurt in his eyes. "Ian, look at me." She waited, her eyes boring into him until he again turned toward her. "We need to talk about the things we said last night, whether or not it causes me discomfort." She took a deep breath as she continued. "You said that you heard me? Felt me?"
"Yes." He nodded softly causing his hair to brush against his cheeks lightly. "I didn't know how to answer the things you said to me." She nodded quietly. "I didn't know what was to become of me, and because of that, I didn't know how to react to you."
"I think I understand." Sara turned away and stared once again at the flames. "Do you hate me for taking off the Blade?"
"Hate you?" Suddenly he was in front of her, kneeling and holding her hands softly. "I could never hate you." His eyes were comforting as she took one hand and slowly stroked his hair. "But suddenly I no longer had a purpose. Can you understand that?"
"I understand that Irons brainwashed you." For a moment her heart filled with anger. "You are such a wonderful man, and yet he treated you worse than a stray dog." Hurt flashed through the man's eyes as he looked away. "No, Ian don't turn away from me. Please. Never turn away from me again." She waited patiently until he was looking into her eyes again. "I won't mention Irons again if that is what you want, but you have to know, you have to understand that what he did to me, what he did to you, makes me sick."
"I try to hate him Sara. I really do." He shrugged softly. "But he was my father. For good or bad, he was the only reason I am alive."
"Well," she suddenly grinned mischievously, "at least I could thank him for that one favor. Without him, we would not be here now. Good or bad, I wouldn't trade that for anything." She fought tears as Ian gently laid his head on her knees. "I know I have not been the kindest to you, but right now, I can't imagine life without you." Her hand slowly began to stroke his hair softly.
"You will never know the joy those words give me Sara."
As the fire crackled in its never-ending dance, they fell into a comfortable silence.
Gabriel had convinced Dianna that before they spoke, they not only needed coffee but food as well. He left her sulking on the sofa as he entered the kitchen and started making sandwiches for the two of them. As he finished up, and had everything arranged on a tray, the sounds of clanking metal echoed from the other room. Carefully he picked up the tray and started out, stopping suddenly at the door to watch Dianna.
She was holding the arm with the Witchblade in the air, watching it transform to various objects. Sensing she was no long alone, she looked up and grinned in embarrassment and excitement at Gabriel.
"Should I even ask what you are doing?" He moved closer and placed the tray on a small table. "It isn't a toy you know."
"I know that." She grinned and patted next to her for Gabriel to sit.
"Then what were you doing?" He grinned as he sat.
"Just trying to get used to this thing." She grabbed a sandwich and began to eat. "I mean what's the use of wearing it if you don't at least have some kind of idea of what it can do."
"And what have you found out." He couldn't help but be caught up in the woman's exhilaration.
"I'm not sure." She frowned as she held her hand out, looking at the meshwork and the stone which had suddenly become still. "It seems to be bound only by my imagination as far as weapons are concerned."
"Well, with Ian and Sara's help, we can figure out . . ." He stopped talking as he realized that Dianna was staring at him. "What?"
"Good try Bowman." She grinned as she spoke. "The issue is not going to go away."
"What issue." Gabriel blushed as he reached for a cup and began carefully sipping.
"Gabriel Bowman! You know what issue." She slapped his shoulder and leaned back.
"Oh that issue." He placed the cup down carefully then turned to her, suddenly serious. "I don't know what to think on that issue."
"Don't you find me attractive?" Her eyes were wide.
"Of course I do. You are beautiful." He stumbled over his words. "Dianna, I took care of you when you were a child."
"But I'm not a child anymore Gabriel." She moved closer to him. "I'm a woman who knows what she wants."
"But you're so much younger than me." He tried to sound reasonable but found it becoming harder and harder. "I'm almost old enough to be your father."
"Almost but not quite." Her grin grew wider. "You could be thirty years older than me and I would still feel the same way."
"Are you sure?" His eyes looked deep into hers. "I just don't want you to make a mistake that would hurt either of us. After all, with that thing, we will have to be together for a long time." He shrugged. "The last thing anyone needs is for us to be feuding with each other all the time."
"Gabriel, I'm going to say this once." She took a deep breath. "I have never given up the hope of coming home to you. I have wanted to be with you since the day Uncle Rafe and Aunt Lydia took me away. Don't believe me? Call them. Ask Uncle Rafe what I have said from the day I left here." She fought from crying. "I told him that some day I would come back and be your wife."
"My wife?" Gabriel paled at the thought.
"Okay, maybe wife is a bit soon, but I knew and still know I want to be with you."
"What about other men? Shouldn't you kinda test the waters, date for a while before you decide on me?"
"I have dated." She was stern, never looking away from him. "I have had sex, many times."
"But. . ." He blushed as he tried to form his words but was cut off by Dianna.
"Gabriel, I don't need a definite answer right this moment. All I need is to know that at least I have a chance." She finally broke her glance from him. "Just a chance of you seeing me as a woman, and not a child."
"Dianna honey, I can only say, I will try." He grabbed her hand and held it to his lips gently. "Just work with me, give me some time to try to sort out my feelings."
"I can do that." She blushed this time. "I can try at least."
"That's all I ask for." He pulled back and smiled broadly. "Now, show me what you have learned to conjure up with that blade."
The ride back to the mansion was quiet. Sara simply drove while Ian looked out the window. Once inside they had gone their separate ways, each gathering things they thought they might need to help the new Wielder begin her journey with the Blade.
Finally in the room with the fireplace they both sat quietly, looking at the flames dancing before them. Sara stole glances at the man sitting next to her and thought about the words they had shared the night before. She marveled at the way his eyes seemed to dance with the flames as though he could see images within its seductive ballet.
"Ian." She spoke softly and waited for him to turn toward her. "What you said last night."
"If it makes you uncomfortable, we will not discuss it again." His words were even but his eyes held hope. "I never want my words to cause you distress."
"Would you please stop being so damn chivalrous." She snapped before she could stop herself. Instantly he turned away, but not before she saw the hurt in his eyes. "Ian, look at me." She waited, her eyes boring into him until he again turned toward her. "We need to talk about the things we said last night, whether or not it causes me discomfort." She took a deep breath as she continued. "You said that you heard me? Felt me?"
"Yes." He nodded softly causing his hair to brush against his cheeks lightly. "I didn't know how to answer the things you said to me." She nodded quietly. "I didn't know what was to become of me, and because of that, I didn't know how to react to you."
"I think I understand." Sara turned away and stared once again at the flames. "Do you hate me for taking off the Blade?"
"Hate you?" Suddenly he was in front of her, kneeling and holding her hands softly. "I could never hate you." His eyes were comforting as she took one hand and slowly stroked his hair. "But suddenly I no longer had a purpose. Can you understand that?"
"I understand that Irons brainwashed you." For a moment her heart filled with anger. "You are such a wonderful man, and yet he treated you worse than a stray dog." Hurt flashed through the man's eyes as he looked away. "No, Ian don't turn away from me. Please. Never turn away from me again." She waited patiently until he was looking into her eyes again. "I won't mention Irons again if that is what you want, but you have to know, you have to understand that what he did to me, what he did to you, makes me sick."
"I try to hate him Sara. I really do." He shrugged softly. "But he was my father. For good or bad, he was the only reason I am alive."
"Well," she suddenly grinned mischievously, "at least I could thank him for that one favor. Without him, we would not be here now. Good or bad, I wouldn't trade that for anything." She fought tears as Ian gently laid his head on her knees. "I know I have not been the kindest to you, but right now, I can't imagine life without you." Her hand slowly began to stroke his hair softly.
"You will never know the joy those words give me Sara."
As the fire crackled in its never-ending dance, they fell into a comfortable silence.