A Tale Of Two Blades Chapter 11, a tv x-overs fanfic

When they got back to Sara's place, the three of them finished packing up most of Sara's stuff and put it in the car. Sara gave Lilianna the keys to the apartment and told her she'd be back the next day so they could try to straighten things out. As her parents drove away, Lilianna hoped they would have a long talk and Sara would tell Jake about the Witchblade, but somehow she didn't think her mother was quite ready to share all of that with him.

After beating up on her mother's punching bag for awhile, Lilianna left the apartment to go for a run. When she returned two hours later, the things that Nottingham had bought for her, as well as the toothbrush she had used, all her forged papers, and some money and groceries were in the apartment. Her things were put away in the bathroom, in the kitchen and on the metal rack her mother had used for her own clothes before she moved. For awhile, she searched for a note, hoping he had left her at least a short one, but there was none.

The thing that cut her to the quick was her New York driver's license sitting on the counter. He had taken it out of his wallet to leave it there. Now he had nothing of hers. There was no evidence of her presence left with him. As if she had never been a part of his life. Perfunctorily changing into a fresh nightgown and feeling emptier than she ever had before, Lilianna curled up on the bed with the nightgown she had worn the night before clutched to her chest. It still carried his scent.

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Jake and Sara's Apartment
New York, NY
Wednesday, July 25, 2001
10:15 pm

Sara watched with growing concern as Jake stopped pacing and pulled a gun out of a drawer. It wasn't department issue.

"Jake, what are you going to do with that?"

"What I should have done at the warehouse." He took three steps toward the door before she planted herself in front of him.

"You really think you can just find him and shoot him? He would tear you apart."

Jake glared at her.

"Sara, do you really think I would have even made detective if I couldn't at least take care of myself? Besides, the guy said I could do whatever I wanted to him."

Sara stopped him from moving past her, placing her hand on his arm.

"You know who Kenneth Irons is, don't you?"

Jake sighed, exasperated.

"Of course, who doesn't? What does a billionaire have to do with anything?"

Then he remembered that Vorschlag, one of Irons' companies, owned the Rialto theater. Was that why the man in black had been there that day? Did he work for Irons?

"Ian Nottingham is Kenneth Irons' ... bodyguard. Irons has had Nottingham under his control since Nottingham was very young, and I'm sure he would take exception to your killing his pet project." Sara drew on the knowledge she had acquired from Lilianna's Witchblade to fill in some holes. "Several years ago, Nottingham was part of a secret Special Forces project to create super-soldiers called the Black Dragons. These men were trained, conditioned, brain washed and even genetically enhanced before the program was shut down. He probably knows hundreds of ways to kill you with his bare hands. I won't even go into his skill with weapons."

Jake stared at her, his jaw slack.

"But even all that isn't truly important. What's important is that Nottingham is special to L ... Angel. If you hurt the man she loves, she will never forgive you, and neither will I."

Jake found his voice.

"Are you sure it isn't you he's important to? We both know your penchant for bad boys like Conchobar. Maybe you're just now remembering that I'm not your type."

Now he had done it. He had let his insecurities where she was concerned come out. He was so sick of hiding who he really was from her, tired of playing the doofus. But more than just his job was on the line here. A sudden flash of red light startled him, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. It must have been a side effect of hitting his head again. He turned his attention back to his girlfriend. Sara's jaw was clenched.

"Sara, I..."

"No, Jake. If you don't realize how much I love you, then you have problems that I can't help you with. I have too many problems of my own right now to try to deal with whatever yours are. The past two days have been the strangest of my life. I find out someone I thought was nothing more than a puppet actually has very strong feelings of his own, you almost get killed by a serial killer who wound up dead after a shoot-out, I find out I have a dau ... sister, and that she's already more entwined in my little world than most of the people I've known all my life, I find out about my birth family ... "

"Did you know I have a fraternal twin sister named Emily, a brother named Jarod, a half-brother named Ethan, and another brother named Kyle who's been dead for two years? Did you know that my parents and my siblings have all been separated for most of their lives and that they're all being hunted by some very evil people? That I might never get the chance to meet any of them?" Sara took a breath and kept going. "Of course you don't, you were called away by your sick aunt who was actually a psycho obsessed with Angel! He could have killed you. And, on top of everything else, I'm ... "

Sara stopped cold. She couldn't tell him about their child. She was only one day pregnant. If she told him that, she would have to tell him everything. What if he didn't believe her? She couldn't lose him because he suddenly thought she was nuts.

"You're what?"

"Nothing." She bit off. "The only thing you need to know about Nottingham is that he has saved my life, and yours, several times and that he and Angel mean a lot to each other."

"Is he the reason we didn't end up dead when that gang showed up outside the club?"

"Yes."

It was over-simplifying what had happened, but Jake didn't need to know that.

"What about this guy that took me?"

"Marcus," Sara supplied.

"First or last name?"

Jake pondered searching the police database for him.

Sara shrugged. "You don't need to worry about him. He's gone for good."

"What do you mean? Did Nottingham kill him? I didn't see a body in the warehouse."

"No, Nottingham didn't kill him. Just trust me, Marcus won't be bothering you again."

"Sara ... "

"Jake, I'm tired and I have a lot to think about. Are we done fighting?"

"Aren't you concerned that Nottingham might hurt your sister? He's a dangerous man."

Sara snorted. Jake frowned.

Sara said, "He's probably one of the most dangerous men in the world, but he would never hurt Angel. Never. He isn't capable of it."

Jake opened his mouth to argue that cryptic remark, then thought better of it. The last thing he wanted was to be on Sara's bad side. Maybe he should steer the conversation away from Nottingham.

"What about Angel? Did you know she was your sister last night?"

"No, she came to talk to me just before we had to go get you back from Marcus."

"That's another thing, why would he take me? I don't mean anything to your sister." Something indefinable flashed in Sara's eyes at his words. "It doesn't make sense."

"He was a psycho, they rarely make sense. Now, can we please go to bed and put the idea of retaliation against Nottingham out of your mind?"

Jake sighed, "Sure." He paused. "I love you, Sara."

"I love you, too."

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Lilianna opened her eyes to find herself in the Oracles' hall. The naturally glowing white stones that made up the walls were faded, no longer glowing, and the Oracles were no where in sight. Who or what had brought her here? And why? Were they actually going to tell her how she could stop Glory? Why hadn't they brought her here as soon as she came to this time? She was glad they hadn't, though. If they had, Marcus would have killed her mother and she might never have met Nottingham.

"Hello?"

Her own voice echoed back to her as she stood.

A masculine voice answered after a full minute. "Hello, Lilianna."

Lilianna turned around and gasped. "Jarod!"

She had taken two steps toward him before realizing this wasn't the Jarod of her time. Yet he still seemed to know her. Jarod beckoned her forward and she went happily. Perhaps the Oracles had filled him in on the future and were allowing him to help.

As soon as Jarod's arms wrapped around her, she knew something was wrong. She felt a pinch on her neck and pushed away from him with all her strength. Vampire Jarod grinned at her, her blood dark red on his mouth. Lilianna, growing weaker by the moment, felt warm wetness slide down her neck and over her collarbone.

"Don't worry," vampire Jarod laughed. "You won't be the first to die."

When he pointed behind her, she turned slowly, afraid of who she would find. Nottingham was being held by a female vampire she didn't recognize as one from her own time. The short blonde smiled evilly and sank her fangs into Nottingham's neck.

"No!" Lilianna screamed. She tried to activate the Witchblade and realized suddenly that she no longer had it. She was powerless to stop them. Nottingham collapsed at the blonde's feet, and the vampiress beckoned Lilianna toward her.

Another blonde showed up, this one human, a Slayer, Lilianna quickly realized when the girl dusted Jarod and the female. The Slayer checked the bite wounds on Lilianna and Nottingham's necks, muttering, "they won't rise again," as she walked away.

Lilianna fell to her knees beside Nottingham's still form. He was pale, completely washed out. His eyes fluttered open slowly, and he smiled sadly up at her.

"You didn't fight back," she accused softly as she lifted his head onto her lap.

"It's better this way," he wheezed painfully. "I got to know you, I didn't have to spend much time without you, and now I'm free..."

After two more gasping breaths, Nottingham slipped away, his skin turning cold right away. Lilianna sobbed uncontrollably, rocking slightly. Death could not come soon enough.

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Lilianna sat bolt upright as the Witchblade gently warned her of an intruder. She was in her mother's old apartment, the Witchblade was on her fingers, and there was no bite mark on her neck. She was still sobbing. It had been the worst dream she had ever had. It was pitch black. As soon as the strong arms of the man whose death she had just dreamt wrapped around her, she lay down, clinging to him. She allowed Nottingham to comfort her, regretting that she had ever left him. Eventually she drifted into an undisturbed sleep.

When she woke in the morning, he was already gone. He had come because she had needed him. That was the way he was. Now that she was fully awake, she remembered that no matter how much it hurt her, being away from him was the best thing for him. Her feelings didn't matter compared to the risk of hurting him. And as much as both of them were hurting now, the pain would increase exponentially the more time they spent together.