New York, NY
Sunday, July 29, 2001
8:11 pm
"Lilianna."
Her head snapped up at the sound of her name coming from the assassin's lips. She stared at him for a moment, drinking in his masculine beauty. It had been four days since they had parted ways, three nights since he had comforted her after her nightmare, but to her it felt like it had been a thousand lifetimes. She missed him so terribly. Each moment without him had killed her a little more inside. Seeing him again, close enough to touch, was a combination of a soul-healing balm and the most unbearable torture.
Pain flashing in her eyes, Lilianna looked away to gain some control before returning her gaze to him. How she would love to touch that spot on the right side just under his full lower lip where no hair grew. How she would love to be in his arms again, to have his lips once more on hers. As if he sensed her reckless thoughts, he smiled knowingly. She decided to ignore him and turned back to the book she had been reading.
Ignoring him didn't work. She didn't know why she had thought it would. She could feel him standing across the table from her, waiting impatiently, and the words on the page she was staring at no longer made any sense. He was impossible to ignore when he wanted to be.
Finally admitting defeat, she closed the demonology book and looked into his eyes, "Why are you here?"
Nottingham sat down across from her, and Lilianna blinked to hide her shock. It was the first time she had seen him sit down in a place where there were other people around. Sitting required being vulnerable to those around you. He reached across the table to take one of her hands between his. His thumb gently stroked her palm and she snatched her hand away. She wouldn't torture herself, and him, by letting things go back to the way they had been. It would destroy her completely if she had to leave him again. She slid her chair back and started to stand.
"Lilianna, come home."
She froze for just an instant, wanting so desperately to give in to his demand. But she couldn't. He needed to get on with his life, and she had to use what was left of her time here to help her mother and Jarod. And if she did find a way to destroy Irons, she could free Nottingham in the process. For just a moment, she allowed herself to question her feelings.
She knew she would not want to go back to the future where there was no chance of being with him, even if it did mean she would live and grow old. Did he feel something similar? Even if she was to free him from Irons, would he care without her in his life? She knew he cared about her, but she wasn't sure how much, and she wouldn't further complicate his life with "what ifs".
She started to walk away when he pleaded with desperation in his voice, "Please, Lily."
The words, as well as the pain in his voice, hit her like a physical blow. It took all the will power she possessed to keep moving as if she hadn't heard him. She made it halfway to the door before her will lost out to her heart. If she was being selfish, so be it; she loved him. Each second with him was more precious than a dozen whole lifetimes without him could ever be. She turned, and her heart broke once again at the sight of him slumped in his chair like a thrown-away rag doll. Before more than a few moments had passed, he felt her stare and looked up.
She took two steps toward him and suddenly he was right in front of her, once more full of life, hope blazing in his beautiful green eyed gaze. She needed to tell him that she was still going to be working with her mother, and that they could use his help. Needed to make him understand that no matter how much they both wanted it, there was no way for her to stay with him. And she was very much afraid that because Sara knew what was going to happen, the future would be changed and when she went back, she would have no memory of their time together. But right now she just wanted to concentrate on the fact that she got to be with him again.
Burying her sadness deep inside, she whispered to him, "Take me home."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
As soon as they were in the elevator going up to his loft, Nottingham took her into his arms and kissed her. He devoured her as if the world would end if he didn't possess her mouth, and she matched him kiss for kiss. When the elevator stopped, he lifted her by the waist slightly so they could move into the loft without breaking from each other's mouths.
"I hope that's your way of saying goodbye. Your week is up today."
Irons rose from the couch and walked toward them. Luckily, Lilianna's arms were wrapped around Nottingham's back where Irons couldn't see her hands, or the rings. She quickly hid them and Nottingham moved to stand in front of her.
He growled low, "No, it's not. It's my way of saying welcome back. You scared her off and I'm not letting her go again. You already said your previous order might have been hasty."
Irons glared at him and Nottingham lowered his head. Irons put out a hand to pull Lilianna forward. Nottingham's arm shot out to block the way. Before Irons could react, Lilianna lay a calming hand on Nottingham's arm and moved to stand in front of the white-haired man. He studied her for a few minutes, even going so far as to walk around her. It reminded her so much of his inspections at the Centre that she had to bite the inside of her lower lip until it bled to stop herself from reacting.
"Are you afraid of me?" Irons queried.
Lilianna swallowed hard and let out a shuddering breath, "Yes."
Irons nodded approvingly and pulled out his pocket watch. Staring at it, he asked, "Would you ever betray Nottingham? To the police? To any family or friends you might have? To anyone?"
"Never," she stated strongly, immediately.
Nottingham hid his surprise; somehow he knew she was being completely truthful. She would choose him over Sara if it came down to it. He was not worthy of that kind of devotion. But so help him, he would never let her go now that he had her back.
Irons sighed and put his watch away. "Very well, as long as she continues to stay out of the way and you continue to do your job, you can keep her. But keep in mind that I may change my mind at any time. I'm going for a run tomorrow morning at seven. Don't be late. And make sure she wears something appropriate to dinner on the twelfth."
Nottingham dipped his head further and Irons left. Immediately, Nottingham straightened and smiled at Lilianna.
"Hear that? I get to keep you."
He bent his head and was met more than halfway in another passionate kiss.
When they both drew away for some much-needed air, she smiled at him, "Whatever will you do with me?"
His gaze darkened with desire, and he didn't say a word. Her smile fading, she just stared back, enthralled by what she saw in his eyes. Suddenly he realized that as much as he wanted to give her pleasure, to give her himself, he didn't know how. What if he hurt her? He set her away from him carefully and turned slightly away.
"Why don't you tell me what progress you and Sara have made with your plans."
Lilianna sighed, a combination of frustration and weariness.
"Not much, there is a surprising amount of information on demons when you look for it, unfortunately none of what we've found has been about Glory. And we don't even know where to begin to look for her."
"Where did she come from when she attacked?"
Lilianna grunted, "I don't know the name of the town, but it was located on a Hellmouth. Unfortunately, there are at least twenty in the United States alone, and we find more every time we research it."
"And the search for Jarod?"
"We haven't even started. The destruction of all creation is a little bit more of a priority right now. In many ways, he'll be even harder to find than Glory."
"I might be able to help with that."
Lilianna looked at him, "How?"
"Irons is getting frustrated with the Centre's inability to get Jarod back. The next time Irons speaks with Raines or Parker, I can offer to track him down. I would probably be sent to the Centre to learn everything they know about him, and I may have better luck than their people."
"But Irons would order you to take Jarod to the Centre, if he even agreed."
"I already thought of that. I can take Jarod to the Centre's property, and then bring him here. As long as Irons doesn't tell me to hand Jarod over to any one person specifically, it will work. And even if he does, together you and I could break Jarod back out of the Centre."
Lilianna smiled at him, "It might just work. When did you think of all this?"
"I had to do something to stop myself from going mad without you."
"So, you did miss me? You seemed so calm when you approached me in the library."
"Oh, Lily, I was so happy just to see you again that I could barely think. When you walked away from me, I was never going to move from that spot again, I just didn't care anymore. Nothing could matter to me the way you do."
Lilianna took the few steps necessary to reach him and threw her arms around his neck. Their mouths met again, their kiss gentle and tender. When Nottingham pulled back, he pulled her hands down between them.
Their fingers intertwined and he looked into her eyes, "Lily, I lo-, I..."
Nottingham made a frustrated sound.
"Shh," she soothed, placing a soft kiss on his lips. "I know, I don't think I can say the word either, but I do, too. So much."
They kissed again, a celebration of their feelings for each other. Lilianna paid no mind when the Witchblade slipped from her fingers, but Nottingham made a soft sound of surprise and pain when the flesh of his left inner wrist was burnt. They pulled apart again, and when they unclasped their hands, he had two rings in his palm, and Lilianna had one in hers. The two-overlapping-circles symbol of the Witchblade was emblazoned on Nottingham's arm, and a woman's engagement ring with the Stone of the Witchblade was in his palm, along with a matching Stone-less wedding band in the form of a dragon that encircled the Stone when the two rings were put together. In Lilianna's hand was a single ring, a man's version of the set, the dragon slightly bigger and facing the opposite direction.
She smiled softly at him, "I guess the Witchblade approves." Gently she grasped his left hand and slid the ring onto his wedding ring finger, "I am yours, as you are mine."
"Forever," he added to the vows as he put the woman's rings on her finger.
The Stones flashed happily and they each suddenly knew most of the other's life as well as they knew their own. They were both quiet for a minute, and Nottingham traced the twin circles on his inner wrist.
"Where's your mark?"
Lilianna stepped back and held her arms out to the sides slightly, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, "Why don't you try to find it?"
The fire that lit his eyes in response to her question thrilled her from head to toe, and Nottingham pulled her close and took her lips in a deep, bruising kiss. No longer afraid, he followed his instincts. His hands worked in between them to unbutton the shirt she was wearing, and he moved his mouth down to kiss each inch of exposed skin as he uncovered it. When he undid the last button and kneeled to kiss his way down her belly, she shrugged out of the shirt. His tongue found her belly button and she gasped, burying her fingers in his hair to clutch his head against her.
Nottingham continued to tease her navel as he worked on her button fly jeans. When they were unsnapped, he yanked them down, taking her underwear with the denim. He drew in a breath and reached up to stroke the front of her left hip with his thumb, tracing the twin circles that matched his. Lilianna shivered from the sensation and pulled him back up for a soul-consuming kiss. When she stepped out of her shoes and clothes quickly, he scooped her up into his arms, holding her close against his chest. He carried his treasure, the most precious cargo he could ever be granted, to their bed.
He was undressed an instant after he laid her down, moving faster than he ever had before. But as he lay beside her, he slowed. Stopped to study the person who meant more to him than life itself, more than his freedom, more than salvation. He had told her the truth. If she had left him in that library, he would have completely given up. Life had no meaning without her. She was his soul mate, his other half, the part of him that had been missing for so long.
He didn't want to think of what would happen to him, to his heart, if they didn't find a way for her to continue to exist as she was now and be with him. But right now, in this moment, all that mattered was that she was still with him, and they could be together in a way he had never before wanted to be with anyone else, the way he needed to be with her. He pulled her close and tried to divest her of her bra, the last piece of clothing on her.
When he fumbled with the closure and growled softly, unsure how to undo the contraption but not wanting to hurt her by just yanking it off, Lilianna reached behind her own back and undid the clasp. She left the material in place, letting him finish undressing her, the way she knew he wanted it. Nottingham gently peeled one strap away at a time, then with a flourish, tossed her bra across the room, where it landed unheeded on the floor. He took a moment to worship her body with his eyes, but only a moment. The next instant, he was pressing her into the mattress with his delicious weight, her arms around him, his mouth on hers.
They were both lost in a world made up entirely of sensation, entirely of each other, and the Stone of each of their Blades glowed and pulsed in time to their heartbeats. Their bodies joined as their souls already had, and they both felt the pleasure the other was experiencing even as they felt their own. They moved together purely through instinct and love, and their joining was more beautiful and true than any that the Blade had previously witnessed. They fell asleep after, wrapped in each other's arms.