Nottingham's Loft
New York, NY
Thursday, August 2, 2001
Nottingham came home from tailing Sara with a fist-sized lump in his inner jacket pocket and carrying a bag from a pet store. Curious, Lilianna watched him from her spot upside down on the training mat. She was currently timing herself in a handstand, twenty pound weights balanced on each of her feet. She had been at it for fifteen minutes and 43 seconds, and though the blood was pounding in her head, she knew she could hold the position for at least another five minutes.
On the other hand, she thought when a strange chirping sound issued from Nottingham's coat, just because I can doesn't mean I need to right now.
Lilianna righted herself slowly, shifting her body-weight to her shoulders and then her back before bending her knees and lifting the weights off her feet. Putting them back where they belonged, Lilianna headed for the kitchen. Nottingham was setting a dish on the counter with something in it that smelled awful, a scent somewhere between rotting meat and fish. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a small kitten, setting it in front of the food dish. The little animal was black, clumps of dirt and bald patches almost hiding the color. The kitten turned wide green, frightened eyes in Lilianna's direction and flung itself at Nottingham's chest, digging into shirt and skin with tiny claws.
Nottingham gently pried the small cat free and handed it to Lilianna. She knew he wanted the kitten to immediately accept her, so she took it from him. Lilianna cradled it against her chest where it would hear and feel her heartbeat and gently stroked the little creature until it relaxed. She had, on a few occasions, been allowed to interact with rabbits at the Centre as a little girl, and the nurturing of small things had been automatic even then. Something Irons had never been happy about.
Shutting out thoughts of the second biggest thorn in her side, Lilianna set the kitten down on the counter. It made its way slowly to the food dish and began eating. Noticing that the little animal glanced around furtively after every bite, Lilianna took Nottingham's hand to lead him away, hoping the kitten would be able to relax if it didn't feel crowded.
"It's funny," she commented, "I always pictured you as a dog person."
"I am," he agreed. "Brando is kept at the mansion, it wouldn't be fair to stick him in the apartment all day." The Witchblade showed her a flash of the dog as Nottingham spoke; it was a large Rottweiler completely devoted to Nottingham. "But when I found this kitten stuck in a tree while I was tailing your mother, I couldn't just leave it there. The neighborhood boys like to torture it."
Lilianna didn't need to ask to know that the Witchblade had shared that information with him, or why he could identify so easily with something that was regularly tortured. She could too. The question was why the kitten had caught the notice of the Blade in the first place.
"It needs a name," she told him.
Nottingham studied the small animal for a minute. "How about Bast?"
She was about to make a sarcastic remark about naming such a mangy animal after an Egyptian goddess when something stopped her. The Witchblade hummed, and a strange vision of white hair, black hair, two pairs of violet eyes and a giant ring of metal with strange symbols swept through her mind's eye. Bast's face, no longer scared but still tiny, superimposed over the other images. Just as quickly, the vision was gone. She turned to Nottingham and he nodded. He had seen it too.
Bast it was.
Having finished eating, the kitten was sitting on the edge of the counter, watching them. Bast tried unsuccessfully to remove a clump of dirt from her fur with her tongue, wrinkling her small face in an almost human expression of disgust.
"Do you think we should give her a bath?"
"We have to get her clean somehow, but housecats hate water," Lilianna answered.
But Bast seemed to make a liar of her by jumping down into the sink. Her small black face peered over the lip of the sink at them, and she chirped. Not a mew, a meow, a purr or even a hiss; it was a definite chirp.
Nottingham and Lilianna looked at each other.
"I don't think we have an ordinary housecat on our hands," Nottingham noted.
Lilianna laughed softly. Nottingham moved over to the bag he had brought in with him, pulling out cat shampoo and a brush. Setting them next to the sink, he finished emptying the bag, excavating a dry food dispenser and a water dispenser. Filling the water container, Nottingham handed her the dry food contraption.
"The bag of food is just inside the door."
Lilianna retrieved the bag and filled the tub that connected to the dish. She set the filled dispenser on the floor next to where the water one had been placed, out of the way. She and Nottingham faced Bast once again. The kitten was still sitting in the sink, patiently waiting for the two humans to clean her. Turning the faucet so it was away from the cat, Lilianna tested the water until it was warm without being too hot. To the surprise of both of them, Bast walked under the spray and sat there for a minute before chirping at Lilianna.
Trying hard not to wonder how she knew what the cat was asking, Lilianna gently worked her fingers through Bast's fur, working the dirt clumps out. When there were no more clumps to be loosened, Bast gently nipped at Lilianna's hand.
"Your turn," Lilianna told Nottingham, moving aside.
Nottingham frowned.
"Did she hurt you?"
"No, she was just letting me know what she wanted."
Nottingham grunted. To the waiting cat, he said, "Find a way to do it without using your teeth."
Bast chirped, not repentant in the least.
Nottingham picked up the bottle of cat shampoo and squeezed out a few drops. Pulling Bast out of the stream of water, he lathered the shampoo into her fur, working the cleaner into her skin in small circles. Bast's tiny body moved with his hand and the cat's eyes were closed. A rough purr, like a car engine that needed work, sounded from the suddenly spoiled feline.
Lilianna went into the bathroom and got two towels. When Nottingham had finished rinsing the little cat, he turned the water off and placed Bast in the towel Lilianna was holding open. Nottingham took the bundle from her. The rumbling purr could be heard for a few more minutes while Nottingham rubbed the cat dry, but then the sound petered out. Cautiously peeling the towel open, Nottingham smiled at seeing the cat asleep. Lilianna smiled as well and motioned for Nottingham to follow her.
In a corner of the couch, Lilianna scrunched and shaped the dry towel she still held into a makeshift nest. She gently lifted Bast out of the wet towel and lay her in the fresh one.
"Spoiled brat," Nottingham murmured, still looking down at the cat.
Lilianna laughed lightly and began peeling his now damp shirt off over his head.
When he turned his attention to her, she asked softly, "Want to wash me now?"
His green eyes glowed and he smiled ferally.
"Mmm," he rumbled when she massaged his bare shoulders.
Suddenly she was in his arms and being carried to the bathroom. Fully intending to spoil him much better than they had spoiled the cat, Lilianna placed a string of kisses across his chest and at the base of his neck. He set her down gently on her feet when he reached the shower, taking her mouth in a deep, bruising kiss.
"How about a tongue bath?" he asked, his voice still resembling thunder deep in his chest.
Lilianna flushed, but the smile on her face and the twinkle in her eyes told him she liked the idea. A lot.
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After an hour and a half in the bathroom, Lilianna and Nottingham had been watching the news for ten minutes when Nottingham's cell phone rang. Taking it out of his pocket, he handed it to Lilianna.
When she raised one eyebrow in question, he told her, "It's your mother for you."
Lilianna nodded and pressed the button with the green phone symbol.
"Hello?"
"Oh, good, nothing's happened to you, wait, why are you answering the phone, are you both okay?"
"Calm down, Mom, we're fine. What's wrong?"
Lilianna didn't need the Witchblade to tell her that Sara was pacing on the other end of the phone.
"Irons invited Jake and me to dinner at his house on the twelfth. I thought he had done something to you and was inviting me over to gloat."
"You really think he'd wait that long to lord something over you?" Lilianna asked dryly.
Sara let out a short bark of laughter.
"Of course not, I should have thought of that. I couldn't figure out how he would have found out the truth about you so fast. But why would he invite Jake? Talking about the Witchblade in front of a cop other than me isn't his style."
"I don't know what he's doing this for," Lilianna answered. "Nottingham and I have been ordered to attend as well."
Sara was silent for a full minute.
"You don't think he knows, do you?" she finally asked.
There was a lot more for Irons to find out than even Sara knew about. Lilianna chose her words carefully.
"Let's just say that if he did know the truth, no one would be answering this phone." After a pause, she continued, "You could always just cancel on him, Nottingham thinks the dinner is just about you and the Witchblade, that if you pull out of it, it'll be canceled."
"Unfortunately your father saw the invitation first. He's very excited about going. Can you think of a reason not to go that he would accept?"
"Not without telling him about the Witchblade. Are you ready to tell him?"
"No."
Her mother's answer was immediate and they were both silent for a minute.
Finally, Lilianna timidly asked, "Do you think you'll be ready before my time is up? I'd like him to know about me."
Sara sighed, "I'm sorry, Lilianna, I just don't know when I'll be ready."
"Okay."
Lilianna's eyes filled with unshed tears and Nottingham reached down and squeezed her hand. She gave him a watery smile and he patted his lap. Grateful for the invitation, Lilianna immediately moved into his embrace. His strength and love buffered her from the pain of not being able to be close to her father.
"I have a half day at work on Sunday, would you want to go shopping for something to wear to the dinner then? I'm sure Kenny expects us to dress up for him."
"I'd like that."
"Alright, I'll give you a call when I get off work Sunday. I have to go now, Jake will be home any second."
"Bye, Mom."
The call disconnected without Sara replying to her farewell, and Lilianna gave the cell phone back to Nottingham. Nottingham tightened his arms around her. Lilianna snuggled deeper against him and sighed, wishing she had the power to stop time and freeze moments like this one forever.
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Sara stared guiltily at the phone she had just hung up. She knew Lilianna was disappointed in her decision to leave Jake in the dark. But how would she even begin to explain the Witchblade to Jake, who was more than a bit narrow-minded? And she was sure there was no hope of getting him to understand that they had a daughter who was around his age. It wasn't something you just calmly discussed over dinner. Sara just wasn't sure Jake would be able to handle any of it.
The Stone of the Witchblade began to pulse, and Sara wondered what it was going to show her. Something to do with Jake, she was sure. But just then the doorknob turned. She yanked the bracelet off quickly, not wanting Jake to walk in on her in the middle of a vision. If it was important, the Blade could show her later.