A Tale Of Two Blades Chapter 22, a tv x-overs fanfic

Author's Note: Italics signify thought or emphasis.

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Nottingham's loft
New York, NY
Saturday, August 4, 2001
7:11 am

Lilianna was out of the bed so fast, Nottingham almost didn't see her go. She went into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

Nottingham followed at a slower pace and listened at the bathroom door. He could hear her retching and cringed. Yesterday had not been a fluke, she was getting worse. When silence reigned for several minutes after the toilet flushed, he eased the door open.

Lilianna glanced over at him from her perch on the side of the bathtub. Her eyes were glassy and even though they had both gotten a lot of sleep the night before, she looked exhausted, dark circles under her eyes.

Taking a washcloth from over the sink, Nottingham helped her clean her face and supported her on the walk back to their bed. He eased her down on to it and felt her forehead. She was warm, but not dangerously so. Nottingham went back into the bathroom and got a thermometer.

He was glad to find that her fever was very slight, only ninety-nine point three. Nottingham gave her some Tylenol and made chicken noodle soup. He brought it to her on a tray with crackers and a glass of 7UP, but ten minutes later when she hurried to the bathroom once more, it was clear she wouldn't be able to keep even that down.

Nottingham didn't want to leave her alone all day, but he had to be at work in an hour. What was he going to do?

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"Hello?"

"Lady Sara. I am sorry to call without permission, but Lilianna is sick and I have to go to work."

"Sure, Nottingham. I'll tell Jake I can't go in to work today. I have a bunch of sick days saved up. Give me your address."

That was easy, Nottingham thought as he recited the necessary information. He had expected to at least have to explain Lily's symptoms or why he couldn't get out of work himself. But Irons' threat as to what would happen if "Angel" got in the way of his duties was enough to stop him from even considering the possibility.

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

"When you drive in the garage, tell the guard that you are delivering a custom sword to me."

"Okay," Sara drew the word out into a 'what am I getting myself into' expression. "Bye, Nottingham."

"Goodbye, Lady Sara. And thank you."

Nottingham slipped his cell phone into his pocket. Sitting down carefully so as not to disturb his wife, Nottingham leaned over and gently stroked the top of Lilianna's head. She opened her eyes slowly and smiled weakly at him.

"I don't like being sick," she said in a pouty tone.

"I know, baby. I'm sorry."

"Not your fault," she said quietly.

"Your mother's on her way. She'll stay with you while I'm at work."

Lilianna nodded and closed her eyes, turning her body toward him.

"Can you sit up?" he asked.

Her eyes reopened and, with Nottingham's help, Lilianna sat up slowly. Lilianna took a few deep, slow breaths.

"Do you need to go in the bathroom again?" Nottingham asked gently.

"No, I'm okay for now, I just got a little dizzy."

Nottingham rubbed circles on her back soothingly. He reached over and picked up the brush on the nightstand.

"Want me to brush your hair for you?"

"Please," she answered, nodding.

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Nottingham began brushing her hair with slow, gentle strokes. Lilianna closed her eyes again. She enjoyed the gentle tug and release rhythm of the brush running through her hair. When the brush went through her hair without catching at all, she felt Nottingham set the brush aside.

She was only slightly surprised when he manipulated the long strands into a loose braid. Nottingham lifted the braid over her shoulder and kissed the back of her neck tenderly. He laid her back on the bed and she smiled lovingly at him. He was so good to her.

"I..." she started softly.

A wave of nausea hit and she clamped her mouth shut. Nottingham frowned and watched her carefully. When her body relaxed, he released the breath he had been holding.

"Me, too, baby. Me, too."

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The landline rang and Nottingham picked it up. "Yes?"

"Mr. Nottingham, there's a woman here who claims to be delivering a sword."

"Let her through, Tannen."

"Yes, sir."

Nottingham hung the phone up and slipped on his gloves. It wouldn't do for Sara to find out he was a Wielder until Lilianna decided the best way to tell her. Besides, Irons might be able to read the discovery through his connection to Sara's Witchblade. Realizing the new form of Lilianna's Blade would also come as a shock to Sara, Nottingham moved back over to his resting wife.

"Lily, what are you going to do about your Blade?"

Lilianna opened her eyes again. Looking down at her ring, she frowned. A few seconds passed before it shifted, changing shape into a bracelet that was the same design as her ring, only proportionately bigger.

Her eyelids fluttered, and Nottingham leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "Go back to sleep, baby."

A minute later, the elevator doors opened and Sara walked into his loft. She glanced around the room and her mouth fell open.

"Damn, Nottingham, I never knew the assassin business paid so well," she commented.

Nottingham raised both eyebrows and indicated the loft with a sweep of his arm, "Let me show you where everything is."

Nottingham gave Sara a quick tour, ending with the kitchen.

"There's soup in the refrigerator if she feels like eating later. I left the crackers on the counter and the 7UP is put away. Glasses are over the sink, and bowls are to the left. This drawer has the silverware. Feel free to partake in anything for yourself."

Sara glanced at the floor. "Ah, Nottingham, why is there cat food and water on the floor?"

Bast chose that moment to leap down from the top of the refrigerator onto the counter. She was only a few inches from Sara, and when the animal chirped, Sara jumped.

"They are for Bast." Nottingham answered, scratching the cat's tiny head. "She is not allowed on the bed, so please do not let her bother Lily."

"Sure, Nottingham."

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Sara watched as Nottingham kissed a sleeping Lilianna goodbye on the forehead. He bowed his head to her before leaving. Giving Bast, who was still sitting on the counter, a once over, Sara moved out of the kitchen area.

"Well, knock me over with a feather," Sara muttered. "Nottingham has a cat."

Sara couldn't decide if it was sad or touching that his cat was as mangy as it was. The little animal had obviously been through something. It had bald patches and a couple scratches that didn't look as if they had been made by another animal. Maybe Lilianna had found it.

Sighing, Sara leaned over the still form of her daughter and checked Lilianna's forehead with her hand. It was warm, but not hot enough to be concerned about. Studying Lilianna's sleeping form, Sara's gaze was caught on her hands. Her Witchblade rings were gone. Sara relaxed when she noticed the bracelet now in place on Lilianna's left wrist. The latest design her daughter's Blade had taken was beautiful, a silver dragon clutching the red Stone in its claws.

Assured that her daughter was fine for now, Sara went back into the kitchen and set about making herself coffee.

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Nottingham drove Jake's car back into the loft's parking garage. It was half past six and Jensen was on guard duty. When Nottingham had left earlier in the day, he had driven Jake's car out to the sidewalk so Tannen would think Sara had left. Jensen seeing him on the way in, Nottingham wasn't worried about. He was constantly switching cars and building security was used to it. He would just have to tell Sara to leave the parking garage by the south entrance so no one noticed a woman driving the car back out. Though Irons' other lackeys were known to come and get Nottingham's cars, none of them were women.

When the elevator doors opened to reveal his home, a gun was leveled at his heart. He calmly lifted his hands in surrender and waited.

"Sorry, Nottingham. All day I've been having little daydream nightmares about Irons dropping by."

Nottingham nodded his understanding and came into the room when Sara moved aside, putting her gun away in the process.

"How is she?" he asked softly when he noticed that Lilianna was sleeping.

"Better. About ten minutes after you left this morning, she woke up. She threw up twice, but other than being really tired, she's been okay since this afternoon. She had some soup and just fell back asleep about half an hour ago. We talked and watched TV most of the day. She's going to call me tomorrow if she's feeling better so we can go shopping after my shift."

Nottingham nodded again, but Sara couldn't help but notice the worry hadn't left his face or his stance.

"Is something else wrong?"

Nottingham hesitated before sharing, "She had a dizzy spell yesterday and today she was worse. I'm afraid that she's sick, that she'll only get worse, and that this is how the Powers That Be are taking her back to where she came from."

Sara looked startled and stricken. "Do you really think they'd do that to her?"

"I don't know, Lady Sara. But it has become my greatest fear."