Chapter 19: Burying the Hatchet

“Why are we waiting?” Ian asked as Sara paced before him in the middle of the showroom. Van was quite a distance away, knowing the second he stepped inside, it was unsafe to be around the two of them. There was more than just tension between them. Anger and regret also permeated the air. He sat in Billie’s office, safely watching and listening from a distance.

“Because Deaq hasn’t shown up yet,” Sara replied sharply as she continued to pace and not look at him.

“Could you please stop doing that?” Ian growled.

“Or what?” she shot back, stopping and staring at him, the rage clearly present in her eyes.

“You’re doing it to spite me, aren’t you?” he replied, glaring back at her.

“You know what? I’m really getting sick of this. It’s about time that we buried the hatchet. I want everything out in the open, right now. What’s the matter with you, Nottingham ? Why do you have such a problem with me and Van?” Sara finally yelled, frustrated. She knew nothing was going to go right that evening if they hid from their troubles. Besides, it was about time that she started to stand up to her problems.

“Because he’s not right for you,” Ian tried to tell her.

“He’s not right for me? He’s not right for me!” Sara hollered back. “What makes him wrong for me? Is it just as good of a reason that made you want to kill Daniel? Because it better be if you’re going to break us apart this time.”

“He’s a former criminal,” he pointed out.

“And you’re what, a saint?” she retorted. “Come on, Nottingham . What are you so afraid of? Losing me?”

Ian’s head shot up to look Sara squarely in the eye. She knew she had struck the right nerve, and was ready to continue pouncing on it until he said something. “I know you love me, Ian, but for God’s sake, do you even know what love is?” Sara vainly tried to get to him. “It’s something shared between two people, and right now, I can’t tell you that I feel the same way about you because I don’t. I can’t keep leading you on like I did the other day, and I’m sorry that I did, but I warned you not to get any ideas.” His gaze waned as she walked up to him. Sara gently placed her hand on his cheek and made him look at her.

“Ian, please listen to me,” she begged. “I’m trying to make you understand things. Just because I don’t love you the way you love me doesn’t mean the world is over. You move on, put your feelings aside, find someone else. Or you wait and kill yourself wallowing in your sorrows. That’s not what I want you to do. I want you to move on. I want you to experience a life that’s away from me, separate from me. Live for yourself for once. Please do this for me, if not for yourself. You can still be my protector; just don’t make it your life’s work. I know you fear losing me to someone else, but you have to remember, we haven’t fallen in love with each other in all our lifetimes together. Let me see where this one takes me. If I’m meant to be with you, we’ll find each other. If I’m meant to be with someone else, then so be it. Just please, give Van a chance. He’s a good guy. I know he won’t do anything to me intentionally.”

They stared at each other for a tense few minutes as Van continued to sit in the office watching them intently, wondering what Ian was going to say to a speech that even moved him. He shifted quietly in his seat, resting his chin on the palm of his hand as he waited for the reply that he prayed was going to set Sara free once and for all.

“Alright, my Lady. As you wish,” Ian replied, finally defeated.

“Hey, come here,” Sara said as she wrapped her arms around him. “Don’t look so down. You’ve just set the both of us free.”

The air in the room had instantly lightened as they pulled apart, looking at each other with smiles on their faces. Van finally stood up and walked over, knowing that Ian wasn’t going to kill him now that everything had been settled. “So, you’re not going to kill me, are you?” he wearily asked as he looked up at Ian.

“No, Donovan, I’m not going to kill you,” Ian replied with a smile.

“Please, call me Van.”

“Alright, Van,” Ian said. Sara smiled, glad that everything had transitioned so smoothly. Her head shot up when she heard the door slam behind them.

“I’m here,” Deaq called as he made his way towards them. “Ian, ‘sup!”

“Good evening, Deaq,” Ian politely replied. “I’m glad you could finally join us.”

“Sorry it took me so long. I got caught up watching the news.”

“You actually watch the news?” Van asked, giving him that “who the hell are you and what did you do to my partner” look.

“Yeah, we were the top story,” Deaq said with a big grin.

“Well, at least we know the plan worked. Let’s hope Gallo is still eating it up,” Sara replied as she led them to the office. “Here’s what’s happened: Van called Billie and had her get a SWAT team together. They’re following us to the drop off point, and when Gallo gives Ian the money, we all swoop in and grab him. We’ll wire Ian just in case so that anything Gallo says will be caught on tape. This’ll give me a chance to close those murder cases back in New York that have been bugging my partner. Until then, we sit and wait for Gallo to call us and give us the location. What’ll we do until then?”

Van looked at her with a sly grin on his face and said, “You know what I wanna do.”

“I don’t think so, buddy,” Sara answered as she slowly walked up to him and placed her hands on his chest. “But I will settle for this,” she added, bringing her lips up to his for a soft, passionate kiss.

“Did I miss something?” Deaq questioned as he turned to Ian.

“I believe those two are now a couple,” he replied.

Sara finally pulled away as Van took her hand and practically dragged her upstairs. “Where are you taking me?” she giggled.

“My secret hiding place,” Van replied as he led her through a closed door and into a darkened room with a small blue couch, glass coffee table, plasma screen TV, and wall mounted CD player. He turned the CD player on to find someone had left Vanessa Carlton’s “Be Not Nobody” CD in there. He switched it to track four and let it play as Sara nestled into his lap and began placing soft kisses on his face.

You light me up and then I fall for you
You lay me down and then I call for you
Stumbling on reasons that are far and few
I'd let it all come down and then some for you

Sara smiled as she looked into those deep blue eyes. Van smiled back at her warmly, encouragingly, as her hands explored his body. They found their way beneath his shirt and pulled it over his head, exposing the beautiful muscles of his chest that lay beneath. His own fingers slipped beneath the hem of her halter top and began their exploration of her silky smooth skin. She shuddered when he felt them find her breasts and began their gentle assault upon them.

Pretty baby don't you leave me
I have been saving smiles for you
Pretty baby why can't you see
You’re the one that I belong to
I'll be the embrace that keeps you warm
For you're the sun that breaks the storm
I'll be alright and I'll sleep sound
As long as you keep comin' around, oh pretty baby

A low moan escaped Sara’s lips as she tried to maintain control of the situation, but her head was already starting to spin, and all she wanted was to feel Van’s body pressed up against hers, holding her, caressing her, as they were carried away on the rhythm of pure bliss. She closed her eyes, savoring his sweet kisses as they continued to fall upon her face.

And I know things can't last forever
But there are lessons that you'll never learn
Oh just the scent of you it makes me hurt
So how's it you that makes me better

Sara ran her nails down his chest, causing his head to roll back. She grinned; Van was putty in her hands. She had him right where she wanted him, weak and vulnerable. “Sara,” he moaned as she nibbled his earlobe. His fingers continuously ran through her golden locks, encouraging her to continue the tiny tortures to his body as he continued his on hers.

“Van!” Sara cried when he dipped his hand beneath her pants and gently stroked her between the legs. “I want you so bad.” She was panting now, little stars appearing in front of her eyes as he continued to push her to the point where she thought she would break.

Why can't you hold me and never let go
When you touch me it is me that you own
Pretty baby oh the place that you hold in my heart
Would you break it apart again... oh pretty baby

Sara grabbed a large clump of Van’s hair as she felt an earth shattering orgasm rip through her body. She suppressed her urge to scream, fearing they’d be caught in the process, and quickly stood up soon after she had recovered enough to regain the use of her legs. “Okay! Enough! You, naked, NOW!” Sara ordered as she began to strip off the rest of her clothes and threw them to the floor by their feet.

“Whoa, Sara, slow down,” Van said as she pounced on top of him. At this point, her entire world was spinning. She glared at him, unable to fathom why he wanted to slow down. They had wanted to do this for the longest time, and now he was putting on the breaks? Sara continued to stare as he explained, “I know you want this really bad, but can we please hold off until we make the bust? It’ll sweeten the pot considerably.”

Sara was slowly beginning to get her mind back. She knew the Witchblade had taken over in those few seconds when she was distracted and snatched up the opportunity to make things a lot worse for her. She was thankful that Van had put on the breaks before they got too far. “Oh, my God… I’m so sorry. I had no idea what was going on,” Sara replied as she quickly stood up. She held the Witchblade up to her face and added, “Damn you… Damn you, damn you, damn you!” It was then that she realized her clothes were scattered across the floor. “Holy shit!” Sara shrieked as she tried to cover her bare body with her hands.

Van stood up and walked to the door, turning his back away from her as she got dressed again. “You’re lucky I have amazing self control, or I would have been all over you seconds ago,” he called over his shoulder.

“Yeah, and I would have been left emotionally scarred yet again for the same reason I came out here,” Sara mumbled as she hopped into her leather pants.

“What?” Van asked, turning around when he heard her last comment. “Emotionally scarred? The whole reason you came out here? Sara, what happened in New York that made you leave?”

She looked at him, her mouth hanging open when she realized she had just let it slip again. Sara turned around, her eyes brimming with tears as she tried to fight them. She knew within moments he’d probably be yelling at her for not telling him. But to her surprise, Van gently placed his hands on her bare shoulders and turned her so they faced each other.

“What happened in New York that made you leave?” he repeated, a little more softly this time as he gazed deep into her bleary green eyes.

“I did something horrible,” Sara cried, burying her face in Van’s chest. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her as she continued. “I got so drunk that I slept with Jake McCarty. I let him take advantage of me in my darkest hour. I let him find my weakness, and now I regret it. I wish I could turn back time and erase everything that happened.”

“But if you did that, we never would have met,” Van replied as he raised her chin with his hand so their eyes met once more. He gently wiped the tears off her face as he waited for her response.

Sara smiled slightly. “You’re right,” she said, her eyes filling with tears once more. “I would never have met you. And I never would have had this wonderful experience.” Van leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. They continued until Sara pulled away, hearing the faint sound of footsteps echoing in the hallway outside the door. She helped Van slip his shirt back on and managed to run her hands through his hair before they were discovered.

“Sara?” Ian asked as he popped his head into the room and looked at the two of them.

“I’m okay,” she replied. “The Witchblade did something again. I’m sorry if I scared you or anything.”

“I know,” he reassured her. “But there’s another reason I came to find you. Gallo called. He wants to make the drop right now at the hotel.”

A/N: Music: "Pretty Baby" by Vanessa Carlton

Chapter 20: Busted!

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