"Blood Seduction"

Sorry for the delay. Your delicious feedback forced me to add some more chapters. When I see that review number go up, I feel compelled to do something. So, because of your urging, here's some more story. I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think...

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Over the next week, they fell into a sort of routine in what Sara began to think of as a lunatic’s exercise in communal living. Fortunately, the converted warehouse in which Ian had housed them was enormous. That helped – to some degree. On the large second floor, there were six bedrooms and three baths. The room that they all thought of as the master bedroom was at the north end of the floor and had its own adjoining bath. Ian and Sara were sharing that. The other five bedrooms were spread out along both sides of a long hallway that had a huge communal bathroom at either end of it. Dev had taken the bedroom that was farthest from the master bedroom, across the hall and at the south end of the floor. That distance was largely symbolic and he was still suffering from his connection to the Wielder and Protector. Gabriel had bunked down next to his new buddy and the two men were sharing the bath at that end of the hall. They could often be found talking late into the night; Gabe as much to distract the sleepless, miserable clone from what had happened down the hall as imparting the wisdom of his life experience. Vicki had taken the room next to the lovers and across from the Terrible Two. She had appropriated the remaining bathroom as her own. Her first inclination would have been to grab the room next to Devian but when she had come upstairs to pick her place, she found that Gabe had already laid claim to that spot. She thought about asking him to switch with her but couldn’t come up with a reason that wasn’t blatantly obvious. The final bedroom, which was on the other side of Gabe’s, was empty. They were calling it the “guest room,” although they hardly planned on entertaining. In the end, they had all naturally found their place and settled in. The only one who was actively uncomfortable with the arrangement was Devian and, at the moment, that couldn’t be helped in any practical way.

The first awake in the morning was usually Ian or Vicki. Ian made better coffee, but Po’s was passable. Sara was the next one up, wandering downstairs in Ian’s old, white terry robe with eyes at half-mast and hand outstretched for her caffeine jolt. Dev and Gabriel, the night owls, stayed up half the night watching movies, playing cards, listening to music and talking. Finally dropping off to sleep in the wee hours of the morning, they were both late risers. With so many strong personalities sharing the same digs, everyone sort of tiptoed around each other until the caffeine kicked in and a conversation could be shared without someone biting off someone else’s head. They had been searching for the location of Dr. Immo for almost six days without luck. He was obviously very well hidden. Everyone had become frustrated with the search, particularly as they watched their fates being played out all over the newspapers and on the television. No one was more disgruntled than Gabriel, whose reputation as a hacker extraordinaire was at stake. He had delved through the entire Vorschlag computer maze without unearthing a clue to the doctor’s whereabouts. But Vorschlag Industries was like a great corporate octopus with its myriad tentacles stretching far and wide. Gabe had just started exploring the conglomerate’s multiple subsidiaries, corporate holdings, and other interests. It was like searching through the sands of a vast beach using a teaspoon. Ian and Dev, both pretty good hackers in their own right, were helping him but it was still unrewarding, tedious work.

To cope with some of the tension and strain of being cooped up in the safe house, Dev and Ian had started to regularly work out together every afternoon. Most often, they used swords but, to keep things interesting, they would play with most of the martial arts that they knew. They were almost evenly matched in skill and fascinating to watch; an exercise in beauty and elegance of motion. Needless to say, they usually had an audience. Vicki always stopped whatever she was doing to ogle them and Sara usually did too. Even Gabriel occasionally tore himself away from his computer to get some pointers. When he did show up, the Nottingham brothers took it upon themselves to give the young man some basic training in the art of self defense. He was picking it up surprisingly quickly. In addition to mats and some other basic fitness equipment, the first floor gym held a punching bag for Sara. To keep from going stir crazy, she too had started working out with the bag daily and had even badgered Ian into getting another set of gloves so that she could begin to train Vicki Po in the fine art of boxing. Initially, Vicki had been a reluctant pupil but she was also looking for a way to release not just the energy thwarted by their imprisonment but the repressed sexual tension that was simmering inside her. She found pounding the punching bag surprisingly satisfying. It didn’t do for her what throwing Devian on an exercise mat and fucking his brains out would have done, but it helped to settle her nerves.

Vicki also used her skill in the laboratory to keep herself occupied. While the men had been searching for Dr. Immo, she had been conducting some research of her own. Fascinated by the Witchblade and all that it represented, she had talked to all of them – including Gabriel – about Its origins and nature. She had had long, often painful and difficult discussions with Sara about the Iuncturas that the Wielder had shared with both Ian and Devian. Sara was still trying to come to terms with both rituals, but particularly the one in which she had been forced to mate with the clone. She continued to be baffled regarding the Blade’s motive for connecting her with both Nottinghams. Although Sara was aware that their link had proven invaluable in freeing them from Kendall’s clutches, her gut was telling her that it was not the reason – or, at least, not the only reason – that her bracelet had instigated their joinings. She sensed that she was missing something and it was driving her crazy. As Ian had reminded her more than once, it was all about the blood. That suspicion had driven Sara to enlist Vicki’s aid. Having exhausted her powers of reasoning, she hoped that Vicki might be able to find some clue by analyzing their blood. Throwing herself into the mystery, Vicki had taken samples from Sara, Ian, and Devian. For the last five days, she had been running all manner of tests.

It was now a quiet Sunday afternoon and almost a week had gone by since they had escaped from Kendall Irons’ clutches. If you believed the media, half the metropolitan police force was searching for them. They were all fugitives from the law and they were all still hidden in plain sight. Danny and his family were safe in their Chinatown brownstone. Jake and his new Nottie guardian, Megan, were cheerily cohabiting in a loft across town. Although the rest of them were managing as best they could, the careful world that Ian had constructed within the big, converted warehouse was beginning to show stress cracks. Ian didn’t worry about Gabriel. As long as Gabe had his computers and a problem to solve, he was fine. Vicki gave him a bit more cause for concern because of her obsession with Devian. Still, Dr. Po’s new mission to unravel the mystery of the Iunctura and the Witchblade’s motivation had focused her restless energy and she worried him less than she had. He was, however, deeply concerned about both Sara and Dev. Since they had gone into hiding, Sara had been struggling with two major trials: her unaccustomed inactivity and her constant proximity to the clone. Sara was a hands-on kind of person; she thrived on the most active aspects of police work – getting out and interviewing witnesses, working the crime scene, gathering evidence. She was much more likely to coerce her partners into handling the computer and drafting the endless paperwork.

Because Sara had a low threshold for boredom, research and other largely mental pursuits quickly made her antsy. Consequently, in her present environment, she found herself with large, empty blocks of time on her hands and nothing to occupy them. Ian tried to involve her in their computer search, but she would lose interest and her mind would begin to wander. As that happened, her attention most often turned to Devian who was always aware of Sara, no matter where he was or what he was doing. For days, the two had been circling each other like a couple of cats in heat. They resembled a pair of human counterweights in a continually shifting adagio – Devian attracted to Sara and Sara repelled by that attraction, at least on the surface. It was wearing both of the principals down and affecting everyone around them. Ian had tried to get Sara to talk about it but she was still denying to everyone, including herself, that there was such a strong attraction between the Wielder and the clone that it was nearly visible. Sara seemed to have decided that the best way to deal with the situation was to pretend that it did not exist. She avoided Devian whenever she could. When she could not avoid him, she ignored him. The whole imbroglio had added an extra sensitive edge to her already frayed nerves and made her even more skittish and irritable. Now, after a week of this peculiar emotional tango, everyone was walking very softly around her.

And, although it was affecting everyone in the house, it was tearing Dev apart. At first, the clone had turned like a flower to the sun whenever Sara entered a room; his entire being alert for her slightest attention. When she pointedly ignored him, he visibly wilted. Her studied avoidance coupled with the Blade sharing the amorous adventures occurring in the bedroom down the hall were slowly and systematically turning the previously irrepressible Devian into a silent, brooding presence. He ate too little and slept less. The only times that Dev showed animation any more were when he sparred with Ian or hung out with Gabriel. When Sara was around him now, the clone retreated into himself, pulling his frayed emotions around him like tattered armor. He was obviously confused by her response to him and in a great deal of pain. He felt as if he had done something wrong but could not figure out exactly what it was and, so, knew of no way to fix it. Ian watched his little brother struggle to understand Sara’s reserve, her coldness toward him, and it brought back vivid memories of a time when she had viewed him as a “freak.” That empathy for his clone began to change the way that he thought about their relationships – his with Sara, his with Devian, Sara’s with his brother. It was all so complicated. Although he loved Sara dearly and believed that he would regardless of how they had met, he also knew that there were other mystic and genetic elements forged among the three of them that were very real and could not be ignored. It was possible, for example, that the Wielder’s Protector was fated to love her no matter where or when he found her. If that was true, both he and Devian were helpless to change their feelings for Sara; and his brother had as much right and compulsion to form a relationship with her as he did himself. That was a sobering thought.

Now, after six days of emotional turmoil, Ian decided that he had to sit Sara down and speak to her that evening – about their relationship, about Devian’s distress, about her repressed desire for the clone. It was like an abscess that had to be lanced to release the poison. There was also a pleasant surprise that he had been waiting to spring on her all week. Ian decided that he would accomplish the most with his stubborn lover by combining her lovely surprise with his discussion of the relationship between the Wielder and her two Protectors. He would soften her up first, he thought with a smile. Ian and Dev had finished sparring about a half hour ago and then Ian had gone for a shower. Dev had still been doing cooling down stretches when he’d left the exercise room. At the other end of the room, Sara was pummeling her punching bag. Gabriel was working on his computer. Vicki was in her laboratory. Without a lot of fuss, Ian disguised himself well and slipped out of the command center to meet with the Nottie who had been safeguarding the items he planned to give Sara that evening.

Sara looked up to find herself alone in the exercise room. She hadn’t even noticed Devian leave. It was just as well, she thought, because she had noticed him plenty earlier although she’d been careful to mask it. The clone had turned up for his session with Ian in a pair of loose, black boxer shorts and nothing else. He was as whiplash lean and finely muscled as a greyhound. Her eyes kept straying to him, watching his graceful dips and feints, and remembering the feel of his warm, smooth skin under her fingers. She was annoyed with herself and her lack of control. She suddenly wondered if Ian had noticed her eyes roaming over the clone. Sara sighed, stripping off her soaking tee shirt and boxers to slip into Ian’s old, white terry robe which she had made her own. She jammed the soiled clothing in her pocket to dump it into the hamper upstairs. Maybe Ian went to take a shower, she thought. Maybe she could make it up to him by joining him there. Unfortunately, the picture that popped into her traitorous mind was of Dev in his skimpy boxers with all those long, shining muscles straining. Irritated, she banished the image and stomped through the kitchen and into the main room. A constant fixture at his computer, Gabriel’s head lifted and he grinned at her knitted brows. “Did you beat that bag into submission, Chief?” he asked. She snorted and replied, “You bet. It won’t be bothering anyone again soon.” She rested a hip on the long table. There was a pause while she watched him work, lifting the towel she had draped around her neck to rub her damp hair. The only sound was his fingers flying over the computer keys.

Sara cleared her throat and asked, “Where are the boys?” Gabriel narrowed his eyes and, without giving it a lot of thought, decided to take a chance and set something in motion. Lying, he said, “Dev’s in the lab with Vicki. Ian went up to take a shower. He said he was going to use our bathroom because the tub in there is bigger.” He could see that she didn’t question it. Of course, she didn’t know as he did that Ian had slipped out of the house about fifteen minutes ago and that his buddy Devian had, in fact, gone upstairs to take that shower. “Okay, thanks,” Sara responded, heading toward the staircase. “Sure,” Gabriel said, a tiny smile playing around his bowed lips. It was now in the hands of fate, he thought. Of course, if she did go into that bathroom, he was pretty sure that Dev would give fate a hand or two – if she didn’t castrate him just for the hell of it that was. When she realized what Gabriel had done, she wasn’t going to be too thrilled with him either. “Oh well,” he thought, “Time enough to worry about that later. After all, it’s most likely that nothing at all will happen.” He sighed, then smiled as he broke through another protected password.

Sara knocked on the bathroom door and heard a voice call, “Come on in.” The bathroom was so steamy that the mirror was covered in condensation. The shower was running, and the curtain was still pulled across the tub and tucked inside it. She shut the door behind her, automatically pushing the button on the knob to lock it. Smiling with anticipation, Sara leaned back against the sink and crossed her arms over her breasts. “Are you going to be much longer?” she asked. She heard him reply softly, “No,” as the noise of the shower suddenly stopped. A couple of seconds later, the shower curtain was pulled back and then he was standing naked and dripping before her. Sara’s heart thumped, skipped, and then sped up. He was so, so beautiful. It took a moment for her to realize that there wasn’t a single scar anywhere on the front of his body. It wasn’t Ian; it was Devian.

Tawny amber eyes met and held hers, not letting go. With erotically charged calculation, Devian slowly raised both hands to slick his dripping hair back off his face and wring out the excess water, fingers laced at the nape of his neck. It was a pose that showed his extraordinary body to full advantage. Just to put the icing on the cake, the clone raised one foot to balance it on the rim of the tub. Since they had moved into the command center, since he was no longer living like a pariah, Dev had regained a little of the weight that he had lost. His body was perfect, magnificent; he was a living work of art, like a sculpture crafted by a master’s hand. Sara found that her mouth had gone dry. Green eyes were still locked with jungle-cat gold. Her own body’s reaction to the man in front of her was both emphatic and unmistakable. With a supreme effort, she tore her eyes away from his hot, golden gaze to glance rather desperately at the door. With smooth grace, Dev stepped out of the tub to stand dripping on the bath mat an inch away from her. “Don’t go,” he whispered. She dragged in a shaky breath as he moved even closer to her. “You’re making me wet,” she whispered. He smiled; just a quick, wicked curve of those enticing lips. “I certainly hope so,” he teased huskily. She started to move, just a tiny jerk toward the door, and his hand flashed out to grasp and hold the tie securing her robe.

Almost against her will, her eyes met his again. “I can’t do this,” Sara murmured. With the agile fingers of one hand, Dev opened the knot securing her bathrobe. “Yes. You can,” he softly replied, “I can sense that you want me. I can smell it. I can feel it.” Her robe, Ian’s robe, fell open. She shook her head stubbornly. “I came in here because I thought it was Ian in the shower,” she challenged, “I wanted him, not you.” With perverse relief, she watched his eyes darken with hurt. “I know that you love Ian, Sara” he rasped, “You don’t have to keep beating me over the head with it. I know that you don’t love me. But if you tell yourself that you don’t want me, you’re a liar.” Her eyebrow lifted. She had gained a little distance from temptation, but not enough. “You still want me to make love to you knowing that I came in here looking for another man?” she asked, “Don’t you have any pride?” Complex emotions flitted across his expressive golden eyes like fast scudding clouds in a storm-dark sky; she saw pain, regret, sadness, desire, longing. “I can’t afford pride,” he replied, his warm hand lifting to cup her breast, “I’ll take whatever you have left over; whatever you’re willing to give me.” The pad of his calloused thumb teased her already erect nipple, sending delicious erotic jolts along her jangled nerves. She felt a sudden gush of arousal as his other hand covered hers and guided it to his swollen shaft. “You haven’t touched me in such a long time, Sara,” he whispered, his voice hoarse with desire, “I need you so badly. Please touch me now. You do want me. You know you do. No one has to know that but us.”

She sighed and turned off the censor in her head. Devian was right; she finally acknowledged to herself, she did want him. She had never stopped wanting him really. She loved and desired Ian – that had not changed and it never would – but there was also an undeniable erotic pull drawing her to the clone. She ached for him in primal places that had nothing to do with her better judgment and she was sick of fighting it; so, she gave in, telling herself: “Just once more.” Her fingers opened and closed around the rigid length of him; silken skin sliding over hot, hard muscle. Dev shut his eyes and moaned from the back of his throat, a harsh, guttural growl of need. Encouraged by her touch, he pushed the robe off her shoulders. He wanted to rub against her with nothing between them; skin to skin. He pulled her close, loving the feel of every inch of her. Sara’s hand was wedged between them, still holding him, stroking him. Devian moved back a fraction to give her room to work on him. He shuddered and gasped, “Oh god, please don’t stop!” Breathing heavily, he reached behind her to yank a towel from the rack and toss it on to the top of the vanity surrounding the sink. Before she could consider the implications of what he had just done, Dev had grasped her by the waist and lifted her to sit on the towel. Green eyes wide, she opened her mouth to protest and he bent forward to plunder it with his own before she could speak.

Sara tasted of coffee and desire, and as he plunged his tongue between her lips, he moved his tall, lean length between her parted thighs. He kissed her until she started to get dizzy from too little air and too much heat. When Devian finally pulled back, panting, his hand covered hers again, drawing her fingers away from his throbbing erection. “You need to stop,” he whispered hoarsely, “If you don’t, I’ll come too soon. Let me please you for a while.” His eyes narrowed to burning, golden slits as her hands slid slowly up the long, taut muscles of his arms and over his shoulders to tangle in his damp, silky curls. “Yes,” she hissed, only now, in this moment, realizing how much she had missed the feel of his talented mouth and clever fingers on her body. Dev bent his shaggy head to her breast, his fiery mouth clamping around her nipple. At the same time, his left hand stroked down her body; his fingers trailing teasingly over her quivering stomach muscles, playing in the scoop of her navel, coming to rest finally in the soaking slit of her sex. When he delicately circled her clit with one stiff finger, Sara lifted her body off the counter where she sat. She felt the warm, strong fingers of his other hand quickly grip her derriere to hold her secure and still while he continued to caress her. Drowning in pleasure, she buried her face in his fragrant hair while he bent over her breast, sucking her nipple greedily. The familiar scent of Eucalyptus shampoo filled her senses. As she always did with Devian, Sara experienced the weird echo of déjà vu; he looked like Ian, he moved like Ian, he smelled like Ian…but he wasn’t Ian.

Thought fled as delicious sensations shivered through Sara when he skillfully used his tongue and teeth on her straining flesh. At the same time, his stroking fingers were bringing her nearer to a shattering climax. While he played with her now-swollen nub, Dev had pushed two fingers deep inside her. She was arching so hard against his amazing hand that the clone had to move closer to her, wedging her more tightly between his body and the restraining hand he had clamped to her bottom to keep her from falling. Sara suddenly came, a wild orgasm exploding deep inside her and sending shock waves rolling through her vaginal tunnel. Feeling an unstoppable yelp bubbling up from her throat, she tugged on Devian’s hair, lifting his head so that their lips could come together like magnets. They were locked in a deep, wet, open-mouthed kiss when the sound burst from her. It was muffled into a throaty growl that rumbled through her into him. Their mouths finally parted with a smooth, slippery smack and they froze, their faces inches apart, looking into each other’s eyes.

Her emerald green eyes were a bit dazed and Sara whispered frantically, “What are you doing to me?” Dev drew in a shaky breath before giving her the rakish, cocky grin that she had come to know so well. He lifted a hand to gently brush back some hair that had tumbled across her forehead. “I’m making love to you,” he responded, voice soft and husky with passion, adding, “And I want more. I want to be inside you.” Still soaking wet and throbbing from her orgasm, Sara wanted that too. She wanted to feel the hot, hard length of him buried in her to the hilt. Mesmerized by the feral, golden eyes gazing into hers, she growled, “Yes. Right now. Hurry.” Not hesitating another second, he immediately stepped forward to push deep inside her with one long, powerful stroke. Making an inarticulate sound of pure pleasure at the feel of him filling her, Sara leaned her body back on the vanity. She stretched her arms out behind her to brace herself and pushed her hips forward to connect with him more solidly. Wrapping her thighs tightly around his narrow hips, she locked her heels behind his waist.

They gazed at each other hotly for another moment before he started to move. Dev leaned forward to grip her bottom hard, one cheek in each hand. He dragged her forward even more, the towel sliding beneath her along the slippery countertop. When they were jammed together tightly, he began to flex his hips, pumping into her with long, staccato strokes that he punctuated with soft grunts of exertion. Wanting to be closer to him, to feel more of him against her, Sara pushed her hands away from the counter to lean forward and wrap her arms around his neck. At the same time that she pushed her fingers into his thick, silky hair, she clenched her muscles around him where he pistoned inside her. Sara watched his jungle-cat eyes widen in appreciation of the sensation. “You like the way that feels,” she observed, leaning farther forward to rub noses with him. “I love the way you feel,” he corrected, dropping his head to nuzzle his lips against the side of her neck. “All of you,” he added, voice now muffled against her skin, lips and tongue working, “I love the way you smell. I love the way you taste.” Amused, Sara snorted softly as she pushed her fingers through his hair. “I get the picture, Sparky,” she murmured, “You might want to give it a rest before you start to annoy me.” Dev lifted his head and the wide, golden eyes were bright with humor. “Too much?” he asked breathlessly, teasing, “Was I laying it on too thick? It’s true though, you know; just the scent of you sometimes makes me hard.” She smiled and ran her fingers down his long spine; brushing the six, barely-healed claw furrows across his back. Her hands cupped his perfect, dimpled bottom, digging in her nails. “That’s because you have no control,” she taunted, grinning, “I suspect that watching paint dry might make you hard.” He responded with a soft, sexy chuckle. “Hey,” he protested, nuzzling her again, reveling in the closeness, “I’m not quite that easy. Almost – but not quite.”

Sara had finally realized that he was trying to distract them both from focusing directly on what they were doing so that it would last longer. Throughout the entire conversation, he had been steadily thrusting into her and she had been gripping him tightly to enhance the friction between them. Now, she shifted her hips a little and Dev suddenly penetrated farther than before, hitting a hot spot that made them both lose the artificial distance that they had created. She moaned deeply and he cried out her name with that sweet, little catch in his voice. The smart comment that he had been about to make evaporated from his brain in a bright haze of desire. And, just that suddenly, it was very serious. They were caught in the molten, liquid drag of a slowly building climax. There was no more talking. Instead, they stared into each other’s eyes, panting, their lower bodies coming together hard and fast now. She felt his left hand graze her hip before it settled back between her legs. He unerringly found her swollen clit and rubbed it sensually. The muscles low in her belly started to quiver. “Jesus, Sparky,” she whispered hoarsely, shutting her eyes. He smiled and pressed a little harder. Sara gasped and, striking swift as a cobra, dropped her head to his chest and closed her lips around his flat, hard nipple. Now his eyes shut as he pulled in air in a long, low hiss. Devian’s other hand left her bottom to tangle in her thick, honey brown hair as he clutched her head against his chest. In her slick, dripping heat, he pressed harder yet again. She bit him sharply enough that he let out a little yelp, caught somewhere between pleasure and pain.

Sara came with a high, keening cry; her body arching so hard against Dev that she almost knocked him off balance. Her muscles clamped around him as the orgasm rolled through her. That constriction broke his control, making him come hard deep inside her; the hot semen jetting out of him in delicious spurts that brought exquisite waves of pleasure. To try to stifle the soft, hoarse cries that were torn from him, the clone bent forward to press his head down against hers and to push his face into her thick hair. “Oh god,” he gasped, unable to help himself, “I love you. I love you.” They stayed like that, leaning against each other, breathing hard, for several minutes. Still panting, Sara slowly unwrapped her legs from around him. She finally lifted her head from his chest, forcing Dev to raise his head as well. They looked into each other’s eyes. Still locked as close together as two people could get, Devian felt her begin to pull away from him; he saw the distance growing behind her eyes. He had sworn to himself that he was not going to cling and, now, desperate not to lose her again, he did just that. The clone tightened his arms around her and begged, “Please don’t leave yet. Stay with me a little while longer. Please.” She frowned, sighing softly, and he sensed her annoyance. He immediately loosened his grip on her. The vulnerable, golden eyes dropped, now shielded by thick lashes. “Idiot,” he berated himself in his head, “Keep on this way and you’ll just push her away again. You can’t force her to stay with you if she doesn’t want to.”

Devian drew in a long, shaky breath, fighting to master his frustration and fear. Each time Sara touched him, it felt like it might be the last and that uncertainty was damaging him in very real ways. His nights were plagued by insomnia and nightmares – not to mention the unwanted, vicarious experience of her making love with Ian. Dev lifted his head, determined to brazen it out. He knew that he couldn’t force her to want him as more than an occasional, quick lay when she was in the mood. He didn’t meet her eyes because he was afraid that his would show too much. Instead, he whispered, “I’m sorry,” and started to pull out of her, figuring that she was finished with him once again. She slid her hands up over his smooth skin, just starting to cool again after their sexual conflagration, to grasp the hard muscles of his upper arms. “Stop,” she ordered mildly. He froze, doing as she asked. Sara lifted her hands to cup his bearded face, attempting to raise it so she could look in his eyes. Dev resisted. “Look at me,” she said. It came out a bit more harshly than she had intended but, this time, his response was immediate. He lifted his head fully and looked at her directly. Gazing into his big, golden cheaters, she could see that he was expecting to get slapped down again. She could see that he was trying to prepare himself for the fresh pain of rejection that always seemed to follow hard on the heels of their making love. She lifted one hand to brush back a dark curl that had tumbled across his forehead and Devian winced. Her heart lurched as she realized how perfectly she had conditioned that reaction in him.

Sara bent forward and gently kissed his sensuous mouth, dragging her tongue lightly along his lower lip. Dev responded but was too wary to push it further. “We can’t keep doing this,” she said softly. He tried to drop his head again so that she wouldn’t see the pain that welled up in his eyes. “No,” she quickly added, gripping his chin to hold him still, “That’s not what I meant.” She saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed hard. A single tear slipped out of the corner of his right eye and slid slowly down his cheek. “Dev,” she said, stretching out a finger to gently brush away the tear. He shut his eyes and made a soft sound in his throat. “This thing that’s between us is not just the Witchblade. It’s more. I can’t say what you want to hear – that I love you – but I can say that it’s more than casual sex.” His eyes had opened, his lips had parted, and now Devian was looking at her with a kind of wonder. “Are you saying…” he started hoarsely. He had to stop and clear his throat before he could go on. “Are you saying that we can have a real relationship?” he asked, his golden eyes huge and luminous, “That we can do more than this?” His hand waved vaguely, taking in the bathroom.

Sara smiled at his innate delicacy. “You mean more than bang each other in awkward places whenever I get an itch?” she replied, “Yeah. I guess that’s what I mean. Be patient with me though, Sparky. I’m not sure how all this is going to work in practical terms yet.” He nodded slowly and asked the $64,000 question, “What about Ian?” She stroked his cheek and he turned his face to kiss the palm of her hand. “I think that Ian will be okay with it,” she responded quietly. “Why should he be?” Devian whispered, his face still turned into her hand. Sara shrugged and he lifted his head to look at her again. “Because of the connection; the connection that the Witchblade forced on us,” she explained, struggling to marshal her thoughts, “When I make love with Ian, you feel it. When I make love with you, he feels it. The three of us are lovers now anyway whether we’d choose to be or not.” The clone frowned. “That’s not quite the same thing as both of us sharing you openly, Sara,” he challenged, “Is that what you’re saying? Are you ready for that? Is Ian?” She leaned forward to suck on the sensitive skin at the side of his neck. Dev shut his eyes and she felt him jump inside her. Her muscles automatically tightened around him. He moaned softly. Her head still lowered, she whispered, “I want you, Dev. There’s a strong sexual attraction between us that isn’t going to go away. Ian understands that. He wouldn’t accept it with any other man; then again, he wouldn’t have to. It’s because you are who you are that makes everything different.” He dug his fingers into her hair and pulled back, forcing her to lift her head. “Who I am or what I am?” he challenged, eyes bright.

“Are you asking me if the fact that you’re Ian’s clone makes a difference, has an effect on my decision?” she countered. Dev bit his lip, wondering whether he really wanted to know the answer to that question. Finally, he nodded. Sara studied him before she replied, “I won’t lie to you, Sparky. Of course it does. I’m sure that a substantial part of the reason that I’m attracted to you is because I love Ian. I’m also sure that the Witchblade connected me to you because you’re Ian’s clone. That fact can’t be separated out of the equation. On the other hand, there are unique things that I like about you too.” Devian snuggled a little closer to her, his warm hands sliding up and down her back. “Such as?” he pressed. Sara snorted. “This is embarrassing,” she hedged, “Particularly considering the position that we’re in right now.” He tilted his head and asked, “Why?” She chuckled. “Because one of the things that draws me to you is your innocence, your vulnerability, the big part of you that is still a child. It brings out my admittedly stunted maternal instincts; which kind of comes across as perverted at the moment considering that we’re jammed together like this.” The clone really smiled now, accepting that she might actually want him for himself, and gave his hips a little twist. She gasped because it felt very good. He was almost fully erect again.

Sara wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. Dev responded with equal passion. When they pulled apart again, panting, she rested her forehead against his. “Are we doing this again?” she asked breathlessly. He made a soft sound as he nibbled on her ear lobe. “I’m the one who’s been lying awake down the hall while you made love with my brother,” he murmured in her ear, “Feeling everything but sharing nothing. I could do this all day long, over and over.” She snorted. “A bit horny, are we?” she asked rhetorically. He answered her anyway. “I don’t know about you,” he whispered, giving her ear a good bite, “But that term is way too mild for what I’m feeling.” Now, he lifted his head and looked at her, dark brows furrowed. “Even so, for me, it’s much more than the sex,” he said, “You know that.” She was having difficulty concentrating on what he was saying, now that he was hot and hard, filling her again. Sara made an effort to focus because she realized that this was important to the clone.

“What do you want me to say, Sparky?” she asked him huskily, “You know that I’m attracted to you, that I want you. I’ve even grown fond of you – in my way. But my heart belongs to Ian.” She watched desperate longing flash through his tawny eyes. “Maybe someday you could learn to love us both?” he asked wistfully. The strength of that need in him was palpable to her. Sara was sorry that she couldn’t give him more, but she wouldn’t lie to him, give him false hope. She shrugged and replied, “Maybe. I don’t know. I can’t promise that.” Devian nodded and, with an effort, let it go. He was aware that he was getting clingy again and this time he was determined to control it. Instead, he decided to show Sara how he felt; that was much more pleasant for them both. He gave her his cocky grin and asked, “So, you want to fool around again?” That grin was infectious. She smiled back at him, wrapping both her arms and legs around his torso. “What do you think?” she countered.

Devian bent forward to nuzzle against her neck and whisper in her ear, “Want to go to my bedroom? I even changed the sheets this morning.” She put her hand on his warm, bare shoulder and pushed him back a little. His head came back up. “I won’t be that obvious until I talk to Ian,” she told him, “I won’t make this official until I know that it’s alright with him.” Devian felt the ground that he had just gained slipping away again like quicksand beneath him. On the other hand, he understood her feelings; he didn’t want to sneak behind his brother’s back either or flaunt anything in his face, as if it were an insult. Devian wasn’t trying to take Ian’s place; he knew that he never could. He just wanted a small place of his own in their lives. He tilted his head and asked, “You want to stay here?” She nodded, adding, “Why don’t we get back in the shower? I could use a wash after my workout. We can play with the soap.” He grinned, obviously liking that idea. “Hold on tight,” Dev growled softly as he lifted her off the vanity. Sara let out a low cry as the clone exuberantly swung her up and around, stepping back into the tub with her clinging to his body like a new appendage.

Ian sat tensely in the borrowed jeep. He was parked in the garage below the command center. A large, cardboard box sat on the seat beside him. When he had felt what was happening as he was driving back, he had almost had an accident in the packed midtown traffic. Fortunately, with his usual sloppy parking luck, he been able to quickly find a place to pull over to the curb and ride it out. Even though he had been expecting it, had felt the tension between them building to this inevitable release, it was a shock when it actually happened; it had still caught him off guard. By using every bit of control he possessed, Ian had managed to get through their encounter without calling attention to himself. When it was over, he had pulled himself together and had driven the rest of the way home. He had been in the garage about to get out of the jeep when they had started again. Gritting his teeth, Ian realized that he should have expected this. It had been a long, long dry spell for Devian and the clone had been suffering. Once had been unlikely to be enough. Already swamped with vicarious pleasure, Ian blindly opened the glove compartment and groped around hoping to find something he could use. When his hand closed over a small package of tissues, he sighed with relief. He quickly dragged a wad of tissues loose with one hand while he freed his throbbing erection with the other. Saying a silent prayer that neither Vicki nor Gabriel had a reason to come down to the garage during the next few minutes, Ian gave himself over to what was happening somewhere in the structure above him between the other two members of their merry Band.

Ian finally left the jeep a half hour later. He angled his long body out of the car gingerly and shoved the sticky, wadded tissues that he still held in one hand into his jacket pocket. He stood still for a moment to catch his breath before leaning back into the car to slide the large box across the front seat and lift it on to one broad shoulder. Slamming the car door behind him, Ian headed for the freight elevator. The sex by proxy had drained him and he decided that he wasn’t up to climbing three flights of stairs at the moment. Once on the elevator, he used the still simmering connection to locate the recent lovers: Sara was in their bedroom; his brother was in the bathroom that he and Gabriel had appropriated as their own. Sara responded to his soft, mental touch with a muddled combination of shock, guilt, and resignation. Dev shot back similar emotions that were finally capped in his characteristic bravado, rather than the acceptance from Sara that the whole triangular mess between them had finally come to a head – no pun intended, Ian thought with rather tired, dark humor. The Wielder had been running from her relationship with the clone from the moment it had turned sexual; it was time to stop and take a good, long look at the connection that the Witchblade had forged among the three of them. It was time for them to decide how they were going to face the future, who would share whose bed, and how they were all going to live with each other afterwards. They needed to talk, the three of them, and make some decisions. When he rolled up the elevator door on the second floor, there was a determined set to Ian’s jaw. He was sick of pussy footing around – his lips quirking at yet another sexual innuendo. Dropping the big box to the floor, he set off to beard his lover and his brother. They were going to talk it out this time if he had to tie them down to do it. The visual that went with that one actually made him laugh.

When Ian walked into the master bedroom, Sara was sitting in the middle of the king-size bed wrapped in his old, white terry robe, drying her hair with a towel. As she lifted her head, dropping the towel back around her shoulders, she saw him standing in the doorway and her eyes widened. In the next second, a hooded, guarded look masked her brilliant, green gaze. Ian smiled wryly, knowing his lover very well. He would bet that she was already starting to backpedal inside her head, trying to come up with reasons why her latest liaison with Devian should be viewed as an aberration that should not be repeated. She dropped her eyes, wringing her hands together in her lap. “I’m sorry, Ian,” she mumbled, “It just kind of happened.” When he didn’t answer, she lifted her eyes to find him smiling back at her. Her brows knitted. “It’s alright, Sara,” he replied, “The only thing that surprised me was how long it took for you two to come together again.” Ian gave his head a little shake – more sexual innuendo. He seemed to be mired in it. She was still frowning at him, confused. “We need to talk,” he added, “Devian too. I’m going to go get him. Is that okay with you?” Sara shook her head. “I don’t understand,” she rasped, “Aren’t you angry with me, with him? Do you want to bring him in here so that you can confront us together?”

Ian sat on the bed and took her hands in his. “I’m not angry, love,” he said, “Not with either of you. The Witchblade connected the three of us through our sexuality. That connection is strong and it is, apparently, permanent. We cannot evade that reality any longer. We need to decide how we are going to deal with it, now and in the future.” Sara stared back at him, all the confusion and unhappiness that she had been feeling since she had first mated with Devian filling her eyes. He reached out a hand to brush her cheekbone softly with his knuckles. “It’s alright,” he repeated, asking again, “Can I bring him in?” Sara drew in a long, shaky breath and nodded. Ian stood and left the room. A couple of minutes later, he returned, followed closely by Devian. The clone had put on a pair of tight jeans and a red, cashmere sweater. He was, as usual, barefoot. Sara and Dev shared one intense glance and then both dropped their eyes. Ian laughed out loud as he clambered on the bed next to Sara. Dev perched himself gingerly at the bottom of the bed, eyes still lowered. Ian looked from one to the other of them before he said, “We have to stop being so embarrassed about sex around each other. After all, there can really be no secrets when the Blade opens us to what the other is feeling.” Dev shrugged. Eyes still down, he softly answered, “I’m not embarrassed. I’m certainly not ashamed. I don’t want to cause any problems between you two, but I also don’t want to be alone any longer. I want a life with the woman I love.” He paused briefly, then added quickly as if trying to forestall someone before they contradicted him, “I know that she doesn’t love me.” He took a deep breath and finally raised his eyes, looking directly at Sara. “But she does want me in her bed,” he finished, “I don’t see any reason why we can’t be together there.” The clone’s gaze now shifted to Ian. “I don’t expect to come first,” he explained, “I know that she loves you. I accept that I’m the backup, sloppy seconds, whatever you want to call it.”

Ian studied his little brother. “That was quite a speech,” he observed. Dev started to bristle and Ian held up a hand. “Take it easy. Don’t get defensive on me,” he said, “We need to keep our sense of humor about this whole situation, don’t you think?” Devian frowned. “I haven’t found much to laugh about the last few weeks,” he pointed out. Ian nodded. “I know,” he agreed, “It’s been difficult for you.” The clone made a soft sound, thinking that was an understatement. However, fresh from making love with Sara, Devian was finally feeling loose and deliciously sated in spite of the tense situation; before that though, his repressed desire had been wound tight enough to snap at the slightest breath. Ian turned to Sara. “Want to join in the conversation, love?” he asked. She shrugged. “You two seem to be doing okay,” she said, “I’ll jump in when I have something of value to add.” He nodded, then said, “You might want to brace yourself. I think you’ll want to ‘jump in’ when you hear what I’m about to suggest.” She looked at him blandly and shrugged again; just a tiny hitch of her shoulder. “Fire away, sport,” she directed. He nodded, then watched them both for another moment, trying to gauge their mood. “Okay,” Ian thought, “Here goes.” Aloud, he continued, “For reasons that we don’t understand, the Witchblade has seen fit to create a connection among the three of us. That connection appears to be both psychic and physical. So far, we’ve mostly been evading the ramifications of the link that’s been forged between us. I suggest that we approach it in a whole new way. I propose that we actively seek to strengthen the connection and develop it, rather than try to ignore it.”

Sara studied Ian warily. “How?” she asked, “You mean like do mental exercises, talk to each other in our heads, play mentalist party games – that kind of stuff?” Ian nodded. Dev was staring at his brother carefully, a small smile playing with the corners of his mouth. “You mean more than that though, don’t you, Ian?” the clone asked, “You’re talking about the sex too.” Again, Ian nodded. Now, Sara’s head came up sharply and her nostrils flared, like an animal scenting danger. “Whoa!” she barked, “What’s this? What are you saying?” Ian calmly returned her stare. “I’m suggesting that Dev move in here with us,” he replied, “Sleep with us in this bed.” Her eyes got huge and her mouth dropped open. “You’re kidding,” she managed. Devian studied his brother appreciatively and laughed happily. Ian frowned at the clone. “This isn’t a free orgy card, Dev,” he chastened, “That’s not the point.” Devian reined himself in and tried to look serious. “Of course not,” he replied. After a pause, he added, “What is the point?” Ian sighed, confirming to himself as he’d suspected that he had to be the objective voice of reason in this triangle. His partners were both too hung up on the sexual aspect of the connection: Sara running from it and Devian dashing toward it. “The point is that we have the opportunity to turn ourselves into a consummate fighting unit able to understand how each of the other members will think, act, and feel. We can become intimately aware of each other’s mental and physical strengths and weaknesses, and be able to compensate for them instinctively because we will know each other on an almost cellular level. That would make us a truly formidable adversary.”

Sara slipped her tongue into her cheek and asked Ian, “So, you’re saying that you and Dev would become lovers then too?” Ian’s mouth dropped open. There was a long pause while he flushed scarlet. It was clear that she had caught him completely flat-footed; such a thought had obviously never entered his head. He looked back at her wide-eyed. “No, I, uh…,” he stammered, before clearing his throat and collecting himself. “I didn’t mean…,” he started again, swinging his head around to look at Devian. Ian wondered suddenly whether the clone had also misinterpreted his intentions. Dev’s face went utterly blank as he held up both hands in a restraining gesture. “No offense,” he replied, a wicked gleam dancing in his wide, golden eyes at his brother’s distress, “You just don’t appeal to me in that way, Ian. I could love you as a friend and a brother but I’m afraid that’s as far as my interest goes. Though, don’t get me wrong, you are a very attractive man.” Sara giggled because, of course, one Nottingham was a mirror image of the other. “It would be kind of like very fancy masturbation,” Sara mused. Now, Dev chuckled dryly. “Well, Lord knows, I am intimately familiar with every possible permutation of that particular activity,” he mumbled, “Maybe it isn’t so far fetched after all.” Sara laughed and Ian, still flustered, shut down the topic for good. “I was talking about the two of us with you, Sara,” he said emphatically, “Not with each other.”

“I see,” she replied, studying her nails while she thought about it, “So, I’m supposed to make love to both of you simultaneously.” Ian tried to decipher her tone before he responded, “You’re actually doing that now anyway. One of us is just experiencing it vicariously.” Sara looked at him curiously. There was a pause before she asked, “What’s it like? How much do you feel when I’m touching Dev?” Her eyes were drawn to Devian who had made a soft, strangled noise. She blinked. “A lot, I guess,” she deduced. Ian nodded slowly. “I feel everything as if it was happening to me and as if I was doing it – only, at a slight distance,” he answered, “I’m not sure how to describe the sensation; sort of like you’re touching me through a thick, velvet cloth.” She looked puzzled. “Why don’t I feel anything?” she asked. Ian smiled. “I’ve thought about that one a lot,” he said. From his spot at the bottom of the bed, Devian mumbled, “Not half as much as I have, I’ll bet.” Ian gave his little brother a sympathetic glance. “I think all the vicarious sensations get channeled to whichever one of us is inactive when the other two are together,” Ian explained. Devian made a low noise. “That means me,” he inserted sarcastically. Ian cleared his throat and they both looked at him. “Not today,” he amended. Dev inclined his head in acknowledgement. “And inactive is a relative term,” the clone added.

This time, the look that Sara leveled on Ian was speculative. “You’re wondering what would happen if none of us was inactive, if we were all doing each other at the same time,” she murmured. Ian smiled and touched the tip of his finger to the tip of his nose. Devian chuckled. “Could be dangerous,” he suggested, “Maybe we’ll all just explode in one colossal orgasm. All that would remain would be a quivering puddle of cum and an air of satisfaction.” Sara laughed. “You do have a vivid imagination, Sparky,” she said. She turned to Ian looking a bit doubtful. “That’s not a possibility. Right?” she asked him. He smiled at her reassuringly. “I think it’s a safe bet that we won’t explode,” he agreed, “Other than that, I’m not sure what will happen. I suspect that the sensations will sort of circulate among us; that we’ll each feel what the others are feeling.” There was a long pause while they all thought about that. Typically, the clone broke the silence. “I’m game,” he said, grinning, “Sounds like a good time to me.” Devian stopped and put on a serious expression. “Sorry,” he continued, “I think we owe it to ourselves to explore all the possibilities offered by this connection that we have. After all, better to master the effects that it has on us, rather than allowing it to master us. Yes?”

Ian frowned, annoyed at his brother’s levity. “I assumed that you would agree, Dev,” he said, “The one who really needs to decide whether this whole premise is acceptable is Sara.” The two men turned to look at her, obviously waiting for an answer. She sighed. “I don’t get some time to think about this?” she asked. Ian smiled gently. “I doubt that this is the first time that you’ve thought about it,” he pointed out, “Is it, Sara?” She sighed again, deeper this time. “No,” she admitted, “It isn’t.” He nodded, pleased that she hadn’t tried to sidestep his question. She shrugged. “I guess we could give it a try,” she murmured, “See what happens.” She was still frowning and Ian reached out to capture her fingers in his. “What is it?” he asked, “Just say it. We’re here to thrash this out once and for all.” Sara looked uncomfortable. “It feels…,” she stopped, searching for the right word, “I don’t know – wanton or something, maybe. What are Vicki and Gabe going to think? I don’t think of myself as a prude but having two men in my bed seems kind of over the top even to me.” Dev chuckled and they turned to look at him. “Gabe will be happy for me,” the clone explained, “I’m sure he’s sick of me whining about the misery of my lonely bed and how much I wanted to be with you.” He stopped suddenly, realizing that he might have said too much.

Devian cleared his throat and added, “I have no idea how Vicki will take it. You two know her better than I do.” Ian studied his brother. He gave his head a little shake, amazed at how oblivious the clone was regarding Vicki feelings for him. Similar thoughts were flitting through Sara’s brain. “Vicki will be…,” she began. She and Ian finished that sentence together when they said in unison, “Pissed.” Dev looked surprised. “Why?” he asked a bit pugnaciously, “What’s it to her?” Sara squinted at him, trying to determine whether he was simply dissembling. She decided that he wasn’t. “You really don’t have a clue,” she said, “Do you, Sparky?” Aware that he was missing something, Dev asked irritably, “A clue about what? What’s the problem with Vicki?” Sara smirked at him and leaned forward to push her palm against his bent knee. “She’s got the hots for you big time, Dev,” she replied, “Now I can see why she’s been knocking her hormones against a brick wall. All this time, you’ve been completely unaware of how she felt, haven’t you?” The clone shrugged, looking embarrassed. “I picked up on some of it, I guess,” he mumbled, head down, “She’s been a little pushy a couple of times but I didn’t think much of it. I wasn’t really interested in her that way so it didn’t make a big impression on me.”

Devian’s big, tawny eyes lifted and met Sara’s. It was quite clear exactly where his interest did lie. She smiled a little sadly. “And now you’re thinking how much simpler everything would be if I just returned her interest and left you alone. Right?” the clone asked, the hurt he was trying to hold in check lowering the timbre of his voice. “I’m sorry that my love for you is inconvenient,” he continued, “I’m not trying to be perverse. I can’t seem to help what I feel; believe me, Wielder, you’re not an easy person to love. Perhaps it’s a flaw in my design; perhaps true humans are able to direct their emotions more productively. Blame Immo.” Sara studied the clone with narrowed eyes. “You’ve got a helluva chip on your shoulder, Sparky,” she hissed, “I didn’t say a word.” Dev gave a tiny shrug. “Deny it,” he challenged her. Ian, the referee, stepped in. “Cut it out,” he said to them. They both sat back and dropped their heads, looking for all the world like bad children reprimanded by Daddy. Ian fought back a smile and said to his brother, “Go get your things, Dev. Move them in here.” The clone gave a little nod but, when he looked up, he directed his gaze at Sara. “Are you sure?” he asked, offering her an out. She lifted her head and looked back at him directly. “Yeah, I’m sure,” she agreed, “Go get your stuff.” Without another word, Devian rose smoothly and went to pack his meager belongings.

When they were alone, Sara studied Ian and asked, “Are you sure?” She put her emphasis on the “you.” Now, he did smile. “Have you ever known me to make a decision without thinking it through from every angle?” he asked. That made her laugh. She settled for the short answer. “No,” she agreed. He nodded. “Then you have answered your own question, haven’t you,” he observed, adding, “I have a treat for you.” Her whole face lit up. Sara had had enough life-altering decisions for one day; she was ready for some fun. She rubbed her hands together like a kid. “What is it?” she asked. He grinned and leaned close to her, whispering, “Shut your eyes.” She did and he stood, calling over his shoulder as he left the room, “Keep them shut. I’ll be right back. No cheating!” Ian came back carrying the big box that he had left by the side of the elevator. He set it gently on the bed in front of Sara and said, “You can open your eyes now.” She looked at it cautiously and asked, “What is it?” Ian sighed. “I’m hoping we’ve come a long enough way that you won’t be upset with me over this,” he said softly, looking at her directly, “First, let me say that I was not a party to the fire that destroyed your loft. When I found out what Irons had planned, I was in Munich. He sent me there because he knew that if I was able to, I would have found a way to stop it. By the time I discovered his intentions, I was too far away and it was too late. So, I did what I could.”

Sara studied him carefully. She hadn’t thought about the fire in a long time. Sara realized that her fingers were shaking, so she linked them together to stop the trembling. “What did you do?” she whispered. He pushed the big box a little closer to her across the bed. “Open the box,” he replied. She stayed still a few moments longer, staring at the closed lid. Then, in one swift movement, she pushed off the lid and bent forward to look inside. When her eyes made sense of the shapes within the container, she gasped, putting both hands over her mouth. Her eyes welled up and slow tears started to roll down her cheeks as she reached into the box to gently remove an old photo album. Sara dropped her head and held the album against her chest with both arms. “Is it everything?” she whispered, “All my treasures, all the memories that I thought I had lost?” Ian reached out a hand to lightly skim it over her hair. “You can’t lose memories, love,” he reminded her softly, “But, yes, I think we got everything. I think it’s all there.” She was crying freely now and Ian shifted awkwardly on the bed, wanting to comfort her and not sure how to do it. This wasn’t going the way that he had thought it would. “Oh, Ian,” she sobbed softly, “I thought that all of this was gone for good.” He cleared his throat, then asked, “Do you want me to leave you alone?” She suddenly turned to him and flung herself into his arms, pressing her face into the sweet curve between his chin and shoulder. “No,” she whispered, voice muffled against his skin, “I want you to share it with me.”

Vicki walked into the main room of the command center rubbing her tired eyes. It was so dark that she could barely make out Gabriel hunched over the keys of one of the computers. Moving carefully in the large, dimly lit room, she navigated to the doorway where she flicked on the light switch. Soft light flooded the wide, open space before her and Gabe looked up, startled and blinking rapidly. “Hey there, doc,” he croaked. She walked over and sat down across from him. “Didn’t you notice when it got dark?” she asked, “You’re going to ruin your eyes.” He gave her a sweet, lopsided smile. “What?” she asked. He squinted at her and responded, “My mom used to tell me that.” Vicki grimaced, her lips thinning. “Swell,” she mumbled, “Now I’m reminding the opposite sex of their mothers.” She sighed, adding, “Where is everybody? I have to talk to Sara.” A tone in her voice rang a warning bell in his head. “Is something wrong?” he asked. Instead of answering him, she asked, “Do you know where she is?” Gabriel didn’t know what had happened upstairs but he did know better than to send Vicki Po unannounced into the middle of it. He stood and stretched. He had been sitting for so long that both of his knees cracked loudly. “Uh…,” he stalled while Vicki watched him, “I have to head upstairs for a minute anyway. Why don’t I tell her that you’re looking for her? I can send her down here to you.”

Obviously preoccupied, Vicki didn’t even question Gabe’s sudden nervousness. “Okay,” she agreed distractedly, “I’m going to go make some coffee.” As he headed toward the stairs, she called after him, “Tell her it’s important.” He waved a hand in acknowledgment and frowned, thinking, “What now?” At the top of the stairs, Gabe stood still and listened. It was quiet. He thought he heard soft voices coming from the direction of the master bedroom. He turned his head to glance at the bathroom he shared with Dev at the end of the hall. The door was open and the light was out. Well, he thought, if something had happened in there, it was over now. He squinted, inclining his head. It looked like the light was on in Dev’s room. Curious, he headed down the hall and stopped in the open doorway. His buddy was emptying the bureau, dumping clothes into a growing pile on the bed. Gabriel walked into the room and dropped into the old easy chair in the corner. “Did I fuck things up for you?” he asked, “Was Sara so pissed that she threw you out?” Dev sat on the bed, arranging himself into a limber, cross-legged heap. “Nah,” he replied, grinning, “She didn’t throw me out; and I owe you big time, pal.” Gabe grinned back. “Oh, yeah?” he asked, “So things worked out? What happened?”

The clone stretched languidly. “You’re a good friend, Gabe,” he said, “And you’re going to be happy to know that you won’t have to listen to me whine any more about feeling them making love down the hall without actually getting any.” Gabriel leaned forward. Now, he was really curious. “Hey,” he protested, “Stop with the tease and spill. What’s going on? What happened?” Dev shook his head as if he couldn’t believe it himself. “A miracle,” he responded, “That’s what happened. I’m moving into the master bedroom with Ian and Sara.” Gabriel’s mouth literally dropped open. He was stunned into silence for several moments. “You’re kidding,” he finally replied, “Whose decision was that?” The clone dropped his eyes and said softly, “You don’t have to say what you’re thinking. No. It wasn’t Sara. It was Ian who suggested it. He thinks that we should try and strengthen the connection that the Blade forged among us any way that we can. But Sara agreed to it.” Gabriel studied his friend. “Willingly?” he asked, “Did you two get together this afternoon?” Devian nodded. “We did…get together,” he confirmed, “Thanks to you. Like I said – I owe you big time. And if Sara was hesitant about letting me into her life, at least she was ready to give it a try. I guess I can’t really ask more than that of her. Maybe, in time, she’ll come to care for me as she does for Ian. I hope so.” Gabe stood and bent forward to clap the clone on the shoulder. “I hope so too, buddy, for your sake,” he said, “I know how badly you want that.”

Gabriel left Dev to finish his packing and headed down the hall to the master bedroom. The door was only open a crack. He could hear Sara and Ian talking softly inside. Gabe knocked on the door and Sara called, “Come on in, Dev.” Gabriel pushed the door open a little, saying, “Nah. It’s me. Is it okay for me to come in?” There was a brief pause and then Sara called, “Sure, Gabe. Come in. What can I do for you?” He stopped just inside the door, looking at the array of photos, albums, dolls, and other keepsakes spread all over the big bed. “Wow. What’s all this?” he asked. Sara looked up at him, eyes shining. “It’s my past,” she trilled, “I thought that I had lost it but Ian saved it. He got it out of the loft before Irons had it set on fire.” Gabriel’s eyes narrowed, shifting to Nottingham. Ian held up a hand, reading the other man’s mind. “I was in Munich when it happened,” he explained, “Irons got me out of the way because he knew that I’d interfere.” Gabe frowned. “Then how?” he asked, waving his hand at the memorabilia. “I suspected something was up, figured it out, and did what I could from Germany,” he replied. Sara cleared her throat and both men looked her way. “Did you need me for something?” she asked Gabriel. He blinked and shifted gears. “Oh, yeah,” he responded, “Not me actually. Vicki. I was coming upstairs and she asked me to tell you that she needs to talk to you. It sounded important.”

As Gabriel turned to leave, Sara called, “Gabe.” He frowned at the tone of her voice but, when he turned back to her, his face was carefully blank. “Chief?” he responded. She met his eyes directly and said, “You lied to me; a bald-faced lie right to my face.” He didn’t even flinch. “Yes,” he replied, “I did.” She narrowed her eyes and asked, “Why did you do it? You’re supposed to be my friend.” He shrugged, glanced briefly at Ian, and got a look on his face that plainly said: “the hell with it.” “Dev is my friend too, Sara,” he said, “And you were treating him really badly for no reason that I could discern. While you two have been schmoozing in here without giving him a second thought, he’s been miserable. Don’t get me wrong. In spite of what he’d say, he’s not a whiner. He tried to find his way through the insomnia, nightmares, and rejection on his own. He didn’t want to bother anyone with his issues. But, sue me, I like the guy. It bugged me to watch him suffer. I figured that you owed him a big one and it was time to pay up.” There was a long, long silence. Finally, Gabriel studied her and asked, “So, do we have a problem, Chief?” She made him wait a little longer before she said, “No, Gabe. We don’t have a problem. Try to manipulate me again and we might though.” He grinned and replied, “Then for the sake of our friendship, let’s hope that you don’t put me in a position again where it becomes necessary.” She shook her head, unable to stifle the grin that his unrepentant comment evoked. “You’re a pain in the ass,” she hissed. As he headed out the door, he called over his shoulder, “Look who’s talking. Don’t forget about Vicki.”

Sara started putting her treasures back into the cardboard box. She stopped, her hand halfway in the box, and looked at Ian. “I was a real bitch with Devian, wasn’t I?” she asked. The big, golden eyes that looked back at her were warm with love and humor. His lips twitched. “You were pretty raw with him, love,” he agreed. She thought about that for a few moments, then said, “The way that I was with you for so long. Right?” He shrugged. “When a person is on the receiving end of your disdain, Sara,” he murmured, “It does seem like a very long time. Yes.” She nodded and dropped the card that she had been holding into the box. Reaching out, she caught his hand in hers and stroked the back of it gently with her fingers. “I know,” she whispered, eyes down, “I don’t know why I acted that way with either of you.” With his other hand, he caressed her chin and lifted her face. Looking into her eyes, he softly responded, “You were afraid.” She studied his face as if memorizing it, then asked, “Of what?” He smiled gently. “Of yourself. Of what you felt,” he replied, voice still barely above a whisper, “Of losing control.” She nodded, accepting that explanation but not wanting to delve into it any farther. She took a deep breath and decided, “I better go find out what Vick wants. Maybe all that blood she took from us finally showed something interesting.” He said, “I’ll put the rest of this away if you like. There’s time. You can take all day tomorrow to go through it piece by piece.” Sara stood, took a couple of steps toward the door, stopped and turned back to look at her lover as he repacked her treasures. “Ian?” she murmured. He lifted his head and arched one dark brow. “I love you,” she said, with feeling. He smiled sweetly. “I love you too, Sara,” he told her.

Back down on the first floor, Sara wandered through the large main room. It was empty; so was the lab. As she approached the kitchen, Sara heard voices. Coming through the doorway, she found Vicki and Gabriel at the big, butcher block table in the kitchen cutting vegetables to dump in the marinara sauce simmering on the stove. “Hey,” she said, “Can I help or do you want to talk to me right now?” They both looked up and Vicki’s face froze at the sight of her. Sara’s stomach dropped. Vicki recovered quickly and smiled, saying, “Yeah. We need to talk.” She turned to Gabe and asked, “Can you manage here on your own if we disappear for a little while?” He looked back at her, obviously curious, and replied, “I think I can finish cutting the veggies by myself. Go ahead and talk.” As Vicki stood, he mumbled, “I hate mysteries. It makes me want to start searching for clues and tearing things apart.” Sara smiled; that was so Gabe. But Vicki just pointed out, “If Sara wants to share what I have to say, that’s up to her.” Gabriel held up his hands and said, “Cutting vegetables here, boss. Minding my own business.” Both women smiled. Vicki touched her friend’s shoulder and said, “Let’s go in the lab.” Sara nodded and followed Vicki, her stomach fluttering with dread. Once they were in the lab, Vicki shut the door and they sat across from each other at the long table that was filled with microscopes, slides, and various other scientific paraphernalia.

Sara started to wring her hands. “If it’s bad news, just give it to me fast,” she blurted. Vicki sighed and replied, “I don’t know whether it’s good or bad. I guess that’s up to you.” Unable to stay still, Sara got up and started to pace, mumbling, “Vick, you’re scaring me. Are you trying to scare me? Do I need to be scared?” Vicki cleared her throat and asked, “Are you using birth control, Pez?” Sara stopped, facing her, and stood very still. She had gone white. “Yes,” she replied in a very small voice, “Of course I’m using birth control. Why?” Vicki sighed again, nodding, and said, “I figured that you were. That makes it even stranger.” Sara dropped back into a chair as if she had been pole axed. “Oh dear god,” she breathed, “I’m pregnant. Aren’t I?” Vicki started to reach out to take her friend’s hand, but stopped just short of doing it. Instead, she just nodded quietly. Sara shut her eyes and shivered. “I don’t understand,” she whispered, “How can this be? I’ve been so careful.” Now, Vicki did take Sara’s hand. Sara clutched it as if it were a life preserver. “Careful may have made no difference,” she suggested, “In fact, I suspect that it would have happened no matter what precautions you took.” Sara’s eyes widened. She turned her head to stare balefully at her bracelet. “The Witchblade,” she hissed, “The Iunctura. It really was a mating ritual. I guess that also means that I have no choice about continuing with the pregnancy.” Vicki shrugged. “That would be my guess,” she responded.

“How far along am I?” Sara asked, “Whose baby is it?” She was starting to hyperventilate and Vicki stroked her arm and whispered, “Breathe, Sara. Take deep breaths and calm down. It will be alright.” Sara fought the panic that was jittering through her and struggled to do as Vicki instructed. When she seemed a bit calmer, Vicki asked, “Better?” Sara nodded shakily. “Okay,” Vicki continued, “There’s more. Brace yourself. The pregnancy seems to be developing a bit faster than normal.” Sara’s green eyes went huge. “Nothing too freakish,” Vicki assured her friend, “Just a bit off; a bit unusual. You seem to be around eight weeks – which probably isn’t possible. Right?” Sara shook her head. “But,” she said, “If it’s even close to that, it has to be Ian’s baby.” Vicki sighed. As much as she wanted to believe that, with the interference of the Blade, she didn’t think the resolution was that simple. If it was, what was the point of the second Iunctura with Devian? Aloud, she said, “I don’t think you can afford to jump to that conclusion.” Sara shut her eyes again. Still fighting the shock, her thought processes had moved a bit slower than Vicki’s but had arrived at the same destination. “When can I find out for sure who the father is?” Sara asked. Vicki pursed her lips and replied, “A very early amniocentesis can be done at ten to twelve weeks.” There was a pause before Vicki added, “Sara, didn’t you suspect anything? Didn’t you feel that something was different?”

Sara stood and began to pace again, wringing her hands. “So much has been happening, Vick,” she growled softly, “I knew that I’d been gaining weight lately but I thought that some of it might be due to the inactivity; the changes that I’ve been going through.” Vicki smiled wryly, thinking that that was an understatement. “Are you going to tell them?” she asked. Sara’s mind flashed back to Ian sitting on the bed carefully putting the treasures of her life, the memories that he had saved for her, back into the big, cardboard box. Her thoughts shifted and played an image of Devian standing naked in the tub across her mind’s eye. How would they react? Dev was still such a child himself. She shook her head, thinking about the enormity of the situation that they were in. Their lives were in tatters. They were fugitives from the law that had nurtured her and formed the basis of her adult life. Nothing was either safe or secure any longer. How on earth could she be having a child now? Why had the Witchblade done this to her, to them? Sara struggled to impose some order on her chaotic thoughts. “Yes,” she murmured, “Of course, I’ll have to tell them. We’re all going to have to go through this together. Will you help me?” Vicki’s dark eyes warmed as she studied her friend. She had had to shift and manage her own feelings – particularly for Devian, who might be the father of Sara’s child – since she had discovered that Sara was pregnant. She moved quickly to Sara and pulled her into her arms, hugging her tightly. “I’ll be right there beside you all the way, kiddo,” she whispered, “You’re my best friend.” Sara clung to her briefly, then stepped back and squared her shoulders. She glanced up at the ceiling; up at the second floor where her two men were waiting. “I might as well do it now,” she said softly, “Before I lose my courage.” She took a deep breath and headed toward the stairs.