"Blood Seduction"

Thanks for all the lovely feedback, everyone. I really appreciate it and it does keep me coming back to add more. We are slowly getting caught up on this story to the place that is still being written. When that happens, things are likely to slow down a bit as real life slams me. But for now, there's still a bit more that's already written. Enjoy and please keep your responses coming - it really does keep me honest...

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The atmosphere in the safe house during the following day was split dramatically. On the one hand, Vicki Po was walking on air. She may have finally come down from the roof but she still inhabited a higher realm than her housemates. Mobius had left her at mid-morning with a promise to return that evening. Not wanting to break the mood, Vicki had stayed in her rooftop aerie until her empty stomach had driven her downstairs around noon. By then, everyone had vacated the kitchen to attend to other pursuits. She hummed as she made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at the empty table. Her body on autopilot, her mind drifted back over a montage of delicious images from the previous night. One segued into another behind her eyes before she suddenly stopped, holding knife above bread in mid-stroke. She had just realized that the house was very, very quiet. There was an almost indefinable crackle of tension in the still air. Vicki knew that people were home; they were still fugitives, after all, forced to sequester themselves from searching eyes. When she had passed the lab on her way to the kitchen, she had seen Dr. Immo bent over a centrifuge, engrossed in the mechanics of a blood test. She had also heard the familiar tap of Gabriel’s fingers flying over computer keys when she had gone by the “cave” – their affectionate name for his computer room – a moment later.

Moby had told her that Ian was accompanying him for another series of meetings to prepare for the impending downfall of Kendall Irons, so she was aware that both of the Black Dragons were out and about; that left Sara and Devian. She hadn’t seen or heard either of them on her journey downstairs. Munching her sandwich, she set about making a fresh pot of coffee with one ear cocked for any stray sounds. She finished her lunch undisturbed, alone with her thoughts in the heavy silence. After cleaning up, she headed back upstairs. Vicki carried two mugs of coffee with her: a second cup for herself and a mug for Sara. Her thought was to find her friend and bring her the decaf as a sort of peace offering. The two women hadn’t had a good chat session since the whole mess with Devian had gone down. Although they had gotten past the confrontation that had driven the clone into the hands of their enemies, Vicki and Sara had not yet found their way back to the easy friendship that they had shared before Dr. Po’s jealousy had driven a wedge between them. At this point, her infatuation with Dev seemed like a prolonged episode of temporary insanity to Vicki. She wanted to mend fences with Sara. They had been friends for a very long time. It was a relationship that she had hoped was immune to the conflicts that a man could introduce between women. She was upset that she had let her unrequited desire for the clone harm their friendship.

Vicki found Sara in the guest bedroom. She was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed with pictures from the memory box that Ian had salvaged spread around her. Vicki stopped in the doorway and asked, “Can I come in? I brought you some decaf.” Sara lifted her head. The expression on her face was distant. Vicki added, “What are you looking at?” Sara smiled and held up the old photo that she had been studying. “It’s a picture of me as a baby,” she said, “I was wondering if my daughter will look like me.” There was a pause before Sara put down the picture and held out her now-empty hand, saying, “I’d love some coffee. Thanks.” Vicki crossed the room and handed Sara the mug before she sat at the bottom of the bed. She picked up the discarded photo and smiled. “You were a cute baby,” she observed, “I guess Immo determined that the baby is a girl. Did he also find out who the father is?”

Sara frowned, realizing that she hadn’t told Vicki about the babies yet. She cleared her throat. “I expect Immo to confirm what I already know,” Sara replied, “There are two babies: a girl and a boy. The girl is Dev’s and the boy is Ian’s.” Vicki looked back at her friend, eyes wide. “Is that even possible?” she asked. Sara smiled. “I imagine Ian would say something like ‘With the Witchblade, all things are possible’.” Vicki tilted her head, trying to decipher her friend’s expression. “How do you feel about all this?” she asked. She figured that Sara had probably accepted carrying Ian’s child fairly easily but having Dev’s baby was something else again. Vicki knew that Sara’s feelings for the clone had always been ambivalent. She could still vividly remember the devastated expression on Devian’s face when Sara had blurted out that she had never wanted him and that Vicki was welcome to him. Sara shrugged listlessly. “I feel sort of shell-shocked, I guess,” she responded, “The babies are already starting to use the connection to communicate with us; Sparky is all bent out of shape that I’m going to dump him and take away his daughter; and Ian wants us to have a three-way because he’s convinced that the Blade is using sex to strengthen the connection between us and that we have an obligation to explore that possibility.” Vicki’s eyes had gone even wider. “Whoa,” she remarked, “No wonder you’re sitting here trying to retreat into the past.”

Sara snorted and pushed a rough hand through her thick hair. “Yeah,” she replied, “I guess that’s what I was trying to do alright. Pointless, huh?” Vicki shrugged. “Pointless, maybe,” she agreed, “But understandable. None of this has been easy on any of you. However, you’re the one wearing that thing on your wrist and with what may be a whole new link in the evolutionary chain growing inside you.” Sara’s eyebrow lifted. “Thanks for that insight, Vick,” she returned dryly, “I can’t tell you how much better that makes me feel.” Vicki chuckled. “Not very helpful, am I?” she observed, “I’m sorry about what happened between us over Dev. I went a little nuts for a while but I think my head is on straight again now. If you need a friend, I’m here. I’ll stay with you through the whole thing and beyond if that’s what you want.” Sara’s eyes suddenly filled with tears. She hadn’t realized until that moment just how much she had missed her friend and confidante since their altercation over the clone had strained their friendship. She blinked rapidly, ducking her head, embarrassed by her emotionalism. “Yeah,” she mumbled, head still down, “I want. Thanks.” Amused, Vicki shook her head. Unlike Sara, she wasn’t the least uncomfortable with her feelings. Vicki spread her arms and said, “C’mon. Give us a hug.” Sara bent forward to embrace her friend a little stiffly, basically uncomfortable with any mushy stuff. Passion came more naturally than affection to the Wielder.

When she pulled back, Sara decided to broach a subject that had been on her mind a lot lately: the near future. What would they all do once Kendall Irons had been removed from the picture and they were free to return to their “normal” lives? Sara cleared her throat and Vicki turned toward her attentively. “Have you given any thought to what will happen after we leave here?” she asked, “If these government guys get rid of Kendall for us, I mean, and we’re free to go back to our lives?” Vicki nodded in acknowledgement. “Some,” she acceded, “Although I have to admit that most of my thoughts of the future center on a certain Black Dragon. But those are really my own insecurities clawing at me. It’s kind of hard to picture just going back to the Precinct and picking up my life as if nothing had ever happened.” Sara smiled ruefully. Dropping a hand to rub her slightly distended belly, she pointed out, “It’s going to be a bit harder in my case. Danny and Jake don’t even know about the babies yet.” Vicki’s eyes widened. “Lordy,” she exclaimed, “We’ve been so insulated here in our own little group that I completely forgot that they don’t know yet. That’s going to be one hell of a conversation.” Sara grimaced. “One that I’m not looking forward to,” she murmured, “And then, of course, there will be the rest of the Precinct. The way this pregnancy is advancing it’s not exactly something that I can hide.”

Sipping coffee, Vicki studied her friend sympathetically. “Maybe you should just take a leave,” she suggested, “You know the Captain is probably going to make you ride a desk at this point anyway. Right?” Sara frowned. She felt like her life as she had known it was slipping further and further away from her. She turned worried eyes on Vicki. “I don’t know if I’m cut out for this mother thing, Vick,” she mused, “I’m a cop. It’s what I am and I love it. I need to be out on the streets with Danny and Jake doing what I do; not in a nursery changing diapers.” Vicki nodded. She could see that under the testy exterior that Sara had presented to them all lately, her friend was terrified. Life as she had known it was about to change irrevocably and forever. “Okay,” Vicki soothed, “Maybe there are ways to make the change less drastic.” Sara shook her head, unconvinced. “I don’t see how,” she mumbled. Vicki thought for a moment and then suggested, “What about a nanny? Once the babies are weaned, you let a nanny take over and you go back to work. Women do it all the time.” Sara smirked. “Those are women with normal babies, Vick,” she responded, “Do you really think these kids are going to be anything like normal? These little darlings are already sending us thoughts from the womb.” Vicki sipped more coffee and thought about it some more. Sara had a point; whoever took them on, these babies were going to be a handful to care for and raise.

“What about Ian?” Vicki asked. Sara hitched her shoulder, not getting it. “What about him?” she countered. Vicki reached out to put her empty coffee mug on the bedside table. “You go back to being a detective and Ian becomes a full-time dad, staying home with the kids,” she suggested, “Lots of couples do it that way.” Sara’s brilliant green eyes narrowed. This was an angle that she hadn’t considered until Vicki had brought it up. What about Ian indeed; and, then, of course, there was also Dev. Her mind turned it over as she mused, “Ian, huh. I don’t know. We haven’t talked about it.” Vicki gave her an enthusiastic grin. “I bet he’d make a great house dad,” she replied. Sara nodded. “I’m sure he would,” she agreed, “Of course, with Kendall gone, something will also have to be done about Vorschlag. Once the legal mess is straightened out, Ian will most likely inherit Irons’ empire. That could actually become a full-time job for both Ian and Dev.” Vicki frowned before she asked, “Who’s going to train the kids in – you know…” She left the question hanging as she gestured at the ornate bracelet now resting somnolently on Sara’s right wrist. Sara lifted her hand slightly to stare at the large red stone. She shook her head and responded, “Now there’s a good question. Ian tried to guide me when he could but most of his knowledge came from Irons, who had his own agenda, of course.”

“I guess the mansion will revert back to Ian now too,” Vicki said. Sara brightened immediately. “Now, that’s something that I have given some thought,” she replied, “I have some ideas about living arrangements when this whole mess is settled. Want to hear them?” Vicki’s face creased in a cautious smile. “Do I need to get more coffee before you lay this on me?” she asked. Sara shook her head. “I think you’re fortified enough,” she said, adding, “Besides, these are just some thoughts that I’ve had lately. Nothing has been decided yet.” Vicki waved a hand, encouraging her friend to continue. “The mansion is huge and has a built-in staff,” Sara pointed out, “And, now, we’ve kind of all gotten used to living together. I thought maybe we could just sort of continue to do that. Then, we would all be in one place to provide a sort of support group for the kids. What do you think?” Vicki studied her for a moment, stunned, before she responded, “You, me, Ian, Dev, and Gabe. Is that it?” Sara nodded, then quickly added, “And Mobius.” Vicki’s mouth dropped open. When she could speak, she muttered, “Mobius too?” Sara nodded again and affirmed, “I feel pretty sure that Ian is going to want Moby to come to work for Vorschlag and I think he’ll accept.”

Vicki cleared her throat weakly and asked, “Doesn’t Gabriel have Talismaniac?” Sara shrugged. “He could always keep Talismaniac as his showroom but live with us at the mansion,” she reasoned, “I bet he’d be thrilled to be turned loose on Irons’ collection and Gabe would be another guide for the kids as he has been for me. Nobody is better at research than Gabriel.” Vicki tilted her head, lost in thought. After a long pause, she said, “With Immo going on the government’s payroll, I would come on board to take his place. Is that it? I would become the new resident R&D member of the team?” Sara shook her head. “Nah, that’s not what I thought,” she demurred, “I figured that you’d want to stay with the Department too. I know you love your work the same way I do. I’m only talking about changing your living arrangements not your occupation. That is, unless you want to.” There was another long pause while Vicki thought that over. “Why would I want to give up living on my own in my own place?” she asked, almost talking to herself. Sara answered her. “I thought the opportunity to be with Moby might have something to do with that,” she said. Vicki made a soft sound. “We’re both making a hell of a lot of assumptions here,” she pointed out, “I just met the man.” Sara smiled. “Sometimes that’s all that it takes, Vick,” she said.

“Are you planning to ask Danny and Jake to live at the mansion too?” Vicki asked. Sara laughed, shaking her head. “Danny and Lee have their own family life apart from the rest of us,” she replied, “Besides I don’t want to get them embroiled any deeper in the Witchblade universe than they’ve already become. It’s a dangerous world. If I can keep them only on the fringes of it, I will.” Vicki nodded, understanding Sara’s desire to keep her partner and his family free of the Blade’s machinations. “And Jake?” she asked. Sara shook her head. “I doubt that Jake believes even half of what Danny told him about the Witchblade,” she said, “He’ll want to go on pretty much the way that he always has. He’ll be more than happy to just get back to standard police work, I’m sure. Plus, he’s got a new relationship to occupy him according to Ian. Jake and Megan, the Nottie that Ian assigned to him, have gotten pretty serious.” Vicki had a faraway look in her eye as her mind ran back over her own aborted relationship with the rookie. “More power to her,” she finally murmured before falling silent again. Sara studied her friend for a little while before she asked, “So, what’s the verdict?” Vicki gave a tiny hitch to one shoulder, eyes averted. “I’ll give it some thought and get back to you,” she replied softly, “We don’t even know what will be happening with the mansion yet, after all. And, as far as Mobius goes, we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Sara smiled. “Okay,” she agreed, “But it feels right to me; all of us being together there by the time that the babies are born. It feels like it’s going to happen; just one big, thriving, dysfunctional family.” Vicki chuckled; however, her expression had sobered again when she asked, “And Dev – where does he fit into your pretty family portrait? It’s not your normal family grouping, is it – mommy and daddy and daddy?” Sara made a face. “I don’t have it all worked out yet, Vick,” she conceded, “Sparky falls into the column that’s headed with a question mark. He’s a problem. He’s been a problem from the moment that he first showed up on our doorstep.” Vicki, feeling a sudden twinge of sympathy for the clone, felt compelled to defend him. “He does love you, Sara,” she pointed out, “You know that. Right?” Sara shrugged. Vicki frowned and asked, “What is it about Dev that keeps you from letting him in? Why do you always keep him at arm’s length?” Now, Sara frowned. “He’s gotten a lot closer to me than that, Vicki, and you know it,” she remarked. Vicki shook her head. “Physically. You’ve let him close to your body,” she argued, “Mostly because you couldn’t help yourself I think.” Sara started to open her mouth and Vicki held up a hand to stop her rebuttal. “You’re preaching to the choir here, sista,” she continued, “The boy is hot. Lord knows, I wanted him so much that I made an idiot of myself in pursuit of him. You don’t have to justify his appeal to me.”

Sara turned her head away. She was uncomfortable with the direction that this conversation had taken. Vicki, however, continued as if she was oblivious to Sara’s unease. “From the beginning, you’ve kept Dev at an emotional distance,” Vicki pressed, “You won’t let him in. You won’t let him get close to you. Why is that?” Sara cleared her throat and suddenly stood, saying, “Do you want some more coffee? I think I’m going to get myself another cup. Want some?” She started to move past Vicki. Dr. Po reached out to catch her friend’s arm, holding her still. “You can’t keep avoiding this forever, Sara,” Vicki said softly, “He’s the father of your child. He’s probably going to be part of your life for a long, long time to come. It’s not like you not to face a problem head on. I think that’s why things are always so volatile between you and Dev. You need to come to terms with your feelings for him – whatever they are.” Sara sighed deeply. “I know,” she whispered, “I know I do. But not this minute. Let it go, Vick. Okay?” Vicki released Sara’s arm. “Okay,” she agreed, adding, “I’ll come with you to get the coffee.” Wisely, Vicki changed topics and the two women chatted quietly as they went downstairs to the kitchen.

The subject of their discussion had spent the morning in bed, reading. Dev was still occupying the master bedroom because it was where they had brought him after he had been hurt. Since he had taken residence, the clone had spent two days in the bed mostly unconscious; one night just sleeping with Sara; and another night alone and highly conscious of those who weren’t elsewhere in the house. Tonight, if all went as planned, he would share the bed with both Sara and his brother. The clone faced this unexpected turn of events with a combination of excitement and trepidation. Since the first moment that she had touched him and he had fallen hopelessly in love with her, Devian had yearned for a relationship with Sara that was more than physical. He ached for the intimacy that she enjoyed effortlessly with Ian. While she allowed Dev to share her passion, she would not open herself to his tenderness; something that he longed to give her. The evening ahead could change things between them; whether that change would be for better or worse remained to be seen. It was that uncertainty that made the already jittery clone even more jumpy. Unable to sit still any longer, Dev put aside his book and went to find Immo. He had decided that he wanted to take a long, hot shower before the evening’s festivities. Thin scar tissue had formed over the whip wounds on his back. His ribs felt as if they had begun to knit and heal. He wanted to lose the bandages. He wanted to face the night as a whole man again.

When Devian poked his head into the lab, Dr. Immo was bent over the lens of a microscope. He had to clear his throat twice before the doctor finally lifted his head. “Are you busy?” Dev asked. When Immo gave him a small, rather pained smile, the clone realized that he had just asked a really stupid question; of course the old man was busy. Without waiting for an answer, he continued, “Okay. I’ll make it quick. I want to take off the bandages around my chest to take a shower. I’m feeling pretty good and don’t think I need to get wrapped up again when I’m done. Alright?” The way that he said it, the question turned into a challenge. Immo inclined his head. “As you wish,” he replied, “Don’t get the splints on your hand wet.” Without wasting another word, he lowered his face back down to the microscope. The clone realized that he had been dismissed. Dev smiled ruefully at how easily the old man had turned the tables. The clone pivoted smoothly, sauntering down the hall and into the cave. When he entered the dark room, Gabriel looked up. Unearthly, green light from the computer screen in front of him sent eerie shadows chasing across the smooth panes of the young man’s face. “What are you doing up and prancing around again?” he asked the clone. Dev dropped into a chair next to his friend. Offended, he replied, “I don’t prance.” Gabe grinned. “You do around Sara,” he pointed out. Dev frowned. That’s probably one more failing, he thought. Aloud, he asked, “Do I?”

Gabriel chuckled at the glum look on Devian’s face. “Buck up, bucko,” he told his friend, “She probably thinks your prancing is sexy as hell. I, however, just find it mildly amusing.” Dev snorted and replied, “Trust me. It probably annoys her. I don’t think that there’s much of anything about me that she finds very pleasing.” The bitter undertone in the clone’s light banter alerted Gabe that this was not the right time to tease his friend. Gabriel removed his fingers from the keyboard and leaned back in the chair, folding his hands across his flat belly. “Maybe the time has come to let yourself think about this whole thing with Sara in a different way, Dev,” Gabe suggested, “Maybe you need to face the worst that could happen so that you can come out on the other side of it.” Devian tilted his head, his dark brows arching in confusion. “I don’t understand. What are you saying?” he asked. Gabriel took a deep breath and plunged right in. “What would you do if Sara decided once and for all that she didn’t love you and that she didn’t want to be your lover ever again?” he asked. Without moving a muscle, the clone reacted violently to his friend’s suggestion. Gabriel could almost feel every molecule of Dev’s long, lean body drawing away from the question that he had posed. Finally, Devian whispered, “If I let myself think like that, how can I ever win her love? If I let myself accept defeat, haven’t I already lost her?”

Gabe sighed. He saw a world of pain ahead for his friend. He clapped Dev on the shoulder companionably before turning back to his computer. “All I’m saying is that maybe you should try to picture a future for yourself that doesn’t include being part of a couple – or even a triad – with Sara,” Gabriel murmured, “There are other things that can make your life worthwhile, you know. You’re going to have a daughter. You have friends. There will be work to do. And, there are even other women out there in the world just waiting to make a guy like you the love of their life. Give yourself some time, buddy, and leave yourself open to other possibilities. That’s all I’m saying.” Dev turn devastated, golden eyes on his friend and Gabe saw that the clone was trying to get his head around a life without Sara. Devian pushed long fingers roughly through his bound hair. The leather cord that held it back broke and his dark, silky curls tumbled free to frame his beautiful face. He shut his eyes, the thick, black lashes resting like lush wings on his pale cheeks. “How do I stop loving her, Gabriel?” he asked, voice strained, “Tell me how to do it. Is there some human trick that I need to learn?” Gabe turned to look at his friend. The tawny eyes were once again open wide; filled with confusion and pain. Gabriel shook his head. “I don’t know, Dev,” he replied, “I’m no authority on love. I’ve never been very lucky with it myself. Just listen to your gut, I guess, and know that I’m here if you need to talk about it some more.”

Devian stood, smiling ruefully. “There are times that I think it might have been easier if I had been one of the ones that Ian fried,” he murmured. Gabe tipped back his head to look up at the tall clone. “Well,” he observed dryly, “That certainly would have narrowed your choices, wouldn’t it?” Dev nodded. “Simplicity,” he drawled, “See? That’s what I’m saying.” Gabe made a rude sound. “Glad that you haven’t lost your sense of humor completely, pal,” he observed. As he headed to the door, Dev turned his head to reply, “How could I? I’ve got to shower now so that I don’t offend when I share my bed with both Sara and Ian tonight.” Gabriel swiveled in the chair so quickly that he almost fell to the floor. “Whoa,” he exclaimed, “You dropped that little tidbit like a bomb, didn’t you, Sparky? At whose instigation?” Dev leaned his long body against the doorframe, ankles and arms crossed. A wry smile twitched the corners of his mouth. “It, not who,” he hissed, “At least, that’s the party line.” Gabe looked confused. “Huh?” he asked. Dev’s sensuous lips curved into a grin. “The Witchblade is driving,” the clone observed, “The rest of us are just passengers.” Gabe snorted and asked, “How’s Sara doing trusting in the Witchblade on this one?” Dev laughed. “She’s a bit resistant,” he replied lightly, then suddenly sobering, added, “For myself, I welcome the chance to be with her again any way that I can; although I’m not thrilled about sharing her with Ian.” Gabe shook his head. “Everybody’s getting some but me. I need to get laid before it atrophies,” he mumbled, adding, “Have fun, pal.”

After returning to the master bedroom, Devian unwrapped his chest and ribs, dropping the long strips of gauze in the trashcan. That done, he stripped off the black, silk pajama pants and took a long, hot shower. Clean, dry, and smelling faintly of Sandalwood, the clone prowled naked into the bedroom to see if he could scare up a pair of clean pajamas. He had no luck. All he could find was a pair of skimpy, black silk boxers. Dev stepped into the boxers and pulled them up. They were Ian’s size; too big for Dev, who had lost so much weight that the pants rode ridiculously low on his slender hips. When he turned to go over to the bed, intending to change the sheets, the boxers slithered down his thighs and slid to his ankles with a slippery whisper of sound. The clone dropped his head, a soft chuckle escaping his lips, and put his hands on his hips. He studied the boxers that were now pooled around his feet. With a sigh, he bent and drew the pants back up his legs. Holding the waistband bunched with one hand, he went to find a safety pin.

Sara and Vicki were still sitting at the kitchen table talking when Ian and Moby returned. Mobius carried five large pizza boxes. Ian lugged in several six packs of pop and a large pastry box. Sara’s gaze lifted to meet the golden eyes of her lover and her full lips curved. She was amused that he had had the forethought to provide goodies for the morning after. Vicki stood to grab a couple of pizzas off the top of the stack that the other Black Dragon carried; but, then, she and Moby simply froze in place, staring at each other across the kitchen table. Finally, Ian cleared his throat loudly to break the spell. Vicki blinked and blushed scarlet. Moby dropped startled chocolate eyes and began setting the pizzas down. “I guess I should gather the troops,” Vicki mumbled to no one in particular. Sara snickered and her friend shrugged, still a bit flustered. Squeezing her arm, Sara said, “You get Dev. I’ll grab Immo and Gabe.” Giving her a pointed glance, Vicki responded, “Okay…chicken.” Now, Sara blushed as Ian shot her a glance from beneath his thick lashes. She quickly headed out the kitchen door toward the cave while Vicki moved toward the stairs.

Vicki found Dev standing in the doorway of the master bedroom. The clone was only wearing a pair of black, silk boxer shorts that left little to the imagination. Head down, he was struggling to close a large safety pin that tightened the waistband of the pants around his narrow waist. Devian suddenly hissed and lifted his hand to his mouth. As he sucked one of his fingers, the loosened pants began to slowly slide down his hips again. Vicki cleared her throat and the clone’s head came up sharply. Tawny eyes wide and startled, he quickly clutched the waistband of the pants to halt their descent. Fascinated, Vicki’s eyes were drawn to the pleasure trail of fine, dark hair snaking low on his belly. Following her gaze, the clone glanced down and blushed. He tried to pull the skimpy boxers a bit higher. In a slightly strangled voice, Vicki observed, “You’ve lost a lot of weight. I didn’t realize that it was quite so much.” Embarrassed, Dev shrugged. “The pants won’t stay up. I can’t get the damn safety pin closed,” he mumbled. Without thinking it through, Vicki asked, “Do you need some help?” He lifted one dark brow, surprised by her offer, and resigned himself. The hand with the broken fingers was useless; if he didn’t get some help, he could be there all night. “Yeah, I guess,” he agreed, “I’m not having much luck with the stupid thing.” She shook her head, moving closer and murmuring, “That’s because you’re too impatient.” She gave his good hand a little slap and ordered, “Get your fingers out of the way.” Dev thought, “You asked for it, doc.” Grinning, he held up both hands. The errant boxers immediately headed south. Vicki gasped, grabbing the waistband to stop their downward slide an instant before his vitals were exposed to her view. None too gently, she dragged the pants back up to his waist.

“Cute,” Vicki hissed as, head bent, she worked to shift the stiff prong of the safety pin. Studying her lowered head, the clone protested, “You told me to let them go.” She made a noncommittal sound. A moment later, there was a sharp snick as the safety pin closed. It was in that position that Mobius found them when he came searching for Vicki. When the big man emerged around the curve of the hallway, Devian and Vicki sprang apart like guilty lovers caught in the act. In the charged silence that followed, Moby’s discerning gaze took in the clone’s abbreviated garb before he turned to face Vicki. “I came to determine whether you required assistance, Po,” he rumbled. Cheeks flaming, Vicki waved her hand toward the grinning clone. “I was just helping him with…,” she began; then stopped, at a loss for an innocent explanation. “My pants,” the clone finished for her. She sent him a withering glance. Studiously ignoring Devian, Moby took her hand and said, “Come along now. The pizza is getting cold.” Dev had started to go back into the bedroom. Now, he turned back. “Pizza?” he asked hopefully. She stopped and frowned. “Yes, pizza,” she replied, “That’s why I came to get you. If you eat enough of it, maybe your pants will stay up again.” The clone grinned at her and turned to follow them until Vicki held up her hand to stop him. Dev looked back at her quizzically. “A robe might be nice,” she suggested, adding, “Sparky.”

Devian didn’t bristle at her use of Sara’s nickname for him as he had once before. Annoyed with him, Vicki had expected him to react and now found herself wondering why he didn’t. A moment later, she forgot about Dev entirely as she was caught up in the spell cast by the big man by her side. The couple disappeared down the hallway. Left alone again, the clone found his brother’s black, silk robe hanging on a hook behind the bathroom door. He quickly slipped it on over the boxers and headed downstairs to get some pizza while there was still some left. It turned out to be a surprisingly cheerful meal considering the various tensions and undercurrents swirling just below the surface of the group; only Sara was silent, her thoughts consumed by the night to come. Ian and Moby filled everyone in on the progress that had been made toward meeting with representatives of the shadow government and bringing down Kendall Irons. All was going well and they were on track with their original schedule. They expected that their nemesis would be discredited and in the hands of their co-conspirators by early the following week. Hearing that, the Wielder finally joined the conversation. “Are you saying that I might be able to go back on the job next Monday?” she asked hopefully. Ian reached out to link her fingers gently with his. “Monday may be a bit ambitious, love,” he cautioned. She sighed, her hope deflated. “The end of next week might be more likely,” he clarified. His comment drew a smile from her; having an actual date made it seem real.

Across the table, Gabe and Dev were arguing over who was going to get the last slice of pepperoni pizza like a couple of rowdy teenagers. Dr. Immo resolved the dispute by reaching around Gabriel to fork the piece of pizza on to his own plate. Both men turned to look at the old man, mouths open. “Well, shit,” Dev drawled, “I guess that solves that.” Gabe snorted and asked, “So, is there any sausage left?” Vicki sighed. “There’s one slice,” she said. The clone grinned at his friend. There was a charged silence before Devian said to Gabriel, “It’s yours. Sausage just doesn’t do it for me.” Gabe tilted his head and asked, “Is that an innuendo?” Dev shook his shaggy head. “Nah,” he responded, “Just a matter of taste.” Gabriel grabbed the last piece of sausage pizza with one hand and poked his friend in the shoulder with the other. “You wouldn’t know taste if it bit you,” he jibed. Dev’s bright, golden eyes narrowed. “Big words for a little man,” he riposted. “At least I can keep my pants up,” Gabe hissed, delivering the coups de grace. The clone glared at Vicki. “Someone has a big mouth,” he mumbled, flushing. Looking at Dev’s face, Gabriel could have kicked himself. He realized that his friend was overly sensitive about looking like a fool in front of Sara. The lady herself was now studying the clone with a knowing smile.

“Sparky has always had problems in that direction,” Sara remarked. The color in Devian’s cheeks deepened as he stared blankly at his empty plate. He looked as if he had just been slapped. Gabe was suddenly reminded of Hannibal after Ian had reprimanded him for some doggy misdemeanor. “Damn it, Dev,” he thought, “Slap her back; sometimes she just deserves it.” That errant, disloyal thought startled him so much that he swung his head around to look at his other friend; the one who wielded the Witchblade. Drawn by the intensity of his gaze, Sara’s eyes locked with Gabriel’s. She was shaken to the core by the accusation that she found in her friend’s usually mild, brown orbs. She leaned forward, her own emerald eyes going wide. “What?” she asked Gabe, distressed at his apparent censure. Gabriel took a deep breath and let her have it. “Maybe my memory is faulty,” he began in an easy, conversational tone, “But it seems to me that whenever Dev got naked, you were right there naked with him.” Her eyes went huge and her mouth dropped open as she pulled in a shocked breath. Now, Devian’s head shot up. His eyes flashed fiery, deep amber as he barked at his friend, “I don’t need you to defend me, Gabriel. Leave her alone.” There was another long pause while everyone seemed to hold their collective breath. Then, Gabe raised both hands in a gesture of surrender. He shook his head and replied, “Okay, Dev. You just lay back and let Sara walk all over you – because she will if you let her.”

Devian stood so abruptly that his chair clattered backwards to the floor. Sara had never seen the clone so angry. His wide, golden eyes were flashing bright sparks. For more than a moment, they all thought that he might actually strike Gabriel. Ian braced himself against the table to move quickly if it was necessary. Dr. Immo leaned forward and put a calm, restraining hand on Dev’s rigid forearm. Vicki started to rise, to move toward Devian, but Moby quickly and firmly stretched out one large hand to hold her back. She sat back down. Neither Sara nor Gabe moved a muscle, wary of the clone and what he might do. In the end, he just turned away sharply to stalk out of the kitchen and bound up the stairs. Unable to see where Dev had gone from where she was sitting, Vicki asked in a small voice, “He didn’t run out again, did he? He didn’t leave the house?” Ian turned to look at her. “No,” he assured her softly, “He just went upstairs. I don’t think he’d take off like that again.” Gabe looked across the table directly at Sara. There wasn’t an ounce of give in his tone when he said, “Push him hard enough and he will.” Sara lifted her chin. Her eyes were bright with tears. “What do you want from me, Gabe?” she asked. He shrugged. As he stood and began walking back toward the cave, he replied, “You might start with a little compassion, Sara. Who knows where it might go from there?” In the heavy silence that followed his departure, no one was able to meet anyone else’s eyes. Finally, Vicki cleared her throat and asked, “Anyone want some coffee?”

Vicki bustled around getting everyone tea or coffee. She had refused both Ian’s and Moby’s offers of help because she wanted something to keep her busy. Sara hadn’t asked for coffee – an anomaly in itself – or offered to help Vicki serve those remaining at the table. Since Gabriel had left the room, she had sat quietly in her chair, head lowered, keeping her thoughts to herself. The others kept sending surreptitious glances in her direction; none of them sure whether further fireworks were yet to come. Unasked, Vicki made her friend a cup of decaf and gingerly set it down before her. When the beverages were served and Vicki resumed her seat, Mobius leaned close to whisper in her ear, “Perhaps we can take our libations up to our sanctuary on the roof? I yearn to be alone with you, Po.” She turned her head to look deeply into the rich, chocolate eyes. She wanted that too. Before she answered, however, she cast another worried glance across the table at her uncharacteristically silent friend. Following the angle of her gaze, the big man again leaned close to say, “Let Ian soothe her if he can. You and I should leave them alone now.” Vicki Po sighed. In all truth, she had had enough of other people’s problems for one day and she wasn’t sure what comfort she could provide to Sara anyway. If she was honest, she pretty much agreed with what Gabriel had said; she had, in fact, tried to tell her friend something similar earlier that day without success. She hoped that Gabe’s blunt attack might succeed where her own gentle prodding had failed. The unresolved tension between Sara and Dev was affecting them all. It needed to be settled.

Vicki turned to Mobius and nodded, indicating that she was ready for some alone time. He gave her a dazzling smile and quickly stood, holding out his hand. As she put her hand in his, Vicki noticed a quick look pass between the two Black Dragons. She suddenly wondered if they had been discussing her earlier that day between their appointments. Her eyes narrowed as she picked up her coffee mug. Sara wasn’t the only one who needed to clarify her relationship with her significant other. Vicki determined that tonight she would discover whether she did, in fact, have a relationship with Mobius and figure out just where it might be heading. Although she had never been much of a planner, the extreme conditions and precariousness of simple daily life since she had fallen within the Witchblade’s sphere of influence had taught her to place a greater value on each day. Vicki decided that it might be time to start directing her future instead of allowing it to drag her along as if she were caught in a riptide. She decided that, this evening, she and Mobius would have a talk. If Ian had asked him to join the Vorschlag conglomerate and he was planning to do so, it would be good to know it. That piece of information might indeed affect her response to Sara’s suggestion about future living arrangements. At the very least, it would add another element to the decisions that she was going to have to make soon regarding her future.

As they stood, pushing in chairs and preparing to leave the room, Ian smiled up at them. It was a sweet smile, one that seemed to thank them for their patience and request their continued tolerance. Vicki returned the smile as Moby gave her hand a gentle tug to lead her from the room. Sara never looked up. Now, Dr. Immo was left alone with the pair of lovers and he wasted no time in hightailing it back to his laboratory. The old man gave Sara one piercing glance. He then stood and, with a quick nod to Ian, made a beeline for the door. There were a few more moments of silence before Sara finally lifted her head. She blinked and looked around her. “Where did everybody go?” she asked. Ian sighed and shook his head. “Out of the line of fire,” he replied dryly. She frowned. “Don’t you start now,” she hissed. Ian frowned right back at her. “You’ve given me no choice,” he said, “We need to talk.” She pushed a hand through her hair. He noticed that it was shaking slightly. “Not now, Ian,” she begged. He reached out and caught the trembling hand in his to still it. “Yes. Now, I’m afraid,” he responded, “I’ve already waited too long to have this out with you. If I’d spoken earlier, we might have avoided that scene.”

As he watched her, he saw Sara’s expression tighten, closing him out. Ian felt his own normally even temper flare. “That won’t work, my lady,” he thought to himself. Aloud, he said, “I’ve been observing you with Devian for quite a while.” He paused briefly, then added, “And, for my own reasons, I’ve kept my mouth shut. That was wrong. I should have said something about it a long time ago.” She pulled her hand from his, studying him with wary eyes. “Why didn’t you?” she asked. He shrugged. “I’m not a saint, Sara,” he explained, “As you’ve pointed out, I have a problem with jealousy. There was a part of me that I’m not very proud of that was not displeased that you were raking Dev over those same coals that had already burned me.” Her brow arched majestically. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she prevaricated. He gave her a deceptively lazy smile. “C’mon, Sara,” he drawled, sounding very much like his brother, “In the words of the inimitable Yogi Berra: ‘It’s déjà vu all over again’.” A slightly desperate look edged into her emerald eyes before she dropped them. “I told you, Ian,” she hissed, “I don’t know what you mean. If this is all that you want to talk to me about, I’m going to go take a nap.” She started to stand and he caught her wrist in fingers that gripped like a vice. She froze and looked down at him in shock. He loosened his grasp slightly, but not enough for her to pull free. His eyes were dark amber and his gaze was unflinching. “No,” he ordered in a steely voice, “Sit down.”

Sara sat back down. She loosed a shaky sigh. Uncharacteristically, she blinked back tears. She kept her head down until she got it under control. She hated women who played the crying card to gain an advantage over their men. When she lifted her head, her green eyes were once again flashing fire. Her lover now gave her a genuinely appreciative smile. Although he occasionally found her nature incomprehensible, he unconditionally loved her spirit. With or without the Witchblade, Sara Pezzini was a fighter. It was a natural extension of her character that she had become a formidable boxer. What a mystery it was that a woman of such courage became a coward when she was faced with making a level of commitment that reached into her soul. She had first balked with making that connection with him and now the whole cycle was being repeated with Devian; her two Protectors. Ian still wasn’t sure what had finally caused her to turn that corner with him; he still could not pinpoint what miracle had occurred to cause her to stop treating him like an enemy and welcome him as her lover. And even then, she had held back from admitting her love for him until after they had shared the Iunctura. Still, he mused, that was not the trick either; Sara had also been through an Iunctura with Dev and it certainly hadn’t drawn them closer – if anything, it had driven them further apart.

She stared back at him combatively; chin up and out, eyes flashing. Ian grinned. “That look doesn’t scare me, my lady,” he purred. Some of the aggression drained out of her slowly. “What do you want?” she asked him plaintively. Ian nodded and took her hands in his gently. “I want you to go upstairs and talk to Dev,” he began, lifting a hand when she started to speak. She blinked and closed her mouth again. He squeezed her hands and continued, “I want you to let him talk first. I want you to ask him if he’s alright and then listen – really listen – to what he tells you. Will you do that for me? Will you make me that promise?” She looked like she might cry. She fought it again to say, “You agree with Gabriel. You think that I’ve treated him badly.” He smiled at her gently, stroking the back of her hand with one long finger. “Sara,” he replied, “You know that you’ve treated him badly just as you knew when you treated me badly. You don’t need me or Gabe to tell you that.” She shrugged, unable to look him in the eye. “Does that make me a bad person?” she asked softly. She lifted her eyes to look at him a little desperately. “Do you think I’m a bad person?” she wanted to know. Ian shook his head, tightening his grip on her hands. “Of course I don’t think you’re a bad person,” he assured her, “You’re the love of my life and you’re a champion. You have more courage than anyone I’ve ever known. That’s what makes the fear that caused you to lash out at me and that’s making you hurt Devian so hard to understand.”

Sara linked her fingers through his. “Maybe I just can’t love him, Ian,” she murmured, “Maybe I just can’t love him the way that I love you.” He hitched one shoulder. “Maybe not,” he agreed, “But you need to be absolutely sure in your heart that it’s not the fear that’s driving you. If you’re not, then you are doing both of you a disservice and, one of these days, you’ll realize that and be sorry for what you did.” No matter how she tried, she couldn’t be angry with Ian for what he was telling her; she could sense the basic truth in what he said. Sara reached across the table to brush her knuckles across his bearded cheek. “How did you get to be so smart?” she asked. Ian gave her a wry smile. “You’re hearing the voice of experience,” he pointed out, “I was on the receiving end of your wrath for…” He stopped and looked vaguely confused for a moment. Almost as an afterthought, he added, “Years?” She smiled at his confusion. “Are you sure about that?” she asked. Ian shook his head and murmured, “I have this awful memory of telling you that I loved you and having you respond by calling me a ‘freak.’ But I can’t remember exactly when it happened.” Sara tilted her head, still smiling, but the smile no longer reached her eyes. “Maybe you’re making it up,” she suggested. He shook his head again, looking deep into her green, green eyes. “No, I’m not,” he pressed, “You remember it too. I can tell.” She dropped her head, giving a quick, sharp nod. He tried to read the look on her face; it might have been regret; then again, it might not.

“I think that we’ve talked around this long enough,” Ian decided, “What do you say? Are you ready to give him a chance; to listen to what he has to say without exploding or lashing out at him?” Sara took a deep breath and studied her fingernails. She lifted her head and stared directly into those long-lashed, jungle-cat eyes. “Okay, ace,” she agreed, “I’ll do it for you. I’ll do it because you ask me to.” He had started shaking his head even before she finished speaking. “No, Sara,” he challenged her, “No. Do it for yourself and do it for Dev. Don’t say that you’re doing it for me. That’s just another copout.” She frowned. “Man, you’re not going to give me an inch, are you?” she asked. Ian smiled gently. “We’ve all been giving you a mile, love, for quite a while now – and you know it,” he replied, adding, “So?” Sara let out a long puff of air and stood slowly. Without realizing it, she curved her arm around her slightly distended tummy protectively. “Okay,” she murmured, “I’ll go talk to him.” Ian’s smile deepened. “But will you listen”? he asked.

Sara made a face at him. “Yeah, yeah, Clarence Darrow,” she replied, “I’ll listen. And, yes, I’ll actually hear what he has to say. Alright? Does that satisfy you?” Ian inclined his head. “Like the man said,” he suggested, “It’s a start.” She headed toward the door and stopped, her back to him. “Give us a kiss for luck?” she asked a bit wistfully. Ian immediately rose, gliding smoothly to her side. “Now that would be my genuine pleasure,” he replied, voice like crushed velvet. Sara turned to look up at her tall lover. She didn’t have to strain or convince herself to love Ian; her feelings for him flowed as naturally as the blood within her veins. It seemed incomprehensible to her that she had ever felt differently. Devian, however, was another story entirely. Ian wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly against the warm, hard length of him. Sara reached up to throw her arms around his neck. Although she was not ordinarily a clingy sort, she insinuated herself around him like a vine. He didn’t mind; like he had said, it was his pleasure. She pressed her face against the side of his neck. The soft bristles of his close-cropped beard tickled her cheek and the unique scent of his fragrant hair filled her nostrils. The combination affected her like a sedative. Ian felt her relax in his arms and whispered, “Don’t get too relaxed, love. You don’t want to lose your edge and give Dev the advantage, do you?” She pushed back from him enough to look up at his smiling face. “You’re a real smart ass, aren’t you, Nottingham?” she asked. He bent to press a quick kiss to her forehead. “Not often enough,” he replied before stepping back out of her embrace and giving her a little push toward the stairs. “You’ll be fine,” he assured her. Sara made a face, then turned and headed toward the staircase like a condemned prisoner taking the final walk to the electric chair.

Devian was sitting in the center of the king-size bed in the master bedroom. Everything about him was locked up tight; head down, legs crossed, arms folded in close to his body. Sara pulled in a long, deep breath to give herself courage and stepped into the room. Either he heard her breathe or he just felt her presence because he lifted his head to stare at her directly. His tawny eyes were clear but the look in them was bleak. She swallowed hard before she asked, “Are you okay, Sparky?” There was a long pause while he simply studied her. Then, he quietly said, “If I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?” She didn’t answer him right away. They were both treading very carefully here. She swallowed again and replied, “Yes.” He accepted that with a tiny nod and asked his question, “Why do you call me that?” It was the last thing she had expected him to ask now and it drew a soft, surprised sound from her. He tilted his head in that way he had and waited, his eyes never leaving her. Relaxing a little, she crossed the room to sit at the bottom of the bed; close but not within striking distance. She dropped her head, studying her clasped hands while she thought about it. She didn’t want to start with a lie. If she did, they would go downhill from there.

“When you first turned up in our lives,” Sara began, “I found it hard to get my head around you, what you were, where you had come from.” She stopped, taking another deep breath and gathering her thoughts. She snuck another glance at Dev. He hadn’t moved; watching, waiting, still; interested in her answer. “You looked so much like Ian that it was spooky,” she continued, “And yet, there was something about you that was distinct, different. Even though you were identical, right from the beginning, I’ve never had trouble telling the two of you apart.” She stopped, floundering; she knew what she felt, she just wasn’t sure how to put it into words. When her silence stretched, the clone urged, “Go on.” She jumped a little at the sound of his voice, her eyes shifting to him, startled. She wasn’t sure why, but she suddenly realized that there was a lot riding on her answer to this question. Sara dragged in another deep breath to say, “There was a spark in you; a flash of fire and brimstone; a touch of the devil. It wasn’t evil, though I thought it was at first.” She paused again, struggling with language. Words were not her forte. Sara was out of her element here. She waved her hand, needing to move, act. “You’re not evil,” she repeated, “You’re irreverent, sarcastic, frequently annoying, and sometimes funny as hell. Until lately, you’ve never been boring.” Sara ventured a covert glance at Devian from beneath her lashes to see how he was taking her assessment. It was hard to tell but he seemed to have relaxed a little; the golden eyes seemed a bit brighter. Remembering her first impressions of the swaggering, wise-cracking clone, Sara smiled. “You were such an irritating, smug little shit,” she remembered fondly. She shrugged and ended lamely, “You were Sparky.”

Sara realized that she was wringing her hands. She stilled them. She turned her head and met his wide, golden eyes. “Thanks,” he said. She frowned and asked, “For what?” Dev’s shoulder gave a tiny hitch. “For not just blowing off the answer,” he replied softly, then added, “And for confirming what I’ve been sitting here thinking.” She studied him curiously. The clone didn’t seem angry any longer. Instead, he seemed…She searched her mind for a word and settled on: “resigned.” He gave her that quirky smile that she hadn’t seen for a while. Without conscious thought, she sighed and her heart gave a little flip. “Being deeply in love with someone is a humbling experience, Sara,” he murmured, “I lost myself for a while.” She bit her tongue to keep from uttering the casual putdown that was on the tip of it. His smile went a touch more rakish as if he knew what she had just done. There was a pause before he continued. The clone sighed once, then said, “But Gabriel is right. I’m not cut out to be anyone’s doormat, Sara; not even yours. I love you with all my heart; sometimes, though, I don’t like you very much.” Sara blinked, affected more than she had expected by his blunt confession. She dropped her head, biting her lip now to keep still. She owed Dev his say. She had given her word to Ian.

Devian had paused to give her a chance to lash back at him. When she didn’t, he nodded and smiled. It was a cryptic smile, both sad and amused. “Did you promise Ian to let me talk it out?” he asked. Sara lifted her head and looked at him. No lies, she reminded herself. “Something like that,” she agreed. He nodded again. Sighing softly again, the clone mused, “My brother is still the better man than I am. If it had been me, I would have pressed my advantage. Instead, he tries to heal the breach between us.” Head down, Sara dropped her hand to the blanket beneath her and worried a loose thread. “Can it be healed?” she asked. Dev leaned back comfortably, weight resting on his arms which he had stretched out behind him. Head tilted, he observed, “You’ve treated me like shit, Sara. And I’ve let it get to me: I stopped eating; I couldn’t sleep. I kept the resentment bottled up inside me until I almost clobbered Gabe with it tonight. It’s got to stop. We’ve each got a choice to make.” Her fingers clutched the blanket and she forced herself to let it go. She folded her hands in her lap and cleared her throat. “What’s my choice?” she asked, turning to look at him again. Devian was still reclining, his body relaxed. His eyes, however, had darkened to rich amber and were very serious.

“If you want to keep me as your lover,” Dev responded, “You’re going to have to start to treat me like a man you care for and respect; you’re going to have to treat me as you do Ian. If you can’t do that, if you can only see me as less than human, as a freak, then I can no longer be your lover.” Sara blinked rapidly, thoughts colliding in her head too fast for her to sort and define them. She fought to settle herself down and asked, “And what’s your choice?” From the corner of her eye, Sara saw him lean forward, folding his arms. His body language wasn’t lost on her. “That depends on you, Sara,” he said, adding, “I love you and I hope that you can learn to love me. If you can’t, then Gabriel’s right. I need to build a life for myself without you at its center. I won’t give up my daughter. I intend to be there for her for as long as she needs me. But I’ll have to put some distance between you and me; if not physical, then certainly psychic. I’ll work with Ian to find a way to block the effects of our connection. I’ll separate myself from you and Ian. Life will go on, I guess.” Sara turned to face him, emerald eyes flashing. “I don’t much like ultimatums, Sparky,” she hissed. The clone did not rise to the bait. Unfazed, he shrugged; tawny eyes flinty and dark. “That’s a pity,” he shot back, “But you put us in the position that we’re in now. The ball’s in your court, baby.”

She turned away from him to give herself time to get her temper under control. The clone had an absolute genius for pushing her buttons; but maybe there was a more subtle reason for that, she suddenly thought. Maybe he annoys me so much, drives me to anger so frequently, because that emotion lets me stay in my comfort zone with him. If I’m angry with him, I can keep him at a safe distance. Sara was so lost in thought that his soft question startled her. “What are you thinking?” Dev asked, “Are you going to share it with me or are you going to continue to keep me at arm’s length?” She turned to look at him but her eyes were unfocused, her thoughts still far away. He had only asked whether she could learn to genuinely love him, she thought; he apparently didn’t expect her feelings to change all at once. He just wanted to know if she could stop dismissing him and open herself to the possibility. She thought about that some more. When the silence lengthened, the clone frowned and said, “Sara?” She suddenly blinked and she was looking at him again instead of through him. The light in her brilliant, green eyes was speculative. “There you are,” Dev thought. The long muscles across his shoulders tensed and he made a conscious effort to relax them again. In spite of the cool exterior he was presenting to Sara, the clone was nervous as a cat. At this moment in time, the idea of losing the Wielder forever was almost more than he could bear to think about. He took a steadying breath and said, “So, what do you say? Do you want to keep me or do you want to let me go?”

Dev could tell that she had come to a decision but he couldn’t tell what it was. Very carefully, he drew in another shaky breath, shifting his long body slightly to hide his anxiety. If Sara had decided that she was incapable of loving him, he would be devastated. He exerted his will, reaching deep inside to get a solid grip on his emotions. If she rejected him, Dev had made a promise to himself that he would deal with that pain alone. There would be no more running away. Sara was carrying his child; leaving her was not an option. Rather, he would have to find a way to wean himself from her emotionally; he would try to redirect all the love that he wanted to give her in a way that was not self-destructive. At this moment, he had no idea how he would do that. The silence between them stretched out a little longer. Then, Sara leaned across the small distance separating them to run the back of her hand gently down his bearded cheek. The clone just managed to keep himself from flinching. He had braced himself, not sure whether he would receive a slap or a caress. His lustrous, golden eyes widened slightly at the softness of her touch. “I’d like to try to change things between us,” she whispered. Devian shut his eyes and released the breath that he had been holding. He said a little prayer of thanks to whatever deity watched over clones; then, he turned his face to press warm lips against the palm of her hand. “Okay,” he murmured, his breath hot on her skin, “We’ll give it another shot.” He was aware that she wasn’t promising him anything more than that she would make an honest effort to change. That was enough for now; it was a start.

When he turned his head again to face her, Dev saw that Sara was looking him full in the face; she was really studying him as if she had never seen him before. Used to her rapid emotional flip-flops where he was concerned, the clone frowned and murmured, “Sara?” She frowned too, giving her head a tiny shake. She stretched out a single finger and touched it to his parted lips to keep him quiet. He blinked slowly, briefly shuttering his big, golden eyes, then opening them again to watch her warily. She leaned forward to press a feathery kiss, just the merest touch of lips, to his collarbone. He shut his eyes and sucked in a ragged breath. She rested her hand lightly on his bare chest where the silk robe gaped open and licked the base of his neck. Under her fingers, she felt his heartbeat stutter and then quicken. Her face lowered, Sara thrilled at the sense of power that gave her. She lifted her head and moved her other hand to his chest, pushing the slippery robe off his shoulders and down his arms. It slithered to the mattress in an inky pool that spread around his wrists and hips. She glanced down and couldn’t stop the grin that tugged at her lips. “Is that a safety pin holding up your pants, Sparky?” she asked. Dev cleared his throat, coloring a little, embarrassed all over again. “They wouldn’t stay up,” he murmured. Her grin got broader and now, almost against his will, the clone’s sensual lips curved into that sexy-as-hell smile that she hadn’t seen for a while. “And that’s a bad thing how?” she asked.

That actually made him laugh. “It’s all relative, I guess,” he mused. Sara nodded as she slowly dragged the fingernails of one hand from the center of his chest down to the waistband of his boxers. “And everything is connected,” she added facetiously. Still grinning, the clone teased, “Well, some of it. Are you asking me to give you an anatomy lesson, Sara? Do you really want to know exactly what’s connected to what?” Her fingers played with the safety pin. “Nah,” she replied, popping the pin and slipping it out of his pants, “I have a good working knowledge. I know enough to get me by.” She tossed the pin to the bedside table where it landed with a tinny ping. Sara was about to hook her fingers around the waistband of the boxers that had slid down very low on his narrow hips when he caught her hand in his. She looked up at him, surprised. The expression on his beautiful face was intense; nervous, challenging, and just a bit frightened, all mixed together. Sara lifted a single brow and his lips twitched at the characteristic gesture. She started to open her mouth to speak and he quickly interjected, “Shhh.”

Devian extended his hands to link his fingers through hers and held their joined hands against the mattress to keep them still. Then, he bent forward to press his lips to hers. The kiss was long, slow, and achingly tender. It was chockfull of all the emotional entanglements that she had been trying to avoid with the clone since he had first dropped into their lives. Somewhere in the middle of that kiss, Sara untied a deeply tangled knot within her and just let herself go. When their mouths finally parted, they stared at each other, inches apart, both of them panting. The clone thought that he had felt some crucial turning point occur during their kiss but he had stopped trusting his judgment where the Wielder was concerned long ago. He fought the instincts within him that nudged him to tell her how he felt. Dev had also learned that she didn’t want to know that; instead, with an effort, he kept his peace and stayed silent. Sara pulled in a deep breath and wrested one hand free of his. It snaked up his body to settle at the back of his neck, under his silky hair, where she used it to pull his face back to hers.

This time, when her lips parted, his tongue slipped sinuously between them. Releasing the hand that he still held, Dev pushed his warm fingers under her sweatshirt and ran them slowly up her torso until they cupped her full breasts, hypersensitive now from her pregnancy. While he slowly rubbed the tip of his arched tongue back and forth across the roof of her mouth, he stroked her nipples with the callused pads of his thumbs. Sara was suddenly awash in keen sensations. Even the rough touch of the splints bracing the broken fingers of his left hand did nothing to detract from his caress; in fact, in some curious way, they enhanced it. Shaking, she pulled back from the clone with a strangled gasp. She had forgotten just how good he was at this. It sometimes seemed as if Devian had come out of his stasis chamber knowing how to make love. He already had her right on the edge of control and they had barely touched yet. A little wild-eyed herself, Sara gazed into the clone’s long-lashed, golden eyes. His expression was bland, his eyes calm. She leaned forward, pushing him back on the mounded pillows behind him. She was careful not to put any of her weight on his right side where his damaged ribs were still healing. He looked up at her from the pillows, deceptively passive; gold-streaked curls tousled; kiss-swollen lips parted; long, hard-muscled body relaxed – he was sexy as hell, she thought.

Intending to take the initiative, Sara bent to splay one hand on his rigid abs for support. She slid the other hand down his loose boxers to wrap her fingers around the hot, silken hardness of his erection. He was quite a handful, she thought, a smug smile just starting to crease her lips. The smile froze when his strong fingers clamped around her wrist and pulled her hand back out of his pants. “No,” he said. She stared at him, stunned. Although his voice had been soft, it had a steely undertone that brooked no argument. For a moment, they just looked at each other. It was as if they were waiting for the other shoe to drop. She let out a startled yelp when Dev rolled her over suddenly. Now, he was above her and she was resting back against the pillows. One of his long, bare legs was draped casually over hers, holding her down. The clone smiled at her slowly and murmured, “My turn.”