Moving Forward

Khaat had gotten up early and had tried to work out. Her ankles still weren't holding her like she wanted. And standing and walking was painful. Angus had stopped her, and sent her off to dress. She had been up earlier even than Brian this morning. She got up and dressed, and Angus wrapped her ankles in sports tape to give them more support before she put on her socks and her boots.

When Brian got up, he found she had fed Abbey and Dakota and had set them loose on the floor to play. "You're dressed to go out?" he asked her.

"I am. I need to go into Diagon Alley today," she told him. "I...need to admit that I need a walking stick of my own."

He sighed and went over to her. "Babe," he said, sitting beside her. "If you had been in good shape to begin with, you'd have been over this by now. Completely. It just is going to take more time. Its part of being a bit more fragile overall than you normally are. It isn't a permanent thing. You know that."

"It feels permanent."

"You sure you want to do this?"

"Yes."

"Then I'm going with you."

After breakfast, Brian drew out her black suede coat that went clear to the ground. He drew out a tan suede duster coat of his own and a tan suede hat. Once they were braced for cold winter weather, he offered his arm to her, and she took it, leaving her father's walking stick behind. She would depend on Brian until she found one of her own.

He apparated them into Diagon Alley, and they went into a small shop that specialized in all sorts of unusual things. In fact, it was a tiny little place sandwiched in between a couple of much larger places. The place was called Unusual Necessities. He took her to a large display of walking sticks for men and women to let her take her pick.

Cassidy woke and stretched she could hear the sound of rowdy men below her and the sickly smell of cigarette smoke drifted threw the floor bards into her room. She gave a cough and groaned as she realized she had to get up the light filtered threw the old warn curtains in thin strips of light. Throwing her feet over the edge of the bed she slid them in to her boots before stretching out her arms to relive the stiffness from the nights sleeping.

Quickly dressing she found her boots had a hole in them and sighed knowing it meant shopping her one vise she always could not make her mind up. Finishing dressing she grabbed her wand tying it to her thigh so she could use it quickly if she wanted or needed.

Picking up her keys she opened the tired wooden door and stepped into the semi dark hallway locking the door behind her not that she had much to be stolen in the first place. She walked to the steep steps that would lead her down to the main room and out into the alley. Passing threw several me took it upon themselves to wolf whistle her as she walked but she just shook hr head and continued out glad finally to have some fresh air.

Quickly and avoiding any puddles she moved down to a cobblers but was told they were unrepairable and to stop wasting his time. She grubbed as she stepped back out now she had no choice, she had to shop. Walking around she stopped looking in several windows she could not make her mind up.

"why does shopping have to be so hard?" she said in a groan to her self .

Khaat sighed, a bit frustratrated with the offerings of walking sticks in the shop. The clerk came over and greeted them. Brian seemed to perk up a bit when the clerk came over. She wasn't sure exactly why as the two men began to talk and exchange greetings, pleasantries, and as Brian began to talk about what they were looking for. He clearly was now making some sort of special request in some sort of coding. Then she caught it. The shopkeeper wore a coin medallion around his neck. He was part of the organization. One of Brian's own men.

"I think I have something that you might like, Ms. Lupin," the clerk said to her. "It's a one of a kind. Handmade. It's over here." Brian escorted Khaat to the shop counter and the clerk moved behind it and reached into a dark corner and drew out a black walking stick with a silver collar and a large piece of amethyst on the top of it. The amethyst sparkled in the shop light. It was very attractive. She went to pick it up and the shopkeeper stepped in quickly.

"Careful," he said to her. He reached his hand protectively over the collar of the walking stick. "Allow me." He took the cane from her and pulled with a firm tug on the amethyst stone and drew forth a razor sharp rapier from within the stick. The blade was sparkling, shimmering steel, and in its own macabre way, it was beautiful.

"We'll take it," Brian said quietly but firmly.

"Yes, Sir. A good choice," the clerk said. "Shall I wrap it?"

"No. She'll use it," Brian said, drawing forth the proper payment for it.

Spoiler:

Cassidy entered a shop hearing the bell above the door ring as she opened it. Looking around she rolled her eyes as she saw the shop keeper already with customers . She moved to the shoes and boots picking up a pair of black ones but placing them back down thinking too dressy for her as she moved around the round display they all sat on her eyes looking for a specific pair not too high a heel and not to flashy.

She searched picking up several more but placing each on back down. Turning she watched ash the shop keeper drew a rapier from a walking stick and she whistled her approval at it.

"that is one wicked walking stick , if you don't mind me saying" she said rather embarrassed at her sudden out burst in company of people she had only ether met once or know threw reputation as she did Khaat Lupin. Who now stood in front of her , to her living legend .She could not help smile and stand straight as she stood in front of her .

"Sorry I'm Cassidy , Cassidy Mitchel " she said offering her hand to Khaat she looked at The man with her she had seen him at the hospital "Sir " she said recognizing his authority that she could plainly see in his eyes and his body language.

"Nice to meet you," Khaat said. "I'm Khaat. This is my boyfriend, Brian Quinn."

"I've seen you before someplace," Brian frowned, shaking hands with her. "Forgive me, but I don't remember where. And, yes, it is a nice stick. Khaat needs a bit of support for awhile, and as long as we're getting her a stick, we may as well do it right." He picked up the rapier and sheathed it back in the black stick firmly. He handed it to Khaat.

"Don't kill anyone with it," he said dryly to her.

Khaat rolled her eyes at his words. "He loves me," she laughed.

"The killing part is my job," Brian said.

"He's also a tad protective," Khaat said. She glanced up and saw a beautiful jeweled evening bag that caught her eye. It was black and covered with multicolored stones in the configuration of flowers. It would go with a lot of her different gowns and cocktail dresses. "Excuse me, Could I see that please?" she asked.

"Certainly," the clerk smiled and handed it down off the upper shelf to her.

Cassidy nodded and shook his hand , she breathed out when he said he remembered her form some where but not exactly where. She nodded to Khaat as she acknowledged her .
"Miss Khaat I know of you threw reputation, and Mr Quinn it was at the hospital a while back I spoke to one of your body guards a mister Walker" she said feeling a little like she had spoken out of turn.

As she stood she spotted a nice purse, but her hesitation made her last as she saw Khaat moving for it. quickly she moved and picked it up turning to hand it to her . " This what you were looking at?" she asked holding it out to her "it is beautiful, I came for some boots mine I am afraid have holes in and can't be mended" she smirked as she placed the purse in Khaat's hand and stepped back slightly embarrassed.

Spotting another rack of shoes she smiled. "Now if you'll excuse me I still have to find a pair of boots " she said and sighed "I hate shopping" she said softly to her self as she moved to the display.

Khaat took the stick and used it to walk over to the boots. She had gotten a sense of the woman's style form how she was dressing. She picked up a pair of boots and asked. "Did you see these?" she asked. "They look like they are rather no nonsense but with style, if you ask me." She noticed she still had the evening bag in her hand, and as much as she wanted to put it back, she wanted it that much more. Brian walked over and gently took it from her. "My treat," he kissed Khaat's temple softly. He took it and laid it on the counter.

"So you know Steven?" Khaat asked. "He's a ministry auror who sometimes does bodyguard work for me, under Brian's direction. How long have you been in this area?"

Spoiler:

Cassidy looked at the boots and walked over to her "no I guess i missed those there smart thank you" she said and slipped off her old boot to try them on to her surprise they fit like a glove and she smiled feeling ow soft and warm the inside was against her feet.

"yes I met him once in the hospital...." she stopped her self looking at Khaat as she was half bent over sliding off the right boot she had tried on. Placing her old one back on she held both of them and walked over to pay for them . Opening her purse she looked at her last few coins, taking them out she made a mental note to find a job some where.

"I spoke to minister Lupin too" she said softer as she handed over her coins for the boots quickly sitting and changing dropping her old ones in a box for recycling something she did a lot of.

Standing she faced Khaat and smiled at how comfortable they were against her once cold feet. "Thanks, they look great , got to keep up appearances if I'm to find a job" she said with out thinking about who she was talking to.

"What are you looking for?" Khaat said. Keeping up appearances? If that was her work uniform she wasn't an executive. Khaat only knew of a limited few positions where that was acceptable workwear. "What kind of work do you do?"

She looked at Brian whose attention had been drawn to looking out the shop window. She knew the look too well. He had seen something that had alerted him and put him on guard. He wasn't shoppiong anymore. He was working. She started to walk towards Brian, and he waved Khaat not to move any closer to the windows.

"Maybe its nothing," he said. "I..just thought I saw something. Let's be a bit watchful, shall we?" She tried to look out the window from where she stood, but she saw nothing whatsoever. But Brian was rarely wrong. Not about things like that. Her first thought was that with her healing ankles, she could outrun nothing.

Cassidy was about to answer her when she caught the look on Mr Quinn's face her body tensed and she moved to deliberately position her self between Khaat and the window her eyes falling to where Mr Quinn had been looking her mind searched for anything in the darkness or shadows that could hurt them. She slowly unhooked her wand strap so she could quick draw if needed but stayed close to Khaat.

"well I'm not use to being inside all the time, I'm more of a doer than a thinker " she said turning her attention back to Khaat though she kept one eye on the window as she spoke to her. Her hand twitched as she continued to look around , she saw a pair of earrings she thought would go well for Khaat and picked them up to show her.

"what about these, they look like the tail of the phoenix, I think they'd look stunning on you Miss Lupin" she said smiling as she showed her them.