Moving Forward

"You didn't tell us," Brian said, eating his salad and nudging Khaat's fork into motion. "What is it that you do, Cassidy?" He had noticed Khaat's slight distraction into someplace in outer space. That was the problem with living with a seer. They sometimes had that spacey look about them. He had nudged her fork to deliberately interrupt whatever the deuce she was seeing. Sometimes he allowed it, and sometimes it annoyed him. Today was the latter. He wasn't prepared to allow it over brunch. Food now, spacing out later.

Khaat was interruped by Brian's nudging her hand. It had been a subtle but deliberate movement. She looked up, scanning the bistro for signs of Burke or Gelding. So far, she didn't see them. But she didn't know if they had given up for now, or if they were nearby merely waiting for her to line herself up in their sights yet again.

Moonlight. Gelding. Burke. What the devil had that been? She wished she'd have seen more, but it had only been a flash. Would she be alone? Or would there be others with her? Would she surive, or had she seen her own death. She shivered now. Brian seemed to have been waiting for that. He draped her coat around her shoulders. He just automatically took care of her. He knew how to anticipate her needs and step in. "Occupational hazard in living with a seer," he explained to Cassidy.

Cassidy looked up as Mr Quinn spoke she really didn't want to say she was a woman who hunted down kidnappers and child slavers and so took a moment to choose her words carefully before she spoke.

"Well... lets just say I'm a hunter of whats lost , it get lost, I'm called in to find it " she said sipping her tea again "the only money I take is what the person who wants a certain item found can pay nothing more nothing less" she added.

She saw the look on Khaat's face and new it she had seen several seers space out but also noticed Mr Quinn take care of her with a gentle nudge then the placing of his coat she was some what inclined to hold her hand and say everything would be all right but instead she gave a small quick smile and nodded she understood.

"I understand sir, had a few acquaintances that were seers " she said feeling like she ahd just reveled a little about her self .

"You're being cryptic," Brian smiled, slightly amused. She was a freelancer at something. That much he knew. He remembered Steven's thoughts that she was freelancing at reducing child trafficking. If she wanted into the organization, she was being a bit subtle about it. But she was certainly hard up for cash. That much was certain. She needed a job. And rather fast.

"Besides that, you need a job. Pretty quickly. So spill it. Be specific. What is it you are looking to do?" he asked her. "It's not like Khaat and I don't have connections. And, can you prove you can do what you say you can do?" That was always Brian's second question. It was always "What do you do?" and it was always followed up by "Can you prove yourself?" Those were the two most important questions in his mind.

Khaat respected him for that. He didn't judge people on their past successes or their past defeats. He was only interested in who they were now. Were they seasoned? Were they battle ready? Were they capable? Would he be willing to put his own life or the life of someone he loved into their hands? Those were the key questions he always evaluated someone on. Khaat knew Cassidy was fishing for work out of necessity too. She was glad Brian was forcing her to get down to brass tacks with it.

Cassidy got the message loud and clear and sat back up with a sigh as she placed her cup on the table in front of her. She looked at both of them and saw the look on both their faces that told her to tell them and hold nothing back.

"ok, you want it out in the open, I hunt down child abductors and return the children to their parents, I take no payment, unless they offer or are financially capable. " she said now looking at both " It's kinda left me out of pocket a few times, but to see the look on the parents and children faces is enough, Miss Lupin Mr Quinn"

She folded her arms across her chest as she looked at both of them , just how they would take her job she didn't know but she knew Khaat would understand since she'd been threw a kidnapping herself. All Cassidy was to stop child slavery and abductions even if she was one of a dieing breed.

"So," Brian said, "Are you any good? How long have you been doing it? What's your succcess rate?" He wanted to know if she was legitimate. Nobody had flawless skills. Still, if she had skills that were decent, she might be of some worth. He didn't need someone new at the game. He didn't have time right now to train someone who thought they could do the job and who had inflated their resume to impress him--although Cassidy didn't appear to be that type anyway. And, what did she see her percentage of successful return as? Too high meant she was lying. Too low and she was worthless to him, unless she had a lot of raw potential that he could polish by sending her to Paris for awhile. But, if he were to do that, was she trustworthy, and could she measure up to the bootcamp training that he had designed for his organization? Those questions always ran through his mind. He didn't often get female aurors. Not that they weren't necessary. But most women he trained as front line rescuers flunked the course. He expected them to train as hard as the men. It wasn't about gender. It was about Brian's own need to bring his staff back alive. And if Cassidy thought life was hard now, she had no idea. She didn't know how hard things could get if she decided to enlist under his command.

Khaat had a bit of concern about where this was all going. She knew all too well that Brian lived, loved, played, worked, and fought hard. He pushed himself to what she often thought were ridiculous limits. He didn't push his men quite that hard, but close. If Casssidy Mitchell thought she was going to work for Brian Quinn, then Cassidy better well be a true warrior because if she wasn't, she was about to become one.

"Be careful what you're asking for," Khaat said softly, as Lizzie came, refilled their tea mugs and left again. "Brian is not at all an easy man to work for. It's a hard life. Be sure its what you want."

Cassidy listened to him and nodded as she thought about her answers she had no problem answering as he had been doing this along time . Taking up her cup she sipped it again before she spoke.

"Its ok Miss Lupin, I have been doing this since i was 16 years old and my success rate isn't very high only about 65 percent , I don't expect things to be easy and i never slack on my job , I train when i get the chance which is mostly all the time." she looked at both of them "yes I do need a job but i won't sit behind a desk like other women pushing papers , not while kids are being kidnapped and abused "

that was something she could not do ever. She used the warm tea to calm herself down a little she was not working now and had no reason to be so worked up. She looked at Mr Quinn.

"Well, if you don't mind hard training, I might be willing to give you a try," he said. "Are you willing to test yourself against me? You have to be able to meet at least my minimum standards. I won't risk putting anyone into vigorous combat if they are more of a risk of harm than anything else. I won't risk my staff if I dont' have to. I appreciate dedication, but the name of the game is to get out alive. If we can't do that we need to get out and go home."

"Brian," Khaat said softly, "I'm going to go see Lizzie for a minute. I do need to sign checks today. It won't take a moment." She looked at Cassidy. "If you'll excuse me." It took her a moment to put her feet on the floor again. They were swollen and stiff and painful. Brian immediately moved to help her, coaching her to gently flex her ankles slightly to relieve the pain, as he helped her move her aching feet to the floor. He put the walking stick in her hand and stood.

"Gently," he coached. "I'll do the work. Let me lift." He put his hands under her shoulders and lifted her to her feet. He slowly lowered her body weight onto her ankles, leaving his hands beneath her just in case. She welcomed his steadiness and his strength, not to mention his devotion.

"Thanks," she said. "I have it now." She felt steady in her feet now. He took one hand out from beneath her to move her chair out of her way. "I'm okay," she reassured him.

"You're sure?" he asked.

"Positive. I'll just be in the next room. You worry too much," she kissed his cheek. She heard him sigh uneasily as she left him. She stopped at the kitchen doorway to give him a reassuring smile, and he sat back down with Cassidy. She turned and went into the kitchen.

Cassidy waited till Khaat had left the room before she spoke choosing to give them time alone or kinda since she was sitting there with them. As soon as she had left and he had sat back down.

"I think measuring up to you will be very very tough. " She said as she finished her drink and placing the empty cup down in front of her. " I don't try and measure to any one , I do the best that I can." She looked at him "and if its not enough i go that bit further, its not about me but about the kids" she added she hoped he at least would give her a time and place so she could show him what she could do.

She also knew that if it didn't work out she could always go back to her current job. She knew what she wanted to do and she was doing it with there help or not, she would prefer there help as it would make things more comfortable in the living department .

"Alright, then," Brian said. "Let's give it a try. There's a training room in the fitness center in the basement of St. Mungos. Be there in the morning at 8 am sharp. And be ready to work. I'll expect you to be already warmed up in whatever manner you choose. And be aware, I don't pull punches. I train hard, and I test even harder. The purpose is to see what you're made of."

While Brian negotiated another employee, Khaat moved back towards her office. Just as she reached it, the back door, which was right next to her office door, flew open, and a hand with an iron strong grip grabbed, her pulled her off balance, and she fell, feeling herself being dragged out the door. Lizzie turned to see what had caused the clatter and saw it was the sound of the spike heels of Khaat's boots striking the tile as she fell, She saw the dark cloaked figure, and Lizzie drew her wand and fired at the faceless villain.

"Brian!" Lizzie shouted.

Brian reacted like lighting, leaping up from the table, his wand already drawn and he burst into the kitchen.

Cassidy was about to talk again when she heard Khaat's cry grabbing her wand she pulled it and dove to the kitchen door. Aiming her wand the figure she saw carefully she made arrows shoot from the tip at who ever stood in the shadows as she ran forward. Grasping Khaat around her waist she pulled her back into the cafe and stood over her defiant for the next attack.

" Incarcerous !!" she shouted as she stood now at the door way and aimed the spell , watching it disappear into the night.She was not sure if she hit any one but she did hear a groan , soft though it was come from the shadows. She stepped back, glancing at Khaat for a moment before she spoke her body and wand still aimed at the door way to the back alley.

" Guess, he's not given up on you yet." she said watching Mr Quinn her thought on not moving but staying at her side it was as if she thought of her as her next job. She was to protect her till told other wise. Seeing he was at her side she moved into the ally and knelt buy some blood stained ropes small drops headed away from them but she chose not to leave , he could wait.

Standing she walked back into the cafe holding the ropes," I got him but that snake got away , I can't say unscathed, there's blood on the ropes " she held them out to show them.