Sand and Snow

Khaat had not foreseen the scene that awaited her in the morning. She woke to find Brian was already up and had been to the gym and had dressed. And to her surprise, he had a bag packed. A rather large one this time.

"Brian?" she frowned sleepily,, suddenly feeling insecure.

"Good morning, Sleepyhead," he came over and kissed her.

"Did I oversleep?" she asked.

"No. Not really. We're not on a time table today. Its just a little after eight."

"Eight?" she echoed, confused.

"You needed the rest so I let you sleep," Brian said. "Besides, for anyone else, 8 am would be getting up early. For you its sleeping unconscionably late."

"Brian? Are you..going somewhere?" she asked, feeling afraid he was going to leave her for some odd reason.

"Not without you, I'm not," he smiled.

"Me?"

"Yeah. I don't share my bed with anyone else, do I?"

"No, but..."

"Khaat, we're just taking a few days away. You need a break. YOur health can't go on like this. We're picking up the whole lot and going to Tuscany for a few days. Angus has already gone and taken the girls. The men have equipped the place for us. The guards are going along with us. You are going to rest and relax and ahve some fun. That's what you're going to do."

"Daddy. He insisted, Didn't he?'

"Yes. Khaat, we're not playing with this anymore. We're going to turn this around while its still relatively easy to do. What would you like to wear today?"

"Uh...I don't know."

"Here," he said. He went over to the dresser and picked up a cup of coffee and a mug and poured her a cup of coffee. "Try this. This will start your engine." He handed it to her.

"Thank you," she said. She sipped on her coffee and onc eshe woke up, she showered and dressed. She chose just jeans, snakers, a white long sleeved cotton blouse with the sleeves rolled up, and tiny gold hoop earrings. It wasn't at all fancy, but it was a look she knew Brian loved because it looked sharp and clean and elegant. And she was already immensely self conscious of how badly she was bruised. She had severe, massive black bruises all around her neck. And that only added to the bruises she still had from Barker and the difficulty she had in walking. Once she was dressed, she picked up her coffee mug , her black walking stick with the amethyist stone in the top, and went downtairs. She was already in pain and she had just barely botten up.

By the time she got there, everyone else was already gathering in the living room with their bags.

"Sorry, Everyone," Khaat said. "I guess I overslept."

Cassidy saw Khaat walk down the stairs with brain and smiled it was good to see her up even be it ever so slowly. He waited till Khaat was settled before walking over to make her report to him.

"Angus reported every things ready but their having a small problem with a lizard up the chimney, he's tried almost everything, but says it should be gone when you get there" she said trying to hid her smirk from them both as she spoke. Moving to the kitchen she made herself a strong coffee and headed back feeling if she didn't she would fall asleep on her feet but she wanted to wait till she was in Tuscany to sleep knowing she would be on alert and patrol in a strange country she wanted to be fresh for her shift.

"A lizard in the chimney?" Khaat frowned.

"Damned place," Brian sighed. "I wonder if its that same little buggar who crawled into the wine cellar this summer. Someplace he must have gotten into some red paint because he had some splotches of red paint on him. He broke a bottle of beer and decided he liked it. When i kicked his butt out of the basement this summer, the little blighter was half smashed."

"You didn't tell me you found a lizard in the basement." Khaat frowned.

"Well, he was just a little fellow. I presume he might be grown up now. Maybe Angus will get him out. If not, I'll fish him out of the chimney when we get there. You ready to go?"

"No more coffee?"

"We," he kissed her, "are going to have breakfast in Italy, my love." He smiled at her. He looked at Cassidy. "What about Jack and Jess and Steven? Did any of them go ahead with Angus and the girls?" He was hoping perhaps Jess and Jack had gone ahead to oversee security there.

Cassidy nodded and smiled at the drunk lizard story she could not believe it, looking at him she nodded "they left early this morning and are set up " she said and sifted her own bag on her shoulder now.

Hearing Khaat say she wanted coffee she dove to the kitchen and made a fresh cup returning with it held in her hand hoping it would be all right for her. "here fresh coffee" she said and handed her the cup carefully and stepped back waiting "I'll go with you three sir, if you don't mind, Stevens been and returned" she told them.

Steven walked in "yes Angus has everything in hand " he said smiling at Khaat "good to see you looking better " he looked at Cassidy and the bag she held "you travel light ? " he said and she nodded.


"don't own much, don't need a lot" she said and looked at both Brian and Khaat.

"Alright, then," Brian said. "Put a lid on that and bring it with you, Khaat." Khaat acciod a lid for her coffee from the kitchen and put it on her cup.

"I'm ready," she told Brian. She watched him hang the shoulder bag on his right shoulder and reached for Khaat's hand with his left hand.

"Steven," Brian said. "Your job is to get Cassidy there in one piece. We'll see you there."

Khaat took a deep breath and Brian portkeyed them to the villa in Tuscany. She nearly stumbled on the landing and he caught her easily, almost as if he had been expecting it.

"Thank you," she said.

"I didn't expect your ankles to hold up to portkeying," he kissed her. He led her up the sidewalk and inside.

"Honey! We're home!" Brian shouted. Khaat laughed.

Cassidy looked at Steven and sighed as she moved closer to Steven who took her hand and shook his head "I don't bite" he said as he aperated her to the villa she wobbled slightly but after a moment stood looking around in wonder first thing she felt was the heat and she slipped off her jacket and placed it over her arm.

"wow heat" she said and placed both her bag and coat down looking out she smiled seeing the sea and a large beach below them a winding path lead down to it and she knew she would go swimming when the time and job allowed. she had to remember she was working here not on vacation.

She chuckled at Khaat as they appeared in the room.

Khaat looked around the room. Angus had the girls in a playpen that he had hovering in the air, of all things. The girls were delighted to be floating, and they were laughing and giggling. The next thing she saw was Angus, standing in the fireplace with his head up the floo.

"I'm not going to ask," she said softly to Brian.

"Didn't you get him yet?" Brian laughed out loud.

"No! Pesky little blighter!" Angus sounded irked now.

"One moment," Brian said to Khaat, grinning. "I'll solve this. Sit." He disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a bottle of beer and a little saucer. He popped the cap on the beer and poured some into the saucer. He set it in the cold fireplace hearth, and a moment later, a little green lizard that was splattered with bright red paint zipped down the brick and began eagerly lapping up the beer.

"I thought it was you," Brian laughed, picking up the lizard. "You're a troublemaker."

"He's cute," Khaat laughed.

"He's a harmless garden lizard. One who obviously is on his way to becoming an alcoholic."

"We ought to keep him. Otherwise he'll just keep sneaking into the house."

"We could give him to your dad. He'd be able to clear out some of those bug jars that way."

"If he didn't feed him to the hippogryff."

"Nah. He's too small for that. He would be a great pet, though. Your mother would like him."

"We'll call him Lenny."

"Thats not very original," Brian frowned.

cassidy watched as Brian brought out a bottle of beer and pored it into a saucer a small green lizard came out and drank it she could not hep chuckle at how it loved the beer . She watched it as he sat looking and licking its lips at them waiting for more .

"I think he wants more" she said looking at them and back to the lizard. "He is cute " she said smiling watching as it ran over and up to sit on her shoulder looking at them "Hay I'm not a perch" she said not even trying to get it down as she walked over to Brain for him to grab it.

"He's going out in the garden where a garden lizard belongs," Angus said, snatching him off Cassidy's shoulder. "Outside." He disappeared with the lizard. She couldn't help smiling a little at him.

"That's probably best," Brian said. "Sounds like breakfast will be a moment, so you really should get off your feet a bit, Khaat. Come sit down. " He helped her to the sofa and helped her get comfortable there. Then he turned to the babies. "Alright. Enough of floating babies too." He flicked his wand at the playpen and lowered it gently to the floor.

Khaat shivered just slightly, and silently wondered if it was cold in here. She accio'd an oversized red warm shawl from her closet upstairs to her and wrapped it around herself.

"Cold?" Brian asked. "I could have gotten that for you."

"Thats what wands are for," she smiled. "Do you think the girls are cold?"

"No. They're fine. Relax, Mom. Their onezies are thermal and warm. They're just fine. If you want, I'll start a fire in the fireplace now that its lizard free."

"No, maybe I"m the only one who's chilled. Leave it for now."

"Ok. I'll go see if there's any coffee made."

"Thank you."

"Anyone else for Italian Roast?" Brian asked. He knew it wasn't french roast, but well, in Italy, one drank Italian roast. It wasn't all that different really.

Cassidy chuckled as Angus took the lizard from her shoulder she also breathed out at the relive of it being gone she never liked having it on her shoulder "yes best place is the garden" she said and shivered.

"Never liked them no matter how cute they are" she said watching the playpen settle down on the ground turning she walked to the kitchen and turned on the kettle.

"I got it, Brian sir" she said and made a tray of six coffees and brought them out smiling as she handed one to Khaat and one to brain setting the tray down she watched jack and Jess take there cups and that Steven hung back till the others had there's before taking his.