Wardrobes and wonders will never cease (Khaat)

Steven apeared in his tux all tidied up and cleaned, he'd even shaved off his beard to look differant . Under his jacket sat his gun in its holster, his wand tucked into his boot as he smiled at them " sorry the tiwns were a bit colicy tonight, took us longer to settle them down " he said and smiled as he walked over. " well both you ladies look beautiful tonight , khaat you look positively radiant " he turned to face Robert "I heard what you said so don't worry no slips in magic here " he said as ne shows them his gun " purely muggle "

"If I didn't trust you, you wouldn't be going," Robert said. "Alright. Lets go." Khaat followed them all to cars. The cars, once loaded, took them to a huge estate that looked old. It looked like it was made of stone. Well, at closer look, it wasn't that old. Maybe 1920's. It was old but not that old. Not like what the English rightfully called old. This was just an imitation of old.

There were valets parking elegant cars--suv's and limosines. The choice of cars had been good. Robert and Kate got out and Robert took the parking receipt from the valet for the vehicle they were in. Brian and Khaat got out. Khaat had managed to pull together herself and look calm and peaceful and elegant. Brian offered her his arm, and she took it.

"Smile," he said in a whisper in her ear, pretending he was merely nuzzling her affectionately. "At least look like you want to be with me." She flashed him a glare and put a smile on her face. He reached pulled their invitations out from his pocket as they went inside the foyer of the huge traditional mansion. They were stopped by security. Brian handed him the invitation and introduced them as Mr. and Mrs. Brian Quinn. Robert and Kate were already through security and beginning to go through the whole introduction bit. Khaat was trying to listen to be sure that the others were behind them. Kieran passed through right behind Brian and Khaat, purposely telling Khaat he wanted a chance to dance with her at some time during the evening. Khaat knew what he was doing. He was breaking her tension, and she was grateful for it.

steven drove with jess and jack in the back he pulled in and slipepd out as jack opened the door and helped jess out taking her hand in his he smiled as he offered his arm . Steven moved ahead taking out his invitsation and moved inside he saw kate robert and khaat all ready inside he moved to teh bar and stood with a cola in his hand watching al around him he spotted the target and nodded to brian .

Jack pulled jess to the dance floor and moved around till he too saw him and loked down at her " hes to your left " he said softly jess as they spun looked and nodded " hes hevily guarded , wait hes moving , heading to the bathroom could be our chance " she whispered motioning to brian that the man was on the move .

Khaat knew that the rest of them were merely decoys. They were known. Well known. That meant they were merely decoys to allow Jack and Jess and Steven to do the real work. Khaat picked out quickly Dominic Costa. But there was another man who almost immediately made eye contact with Brian and Robert, and when he saw Brian his eyes filled with utter hatred.

He merely walked over and said, "Quinn? Who's the lady? And tell me, how much cheek did you have to drum up to show up here tonight?"

"This is Mrs. Quinn," a guard beside the first man said. "Lupin's daughter."

"Is she now?" the man's eyes lit up with satisfaction, and he turned to Khaat.. "How fortunate we are to have you here tonight. I must introduce myself, Mrs. Quinn. I am your host. Thomas Gelding." Khaat's blood ran cold, as cold as ice, as he took her hand and kissed it formally. "This is indeed a pleasure," he said. Khaat put his face to memory. Dark hair, dark eyes, grecian god facial features. The women in the room seemed to notice the slightest movement he made. Had it been any other time, Khaat would have found him utterly stunning. But she knew all too well what he was. "She is quite a beauty, isnt she?" Gelding looked at Brian.

"Careful," Robert said softly into Gelding's ear from behind him. Khaat hadn't seen her father coming. She had no idea how he'd gotten there so fast. "You wouldn't want to turn into smoke this soon into the evening, would you, Tommy?"

"Robert," Gelding turned, laughing, "Now how did I miss you here tonight?"

"Because I intended you to," Robert said. "Hands off. The lady is mine."

"Oh, I just learned that," Gelding was much too pleased to see the object of his hunt for at least a year right under his nose. "How thoughtful of you to drop her off for me."

"No, no. She'll be leaving tonight with me," Robert said. "I just thought you'd like to see her before you died."

"Still full of idle threats, Lupin?" Gelding laughed. He snatched Khaat's hand so hard, she knew his thumb digging into the back of it would make it bruise. "A dance." He dragged her suddenly onto the dance floor with the rest of the dancers. Khaat looked back at her father and Brian. Brian had been about to move, but Robert held him back. He let Gelding take her onto the dance floor. Khaat knew what he was doing. He was merely buing time for the others to get rid of Costa.

steven walked over casualy to the bathroom two men moved to stop him " I wouldn't unless you want a rather big mess on the floor " he said and acted like he was bursting watching jack move behind one man as he wrapped his arm around the second . with one movment both gripped the mens necks and they bpoth passed out " you so got to tell me how you knew how to do that ajck" steven said and jess stood infront of them as they dragged the bodies into the bathroom. Costa had just walked out of a stall when jack and steven walked in it was stevenm who took the shot dead on and execution style so every one would not know it was them who had done it. placing the two men next to his dead body they closed the stall door and walked abck out.

Jack tooking jess in his arms and glanced over at robert and brian seeing khaat with Gelding made jack clentch around jess and she shrugged him off her feeling some what crowded by him.

" he has some cheek " she whispered to jack but then moved to Brian " I see your alone, care to dance " she said making out she didn't know him so she could get the message to him Costa was dead.

The very next thing she knew was that everything seemed to suddenly go into slow motion. She had been glancing over towards Brian, just checking to be sure he was still there, when she heard a gunshot. Brian's chest seemed to splatter in blood, and the look in his eyes was one of utter surprise and shock--and death. He slumped instantly without the slightest sound. Khaat's whole world seemed to collide. Her heart stopped in her chest. She broke free from Gelding and flew, not seeing where the shot had come from. She fell to her knees, skinning them on the tile floor in Brian's blood as she slid to him. She knelt over him, trying to get a response, wanting him to get up, feeling nothing but panic.

All she could see was her life--over. Done with. Empty. She saw herself alone. And it was more than she could bear. She didn't know how to live without Brian. It just wasn't possible. She wanted him to get up, to speak, anything. Something. Not just nothing. She was clutching his tux lapels with both hands.

She felt her father's hands trying to move her out of the way. He tried to reach around her to get to Brian, but Khaat couldn't let go. She was not going to lose him. Her father was saying something, but Khaat couldn't hear his words.

Robert, meanwhile, saw Brian fall just a few steps from him. He flew and tried to check him, but Khaat had somehow gotten all the way across the room in the time he'd gone just a couple steps. She was in shock. She was clutching Brian's jacket so hard her fingers were white. She wasn't hearing him. She was just desperate to get him to respond, and Brian was already so far gone. If he were to live, Khaat had to get out of the way so Robert could work.

"Jack!" he shouted. The whole operation was blown. He needed Jack to get Khaat out of the way or Brian was going to die right here, right now.

Steven looked around as he heard the gun shot he saw a man running and took off after him airming his gun he feled him in one shot .

Jack turned and dove across the crouded floow to Khaat grasping her arm he gently moved her out to a waiting car and sat her in it staying with her knowing jess can take care of it with Robert " Khaat ....KHAAT SNAP OUT OF IT !!" he said " jess is with him too, he's in good hands " he said and sat with her holding her hand.

Jess moved to roberts side " what can I do ?" she asked not caring about her dress or anything but her job now as a healer to Robert . She looked at him taking Brians hand she chanelled her energy into him to hold him as Robert worked on him .

"Don't donate too much of your energies, Jess," Robert said. "Slow and steady. Just enough to provide life support. In fact, cut it by half. I'll fill in the other half. I'm used to it." He tore Brian's shirt and used pieces of it to pack in the wound, to try to slow the bleeding. "Jess, we'll have to get him home. I'll have to operate. I want you all to take good care of Khaat. She's in shock. You don't know where her mind has gone. I do. You may not get her back to herself until she knows Brian is alright. I dont' know if I can' explain. I don't need you to go into her head. Just make sure she's okay. Got that?"

Meanwhile, while Khaat was sitting with Jack, Tom Gelding saw his little trophy all ripe for the picking. He apparated up behind her, simply laid his hand on her shoulder and apparated out with her, and she never made a sound.

Robert glanced up just in time to see a Cheshire cat grin of victory on Geldings face as he apparated out, with Khaat, whose brain was just unplugged at the moment, in his grasp. "NO!" Robert shouted.

Steven looekmd and saw Gelding with Khaat he clentched his fist and looked at Jack w ho stood dumb struck walking over him " jack its not your fault that bastered was waiting for an opertunity bget agrip and do your job Brian is our priority right now. He moved jack over to Brian and Robert as he looked at Robert " sir focuse on Brian , jess can you sutain him till we get back , I know you can't aperate but foicuse on him lert me and jkack aperate him nack to the main house, Robert soon as we get there do your thing leave khaats resuse to us " he said taking brians hand he looked at Robert " you ready ?" he watched jack move to the other side and take jes's hand and brians.

Robert laid his hand firmly on Brian and when he saw they were all together, including Kieran, they all apparated out and back to the house. Robert rushed Brian upstairs to the bedroom, and Kate flew for Robert's bag without his asking for it. Angus knew it had all blown to hell in a matter of minutes. He made sure the babies were out of the way. He decided that was the best way he could help right now.

Robert looked at Jess. "We have to do surgery. These conditions are not the best, but we have no choice. If we dont, he has no chance at all. Are you up for this? It could be lengthy."

Meanwhile, Gelding had taken Khaat upstairs to a bedroom, laid her limp form on one of the enormous antique beds and had chained her to the four poster bed. She had room to move on the bed, but she could not get up. He looked at her. How the hell had Robert Lupin ended up with such a gorgeous daughter? She certainly had not gotten it from him. Had to be the mother--perhaps when she was younger she'd been prettier. He didn't know. The woman wasn't all that unattractive now, even in her 60's. She seemed to have some sort of class. And so did this woman. He had seen how she had utterly fallen apart when Quinn had been hit. It reminded him of pulling the wings off a butterfly for some reason. Something that just wasn't supposed to be done. Something that posed a great undoing for her. This might well hurt Lupin more than killing her. When the big brute Lupin had summoned had drawn her off Quinn, she had fallen silent Her brain was not connecting at the moment. When Gelding had touched her, she had just surrendered. Gone limp and collapsed. Fainted, he supposed. He wasn't sure. Either way, he had not physically harmed her. It was as if her mind had just gotten up and left.

It would be interesting to see what she was like when she woke, he thought.