Rain

"Yes, it was," Robert said. "It does take a bit of diplomacy to straighten out things like that. Come on, Brian. I'm starving. Excuse us, Jess. We need to raid the fridge for some sandwich fixings. Oh, by the way, I don't expect Khaat and Michael until very late if at all tonight. I wouldn't worry about them. They both love, love, love Venice. If they dont' show up by a reasonable time in the morning, I shall go get them. It's one of their favorite places on the planet. It probably will take us prying them out to get them back. If I know them, they've both been toying with the idea of staying overnight."

He motioned Brian to follow him and they went out and opened the fridge and began looking at things to put into a sandwich. Brian found the bread, and Robert began looking for deli meats, lettuce, tomato, and the rest of it. He was planning on just constructing a rather impressive sized sandwich.

"I don't hear the girls. I presume they're asleep," Brian said.

Jess chuckled and nodded " ok " she said and sliped her coffee again she watched them move into the kitchen and sat back " yes I checked on them after I left Kieran , bot sound asleep i wouldn't expect them to wake till morning " she said smiling at the impressive size of the sandwich " I hope thats for two and not just for you Robert " she said and chuckled.

J ack looked up ad whistled at the size of the sandwitch " nice sandwhich " he said and chuckled " thats aman sized sandwich if I ever saw it. " he pulled jess closer to him as he continued to drink his own coffee.

Robert whacked the sandwich in half and put half on one plate for Brian and one on another plate for himself. He got out two bottles of soda and handed one to Brian.

"How is it that we go to Venice and come back for this?" Brian said. "What couldn't we have stopped and gotten something?"

"I don't know. Probably because neither of us thought about it," Robert said, sitting. He sighed heavily. It was never a pleasant business when someone died. Much less when it wasn't on home soil. He had felt something just before Jess had said they needed to go find Khaat and Michael. He had sometimes felt some level of distress when she was in trouble, but this was different. It was confusing, and he needed to sort it out. Later. Tonight he needed to eat and perhaps go up to the nursery and just see for himself that the girls were alright. Then he would check on Kieran before double checking on the protection spells around the grounds and going to bed himself sometime before dawn.

Jess saw the lok on Roberts face and knew he'd felt something too finishing her coffee she placed it in the sink then moved back to jack taking his hand she pulled him up to his feet and then up to the stairs she saw Robert checking on the babies and told jack to go to bed that she neede to talk to Robert. Entering the babies room she walked over to Abby's crib.

" Robert earier on..." she paused " did you fell something like a distant panic, like Khaat was in trouble ?" she asked him " because i did and it's got me a little rattled, will i get that everytime she's in danger. " she asked glancing from him to Abby and back.

"Yes," Robert said quietly, rubbing Abbey's back as she shuffled a bit restlessly in her sleep. She calmed under her grandfather's touch. "That's happened since she was 16. I had to bond to her in order to keep her alive after Remus was killed. She didn't stand a prayer if I hadn't. Ever since then, its been...unexplainable. I knew. But this was different. It bothers me. She was not afraid for herself. It didn't enter her mind. She was afraid...for Michael. This was not about her. She was afraid for him. She didn't give a thought for herself. She was petrified she was about to lose Michael. She didn't care if she died or not, so long as he did not. The fear for her own life never entered her mind. That is...disturbing."

In Venice, Michael had taken her for ours on a tour of the city. It was just starting to get late. "I dont' want to go back," she sighed, her head on his shoulder. "This is so beautiful. I dont' want it to ever end."

"We dont' have to go home," he smiled. "They do have hotels here. And the shops are still open. What if we stayed and went home in the morning?"

"Could we?"

"When have we last stayed out all night for something good, not for business?"

"Its been so long, I can't remember," she said.

"Then that's it, then. We stay." He gave some sort of instructions to the gondolier. He soon dropped them off in front of a shop. Michael got out first and he took both her hands and helped her out. He took her into the shop. "Go. Buy yourself what you need for the night and a fresh change for morning. I will do the same."

jess looked at him and sighed " but why did I feel it, im not bonded to her or is that part of being a healer " she asked softly and loked at Robert then at Abby " if it is will this hapen with all the people I help?" she asked and looked at him she wanted to know so she would not be suprised the next time it happened to her.

Jack seeing the large sandwitch took it upon himself to make one just as big and so moved to the kitchen. Taking what he needed he made the sandwitch, cutting it in half he placed the other half in the fridge for his supper and took the rest to the table where he began to eat loving each bite.

"This is, for you, I think, more because you're a seer. Its why Kate knew. I think you and kate knew because of your abilities and because of how much you love Khaat. I dont think you'll have that with your healing. I dont' think those things are connected. I think what disturbs me is that I could feel she had no thought for herself. It didn't matter to her if she died or not. I've only seen that in a few cases. When someone has come so close to death that certain things don't matter anymore. She sees everyone else's life as being so essential, and yet,..." he paused, weighing his words before he spoke them.

"I think she appreciates life far more than she ever did. I do see that. But I also know that she would do anything-- anything--to keep those she loves from leaving her. That Gryffindor need to throw herself in the front has only become stronger. And at this point, tonight, I think she needs the time with Michael. He was willing to protect her. He swore that before she was born, on his own life. And he honors his word. Besides that, he loves her. Truly, deeply, genuinely. He takes his role as a second father to her very seriously. Tonight, I know what he's doing. Tonight, he's healing her heart in ways that only he can do. I hope he does. I don't ever want to see that look in her eyes again."

Then he turned and looked at Jess. "Forgive me. Its just the ramblings of a father." He rarely displayed so much of his heart to anyone. And he wasn't sure what had posessed him to do it now.

Jess stood listening and smiling at him she lt him talk feeling he needed to let some of it go he nodded in relife as he told her it would not hapen with any one but Khaat because of how much she cared for her like she was her own sister. She could under stand his feelings though she never actualy heard it from her own father she was silanly glad he felt comfortable enouph to do it with her around. Jess smiled and nodded " its ok I never got to hear my father talk like you did about Khaat , she's lucky to have such a caring father and family around her" she looked down at abby in the crib.

"And sometimes, Jess, I have to wonder if I didn't care enough," he said gently. He walked over to Dakota and checked on her. She seemed to be chewing on her new teddy in her sleep. Teething, he knew. He brushed his hand over the child's cheek and drew off the pain for her. Dakota settled into a peaceful sleep. He took the sloppy wet teddy out of the crib and set it aside and replaced it with a dry stuffed kitty.

When Michael saw the beautiful dress Khaat was looking at, he walked over to her, handing his new purchases to a clerk as he left the menswear. "Its beautiful," he said. "It looks like it was made for you."

"My shoes don't go with it," she sighed wistfully.

"I can fix that, my dear," he whispered in her ear. "I just don't think I should do it here." It made her laugh. "Buy the dress if you want it." She turned and picked up a blue one that would match her shoes.

"What about this one?" He laughed this time.

"Buy the whole store if you like," he said.

"I don't like it that well," she frowned at him. She finally selected a dress, some lingerie, and a nightgown and robe. He was more than happy to buy it for her. He walked her back down the street to someplace that she had presumed was just someone's little house. He opened the door and led her inside to find it was a beautiful little family owned hotel, done in old Italian elegance. She doubted it had changed very much in at least 200 years. He arranged a two bedroom suite for them, and the innkeeper led them upstairs to their room and opened the door. Khaat was amazed at how beautiful it was. She went in, listening to Michael give him a generous tip and then close the door. She wandered over to a pair of French doors and found that they opened up to a balcony overlooking a courtyard that was beautifully still lit. A gentle breeze filled the room, and the smell of flowers filled the air.

"The innkeeper said the room is haunted," Michael laughed. "I told him we wouldn't be bothered by that."

"He has no clue, does he?" she laughed.

Jess sighed at Roberts words " there is no such thing as not caring enouph , look at my perants they never botherd even looking for me " she said " if you don't mind me saying i think of you and kate more as perants than I do my own." she said and watch him take the wet teddy and wap it for a dry kitten "I'll have that cleaned and back before morning " she said and picked it up . She looked at him and decided to do a drying spell placing it back on the end of the crib.

Jack finished his sandwitch and decided he would takle the other half of it and took it out of the fridge eating again as he wondered what Brian and angus were doing.