New Day, New Life

"That's Robert's problem," Kate said. "That man can talk his way out of anything." Brian changed the basement stairs into a closet again and hung clothes in the closet. He told everyone to hide their wands, just as there was a knock on the door.

"Mine," Brian said. "You're all ready? Lets do this then." He went to the door and opened it and found two uniformed police detectives at the door.

"We're looking for Khaat Quinn," the detective said.

"I'm Brian Quinn," he said quietly. "I'm her husband. She's here. Come in. Kate, go get Robert , please." Kate silently went down the hall and retrieved Robert and brought him back.

"I'm Dr. Lupin," Robert said. "Khaat's father. She's here. I'll take you to her. Come with me. I was following her in my SUV when I saw the accident happen. My apologies for leafving, but she needed medical care, and I had all I needed here at home. She was too critical for me not to bring her here immeidately." He took them down the hallway to the bedroom.

The detectives walked into the bedroom to see that there was indeed a woman with fresh injuries in the bed. One of them, presumably the lead investigator looked at Robert. "I presume you have some ID?"

"Certainly," Robert said, pulling out an ID card of some sort. The men looked at it and then looked at Robert and handed his ID back to him. There was some sort of confused look on the officer's face. "She's your daughter?"

"She is," Robert said, picking up Khaat's ID from the dresser where he had purposely laid it. He showed it to them. They looked at it and handed it back.

"What are you doing in this country, Doctor?" the officer asked.

"Ask your president," Robert said boldly, fearlessly.

"What?"

"You heard me," Robert said. He pulled an impressive looking cell phone from his pocket. "Or shall I call him for you and have him explain it. I'm sure he'd be happy to clear that up for you."

"You think you know the president?" the other officer laughed. The first one elbowed the second to shut him up.

"Oh, let's do call, shall we, gentlemen?" Robert asked, turning on the phone. He dialed a number on the cell phone and spoke very briefly. It was cordial, and clearly the person on the other end suspected Robert needed some sort of validation. He handed the cell phone to the officer, who spoke briefly, replying with numerous solemn "Yes, Sir's" before handing the phone back to Robert. Robert spoke briefly and hung up.

"It appears we have no more questions--for now," the first officer said.

"But..." the second one said.

"We're leaving!" the first one said.

"Walk them out, Brian," Robert said calmly.

"My pleasure, Doctor," Brian said, leading them to the door. The officers stopped at the door and looked at Brian.

"We were assured Dr. Lupin would get us his statement within 24 hours," the first one said.

"If thats what you were told, then I'm sure you will," Brian said, showing them out. "Good night, Gentlemen." He shut the door behind them and kept a close watch until they were off of the property.

"Thank you," Robert said taking the tea mug. "They didn't believe I knew their president, so I merely proved my point. I called their president. He's on my speed dial. I'm sure what they were told was to bear off. Don't think for one moment that their president doesnt' know who I am or what really happened in our wizarding world. Don't think we aren't well hidden--as well hidden as we can be. And don't think for one moment that if it comes to it, we won't be protected. They know I am still the rightful minister, and I will have every American wizard or any of their allies with a very simple patronus. I would not move my family here without utilizing what power I still have. And, for now, it got them off our backs.

"Now--Jess and Brian, lets take care of these injuries before we have to totally change her and the sheets from her bleeding all over them. Lets get the bandages and the splints and get this taken care of. I'd rather set the bones while she's still unconscious anyway. It isn't painless, you know."

"Possibly," Robert shrugged. "But it depends on how well they follow orders. They have been given federal orders to treat us as if we were in the witness protection program. They are not to reveal us to anyone for any reason. They were told it does not matter what happened in that accident. Our security is their top priority. If anyone comes now, it will either be from the American Minister of Magic, who happens to be a friend and already knows we're here. So he's no threat. Or, it will be from someone higher up, in which case, they're muggle, they're friends and they're still no threat. If they don't follow orders, I'll kill them. Don't think I won't. Brian and I neither one have any trouble doing that. Do we, Brian?"

"None whatsoever," Brian said coldly. Fatherhood put a different spin on things for him. He had his kingdom. His queen, his princesses and princes. No one was going to touch them. Never again. He hadn't said much, but he was busy working, helping Jess clean up Khaat and mend scrapes and cuts as he found them. From what he had seen on her body, he guessed she had gone through the windshield or that something and penetrated the windshield glass back onto her. She was cut and bruised everywhere. This was gonna hurt. He poured a tall dose of pain potion and set it on her nightstand. She was gonna need it whenever she woke up.

"I need to set her ribs and all those bones in her hand. Are you both up to hearing the sound of that?" Robert asked. "It is a rather grusome sound."

"Thanks," Brian said, glad they were there. "Its nothing I haven't heard before, Robert. Set them before she wakes up."

"Very well," he said, double checking to be sure she was still unconscious. Satisfied, he laid his hands on her ribs and reset the two fractured ribs. They snapped back into place with a sharp snap of bone grinding against bone. "Jess--in my bag. There is a rib binder. Its teeny tiny. Its in the very large brown plasstic pill bottle. You'll have to restore it to its proper size when you get it out, please. Let's bind her broken ribs before the ends can shift again. You'll find materials in a brown box--its a shrunken kit for fiberglass casts. Get that out. I'm going to put her hand in her cast. Brian, take her hand and hold it so I can fix the breaks please."

Brian obeyed and did as he was told. Robert worked meticulously on each break one at a time. There were multiple fractures in her hand, and he wanted to be sure they were done right. Each tiny bone snapped back obediently into place and he adjusted them until they were absolutely perfect. "Wait," he said to Jess. "Her hand is going to swell and its going to turn coal black with massive deep bruises. We can't cast it yet. Maybe tomorrow. Get the splint kit out. We'll have to wrap it very heavily and then splint it instead."