Hunting Thingamajigs

Brian went upstairs to find out what exactly had happened. Khaat felt interrogated, and before she even realized what waas happening, she and Brian were having the worst arguement they'd ever had in their entire lives. Khaat wanted to go home, and Brian didn't feel that he wanted her to go alone. That started the core of the real arguement. She had come to be a help, not a hindrance. And now she felt unable to help.

Downstairs Michael felt a cold, icy wind start to blow up. Ice? In the Amazon? Things started to be blown around on the main floor.

"Oh, here we go," Michael sighed, struggling to keep his book open. "Its not wise to get a seer that angry. It never worked out well for Robert when he'd piss Kate off like that. And now it seems Brian is doing the same thing. I seriously doubt that boy will do better than his father in law."

Things seemed to get more and more violent around the treehouse and then suddenly the magic stopped. But Brian was shouting angrily after her.

"Great. Bloody wonderful. She's gone, no doubt," Michael sighed. "Just like her mother did. Brian's going to have to learn early." He accio'd his pack and was about to leave when Brian stormed down the stairs. He saw Michael geering up to go after her.

"Oh no," Brian ordered. "Nobody's going after her. If she thinks she can do this, then let her do it!" He stormed downstairs and out to go get a bit of exercise to work off the excess steam.

"Well, Okay then," Michael said, setting down his pack and flicking his wand to put things in the treehouse back in their places. He resumed his seat.

Cassidy felt the temperature drop and ran out she saw Brian storming out of their room and she followed moving to Jim. " and all this because she thought I was spying on her when all I was doing was heading to my room and heard her talking " she said picking up several cups she moved to the kitchen feeling the need to clean and tidy up because she was upset and angry mostly at her self for causing the argument. Jim walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder " you didn't do anything cassidy don't blame yourself" he told her and she sighed and nodded.

"Yes, but if I hadn't listened in to her conversation with the Vamp man she wouldn't have got mad"she said and looked at Brian.

Khaat made her way through the jungle on her own. She wanted a piece of her own back. She had been trained all of her life to be a fighter, to be able to take care of herself. The last couple of years had changed all of that. Now she had bodyguards for every move she made. It frustrated her. It was something she and Brian fought about often. But not this badly. And this fight had been worse than any other. She'd known him for 24 years now, and they'd never fought like this. Never said the things theyd said today. In fact, they'd vowed they'd never say them, no matter what. She wasn't feeling like, much as she loved him, like there was any going back. Not ever.

She heard a low deep growl. Something not human and then things blurred and went black.

She woke in a very elegant room. A four poster bed, with deep burgundy fabrics. Hours had passed. It was dark out now. She could see the starlight out a large, lead glass window. The room was lit dimly and filled with all sorts of shadows. Out of the shadows in the corner of the room stepped Escobar. She immediately thought of his curse. She reached up to her neck.

"You do have a bit of bloodloss," he laughed. "But not by me. Your neck is minus any of my teethmarks. You do have a few clawmarks. You really should look harder into the shadows if you are going to journey alone. You missed the black panther to your right. He smelled you and would have surely had you if I had not seen to your safety."

She looked and found that she had been given some sort of white nightgown.

"And you're not naked either," he told her.

"Why? Why save me?" she asked in a bit of a small voice.

"Beautiful things, I find, are often worth the effort."

"I need to go," she said, trying to sit up. Her head spun.

"Of course," he said. "But your clothes are quite shredded. You're welcome to keep the gown, but an unarmed woman alone in the jungle in nothing but a nightgown at night? You'd fare better during the daylight. Well, at least you would. I tend to like the dark."

"Unarmed? Where is my wand?" she asked.

"Oh, fell into a mudpit. My house elf is cleaning it for you. I'll have him return it to you as soon as it is cleaned. I'll have them bring you food. I do remember being human. I do remember needing food. After all these years, it is rather optional for me. I suggest you eat and then get some sleep. You've been through quite a day. That fight was quite ugly with...Brian, is it? Your husband?"

"It was," she admitted. "You were watching--again."

"Couldnt' help it," he said. "It was quite a lot of violence. I do hear violence. All sorts of it."

Cassidy sat in her chair she shivered but then felt a warmth wash over her followed by a calm feeling and she looked at Brian " I think shes over it Brian" she told him and sighed feeling relived but yet not relived she had not known Khaat to release from her anger in along time but she thought nothing more about it for now just glad Khaat was no longer angry at every one, Jim nodded and looked at the chess board he had cassidy sat at.

" your move and I'll tell you this if you don't move your queen its over" he told her and chuckled as she looked down at the board.

" don't rush me I'm thinking" she told him and smiled.

"Well," Michael said, "Good. So unless she's gone questing on her own, then she'll be back soon." He gave a quick look to the chess board and flicked his finger at one of Cassidy's pieces. "Check," he announced to Jim. "I shall go fix dinner. It is a rather simple meal tonight. It wont take long."

Michael fixed a large grilled pizza, made on an open grill, with a salad of fresh greens and herbs that they'd found earlier that day. By the time that he was cutting the pizzas into pieces, Angus and Sergio were heading back and the stars were just coming out in the sky.

"No Aura?" Michael asked.

"No," Angus said. "The village, it seems, is used to dealing with vampires. We left her with her own people. Although, I don't have high hopes for her survival. They don't seem to be tolerant of vampires. They don't seem to have much of a hesitation about doing away with them."

"But left unchecked, the vampire curse spreads like plague," Michael said. "Its probably for the best. You didn't see Khaat on your way back, did you?"

"No. Should we have?" That smells incredible."

"It should be edible," Michael said. "No, it isn't mandatory that you should have seen her. She'll turn up, I suppose. If she doesn't surface by morning, we might organize a search party. Dinner, everyone! I hope you're hungry! Come fix your plates!"

Cassidy chuckled as Michael moved her piece Jim chuckled and nodded " good move Michael " he said and smiled standing up as cassidy reset up the board and then joined them at the table for dinner " yum does smell tasty " she said and sat next to Jack and looked at Brian and Michael as he joined them both " you worried about her?" she asked him Jack looked up.

" we could go looking after dinner if you want " he asked knowing if they did she might not be happy about them looking for her.

"This has been brewing a long time," Brian admitted. "Remus never counted on her having people to stand beside her. It was what he wanted for her, of course, but it was nnot what he counted on for her. He wanted her to be able to protect herself. There were times he drilled her worse than any bootcamp I ever conducted. And she'd have done anything for him. Anything.

"The last couple of years have been hard. Four or five years ago she was living at the farm, unwilling to come out because she thought her life was over without Remus. Robert got her to take the directorship of St. Mungos and move to the cottage in Hogsmeade. And now it has sort of evolved to where she has had to rely on security just to stay safe at home or to conduct a normal work day. Its a necessity, and she knows it. I did expect that she would someday blow up at me because she didn't like my insistance that she be hovered over. Well, I guess today was the day," Brian finished, putting a couple pieces of pizza on a plate for himself.

"She'll come around about that," Michael said. "She never did know how to be at odds with you. It sounds like Cassidy feels she's better already."

"I'm sure she is," Brian said.

A short while later, Escobar glanced at the door and somehow opened it without moving a muscle. The house elf came in with a tray. She sat up, and the elf put the tray across her lap and removed the cloche. It was steak tartare. She hesitated.

"You do not like steak?" he asked.

"I prefer mine cooked," she said.

"It is the best quality and it is not tainted," he said.

"Nevertheless," she said. "I do not eat raw beef."

"Oh very well. Rare, surely, then?"

"Medium, please," she said. He looked at her as if she were revolted.

"Medium," he ordered, a bit reluctantly. The steak turned from raw to medium on her plate. "Terrible injustice to that bit of steak." He picked up the red apple from the tray and bit into it. "I miss food sometimes."

"Why am I here?" she asked.

"I collect things," he shrugged, motioning her to eat.

"Things? Or people?" she asked, tasting the steak. It was very good.

"Its all the same, isn't it? Nothing ever lasts. It all decays before my eyes. When you live as an immortal, nothing ever lasts."

"Especially women," she finished his sentence.

"Swords, jewels, money, art, women,...its all the same."

"And have you collected me?" she asked. He looked at her.

"No," he said. "You are..a guest. I don't have many...guests." He paused and seemed to focus into being a host. "You will find appropriate clothing in the armoire. The bath is through the door behind you to your left, and a morning sitting room to the door behind you to your right. You are, of course, welcome to go into almost any room in the house."

"Almost?" she asked.

"Almost," he maintained. "You will know where you are permitted to go."

"And how long shall I stay?"

"You work in years. I work in eternities," he said. "How long you stay is not for me to decide. Tonight, I suggest you eat and sleep. Nothing more."

"Why are you being so..." her words failed her.

"Civil?" He laughed.

"Yes," she said.

"And why do I not just drain you now? Because I love beautiful things. Perhaps I..shall not."

"Not until you tire of me."

"I eventually tire of everything," he said, turning and going to the door. "Good night." He left.

Cassidy looked at the others and nodded but inside she felt it was not her usual calm but something different, forced but she wondered if it had just been because of the force of the anger that had made it feel so different. Jim saw the look on her face and spoke to her. " cassidy whats up?" he asked and she looked up quickly.

" huh ow ..nothing " she said and glanced at Michael " guess I'm just silly " she said but the feeling didn't change and she sighed " I felt her calm down bit it felt wrong like it was changed some how and wrong " she frowned and shook her head " for get I said anything it might just be me, because she had ago at me" she told them and sipped her juice.

Brian said nothing. He didn't believe Khaat had really had any sort of a 'go' at Cassidy. She had merely been frustrated. He understood it. He'd been doing protection jobs for too many years to not know the resentment that a client often felt for being shadowed everywhere they went. And to have married one's chief bodyguard was against al the typical recommended advice. But then again, Lupins rarely followed rules if they saw a better way.

He finished his pizza and took his plate to the kitchen. "If you'll all excuse me," he said politely. "I think I'll go work on my maps and charting. If we're going to finish this quest, we'd better be ready to get on with it. And that means hours of paperwork for me. I'll see you all in the morning. Goodnight." He went up to his bedroom.

"You think he's alright, Mate?" Angus asked Michael.

"Yes. He is. He's got his mind on the reason why we're here. I don't think we can ask for a better decision. The sooner we get done with this, the sooner we can all get home. Its the right choice. It doesn't put his marriage first, but it is the right choice," MIchael said.

Cassidy heard Brian and sighed then looked at Angus and Michael then she sighed " he's right I should turn in early to be fresh should we head out tomorrow" she said and stood up looking some what hurt with her self as she moved past Angus and Michael, she'd been silly thinking Khaat had had a go at her but what else was she to think when she was shouted at and then Khaat walked off on her own. Cassidy moved down to her room and no soon the door was closed she lay heavily down on the bed looking at the ceiling. Jack looked at Jim and shrugged his shoulders as Jim had watched cassidy leave after Brain.

" You do know she feels she was responsible for Khaat leaving like she did?" he told them making his next move witch made Jack groan a little as he knew it was not long until the gave was over. " Jack two moves and were done mate" he said and chuckled seeing the eye roll he did.