One Heart

He didn't know what time they'd actually gone to bed. He wasn't watching the time. He'd lost track of it, needing nothing more than to simply be with her. He'd enjoyed dinner and talking and simply laying in front of the fire. And although they'd slept together before, going to sleep with his arm draped over her felt like it had taken on something different tonight.

He'd slept like a rock--until he heard a soft sound. He woke quickly, his first thought that there was someone in their room. He looked at her, and she seemed to be okay, seemed to still be sleeping. He paused, hearing nothing, but that wasn't good enough. He slipped silently out of bed and drew his wand. It wasn't rain anymore. That seemed to be stopped. Then the noise happened again. A tapping--at the door. He frowned. In the middle of the night? That couldn't be good.

He went to the door, tucked his wand behind his back, and opened the door. Standing at the door, with her wad lit very dimly, was Kate.

"Kate?" he asked softly, frowning. He didn't want to wake Bella. "How on earth did you find me here?"

She rolled her eyes. "I am a seer. My apologies for interrupting you. Can I come in, or would you prefer I stand out here?" She spoke softly too, knowing it was an ungodly hour.

"No, no," he said, "come in." He stood aside to let her come in and then closed the door behind him. "What's happened? Is everything alright?"

"I came to bring you this," she said. She opened backpack and drew out two black plastic boxes. He knew all too well what they were. He opened them anyway to reveal two semi automatic pistols and a pair of full clips.

"What the hell do I need these for?" he frowned. She picked up one out of the case and picked up a clip and snapped it into place. He followed and loaded the other. They both checked to be sure the safety was on, on both guns. She hadn't spoken. He looked at her. "Have you been playing in your crystal ball again?"

"Stones, actually," she said quietly. "Robert thought these ought to do the trick for you. You are in muggle territory, after all. He'd prefer you try to avoid an international incident."

"Understood, but who the hell am I shooting?" he asked.

"Keep them with you," she said. "Oh, and Robert sent these along as well. Bloody good forgeries anyway." She drew out a couple of identifications and handed them to him. He opened them.

"So, Bella and I are MI6, now, are we?" he frowned.

"Easy enough for him to back if you need it," she shrugged.

"Why does Bella...wait. I don't even know if she knows the barrel from the trigger!" he hissed softly at Kate. "What the hell are you drawing me into in the middle of the night?"

Bella shifted slightly when she felt Angus left the bed. She was groggy and was slightly awake but slightly not awake. She heard him open the door and heard him talking to someone but her brain was still slightly fuzzy with sleep.

She heard another voice it was a female voice and took a big yawn. She opened her eyes and wondering what time it was. She looked around trying to find an clock to tell her what time it was but couldn't find one on her side.

She laid in bed trying to summon the strength to get up and head towards Angus. She could hear the whispered conversation between Angus and the woman. She thought it might be Kate's voice but she wasn't quite sure.

Finally she found the strength to sit up and bed then get out to head to the bathroom. She splashed some water on her face to try and wake herself up some more. She grabbed her robe from the back of the door where she had left it before she went to bed. She tied it around her waist before slipping on her slippers and heading towards Angus.

By the time she was out to where Angus was all she saw were guns and Kate standing there. "Kate? What's going on?" She asked then adrenaline kicked. "Is there something wrong at the estate?" She looked at her with wide eyes.

She hadn't heard most of the conversation between them but had no idea what was going on. She saw identifications in Angus' hands and was highly confused at this point. "Kate what's going on? There's guns and M16 ID's with our names on them. I don't understand," She said looking at her with more confusion on her face.

"That makes two of us," Angus said to Bella. "Let me get this straight. You saw something or another with the stones, and whatever-it-was sent you here with guns--presumably for us to shoot something in eyesight of muggles, and if we're caught, we're to claim we're MI6?"

"Oh, you will be caught," Kate said. "And, if it comes to it Danniella Ricci is your aunt. Your mother's sister."

"Bloody hell," Angus hissed.

"You'll be in plain sight," she reasoned, "How would you not be caught?"

"I'm liking my wand a hell of a lot better right now," Angus said, narrowing his eyes at her.

"No," she said, "you won't. At least you'll look like the good guys in the process." She looked at Bella." Ever fired a gun before, Dear?"

"I AM the good guys!" he scowled.

"The muggles won't know that," Kate frowned.

"Who am I shooting?"

"The bad guys," Kate frowned deeper. "Thought you'd figure that much out."

"Why am I shooting anybody?"

"Because, if you don't, they will kill you," Kate said, suddenly very serious. "And they may get both of you in the process unless you act."

"What did you see exactly?"

"At some point, you will see Luther Burke with another man, and whatever they're doing, you're not going to have a choice." The name brought huge realization to Angus. He sighed heavily. This wasn't good. If Luther Burke were here, then surely Thomas Gelding wasn't far behind. He looked at Bella.

"You have to go," he said to her quietly. "You can't stay if they're here...."

"You can't possibly do this one alone," Kate said. "Burke isn't alone."

She listened to what Angus was saying to Kate about stones. She remembered Angus saying something about Kate being a seer. She was confused however about how stones sent Kate to them with guns and fake ID's for them to shoot someone or something.

Her eyes got big at Kate's next words, "I dont' understand. We're going to get caught shooting something but he's to claim that Danniella Ricci is his aunt. I'm sorry but I'm not quite understanding." She said trying to grasp what was being said.

She began getting a little anxious about being in plain sight of muggles shooting something and be caught for doing so.

Kate's question took her off guard for a moment. "Um yes, I'm slightly off where I mean to hit but not by much." She said still confused.

She put her hand on Angus' shoulder for a moment to let him know to calm himself.

"To muggles no matter what who ever has a gun they don't know who's good or bad. Until either something good comes of it or something bad." She said softly.

She followed the conversation between the two of them to try and make sense of everything. Her gaze went to Kate when she said that if they didn't shoot they would be killed.

She heard the name that Kate said but had no memory of someone with the name. "Luther Burke? Who is that?" She asked curious as to why Angus' sighed hearing the name.

"Kate wouldn't have made two M16 ID's if you were to do this alone." She said looking at him. "If this person is as bad as I'm thinking he is and he has a partner. You need me there to make sure you don't end up getting hurt or worse. I know how to use a gun so you won't have to worry about me accidentally shooting you."

Angus sighed heavily. "You shooting me is the last thing I'd ever worry about," he said to Bella, kissing her forehead. "Okay, this is going to take another moment to catch you up. Let's sit." He motioned them both to the sitting area of the suite.

"Good," Kate said to Bella, reassuring her. "If Robert hadn't had confidence, he wouldn't have put you with him. Keep him covered, then, and you two should do alright." She did see how this bothered Angus, and she knew him well enough to know why. It had taken him a long time to even risk love or any sort of relationship. The last thing he wanted was to risk her.

"Angus," she said gently, knowing he needed some reassurance that he wasn't putting everything that mattered on the line. Or that there was some hope Bella would be safe. "Robert would have sent more help if he thought he could do it without making it worse," Kate said. "He knows your abilities. How many years have you had the security of Khaat and the kids and the estate totally in your hands when there was no one else there but you? You're not alone this time, and that's a first. Gelding probably won't know what hit him."

"I know, I know," Angus sighed, tossing another log on the fire before sitting. "Bella, remember I told you about the organization and its work to try to stop the disappearance of wizarding children? Well, Luther Burke is the top reinforcer for the man who orchestrates all those disappearances. If Burke is here, then his boss is with him. His name is Thomas Gelding. His father was the man, so far as we know, that first created the dark arts organization world wide that takes those children. There's no way Gelding knows I'm here but we've been dealing with the Geldings for decades now. They know me, and I certainly know them. There isn't a chance we'll mistake each other. If he's here, then there's some dark dealing that I've got to stop. Kate's right. I don't have a choice."

He could see now what Kate was saying, the reason she'd been talking in circles. She'd seen Gelding doing some dark dealing and saw Angus intercepting it by accident, somehow with some number of muggles present. She'd seen Gelding and Burke turning on him and had seen it not working well. It wasn't possible for him to use his wand. It wasn't possible for him to walk away, not when Gelding's dealings always had to do with wizarding children.

Robert knew that Angus didn't have it in his DNA to turn and run. Neither, though, did Robert want to see him unaware and ill equipped. He'd done what he could. He'd sent weapons and a backup plan.

"Daniella is the Italian Minister of Magic," Angus said quietly. "She's the backup plan. If I get caught, I'm to say she's my aunt, and the muggle authorities will no doubt call her. She'll be my back door out."

"I saw Angus alone," Kate said to Bella. "Robert is calculating that since you have an excellent, valid reason to be with Angus, you're his best partner in this. I don't believe that seers get premonitions for no hope. I have always believed we have that gift so that we can try to make a difference. What I do know is that what is saw did not look good for him alone."

Angus didn't say a word. This was precisely what he hadn't wanted to draw her into. He had had every intention of making sure she and Rose were safe, that they would never have to experience what he did for a living. It wasn't as if Bella didn't know. She'd seen some of it from the moment they left. He was silent a long moment.

"Guns. That's it, then?" Angus finally asked.

"He did send a patch kit, just in case," Kate offered, knowing that wasn't the least bit of consolation. She took the emergency medical kit out of the pack and put it on the coffee table.

"Brilliant," he shook his head, frustrated.

Hearing his words she knew what he was worried about, her getting shot. After he kissed her forehead she kissed his lips. "Okay," She said said sitting down on the couch that was there. She knew what was coming next wasn't going to be good.

"How would Robert know I would have been a good partner with Angus? He would've had to of called my father for that. I will keep him covered." She said with a smile. She knew that this was going to be hard for Angus tonight but she knew that he needed her. She wasn't going to let him go alone and she would make sure that she covered him.

She listened to Kate talk to Angus giving him reassurance that it would be alright. She listened as Kate explained that Robert would have sent more help if it didn't make the situation worse. She looked at Angus would was standing near the fire and wanted to hug him to let him know it would be alright.

When Angus sat down and she took his hand giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Yes I remember you telling me that." She said then listened to everything that he said. "So Burke is the grunt man who takes all these wizarding children. Since he's here in Italy his boss Thomas is here. Thomas' father created the organization that took the wizarding children. They both don't know your here but they would recognize you easily." She said trying to make sure that she understood completely what was going.

She knew that they had to do something about these men to protect the wizarding children. She wondered what it was that Kate saw but she had a feeling it was something that wasn't pleasant.

"Oh I didn't know." She said softly. "Okay, she's the backup plan if you get caught. What if I'm the one that gets caught instead?" She asked looking at Kate thinking ahead just in case. She didn't know what she would do if she ended up being the one getting caught.

Listening to Kate's words about her premonition of Angus caused her to squeeze his hand harder. "I'll make sure that I keep him covered in this." She said softly not wanting think about how bad it was if he was alone.

She listened to Angus' question then looked at the medical kit out of her pack putting it on the table. "When and where will this happen?" She asked wanting to know everything so that they were prepared.

"That wasn't what he based his decision on, Dear," Kate said. "He didn't talk to your father, not so far as I know. The best partner is an invested one--one who is keenly interested in keeping the other safe. And, since you have every reason to be here right now, you won't draw suspicion in being seen with him. And aside from looking gushingly cute together, no one is going to think much of seeing a couple together in Tuscany."

Angus listened to Bella getting her facts straight. "Close," Angus said. "Gelding doesn't like getting his hands dirty, if you know what I mean. Gelding has a great many people working for him. Burke is the grunt man, but he's the chief grunt man. He commands the people that actually do the dirty work. Its possible the two of them might not be alone. I guess we'll find that out when we get to it."

"Don't think for one instant Angus'll let you get taken by Italian authorities and not come with you," Kate said to Bella. "He should have said 'we' instead of 'I.'  I think he was still thinking of a way to do this alone. Old habits die hard.  On the outside chance that does happen that you'd be caught without him, though, you still use the same information. She's your husband's aunt.  They'll still contact her."

She asked when it was going to happen. Angus didn't feel that it was going to be long.

"Soon," Kate said quietly. "Very soon. I don't think its going to be entirely daylight. Or at least that's not what it looked like."

"Makes sense," Angus said. "Darkness is a good cover, but I didn't see any children when we got here. The resort is mostly empty this time of year."
'
"You probably didn't see much of anything yesterday," Kate said dryly. "Why would you? Let's consider where there would be any sort of gathering of muggles at daybreak."

"In Italy? Tourists aren't likely to be up yet. Breakfast doesn't happen seven or eight. At daybreak ? Here? The only ones that are likely to be up are staff, probably in the kitchen in the main villa."

"Then I'd start at the villa if I were you," Kate said.

"We'll need to blend, or try to," Angus said. "We are going to look very, very odd if we show up waiting for something violent to happen."

"Oh, use your imagination," Kate said. "Go for a run or something. Running makes people thirsty. You'll surely need bottles of water by then, won't you?" She hinted at a motive to go to the main villa. Angus looked at Bella.

"Might work," he said.

"That's true and it's definitely something that I want to keep him safe." She said softly understanding why Robert picked her. She smiled when Kate said that no one was going to think much of seeing a couple who looked cute together.

She listened to him talk about Gelding not like getting his hands dirty. She shook her head at the fact that two men would kidnap kids from their families. "Okay," She said softly.

She nodded at Kate's words, "I know he'd go with me." She said softly. "That's true old habits do die hard but right now we'll be working together. Alright I'll remember that if I get caught to use the same information." She was nervous about everything but knew that she had Angus with her.

"Okay, so it will happen soon but won't be entirely daylight. So maybe just before dawn?" She asked looking at Kate.

She smiled softly when he said that he didn't see any children when they got here and that the resort was mostly empty.

She smiled a little more when Kate said they wouldn't have seen much of anything yesterday. "Well what if it isn't tourists. Depending on where it is, it could be workers from somewhere." She said softly. "If it is to happen here it would be the people who work here that could be the ones that see us. Maybe a few tourists stick their heads out the door at the first start of gunfire."

She heard Angus' words listening as she tried to figure out where it would take place.

"Well we're gonna have to try hard to blend in." She said softly. She heard his next words and began thinking of ways they could blend in.

"If we go for a run it would look really weird if neither of us is wearing sneakers. I know I don't have any with me." She said trying to come up with something. "Maybe going on a walk just before sunset, we can say we wanted to take a walk. Then take pictures of the sunrise and see it together. I know it's not the best thing but it is something."

"The fewer people involved the better," he said, hoping that there was not going to be a bunch of folks running towards the sound of gunfire.  He realized they weren't going to be able to entirely control that, but the more muggles there were, the harder everything was going to be.

He had sneakers. He'd bought them at Tobias's. He hadn't given a thought that she might not have any.  He was going to volunteer to transform one of the pairs of shoes she had bought, but he knew that messing with a woman's shoes was dangerous territory.

"The walk will work," Angus said. "Let's start by going to the main villa on the pretense of looking for some coffee to go to take with us on our walk. My guess is that we won't have to make much of an excuse before things get started anyway."

He looked at the clock. Kate was right. They didn't have much time. He got up.

"I'm going to go dress," he said, going for his clothes.

"Angus," Kate said, looking at him. "Remember your directives. You're not a bodyguard here. You're part of a team.

He turned back and glared at her for a moment. "I know my orders, Kate," he said, trying not to be short with her. He picked up his clothes and his razor and headed for the bathroom, closing the door.

"He'll be fine," Kate said to Bella. "Now, what about you? Check your gun. Do you think you can handle this style of pistol? Anything I need to show you? Between you, you should have plenty of fire power. You should take your wand, just in case, and, if you need it, don't forget your necklace." It certainly wasn't the way Robert trained anyone, but this was one of those times that things weren't entirely in

"I don't think there will be many people that will be brave enough to peek out their doors. However we need to make sure we're prepared for it." She said hoping that the muggles wouldn't try to go anywhere near gunfire. The best they could do was prepare for the worst but hope for the better, with the outcome of this.

She hadn't thought to grab any sneakers from Tobias'. She didn't think they'd do much running around but next time she'd be prepared just in case. She thought about the best outfit she could wear for the 'walk' they would be taking.

"Okay," She said then nodded when he said they'd take coffee with them on their 'walk'. "I'm sure they'll have the coffee somewhere in view of the lobby in the main villa. It would give us a good vantage point just in case they get there after we're making the coffee for ourselves. I doubt we'd have to give any excuse before things get started."

She looked at him when he got up and stood as well.

"Okay," She said with a small smile.

She looked at Kate when she started talking and then looked towards Angus. She knew that he was used to working alone but she wanted to be the one working along side him.

She sighed softly after Angus disappeared into the bathroom with his things.

"I know," She said looking at Kate. She picked up the gun that they would be using. She felt the weight in her hand and pointed it at the door of the villa. She checked the clip and thought about everything the gun to make sure she knew the aspects at them. "I'll be fine with this style of a pistol, it's a little bit heavier than the one I've used but not by much. I have my wand in the bedroom in the end table and I haven't taken my necklace off since Angus gave it to me." She said softly thinking now about what they were going to be doing now. She was worried about this but it wasn't enough to break her concentration.