Summer Picnic

Robert and Khaat laughed when Jess mentioned Robert's bug jars. He still had a lot of bug jars in his cellar, and he used them for his potions work.

"I haven't had any new bugs in my collection for a long time. Wonder what a werewolf bug would look like," he teased. "No, I think you'll be safe enough, Jess. His wolfsbane I gave him will hold him tonight, and by then the full moon will be over. He should be out of trouble for now, at least. He's going to need clothes, and you'll need a lot more food in your fridge than you usually stock. I'll have some things brought 'round for him and for you. I'll get someone on it."

"Just so you both feel better, how about I drop around before it gets dark and keep you both company tonight?" Brian offered. "I'll bring the muggle movies and the popcorn."

"And that would be a good deal for me. He's been wanting to watch old cowboy movies, and the gunfights always wake the baby," Khaat sighed. "You'd be doing me a favor."

Jack looked down at the woman who he now knew was called Jess "I'm happy with just a comfy bed and a shower." he said and saw her scrunch up her nose.

"oh a shower is the first thing on your list...phew" she said wafting her hand in front of her nose " Okay then my place once it goes dark." she said " but how we going to get him to my apartment its on the first floor and well he looks like he couldn't take two steps with out falling to his knees right now.

Jack sighed and shook his head " I'm not that weak" he said but as soon as she let him go he sank to the ground onto his knees " okay, okay you have a point, the, what was it you called it shifting? took a lot out of me." He heard Jess hum next to him and looked to Khaat " She always this cold or is it just me inpaticuler she dosn't like?" he said with a small smile.

"You might want to go with them now, Brian," Robert said. "Jack, this is Brian Quinn, my son in law, and Khaat's husband. I don't know if you've met him but he's worked as a trainer for new aurors."

"I don't believe we've met," Brian said. "I might have missed you. I've been there sort of off and on. Anyway, I'll take another bit of Wolfsbane just in case, and we'll be off."

"A good night's sleep will do you good," Robert said. "You'll feel better I the morning, I'm sure, Jack." Khaat snickered when Jack made a comment about Jess being cold.

"Well, Jack," Khaat said, deliberately teasing both him and Jess, "all you have to do is pretend to be her knight in shining armor, and you'll all set. Start with a tuxedo, and a nice dinner..." Robert laughed out loud.

"Give him a couple days for that, Jess," Robert said. "Your knight's armor needs a patch up."

"Pay them no mind. She's a good sort when she gets to know you," Brian said to Jack, pocketing the bottle of wolfsbane from Robert's bag. "Khaat, kiss Abbey goodnight for me, and I'll see you both tomorrow sometime."

"Will do," Khaat said.

"And I'll help your with the picnic cleanup," Robert said, flicking his wand at the picnic supplies. "Alright, off you go, you lot. Jess, keep me posted on his progress send me an owl tonight and again in the morning and we'll see where we need to go from there, yes?"

Jess looked at Khaat her mouth open in disbelief at what Khaat had said " more like smelly armor" she said to Khaat .

Jack looked at Brian and held out his hand , noticing the dirt and blood he took it back and wiped it on his trousers. " sorry, its good to meet you and yeah I think we did just miss each other, I heard about you threw out my training, best of the best they said. " He looked to Khaat and chuckled softly "really..hum, might try that when I'm not feeling more like an idiot in tin foil than a knight in shinning armor" he felt Jess shake her head and looked to Brian watching him place a small bottle of wolfbane in his pocket glad to know he had it on him. "Thank you both for everything." Jack said to Khaat and Robert

"Okay, and enough with the pick on Jess lets go" she said "I can aperate us into the lounge from here," she motioned for Brian to get closer as she apperated all of them to her apartment. Setting Jack down on the black leather couch she headed checked his wound. " okay, bath and shower's to the left, spare rooms opposite it, kitchen's there, fully stocked, I went shopping yesterday, Brian help yourself to a drink, movies are in that rack or there's netflix " she said tossing him the remote.

[posting as brian--npc currently]

"Nice place," Brian said when they arrived. "It's a lot bigger than your other. Very nice. Wait a second, Jack." He flicked his wand at the dressing. "Waterproofing," he said. "Unless you want to have to have a fresh dressing already. If that's the case, I'll take the waterproofing off. And if you need any help getting into or out of the shower, speak up. I'll be happy to give you a hand. Not a problem. Hopefully, you'll have a fresh change delivered here by the time you get out. And if you don't need me I might take a look at Naughty Jess's illegal muggle internet movie streaming here. Shame on you, Jess," he teased. He knew she realized muggle technology was forbidden but he also knew some people had it all the same--including his own collection of muggle movies. "I haven't seen a movie all the way through without having to stop it for baby duty since Abbey was born. I can't imagine it anymore."

He was flicking through the movie listings on the screen when there was a tapping on the door. He recognized the knock as Angus's so he answered the door to see Angus there with a suitcase in his hand.

"Delivery from 'home,'" Angus said. Brian understood. The supplies had come from Paris, which Brian figured. It almost had to have come from the storage there in order to find something that was going to fit Jack.

"Tell me there's popcorn," Brian said.

"There is, and a change for you, if you want it."

"Raided my quarters, did you?"

"Of course," Angus grinned. "Now, hand over that new picture of you and your new family you've been promising."

"Oh, right! Here," Brian got out his wallet and fished out a new wizarding photo of Abbey, Khaat and himself, "taken just last week."

"Good grief, that child is growing in leaps and bounds. She's grown at least four inches since the last picture."

"Yes, she has."

"Mind if I show it around when I get back?"

"You will anyway, but, yes. We're all family."

"We certainly are. You need any help tonight?"

"No. Not unless you want to watch movies."

"I'd love to, but not tonight. I'm making cinnamon rolls tonight."

"Now that sounds good. Alright. Thanks, Mate. See you later."

"Anytime," Angus said, drawing out a portkey and porting out. Brian took in the suitcase and opened it and took a large black bathrobe out and hung it on the bathroom doorknob.

"Bathrobe is on the doorknob, Jack," Brian called. "I'll put the other clothes and things in the guestroom." He put the changes of clothes and basic toiletries on the bed in the guestroom and left the things that were sent not for Jack but for him in the suitcase and took the suitcase to the living room. "Well, at least he won't be naked, Jess," he said.

Jess rolled her eyes and chuckled at Brian's teasing as she watched him water proof Jacks dressing "it is, been in a month, Right, so says the man with the biggest cowboy movie collection and that's a good idea" She said and helped Jack to stand then lead him to the bathroom, opening the door she sat him on the toilet and turned on her shower "Okay shampoo on that shelf and soap in that dispenser, now wash" she said and moved past Brian and back to the living room.

"Thank you, Mr Quinn" He said not knowing if he could use his first name. He stripped off his clothes and stepped under the warm water washing away the dirt and grime from his body. Now he could see the finger shaped bruises around his biceps from his own brother.

"Hey Angus" Jess said from the kitchen as she began to cook up some chicken and rice for when Jack finished his shower. She looked up at Brian as he spoke of Jack being Naked " yeah that's something I do not want to see." she said and gave a fake shiver as she chuckled.

"My cowboys, and Robert's spies--and his Humphrey Bogarts and all the rest of them," Brian replied to Jess as he made sure the door was quite locked and secured. Hopefully it was going to be a peaceful evening. You need any help in the kitchen, Jess? Is there anything I can do to lend a hand? If not, I might go turn down the bed in the guest room because I seriously doubt our new friend will have much more energy when he gets out of the shower. "

He began to think more seriously. This was the very first night he'd been apart from Khaat and Abbey since Abbey was born. In a year and a half, he'd made a point to be home each and every night. He hadn't realized it till now, but there it was. He'd been the first one to tuck Abbey into her bassinet at his house because Khaat hadn't been well enough to do it. He had bathed her and had changed her diapers first. He'd been practically inseparable from them right from the start of it. He tucked the extra photos of them all back into his wallet and put the wallet back into his jeans pocket with a smile on his face. All the years alone, believing he would never find anyone that could accept who he was and what it was he really did, and it was right in front of his eyes the entire time. He had a family that was entirely his, for the first time since he was 8, and he wasn't looking to let anything muck that up. He had made up his mind, before he and Khaat married, that he would fight for her and Abbey down to his very last breath, whatever it took.

"Sorry," he said, looking up. "I was in my own thoughts. Now, what do you need me to do?"

Jess watched Brian and shook her head " no Im fine thanks and that would be good, you know I get the feeling once he falls asleep there won't be a reason for you to stay I can always call you if I need you" she said turning the food down and walking to the spare room door. Leaning on it she folded her arms across her chest listening to the sound of the shower running then shut off in the room behind her.

As the door opened Jess turned to see Jack lent on the door he wore the robe Brian had left for him. " okay Brians turning dowen the bed and I cooked something for you to eat, I sugest and Im sure Brian would agree, eat then rest." she told him.

Jack looked at Brian in the room across from him " she always this bossy?" he asked " oh and thanks for the robe, Never had something fit so well before, you see and lot of pathetic werewolves?" he asked Jess moved to face him and lightly smacked his arm. "ouch"

"your not pathetic, so don'ty think that way, right Brian?" Jess said turning to face Brian.

"I'll stay, unless I'm an intrusion. I'll park myself on the sofa or drink all your coffee--one or the other," he teased her. "It sometimes can be a difficult thing, or so Robert's said, when someone is bitten for the first time. He's not talked about it in great detail but he has some clear memories about when Remus was bitten, I think. It seems to be a really touchy memory for him. I would like for you to not have any complications from that 'new werewolf' business. I'm with you, though. I don't think he'll probably wake up much before morning. He's been out on his own, dazed and confused, no food, no nothing, for a week, and now he's clean and fed and comfortable, and he's been treated, so I think h'll probably rest all night."

When Jack came out of the bathroom and asked if Jess was always this bossy, Brian laughed.

"She's assertive," Brian corrected, knowing that calling her bossy would only get Jack in trouble. "She's straight and to the point. Look at it this way, Mate, you could have run into someone who is a bit of a doormat. You're not likely to find that with her, and I like her the way she is. Now, if you're the least bit hungry, I think you should eat because she definitely knows her way around in a kitchen. You won't be sorry. Oh, and for the record, she isn't likely to let you feel sorry for yourself, not now, not ever."

Jess chuckled at Brian's words " okay I'll get some pillows and a blanket from the closet for you, and best listen to Brian he knows me well." she moved to the kitchen plating up the food onto plates for every one.

Jack watched her go and smiled as she passed him by." I get that feeling about her, I have to admit I like that about her." He said taking a deep breath in " humm, smells good" He slowly moved towards the couch and sat down.

"I made Italian rice with chicken, hope your hungry..well I know you are" she said to jack handing him, his plate and a soda. " best to be safe. by the way I'm a healer like Khaat, not as skilled as her but I know how to cut off your... " she paused and looked quickly lower then back to his face.

Jack held up his hands " wow there, im not going to harm any one, as I keep telling you." he said " dough I could punch my way out of a paper bag right now let alone take you on." Jess huffed and moved to give Angus and Brian some food " okay my Father is David Black, my mother: Mary Ann Heart I have a brother James, you know what happened with him I also have two sisters: Janice and Teresa their location is unknown and I was trying to find them, I thought my brother would know, but he didn't care ." Jack ate some chicken pausing in his tale "My mother and father abandoned me as a child and i fended for myself which is what I did till the army drafted me, when the war ended I joined the ministry of magic as an Auror, been with them ever since." He winced feeling a sharp pain suddenly course threw his hand as he tried to flexed it to rid himself of it

Jess sat listening to Jack as he talked she glanced at Brian and Angus hoping they saw it too. She wondered if it was a warning that he needed a nother dose of potion.