Fee Fi Fo Fum

"You again?" James snarled at Jess. "You're annoying. Wait your turn!" He swiped her out of his way and had every single intent of clutching Khaat again. But Khaat saw James didn't have a hold on either of them.

"Home, home, home!" Khaat tightened her grip on Jess's hand that held the portkey, feeling desperate to have the portkey port them home now. This instant. She felt the portkey pulling both of them--and hopefully not James too, through the porting space and out of Diagon Alley.

In the next moment, she found Jess and herself both in damp grass, her necklace still firing a bright green light. She looked around and didn't see James.

Sitting outside with Angus, Jack, and Robert, Brian was just finishing his pint when he heard someone porting in. That always got his attention. He looked up to see Khaat and Jess porting in, in a disarrayed heap, and Khaat's necklace was as powerful as he'd ever seen it. He didn't need anything else to know they were in trouble. He sprang from his seat and flew to them and wrapped one hand around Khaat's green stone to block the light so Jack wouldn't be affected, and he knelt by both women.

"What happened? Are you alright?" he asked them.

Jess heard James the next thing she felt was a burning across her back followed by pain that radiated diagonally across her back. Jess heard Khaat say home and thought of the ranch.

She felt the pull of porting and it knocked the wind out of her for a second. Soon she felt the dampness and coldness of grass against her knees. She moved off Khaat and lay on the grass to catch her breath. " James..attacked us... at sparks" she said best she could.

Jack heard the sound of porting and turned sharply towards the sound, running over he paused feeling the affects of Khaats necklace. Once Brian covered it he rushed to Jess's side his hand touching her, he felt warm wetness against his fingers and pulled it back.

"Robert!!" he some what shouted " Jess is hurt" his voice telling the distress he felt as he held her.

"James," Brian said quietly, trying to contain his anger. Khaat wrapped around him, and he felt how afraid she'd been and how very grateful she was to finally be home. He was just as grateful that she was safe. "You're safe," he told her softly. "You're home. He's not going to get in here. You alright?" She finally nodded. Brian looked over towards Jess and some blood stains on the back of her shirt. It looked like slash marks to him.

"Was he transformed?" Brian asked Khaat. "Did he talk to you?"

"He spoke," Khaat said.

"Then he wasn't transformed. A transformed werewolf is pure animal and can't speak."

"Yes, well, he still stunk and looked like he had claws," she said.

"Well, remember Remus used to say Fenrir looked like that. He grew long fingernails and did his best to make his human form as lethal as his werewolf form," Brian said. "It certainly is possible that James is taking a play from Fenrir's playbook, and it still makes him dangerous."

"Calm, Jack," Robert said, now with his messenger bag that held his supplies. "Panic helps no one." He knelt by Jess. "Angus, some light, please." Angus came over and cast a lumos spell from his wand. Robert found the deep claw marks on Jess's back. He looked at Jess.

"Turning your back on a werewolf is dangerous business," he told her gently. "Still, any skirmish you can walk away from is a win, right? Can you walk? We'll take you inside so I can tend this properly." He glanced at Brian, as an unspoken question about whether he would see to Khaat. Brian nodded. He helped Khaat to her feet but with the first step her leg crumpled and she winced. He braced her up and helped her back to where they had been sitting and lowered her into one of the lounge chairs by the pool.

Jess chuckled and looked at Robert " I learned that.. all right..not making that mistake... a second time...no." she said glancing up at Jack she spoke again "Never told me , don't turn my back." she said to him seeing the concern on his face. At Roberts words she shook her head but she didn't have to say anything as Jack scooped her gently into his arms.

"Your right Robert, I'll carry her inside." He said as Jess clung to his shirt her face pressed to his chest. Her closeness made him feel calmer but he was still worried at the amount of blood she'd lost. " I'll get him back for what he's done to you and Khaat." he told her glancing over at Khaat.

Entering the living room he moved to a couch laying her down so her back was exposed he could not help but growl at the sight he saw. Moving back he stood by the fireplace. " why did he do this, can't he just leave them alone?" he looked at Brian but Jess spoke up first.

"He came after Khaat, she...she's who he wants, if not for her necklace he'd have taken her."she said as pain filled her words.

[i am presuming that since marcus hasn't been really brought back yet that this is most likely when robert would bring him in, so i'm bringing him onboard at this point. well, whenevr marcus actually arrives. lol]

"You're right, Jess. Khaat does seem to be of some special interest to him. He seems to not be able to get her out of his head. Angus," Robert said, working to clean and bandage Jess's wounds, "send an owl to your grandfather and see if he can't give us some insight to this, would you? If anyone understands werewolf weirdness, it's Edward."

"On it," Angus said.

"Oh, and while you're at it, send another owl to Marcus Belby. Ask him to come as soon as he can, and tell him we've had second incident. I need him to start as soon as he can."

"Will do," Angus replied.

"Jack, it's getting late, and I'm sure Jess is tired and would probably be heading to bed shortly anyway, so why don't you go up to her room and open the bed while I finish here?" Robert said, feeling like Jack needed to be useful.

Outside, Brian was not liking what he was finding with Khaat's leg. She wasn't complaining. In fact, she wasn't saying much at all. He poured her a double shot of firewhiskey and handed it to her.

"Try that," he said gently. "What did he do to your leg?"

"He didn't," she said. "I fell down those outside stairs in the alley."

"Those are steep and treacherous," he sighed. "Did he hurt you?"

"I don't think so. He would have if Jess hadn't stepped between us and ported us home."

"Why didn't you fire your wand?" he asked.

"I didn't have it," she said.

"Didn't have it? Where was it?"

"In my..." she began and then stopped. She suddenly remembered her clutch. It was right beside the bin and it had her wand, her keys, the portkey, her doubloon necklace, photographs, her wallet--everything. She tried to jump up, and he stopped her.

"What? What is it?" he asked.

"I have to go back," she said. "I have to..."

"Why? What's so important?" he asked.

"My bag. I left it by the bin. It's got everything in it. I have to go back..." she was upset.

"Alright," he said. "Don't worry. I'll go..."

"No!" she clutched tight to him. He sighed, not liking how badly this had shaken her.

"I'll take someone with me, and we'll go get your bag and come straight back, okay? We need to get you some ice packs, I think."

"It can wait," she said.

"Not for long," he said.

"Then you'll have to hurry back, right?" she said. Brian kissed her forehead.

"Wait right here, alright?" he asked. She nodded. Brian got up and went in the house.

"Robert, I need to go out for a few minutes," Brian said.

"Not right now," Robert said, still tending to Jess.

"Khaat left her purse in that alley. I have to get it back before James goes back to that alley and finds it," Brian said.

"Alone?" Robert frowned.

Jess was relived when Robert started tending to her back the pain easing the more he did to it.

Jack looked to Robert and nodded " yeah, sure" he said then heard Khaat with Brian " I'll go with him to get it once Jess is settled, don't worry we'll be safe, seems my brother doesn't hang around in one spot too long." He moved to stand at Jess's head and felt her hand take his. He smiled down at her " I'll be fine" he reassured her.

"Better had be or I'll kick your... " she stopped taking a deep breath in as she felt Robert finish.

"Okay, time for you to rest." Jack said looking at Robert as if asking if he could move her.

"Yes," Robert said. "Get some sleep, Jess. Those healing spells might close things up a good deal by morning, but you could use the sleep anyway, I'm sure." He packed his things back up in his bag. "Let me know if she needs anything, Jack."

"Don't pack that too tightly," Brian said. "Khaat fell down those damned stairs in the alley on the other side of the bistro. I'm not liking what I feel in her knee and her ankle. Take a second look for me?"

"Certainly," Robert said. "I'm adding someone here. Its time we took James seriously."

"Who?"

"You'll meet him shortly, if I know him. Former classmate of yours, and someone who's worked for me for awhile. He's a specialist and he's very good at what he does. This is right up his alley."

"Werewolf elimination?" Brian asked coldly.

"No, if I were going to do that, I'd send for Angus's grandfather. No, this is someone else. I think he's going to fit in here just fine. Now, let me go see our other victim."

Jess lay her head down on the couch as Jack moved to face her. his arms slid under her legs and around her lifting her with ease. " you know I can walk now." she told him and saw him smirk.

"hey humor me" he told her and saw her roll her eyes at him as he headed up the stairs. Reaching the top he paused not knowing which room was hers.

"Second on the left" she told him and he continued to the door pushing it open he saw a large bed but simple decor around the room.

"Nice" he said walking to the bed where he lay her down. " you need anything?" he asked leaving his hand holding hers as he stood by the bed.

"yeah, top draw, I need a shower and a change of clothes." she said trying to sit up. Jack moved to her side.

"hey, not a good idea until tomorrow" he said " um..I can help with the...um top situation, but not the shower." he stuttered moving to open the draw she'd mentioned. Taking out a light cami top he moved back to her where he placed it down on the bed.

" Im just gonna..." he turned around and waited for her " if you need my help just let me know." unknown to him Jess was becoming frustrated at not being able to move her arm high enough to take off the shreaded top.

"okay...im defeated I need help." she said and saw him turn around.

"okay " he said and helped her out of her top and into the clean one " now rest, I have to help Brian, but I will be back" he said leaning down he gave her a kiss. "You scared me" he said softly to her.

"I think I scared myself" Jess said and felt him shake his head before resting it against hers.

"Would you...could you..." he once again stumbled over his words as he looked at her " Jess go on a date with me?" he quickly asked " well a second date?" he said looking at her.

"Jack I would love to go on a second date with you." Jess said smiling as she lay down on the bed on her side her eyes falling shut as exhaustion crept over her. " Now I think I'll take a nap." she yawned " Love you Jack" she said softly.

Jack chuckled and lent down kissing her gently again " I love you too Jess" he said softly. Leaving the room he headed back down to the living room. " Okay whose up for returning to the Alley where James attacked our women?" he asked looking at Brian.

"Yes," Brian said. "You aren't going to believe all she tucked in that tiny bag, and I mean to get it all back before anyone else knows the bag is there." He drew his wand and his portkey to the restaurant. "Shall I do the driving?" he asked.

[i'm just presuming you're okay with me porting. if not, let me know, and i'll correct]

He ported them to Diagon Alley, in front of Sparks. That was where the portkey stopped. He saw no one close to Sparks. Diagon Alley was emptying for the night. There were a few people still milling around, but not around Sparks. He motioned to Jack and headed for the alley.

"She said she left it next to the bin. Heaven only knows what she was doing at the bin. I honestly didn't ask her but it isn't like her to put her bag down. Let's see if we can find it." He knew he needed to find the bag, but just as an occupational hazard, he had to look around to see if he saw any sort of other person or creature around. He saw no one. He did see a scrap of meat on the ground not all that far from the bin. He picked it up, and it had teeth marks in it. It disgusted him.

"I bet he was eating this," he said quietly. "And apparently they distracted him. I wonder if he was following her. She doesn't normally come to Sparks at this time of night and never by herself. Suppose he's gone? I hope he didn't get her bag or anything in it."

Jack walked over to Brian " I must be getting better with the porting" he said " I'm letting you drive" he added jokingly as he felt the pull of porting this time his stomach staid put and he breathed out. Looking around he took a deep breath in.

"yeah hes long gone" Jack said only picking up a faint scent that lingered in the air around them. At the sight of the meat Jack balked and scrunched up his nose.

"God that's rank, Brian put that back you don't know what you could catch from it" he said then nodded " yeah I believe they had a taste testing thing..or so the note I found at Jess's apartment said."

Jack moved around the alley moving empty dirty boxes and a large black rubbish bag. " hum.. Jess and Khaat had hold of these " he said pointing to a second bag, " check there, that dumpster." He shook his head to clear it of the stench of rubbish that had accumulated.

" seems they went that way" he pointed to his left as he walked down the alley. " ah the stairs." he stopped by an open door with a set of steps leading down.