Escape to Brian Quinn's

"There's one thing you never taught me, Robert," Brian finally said.

"What's that?" Robert frowned, trying to think of much of anything he'd left out of Brian's education.

"You never taught me how to lose my family."

"Oh, well, that's because its not something I believe in. I reserve my right to use my dying breath to protect my family no matter what the cost. That's my right as the patriarch of my family. I don't believe in losing the people I love. Not that it doesn't happen. I'm only saying I reserve my right to never, ever give up. Perhaps that's why I didn't teach you that piece. I don't believe in it."

Brian moved in and sat down on the rock hewn fireplace hearth in silence.

"Let it go, Brian. Feeling guilty does not help anyone. Not Khaat, or Abbey, your men, or yourself. THe more guilt you feel, the less efffective you will become."

jack heard Robert and secretly nodded , he had to learn from this and learn he would , after washing his hands he waked back out pausing at Khaats door to watch her for a moment "sleep well Khaat , I promise nothing will get threw to you on my watch not now or ever, I let you down once but not again." he said promising hmself not to be so foolish next time , if there was a next time he hoped not , he hoped who ever had taken her had now left learning there lesson too stay clear of the lupin family.

Khaat slept a couple of hours, and during that time, Robert hadn't been far, and Brian hadn't gone very far away either. He had been in and out, always on guard, always checking. When she woke, Brian was there alone with her because Robert had stepped out to go be with Abbey for a bit.

"Brian," she called softly.

"Khaat!" he snapped out of his thoughts and flew to her, sitting on the bed. "How do you feel?"

She frowned for a second and then looked at her wrist. It was bandaged heavily and tightly. "So--it was real, then."

"Oh, very," he said. "Robert thinks you were struck with an imperius curse that forced you to be unable to move, after it forced you to take a potion that fogged your mind and reduced your energies a bit. He won't bother you again. He's gone for good. So, how's your mind? Can you think again?"

She frowned again. She had a headache, but her thoughts were there again. She was a bit slow, but her thoughts were indeed there. "It's there. A bit slower than I'd like, but its there. But, boy, do I have a headache!"

He laid his hands on her head on drew off her pain. She sighed deeply with relief. "Then your father was right. Sleep did the trick."

"Abbey!..."

"She's here. She's fine. Don't worry. She's perfectly safe. She was never touched."

"Thank God! Thanks God!"

jack moved down stairs and unlocked the doors letting in the cool air into the house once more , he stood looking aourt his mind now on jessica and his children , he knew just how brian was feeling and sighed as he scanned for any trouble but the night was silant apart from the bark of a fox in the woods close to the house. He knew Biran would have traps and markers around now to warn them if anything came too close to the house. Jack new they would not try again but he kept watch anyway feeling more like body gaurd now than a freind.

He moved his shoulder reliving some of the ache he felt in it still from the bullet wound , he felt it crack slightly but then the pain diasapered and he sighed, he could hear Brian and Robert talking in the house but he knew he was not involved and so staid well out of it. Moving from the house he walked across the yard to the barn checking on all the horses the cool air nice against his skin. One horse nudged against his hand and he smiled "ok I'll get you a carott , seing a bunch hung up he took one down and held it in his open had the horse took it and munched on it while he stroked its neck." Thought thats what you wanted" he said smiling as once finished the horse moved away to the other side of the stall and nuzzled a female.

Jack moved to sit on a bale of hay even though he was inside he could hear all that went on out side and when a twig snapped he quickly moved out side to see , but it was just a rabbit , who after twitching his nose hopped away and back down its hole , jack looked at the house .

Emmy woke up a few hours later to see that Abbey was still sleepng peacefully in her crib which made her smile. As Brain accioed her some tea she took it and took a sip of it rocking back and forth in her rocking chair. As Abbey started crying and throwing a fit Emmy stopped drinking her tea and set it on the night stand besid her and got up and walked towards Abbey. " Come little Miss Lupin, we'll get you something to eat."said Emmy as she walked back to her rocking chair and sat down. Waving her wand to the bottle and formula it started making it self as she held Abbey clos to her patting her back softly as she rocked back and forth. As the formula was done she waved her wand again making it fly towards her. As she caught it she held it in her left hand she postioned Abbey once again and started feeding her. Rocking back and forth Emmy started singing to her while she fed her.

Brian heard Abbey start fussing and walked across the hall. He watched Emmy start to feed her and the crying ceased. "At this rate, she's not going to be teeny tiny for very long," Brian said to Emmy with a laugh. "That little girl is an excellent eater. Not like her mother. Her mother lost her appetite months and months ago. I don't think its hit her yet what a long hard road she has in front of her to regain her health. We're glad your here, Emmy. That little breech of security this afternoon could have cost us everything. But I'm glad you took care of Abbey. I know Khaat is more grateful that she's been able to have time to express. Thank you."

jack moved out of the barn and slowly back to the house once more his sences were alert as he moved but once again he saw and heard nothing as he placed his foot upon the wooden step leading to the porch, he sighed letting his fears go as he entered the house, he knew Robert or Brian would pick up on them and it was not agood thing for Khaat to have around ehr so he thought about posative things like his children and family and how it was soon to be Andrews birthday , which he so had to organise the party. He moved into the kitchen and pored a cup of Brians tea savoring its taste again.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Robert came out into the living room. "Steven's not here yet, huh? Please don't go home right after he arrives. I think we need to have a meeting about today's events so that everybody is on the same page and so that we know that we've all regained ourselves and that we're not still upset. If we stay upset about it, then we'll be weaker as a protection force, and we can't afford that. We need to learn from it and move on. Khaat's going to be fine, Abbey is safe, and that's all that really counts as far as I'm concerned."

Steven woke from a good long sleep feeling refreshed an ready for the day though he got a feeling something had happened while he was asleep, shaking teh feeling he slipped out of bed and dressed heading for the kitchen to grab some breackfast after making a bacon sandwich he wiped the tomato ketchup off his chin and poced the plate in the dish washer, grabbing his coat he stepped out onto the porch smiling as he saw the two wolves snugged together "Im going out now no funny business while im gone" he said chukaling as the male wolf gave him a funny look "too late" he chimbed and steven shook his head nd cuckled as he walked off the porch to aperate to Brians farm.

Walking into teh house he couls sense wsomthing hd gone on "Ok fill me in what happened" he said placing his coat down on a nearby chair and walking over to where jack and robert stood.

"Your timing is good," Robert said, "I want to meet with all of you. Sit down. I'll get Brian."

He brought Brian from Khaat's room, asking Emmy to sit in Khaat's room and to take Abbey with her.

He gathered the men in the living room and said, "I think we have to meet today in light of today's events. Steven, it'll take us a moment to fill you in, but in short, we had a major security breech today and Khaat was removed from the house. She's back, and she's fine, but we do have to make better plans."