Escape to Brian Quinn's

steven looked at jack then at Brian, both seemed as sorry for the breech and so he said nothing but folded his arms across his chest as he sat listening, he wondered just how such a laps could happen he guessed Jack was way out of practice, so much so he needed a refresher course and he would give him it gladly. he knew even he was out of practice but not so much he would let security slip so they could get to Khaat "my sugestion would be honing out skills , organised duels " he said looking at Robert.

"I didn't mess up on purpose," Brian said defensively. Robert reached over and laid a calming arm on Brian's.

"Stop that," Robert said gently. "It was nobody's fault. It just happened."

"Look! I know my job,and it happened on my watch!" He got up and left, going into the kitchen. Robert sighed heavily.

"He takes his job extremely seriously, if you havent' figured it out. And he was in the room when the house was breeched and she was taken. He was hit with a powerful cruciatus and was powerless to help her. He blames himself completely," Robert said. "So far, I haven't gotten him out of that. He hates to feel like he's messed up, as we all do. I plan on just giving him a minute or so to cool his temper, and then he'll be back. He never leaves meetings for long, no matter how angry he gets."

steven looked at Brian as he exploded in anger he knew that feeling as Robert explained "it was a team failing not just him , we need to boost security around here" he said glancing at Jack who threw out this all had sat quite "Like i said more practice , better prepared more sheilds against any body uing magic ,Robert can't you extend that spell you have over out places to take in Roberts so nobody can enter with out one of us knowing ?" he asked hopeing he could he glanced at the kitchen door and shook his head "I know hes a great leader but dose he have to take every failing as a personal one, can't he just learn from it and make sure not to repleat it a second time?"

"He never takes failings very well, but its especially hard for him when it involves anyone he cares about. And I think we would all feel the same way. He'll be fine. We were penetrated by a vampire. An enemy of Rob's who was after the money he felt Rob owed him. Well, the bottom line is that neither he, nor any of his associates or the potions lab exist anymore. I...had that taken care of after we left, Jack. The lab is nothing but ash. It seems Khaat has unexpected allies on both sides of the law. But what you don't know at this point won't hurt any of us."

Jack looked and listened to Steven he felt bad enouph with out him saying about it , he sighed and sat back in teh chair. when Robert said about te lab being distroyed he nodded "good and yeah best not know" he said his voice trailing off at teh end as he felt bad enuoph about the attack on her.

Brian took a few minutes for himself and returned. "If anyone needs more practice, its me," he said, "And I will."

"Brian," Robert said, "Enough. No one practices his physical skills more than you do. Nobody. And nobody blames you except you. And, frankly, the reason you're taking this so hard is because our family is closer to you than your own. We all have blood family, and then we have family of the heart. You chose a long time ago that your family, regardless of blood, was the Lupins."

"That's true," Brian said, unable to deny the truth in his face.

"The reason you're taking this like this is because, in your mind and in your heart, Khaat is a sister to you, and you'd give your life to her in a second. That's also your Gryffindor heart. Gryffindors will never hesitate to lay down on the train tracks if they think it will help, whether that's a rational solution or not. That's the hallmark of a Gryffindor. That's just the way we are. Its in our personalities. If this had been someone else, even one of your men, you would not be taking this so hard and would be far more business minded about it. Now--I'm asking you to set aside your feelings and help us get down to business. We need to try to prevent this from happening again."

"Then you'd better tell them the rest of it," Brian said quietly.

"I stopped briefly at St. Mungos with Khaat to get the antidote for the potion she was given ini Knockturn. We ran into Ne'Os Emof there. He did not hurt her. Apparently he has a soft spot for her. However, he was looking for temporary additional magical energies to help him to finish a spell he was doing. I cannnot blame Khaat for her choices. Had she been in good health, he'd have just stolen them from her by force. However, seeing her so ill softened him. I can see what she was thinking. She knew I was there with her, and she knew that if she didn't surrender her few magical energies, he would take all of mine. She figured I was far more valuable than Emof knew. She surrendered all of her magic to him temporarily. The way the spell reads, she will be without all magic whatsoever for about a week, and then the spell wears off and it returns to her. But at the moment she is, effectively, a complete muggle and completely vulnerable and dependent upon us--even more than before. This ups our need to protect her as completely as we know how.

"Now--questions?" he asked.

Jack sat looking at Brian then to steven on hearing this new peice of news , it was somthing else he had been left out of knowing before steven , so she was muggle how would that change things people would still want her and he knew it it changed nothing in his eyes he would still protect her the best he could.

"And one more final piece of news. Khaat and I have received word that Jen and Rob are indeed now in Azkaban. It has been confirmed. That may up the danger once the word spreads. We'll have to see. But our run in with Cy Skeeter and with this enemy of Rob's maybe only a taste of what is really to come. I hope I am wrong.

"At any rate, I have a special assignment for each of you. Khaat is insisting on going to see Jen and Rob very briefly at Azkaban. I should have seen that coming. I will take her myself. I don't want her out of my sight. When we do visit the prison, it will be a very short visit, and I do want both of you two, " he looked at Jack and Steven, "to stay here for that very short time and watch Abbey with your very last breath if that's what it takes. You'll be on your own because I am taking Brian because neither Rob or Jen know him. I want Rob Dent to be offguard as to how big my influence can be if I want it, so that if he can manage to get word to any of his associates, they might be dissuaded. Rob knows both of you two, and may get a false idea that I am limited as to how much I can protect my family. This is a very deliberate scare tactic on my part to throw Rob off his game. I need to know that you two will look after Abbey as if she were your own. And--don't forget, if Emmy is here, her life will also be in your hands. I am presuming you two are up to the task? If I didn't believe you two were the best, I would never leave you with my granddaughter."

jack just thought for only a second, he had children dn as such knew it was important but he could still not help feel he was being kept out of the way and sighed as he looked at Steven who he could also see was not happy and who also would rather be out in the feild doing something, just as he would be. But he ahd promised to folow Robert and he would , even if it was baby sitting. He gave a sigh and shook himself of thet thought "its not baby sitting its protection " he thought to himself , he ahd been so use to his own two he had forgot Rob would be after her too.

Robert saw the unhappiness clearly on Jack and Steven's faces, and it riled him. "Don't either of you two ever forget for one single moment that the most precious thing in Rob Dent's life right now with him sitting in Azkaban and feeling utterly hopeless, is his daughter. I promise you that. If one of his enemies really want to get to him, Abbey will be the first thing any enemy reaches out for. And--let me just put one more bullet in that gun while I'm at it. When the word gets out fully about all of this, who do you think the press is really going to want access to? Khaat will be wanted, but the press will be desperately seeking out the first pictures of the daughter of the Chief Warlock who is married to the top criminal in the wizarding world at the moment. This will be one of riskiest assignments you have ever had. Now--do you two think you can get past the fact that your bodyguarding client is less than a month old and take that seriously, or do I arrange to take Abbey with me into Azkaban of all the godforsaken places??" He found his temper rising, and he said, "I'm going to go refresh my tea. I'll be back in a moment."

He excused himself to go out to the kitchen with his tea mug.