Tuscany Trip

Before Khaat realized what hit her, she was waking up in the trauma room of an Italian muggle hospital. She was confused. They had IV's attached to her, and their healer--no, doctor--was stitiching her shoulder. That's right, muggle healers were doctors. Barbaric practice anyway, using needles, but she knew it was the best they had. She was trying to refocus and look around, when Brian came in. He was glad you see her awake.

"Welcome back, Mrs. Quinn," he said, pointedly, to be sure she got that he was covering for her. He came over to her and leaned down and kissed her slowly. "How do you feel?"

"Better now that you're here," she smiled. The doctor, watching them, smiled.

"New marrieds?" he asked, his English a bit rusty.

"Yes. Yes, we are," Brian said, "Yesterday. Our honeymoon in Tuscany."

"Ah, that is why you did not have your gun," the doctor said to Brian.

"Exactly," Brian agreed. "I only wanted time with my beautiful wife."

"Your wife will need rest today. Sleep. For the shock, the wound, and the pain, all three."

"She'll get it. I promise. "

"The police will want to talk to her, but I want her to have rest."

"She doesn't know anything. She's just a chef. That's all."

"So you told me. I cannot stop the police, though. They will do what they will do." The doctor finished stitching her and allowed the police into the treatment room. Khaat noticed the hospital had clipped the spaghetti strap on her sundress, but otherwise she was completely dressed. Well, except for her flipflops. They were on the floor against the wall out of the way. The police questioned her, and Khaat played the part of the innocent newlywed wife perfectly. They finally gave up, frustrated that they had no answers. The police decided it was someone from one of Brian's old Intelligence cases that was making trouble for him. Brian promised to turn it over to the Intelligence Agency immediately. He said that under such circumstances a courier would come to pick up copies of their reports. Khaat knew that Brian was talking about sending one of his own men to retrieve the reports.

Khaat began to notice she felt numb now and very, very sleepy. "Take her back to your hotel," the doctor advised Brian. "You have about 15 minutes before she falls into a very strong sleep. I have given her medicine for pain and for shock. It will make her sleep."

"Then we need to go," Brian said, picking up Khaat's shoes. He slipped them on her feet while the doctor immobilized Khaat's shoulder by putting her arm in a sling. He handed Brian a prescription for pain pills. He explained how to care for the wound, which Brian pretended to listen to, as he got Khaat slowly to a sitting position. The doctor removed the IV from her good hand, and Brian helped Khaat up to her feet. Woozy, she leaned against him.

"You alright?" Brian asked her. Khaat simply nodded quietly. He thanked the doctor for them both and led her out. He took her into an elevator and from there he simply apparated them back to the ship.


The moment they arrived back on board, Brian gathered her close. "Barbarians," she told him softly.
"Its the best they have, Babe. Come on. I"m taking you below. If you fall asleep in the sun, I'll have to just keep waking you or turning you to keep from burning." He took her below and helped her stretch out on their remade bed, taking her shoes. "You need anything?" he asked. She shook her head no. "Alright. I'll leave you to rest now. Call me if you need anything at all." She nodded and fell asleep quickly. He went up on deck and once he got to the right part of the deck, he found Steven and Ronata. "She's in our cabin sleeping. She's alright. You two alright? Sorry--but in the confusion, I didn't get a chance to ask."

Steven turned hearing voices Ronata heard them too. "Their back" they both said in unison. Ro's hand was still held in his as they headed back down to the cabin just in time to see Brian walked out and asked if they were all right.

Steven spoke first "yes we are, hows Khaat?" he asked his hand never leaving Ro's "did they find out who it was, " all his questions tumbled out fast and quick. Ro turned to Steven and stopped him talking by placing her finger on his lips and smiling.

"let the man speak, business talk later" she said and turned to Brian " So, What did thay do ?" she asked a lot calmer than Steven " and is she sleeping?" she hoped Khaat was "were both concerned for her, I know you are too"

"She took a slug in her shoulder. She passed out before we got to the hospital. They removed the slug while she was still unconscious from shock. They stitched her up and gave her some really heavy pain meds. She's not happy about the stitches or the pain meds, but she knows its all they had. I'll do a better job on it after she's rested. I refuse to let that shoulder scar. I'll take the stitches out myself and heal up the wound for her. But she's tired now, and I want to let her rest a bit first.

"We told the police we were newlyweds and let them believe it was some old Intelligence case of mine that appears to be unsolved. The police are, basically, clueless, as a lot of muggle officers are sometimes. I need to tell Angus to cast off. The sooner we're out of here, the better. Unless you came up with anything worthwhile, Steven. I sure didn't."

Steven breathed out a sigh of relife as Brian said she was ok and what she had gone threw "I did find a small sliver mask it looked like one those death eaters wear but in trinket size..." he paused runing his fingers threw his hair as he spoke again "but I took a hit to the head and who ever did it took it " he said "other than that nothing" he gave a low growl at the frustration he felt.

Ro shok her ehad "He's fine just a bit stuborn " she said turning to face brian "you are you ok, you look like you could use a hot cup of coffee" she moved Steven back to the tables and sat him down a crew man brought some cups and a pot of coffee. Ro pored two cups handing one to Brain and the other to Steven.

"Thank you," Brian said. He looked at the crew member, "Tell Angus to get us the heck out of here, please."

"You've got it, COB," he smiled, going up on deck. Brian devoted himself back to his coffee. He felt like he needed a big swig of it to refuel himself. "Let me see the trinket. I don't know if I'll know anything more that way or not. Might have to ask Robert. He usually knows those things when I don't. Sorry you took that hit to the head. You sure you're okay? My guess is that whoever it was was just rying to get away before you saw them. I don't know for sure, though. Not yet. But the farther we are from here, clearly the better. Let me see if I can reach Robert. Let's see what he has to say. I don't want to worry him, but he's holding out on us for a reason, and we deserve a few answers."

Steven looked at his cup "sorry COB they took it , when i took the blow, I guess so we couldn't use it to identify them by." he said "but I saw it clearly it was definaly a death eater mask but as one of those trinket charm braclet things" he looked up at Brain as if he had made the biggest mistake ever and sighed "sorry COB won't happen again."

Ronata looked at both men " if such a trinket exsists surly it was specialy made , not to hard to trace down silver smiths who specialse in that kind of odity" she said looking at brian "may be one of you men could do that" she sipped her own drink , one hand resting on stevens reasuring him he ahd done nothing wrong.

"Don't worry about it," Brian said. "There are a lot of dark arts masters who could have done that. And its not your fault. I just thought you still had it. I didn't realize they took it. Its not your fault. Alright. So, lets just move forward from here then. Lets just not take this all that seriously, keep our eyes open, and keep going forward. Robert was very clear about what he wanted from us. And I presume that he warned us for some reason. Maybe this is part of it. So I sugggest we just do what we do best. When we function as bodyguards, we never really know what's coming. We take precautions, but honestly, we don't know where the next strike will come from. I suggest we stay in that mode of thinking and do our best to have some fun at the same time. Anybody got a better suggestion?"

Steven shook his head and so sis Ronata "Fun we can do" Ronata said smiling "is the capatin taking us back to the vilage below the villa or on to somewhere else?" she asked . Steven pulled her against him and held her close he still felt bad about losing the trinket "when she's awake I'd like to see Khaat" Ro said her head resting now against steven.

"what about fishing off the side of the boat?" he sugested finaly "I saw the takle the captain had in the store room " he'd hoped to get some sort of deep sea fishing done it was something he ahd dereamed of doing even he thought Ronata could learn.

"Sure," Brian said. "Fishing is generally good out here. I haven't been fishing off a ship for awhile. Might be good for everyone's spirits. Go see Angus, and he'll have someone get the gear out. I'm going to go try to reach Robert. I'll be there in a moment."

Brian went to the deck on the other side of the wheelhouse, and took his medallion in his hand and concentrated on Robert. He didn't quite have Khaat's link with Robert, and with the distance involved, this might take a bit of energy.

It took a good 2 minutes, but finally, Robert apparated in front of him. Robert was in black mission clothes. He had a long cut down the left side of his face that bled openly. He was heavily bruised. Brian frowned.

"Distract you, did I?" Brian asked.

"A bit. Do you mind?" Robert asked. Brian drew out his wand and used the healing spell that healed the wound on Robert's face without a trace.

"What the hell are you into, Robert?" Brian asked. "You're keeping me out in the cold."

"Yes. I am," Robert admitted. "I want you here. Keep my daughter safe. That's your only assignment right now."

"Well, I'm doing a piss poor job at it because of you!" Brian raged.

"Why? What happened?"

"Your daughter," Brian said very pointedly, "took a bullet from a muggle gun a short while ago. I could protect her a hell of a lot better if I knew what I was protecting her from!"

"Gelding," was Robert's only reply.

"I KNOW THAT!" Brian shouted. "What's got the burr up his behind? What's he..."

"That's on a need to know basis, and you don't need to know," Robert replied curtly.

"What! How can you say that to me? Your family lives in my house!...."

"I will be happy to change that if you like...."

"That's not what I'm saying and you know it! I love Khaat and the babies! Robert, what the hell did you stir up? Why are you doing this alone?"

"I have no choice," Robert said softly. "I really don't. Please. Trust me. Keep Khaat safe. It's going to get very ugly. I don't want her in England right now. Where is she? Is she alright?"

"Flesh wound. In the shoulder. We attracted all kinds of attention, and the local muggles sent us off to a muggle hospital. She's sleeping off their pain meds."

"Take care of her, Brian. She doesn't need to know I was here. "

"Who wears a silver charm of a death eater's mask?"

"Why do you want to know?" Robert asked carefully.

"Its our only clue! Why do you think?"

"Be careful. She's a paid assassin that Gelding has hired. She won't stop until her contract is fulfilled."

"And she's out after Khaat?"

"I don't know."

"What's her name?"

"I have to go. Keep her safe...." he said apparating out.

"Damn you, Robert! Come back here!" Brian shouted at the top of his lungs. He got no response whatsoever except a seagull screeching at him for his disturbance.

Steven left Ronata to sort out the fishing with the captain he moved to over hear Robert and Brain , how could he not Brain was shouting as loud as he could and it was not as if he ment to.
Moving to stand beside him Steven spoke "Sir he told us one thing she is an assasin there for will try again , we will be prepered for next time" he said his arms folded across his chest "we have our orders , sir" out the corner of his eye he saw Ronata walking towards them.

Ronata saw both stood talking and shook her head with a sigh , she wondered how Khaat put up with those two all day long "Steven, can we just move on like Brian said , this was ment to be a holiday for both Khaat and myself now if feels more like a mission of some sort you two both acting so stressed , I know shes hurt but shes fine now were in teh middle of teh ocean unless she snuck board as a crew member which i don't think is likly so meaning shes back on dry land " jturning Ronata moved down to the cabin that she ahs steven shared