Tuscany Trip

"No," Brian said, "I don't. I don't think this is Rob's style. Rob is a gutless wonder. He isn't man enough to do this. Not that he probably doesn't know that type of woman. I'm sure he probably does. But he isn't able to do this. I have no idea what's going on. But her father certainly knows. And he's getting on my bad side by not keeping me in the loop. He and I are heading for a fight if he doesn't fill me in." Brian kept an eye on his steaks and tossed his assortment of fresh vegetables in olive oil, fresh crushed rosemary and kosher salt before tossing them in the oven.

Ronata nodded "yes Rob isn't that bright by the sounds of it but Robert her father is a powerful man, like you said he knows his thing and is doing this for a reason." she said finishing the carott with a sigh "you know if you cross him he will make us hunt you" she said sadly "and i don't think Khaat would want that she'd be heart broken I can see it in her eyes" she smiled a little as she felt steven wrap his arms around her she hadn't even noticed he'd left the kitchen but she was happy to have him hold her again.

"Nah," Brian casually brushed her concerns aside. "You haven't seen us fight. Steven, here, has, however. Robert and I can get a bit carried away, but it always works out. You are right, though, that Robert is a formidible man, and he isn't one to be crossed easily. He doesn't take it from many people. One thing I do know is that I wouldn't ever run from him. I would simply stand up to him."

"There aren't many men who could honestly say that, Brian," Khaat said softly, coming into the kitchen. "Well, they couldn't say it and live."

"What are you doing up?" he frowned. "I thought you were sleeping."

"I smelled steak," she said simply. "Besides if I sleep all afternoon, I won't be able to sleep tonight. Brian, what the devil is really going on?"

"I don't know. If I knew I would tell you. I promise. He is keeping us out of this for a reason. We need to try to let it up to him for now. Its not easy for either of us because our personalities are so strong. We really do need to try to trust him...."

"I do trust him! He's my father!'"

"And more of a father to me than my own was. All the more reason for us to settle down a bit and just go with this. He'll tell us when he can. You know that."

"And then I can kill him?"

"I might even help you," he laughed.

Ronata smiled seeing Khaat up and walking her fears now some what relived by Brians words to her she had glanced at Steven as he spoke and saw him nod his head. Turning to Khaat she smiled "the boys are cooking for us for a change" she said "stake with roasted vegtables , sounds delishiose " she said her hand resting on stevens arm she could feel the slight tenshion in steven from all the shop talk , standing she turned to face him "will you relax your like a fire cracker waiting to go off" she said "just relax" she smiled at him.

Steven held her he could not help think about rob adn all teh nasty things he ahd done to khaat he found himself drifing into his own thoughts only when Ronata spoke did he realise hewas tense "sorry guess got lost in my thoughs " he said smiling at her "I'll try" he said seeing the look on her face.

Ronata sighed taking stevens hand in hers "if you'll excuse me I must de stress this man before he blows his stress lever threw the roof" she said and dragged him away from Khaat and brian to wards the bed rooms.


Returning half an hour later Ronata ran into the room "no your not " she said laughing s steven ran after her.

"for what you just did ow I so am " he said with a hunk of ice in his hand " you need cooling down woman" he said catching ehr and sliping the ice down her top wheere she sreamed but laughed as it fell to the floor "that was your own fault , you moved" she said now out of breath she sat down on the stool.

While they were gone, Khaat had stepped in and had helped Brian finish cooking dinner. She enjoyed being in the kitchen with him. It was a rare treat, and he made her laugh. Something that was sometimes hard to do when the world made her feel so alone. Brian's constant love and affection for her, built by years of being a part of her family and her heart had kept her going.

She was assembling a fresh caprese salad. She had rinsed beautiful fresh basil leaves and snipped them off the stems. She washed fresh Italian Roma tomatos and sliced them, and sliced freshly made mozzarella cheese and assembled it onto a large platter. She drizzled it with delicious extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled the whole thing liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

"That smells wonderful, Khaat," Brian smiled. "I can smell those tomatos and that basil clear over here. " He smiled when he saw Steven and Ronata return, and was glad to see them laughing and having a good time. "Dinner is almost ready. Steven, would you pick out a bottle of wine from the wine cellar in the basement and open it, please? By that time, I think we'll have dinner on the table."

Steven chuckled and let Ronata go "Don't you think this is over" he saisd smiling as he saw Ronata stick our her tongue "Like I said Mr walker You moved" she chuckled moving back to the counter to wait. She looked at both of there faces "you don't want to know, but it worked" she said and chuckled herself and smiling

Steven moved down to the celler and over to the red wines , looking threw theme chose a nice full bodied red he moved back up the stairs to the main room " ok here you go " he said handing Brian the bottle of wine before moving behind Ronata.

Khaat put large plates on the table with Brian's flavorful steak with the Santa Fe dry rub and the assortment of roasted fresh vegetables. She put the caprese salad on the table, while Brian opened and poured the wine. She glanced out the dining room windows and saw the storm starting up again with a vengence. This had gone on for hours now, and she was tiring of it.

"Don't let it get to you," Brian said. "It'll blow itself out soon enough. Come eat. You know you love this rub on this steak."

"Yes. I do," she confessed. She looked at Steven and Ronata and said, "You'll like this steak. It's very good, and the rub makes it as soft as butter. Actually, he doesn't fix it near often enough to suit me. " She and Brian sat down at the table and waited for Steven and Ronata.

"I hope you're both hungry," Brian smiled.

Steven picked up his plate and Ronata's moving to the table "I am famished " he said as he sat down Ronata sat with him "you would be" she said smirking as she sat next to him. cutting a peice she ate it and nodded "its wonderful " she said noticing Steven just tucked in and Ronata rolled her eyes at him "I am taking it from his silance that he likes it too " she said with a chuckle.

Steven took the bottle of wind and opened it leaving it to sit for a moment before pouring some to B rian waiting for hisa proval before poring Khaat and Ronata some "you know what alcahol dose to me" she said but with a smile she let him fill her glass " ok be it on your head mr walker" she said smiling at Brian and Khaat as she took a sip ," Not too bad" she said

Khaat enjoyed the meal a lot more than she thought she would. Well, she always liked Brian's cooking, but she didn't think she was that hungry until she started eating. "Can you just cook all the time?" she laughed, asking Brian.

"No," he said firmly.

"What?" she looked at him.

"I refuse. I like your cooking far better than mine. I refuse to lose that. You have to cook," Brian insisted. "Besides, we dont want Abbey to think that her fa..." He began and cut himself off.

"Her father?" Khaat completed. She laid her hand on Brian's. "It's not who biologically fathered her that counts. Its who loves her and raises her that matters. I doubt she'll ever even meet Rob. She will, however, know you. And that does matter. It matters to me very, very much. And, believe me, it will matter to her. Brian, I don't want Rob Dent teaching her anything, and if I didn't trust you with everything about her, I would not have allowed you to help deliver her and I would not have moved into your house. You have been there for her before she even came into the world. That's far more than Rob ever did. As far as I am concerned, you are her father."

Brian picked up his wine glass, paused thoughtfully, took a sip and swallowed slowly. "You know I love that girl," he said. "But its a massive risk."

"Everything we do is a risk, Brian! Just being who we are, being wizards, is life threatening in itself. Come on! What would Remus be telling you right now?" She asked him. He looked at her and smiled.

"He'd tell me courage is not about not being afraid. He'd say its about being afraid and doing the right thing anyway."

"And he was right," Khaat smiled.

"Remus was always right," he nodded, deciding he was invested already in Abbey and Dakota, no matter what. They were his girls. Always would be. And as much as that terrified him too, that made him feel whole. LIke a part of him that had always been empty was filling up for the first time.

Steven looked at Brain Liatening he could agree he had after all taking in Andrew "a father is not mesured by what he says but by what he does " he said softly " I have andrew whos not my own bialogicly , but I think of him that way , may be ..." he looked at Ronata and smiled as she cressed his cheek .

"what hes trying to say and failing is maybe in our future we might have a child but even then both boys will be treat as if brothers , Almost Any Man Can Be A Father
It Takes Someone Extremely Special To Be A Dad, something my dad use to tell me " she smiled at Steven and Brain " you'll be awonderful dad to those two girls " she said smiling