Tuscany Trip

"Well, at least we weren't penetrated. You would think a flyer would know better than to fly while they were pregnant that they wouldn't need to be bound. And truth be told, Khaat or Robert or I could have bound that for her. We wouldn't needed some odd looking old woman to do that. Would have been nice if those old biddies would have at least warned us or asked. Jeesh! Rather rude of them, actually," he shook his head.

"I'm glad he's finally asleep. He has no idea when he slept last at all. The more I get these little bits and pieces out of him, the more I"m sure he's into probably the mission that, for whatever reason, frightens him the most. I have no idea what it is, but I do know that this is bigger for him, in some way or another, than anything else he has ever known.

"You ought to try to go to sleep. I might need you in the morning. I think I"ve had about 5 hours of sleep in the last...hm...4 or 5 nights. I might need to catch a few z's someplace. I'm starting to feel it now. I migght need you to help keep an eye on Khaat for a few hours--if Robert doesn't have really different ideas when he wakes up. But I promised him I would spell him so he could sleep. I won't change that. I'll try to sleep when he wakes up, maybe. But that will only work if you're rested enough to take over for me."

Brian heard them moving downstairs and finally smelled fresh coffee. It smelled like heaven. Robert had barely moved, his exhaustion besting him a bit. Brian was a little worried for him, bu the knew better than to think that Robert would let anything interfere with whatever he was working on.

After a bit, Khaat finally woke slowly. She squinted a bit, seeing sunlight. She had a headache. Brian got up and went over to her. "How's the hangover?" he asked very softly.

"Is that what I"ve got?" she groaned softly.

"Yep. A little too much firewhiskey," he said. She looked at him and frowned. She'd never ovedone the alcohol ever in her life. And then she remembered. The last she remembered was spouting off a great list of things she was angry about to her father, and of him just refilling the glass a couple of times. Well, he was a fine help, he was! She looked over and saw the conjured bed where her father slept.

"What's he doing here?"

"He says' he's looking out for you. I think he's just gotten too tired and needed a place to slip away for the night. He looks like hell."

"Yes. He does. I wish he would take you along with him, Brian."

"Me too. You know when he finally tells us what this is all about, I'm gonna kill him for not telling me earlier, I don't care what his reasons are."

"Take a number. I have first dibs on that." She sighed heavily, putting her hand to her aching head.

"Here. Let me. I'm only going to do this once. You overdo it again, and you can suffer." He laid a hand on either side of her head and drew off the pain she felt. She sighed with relief.

"I'm going to go shower," she said.

"Okay," he smiled. "I'll get some fresh coffee." He watched her draw out some clothes from her dresser and head for the bathroom. He made sure she was safely in the bathroom and then went downstairs.

"Good morning," he said. "I think we all need cofffee upstairs." He filled three mugs and said, "I'm sure we'll be ready to face the day in a few minutes." He returned back upstairs with the coffee mugs in hand.

Brian took coffee back upstairs and set a cup in the bathroom for Khaat. He could smell the plumeria scented shower gel that she was using as it rose up in the misty fog that the hot water created. It smelled nice. Khaat always smelled like flowers. He liked that. He closed the door again and went back to her room where Robert was just starting to wake up. When Robert's eyes finally opened, Brian handed him coffee.

"Fuel," he smiled at Robert.

"Yes. Thank you. I need that," he said. "I don't know if I feel better or not."

"Give it a bit. You might need a couple of nights before that turns around."

"I can't afford that. You know that. Where's Khaat?"

"Showering."

"How is she?"

"Fine. Amazingly enough. She had a bit of a headache but that's all. I felt sorry for her and got rid of it."

"Thank you. I have never seen anything like it. Her first experience with that much firewhiskey should have made her damned good and sick. But I didn't see it affect her much yesterday. You know, if we did a drinking contest, she's liable to drink us all under the table. Even me."

"Now that, Robert Lupin, is a scary thought," Brian laughed. "You want a change of my clothes today so you can shower and shave and start fresh?"

"Could I?"

"Certainly. There is a bathroom off my bedroom across the hall. Just go help yourself."

"I think I will. Thank you. Keep an eye on her."

"Don't worry. I'm on the job. She'll be alright. But I did have to give her some bathroom time by herself."

"Agreed. Alright. I'll be back." Robert got up and left the room. Brian decided to stay where he was for the moment until Khaat finished her shower. It put him closeby.

When she returned, in khaki slacks and a natural, oatmeal colored shirt, he kissed her forehead. "Feeling better?

"More human, anyway," she said.

"You know, you don't have to stop wearing shorts because of the bruises. We've all already seen them. Be yourself."

"How'd you know?"

"Oh, come on. I know you. Let's go downstairs. Ronata has breakfast waiting. Your father will be down in a few minutes."

"Alright." She followed him downstairs.

"Thank you for taking over the cooking, Ronata," Khaata said, helping herself to breakfast, along with Brian. "Breakfast is good. I'm supposed to be teaching you, but it seems you're learning to find your way around the kitchen without me. That's a good thing. Sorry I haven't been much help lately. And I'm sure that Daddy will enjoy having a homecooked meal for a change. He should be down in a minute. He's taking advantage of having a hot shower available to him and some fresh clothes. How did you get him to get some sleep last night, Brian?"

"I told him I would watch over you so he could sleep. That's all it took," Brian said. "Well, that and conjuring him a place to sleep that wasn't more than three steps away from you."

"This really is not a situation I've ever seen him in before," Khaat said.

"Well, I've seen things close to this, but not exactly like this. I'm starting to think that he is deliberately thinking out of the box for some reason. I suggest we just continue to follow his lead. I need to go into town today. Anyone want to go with me?" he asked.

"I'll go," Khaat said. "I could use some fresh air. Where are you going?"

"To the market, for one thing. Maybe the fishmongers. I'm not sure. We need some more groceries. The thing about shopping in Italy is that it isn't like America where you hit a big mega supermarket and shop for a week. You pretty much need to shop every day here for the best and the freshest. You want me to do a glamour spell for you, Khaat, to hide your bruises for the muggles?"

"Please?" she asked.

"Muggles?" Robert asked, coming down into the kitchen.

"Have some breakfast, Robert," Brian said. "Ronata made it, and its very good."

"Thank you. I believe I will, and then I do have to go. But thanks for the hospitality. I needed the sleep and the food and being able to refresh myself a bit. Look, I know I was exceptionally hard on everyone last night, especially you, Ronata. And I know none of you understand. I wish I could tell you more, but there is far, far too much at stake right now. I hope we can sit, soon, over a meal and that I can fill you all in. But I can tell you nothing until its all overwith. All you need to know right now is that Khaat is, apparently, being used to get my full attention. She's a pawn in a much larger scale game. She didn't ask for this. I need you to recognize that whoever this is, is trying to get to me through her. And I cannot let that happen. Does that make anything any clearer at all?"
He fixed himself a plate, refilled his coffee and sat down with everyone else. "I'm not trying to be evasive or difficult. But that's just the way it is for right now."