Tuscany Trip

Brian finished fixing his dessert and put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. He went outside, turned the vegetables and put the salmon on the grill. He returned to the kitchen and drew out plates, silverware, glasses, and he set the table.

He had not made a salad, but he felt that since he had made several large skewers of roasted vegetables, it would make up for the loss of a salad.

He put a pitcher of iced tea on the table and filled the glasses with ice. When everything was ready, he took two large platters. he put the skewers of vegetables on one, and put the firegrilled salmon on the other.

"Dinner!" he called. Khaat closed her book and rose and went out to the kitchen as Brian put a dill vinaigrette on the table for them to either drizzle over the salmon or the vegetables or both. Whatever they chose.

"You are amazing," Khaat told him softly, kissing his cheek. "You know I love salmon. Thank you. And this was fresh this morning, wasn't it?'

"It certainly was. I made it just for you. I know how you like it." He pulled out her chair for her. "Your seat, Milady?"

"Thank you," she said, sitting. He sat down at her right at the head of the table. "Help yourself. Dig in."

Khaat took a skewer with baby redskin potatoes, asparagus, carrots, tiny roasted shallots, and some chunks of roasted red bell pepper. It smelled divine. Brian chose a salmon fillet for her and put it on her plate. "Dill sauce?" he asked.

"Please?" she said. He handed it to her and she drizzled some over her fish as he poured her some iced tea. Then he fixed his own plate.

"Don't think you're getting offf with one skewer. You need more veggies than that," Brian told her.

"Okay," she laughed.

steven fixed two plates one for him and one for Ronata taking it back to teh table Ronata poured everyone a drink then her self last . She smelled the food and it was delishiose the could almost taste the flavors as she picked up a screw shd bit down "yum tasty" she said smiling "you have to teach me this " she said taking a second bite.

Steven chuckled he knew if Brian did tell her he would have it for his meals for a long time to come. "where did you learn to cook like this?" he asked trying to make some sort of conversation , he had felt tenshion had sat in the air since the iccident with the woman and now it needed to be got rid of. "ronata would you like to walk on the beach after we eat?" he asked he saw her turn to face him.

Ronata heard his question and turned to face him "No , Im going to take a run in the gym after lunch. " she said cutting into the samon she could not belive he had though she would want that "I need to tone up my muscles again", she saw him about to complain and shot him a look but then looked quickly at Brian hoping she had not done anything wrong , though she rembered he had said he was her boss not Steven and as such she knew to do as he said, only steven when it came threw Brian.

Steven though as he ate about why she had changed but the more he though the more he understood he had treat her like a fragile little woman and she was now showing she was not "Sure , you think you can keep up?" he asked with a smile to her.

Ronata chuckled "ow sure no problems, Khaat what about you will you join me , girls verses boys" she said finishing her meal "that was apsolutly wonderful , thank you " she said picking up hers and stevens empty plates and carrying them threw to the kitchen.

"We could do that, I suppose," Brian said. He had been hoping he could get Khaat back into her routine of running outside. "Khaat, you wanna run with me later? Maybe after dark? It might be cooler then. "

"I miss running," she said. "And it probably is a bit more fair to run the women against the men, since you and I are probably the most experienced runners. We don't want to pair it up unequally."

"Fine by me, but I'll still win," he grinned.

"Oh, you think, do you?" she frowned. She took her plate and Brian's into the kitchen and cast a cleanup spell for the kitchen to clean itself up. "So, bring it on, Big Man. You and all your fancy talk. Run now, dessert later. I'll meet you all downstairs in 2 minutes. I need to change."

She went upstairs to change into her jogging clothes. She chose a pair of jogging capris and a t shirt and her running shoes. She went down stairs and started stretching slowly. She was still in far more pain from her beating than she was letting on, but she was not going to give into it. She was going to run, and she was going to beat Brian. She and Brian usually ran neck and neck, and that frustrated him. He didn't want to think anyone could beat him. But Khaat was the closest one he'd ever met that came within a photofinish length of beating him.

Ronata smiled at them "well im not that good so I'll stick with the normal stuff " she stood up and trasphigured her clothes into a set of running pants and a tight tee shirt smiling she moved down to the basment and looked at around, she could not help feel a little unnerved at being down there after she could only imagine what had hapened with the woman and Robert.

Moving to a machine she smiled as she saw Steven walking down also now in jogging bodttoms and a plain blue sleveless shirt , he started the walking machine next to her and stepped up on it walking at a steadiy pace. Ronata moved to a fast walk then a jog she kept it at that glancing over at steven till she focused on running as the machine narualy sped up.

as she moved she felt her tenshion going and she quickened with the machine soon she was at a full run and loving how it felt she imgined her self back on her mother and fathers farm the horse just out of reatch of her as she ran.

Steven sped the machine up watching her as soon she seem to get her stride on the machine he smiled watching her as he too soon was at a run now he used the machine to work himself he soon felt his mucles building again but he also felt that sting of that he had reatched his top stride now running beside her.

"we should get a gym for the farm, that barn is big enouph to have one up stairs" he said as he ran glancing at her.

Ronata heard him and chuckled "sure would do you good to get back in shape again" she said grinning at him as she ran.

"ow realy and what about you?" he asked still running on the treadmill "you could use it too" he said now playing of what she was saying.

"Humm maybe, but im in better contition that you are" she grined as she knew he knew she was playing with him as she burst into laughter "ok a gym in the barn sounds great " she finished looking to see if Khaat and Brian had joined them yet.

Khaat and Brian were already downstairs when Steven and Ronata arrived and started running on the treadmills. Since there were only two treadmills, Khaat and Brian allowed them to run and decided to keep track of their time and their speed on the treadmill computers. In the meantime, Khaat and Brian worked on stretching, and strengthbuilding exercises.

They chose stationery bikes in order to get a bit of a workout before they ran. Khaat and Brian loved to ride bikes. And it was a good warmup before running. "Go easy, Khaat," Brian said. "You're entirely too injured to push yourself to work at full speed. If it pulls too hard, don't do it. A bit of a stretch is good. A strain is too much."

"Okay," she said. Brian normally pushed for between 30 and 40 minutes on a stationery bike. He normally pushed for a run that long too.

Khaat made it for about 20 minutes on the bike and got a painful stitch in her ribs, right where the broken rib was. Brian got off his bike when he noticed her pain. "Stop," he told her gently. "You're cramping. Stop." She obeyed. He laid his hand on her ribcage. "Its just a muscle spasm. Let me," he said soothingly. He pressed his hand slightly against her side and made the pain stop and the muscles relax. It was instantaneous relief to her . She was able to breathe deeply, but she now sighed in frustration.

"Khaat," Brian said, brushing a lock of damp hair off her face, "you're riding better even as battered as you are than most of the men I work with when they're 100%. Take it easy, would you? I do understand your disappointment, but pushing too hard will only cause some damage. Rest a second." He went over to small refrigerator that only came up to about his waist. He opened it and accio'd out four waterbottles. He sent two over to Ronata and Steven and then took two himself--one for Khaat and one for himself. He handed one to Khaat. "Drink," he said, "Cool off. You can go back and try a bit longer after you rest a bit."

She drank some of the icy cool water, took a bit of a rest and then finished another 20 minutes on the bike before the muscle cramp came back to her ribs again. Brian dismounted and relieved the spasm again. "You really do have to rest before you try to run. Take a bit of time, and then in about 10 minutes, we'll take them both. Deal?"

"Deal," she grinned.

Ronata felt apull and decided enouph was enouph stoping the tredmill she stepped to one side "ok thats me done running " she said stepping down and wiping the sewat from herself with her towel, she moved to the bench to sit. "Guess I'm not as fit as I thought. " she said some what out of breath as she watched Steven continue his session on the tredmill.

Steven saw ehr stop and nodded as he went on he could feel himself push further but he knew he could do more and so kept going "don't worry Ro, if you work out often you'll biuld up , right brian" he said glancing back " but I wouldn't push your self not at this stage, even Im not in top form like brian. " he said and turned back to his running.

Ronata chuckled and looked at Khaat smiling "how do you do it , I mean keep so fit and do all the things you do" she asked looking at them both " But I will be I am determined not to gain anything when i start to show" she said taking a deep breath as she sat.

Moving to a bike she sat on it and gently turned the peddles and leaning forward on the handels she saw the sweat run down Stevens back and the mucles in his legs tense as he ran she could not help smile

"Brian is an expert at staying in shape. Its one of the things he specializes in--that and helping to train others to stay in top shape. He's really good at helping folks rebuild themselves after an injury or an illness. He designed a program for me to help build me up after I had Abbey."

"That wasn't pretty," Brian admitted. "Khaat was severelly underweight and malnourished. And she miscarried Abbey in her 6th month because her health was so poor. Khaat almost died. She was in a coma after the delivery for quite awhile and in intensive care. We almost lost her."

"That was in May," Khaat said. "What I have back is due to Brian's hard work and devotion. He was my labor coach and my father delivered Abbey under emergency circumstances. Then, after that, Brian never left me. He was a true blessing. He made sure he took expert care of me, helped me move out of my cottage in Hogsmeade and took me into his house and has been a wonderful father for Abbey. He's been my fitness coach to help me rebuild my strength. I probably would still be recuperating if it weren't for him."

"You'd have been on your feet," Brian said, "But I doubt you'd have been back at work. Khaat overworks on a regular basis, and she loses weight very easily. I have to stay on her to eat decent meals regularly, stop drinking so damned much coffee, and to exercise whether she wants to or not."

"He insists I spend time outside in the pool in good weather and insists I keep up with my running, along with strength training. And he has taken over the cooking since I went back to work."

"Well," Brian said, "Someone has to make sure you're eating something other than Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and french roast coffee. Come on, Hotshot. Let's see if you can still keep up the pace."

"I'll outdo you," she frowned, taking Ronata's place on the treadmill. Brian came over and adjusted the settings on the treadmill for where he wanted them to be for her. "Okay. Distance today. Not speed. That's another time. Lets see how far you can go." He started the treadmill and let her get started on a good steady pace for a run. It was just a bit faster than Ronata's, but then again, Khaat and Brian were good distance runners. They were used to it. Brian was just going to supervise Khaat's workout until he could try his hand at the treadmill.

Ronata listened to Khaat and brian now she understood why Khaat had been so caushios over her becoming pregnat , she looked down at ehr own belly then back to Khaat "I understand now why you said to steven and my self to be careful not to tempt fate " she said as she slowly peddled her bike leaning forward on the handles.

Steven looked at Khaat and listened too as he ran he had allready done 2 miles and was half way to 3 when he winced he felt the muscle spasum in his right leg, the same leg he ahd cramped when he first woke "dam it , maybe I sould take your advice about going slow too" he sid stepping off the tredmioll and rubing hi calf "same dam leg " he said moving to sit down "tredmills all your Brian Im done " he said vigrusly rubbing it to try and relive the cramping he felt.

"Let me know if you want me to draw that off for you, Steven," Brian said. He reset the settings on the treadmill and got on. He started off at a slightly faster pace than Khaat's, and it seemed to suit him naturally. He seemed to just, basically, step into a pace with it that was natural and comfortable, like he'd been running all his life.

"Khaat has a lot of ugly memories about that time period," Brian said. "Not only because she almost died but also because it was directly because of Rob's heartless and hurtful behaviors and attitudes towards her that almost cost Khaat and Abbey both their lives. "

"Stop it, Brian," Khaat said quietly.

"Its true. If he had given a damn about either of you, he would have taken better care of you, been a husband to you and not left you way before he did for a bunch of knockturn alley whores. And he would not have jeopardized your pregnancy by sheer cruelty and neglect for months before you had her. He's an ass."

"Brian," she scowled.

"Well, that is exactly why it bothered you when Ronata got pregnant. It brought back all your pain with Rob and how you wanted so much for him to stay with you, but he didn't know how to man up and do that. It also brought up how alone you feel without him, and, much as you love Abbey and would never give her up, it sometimes makes you feel that everything with Rob--including Abbey--was a mistake. I think that if it weren't for me being around, you might have wanted to surrender her to your parents a long time ago and moved out of England for good. "

"Shut up, Brian," she said coldly. "My daughter is not a mistake."

"No. She isn't. I love her. You know I do. I am saying thought that I think there are times you regret moving so quickly into having her before you knew Rob better than you did."

"That's true. But I don't need to worry about that anymore. She has a good father now. She has you. And its a cinch that you and I don't ever have to worry about putting sex ahead of the quality of our relationship."

"No," he laughed. "That's very true. I'm just saying that you're not distant from Steven and Ronata on purpose. Its only because it is so painful for you."

"Shut up and run, Brian," she replied. It was painful. She didn't regret Abbey. Not for one moment. But she did regret that she had rushed into things with Rob. That was an enormous regret, not only for her but for Rob too. She knew he regrettted it just as much. And now she hated to see anyone else copying her mistakes.

steven nodded to Brian "its ok, few minets and it should be gone " he said continuing his massaging of his calf . He listned to Brian and how he spoke of Rob he had to agree inside he too didn't like the sound of him one bit but it was not his place to say aned as such said nothing , he glanced at Ronata who sat pedaling on her bike he could see she too was angry.

Ronata listened as brain spoke of Khaats ex husband , the more he spoke the more she under stood that what she ahd Stevcen had been doing had seem to Khaat as if they were flaulting them selves she looked across at Steven and gave a sigh inside agreeing with brian over rob.
"I sorry Khaat, if I had known we would have been more discreet" she said softly "I would not have been such a pain in the ass too" she said now sliping from the bike to sit next to Steven she took his towel and dried her face neck and shoulders.