Tuscany Trip

Khaat walked over to Jack and whispered in his ear softly but with intense ferocity, "If you ruin this gift from your wife, I swear, I will turn you into even less than a duck. If you think for one moment I don't know my fahter's transfiguration spell that would very easily change you into an insect, then you try me. And believe me, I do have a jar to keep you in. You make your choice. Either you straighten up and fly right, or you'll have wings, anntenae, and at least 6 legs. Do I make myself exceptionally clear?"

She walked back to Brian calmly and with a pleasant smile. Brian raised an eyebrow at her, clearly understanding some sort of general gist that she had made some sort of transfiguration threat. And knowing her, she had either decided to change him into some cheeky looking hat or a bug. He stifled any impulse to laugh at it because he knew that she meant it. He had read the look on her face too carefully, and he knew that she would carry out with whatever she had threatened.

"It's very simple," Khaat said. "I threatened to turn him back into either a duck or to use my father's transfiguration to change him into a bug and put him in a jar. Might have to sit him on a shelf in my father's lab for a bit until he stops that. I guess he simply would prefer not," Khaat laughed.

"She knows very well how to do it, too," Brian laughed. He hadn't seen her actually resort to that bug changing thing for a long time, but he had no doubt whatsoever that she knew exactly how to use it and certainly could or would if the need arose.

Khaat was slightly amused by how Brian just let her take a free hand with, pretty much, redesigning a great deal of his wardrobe. Well, that didn't mean he would throw out what he had, but it did mean that anytime he wanted to look just amazingly handsome, then he could certainly do so. And so far, Brian did seem content with what she picked for him. However, she did know that he still had a taste for American styles, and that ran, most of the time, stronger than his need to look European in any manner. Still, she had hopes for him that he might agree to trade his jeans once in awhile for dress clothing.

"They wouldn't have hit your behind if you hadn't been acting like that," Brian laughed. "They didn't stick me once." He went into the changing room and changed back to his own clothes and came out and went back to Khaat. He kissed her squarely on the lips, forgetting himself and that they were not alone. "Thank you," he said softly. "I guess I do have some worn out things that need replacing. Feel free to throw out almost whatever you want."

"Almost?" she laughed. "There are limits?"

"Well, yeah. There are a couple of things I want to keep. Some favorites. Surely you know how that goes."

"Yes. I do. So where to now?"

"Well, I think turn about is fair play. I think I'm going to take you ladies to a designer to get yourselves each a beautiful custom designed dress and a custom designed pair of shoes. How does that strike you?"

"Wonderful," Khaat smiled. She was beginning to really like clothes. And a custom pair of shoes sounded really great. Maybe, once they had all they needed, she could get them to make her a pair of stillettos for work that didn't hurt her feet by the end of a 16 hour work day. "Jess? What do you think? A once in a lifetime designer gown and a pair of custom made Italian shoes?"

"

Brian took them to the top designer in all of Venice, and before long, they were measuring Khaat and Jess and taking down notes of what their measurements were and what fabrics they liked, and what styles they liked.

"Jess," Khaat said, "If you're uncomfortable with getting something formal, why don't you get yourself a long leather coat? Maybe something with a removable lining that you can wear almost all year round. Something midcalf perhaps. I think its worth a try maybe. Every woman deserves a really great leather coat. Or maybe a really sharp looking pair of knee boots? Just because you want to be practical doesn't mean you have to always buy it off the rack."

Khaat was specfic to tell them she liked natural fabrics so they showed her leathers, cottons, linens, wools, and silks--with a special emphasis on the silks. They measured her properly for shoes, and Khaat fell in love with several of the designs for stillettos and also two different designs of knee boots.

She was interested in work clothes. Things that would be impressive whether she was just at St. Mungos or was at work in the Wizengamot. She was also interested in two different denim suits. One that was sharply tailored with a long, hip length jacket to go with a pair of jeans, and another suit that had a short jacket with a mandarin collar that also had a long, midcalf, full, gored skirt in denim to go with it.

The designer's assistant soon had her trying on a variety of styles just to get an idea of what some of the basic looks might look like on her, and what colors might work with her skin tones. Khaat was having a great time.

"I want her to have a clean slate in her closet," Brian told Jack quietly. "I want her to get rid of anything that holds sentimental memories for her of Rob. She really does need to not continue to be hurt because of old memories that keep holding her hostage. I want her free of that. She deserves to be able to move forward."

"We just made peace with our mutual fears," Brian said. "We've both been afraid for too long about too many things. Nothing means more to either of us right now than seeing the other happy. I don't care if I spend ever cent I've ever made. If it helps her be happy, money is no object." He watched her for a moment, totally captivated by how good she looked in whatever the designers hung on her. She was like a storefront mannequin. Everything they put on her looked good. It made him smile.

And as he watched her, it flashed back to his mind. He had kissed her. In public. Crap. That had not been in his plans. And she had neithe resisted him nor rebuffed him for his little breach of privacy.

"I..uh..guess you saw that," he said very softly to Jack, feeling awkward now. Khaat didn't seem to be bothered by it in the least. But Brian now was self conscious. Some brother he now looked like, he realized. Well, things change. And Brian was now seeing her through a renewed perspective. She looked totally different to him this morning.