Tuscany Trip

"I don't know how 24 hours changes things so quickly, but I'm trying to figure out where I"m going with my life. Last year this time, well, Rob and I were dating. This year, I have a daughter, a granddaughter, and the little cottage I thought I'd be in for the rest of my life is closed up. I'm living in a bigger estate than I could ever dream of.

"I never saw myself living with Brian. Not ever. But he walked back into my life the night Abbey was born, and he's stuck to me like glue from that night on. I guess I forgot about how much I cared about him.

"I went through such pain because of losing Rob that Daddy said it almost killed me, literally. But, its funny, it doesn't hurt anymore. Not like it did. Brian is so wonderful in every respect. I don't know if what I feel is really love, but I do know that he makes me feel complete in ways Rob never managed. I don't think I see stars or fireworks or anything, like I thought Rob and I had, but I certainly could do far worse than Brian Quinn to spend my life with.

"Am I making any sense?"

jessica smiled as she talked , her hands holding the reins of the horse tight.

"sounds like hes a perfect match for you " she smiled as she looked back at Jack "and i felt the same with jack when i first met him , it wasn't love at first sight between us, it took time for me to eccept how I felt about him , you know with him being what he is an all " she said pulling abck the rians so her horse would trott level with hers.

"Khaat if is feels right go with it, I understand Rob was a jerk in all things and I can say that i have known you longer to know that Brian is making you happy, hes all Rob was not. " she said with a sigh and amsiled 2well if you don't want him I';ll devorce jack and I'll have him" she said with a grin and a glance back "hes hot".

Khaat laughed. "He certainly is. And part of what makes him hot is that he does not think he is. Part of what works for me in it is that we know each other so very, very well, and we trust each other implicitly. He loves me, in a way, and he deeply loves my girls. I can't say that every man would do that. And he can put up with all the nuttiness that it takes to be close to a Lupin. I know he thinks that I'm biting more off by being friends with him, but honestly, it's probably more of a draw.

"And, really? It was very nice waking up to find I wasn't alone. He is so tender and kind and just genuinely a nice guy. You know, you're right. He is everything I thought Rob was and turned out not to be. He's made a commitment to my girls and me for forever, no matter if we each find someone else or not. I don't know of a lot of guys that would do that for kids that weren't theirs. He's far more than I could ever want.

"Although, I do wonder how Daddy would feel if he knew...." she started to say quietly.

jessica smiled "I think he would just be glad your happy " she said smiling "and na I don't think I'd take him from you " she said smiling at jack "I got my own hunk whos fathered three wonderful kids" she said pulling her horse up to his and leaning over kissed him.

"ow ok now what was that for?" Jack asked as he was a little suspishiose of her when she did those sort of spur of the moment things , but he returned her kiss and smiled "I would nevr complain about when you do" he said smiling a she rode back ahead "those two are sceeming i can tell she doesn't do that with out a reason" he said to Brian.

"Khaat? Scheming?" Brian grinned, "Perish the thought! She doesn't scheme--much." He laughed out loud. He already rather suspected it was just harmless girl talk and trusted Khaat immensely. He knew they both had a lot to work out in their own minds.

Khaat looked at Jess. "I think my biggest fear in going to a new level with Brian has been that if it didn't work out I would lose him for good altogether. And I know he had the same fear--that if it didn't work, I'd walk away from him forever. We both promised the other we wouldn't do that, but our fear was greater than any desire to take a risk. I guess...well,...there was just so much atmosphere the other night, I think we got past being afraid. We both alreayd live lives that could be ended in the next second because of the work that we do, so, I guess we went' into it with eyes wide open and making sure our bases were covered as well as we possibly could make them. Beign with Brian is so different. It just sort of--well, it fits. Does that make any sense at all?"

jessica laughed and looked at her "yes Khaat its how I felt about jack , you two area a match pair in all things , he knows you as you know him, he can't hide anything as I can't with jack , its a given thing Khaat " she smiled as she looked back at him "besides he cares a heck of a lot about you Khaat I don't think he would walk from you , and from what you told me I don't think now you could from him" she rode some what ahead now "ow come on Khaat all this and so much more he's given you , I'd die if jack did this for me " she pushed them laughed again "well he came looking for me and gave me back my life not much elkse a man can do, brian has done the same think of it that way will ya, becuse from what i was told you really ent to the bottom of teh barrell and beyond but now look at you, happy healthy and its because of him, for oncer give in and be happy."

"I am happy," Khaat smiled, " Happier than I have been in a very, very long time. And you're right. I was really at the bottom back in May. Brian just insisted that I come back from that deep dark place. He had seen it once before when Remus died. My grief got the best of me then, and I nearly faded away altogether. Brian was there every step of the way then, even though we were just teenagers. And he didn't hesitate for a second to step up when I needed him this time either. .."

"Hey, not much farther, Ladies," Brian called, "Not if you want to be able to see the Murano glassworks yet today. We still have time to do that, but it does involve a short boat ride to get there. Unless you'd rather ride."

"I'd like to see the glassworks," Khaat looked at Jess. "Murano is some of the finest glass in the world. I 'd like to watch them make it. What do you think?"

jess smiled or rather grinned at her "ow yes thats a must" she said her face lit up to see Khaat so happy "and you know if you get bored of him throw him my way " she said with a sing song chimb in her voice as she grinned at Khaat .

"Hey, I heard that Jessica dark heart" Jack said shaking his head but grinning at the same time he liked how happy they were together "seems khaat and jessica are remanising over aold times , you know khaat was there when our twins were born and when I found her after...." he stopped and laughed as jerssica almost hit a low branch "Duck next time dear!!!" he said seeing her stick her toung out at him.

"Did I hear you say you wanted to be a duck, Jack?" Khaat teased, drawing her wand and making it look like she was aiming at him. She was actually aiming several inches to his left. However, she figured it might give him a bit of a small anxiety attack if he thought about being a little yellow fuzzball again.

Brian burst out in spontaneous laughter. It struck him as being funny. He was relaxed today, and he didn't know when he had felt so relaxed and happy. He thought about why today was so different. He decided it was because he had, basically, the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in the entire world on his arm, and furthermore, he was able to do it without being terrified that something bad would happen.

Well, something bad always happened eventually in the life of a Lupin, and Brian had come to see that when he had been a small boy. That didn't bother Lupins anymore, and it didn't bother him either. He wasn't sure why he had never noticed when Khaat had become so incredibly gorgeous, but here she was. And it made his heart make sensations he wasn't sure he'd ever felt before. He'd loved before, but there was something deep and safe and intense about this that he'd never felt with any other woman. After Khaat had gone to sleep last night, he had lain awake and wondered if Robert would have disapproved of him deciding to make Khaat his own. It had crossed his mind much earlier in the evening, but he had decided that Robert just might have no choice. And now, he hoped, a great deal, that Robert approved. Brian had been rejected before in his life, but he had never been rejected by Robert. He was hoping this might not be the issue that their friendship came apart on.

"Well, if we're going to the Murano glassworks, let's head back," Brian instructed, waiting for the ladies to go ahead of him.

Jess turned her horses and galopped back to the homestead as a fast as she could laughing as jack took off after her on his own he cosght up to her as she slowled some ways ahead and smiled at him pulling her horse close to his and kissing him deeply and passion filled, she gave a sigh and frested her head on his forhead as she looked back at Khaat " there happy" she said smiling then looking at him "I think there inlove both of them for the first time" she whispered .

Jack chuckled to her as she kised him his hand awround her waist holding ehr upright on her horse "yeah I know I see the same look in his eyes when he looks at her that you give me"