Tuscany Trip

"I'm fine, Jess," Khaat said. She accio'd for her wand and got it. She looked around the room and chose to transfigure the very large sectional sofa into space for both of them. She stood up, clutching the dressing on her chest with her left hand, and with her right, she made the sofa into a pair of twin sized beds, feathery soft, and covered with crisp white linens and a lot of pillows. She used her wand to move the furniture and pushed other pieces aside to move the beds against the far wall of the room, out of the way. She changed a sideboard into a regular sized sofa that was in the same color scheme as the old, large sectional had been.

"That should get us both out of the way but keep us in sight," Khaat said. She moved an end table between the beds as a night stand and put a lamp there. "What do you think? Will that do it? If I know Brian, we won't need this more than a day or two, from what Daddy said. Jess, I hate to ask but is there anything cold to drink out in the fridge? I don't want to be a bother, but I'm really parched. Anything will do."

Jessica watched as Khaat did some reporganising and cuckled "I could use you around my home " she said watching turning she nodded.

"yeap he's a head strong one Brian " she said standing to hold her up asshe changed he sofa she had been sat on moments before , then she asked for a cold drink .A fter settling Khaat down jess moved to the kitchen she opened the fridge and found some muggle colas , taking one out she felt they were perfectly cold , picking up a glass she pored it over some cold ice and walked over to her "hows this ?" she asked smiling "when hes ready we'll move you to the bed or rather Jack can"


She sat back on the same chair she had just left a few minets before, she wondered just why Khaat was the target also Brian she wondered if the woman had something for Brian and hated Khaat because she had his heart. Jess shok herhead it was more likly to be somthing to do with the organisation.

"Not bad," Khaat smiled, feeling the blissfully soft mattress beneath her. Maybe transfigured beds were better than the usual ones. It felt wonderfully soft to her aching body. She took a sip of the cola. She was so thirst that it tasted divine to her.

She looked back at Jess. "Your mind is running a mile a minute. I know you. You're as confused and frustrated about this as I am, aren't you?" she asked. "I wish I knew what Daddy wasn't saying. He's been very deliberately cryptic at every turn. There's a lot he knows that he's not saying. He's never done that before. Not with me, and not with Brian. I don't understand. He has to have a very good reason, but none of it makes sense to me. None of it."

jess looked up at Khaat and chuckled with a small smile "you know me too well khaat, im just as confused as you over all this they started with you then Brian why you wern't connected till you and brian found your feelings towards each other, i can't help think it has that incommon" she said with a deep sigh as she finished her coffee and walked to the kitchen she turned and lent on the counter.

"as for your father , do what youneed to but please no yellow ducks " she said grinning at her hopoing to release some stress " yes, Jack told me about that"

"Ah, well, that's not exactly true. Brian decided to bring me to Tuscany because it was someplace I've always wanted to go. He and I came here, with things between us being as platonic as they'd been since we were 8. Well, or at least we thought so. Things didn't change for us until just a few days ago in Venice. We were so sure we had that all under control, wrapped up tight so that we wouldn't go that far. And Venice, well, it was so wonderful, so beautiful, so perfect in every single respect, I guess that all just came unwrapped. And once we let it loose, we felt so free and so comfortable, we didn't want to go back. It..it wasn't a rushed decision. None of it. We talked...I mean, we really talked. Like we were finally looking the demons in the eyes. We didn't make the first move until we were sure, really sure, that it was what we both wanted. Jess, I'm a woman over 30 with a child and a grandchild. My husband left me because, in one way or another, I wasn't good enough. Not every wizard would openlychoose to live with a Lupin. I could do so much worse than Brian. And we're both okay if the other still wants to date someone else. We're both still not sure we want to be solidly committed, but we've decided to enjoy what we've got while we have it. Does that make us odd, honestly?"

Jess chuckled " stranger than awaoman who couldn't remeber half her life ?" she said with a smile "jak accepted me even with me knot knowing who or where i was from , so i think you two got it down right" she said soflty as she once more took a cup of coffee and sat down with a smile "its about time you fouind a worthy man in your live mother or gran mother hes a catch " she said chucklaing

"I think so," Khaat smiled, her heart warmed with the thought of how happy she and Brian were, still, despite it all.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Brian woke, aching everywhere. He looked around and frowned. He didn't remember how he got home. He saw Jack sitting there in the room. "Jack," he said, confused by how weak his voice was. "What...happened...How..how did I get home? The last I remember...I was trapped in that alley...Khaat! Is Khaat alright? I shouldnt' have left her..." His mind began to try to race to catch up, and it felt more like swiss cheese, full of holes. He wanted to get up, but when he tried to sit up, everything hurt. His head spun viciously, and he fell weakly back to the pillows. Getting up was clearly not going to happen at the moment. The fear for Khaat rose up in him so fast he couldn't contain it all. This was the part of what he had stepped into with her that he had never wanted. Fear. Not for either of them. But here it was. They had to learn to deal with it. Right here, right now.

jack turned hearing Brian speack he turned and faced him "Ah COB, your awake, shes fine , don't worry shes dwn stairs with jess, relax , some how you apreated right into the living room ,Roberts been and patched you up but he said bed rest for a day or two , jess will be up to give you your pain potions and other stuff " he said and walked over to him resting his hand on his shoulder he aperated him to the bed down stairs next to Khaat .

"there now you to can play patiients together " he said and chuckled as he moved to kiss jess "I'll get the potions from the bedroom " he said and moved from her side.

Jess moved to brian with a small bottle and a spoon "take this it will help" she said softly as she lifted his head so he could take the potion "its Roberts own potion"

"Thank you," Brian said. He took the pain potion, grateful for its relief. Once that was done, he got a moment to look around. He looked at Khaat, "You redecorated, I see."

"It's temporary," she reached out to him, and he took her hand. "Are you okay?"

"I will be. My mind is sort of swiss cheesed. I don't remember much."

"Well, your training came in handy. You knew enough, apparently, as stunned as you were, to get home."

"How did I drive...wait...I apparated? My Lamborghini is still down at the village," he groaned.

"And do you think you could have driven it, my dear?" she asked, laughing. "Jack or Jess, do either of you have muggle driving licenses?..Oh, wait. Daddy's sending some operatives. We'll have them bring the car back. We shouldn't have Jack or Jess go out right now either. Not for awhile. It divides us too much."

"You're right," Brian sighed. "I'm sorry, Everyone. I wasn't watching enough. I should have anticipated an ambush. I just didn't expect it to be both of them. They're good. And he's really, really good. Robert was right. I've got to be up as soon as I can. I have to train."

"Not today. Just be with me today," Khaat soothed his jangled nerves. He sighed, relaxing as the pain potion set in. He eyed her cola. She reached over, picked up the glass and handed it to him.
"Be my guest." He took a couple of sips. It was heavenly.

"Thanks," he sighed. "I needed that. I was bone dry, I think." He handed the glass back to her. "Hey, these mattresses are nice. Your doing?"

"Uh huh."

"I think I'll have you change them all to mattresses like these. I like them better than what we have," he said. That made her laugh

jess placed the potion on the counter with teh others and shook her head , it was begining to look like a hospital rather than a villa in tuskany. Sje turned and sat on a stool and was about to say they were definaly not going to seperate when Khaat said it for her and she smiled .

"OK rest both of you " she said folding her arms across her chest " Robert said you were to stay in bed maybe for a day or two then if you were up to it you could get up khaat not for a long time yet " she said to both of them.

Jack walked back in with Brians potions in his hands he placed them next to khaats and moved to hold Jessica "I wonder what this new operative is like?"

Jess shok her head "I don't care as long as he or she dosn't screw around " she said now angry at not being brought in ealier.