Bridging the Generation Gap

"Well, well," Michael laughed, "Aren't we touchy? You'll have to get over that if you're going to work with me. I nickname everybody because names are generally illadvised and an hinderance to me. So suck it up and get used to it. I'm not likely to change my habits. I've been doing this work since before you were born, Sonny. Furthermore, I asked you a question, and you chose to get as emotional as a woman with an estrogen overdose because I called you Sheriff and not Ranger. And, so you know, I do very much know the diference. But you never answered my question, so I take your answer to be a 'no.' You don't, then, have any useful American contacts to us. So be it then."

Michael was not amused by this so called seasoned ranger's immaturity. If this was how they were all going to behave, Michael didn't need them. He could get Khaat out all by himself. Might be easier anyway in this case with where he believed he needed to go.

"He's saying he thinks Burke buried Khaat deep somewhere in the underground recesses of Whitehall. That could take weeks to penetrate and find her without being caught, with as large as Whitehall actually is," Brian said.

Michael frowned at Brian, irked with the young leader. Michael wasn't sure he wanted Steven to know where Michael believed Khaat to be if Steven was going to cop an attitude with him. He had no intention of taking anyone with him who didn't know his place and who had a smart mouth.

"Khaat doesn't have weeks, Michael," Brian said

"I'm working on it, Junior," Michael replied.

Steven turned to face him his face like thunder "I do have contacts, but how good they are since i have not been in texas for almost a year, I know a state governer and a judge, I won't name names " he said "Khaat means a lot to me as she does to Brian and Jack, I don't apreciat being left out the loop, Im from Texas not england how am I suposed to know what and where your on about, I'll do my job you do yours , get us in get her and us out" he said looking right into michaels eyes as he spoke.


Jack stood some what suprised at Streven and his anger he steped into the way "hey cool it, he didn't mean anything by it , its just a nick name steven. " he looked at Michael "sorry not sure what got him ryled tonight " he turned back to steven "hey, calm down, were here to sort this out not bite each outhers heads off, if Robert though enouph of him to ask him for help then, god dam it listen to the man"

Michael wasn't taking a loose canon like Steven Walker anywhere. First of all, everything Steven believe he knew wasn't going to work here. Certain places were just completely impregnible by muggle means. The only way this was going to work was by magic. Pure and simple. He was experienced enough to know that it wasn't possible to penetrate this place without magic, and even then it was almost impossible.

"You want to know why I"m leaving you out?" Michael stood to his full height to face Steven. "It's precisely because you act like you do. I know she's your friend, but she's my goddaughter. And I refuse to let some psychotic get away with taking her from everyone she loves. You--Werewolf," he looked at Jack. "I'll take you. And I'll take Quinn. And I'm going to need Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, who couldn't see their way to make it today. I will only take you, Texan, when I know I can trust you, and not one moment before. I don't doubt that you have skills. If Robert says you do, then you do. But if I don't trust you any farther than I can spit you, you're of no use to me."

He took a breath. He didn't get riled easily, but Steven was pushing it. "When I trust you, you'll know more--about a great many things. Fair enough?" he looked at Steven.

Steven shok his head and walked to the back door and stood looking out leaving jack standing wondering just what had happened. Jack looked at Michael and sighed before replying " yes sir " he said in responce to michaels request he go with them. he looked out the corner of his eyes at Steven and found himself frowning and he shook his head he looked at Brian too as if to say he had no clue about Steven.

"Maybe it is best he stay" Jack said hating to leave one of his freinds behind but his anger had even grated on him too. He looked at Michael waiting for his next order.

"Go get a handle on that loose cannon of yours, Junior," Michael looked at Brian. "Better anchor him down."

Brian sighed and went out to the kitchen door. "What's the deal, Steven?" Briah asked, sighing heavily. "If Robert says we trust him and follow him, we suck it up and do it. That's the game. So what's the real issue here? Michael is not at all like Robert. You can't presume he will be. The bottom line is that Robert trusts him in ways he trusts few other people. You know Robert. If he trusts Michael, then that should be good enough for you. He trusts him enough to have put Khaat's life in his hands from the time she was born. To me, that says a lot. His read on you is that you don't like him. So he isn't going to trust you unless you show him that he can trust you--whether you like him or not, or what he does or not. So what in the world is your problem? You haven't even given him half a chance."

Steven looked at Brian then at michael "Theres something about him thats very familer and I don't mean the meeting at the hospital ether, something... " he paused feeling his head start to hurt , he held the side of it and winced "something I can't remember but I know " he said looking at him " Dam head ache, Khaat fixed them, but they came back two days ago" he said taking a deep breath he knew he didn't want to be angery but this stuck feeling was making him.

Jack looked around wondering why they just couldn't just get on with the planning and leave all the biterness behind.

"Of course he looks bloody familiar!" Brian hissed. "He's the most famous--or infamous--wizarding catburglar of this age! But before you get any ideas, Michael never stole for his own profit, except to survive if he absolutely had to. The rest, was more or less intellgence for the ministry. Well, most of it anyway." He wasn't telling Steven that Brian had had a precious few jobs of his own that he had been rightfully paid for, but never for anyone that was a real heathen. "Get a grip here. We need him. We need someone that can slip in and out of impossible places and not be seen. He doesn't trust you because you're a cop, to put it bluntly. And, no, there are no wants or warrants out for him because he works for the Ministry, or, in his day, he worked for the Order. He's one of us, you git!" He was sorely tempted to headslap him for not trusting Robert and for not trusting Brian himself either. He went over to the kitchen cabinets where Khaat had always kept standard potions, found a bottle of pain potion and tossed it to him. "Take a dose of that and get ahold of yourself. If you can't trust him, then you certainly ought to be able to trust Robert or me by now if we tell you he's alright. You don't trust bloody anybody, do you?" Brian was angry with Steven. He had tried to repress it, but he was a bit put off by a man who resisted instructions because he didn't trust his commanding officer.

Steven stood facing brian dumbfounded at his words, when he spoke of him not trusing any one he scowled "No I don't , the last person I trusted almost got my wife killed and hurt my family" he said letting his true dark feelings come to the surface ,his hidden fears now rising why he had no clue maybe as he thought it was to clear his mind before he accepted Machael as his boss, who knew. He took the pain potion and slipped the rest into his pocket as is subsided from inside him.

He looked at Michael , he reminded him of a boss he was under while in the Rangers very dominate and forthright he ahd actually got on better with him after they had a fight he was not about to do that with him. He moved to face Michael and stood like a ranger " My apoligys for my behavour, I don't know what came over me, I'll make sure it doesn't happen again, what are your orders?" he asked looking at him. He felt like michaels eyes staired right into his soul knowing just how he though and would act. He knew he ahd to knock his maverik ways on the head he could not go gungho into a situation, he had to let his past be his past and subdue some of his ranger instinct. He of all knew aperances can be deiceptive.

"No, now wait a minute," Brian said, going right after Steven. "We're not done here yet. Robert and I are your commanding officers. You, of all people, should understand rank and understand 'need to know' information. And you should certainly by now have had enough time to know if you can trust the Lupins or me. You need to tell me--right this minute. Do you, or do you not trust us? Are you putting us in the same rank with the bastard that killed Janet after we cleaned that mess up for you while you were still in the hospital? We didn't have to do that, you know, but we did...."

"Brian," Michael said gently. "Stand down. We all have our scars. And not just him. You too. I know what yours are, and he's just found one of yours and jumped up and down on it until it bleeds. And he doesn't even know he's done it. Go get into the kitchen cabinet. Get some air."

Brian went out into the kitchen and opened the cabinet where the potions were kept. Along the side of the cabinet was a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Something Brian rarely did, except when he was about ready to blow. Michael had remembered. Brian took the cigarettes and went out to the back porch, opened the pack and lit one. This was the first cigarette he'd had since coming back into Khaat's life on the night Abbey was born. And right now he wanted to smoke the whole pack.

"Let him breathe," Michael said quietly. "You two rewarm your cups and sit down. It seems neither of you understand your leader as well as you think you do."

Steven sat down in a seat next to Jack he said little he trusted Brian and Robert both with Ronata and Johns lifes as his own if he did not he would not be in Khaats old house that held good memories of having john back after his ordeal. Heating his tea he blew across the top of his cup sitting back quiet.

Jack shook his hea at everything that had gone on it was he who spoke first "sorry, I guess we don't know him as we thought , sir" he said placing his cup down " but to get a team we all have to be on the same page or it will be like....like the three blind mice runing around wondering just what to do" he winced at his terminology "though we alkso need to follow oreders too" he looked at Steven who once more seemed to be lost in thoughand looked at him dazed.