I May Look Old, But I Can Still Kick Your Arse

Michael climbed down as easily has he had gone up. "Don't take it too hard, Lad," Michael put his arm around Jack's shoulder. "I've done this a time or two more than you, remember. Its not a skill you should have to lear, really. Now, I trust I can ask you to gather all that great lot of galleons there? Let's split them. After all, if you hadn't been here, I wouldn't have had anyone to climb with. Let's lock them up, hit the pool, then maybe a massage. And then, I think, lets see if that chef in the dining room really is a five star chef. And, trust me, I will know the difference. By them I will need a bite of lunch. How about you?"

Michael picked up the gear, hoping Jack would gather up all the gold coins on the floor. That really was the heavier lot. The pile of coins was impressive. "Come along then, Jackie Boy. We are in need of a change so we can swim, and we must lock up the booty first." He headed back to the locker rooms.

Jack smiled and nodded “sure “ he said and gathered up all the galleons on the floor placing them in a small money bag he gathered his things and headed over to Michael he handed him the whole bag.

“hang on to my half and use it to help the kids “ he said smiling he didn’t kneed it so why should he hang on to it “I noticed we could use at base some new toys and blankets “ he said wiping sweat from his face with his hand towel before carrying it to the pool changing area where quickly he stripped into his swim shorts and placed his things in a locker walking to the pool he dove in starting his laps as he went back and forth happy he was getting a good work out . Stopping at one end he moved to a Jacuzzi and sat feeling the bubbles against his muscles

"An excellent plan. I think I shall do the same." He changed into his swim suit and went out and jumped into the pool. The men who had been watching the climbing exercise found it hard to believe that he still had energy to go swimming now. "Oh, please," Michael sighed. "If you filled your body with exercise and healthy foods rather than pints and firewhiskey, you'd be able to do far more than this. Now leave me be." And with that he resumed swimming.

"It appears, Jackie Boy, that they believe I'm a bit of a wonder because I can climb and swim. Idiots. And tell me then, how long can you swim? How long can you endure?" he asked. He wanted to see what jack wasmade of. He knew that his werewolf strength was, by far, one of Michael's most powerful weapons. And he intended to see what its boundaries were. He knew what Remus's limits had been, but he didn't know if Jack's limits were the same as Remus's. And that was something he really did need to know.

"How much endurance do you have? I need to know how much I can count on you for," he spoke frankly to Jack now that the crowd had grown bored with Michael.

Jack looked at the crowed he though about growling at them but decided not to as he though Michael had it well in hand and sat back in the Jacuzzi relaxing “now as much as I’d like now its suppressed “ he said softly to him understanding that he had been open with him so he should with Michael “It has to be or…” he paused for a moment before continuing “ or I could harm an innocent and I won’t do that , I can’t” he turned to look at Michaels before moving to the pool with him and diving in, swimming about 6 laps before resting again before answering the second part of his question “Michael you can reply on me a hundred percent I am loyal to Brian and Robert and now you to with both incapacitated “ he said even though his eyes flashed his wear yellow colour he was in control.

“Robert gave me a serum to take that suppresses my… other side and its working I can concentrate and work , if he hadn’t I would be now dead or contained in Azkaban “ he looked at him still hoping he understood “I know you read up on my dossier so you know my wife disappeared for several months when she returned she had no memory but I didn’t give up, I won’t on Khaat ether “

"I believe that.," Michael said. "She's my goddaughter, Jack. The closest thing I will ever have to a child of my own. I would gladly die for that girl, and if that is what is required of me here, well, I have had quite a glorious life. I shall not be sad to spend it for her. It would be my honor so her girls can have their mother.

"On the other hand," he smiled at Jack, "If I find I live through this, I shall not be disappointed. I shall gladly go back to my books, my pipes, my brandies by the fire, and spending my golden years enjoying all of those finer things I worked so hard to get. Hopefully, Khaat will let me visit her girls and perhaps spend some time at Tuscany or out at her estate. I've been gone from her life far, far too long. Perhaps the fates shall be kind and I will find I have some years left to do that.

"Jack, if anything goes wrong, do your best to put Brian back in charge. If something happens to Brian, jsut get her out and get her back to Robert at St. Mungo's. Flint Kenelm will show up there and take my place until Robert can muster himself up and about again. Someone has to know the backup plan. I'm sure Brian knows , but I want you to know, just so we're all on the same page."

Jack looked at him with respect and nodded he under stood “I will do that sir” he said knowing it was an order he hoped never to under take and that he hoped Brian would be the leader of the organisation for along time along side Khaat who would be his wife at his side happy and cared for.

He pushed off thinking as he slowly swum laps he swum about eight before he realised he had gone further than he had originally and smiled.

“sir if I can speak openly, I am hoping Brian, Robert and you will be around for along time , sir” he said leaning back on the pool wall as he watched several men dive in at the opposite end of the pool

"As do I," Michael said. "But the times sometimes are against us, Lad. James, Lily, Remus, Sirius, they all knew that when it came to them. Times were dark in those days, and in Harry's days too. Just as they are becoming again. Sacrifices shall have to be made in order to make tings right. Righteousness always has the highest price of all. That's why the evil can never obtain it. They are too self consumed to pay the price that is necessary for the highest of all aspirations.

"However, I refuse, as long as I have the capability to do otherwise, to allow Khaat to be used as a pawn for someone's half baked revenge scheme. And it is only half baked, despite the fact that it does seem to be working rather effectively for them. I will free her. I will see her back in her home with her daughters and with that young bulldog she fancies. Better him than Peter Pan, if I can speak freely about that. Pan isn't a bad lad, but he does need to grow up a wee bit before he will be ready for a sophisticated woman like Khaat. Its' a wee bit like giving him the Hope Diamond and expecting him to know what to do with it. He truly just doesn't know. Brian, though. Now he's another sort altogether. He has always reminded me of a young bulldog. Once he gets his teeth into something, he takes it seriously and just does not let go. Its what makes him an excellent leader for the place he works.

"Let us pray that Khaat has the inner strength to hold on and to fight until we get to her. And let us pray also that the training that we all gave her all her life is enough to pull her through."

Jack sat listening and nodding he had to agree with all Michael was saying to him “I agree, she will have been threw a lot I hope Brain is ready for how she will be “ he said jess of all people knows the trauma that comes with being kidnapped I should ask her to be ready to talk to Khaat when she’s ready” he said with a sigh as he had hoped to lock that apart of her past behind her now he realised she couldn’t as she would have to help Khaat over her abduction.

He moved off again doing another six laps before stopping mid way floating in the middle of the pool to just float.

Michael didn't want to think of Khaat so traumatized that she was a different woman. He didn't respond at first about that. He decided to swim off his frustration. As he didn, he got a smell in his nose that he had not smelled in 20 years. It was so strong, that he lost all his concentration in the pool. He sank like a stone for a second and then came back up. He brushed the water off his face and smelled again. The smell had only gotten stronger. He leaped out of the pool as fast as he could go and grabbed his towel and the white terry cloth robe that he had brought.

He stood for a few seconds, and felt like his nostrils were filled with the scent of a familiar man's cologne, a familiar old blend that was a blend that was only available in Turkey. Ad in his whole life, he'd never known of one man who ever wore it. And now it had his full attention.

"Where are you?" Michael asked in a quiet, calm tone, looking all over the room. "What's disturbed you? What brings you back, my friend?"

jack saw Michale jupm put of the pool his nose also catching the sent , grabbing a toweel he walked up to Machael and sstod next to him "old adverasy?" he asked still smelling the smoke in the air it almost made him snezze at its strength "he must smoke like a chimmney " he said and waved his hand in front of his face "who is he?" he asked looking around as michael spoke to it seemed thin air but he knew it was not .

"hes getting bold to come here " he said still looking around the pool room.