Candlelight for Four

Brian flicked his wand and conjred Khaat's long cloak into a mid calf length black wool coat that had a belt at the waist and had stylish military details with pewter buttons. Another flick tailored it slimly to her. He smiled, liking the flattering fit.

Khaat smiled, approving his good taste. "Oh! Can I keep it?" she asked.

"If you want," he said. "Or I could buy you one."

"No, I like this one."

"Fine by me. Well, here's the deal. Khaat wants to go downtown into London. She wants to take a nighttime ride on the London Eye. So what do you think? A romantic bird's eye view of the city? We'll have to be careful about where we apparate in because we can't be seen, but it does sound like fun. Its one thing neither of us have ever done. Does that interest you?"

jess grinned and turned to look at Jack who smiled "sure fine with me know just the spot theres a small alley under the bridge we ca aperate there its darkkm and unseen or used " he said jess bounced like a kid waitung for a presant.

"come on lets go" she said having never ridden on the london eye before and always wanting to " this isgoing to be great" she said grining at both Brian and Khaat " I have never been on the london eye , it does sound romatic though " she said and winked at Khaat over brians flattering coat "nice coat shows your assets well" she said chuckaling but jack smaked her bottom lightly and gave her a father look as if to say 'stop it, hes take'

"hey i can still look , besides Khaat klnows its all fun" she said grining once more . jess slipped her arm arounf jack and walked with him to the door "thank you brian we'll repay you one day buy treating you all to a meal too.

"Make it a homecooked meal, and you have a deal," Brian said. He preferred, by far, a homecooked meal to anything that could ever be bought at a restaurant or conjured. With Khaat working two jobs, and Brian now working at the Ministry and sometimes filling in as healer when Khaat and Robert ran short staffed, he didn't get as many homecooked meals as he liked. If he werent always a bit uneasy about Khaat's security now, he might have found himself looking to hire a houseelf. He would never enslave one--ever. But it certainly was tempting to hire one. The estate was massive, and he really found he could use the help. What always stopped him was his girls, though. He was not going to expose Khaat or the girls to anything he didn't put rock solid trust in.

"Well, I think we should go then," Brian said. "Let's see if we can get there and not be seen." He slipped his arm around Khaat's waist with his left arm, and took her right hand with his right. "We'll see you in a moment." He apparated them.

Khaat always thought Brian excelled over her when it came to apparating, and this time, he managed to get them behind a parked food truck in a parking lot. Khaat could smell some sort of deep fried sugary muggle dessert that apparently was being sold from the food cart. After the incredible creme brulee she had had, the greasy deep fried sugar didn't smell at all good to her.

"Hold it," she stopped him. She pulled him to her, and took a moment to steal a slow passionate kiss. "Now," she said. "Let's see if we can find them." He laughed, and they stepped out into the London muggle nightlife together.

jack and jess smiled and loked into each others eyes findsing that same love they ahd even after so many years together and three children . she felt his arm wrap around her waist light but strong and she sighed as he puleld her to him "ok see you there" she said seeing khaat and brian leave , Jack lent down and kissed her as he ahd nevr done before "love you jess , even now " he whispered softly in her ear as he aperated away.

Jess found her self still in his arms as they apearred behind a hotdog vendors van the smell knoking her sick but she smiled at jack "I still love you too jack" she looked at the gold ring on her finger then at his "maybe next year we could renew our vowes?" she asked "maybe in tuscany?"

Jack smiled and kissed her fore head as she mentioned tuscany he'd had the same though and was working on it. "yes I think thats a wonderful idea, leave it all to me" he said and took her hand "right, now lets find Brian and Khaat"

Jess took his hand and they walked to the eye spotting Khaat and Brian in the que for the big wheel , quickly they walked over to them.

"found you" jess said softly smiling as she held jack around his waist.

"It's not going to be very private," Brian said in a whisper in Khaat's ear. His breath in her ear tickled, and she giggled slightly.

"Its okay," she stroked his cheek with her hand. "I won't see anyone but you anyway." He smiled back at her. She could see how satisfied he was that her heart was starting to heal. The whole recovery had been nothing more the sheer hideousness. It was nothing she wanted to even remember as a page of her past, much less remember anything that happened during the days that they were alone in Tuscany. Well, that really had been just this morning that they had come back. It was fresh in her mind and in her heart.

"Hey," he lifted her face to look at him. In his eyes was the look of hope and confidence and reassurance that she so desperately needed. He kissed her forehead, his unspoken reassurance light a bright light in the darkness for her. Right now, with so many lights all over, the ground around the Eye was lit up like daylight. Nowhere for any wizard to hide or do anything in amongst all these muggles. At lesat here, she was safe. She'd been safe at Murray's because Blaire was an auror, so was Brian and Jack. She was safe there. And she was safe here too. When they drew up to the ticket booth, Brian paid for his ticket and Khaat's. They passed the tickets to Brian and he and Khaat stepped aside in order to let Jack and Jess get their tickets.

Jess rested against Jack smiling as they dreww close to the ticket booth Jack took out some coins and changed them to muggle money as Brian and Khaat stepped aside he bought two tickets and walked with ehr to them jess still happy.

"Khaat would you and Brian be availible to come to a blessing next year, were renewing our vows "she said grining at them both as they walked to the eye , she loked up and chuckled "wow that one big wheel" she said wating for an empty carrage to come around. she rested against jack watching it slowly turn.

"do you think it needs speeding up a little " she said laughing to jack her hands now pushed into the pockets of her jacket as finaly the carrage slid to a stop in front of them.

"Um..no. Lets not do that," Brian laughed. "The wheel never really stops moving, so I think getting off and on would be very, very difficult if we did that." Brian admired the muggles' creativity when it came to the capsule shaped glass pods that allowed for an amazing panoramic view of London and the ocean. And in the night sky, with the lights on the wheel itself, Brian and Khaat were both sure it was going to be amazing--even for wizards where the amazing was relegated to be a bit more commonplace.

The line, once the tickets were purchased, moved relatively quickly. They stepped up to the wheel and stepped inside the glass pod. Brian and Khat moved over to a place where they could stand and look out the glass and enjoy the view. Brian moved Khaat in front of him so she could see, and, standing behind her, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her. He kissed her cheek softly

An older couple came up to stand beside them. Muggles. They looked at Khaat and Brian. "Newlyweds?" the short stocky older woman asked in a friendly tone.

"Engaged," Brian said, displaying the large diamond and emerald ring on her hand. The woman's eyes grew a bit large as she eyed the large cluster of precious stones. "Oh, its beautiful," she cooed, looking at the ring. "Well, you two make a beautiful couple. You'll do just fine."

"Thank you," Brian said, content. He couldn't remember ever being his happy. Not ever.

Jack helped jess on behing Khaat and Brian standing not far from them as they moved to the glass window jack had his arms around her waist as he felt a sight tenshion in her body at the hight and he pulled her closer to him.

"its all right im here " he said sotly to her and felt her lean back on him he smiled as he over heard a couple talking to Brian and smiled as he moved jess closer to brian and khaat " Told you you were good for each other " he said and smiled at them "jess is alitle scred of hights i guess she forgot seeing how she always staid on the ground " he felt a hard thump from Jess.

"I am not scred of hights its the sudden stop thats got me a little scared " she said and clung to his arm not wanting to spoil the day she smiled looking out over the city "it is beautiful though and worth coming up for" she grabbed hi as the carrages stopped and rocked slightly "ow boy" she said .

For awhile, while the British nighttime sky floated peacefully in front of her, with the movement of people below looking like mere ants, Khaat felt like here, camouflaged in amongst the muggles, no wizard could dare to strike here in the huddle of the masses. She was feeling hesitant at going home tonight. Brian's had always been safe for her, but for some reason, going back to her own world made her heart start to beat a bit faster out of a fear she'd never had before. Not about being with her own kind.

"Hey," She said very softly. "Relax. You're safe."

"I know. But we can't stay here forever," she sighed. "What time is it?"

"Almost midnight. I'm not going to let anything happen. I promise."

"He's still out there, Brian. Barker, Burke, Gelding...they're all still out there."

"I know, Baby. I know. But not forever. We're going to stop them. I promise--trust me."

"I do. "

"Besides, Abbey and Dakota are back there. We arent' going to forget them, are we?"

"No. But I've been wondering if we need to find a safehouse I can run to if he comes back."

"I have enough safehouses to choke a battleship," he sighed. "More of those, we do not need. You need to be patient with yourself and how afraid you still are about this. It only makes you very human, Khaat. That's all."

"I hate it," she said. He laughed.

"But that's one of your best assets," he said soothingly.

jess stood with ehr back against Jack and smiled she was getting ude to the view that was till a young boy pushed past almostg knocking her from her feet she clung to jack "how ...how long does it take" she sid feling it reatch the very top and start back down again she watched the boy wishing she could turn him into a duck or a dog.

"stop that jess , he can keep " jack said making her look at him "we don't need a duck or a dog , I know you too well" he kissed her lightly

"who needs the view i got a god one right here" she said smiling at jack she looked at Khaat as she heard a name "Khaat were all working to find him" she said softly moving with jack a little closer,