Warnings, disclaimers, points to ponder: Angsty/dark topic alert. We are now straddling the line between fluffy/dark in Fab Las Vegas boys and girls, so be forewarned. Also as always this story is a little on the racy side, so cover your eyes if you are excessively easily offended by extremely mild smut.
As always, J. K. Rowling must love us for she created Remus and Sirius for us to play with. She owns everything, and the poor college students that write this serial own nothing. sob
Kate awoke the next morning and gazed at the ceiling. She gave a contented sigh; she felt refreshed, well rested, and pinned. She glanced down at her chest and saw a light brown head threaded with silver. Kate chuckled to herself, thank goodness he is only a couple of inches taller then me otherwise he'd be half off the bed, she thought. Remus shifted in his sleep and nuzzled against her breasts. She could feel him smile against her. Kate stifled a giggle as he unconsciously stroked her hip in his sleep.
Kate smiled, He is so handsome, she thought. Running her fingers through his hair and continued her train of thought, so gentle, so kind, so good. He could be my...but the reality of whom and what she was came crashing down. Don't get too attached Katie. He's too good for you; he only knows half of what you are. She scolded herself. He probably has a lovely creature waiting for him in England, a beauty from a good family that hasn't dirty her hands in your world. You're just another old werewolf with a questionable background, who cleans up to be plain at best. The last thing he needs is someone like you. Kate stiffened under Remus, and moved to shimmy out from under him.
He rolled over on his side facing her chest as Kate rolled backwards; he wrapped her in a hug and pulled her closer. "Stay", he mumbled. She struggled to move again, and he continued "Please, Kate. I just want to savor the moment."
Remus inhaled her scent. "You smell good," he said as he pushed his face further into her chest.
Kate giggled, "Careful, you don't want to suffocate."
"Oh, but what way to go!" he mutter as he started playing with a button on her blouse.
Kate rolled away, "I'm serious."
Remus quirked an eyebrow, "Nope, Padfoot is Sirius. You are Kate, the spiced honey scented werewolf with the very comfy chest." He proclaimed as he pulled her back toward him and began to unbutton her shirt.
Kate pushed him back. "No", she admonished.
He whimpered. "Alright," he sighed and pushed himself off the bed.
He bent over, and gave Kate a quick peck on the cheek before he headed towards the door. Stepping into the hall way, he gently closed the door behind him. Remus had almost made it to the bathroom as Sirius left Paige's room.
Sirius smirked, "So mate, did she get your pants this time?"
Remus turned to face his friend and patted the sides of his legs. "Nope, still have them." At that he quickly entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Almost as an afterthought, he warded the door.
Sirius yelled through the door, "I'm very disappointed in you, Moony."
He heard several cracks and pops as Remus took down the wards in the bathroom and cracked open the door. "What on earth are you going on about?" the werewolf asked.
Sirius tsked "The least you could have done is buy the girl a drink."
Remus closed the door for a second, and then opened it again only to throw an unlabeled, white box at Sirius. He shut the door again and reset the wards.
Sirius laughed, picked up the box, and headed for the kitchen. He sat at the counter and opened the box to see that it was filled with thin, tube-like packets. He pulled out one of the packets and opened it revealing a pink, cardboard cylinder filled with cotton and string. Pondering for a moment, he thought it looked rather like a snitch. He tossed it in the air and it fell to the floor. Oh well, that didn't work, he thought.
Sirius picked up the pink cardboard thing and noticed that if you pushed the hollow end of the contraption up, the cotton came out of the top. After playing with the device for a few minutes, he found that if you pushed hard enough you could make it erupt from the tube. Several minutes of experimenting and a few incantations later, he found that the cotton portion could be launched out of the tube into the air several feet. Soon Jack joined Sirius and they were competing to see who could make their 'eruptor' go higher. Thus the scene was set as Kate and Remus emerged from the hall to a kitchen littered with pink cardboard tubes and unused tampons.
Kate blinked and turned to Jack. "You know Paige is going to be in a tissy because of this, you used all her tampons." She stated matter-of-factly as she crossed to the cabinet.
Sirius turned to Kate. "Tampons?" he queried.
Jack used this distraction to his advantage and rigged his tampon to go higher.
Sirius glared at Jack, "You cheated."
Jack smiled and raised his hand. "Pirate."
Kate rolled her eyes, "You aren't really a pirate. You realize that don't you?" Jack appeared scandalized as she continued. "Your name isn't even Jack."
Jack slammed his tampon tube on the counter. "Lies!!" he shouted and ran into Rose's room.
Sirius shrugged and pocketed the last unopened tampon. Kate ignored the questions concerning feminine hygiene products and gathered items from the cabinets, and then she started making breakfast.
Sirius headed to the shower, leaving Kate and Remus unchaparoned. He turned just outside the bathroom and shouted down the hall. "Just make sure you save me some whipped cream for my pancakes!" He then quickly ducked into the bathroom and heavily warded the door.
Remus sighed and rolled his eyes. Kate just giggled and continued organizing breakfast. She finally turned to Remus. "So do you want to do some recruiting today?"
Remus grinned "That would probably be a good idea."
With a few flicks of her wand, Kate set the breakfast to making itself and pulled a notebook and pen from one of the drawers. "So what types of recruits do you need?"
Remus arched an eyebrow, "Any type... I suppose?"
Kate laughed, "Alright. Do you need military contacts, medics, clerics, spies, underground liaisons, ministry recruits, or assassins?"
He blinked, "Yes."
Kate rolled her eyes, "Alrighty then. Where do you want to start? Who do you want to be the liaison?"
Remus sighed, "Well, we can't send Sirius..." He was interrupted as Sirius re-entered the room.
Sirius shook the water off his hair. "Can't send Sirius where?" Remus gave Sirius a thoughtful look causing him to blanch. "Oh that." Sirius said under his breath.
Sirius cleared his throat. "Kate, I was sent to Azkaban for a crime I was wrongly accused of." Kate smiled and nodded as she started plating up breakfast.
He cast a worried glance to Remus and continued, "I also escaped from Azkaban."
Kate dropped the plate she was working on. "You escaped from Azkaban?" she asked in something akin to childlike wonder as she started clearing up the mess.
Sirius was confused, fear he was used to but wonderment was not a common response to the statement I escaped from Azkaban. He gave Kate an uneasy smile. "Yes." he replied.
"By the gods! That's fantastic!!" she exclaimed as she moved towards Sirius. "Before or after the dementors abandoned their posts?"
Remus gave Kate a puzzled look. "You do realize he just said he is an escaped convict from Azkaban, the highest security prison in the Wizarding world?"
Kate gave him a bright smile, "Of course, I realize what he just said. It's amazing." She turned back to Sirius. "So are you still wanted? What security priority are you? How did you get past the dementors?" She worried her lip for a moment before continuing her onslaught. "Oh wait a minute, you never said if your guards were dementors. Do you have another identity lined up yet? Who else knows where you are? Have you set up underground connections yet?"
Sirius gaped at Kate; this was not how she was supposed to react. "Umm...well..." he began to stutter.
Remus interrupted Sirius's attempt to answer Kate's questions. "How do you know so much about a place like Azkaban?"
Kate's face fell as she quickly sobered "Well..." She started but Sirius had regained his composure.
"Yes, Kate. How do you know so much about Azkaban and Dementors, not to mention security priorities and identities?" he said.
Kate flustered and dropped her head to look at the floor. Shit!! How could I be so fucking stupid? Rule number one, keep your mouth shut Kate. She berated herself. Kate whispered "Sorry" to no one in particular and ran to her room. Sirius and Remus just gaped at her retreating form.
Sirius turned to Remus, "Bugger me, that girl's got a dark side to her after all."
Remus gave a nod to Sirius and headed down the hall to Kate's room. He knocked on the door and counted to twenty. There was no response, so he tried the handle. It was locked. He knocked again. "Kate, let me in." Remus knocked louder and yelled "Come on Kate, don't lock me out." He waited for an answer, a sound, something but her only response was silence. He pounded on the door one last time, "Damn it, Kate! Fine have it your way." and he apparated into the bedroom.
He gave the room a cursory glance and saw her on the bed staring blankly at a photograph of two wolves on the wall by the window. He sat beside her on the bed, "What was that about?" he queried as he pulled her into a hug.
"Don't!" she snarled and pulled away.
Remus grabbed her by the arms forcing her to face him. "Tell me", he growled.
Kate stifled a sob and turned her gaze to his chest. He tightened his grip on her arms and she gave a small whimper. "Please Remus. It's nothing to be proud of or talk about."
He loosened his grip. "You can tell me anything." Kate shook her head and he continued "Let's see Sirius is an escaped convict and I'm a monster..."
Kate pushed him away. "No you aren't..." she growled.
She glanced up at him. He looked at her with a pained expression, "I thought you trusted me."
Her voice was weak, "I do trust you. I don't trust me, there is a difference."
He could see the tears streaming down her face now, "What's not to trust?"
Kate turned away from him, "Ummm...I don't know. Dark creature, daughter of a high ranking member in a supposedly dark organization, suspect in several cases of aiding and abetting known criminals, you tell me?" She finished as she rubbed the tears from her eyes.
Remus stood up. "I will see you in the kitchen in ten minutes" he said in a stern voice before apparating back to the hall.
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Jack was standing outside Kate's door when it opened. He gave a very endearing smile to the werewolf, "He found out didn't he?" Kate just nodded and fell into the pirate's arms sobbing. "Shhh....Don't worry, luv. Gerry will make it better."
Kate looked up horrified, "No Jack. It's too soon we were supposed to ease them into this."
Jack gave her a cocky grin, "Best way to learn to swim is to jump in the ocean. We don't have enough time to ease into things, Katie." He reached behind her and swiped her wand from her back pocket. "Sorry Katie, but it's for your own good." He said right before casting a sleeping spell on the werewolf.
Jack carried Kate back into bed, and whispered "Well, I think it's time our guests get a history lesson. Don't worry Katie, it will work out for the best." He closed the door to her room and cast a few quick spells on himself on his way to meet the two wizards.
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Remus entered the kitchen and turned to Sirius, "She will be in to explain in a few minutes." and sat next to him.
Sirius moved to say something but thought better of it after seeing his friend's eyes. The man looked like he did when they had first found out about his condition. Sirius was furious with Kate, how could she treat Remus like that?
Jack entered the kitchen. Remus noticed he was dressed as a wizard, a very professional and high ranking wizard.
Sirius gave him a suspicious glance. "You look good Jack. Where's the pirate costume?"
Jack smiled at the animagus. "As you know Mr. Black, appearances can be deceiving." He said with a very proper British accent. Sirius busted out laughing. Jack joined him with a subtle chuckle and then shouted "Accio wands." Their wands appeared in Jack's hand but before they could jump up, Jack cast a body bind and a silencing charm on the pair.
Remus and Sirius glared at Jack frozen to their chairs and unable to speak. Jack let out a hearty laugh. "Sorry gentleman, but this was the only way", he said with a twinkle in his eyes. He noticed Remus's eyes drift to the hall. Jack laughed again, "She's sleeping. If you are good, I will let you wake her up."
He walked into the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee. "I told a small fib before, when I hinted that I only have known Kate for a year. Captain Jack has known Kate for a year, I've known Kate since she was fifteen. She came to my aid, after I had been given several helpings of Crucio." Sirius and Remus exchanged worried glances. "But where are my manners. It is time for introductions, I suppose. My name is not Jack Morgan if you haven't already guessed. It is actually Gerald Dorsey and I work for an organization known as La Prima Generazione. I met Kate when I went to her father's house for help after a run in with some Deatheaters. Her father is a director in the Generation Corporation, the more reputable side of La Generazione." He gave the wizards a serious look, "Now I'm going to take the silencing spell off and let you ask questions. I am not going to unbind you or wake up Kate until we have reached a favorable understanding." With a flick of Kate's wand he lifted the silencing spell.
Remus looked at Jack. Tempering his voice he asked, "Why are you telling us this? I'm sure Kate was going to tell us everything."
Jack nodded. "Yes, she was. I found her in the hall and that was when I decided to take things in hand as it were." He gave a thoughtful pause, "It wasn't her choice to be what she is. She was bitten as a little girl, the only job her father could get after the attack was for Generation." He looked into Remus's eyes, "She has never killed anyone, stolen, or caused harm that wasn't absolutely necessary. She has protected those weaker than her and helped those who are unjustly hunted hide. Kate knows darkness, she has tended more wounded and seen more death than... " Jack shuddered for a moment lost in thought, he frowned "She has never done anything. Yet if she were to tell it, you would think that she had orchestrated the Devinshire massacre."
Sirius finally spoke up, "The what?"
Jack smiled though his eyes went cold, "The Devinshire Massacre, the ministry found the heads of twelve prominent pureblood wizards in a carriage house outside of Devinshire in October of 1985.
Remus gave a stiff nod, "La Prima Generazione is also known as the Mudblood Mafia."
Jack frowned, "I wouldn't suggest saying that name in Vegas." He sighed and rubbed his temples "All twelve heads belonged to deatheaters, a present of sorts. Four were delivered to Nott, four were delivered to Malfoy, and four were delivered to Goyle as a message that their kind was no longer welcome here." He cracked a smile, "Evidently they didn't like the extra company in bed, so they dumped them in the carriage house."
Sirius nodded, "Word of that swept through Azkaban."
Jack smiled and gestured at the pair. "You were sent here because there are no known Deatheaters in Vegas and no one will notice Mr. Black. You were sent here because you", he pointed to Remus "can get respectable recruits with Paige." He turned and pointed to Sirius, "And you can access very effective but not very respectable connections through Kate and myself.
Remus spoke up, "How do you intend to hide Sirius?"
Jack warmed, "In plain sight of course, that is why I'm going into work today. Sirius, we need to get your records updated. Sirius Black is supposedly dead, evidently he fell through a veil or something." He said with a wink, "Do you have a name in mind?"
Sirius looked thoughtful for a moment. "Um, I would like to keep a name that has something to do with the stars. How about Orion?"
Remus sighed, "Sounds fine. Jack...I mean Gerald, could you please unbind us?"
Jack gave an evil laugh, "Only if you promise to never call me Gerald." He said as he released the binding spell.
Sirius stretched "Okay, Gerry" and Jack cast him a killer glare. He barked out a laugh. "Fine, Jack."
Jack stood up straighter "That's better." He summoned parchment and a quill. "So first name Orion, last name?"
Sirius pondered for a moment. "I don't know. Any ideas Remus?"
Remus raised an eyebrow, "How about Snape?"
Sirius glared at him, "How about I buy you a silver necklace?"
Jack ignored the exchange, "Bad idea, deatheater family. You would be better off with something muggle or fairly new. Also it should not be easily recognizable so no Potters or Dumbledores."
Sirius sobered "Fine, my answer is Evans." Remus clasped his shoulder in support.
Jack noted the name on the paper. "Anything else gentlemen?"
Remus broke the silence. "Yes. Why Jack Morgan, the pirate?"
Jack laughed, "It was better than Engelbert Humperdinck." He sobered, "Or Gerald Dorsey, the identity specialist for Generation that was wanted by the Ministry of Magic." He shook his head and smiled. "Well I have to get the paperwork started for Mr. Evans."
Jack turned to leave but stopped just short of the door. "Gentlemen, you are seeing me in rare form today, so don't get used to it. And more importantly, though the girls know about Gerry Dorsey; only Kate knows I don't have the I.Q. of a tin of biscuits so let's keep it that way."
Sirius huffed "Why don't you tell Paige and Rose then?"
Jack scowled "I don't want to put them in danger, if they knew too much it could be used against them and I refuse to loose another family. Plus it's fun to have a reason to play pirate." With that he inclined his head and closed the door.
A/N: Wasn't that fun, boys and girls? Now, if you really want to laugh, go read I Wanna Puppy. It's the prequel (one shot) to this story and it explains one point of view as to why Dumbledore sent the men to Vegas.
Thank you all our lovely readers for making it this far. And thank you to our fantabulous reviewers.
To Lightning Rain: Yes, Hornhead is a bit slow on the up take sometimes. Don't worry, she's just as odd as she seems. A bit preoccupied with something to do about rubber ducks and spud gaskets.
To plushii: Our pond is a synthesis of Sunset Park, Lorenzi Park, and a section of a friend's apartment complex. In other words a work of fiction based on reality. Or maybe it's just Wizarding park on Sunset and Eastern, accessed through the Fairy Grove at Sunset Park... Thank you for the review.
Thanks to Sassafrass and There goes my Gun.
As always we give praise to Eddie Izzard, god of British Humor and all around sexy bitch. We want his shoes.