The Lady in the Portrait

Khaat was having a truly good day. She was getting a chance to just go shopping. The sky was clear, the air was just nice and springy--not too cold and not too hot, and she felt good. The world was good today. She was enjoying going shopping with Jessica, so she was really liking it. She sugggested they go into her mother's shop and see what new things her mother had in stock. Khaat usually found something she just could not resist when she went into her mother's gallery.

Jessic pushed catlin and nicluse in the pam they finally had summer clothes on , ctlin petty pink dress with matching lcy nikers , Nicalus a two peice troser sui and teeshirt , both had bare feet as it was warm enouph " you know if these two keep growing they will out grow their clothes " she said as they walked down dyagon alley. She lent in and tickled catlins foot where she giggled in her own baby giggle "so you want to go to your moms shop next she always has some nice things in." she said both babys giggleing asn they bounced slightly in the pram.

"Yes, please." Khaat led the way to the shop and held the door open for Jess to go in first with the twins. The little bell gave a happy little tinkling sound as they went in. Katherine came out from the back, with her painting smock on, and when she saw Khaat and Jess, she smiled. "Well! What brings you here today?" she took off th painting smock and came forward. She kissed Khaat on the cheek and gave both young women hugs. "And look at Caitlin and Nicolas. They are getting so big! They look wonderful, Jess. Really."

"So what's new in stock, Mom?" Khaat asked.

"Look for yourself. There are a lot of new stock items. See if there is anything you like," Katherine said.

jessica smiled and moved to look around the shop spoting a painting sat in a corner "Hay Khaat this is good what do you think " she held it up it was of woman with black hair, walking over she held it in her hands "isn't this like that sketch you did?" she asked placing it on the counter in front of her . Moving to the pram she lifted catlin from it holding her in her arms.

Khaat looked over the portrait. A perfect rendering of the poor tortured soul from her nightmares. Somehow her mother had made her beautiful again, and had brought back the life to her eyes. She seemed to have regained a sparkling zest for life now. "That's her. How did you do that, Mom?" Khaat asked.

"From that sketch we did, " Katherine said. "It wasn't hard. I had the face. I just needed to put her in a different mood. I think she turned out quite well. Maybe someone can identify her if we leave her hanging in here long enough. "

"If she lives that long," Khaat said softly, touching the face softly. She wished she knew how to reach her.

Jessica sighed picking up catline who gave as small cry as Khaat touched the portrait "Kathrne would you mind shes been grizaly latly and I can't figure out why" she said handing her over to kathrine while she put the portrait back in the window for all to seen. She walked back to both women. "ok so I guess the library would be ourt first stop , if were to find a name for our woman in the portait" she said

Gibbs didn’t know what was worse, the fact that he had to go into a gallery or the fact that he was being dragged down the street by a fifteen year old Slytherin who wanted to go into the gallery. He humoured the boy though for some unfathomable reason. He question the kid, asking him why he had a daughter at fifteen but couldn’t help but smile at how his face lit up when he spoke about her, it was if nothing in the world mattered except his daughter and Gibbs liked that about him. The only thing he didn’t like was the habits of the boy, his strange clothing and the fact that he wanted to go into an art gallery. Although, the sleeveless white t-shirt sort of gave it away that he was an artist. Thankfully he had put a black satin dress shirt over the top but had left it open, giving it a splash of colour from the paint.

The two of them stopped outside of the gallery and Gibbs sighed, he really didn’t want to go inside. It was at this point that the kid decided to light a cigarette and Gibbs sighed once more. “They’re not going to let you in with that in your gob and I’m not going in there period.” He said sternly looking at the shop warily before shuddering. “Arts and crafts just isn’t my thing. I’ll stay here, I’ll hold the cigarettes.”

Somehow, Eli had convinced his Professor to come with him to the gallery he wanted to go into for a number of reasons. Gibbs was easy to manipulate because Eli had learned how to from Jen – a fact that Gibbs certainly didn’t appreciate when he found out. The two stopped outside the gallery and Eli fished for his packet of cigarettes. He put one in his mouth and lit it before moving to go inside. He looked back at Gibbs and leaned against the wall as the man tried to give him another excuse as to why he simply couldn’t enter and art shop. It was beyond Eli as to why he couldn’t, he was being an idiot but he suspected that it was the Rob in him that was bringing that out. Art wouldn’t kill him and Eli was dying to point it out but Gibbs would no doubt find an excuse to give him detention when they went back to school.

“Yes they will, Gibbs, I’m an artist. You’re going in because I need a second opinion and besides, if the gallery is good enough I’ll send you,” he poked Gibbs in the chest at this point. “With my paintings and have you sell them to the owner. I’m not taking pennies for them though because they are work millions” he took the cigarette from his mouth and purposely blew smoke in Gibbs’ direction. He felt a hand connect with the back of his head and Eli threw the cigarette on the floor. He stubbed it out and grinned. “Gone. C’mon, in.”

Eli grabbed Gibbs by the wrist and pulled him inside. Instantly, Eli melted into ‘shopping mode’. Any normal person would have suspected him to have some very strange problems but where art was involved Eli fell to pieces and turned into a girl. He managed to stay composed though and looked around, picking up clay models and other such things. “This is so cool!” he exclaimed, he clearly hadn’t noticed Khaat, Katherine or Jess.

Khaat turned and saw Eli and Gibbs. "Eli? Gibbs?" she frowned. Eli's being here she could understand. Gibbs, not so much. It wasn't really his thing, she knew. "What brings you both here?" She was very interested in what Eli thought of her mother's work. Katherine loved art, mainly because it brought her joy. She didn't profess to be a professional like Eli, but she loved color and loved making things. She was hoping Eli would approve.

Jess was biusy with her head stuck in the pram trying to find out why Nicalus was blowing bubbles at her finding nothing she shook her head looking back up at Khaat seeing her looking at she saw two men "Khaat you know those two?" she asked walking over with nicalus in her arms to them. she rocked him gently as she stood next to her looking at the man that stood with the boy.