Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

[Mrs Maureen Brown]

Mrs. Brown was never so happy to see the front door of Master Jack's home as she was tonight.

"For a moment I feared it would not be here anymore!" she exclaimed as she and Mr. Dragotti exited the portal. She opened her evening bag and fumbled for the keys to the front door.  "Sir, I'll gladly get you some tea to calm your nerves. This night was much too exciting in all the very worst ways!" she said as she finally got the large, brown wooden door to open. Mrs. Brown looked around to make sure no one had popped back with them. She did not want any uninvited house guests showing up and bothering Mr. Dragotti. "Have you ever been to such an unusual event, Mr. Dragotti?"

[Craig Dragotti]

Mr. Dragotti grinned as soon as he stepped out of the portal and saw the front door. He shook his head after Mrs. Brown's question. ''My past days weren't unusual, Mrs. Brown.'' He was more than happy to sit in the living room. Mr. Dragotti sat down at a fast pace. He closed his eyes for a moment before he opened them.

[Mrs Maureen Brown]

"I hope Master Jack comes back soon," Mrs. Brown said as she poked her head out of the kitchen door and smiled at Mr. Dragotti. She ducked her head back into the kitchen and turned on the small TV that was mounted under one of the cabinets. Every channel seemed to be talking about the attack on New York, so she quickly turned the sound down and kept the picture on.

"Teapot. Time to put on the teapot," she said to herself as she filled the pot with water, set it on the stove and lit the burner. She looked down at her dress and realized it had blood and other disgusting things covering it. "I'll change later," she said as she moved back out the door toward where Mr. Dragotti was sitting. "Sir, would you like anything with your tea?"

[Craig Dragotti]

Mr. Dragotti began to frown very slowly. ''Same here. I wish for Jack to return as soon as possible,'' he said. He glanced at the television screen. New York being attacked. Mr. Dragotti noticed blood on Mrs. Brown's dress before he shrugged. ''I am used to seeing blood,'' he muttered.

A small grin replaced Mr. Dragotti's frown. ''No. Just tea is fine,'' he said. After tilting his head back, he closed his eyes again. *Am I going to dream about dragons and demons tonight?* Mr. Dragotti thought for a few seconds. He opened his eyes. ''It's too bad we are not telepaths. We could contact Jack if we were telepaths.''

Mr. Dragotti looked thoughtful. ''I suppose a phone will work as well. Does Jack carry a phone with him? We could call him to see how he is doing.''

[Mrs Maureen Brown]

"Oh, I would not want to be a telepath," Mrs. Brown said as she went to get the phone that sat on the kitchen counter. "I don't think I'd enjoy knowing what everyone was thinking all the time. I'd lose my own mind if I did. But yes, to answer your question, Master Jack does have a phone. At least I pray he took it with him."

Mrs. Brown handed the handset to Mr. Dragotti. It was one of those cordless phones you had to charge in the stand when you weren't using it. "Master Jack's cell phone is on the speed dial. He's number one, of course. Feel free to try, Mr. Dragotti. I hope he didn't lose it in the fight."
 

[Craig Dragotti]

A thoughtful expression formed on Mr. Dragotti's face. ''Hmmm. I guess being a telelpath does have its drawbacks. Maybe I wouldn't have enjoyed reading Sasha and Reynard's thoughts. I guess another drawback to being a telepath is being overwhelmed if too many thoughts are in your head.''

Mr. Dragotti took the phone before he pressed a button. *I never thought of the possibility of Jack losing his phone in a fight* he thought. He bit his lower lip for a second. He listened as the phone rang.

[Mrs Maureen Brown]

"From what you have said about your employees, I would not have wanted to read their thoughts, either," Mrs. Brown said as Mr. Dragotti waited for Master Jack to pick up. "I can only imagine the headaches that might have caused for you over the years. It would likely have been much too stressful."

Mrs. Brown nodded to Mr. Dragotti as she hoped the call would go through to Master Jack. "Oh no. I hope that nonsense did not take out the cell phone towers near that building. With that big flying battleship and those dragons  over the place, heaven only knows what is going on there!"

[Craig Dragotti]

''Sasha's memories would have been too painful to see. His father disfigured him after his mother died. As for Reynard, it's better if I have no idea what he is thinking of,'' Craig said. He began to grin. ''It would be fun to project thoughts of cats into Reynard's mind!'' He laughed for a few moments.

The phone continued to ring and ring. Craig proceeded to frown. *Pick up, Jack. Answer the phone as soon as possible* he thought. He expected to hear Jack's voice any minute.  

[Jack Sparrow]

Back in Manhattan, Jack finally picked his phone out of his pocket and answered the call. He had delighted the peopel at the party with is ringtone:



"Mrs. Brown? I take it Alastair got you home?"

[Craig Dragotti]

One of Mr. Dragotti's eyebrows ascended after Jack answered the phone. ''Mrs. Brown? Jack, this is Mr. Dragotti.'' His eyebrow was still raised after Jack asked if Alastair got Mrs. Brown home. ''Are you addressing me as well, Jack?'' Mr. Dragotti glanced at Mrs. Brown. He shrugged at her.

[Jack Sparrow]

"Oh Craig!" Jack said over the line. "I hadn't considered that you would be calling. My apologies, but things here got worse after you left. I am fine, and I hope to be headed back shortly, if the lovely Mira Mcgowan will help me get back. One of Alastair's cohorts is running around here making things a bit more tense than I would like, but I can't do a thing about it, so I might as well head home."

There was some commotion on the other end of the line, but then Jack started to speak again. "Apparently the woman we thought was the Scarlet Witch was actually a robot, and there is a bit of a tussle about who gets the thing now that the party is well and indeed over."

[Craig Dragotti]

Mr. Dragotti's eyes widened in disbelief. ''IF Mira McGowan will get you back?!'' he squawked. At least Jack was definitely heading home. One eyebrow ascended after a robot was mentioned. ''The Scarlet Witch was a robot?'' Mr. Dragotti muttered. His mouth was firm. ''Get home as soon as possible, Jack.''

[Ashvin Jahan MacFeorais]

Footsteps could be heard in the hallway, and Mrs. Brown jumped with a start as Ashvin rounded the corner. "Mrs. Brown, I'm so sorry to have startled you," he said as he walked in and then noticed someone using the phone. "Pardon me," he said quietly as he backed up toward the doorway once more.

"Mr. Dragotti, if I may?" Mrs. Brown asked as she took the phone and drew a long sigh before starting to ramble on to Jack Sparrow about getting home quickly. "Ms. Sri and Mr. Ashvin have both arrived, and you should get back here quickly," she said as she handed the phone back to the gentleman sitting in the chair. "Mr. Dragotti, this is Ashvin Jahan MacFeorais. I believe you met his sister Sri back with the X-Men when you first met Master Jack."

"A pleasure to meet you," Ashvin said as he made a small bow to Mr. Dragotti. 

[Jack Sparrow]

Before anyone could say another word, a cloud of green smoke seemed to materialize in the kitchen. Jack Sparrow and Mira Mcgowan made their way out of the cloud, and Jack promptly closed his cellphone. "And we're back. Sorry for the long delay, but I wanted to see if Doctor Doom and Iron Man would come to blows over that silly robot. It was almost worth taking wagers on, but that might have been a bit too crass. And Hawkeye was giving me odd looks. He still owes me money on a wager made around the time of that ridiculous Civil War."

Jack was startled as he saw Ashvin standing there, and he spun around to look for Sri. "I take it your sister is in her chambers?" the pirate asked as Ashvin nodded in reply. "Wonderful! Now Craig, I hope Mrs. Brown has been taking good care of you. Alastair never made it into the party, but I'm glad he got you home safely."

[Craig Dragotti]

Mr. Dragotti's eyes widened after he heard footsteps. He allowed Mrs. Brown to take the phone after he noticed a very unfamiliar man. ''Ashvin Jahan MacFeorais,'' he said in a slow and deliberate tone. He seemed thoughtful after Sri was mentioned. ''Sri seems familiar,'' Craig muttered under his breath. He turned his head after green smoke materialized.

Mr. Dragotti grinned as soon as he saw Jack and Mira. He smiled at them. ''Mrs. Brown was wonderful to me,'' he said. Mr. Dragotti noticed everyone. ''Let's not attend any other parties for some time.'' He meant every word.

[Jack Sparrow]

"Agreed! Especially no parties given by the Hellfire Club," Jack said as he sat down next to Craig but then popped back up to offer the chair to Mira. "Pardon my lack of manners, Mira," he said as he motioned for her to take he seat. "You may remember Sri from the night we met, Craig. She arrived with me, Enya Sun and Devnet Casey from a rather lengthy voyage across the Pacific. I wish we had been able to get you then, Ashvin," Jack added as the younger man looked toward him and Craig. "Sri said you were off on family business."

"I was, but we can talk about that another time," Ashvin replied as he helped Mrs. Brown get out some dishes. "It would bore everyone to tears."

"Indeed," Jack said as Mrs. Brown started setting out the coffee and tea service. "Did Mr. Gibbs leave any sort of message here?"

"Not a word from the good Mr. Gibbs," Mrs. Brown said as she get some small cakes and cookies out and set them on a plate.

"I pray he doesn't get in any more trouble!" Jack said as he looked at Craig. "I'm glad your former associate did not cause too much trouble tonight, Craig."

[Craig Dragotti]

''That's for sure,'' Craig said with a small grin. He looked sheepish for a moment. ''I sort of remember Sri,'' he said to Jack. Craig took a cookie until he nibbled on it. He rolled his eyes at the mention of his former associate. ''I didn't see a whole lot of my former button man.''

[Jack Sparrow]

"And I am certain you are happy about not seeing him," Jack said to Craig as he thought back on the whole disaster the party had become. "Oh God!" he shouted as he jumped back to his feet. "Tia Dalma! I lost track of her in that whole dreadful nightmare."

"That actor fellow who was her date got her out of there," Mrs. Brown said as she looked over at her employer and Mr. Dragotti. "That was before all the demons arrived. I think it was anyway. I'm sure if she'd been there, Tia Dalma would have taken that Le Fay woman and knocked her against the wall a bit. She doesn't exactly come across as shy and retiring. I'm just glad she didn't bother you, sir," she added as she refreshed Mr. Dragotti's beverage. "She can be a bit unnerving at times."

"Yes, my old friend Tia Dalma can be a true force of nature," Jack noted as he looked at Mira. "But I think Mira and the others did a wonderful job of setting Le Fay on her arse. Craig, was Alastair, well, a bit less cryptic when he got you home? I know he can come across as being a bit, well, strange. He didn't bring you here by way of Boliva or something, did he? Once he took me to some place in the Arctic before bringing me home. Nearly froze to death!"

[Craig Dragotti]

Mr. Dragotti began to grin at Jack. ''That's right. If Sasha was a bit more well behaved, I would have interacted with him,'' he said. Mr. Dragotti shuddered at the mention of Tia Dalma. ''I forgot about Tia. At least she wasn't as frightening when I saw her out of the mirror. I am certain Tia is fine.''

A thoughtful expression formed on Mr. Dragotti's face. ''Thank you, Mrs. Brown,'' he said after the latter refreshed his drink. His lips were firm for a second. Mr. Dragotti proceeded to face Jack. ''To tell the truth, I don't remember Alastair very well now.'' A half smile formed at a snail's pace.

''The Arctic? How long were you in the Arctic, Jack? Did you come across any animals? Why did Alastair take you to the Arctic?''  

[Blackwell]

"I wanted to show him the polar bears! Why else do you go to the Arctic Circle? Well, I guess you could visit Santa Claus, but his elves are a dodgy lot."

Jack screamed as he saw Alastair just standing there in the kitchen. Blackwell just laughed loudly as he walked over and poured himself a cup of tea. "Jack, you should know well enough that I like to pop in. And I needed to return this earring to Mrs. Brown. My dear lady, you lost this when I brought you back here, and I know your husband gave it to you."

"Thank you for returning it, but how in the world do you know that my husband gave them to me? I hardly wear these unless it is a very special occasion," Mrs. Brown said as she took the one she was still wearing off and put both in a in a nearby cupboard. "I didn't even realize I'd lost it!"

"You were too busy with Mr. Dragotti here," Alastair said as he nodded to Jack's friend. "I can, sometimes at least, feel psychic impressions off objects, hence knowing your husband gave them to you as a gift. And sorry I took so long to get it back to you. My boss called me on the carpet for that mess in Manhattan. Melkir was a bit peeved."

"Craig, Mira," Jack said as he finally calmed down, "sorry for the outburst.  Alastair should come with a bell around his neck like a cat. And Melkir is the head of the Mystic Council, Craig. Have you ever seen any of those Harry Potter magic school movies, Craig? That Ministry of Magic place in the third or fourth film was based on the actual Mystic Council. J.K. Rowling knows some of the mystic community very well."

"Melkir likes when people fawn all over him." Alastair added as he rolled his eyes. "Would you have any McVitie's Digestives? I like the milk chocolate ones."

OOC: The website for McVitie's Digestives can be found here.

[Craig Dragotti]

One of Mr. Dragotti's eyebrows went up. ''Polar bears?'' he muttered under his breath. He frowned for a few seconds. ''I wish I could abandon my mobsters in the Arctic. They can bicker all they want. Then again, they might scare the polar bears with how loud they can yell.'' He rolled his eyes.

Craig was startled after Jack shrieked. His eyes were wide for a moment. They settled on Mrs. Brown as she took her earring. He turned to Jack until he shook his head. ''I have no idea about Harry Potter.'' Craig faced Alastair. ''McVities Digestives? If they are chocolate, they must be good.''

[Blackwell]

Blackwell set down his cup of tea and pulled up a chair near Craig. "You can certainly have some if Mrs. Brown has them. I won't eat the whole tin."

"Not like the last time you were here," Jack scowled, "and you drank that whole bottle of cognac and danced out in the street with the vacuum cleaner?"

"I was merely imitating that man in the old ads on the telly. Fred Astaire, I think it was anyway, with that Dirt Devil thing-a-me-bob," Alastair chimed in as Mrs. Brown brought over the tin of McVitie's. "You, my dear lady, are an angel! Here you go, Craig," he added as he passed the tin around. "Mira, Melkir sends his regards, but I think he might be calling in your family for a bit of a meeting soon. The dragons on the news sort of set him off. Now, he knows the dragons did not belong to your clan, but he's still all fizzy about it."

Alastair looked at Craig and tilted his head a bit. "Would you like to see it? A meeting of the Mystic Council, I mean? I can get a day pass if I sweet talk the head of security a bit."

[Craig Dragotti]

Craig didn't seem to mind Blackwell pulling up a chair near him. He smiled. ''Thanks,'' he said after the other man offered McVities Digestives. One of Craig's eyebrows went up after Jack mentioned Blackwell dancing out in the street with a vacuum cleaner. He tried to imagine Blackwell dancing with a vacuum cleaner. His thoughts were disrupted when the tin was passed around.

''Thanks,'' Craig repeated after he took the tin. After opening the lid, he took a piece. He placed the tin on furniture. Craig examined the piece until he ate it in one bite. ''Not bad,'' he said before he swallowed the piece. His eyes widened a bit after Blackwell offered to show him a meeting of the Mystic Council.

''Sure!'' Craig exclaimed.   

[Blackwell]

"Road trip!" Blackwell shouted as he got to his feet, ran to Mrs. Brown and twirled her around. "Oh, this will be marvelous! I haven't brought anyone to visit since...since you, Jack. Funny that, now isn't it?"

"Mr. Blackwell, please," Mrs. Brown said as she pulled away from her impromptu dance partner. "And I remember when you took Master Jack to see Melkir. Are you sure this is such a wonderful idea? Didn't Master Jack break one of the fancy statues in that large lobby area?"

"I did not!" Jack snapped as he got flustered and nearly knocked his cup off the table. "Mira, you remember that mess, right? When that old fussbudget in the pink suit--Dolores Nesbitt or whatever her name was--started to shriek like a maniac about pirates eating babies or some such rubbish. Your family was there because it was one of the biennial council gatherings when all the big shots fly in on those brooms of theirs and sort out the mystic business for another few years. That three headed whatever-it-is came out from some spare room and tried to use my beard as a napkin! The burly man who takes care of the animals at Buckland's wrangled the thing back into its hiding spot. No statues were damaged, Mrs. Brown."

"You will scare poor Craig! Don't be a party pooper, Jackie!" Blackwell said as he sat back down. "If Melkir can have that footballer Beckham and his wife who used to sing in the girl group visit, then I can certainly have guests. If Mira comes along, then you're covered, Jack. Mrs. Brown..."

"I am perfectly fine staying here for the moment, sir," Mrs. Brown replied, "unless Master Jack or Mr. Dragotti would like me to go along?"

"Oh, you should go! Shouldn't she, Craig?" Blackwell said as he ate another McVitie's Digestive. "You two make a good team. And you can both help keep Jack in line!"

[Craig Dragotti]

One eyebrow went up. ''Jack broke a statue?'' Mr. Dragotti inquired. His eyes became bigger after Jack shouted. He heard Jack's side of the tale before he shrugged. Since he wasn't present at the time, he had no idea what really went on. ''I'm sure Mrs. Brown and I will be fine unless these people aren't fond of mutants. Of course they don't have to know I'm a pyrokinetic.''