a drink is in order. a double [109 - jacques]

[Kelly Evans]

Kelly let herself into Jacques' apartment, juggling two armloads of grocery bags and the door keys as she did so. She pushed the door closed behind her with one foot and staggered into the kitchen. Dropping the bags onto the counter, Kelly pulled a cook book out of her handbag and opened it to the page marked with a faded red and gold ribbon. At the sight of the picture of the rich menu, the smiling blonde witch standing beside it waving at her, Kelly felt a wave of naseau. She fought it down with some effort, figuring it wasn't a good start to the evening.

Now, it was a truth universally acknowledged that Kelly Evans was not a cook. She could not bake, or grill, or toast; despite all her efforts otherwise, the only thing that Kelly could make without giving anybody food poisoning was sandwiches, and even then she usually cut herself trying. But, given the previous evening's revelations, Kelly realised that there was a conversation she needed to have with her boyfriend, and based on her own experience, food generally helped in swallowing bad news.

Leaning on the counter for a moment, Kelly took a breath and exhaled slowly, running a hand through her dark blonde hair. She unpacked the bags and then stared at the collection of food she'd assembled. Kelly had originally planned to cook the food herself by hand, but given her track record coupled with the troubled terrain that was her mind at the moment, the witch made an executive decision otherwise. Kelly rummaged in her bag for her wand and drew it out, took a breath, and waved it at the food, setting the utensils to work by themselves.

In no time at all, and with a lot less mess than if she'd attempted Plan A, there was soup simmering on the stove top and chicken in the oven, chocolate mousse setting in the fridge. Kelly, working very hard, was sitting at the counter, a glass of untouched wine in front of her. She'd changed her clothes while the food was cooking, and was now dressed in a simple white lace dress that fell to her knees, and black high-heeled pumps on her feet. Her dark honey blonde hair fell in waves down her back, and she ran a hand through it as she sighed quietly again. Her other hand toyed with the wine glass sitting on the bench before her, her teeth pulling at her lower lip as she did.

This was one conversation she wasn't quite looking forward to. She glanced down at the receipe book and rolled her eyes at the blonde witch once more, slamming the book shut. She looked up at the sound of the front door opening and jumped out of her chair, trying to look as if she'd done all the work and none of the moping.

[Jacques Basset]

The day had gone by slowly at the Ministry. Sitting behind his desk was a constant reminder that he couldn't be out on the field just yet until he was fully prepared mentally and physically. Though soon that day would come and he couldn't wait because paper work made his head hurt even more, but not as much as the paper cuts he acquired having to sift through those damned reports. Jacques was more of an action guy than sitting behind the desk. It's been almost a year and after his probation they felt that he was still on a slow road to recovery. "My arse," he grumbled as he collected his things and set them inside the file cabinets before leaving. He was ready to go home and rest this evening and hopefully spend some quality time with Kelly.

As he was heading toward the door of his apartment, the aroma of soup and roasted chicken emitted from inside. His stomach growled, letting him know how hungry he really was this evening. But most importantly, that meant Kelly was inside and in his kitchen actually cooking. He knew of her cooking habits and while it was a loving and caring gesture, he had to hand it to her for always trying no matter the outcome. Jacques entered his apartment, slipping his briefcase to the side, suit jacket on the hook, and his shoes off in the closet. Loosening his tie and unbuttoning the top of his collar, he made it through the living room and to the kitchen.

"I smell something good in here, but I think I prefer this," he smiled as he approached Kelly and kissed her on the lips. "How are you this evening?" He asked, taking in the sight of his beautiful girlfriend. She was surprisingly all dressed up this evening and he wondered what the occasion was for. Well hopefully he didn't forget a birthday or an anniversary. Or was this just a candle-lit dinner inside just for the two of them? Well whatever it was, he wasn't complaining.

[Kelly Evans]

She contemplated picking up a spoon or something that would suggest she'd actually done some work, but Kelly decided against it, opting instead for smiling brightly at Jacques as he entered the kitchen. She rested one hand on his chest as she leaned up and returned his kiss, revelling in how much warmer the kitchen was now that he was there. They pulled apart and she grinned, quirking one eyebrow up.

"This time, you will probably love the food just as much as the kissing," she teased. "It's chicken." Gesturing at the oven and the stove, which bubbled quietly away. "And some kind of soup with some kind of vegetables." She loved that despite everything, Jacques still looked like he'd eat whatever it was she was preparing.

"I'm much better now that you're here," she replied, pulling out a stool and patting it, gesturing for Jacques to sit down. She bustled around, deciding that the actual serving of the food she could manage alone, and grabbed two bowls and another wine glass out of their respective cupboards. She ladled the soup into two bowls and put them down onto the kitchen counter, then filled the empty wine glass, passing it to Jacques.

She sat down opposite him, crossing one leg over the other. "I hate to sound like the stereotypical housewife, but how was your day, darling?" Kelly asked, one corner of her mouth raised up in humour.

[Jacques Basset]

"Touche!" He grinned while glancing over the stove and over. Roasted chicken and some kind of soup with vegetables. All of it sounded appetizing and the smell really was incredible. Of course at this moment his stomach could devour anything and would be satisfied. His sandwich wasn't all that great during lunch today, so he looked forward to a dinner and instead he got a feast! "I think this mystery vegetable soup and roast chicken still cannot compare to being close to you," he grinned while taking a seat on the stool.

He really appreciated days like these when he got to spend it with Kelly. She really didn't have to go all out with dinner because just having her beside him was all that he needed to be perfectly happy. Ever since he regained his memory, he never wanted to be apart from her. It really showed him who was most important in his life besides his family. "Was your day that rough?" He queried.

She moved around his kitchen very easily like it was her own. Well they practically lived in each other's apartment, but one day he thought that perhaps they should just live together. Go up to the next level in their relationship! Jacques smiled and reached for the stem of his wine glass, taking a whiff and small sip to taste the bouquet. It was perfect for roasted chicken and soup.

Looking across at Kelly, his smile widened more and he folded his hands on top the kitchen counter. "Well dear, it was actually quite boring having to sit at that desk filling out paper work. They said I cannot be out on the field until next week. So my probation is almost over and just in the nick of time or I would go insane from being stuck in that cubicle," he chuckled. "But overall there wasn't anything exciting. Just some new hires and meetings. The usual."

[Kelly Evans]

"Your faith is one of the many things I love about you, Mr. Basset," Kelly grinned, fidgeting around on her stool until she was comfortable. She thought back to the previous day's fight with Straw and the consequent hang over she'd been nursing all day, and shook her head at Jacques, a perhaps too bright smile on her face. "It wasn't all bad," she replied, deciding to forgo the whole explanation. "I think I have some kind of stomach flu so I spent most of the day in bed," she added.

She picked up her spoon despite the slight fluttering in her stomach, determined that as it was night time, morning sickness was not allowed to ruin her appetite. Kelly touched Jacques' hand with her fingertips, knowing as she did how frustrating it was for him to have to sit around at a desk all day while everyone around him moved on. Even Straw had been able to go back to work, and his whole family had been implicated in the past year's events.

"A week isn't so bad!" Kelly said, her smile widening. "They've obviously realised just how much they need your immeasurable talents out in the field. Which is a great deal," she added. Kelly touched the back of Jacques' hand with her fingertips, and cocked her head to one side. "Maybe once you get back out there everything else will feel like it's really over." Which to Kelly was a great relief. They never really talked about it, but in a way she was glad that it had happened, if only because she was able to prove to herself just what she was willing to do for the people she loved.