“The first guest I brought here actually came in near death.  Aedan saved his life,” he stated in the same calm tone he usually used.  Raffaello in no way was making excuses for the violent atmosphere, but he did want to point out that it wasn’t all murder and bloodshed at Aedan’s estate.  He quickly moved on.  “It’s a bad day.  I feel obligated to apologize, because I knew it wouldn’t be easy on him bringing you here unannounced.  Giving him fair warning might’ve had us shot at before we stepped out of the car,” he said, though it was hard to tell if he was making a joke or if he was dead serious.  “I also had to test you as much as him.”  A less composed person would’ve been begging for life, swearing secrecy or loyalty, or arguing outright with their own rage.  Govannon had sat across from Aedan and barely flinched, which was a good sign.  He was a thinker and wouldn’t hastily react on emotion, which would help him deal with day to day interactions with a less than friendly, hot tempered Aedan.<br/><br/>The following assessment was not incorrect, and so Raffaello only nodded in response as it went.  Yes, Aedan was dying.  Yes, he would need to provide Van with some measure of trust and honesty if this was to work.  Raffaello didn’t know enough about the research or have the depth of knowledge to understand it all, but he understood.<br/><br/>It was a short trip across the hall from the sitting room they’d been in to the kitchen.  They rounded into that angled doorway and were greeted by stone tiled floors and vanilla walls.  The trim there was rich brown wood, as were all the cabinets.  The room itself was an odd shape, in part thanks to the free standing bar counter that bent around with two distinct corners to isolate the kitchen from a wider space beyond.  On the inside of that bar was a lower counter, complete with cabinets and sink.  The wall, which almost mirrored the angles of the bar counter, was fitted with all the necessary equipment.  More counter space, more cabinets.  There was an oversized range with two ovens beneath, one large and one small.  A microwave was set into the wall a ways down, as was a smaller convection oven.  Even the refrigerator seemed to have been custom made and was built in next to large pantry doors with a matching wood front, making one have to look twice before spotting it.  In the middle of that open space between bar top and barely used kitchen equipment was the stylish island with a smaller sink built into it off to the side.  The kitchen definitely had more of Raff’s expectancies than his protégé’s, just like the previous room.  It was a pity that the kitchen and all its expensive apparatus barely saw use.<br/><br/>Beyond the cream quartzite topped counter of the bar was a line of long-legged chairs, comfortably cushioned and with thick backs.  Beyond that was a great room, which was wide open and easily viewed from the kitchen area.  A handful of small lights hung from the high, trussed ceiling, but they weren’t on and so most of the room was left obscured by darkness.  Only the soft, rounded shapes of furniture could be distinguished, and a large dark part of the wall that was done in darker, earthy stone that held an unlit fireplace.  That room was more Aedan’s doing, though he’d stopped hanging around in there.  It was too wide open, and it made him edgy after a while.  The exposed stairway and overlook from the second floor didn’t help any, and he’d regretted the entire layout within the first few months after the house had been built.  If only he hadn’t been so paranoid in the first place, he’d have had someone come in and remodel it immediately.<br/><br/>But that was how the place had been built, and that was how it remained.  Vastly unused and unappreciated comfort and luxury, signaling perhaps that Aedan was a spoiled brat.  Raff didn’t think he was, though.  It had been one of the first things the young man had done with the money left to him by his parents, and it was after he found out that he was suffering another life-threatening illness.  He’d intended to die in that house, and the money had nowhere else to go, so he’d tried to blow a huge chunk of it straight away.  Everything left over, house included, would be passed on to Raffaello.  The place would become another in a collection of safe houses under the more skilled assassin’s control.  Living the rest of his short life in comfort, then giving that comfort over to the only person left alive that he cared about… that wasn’t spoiled.  That was both desperate and considerate.  It was a cry of mourning.  It was an apology.  But Raffaello was a hopeless romantic and saw another side to things that most overlooked.<br/><br/>As far as Van went… he’d seen a great deal of promise.  He was cunning, as he’d demonstrated by his pretty mask made of excuses and careful words when they’d first arrived.  It was the same mask used to fool others in his previous life.  Previous, because there was no returning to that for the former doctor.  Nowhere would let him practice anymore, not legitimately.  And how, then, would he ever accomplish his ultimate goal?  There were options available to him, yes, but probably none so immediate or tempting as Aedan.  Raff was relying on that to seal the deal.  He felt a little guilty about it all, as well as his silence during the little meeting where Aedan made his threats, but he’d already given his half apology and reasoning.<br/><br/>“Your views will get you further with us than with your colleagues,” he chuckled, going about washing everything up from the coffee.  “I have a certain amount of medical background, but Aedan is naturally gifted in that area.  It always felt like it was more than just out of necessity, though maybe I’m underestimating that.”  He turned to look at Govannon then, preparing to answer the deeper question.  When not confronted with work or danger, he was far more agreeable and open.  Van wasn’t a rival, he wasn’t a terribly evil man, and he didn’t pose much risk to them, so Raff felt no need to hide his true self.  “Personally?  I would rather a short, warm, full life to a long, cold, hollow one.  I would move back home with my family and live the rest of my life in the little village I grew up in.  I tried to extend that to Aedan in the beginning.  He’s alone, other than me, but I did everything I could to help him feel loved and comfortable.  It just wasn’t enough.”<br/><br/>He watched the former doctor poking about in the cabinets, but he wasn’t about to stop him.  Raff knew exactly what he was doing.  Researching his next patient.  When any groceries of note came into the house, it was usually because the Italian brought them himself.  He made sure to stop in at least once a month, even when he was busy with his own research or ‘business trips’ and found himself out of the country for weeks on end.  He still found his way back to the remote house, whether appreciated or not, to prepare some meals and look after Aedan a little.  The freezer was at least stocked with prepared things.  It took a few days to fully arrange nutritious meals in easy to heat up packets, and there was a lot that he ended up having to throw out.  He frowned at the mention of the cigarettes.  “His appetite has gone downhill substantially these last few months.  It’s gotten to the point that even swallowing the food can be difficult.  He’s in pain.  He doesn’t admit as much, but I’ve seen it in his face.”  A hard fact that caused him a good amount of grief, but Raffaello shook his head and let the rest of it go.  He knew the smoking and drinking didn’t help anything, but the last time he’d tried to force Aedan to stop, the man stopped talking to him and refused his help more vehemently than before.  It left the Italian in a very difficult position where he had to balance his concern.<br/><br/>“There’s a small home gym arranged in one of the rooms,” he answered, turning back to his task.  Aedan was strict with himself on getting at least some exercise, which was perhaps his only good habit.  Days when he could manage, anyway.  “I’ll make sure you get a full tour of the house when the time comes.”  No need for that in the immediate future, not if Van was going to be leaving again to fetch necessities out of that vault.  He glanced over his shoulder at the mention of the whiskey.  “I prefer red wine,” he admitted.  There was no objection of Govannon partaking of the liquor.  The more he drank, the less Aedan had to drown in, though there were probably several bottles still stashed around the house.  “Doubtful,” was his final remark about the whiskey, smirking to himself out of a dry sort of amusement.  Aedan didn’t keep track of how much he drank.<br/><br/>Hearing about what was in the vault gave him pause.  If what Van was saying was true, then it was absolutely necessary to get the device he spoke of.  Raffaello knew that there were always risks with any new treatment.  However, if they could prevent another failure…   It was his former student’s life on the line.  If Govannon’s treatment turned out to be a bust, then he could simply look elsewhere for help, but not if the treatment ended up killing him.  “If neither of us can provide that distraction, I can find someone who can.  I have a wide reach… a lot of connections in different areas.  Whatever it is you need, I’m sure I can arrange it with reasonable notice.”