Sand and Snow

"Thank you, Cassidy," Khaat said. She was thinking of how the last time she had been here had not been pleasant or relaxing. She had been here with Brian last. They'd taken a few days away in order for her to recover from her first round with Barker. Now here she was again. Barker had left his mark on her a second time.

She wanted this to be a sanctuary. Her dream vacation spot. She didn't want it to turn into the place she ran to or that Brian swept her away to. She wanted it to be that peaceful refuge that she could always depend on, the romantic getaway that re-energized her.

She sipped on her coffee, silently.

"Khaat, this is a vacation. A holiday. Not a sentence. What's bugging you?" Brian asked her.

"Brian, we bought this house because we loved it. We loved everything about it. I don't want it to be the place I end up running to hide in from ugliness. I want it to always be a place I love to be."

"Has that changed for you?"

"No. Not yet. But I don't want it to."

"It wont. I wont' let it," he kissed her sofltly. "But I do want to insulate you. Your health is so fragile that we do need to let you get away a bit so you can recover. Its just a holiday. Are you telling me you'd like a bit of romance back?"

"That and life. Just my life," she said.

"YOu shall have it, then," he smiled at her, brushing her hair lovingly. "I promise."

"Can i go for a walk?"

"Certainly. I'll go with you. But later. After breakfast."

"That's coming up. Its baking. Its in the oven," Angus said. "Give me 10 minutes, unless someone wants to set the table for me."

Cassidy felt that she should start helping and so moved to the cutlery draw Taking out the knives and forks she laid the table correctly and stepped back taking out some plates she placed each one down with bowls and soup spoons. Moving back to the window she just looked out at the surrounding area and wondered when they would go out so she could look around.

Turning back she looked at Khaat and Brian and smiled she liked how loving they were to each other she hoped one day she would fin that perfect man for her self but right now khaat and brain were her responsibility. Her bag still sat buy the leg of a chair but it could stay there for now since nobody had showed her to a room.

Khaat smelled breakfast, and wasn't disappointed when Angus served it. It was a wonderful bacon and swiss cheese quiche. He'd made a fruit salad and had made a batch of cinnamon raisin scones. He'd served it with fresh juice and coffee and tea. Angus was finding out quickly how to fix things that she really loved to eat.

Brian escorted her to the table, and they all sat down to breakfast. She loved the quiche. There was something about having breakfast with the fresh sea air blowing in through the house. It felt fresh and clean and reminded her that life was going to start again and go on.

Over breakfast, Brian asked Angus to take everyone on a tour and assign bedrooms. He knew it needed to be done at some point today, but it honestly was not a priority with him. Making sure that Khaat was safe was the first priority. Getting her to Tuscany was the second. Getting everyone fed was the third. But he did want everyone to feel at home, so he asked Angus to assign rooms and show everyone around.

After breakfast was over, Angus decided to let the breakfast dishes sit while he took everyone on a tour of the house. Brian had clearly asked that Steven get a different room so it didn't remind him of Ronata. Brian had shuffled the room arrangment. The two best and largest rooms were first, the master bedroom and then the nursery for the girls which was right across the hall. Then there were rooms assigned for Jess and Jack, one for Cassidy, and then Steven would share one with Angus. He wanted them to be close to Khaat and Brian adn the girls for protection.

While Angus was taking them on a tour, Khaat rose from her chair and used her wand to send the dishes and leftovers to the kitchen. She took her cane and went to the kitchen and began to clean up the kitchen.

"Khaat," Brian began.

"I need to know I still have purpose, Brian," she said.

"By cleaning the kitchen?"

"Its a start," she said.

"Its done like this," he said. He wrapped his hand around her hand, and waved her wand, casting a spell to cause the kitchen to clean itself. "Come on. Let's go for that walk." He kissed her lovingly.

"Okay. But you know we'll make then nuts if they come back and we're not here." she said softly.

"I don't want them around all the time. I want you all to myself." He took her hand and led her down to the beach. They slipped their shoes off and decided to walk barefoot in the sand together, Brian's arm supportively around her waist and his other hand holding hers to help stabilize her on the shifing sand.

Cassidy followed Brian as each person moved to there rooms first jack and Jess they shared seeing they were married then came Steven he shared with Angus.She on the other hand had her own room small though it was, and near the back of the villa, it looked out over the beach. She stood for a moment as she placed her bag on the bed feeling a yawn coming as she had been up over 14 hours already.

Cassidy wondered if she would be allowed to grab a nap so she could be fresh for the next day she sat down feeling the soft mattress under her then lay down her eyes naturally closing as she drifted into sleep.

Khaat walked with Brian in the peace and quiet of the rhythm of the tides. Things were overall quieter today. It felt like living in the eye of the storm. She was learning how to savor those quiet moments. And it was good for her to have her friends here to help protect her. It did help her to feel safe. Right now, the only speed she had was with her wand. The rest of her was slowed down by healing injuries.

She knew everyone's concern for her. She and Brian talked about it for the better part of an hour on the beach. She was aching tthen. And getting tired. Brian wanted her to just rest up, get some good solid food, some fun with her friends and perhaps some gentle exercise. Start back again with some soft stretching. She agreed.

When they went back in the house, while Brian looked in on the girls, she went to the gym and decided to start trying to stretch her ankles. They hurt. They really hurt. She knew that she needed to get them back in shape. Brian had warned her not to push them very hard or they were going to swell even more. As it was they were stiff and had very little movement in them. And just trying to flex them was making her sweat, causing her pain. She wanted to force them back to normal, but she didn't see that was going to happen. And part of her wanted to force it to happen in case Burke or Gelding returned.

Cassidy rolled and opened her eyes sitting up suddenly as she realized she had fallen asleep , quickly she dove to the main living area then down to the gym and sighed seeing Khaat breathed out as she sat down.

"sorry, guess i was more tired than i thought" she said and looked at her. "I don't normally fall asleep like that" she watched as Steven and Jess walked in Jack came a minuet later puling down his clean shirt she also noticed that his hair was ruffled but said nothing as they sat at a machine Jack spotted for Steven who lifted the weights.

OOC: Jack's hair is ruffled? How? Isn't Jack bald? I'm confused.

Khaat said nothing. It didn't mak her feel safer at all knowing that Jess and Jack had been horseplaying on duty. That was a first for them. It was not what she had expected out fo the friends who had said they were so dedicated to her. She ignored that from them. Truth be told, Remus had trained her from the time she was little to remember that her safety was her own. No matter what. She was going to have to remember to take care of herself.

She devoted herself to working on her ankles, to trying to get them to move. To flex. They had to work. They just had to.

"Its okay," she said to Cassidy. "You were up all night. You reallyh should sleep during the day if Brian is going to keep you on the night shift. I--I don't know what his plans are. He hasn't told me. But I didn't ask either. I guess..I guess I just trust him. That's all."

She looked up and saw Angus looking at her from the doorway. He sighed heavily and walked over to her.

"Khaat," he said, sitting with her, "Look at me." She looked up at him. He sat down on the floor and took off her shoes and her socks. "Look. Khaat, look how swollen they are. You're pushing. Didn't your father tell you? Don't you know? Honey, the tissue os so damaged. It is just going to take time. I don't know why you're doing this, but please. Stop. Let me get you some ice for them. Exercise something else. Work on your upper body strength if you want. Just not this. With upper body strength you can compensate for a lot for now. You know that. Do that instead." She looked at Angus, hesitated and then nodded.

"Alright," she agreed. He smiled.

"I'll be right back," he said. He disappeared and brought her some ice. He packed her ankles in ice and stepped in to help her with some stretches for her arms, her neck and her shoulders.

(oops i for got he doesn't, my bad)


Cassidy breathed out and stifled a yawn as she sat back against a machine looking at it she grabbed the bars and began to pull though the weights were too much and she just let go of he watching the others work out she followed Steven to the same machine next to her seeing him work out. she turned back to Khaat and smiled.

"Maybe you should just rest them for a while" she said her voice now softer than it had been now she felt safer to revel part of herself to them. She jumped as she heard the clang of weights beside her and a soft chuckle from Steven beside her.

"sorry Cass, you really are too jumpy" he said placing his hand on her shoulder before he moved to a rowing machine and began his set on that.

Cassidy sat back and sighed "Maybe I'm still tired " she looked at Khaat then Angus as he returned with cold compresses for her ankles. She stood up.

"Yeah," Khaat agreed with Casidy about needing to rest her ankles. It seemed it wasn't taking anything for them to swell up. Nothing. Angus anded her some small barbells to work her upper body with.

"Try those instead now that you're warmed up. If you're looking for a challenge, I'll send Brian down to challenge you,," he told her.

"He won't challenge me," she sighed.

"Oh, you don't think so, do you?" Angus laughed. "We'll see." He left and it wasn't two minutes later that Brian appeared, changed and ready to work out. He went over to her laughing.

"So, you think I'll go easy on you, do you?" he asked. "You have another guess coming. I know what you're capable of. "

Khaat watched as Brian just stepped in and took over everyone's workout, ever the trainer. He pushed them all to their maximums. Khaat's maximum wasn't nearly at what it normally was, but Brian still seemed to know what she should be capable of giving, and he pushed her for it. It didn't seem to take her more than about twenty minutes to have to surrender to him, telling him she couldnt' do anymore.

"That's okay," Brian smiled, "Its better than a couple days ago. You're gaining on it. We'll just keep at it."

Cassidy nodded watching as Angus handed Khaat the dumbbells to work out with feeling a little out of sorts just sitting watching them but she had to stifle yet another yawn and she so wanted to get out of her grimy clothes and tight boots.

Steven shook his head as he rowed back and forth on the machine feeling the muscles easing as he worked out.

"so jack what do you think of Cassidy?" he asked seeing Jess now replace Jack and Jack spot her as she did her weights.

Jack glanced at Cassidy smiling as she saw her start to nod off as she sat beside Khaat "well she can't take a night shift " he chuckled again "she'll grown" he said and went back to Jess.