Sand and Snow

Brian brought coffee back up to Khaat and handed it to her. "Have you heard from my father yet?" she asked him.

"Yes. He'll be by later today. I don't even want to know you're going to re-challenge him."

"Then I won't tell you," she looked up at him.

"Khaat Karina..." Brian began.

"Brian," she cut him off. "I have to try."

"He'll flatten you. Is that what you want?"

"I want to prove I can stand up to Burke and Gelding."

"You can. Just not today."

She grabbed him and pulled him down to her level. "Now you listen to me," she said quietly. "I want to measure up to them. Any day, any time. This is important to me. You got that?"

"Yes. I do," he said, unmoved by her snatching his shirt. "And if you face them today, they'll kill you. Get a grip. Today isn't the day. Now, drink your coffee. We'll talk to your father, but, realistically, nothing is going to change."

Jess watched the scene in front of her feeling the frustration coming from Khaat she stepped forward as Khaat took hold and pulled down Brian to talk to him .she could not hear what was being said but she could sense it was tense words.

"I don't want to take sides Khaat but he has a point you need to rest and recover then you can measure up to them" she said using the same words she had used "enjoy relaxing and spending time with you kids " she stood just in the room watching her hands clasped in front of her. "we'll help you recover, jack cassidy and Steven who i might add has taken quite a shine to Cassidy." she said smiling "though he's hiding it well , very...professional this time" she said and looked at them "take today to recover and we'll all help tomorrow" she moved to sit next to the bed. "I'm asking you Khaat as a friend" Jess looked at her. Jess felt strong anger and she knew and didn't blame her for it "turn your anger around and use it to help heal your self "

Khaat nodded, agreeing to Jess's request.

"Alright, you all," Brian laughed. "Give me time to help her get her eyes open and find some clothes. And Angus, you migtht want to make sure those scones aren't burning."

"My scones! Damn!" he exclaimed, apparating downstairs.

"Give us ten minutes," Brian said. He shooed them out of the room. He shut the door and purposely redirected her to showering and getting dressed.

She chose just plain olive green cargo pants and a tan cotton shirt and tan silk flat slippers. She just intended to be comfortable. She brushed her hair and pulled it back in a loose ponytail. He put her stick in her hand and stook her on her feet. He apparated her downstairs in order to save her walking any farther than she had to.

By then, Angus was serving breakfast at the dining room table for everyone and he had both babies already in their high chairs ready to eat. "Come and eat, Everyone," he said to them.

Jess smiled and stood up walking over to Jack who had appeared from no where she chuckled as Angus dove back down stairs "he'll make some one a god wife that one" she grinned at Khaat then taking Jacks hand"see you down stairs.

Steven watched Cassidy and walked in just as Dakota was taken down stairs , he took Cassidy's hand "you'll find the right some one one day" he said smiling leading her out of the room "ok, breakfast then back to training " he said walking down the corridor with a dragging Cassie he could not help chuckle as he heard her groan at the training.

Cassidy heard him mention training and groaned why more she thought her legs and side ached after the tickle spell Robert had used on her, she glanced at his hand holding hers but quickly she shook it out of her mind , she was not ready no matter how good looking he was, She walked down to the living room and sat down for breakfast smelling the scones "yummy, they smell Delicious Angus " she said poring some fresh orange juice then doing the same for Steven who thanked her and smiled.

Khaat busied herself with feeding the girls. They seemed to be hungry this morning, and Khaat could barely get a bite into Abbey's mouth before Dakota wanted something. By the time she put a bite into Dakota's mouth, Abbey wanted more. She enjoyed this part of her day. Brian offered several times to help her, but Khaat brushed him aside, wanting to do this for herself.

"And when this is all over, does Brian get to feed you, Khaat?" Angus eyed her.

"What?" she looked at him blankly. Angus pointed to her almost completely untouched breakfast plate. She looked at her plate, not realizing she hadn't gotten to eat a thing, while everyone else was almost finished. "Oh. I'm sorry," she said. "I...I guess I just got busy with the girls."

"I'm finished," Angus said to her gently but firmly. "You eat. I"ll take over feeding the little ones. Besides, I enjoy it too. You eat, and we'll manage just fine. I promise."

"Thank you," she said. She really was feeling a need to go train downstairs after breakfast with the rest of them .

Brian looked at her and touched her hand. "Hey. YOu aren't thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"

"I don't know. What am I thinking?"

"Sparring your dad. Still."

"Someone does need to beat him," she confessed. Brian roared in laughter.

"And do you think that thought has never crossed my mind, my dear? Or Angus's? Or almost everyone at this table? Should I ask for a show of hands of how many have actually beat him in a dueling practice?"

jack chuckled so did Jess at the request of a show of hands to who had beat Robert Lupin "you know Brian we all have been beaten, nobody won against him but we all became wiser" said Jess still eating her breakfast still leaning on jack slightly and she caught sight of Steven and Cassidy being civil for once and she smiled.

Jack placed his arm around her waist under the table he liked holding her just as much as the first day he had found her his hand took hold of hers under the table as he sipped his coffee "I remember some one turning me into a yellow duck , A fluffy yellow duck" he said looking at Khaat.

"I rather enjoyed that," Khaat laughed. "Shall we do it again after breakfast? Would you like to be a duck again? Or something else, maybe?"

"Shall I save you or shall I let you battle her?" Brian asked Jack.

"Maybe Cassidy should spar her," Angus smiled at Cassidy.

"No, I'd like Cassidy to be in one piece for tonight's work please," Brian said.

"Maybe you should spar me yourself," she dared Brian.

"Oh no you don't. You're not going to dare me and lure me into it. You know I can't resist a good dare," Brian said.

"I'm daring you. Unless you aren't man enough to face me."

"Oh, you are your father's daughter, aren't you?" he sighed. "Alright. I'll be happy to put you in one of his jars."

"We shall see," she said to him.

"Now this is one match I do not want to miss," Angus laughed. "I haven't seen these two spar before. Any of you?"

Jack looked up at her shocked his hands quickly raising " ow please not the yellow duck " he said half smiling"Brian please stop her " Jess chuckled and grinned as she watched shaking her head at the request for Cassidy to spar Khaat "thats like giving a baby a hammer , its a nap some one will get hurt there , besides shes training with Steven. she could not help laugh as Khaat challenged Brian to a spar feeling a some what charged yet relaxed atmosphere between the two people and she smiled.


Cassidy looked up like a little girl lost she had barely heard anything as she was eating, she found the food to be good , very good in fact best she'd had , be fore she use to eat what ever she could find now regular meals were very different. She heard Brian say he needed her for the night shift and knew she would have to grab some sleep that day or risk falling asleep on duty and she didn't want that.

Brian disappeared from the breakfast table when he was finished eating and came back as Khaat finished. She hadn't eaten well enough to suit him, but he said nothing. He had gone and gotten some rolls of sports tape.

"If you're going to be on those, we're going to tape up your ankles," he said. "I don't want you getting pummelled too easy into this." He knelt at her feet and taped up both of her ankles expertly and tightly.

"Hey," she swatted him, wincing. "That hurts!"

"Of course it does," Brian frowned. "He hung you upside down so you'd hurt enough to remember it. You know how he works. There. Done. Gear up if you're going to face me."

"Oh, I'm terrified," she sighed, bored.

"Come on. Lets do this, then," he said to her. He reached out his hand to her, and she waved him away. She apparated out and down to the gym.

Jess watched Brain tape Khaat's ankles and was impressed buy how well he did it thought she gathered that from all the times he had been hurt he'd learned something about first aid , she finished her breakfast and sat back on Jack. "Angus, you did it again that was wonderful" she said smiling "thank you , now I'll have to wait to use the gym till there done , so I can work off that wonderful breakfast" jack kissed her cheek and she caressed his back.


Cassidy nodded she agreed that the food was good , finishing her plate and picking up her orange juice . she looked at Steven "ok, so where do I start in the training?" she asked him watching his face.

Steven looked at her and chuckled "first patience , we can't use the gym till Brian and khaat are done sparing though we can watch and you can see professionals at work , you thought Robert was bad" he said chuckling knowing they could be worse.