Sand and Snow

Brian apparated down to the gym with her. "Are you going to stretch first and warm up?" he asked her.

"No," she said. "I won't always have that luxury. Besides, I can beat you cold."

"Oh you think so, do you?" he asked, drawing his wand and positioning it at the ready. "The fire away. The champion never fires first."

"Champion? You?" she frowned. "Since when? Expelliarmus!" She fired her wand before Brian was ready, and it landed him on his tail.

"Incarcerous!" he fired, still on the floor.

"Finite!" she shouted as the ropes tried to bind her. They disappeared. She looked at Brian. He had already bounced to his feet. "Aquamenti!" she fired a large jet of water at him.

"Finite!" he shouted. "Wingardium Leviosa!" He levitated her off the floor up near the ceiling, not wanting to hurt her.

"Chicken," she frowned. "You're holding out on me. Ventus!" She fired the powerful jet of air at Brian, and it threw him backwards.

"Finite!" he charged back. He steadied himself . "Alarte Ascendare!" His spell threw her hard up in the air and back down again to the gym floor before she knew what hit her. "Had enough?"

"Hardly!" she coughed, winded. "Anteoculatia!" At her spell, his hair changed to very large, impressive antlers.

He sighed. "Okay, that's not harmful--its just annoying," he said. He touched his wand to his head and said "Finite!" But while he was doing that, she fired again.

"Carpe Retractum!" she fired. Ropes bound him while he wasn't looking and drew him right to her before he could counter it. She grabbed hold of the rope, yanked hard on it, and kissed him. "If you're close enough for me to kiss you, you're close enough for me to kill you. Still think I'm useless?" she asked him.

"I never said you were useless. Not one time," he said. "You hold your own with your father, and you go. Alright?"

"Done," she said, satisfied. "Finite." At her command, the rope that bound him disappeared.

"Enough," he told her. He didn't ever mind losing to her, especially when it was so obvious he was holding back today in order to not hurt her. The real sparring would happen when she was in good shape again, and he was looking forward to it. "Nice shooting, Tex," he grinned, kissing her forehead again.

Jess stood and watched noting how Brian held back from hurting her but had to chuckle as Khaat got the upper hand and won but at the same time prove her point and they left Jess moved to the weights and began working out .

Steven pulled Cassidy to the mats and began walking around her . "ok copy me " he said and did a slow movement yet as he watched her she could not do it and moved to stand behind her , taking her hands in his he gently did the movement with her his body pressed against hers so she would feel how it was meant to be done.

Jess smiled finally seeing Steven focused on something other than his self pity and the loss of Ronata, she was pleased .

"Good," Brian told Steven. "Get her in shape for tonight. Just make sure she has time for sleep before it gets dark. I doubt that Robert will move before nightfall. That wouldn't be his style. But he won't wait for midnight either. Make your workout short, Cassidy. I expect you to go to bed and get some decent rest before we do this tonight. I want you in your peak form for your first night out with us. Is that understood?" Then he looked at Steven. "Same for you if you were up all night. I want everyone in top form."

He looked back at Khaat. "Enough for now, Tex?"

"For now," she replied.

"Good. Jess, can I ask you to make sure she gets upstairs and off her feet? Ask Angus to get her some fresh coffee or tea and to put a bit of the potions in it that Robert left last night. One is to reduce bruising and swelling and the other is to reduce pain. Make sure she elevates them today yet." Khaat knew why Brian was asking Jess to help her. He wanted Khaat off her feet and he knew Jess would take excellent care of her. She knew that Jess would most likely just get the potions for Khaat herself, and Brian didn't trust anyone with potions for Khaat but himself, Angus, Robert, or Jess. That was just how protective he was about her. As her chief bodyguard he took no chances. And while he felt such uneasy vibes around Khaat right now, he wanted Jess close. He didn't know what she was thinking, but it made him uncomfortable. He didn't want her alone. He knew Jess would figure out that he was positioning her closer to Khaat for a reason. Jess was smart that way.

Jess smiled and nodded "sure " she said and stood up to walk over to Khaat "come on, slowly , little buy little " she said to her as she lead her back up to her room and on to he bed.

"you know Steven and Cassidy , there something else there, in a good way, he's more focused " she said elevating her feet gently and very slightly. Looking out the door she saw Angus "Could you bring Khaat a cup of coffee please " she asked him smiling a she moved back to Khaat and sat back down with her .

Steven looked at Brian and nodded finishing the move with her he stood just looking in the mirror at them together , quickly he let her go.

"Erm.. go sleep you'll need it " he said walking to a towel he'd left down there and wiping his face dry. He saw cassidy walk to the stairs "we can do another after the mission " he said hoping she would not be killed or hurt though he knew she could hold her own , he gave a small smile then headed up for a shower himself .

Angus turned and disappeared for coffee for Khaat.

Khaat made herself comfortable on the sofa. She didnt realize that her ankles hurt until she stretched her legs out on the sofa.

"You do realize, don't you, Jess, that Brian is a tad protective over little things like potions, right?" Khaat asked. "I had to talk him out of putting a protection enchantment on the cabinet in the kitchen where we keep all the potions. I see his point, but, Jess, I'm not used to living with bodyguards watching my every move. I'm used to fighting my own battles. He keeps telling me that its temporary until we either kill Burke and Gelding or get them to bear off. One or the other. But I read some case files on incidents like this in the Ministry files, and some of them go on for decades. Jess, I don't want my daughters having to live like this, having to have a squad follow them into the loo, for pity's sake. Am I making sense? I really want to have my life back. I want you and Jack and everyone else to go back to just being able to be my friends. I don't ever want to lose that. Not ever."

Angus brought in a coffee cup and handed it to her. "Here," he said to her. "And, for the record, you aren't losing anybody as your friend because we help keep you and the girls safe. Khaat, we all choose to be here. We be here because we love you and Brian and your girls. And personally, I wouldn't be anywhere else. I love this house, and I love working for you guys. Don't keep looking at the big picture. Just take it one day at a time. It won't look so big or bad that way."

Jess sat with her "Khaat jack and I are her because we are your friends, just because we happen to work for your father at the same time doesn't mean were not your friends" she said agreeing with Angus , she took her hand "Khaat i have know you along time , god you delivered my twins and are god mother , most of all you are my first and best friend I am here for you , you children won't live in fear thats what were all here to sort ." she said and smiled to her.

Steven walked in after his shower his skin rather pink from being under a bit too long and the shirt over his shoulder as he dried his hair "OK bathroom free if any one else wants it " he said and looked at both Khaat and Jess "Erm...did i walk in on something?" he asked his hair was all messed up.

"No," Khaat said gently. "Just feeling a bit cagey from being in Burke's and Gelding's sights for so long. I"m sure you've dealt with other people feeling that way before. Its not a new thing. And it isn't anything anyone can really do except just be here. I'm sorry. I really don't mean to whine."

"Drink you coffee," Angus encouraged gently. "Your father left some potions for you, and we forgot them at breakfast. You're overdue for them. You'll feel a bit better for having them. Oh, and I see he left you another bottle of vitamins. I didn't know we were out."

"We weren't. I have to confess. I broke the bottle the other day in the kitchen. I just got a new bottle from St. Mungos," she said.

"Oh. Well, you could have told me. I'd have picked up another bottle for you. Anyway, I added them for you too."

"Thank you," she smiled. She took a sniff of her coffee and took a sip. "My father is getting a bit better with making the potions not so disgusting. I don't think he really cared a lot about that until I made an issue of it. I'd much rather taste the coffee than some of his really foul tasting concoctions."

"Do I need to lecture you on how we're boosting your immune system with them so you can finally heal?" Angus asked.

"No," she said. "I'll drink it. Don't worry." She looked at Steven and Jess. "Can we bring the girls down and set them up a play area? I really do like having them closeby."

Jess smiled "sure would you mind Steven " she asked seeing him shake his head standing up she moved to the girls nursery , picking up Abbey she left Dakota for Steven who on walking out bumped into Cassidy Jess smiled "I'll see you down stairs, don't be long" she said and moved down to the living room "Stevens got Dakota " she said and Accioed a play pen and some soft toys for them to play with "hope you don't mind i added some new toys " she said and placed Abbey inside moving it so Khaat could see her.

Steven moved with Jess to the nursery picking up Dakota he was looking at her when he bumped into some one "oops sorry " he said holding who ever it was buy there arm gently, looking he saw it was Cassidy " hi Cassie, you really should sleep" he said seeing the look on her face.


Cassidy was thinking about what had happened in the gym when she bumped into some on "ow sorry " she said at the same time as the person she bumped "Steven...Erm Mr Walker " she said her cheeks turning pink "I was about to do just that " she said feeling his warm hand on her arm , she looked down finding her hand now rested on his bare chest . quickly she moved it and headed to her room .

Steven watched her walked to her room and in before he continued to the living room "lost some one " he said with a smile as he placed her in with Abbey "ok behave no hitting young lady" he said and scooped up his shirt he had left from earlier "I see coffee's fresh made " he moved to the kitchen made a cup and then sat down.

Khaat smiled, seeing her daughters in the room. Jess's playpen set up was perfect for them. She watched Max come over to the playpen and sniff it as Steven put Dakota in the playpen with Abbey, who was just picking up a stuffed frog. Max walked a circle around the playpen and then jumped into the playpen with the babies. That made Khaat laugh. She watched the big white cat sniff the babies and the toys. She watched him lay down in the middle of the playpen between the babies, as if he was on guard duty himself to protect them.

"That will last until Dakota starts smacking him," Khaat said.

"Oh, she does that now," Angus said, laughing. "And Max enjoys it, or he seems to. She pulls his tail, swats him, and he just keeps coming back."

"He always was a gentle cat," Khaat said. "I noticed Mo isn't around for any of this."

"No," Angus said. "This is the time of day I can always find him upstairs in my bedroom looking out the window. There's a tree outside my window with a birds' nest in it. That has him pretty fascinated in the mornings. Dakota tries to play with him too, but Mo gets bored with it. But Abbey, she's a different story in his book. Go look in her crib in the afternoon at naptime. You'll find him curled up in the crib with her at her feet. He knows enough not to go up around her face, but he sleeps every afternoon in the crib right at her feet. You have no idea how many afternoon naps I haven't been able to settle her for until he curls up with her and starts purring. Once she hears that, she drops right off to sleep."

"You suppose its safe for them to be so close to the girls?" Khaat looked at Brian.

"Its fine," Brian said. "They know. They know the girls are babies. They're just doing their part. Its fine. Stop worrying, Mom."

Cassidy lay on her bed trying to get some rest before her shift that evening , on turning she saw some thing furry on the bed next to her and she was startled. Crying out she backed away dropping to the floor on the other side of the bed with a loud thump.

Steven heard the cry and dove around to the bed room his wand drawn then he burst into laughter seeing Cassidy sat on the other side of the bed peeking over the edge at nothing but a cat sat on her bed , he slipped his wand away and moved to pick up the cat. "Its just mo , one of Khaats cats , I guess he came to say hello " he said stroking him gently as he moved back to the living room " Mo scared Cassidy , nothing to worry about " he placed the cat down on the floor close to Khaat and returned to his seat .

Cassidy walked out a few minuets later her cheeks bright red and a look of embarrassment on her face "sorry didn't expect to wake to a cat on the bed " she said facing Steven "its not exactly an everyday occurrence where I'm from " she sat down her legs up against her chest.