Sand and Snow

Cassidy watched the interaction between them all mostly Kate and Robert he was enjoying seeing how they played off each other all over Khaat who was a grown woman. She sighed and sat back against the wall watching them.

steven smiled broadly to her as he spoke "good to see you up on your feet Khaat " he said still holding his cup as he spoke the magazine he had been reading placed face down on the table beside him.

"Thank you," she said to Steven. She looked at her parents. "Ignore them. They're just having a conniption. Its been awhile since I gave them any cause to worry. So, you and Cassidy are still hanging in there with me, even though I messed up, huh? Neither of you have to, you know."

She was glad for their dedication, but she wasn't wanting to forcing them to. She wanted them to choose to be with her. She didn't want them here just because they had a job. She wanted them to want to be with her at least as much out of friendship. And right now, she just didn't know if either one of them held anything against her.

But then again, they hadn't been in her shoes. She had no doubt that both Steven and Cassidy had their shares of wounds, but they hadn't exactly done what she had, either. She didn't know if that made a difference or not.

Cassidy smiled and nodded "yea threw thick and friends do for other friends thin its what freinds do " she said and looked at Steven once more who nodded he agreed to it .

"Khaat I have been with you longer than Cassidy, hell you brought me back from a coma, I owe you john's life, why would I know leave you when you need us "he shook his head "nope not my style, and you of all people should know that " he smiled at her and took her hand "cassidy and I owe you and being your friend is something were happy to be , cassidys right throuw thick and thin good times and bad"

"Thanks. I didn't maybe make the the best choices, but...the truth is that I just really can't get some of the stuff that Barker did out of my head. I wish I could. I knew what the potions did. But when it came right down to it, I was willing to risk it to make those memories stop for awhile. I'm glad you've decided to stay. Both of you." She took another drink of her coffee.

She had noticed that Angus had disappeared, but now he returned with the girls, one in each arm. They were babblling and pulling at his hair. "Alright," he said. "I need rescued. Now. They both like hair."

Robert went over and took Abbey who had a strong pull on a lock of Angus's hair. He released her hand from Angus's hair. "Since when did you like to yank hair like that, Missy?" he asked her. She babbled at him happily.

Angus, meanwhile, was trying to get Dakota to let go who now had her fist entangled in his hair and couldn't get it loose.

Cassidy walked over to Angus "Hey Dakota you want this?" she said holding out a bottle " let him go " she said moving it closer to her when she grabbed with her free hand she shook her head "come on Missy, you need both hands if you want it" she said she could see the look in her eyes finally she let go and grabbed the bottle. Cassidy looked at Angus and chuckled "no bald patch " she said and grinned at him.

Steven watched Cassidy manage to get Dakotas hand out of Angus's hair with little trouble "she'd make a good mum one day when she finds a man who can tame her" he said and erned a tongue poke from Cassidy as she sat down next to him again.

Khaat watched as Cassidy rescued Angus. She repressed a laugh. It was hard not to laugh at Angus, and the larger the girls were getting, the more difficult they were to handle at one time. "Nice job, Cassidy. Bald is not his best look," Khaat said.

"How would you know?" Angus frowned.

"I like you better with hair," she said.

"Well, me too, really," he said. "By the way, I'm making a huge pot of chicken noodle soup for dinner. I hope you're going to be hungry by then."

"Maybe," she said.

"We could try her with a slice of toast with butter and see how she does," Robert said. "Nothign too spicy. Just gentle."

"That's fine. Now that I have my hair back, I'll go get the toast," Angus said. "Oh, and it is snack time for the girls. I have a bowl of dry cereal for each of them to snack on. The bowls are in the kitchen. I just haven't had a chance to bring it in yet."

Cassidy smiled and nodded "got to agree he does lok better with hair " she said smiling as she walked back hearing what he'd cooked she sighed "wonderful I have that when im not feeling so hot, kinda like my comfort food"she said and sat down that and chocolate cake" she had a dreamy look on her face as she thought about it. "Alas if I had any Brain would make me work out for a week" she said chuckaling.


Steven sat looking at the sky threw the French windows, He hoped it would not rain and spoil the evening. "I hope it doesn't rain" he said looking back at them.

"If there were cake, Brian would have to work out an extra hour," Robert said. "I think you'll like his soup. I've had it before. It's very good."

"Well, thank you," Angus said. He went to the kitchen and brought back two bowls of dry cereal for each of the girls. He gave one to Cassidy and one to Robert. Abbey began bouncing in Robert's arms, shouting "Da! Da!" excitedly. Angus left again to get the toast for Khaat.

"Everything is Da Da right now," Khaat said, watching her father sit down and began to help Abbey with the cereal.

"Enjoy it," Robert said. "She'll learn new words soon enough. I dont' think I've seen her so excited about cereal. Dont' you feed her?"

"She gets plenty," Angus said, handing Khaat a saucer with a slice of hot buttered toast on it. "How's she doing with it, Cassidy?" He looked over at Cassidy who still had Dakota.

Cassidy looked at them as she sighed "well ether she hates me or I'm a human dust bin" she said gathering more food Dakota had missed and dropped all over her "but she's eating that's all I can say" she said smiling at her "she is cute " she said chuckling as more food flew her way.

Steven chuckled and walked over to huer "its your winning charm" he said lifting Dakota and chuckling to himself as he moved with her from Cassidy , Sitting he picked up some food and placed it in her mouth, he hummed slightly a soft tune that he'd done to John and smiled as she ate it all with out losing a single piece.

"Be careful, Steven," Robert said. "You just might get that job full time. Especially when she hits that 'spitting-it-back-just-for-fun' stage. And she's just mischievious enough to hit that before Abbey does."

"I don't know if Abbey will hit that at all," Khaat said. "She just is so gentle that I don't know if she'll really act up much."

"Yeah, well, thats what we said about you," Robert replied dryly. "And we all know how much trouble you can get into."

"Touche," Khaat said, nibbling on her toast.

Khaat watched as Dakota saw Max walking past in front of Steven, and she took a few pieces of cereal and threw it at Max. Max merely looked up at Dakota, sniffed the pieces of cereal, and decided to eat a piece. Deciding it was not a kibble, he swished his tail and walked on past as Dakota chattered at Max, trying to reach for him.