Sand and Snow

Cassidy nodded and followed with the gravy boat held in her hand, placed it down she sat facing Angus "I can't take all the credit, Angus started it, I just watched over it while he was busy" she said and looked at him as she ate , picking up the gravy boat she pore a little more over it . "theres strawberry cheese cake if your still hungry after" she said as she continued to eat her food .

Steven looke dat the food and smiled he'd not eaten ribs since leaving texas and now he loved how the meat fell of the bone "well, its delishious " he said smirking little at Casiddy " maybe she should help you more often?" he said as he ate .

"Go ahead," Angus laughed, "Keep it up, Steven. Cassidy is a fine soux chef. It won't be long before I can turn the kitchen over to her entirely."

"And do without your awesome fresh, Italian seafood?" Brian frowned.

"Learn to share, Angus," Robert said, laughing.

"I share," Angus defended. Brian raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, most things I do, anyway."

"Except that awesome black leather duster coat you have and the black leather hat," Brian said.

"Hey, I'm not your sorority sister. I don't have to share my wardrobe. Besides, Gelding knows you for that stupid tan bomber jacket you wear. Marks you like a neon sign. I'm not stupid enough to trade my black duster for that bomber jacket. That's like voluntarily wearing a target on my back."

"Only because you know I"m a better shot than you are." Brian said deliberately. Angus groaned in frustration.

"And who saved WHO's behind? I don't seem to remember it like you do."

"You were just lucky that night," Brian said.

"Boys," Kate frowned, "Dont think I can't still ground you both. Keep it up and we'll see which one of us wins."

Brian and Angus both frowned. "I think she actually means it," Angus said.

Cassidy could not help blush as she chuckled at Angus's words then she heard Brian mention Angus had a black leather duster and hat. She turned to look at him trying to picture him wearing it and it brought a blushed to her cheeks . she watched the banter between the two looking at Kate who finally spoke up and stopped them .

"I don't want to take over any ones kitchen , Im happy just being there " she said quickly eating her food meaning she was happy to be there with Angus but she would not say it out loud .


Steven y just smirked again and nudged Cassidy as he finished his food " ow Cassidy, Delilah would like to know if you could go dress shopping with her, oviousely I can't go " he said and saw her turn to face him.

"sure, it will have to be in my time off though" she said "and you have to stop with the jibs" she added

Khaat didn't say a word. She knew her mother was about one step from grounding Brian and Angus and meaning it. And Khaat didnt' doubt for one moment that she could do it and actually somehow pull it off.

"I have it," Khaat finally said. "We'll make them take care of the babies around the clock for weeks."

"That," Brian beamed, "is not punishment. Its a joy. You don't have it in you to be dastardly."

"No, but I do. Remember who I married," Kate said. "Where do you think he got it from?"

"You got it from her?" Angus looked at Robert. Robert was clearly trying to hide a laugh.

"I think I had my own fair share, but she certainly has enough force on her own to take care of you two," Robert said. "Go ahead. Mess with her. Find out for yourselves."

"No, I've already done that before," Brian said. "Its Angus's turn."

"I'll take your word for it," Angus said, deciding that if Brian backed away from a challenge with Kate there was a reason.

"Smart man," Khaat said under her breath.

"What was that, Dear?" Kate asked.

"Nothing, nothing," Khaat said, managing an innocent looking smile.

Cassidy saw steven nod and then turned her attenshion to the talk around the table and of how kate comanded they be have she realised she was a very strong woman in her own right . Finishing her food she stood up taking her plate and Angus threw returning with the cheese cake and the bowls floating behind her . each one floated and landed infront of a person and she placed down the desert in the middle of the table . She looked up at Angus waiting for his opinion on how it had been presented.

"It looks beautiful," Khaat said. "And I can smell the berries from here. Nice touch."

"You need one more thing to do this smoothly," Angus said. He got up, went into the kitchen and returned with a tall glass of very warm water and a clean white kitchen towel. "Here," he said, setting the glass and the towel beside her. "Dip the knife in the glass of water before you slice. Dry the blade on the towel and make a clean slice with the blade. Do that before each cut. You'll find you can slice the neat little slices like they do in a restaurant and you'll do it like a pro. Watch."

He dipped the knife in the water to heat the blade, wiped it dry on the towel, made a clean slice to cut the cheesecake in half. He dipped it in the water to heat the blade again and wiped the blade clean again. "Cut the entire cheesecake just as you would a pie. I'd cut it into about a dozen pieces if I were you. Let me know if you'd rather me do it." Then he looked at Khaat "Should I give you two slices, Khaaty Dear?"

"One is fine for now, Angus, Dear," she laughed. "I'll have a second piece before bed if there is any left."

Cassidy looked at him wondering what he meant then when he returned she watched as he demonstrated , Taking the knife from him she held it tight and tried to cut it "Im sorry, i'm just making it a mess Angus " she said sliding it back out as she looked at him hoping he would show her agian "I can cast spells but when it comes to cutting a cheese cake, I fail" she said with a smile as she dipped the knife into the warm water again watching the small bits wash off it.

"Well, you don't have to be perfect at everything your first try. You'll get it,' Angus said. He took the knife from her, made sure the blade was sparkling clean and heated and sliced the cake easily. He sliced the cake into two halves, then into quarters, and then sliced the quarters into three equal slices each, making twelve neat, even slices.

Khaat marvelled at how easy he made it look. "Lizzie sometimes uses dental floss to cut a cheesecake, Cassidy," she told her. "When take a long length of floss and stretch it from one hand to the other, across the cake, you can easily make a clean cut with it--like slicing cheese. Its really quite easy. The more delicate the cheesecake is, the more likely she is to use dental floss to slice it."

"Just be sure it isn't the minty kind of floss if you do that," Kate laughed. "The mint flavor can transfer off the floss onto your cheesecake. And sometimes it really isn't the flavor you want in your cake."

Angus easily slid a spatula under each slice and put it on a plate and served it to each of their dinner companions. He accio'd a carafe of fresh hot French Roast from the kitchen along with a stack of stoneware mugs. He served the coffee with the cheesecake.

"It's very good," Khaat said. "Very nice, Cassidy. You have a talent for baking. Well done, indeed."

"And she is one woman who knows her cheesecake," Robert laughed. "It was the only thing we could get her to eat the entire time she was pregnant. I'm surprised Abbey will eat anything else."

"Of course she will," Khaat said, feeding Abbey tiny spoonfuls of the creamy cheesecake filling. Abbey's face lit up, and she started to bounce in her high chair excitedly.

"Ma Ma! Ma Ma!" she chanted, reaching towards Khaat's piece of cheesecake.

"Oh, now you've done it," Brian laughed. "Our second cheesecake addict in the house has just been born."

"She called me Ma Ma," Khaat said, looking at Abbey.

"Either that or the cheesecake," Brian said dryly. Khaat swatted at him.

"She was talking to me!" Khaat insisted. Robert and Kate laughed.

"Is that a first?" Robert asked.

"In calling me Mama? Yes," Khaat said. "But she's been calling Brian Dada for weeks."

"She likes me...."

"Dont you dare finish that thought," Khaat frowned at him.

"Wouldn't dream of it, my darling," He smiled, taking Khaat's hand in his and kissing it.

"One thing about it, Brian," Robert said. "Your sucking-up skills are getting better all the time the longer you try to stay in Khaat's good graces." Kate laughed.

"You'll do fine, Brian. Don't listen to him," she said.

Cassidy let him take the knif his hand brushed hers as he did , she watched him closly as he cut the cake and sighes when he said nobody could be prefect on there first try. She chuckled at Kate "well inless it was a mint choc cheese cake " her face lit with an idea and she looked at Angus " do we have any dark chocolate and mint essance ?" she asked but on hearing Abby grined " aww thats wonderful" she said thinking little abby liking her cheese cake topped of her day. she ate it and had to agree it wasn't at all bad she smiled at Brians sucking up to Khaat noticing how steven just chuckled and ate smiling all the time , she sighed and enjoyed the taste of the strawberrys thet seem to tingle on her tounge being so sweet and fresh.

"Do we have what?" Angus asked. "Dark chocolate and mint? Well, we have fresh mint plants. Spearmint and Peppermint both. The plants are huge. They are downstairs in the family room in the basement. Although, personally, I think if you're going to mix the chocolate and the mint, peppermint works better. If you don't know how to use fresh mint to get your flavor out of, I can teach you how to do that. It's really a lot easier than it sounds. And it tastes far, far better. The dark chocolate might be the problem, though...."

"No, its not," Khaat said with a slight smile. She got up from her seat, but her ankle didn't seem to want to hold her weight. Brian's hand was lightning swift at reaching out and bracing her up with an iron grip.

"Get your balance. Where's your stick?" he asked.

"I don't need it," she said.

"The hell you don't." he said. He accio'd her black walking stick with the amethyst stone in the top. He handed it to her. "Use it. That's not a request." She didn't resist him. She went into the kitchen and was gone for a couple of minutes. The longer she was gone, the deeper Robert's frown became. He was starting to wonder if she was trying to apparate out. He was hoping she really wasn't trying to do that yet while her magic was still on the blink. To his relief, she came back, in one solid piece. In her hand she had at least six extra large chocolate bars. One was just ordinary dark chocolate. One was flavored with raspberry. One was flavored with mixed berries. One was flavored with chili peppers. One was flavored with orange. One was flavored with coffee.

"Try those," Khaat said.

"What?" Angus asked, frowning deeply. "I know every inch of that kitchen! Where did you find those?"

"Well, apparently I do still have a hiding place or two," she smiled. "My chocolate stash. And there's more if you run short." She glanced at Brian and she heard his thoughts. He was doubting whether or not she had been truthful with him, and all of a sudden, he wsa worrying about whether or not she had some of Rob's mind numbing potion stashed away with the chocolate in the secret hidng place she had. And furthermore, she knew he was wondering if there were more places he had missed where there was more potion. She immediately felt like her relationship with Brian wsa irrepairably ruined because of her need to escape what Felix Barker had done to her. Her need to resort to the potion to escape the horrors of her own mind had destroyed her friendship with Jess and now was still destroying the relationships she had with everyone she loved. Even with Brian.

"Drink your coffee, Khaat," her mother said very gently. Her mother's seer's abilities had tapped right into the heart of her pain. Khaat returned to her seat and she picked up her coffee mug.

"When you finish, I need to get your signatures on some papers for St. Mungos," her father said. "Can we go to the office down the hall to get it done, my dear?"

"Certainly," she told him softly. Khaat felt Brian looking at her. She didn't look back. "Can we do it now?"

"If you like," Robert said. He got up and came around the table. He reached out his hand to her to help her up. She took it, and he helped her to her feet. "Excuse us. That was superb, Cassidy and Angus. Thank you. We won't be long." He led Khaat down the hall to the home office that she and Brian shared.

"I'm just going to say this once," Kate said to the others at the table. "I know that if you didn't love Khaat, you would not be so insecure at realizing she has more secret hiding places. But, I'm telling you, not only as a seer but as her mother. She was telling you the truth when she told you she has no more of Rob's potions here. She honestly did give every drop to her father, and he returned them to Rob. There is none here. She has no more. You can relax now. All of you."