Sand and Snow

steven returned with a tray of hot tea " not sure witch you antede but here you go i think its apple cinomin " he said and handed Khaat a cup plcing one next to Angus too before he sat with his own. blowing across the top he watched and saw Cassidy out side now working out and he shookhis head " that girl won't listen" he said rembering he'd told her not to over work even Brain had told her too.

"Your lunch is here, Steven. Everyone's is. Are you going to eat?" Angus took his styrofoam takeout box and sat beside Khaat on the sofa and decided to eat with her. He opened his container. "It looks like a delicious salad, Khaat. Lizzie is wonderful."

"It is good," Khaat said. "Steven, would you ask Cassidy and jess and Jack to join us? We have lunch from Sparks for everybody. And thank you. The tea is very good. Thank you. And you're right. It is apple cinnamon. Its always such a comforting blend. Thank you."

he placed down his cup and moved to the doors leaning out he whistled and Cassidy looked at him " lunch " he called jjst as jack and jess walked around the corner talking " you too, lunch jack ,jess" he saw them nodd and head over to the doors . Steven walked back in picking up a crton that was marked with his name opening it he took a fork and sat down to eat watching cassidy take hers into the kitchen to eat. he sighed at that moveand swore he'd have words later . Jack and jess sat with them and ate " lizzy makes the best food" he said smiling.

"You each have a variation of a salad she's considering for the spring menu," Khaat said. "She'll be, as usual, wanting your comments on the salad. You know the routine, what you liked, what you didn't. If there was something it left you wanting more of or had too much of something. You all know the questions she has when we do a new dish. You can expect at least one of our meals a day for the next couple of weeks to be new trial dishes until we get the menu right."

"I'll be a guinea pig for Lizzie anytime," Angus said. He had noticed that Cassidy's behavior did not go unnoticed by Brian, but he wasn't saying a word. That perplexed Angus. That wasn't Brian's style. He always tried to protect his team from injury out of their own ignorance. Not this time. He was stepping back to let her hurt herself. As Angus figured it, Brian was going to just let her hurt herself repeatedly until she learned her lesson. Unless Brian had some other plan he wasn't talking about. It made Angus wonder.

steven shook his head and ate his salad he liked his with walnuts in it gave it an earth cruntch that he liked " tell liz she can keep this one I like it and will be ordering more of this" he said watching as Cassidy walked back out and sat down on the floor cross legged in front of them.

she looked at them all and sighed as she ate " needed a touch more vinigrette " she said and ate quietly as she ate and looked at the all " did i do something wrong again? "she asked looking at them all innocently. As she sat she looked at Brian then Khaat.

"No," Khaat said, eating her salad, "Not that I know of. And I'll tell Lizzie you like more viniagrette. It was good. You had the same cherry viniagrette that I had, but you had grilled chicken and mine was cornish game hen. Very unusual to have cornish game hen on a salad. I did like it. " Khaat saw Brian arrive back, and Robert standing beside him.

"You're both just in time for lunch," Khaat said. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Brian said, using his crutches to go over and sit beside her. Robert brought the footstool and elevated his leg on the stool. Angus brought him a salad and a fork. Brian looked around like he was still missing something

"What are you looking for?" Khaat asked him.

"I need to get up for a soda," he said.

"Accio!" she flicked her wand. Instantly, a new cold root beer came from the fridge to her hand and she handed it to Brian. "Magic is easier than struggle with crutches and anything to drink. I know. I"ve done it. I think most of us have. So, Angus, what do you plan on wowwing us with for dinner tonight that will top this?"

"I am not telling you," he grinned. "It's a surprise. You'll have to wait and see. "

steven looked at cassidy and smirked at her for worrying abut if she'd done something wrong " if you have cassie we'd have told you" he said finishing his own and moving to the kitchen he returned and sat down to finish his tea with he loved the flovor of it as he drank.

"yeah its good other wize" she said and ate more " i wonderd what it was , but its good not too tart or sweet " she said shifting where she sat , she looked up as brian returned home and moved to sit next to steven on the floor by his chair she continued to eat. She predfered the floor when they ate in the living room finding it comfortable with having to sit on floors for somany years , some habits she ahd were harder to brake.

Khaat watched Dakota crawl over to Cassidy and try to nose in on her salad container.

"You don't like salad," Khaat frowned at Dakota. "Although you might like the cheese thats in it. Watch your salad, Cassidy. You're about to have a cuople little fingers in it." her watchful eyes went to Abbey, who for some reason looked sad. She looked like she had lost her best friend. Khaat got up and went over and picked her up, and Abbey just curled into Khaat's neck, saying, "Ma ma."

Khaat took her back and sat with her on the sofa. She had stopped eating her salad to devote herself to Abbey. There was some sort of a bond between her and Abbey that Khaat had never felt with any other human being. When Abbey was in her arms, Khaat felt whole and peaceful. None of the troubles of the world ever seemed quite so dark or so bad when Abbey was in her arms. Khaat saw Abbey as such a peaceful child, always so happy, and she seemed to never get into trouble. Well, at least she didn't have Dakota's precocious streak.

"What do you supposse she'll be like when she grows up?" Khaat asked.

steven looked at Dakota and sighed he ahd no idea what she would be it was down to her to decide " thats up to her when she gats older , if she has that much tenasity what about an Auror she'd be always on the go" he said loking down at her .

Cassidy moved her salad and stood up placing it in the kitchen returning moments later to sit back down where she was watching Dakota " let hope she dosn't end up mixed up with a bad crowd" she said looking down at her as she sat close to her on the floor " why do you follow me ?" she asked and looked at Khaat with the same question in her eyes.

"She wants to see what's in your bowl," Khaat shrugged.

"I'll get her something to eat. maybe she's hungry," Angus said. He got up and got her and Abbey a bowl of dry cereal, banana pieces, and little bites of cheese to snack on. He came back and handed one to Abbey and called to Dakota. The babies were delighted and began eating eagerly. "They were just hungry," Angus smiled. "They're starting to notice when we eat and that makes them want to eat too. And you were the only one sitting on the floor where she could check out to see what it was that you had and she did not.

"I think Abbey's going to be like her mother," Brian smiled. "And I think Dakota is going to be an auror. She's got a lot of fighting spirit."

"Well, there could be worse," Khaat smiled.