Finding Femininity

"First things first," Kate said, smiling. "Robert! Get your arse out and take care of that barn! Now!" Robert simply rose quietly, shaking his head, trying not to laugh. He headed for the barn without a word. "Now," Kate said. She flicked her wand and ordered the table to set itself. Then she checked the pantry and the freezer. "Ah," she smiled. "Angus is always prepared. Look here. He has a frozen ice cream cake here in the freezer. That will be perfect. I have no idea what flavor it is, but I vote we use it. Quick, easy, no muss nor fuss."

She got out two baby bowls and began putting some of the dinner that the grownups were eating in the bowls only cut into tiny bites for them and being careful not to get any onion for them. She gave them the beef, the carrots and little bites of potatoes. She gave them bottles to drink with their bowls.

"I think by the time Robert gets back, we'll be ready," Kate smiled at Cassidy. "You need to relax. We've done missions like this more times than we can count. We always come back. We know the odds. Robert is just being extra cautious this time because Khaat and Brian are not in the best fighting shape. But we're coming back. We all are."

Cassidy looked at her and nodded " yeah, its kinda my first with something this big , i want him so bad too, but I respect Roberts decishion and I understand why " she said she watched the table set its self and chuckled " you have to teach me that spell , I have a peach sorbet in the freezer, not sure if its edible its an experament " she moved to the fridge and took it out placing it on the table as she took of its lid to show her the iced desert. She took a tea spoon and scooped some up she tasted it and was plesantly suprised at what she found , taking a seconf with a clean spoon she handed it to Kate .

Kate took a spoonful of the peach sorbet. "Very, very good," she smiled. "Well done. I think we need to save it for an evening snack. They'll all be up planning tonight, and they'll want something in the middle of the evening to break up the tension with. This will be perfect. I saw some little amaretto cookies in a tin in the pantry. They'll be great with it.

"Don't underestimate the importance of your own role here, Cassidy. Robert and I value those babies more than just about anything else in this world. The only thing that means anything more to either of us is our daughter. And I know there is nothing she treasures more. Your job and Angus's may well be the most important of all. This elimination of Burke is partly being done out of necessity because he's been just a bastard too many times. The other part of it is just utter revenge. You know, I never thought I believed much in that, but I have had a couple times in my life where I have wanted dearly to make an exception to that school of thought. I'm going along so that I can make sure Khaat comes back alive. That's why I"m going. Robert's plans are usually flawless, but he doesn't even need to think that he's going to run this one without us all looking it over and fine tuning it. And he's going to need all of us to overcome the obstacles he has to work with.

"I think we're ready to eat. Did we forget anything?"

Cassidy smiled when kate said her sorbet was very good then she went on to talk about how important her and Angus's roll was by staying behind with the babies " I understand, I see Dakota and Abbey as if they were my own little sisters, just..if you don't mind me saying, I see you and Robert like the mother and father i didn't have growing up "she glanced out looking at Angus. "Alone with Angus, " she said softly " what am I going to do?" she said slightly chuckeling as she looked at Kate hoping she wouldn't see that she actually liked him. she looked at the table and nodded " yes i think thats it " she moveed to the fridge and took out a large jug of fresh lemonade and placed it in the middle of the table and stood back."there" she said and smiled.

"Alright, then. Enough plotting and planning," Kate announced. "Come and eat. No one is doing this on an empty stomach."

"Yes, Ma'am," Brian smiled. He got up picked up Dakota, and Khaat picked up Abbey. They went to the table and put the girls in their chairs. Robert followed and took a place at the table as well. It didn't take long before plates were fixed and Khaat and Brian were managing the fine balance of feeding two babies while trying to get a bite in for themselves every so often. And, of course, Kate was powerless to stop Brian and Robert from planning the assault on Gelding's estate in order to kill Luther Burke. They had been to the estate before, and were the only ones of the group that had. They drew rough outlines on the napkins. Khaat just sighed, seeing her linen napkins being used as maps. She could buy more napkins, despite how much she had liked these. But inkstained, they were going to be useless at the dinnertable now.

Robert and Brian were pouring over the handdrawn maps while they ate and scheming. Brian was exceptionally good at multitasking. He was scheming, eating, and feeding Dakota all at the same time.

Cassidy sat next to Angus watching and shaking her head at how the napkins were being used she pored out a drink for her self then held it for Angus " do you want some?" she asked watching aas jess and jack chuckled as they ate steven just ate listening and nodding to what brian and Robert were swaying she could not help sigh as she ate her food.

Finishing she stood up and took her late threw to the kitchen and placed it in the dish washer, returning she sat holding the glass as she thought about whqat she had to do she smiled as Abby would tap brian when he stopped feeding her Dackota would throw her spoon to get attenshion " so how you feeling ?" she him trying to find something to talk about around the table.

"Sure," Angus said. "Thanks. Be glad they're being fairly quiet about it and civilized so far. It doesn't always go that smoothly. Especially when Brian and Robert disagree. And if Khaat starts giving her two cents, then expect the volume to go up dramatically." He took his plate and some of the serving dishes into the kitchen. "Cassidy, you're missing a very important piece of this. A couple of days ago, before you came back, Burke got to Khaat. He assaulted her--and beat her up pretty badly. It's thrown her confidence a bit--and Brian has become even more protective than he was before. Take a look. He's made a firm commitment to her now. As ironclad as it gets for a relationship with a woman who is still married to another man. He loves her no matter what. Look on her finger and on his. He's given her a wedding ring, and he's wearing one. They can't legally marry, but he is planning on a commitment ceremony. He does not ever ever want her to forget that he loves her and is going to be an equal partner in her life, no matter what. And if she needs Burke dead to heal, then he's going to see that she gets it. And at this point, Burke has victimized her more than all the children you've rescued combined. Robert will support her on this. It's pretty clear to us that Burke has slipped a cog. He's lost his mind, so his absence from the ranks of the living won't be any great loss. And if I know Gelding at all, he's probably starting to see Burke as a liability and not an asset. I seriously doubt if anyone mourns him. But if I know Robert and Brian at all, they are designing this whole plan in order to be sure that Khaat gets to make the kill shot herself. And they're going along to make sure she doesn't get killed in the process of killing Burke. Make sense?"

Cassidy listened to him and sat down when he said Khaat had been assaulted her mind went blank but all she did was take a deep breath in as she looked up at Angus " I hope she does kill him he deserves it " she said " I did notice them and was a bit confused by it, its good that he can stand beside her like that I have know men to run at the thought of ..." she paused and stood up poring a cup of coffee for her self she turned back to face Angus " so she wants to do this so he can't do it to her or any one else again " she said softly " I don't blame her one bit " Cassidy placed her cup down and continued to place dishes in the dish washer she looked at him " how do you feel about staying with me, here, I know you realy want to go " she asked " ow I feed abby, you can deal with Dakotas throwing game " she said and smiled " thes hope the plans they make now will mean they will be back before dinner if not wed have to think of something that would keep "she said trying not to think about what khaat ahd been threw she'd seen enough now he'd done it to one of the people she called freind she pushed her feelings down inside her.

"Khaat's husband is a runner," Angus said, putting the leftovers away. "Don't get me wrong. Rob Dent loves Khaat with all his heart, but he just doesn't have it within him to stand beside her when the going gets tough. There is a constant unstated competition between Rob and Brian for Khaat's affections. Khaat loves them both, but its Brian she comes home to. And he knows that.

"And, yes, I'll be staying. I dont' have any problem staying with here with you. It doesn't matter if I'd rather see some action or not. That has nothing to do with it. I'm a liability to them tonight. I don't dare go. They'd be having to protect me rather than my being any help. No, I can be of far more use here. I suggest we put the girls to bed in their playpen down here while they're gone tonight so that we can keep an eye on them. I think we need to keep them close to us."

The plans were finalized, and Robert sent them to dress for the nights work. He wanted them in all black so they would be harder to see. Brian and Khaat excused themselves and went upstairs. Robert and Kate apparated back home to change, promising to be back momentarily.

Cassidy looked at him as he continued to talk about Khaats husband " he's a coward " she said simply she felt alittle jelouse that she could have two men love her like they did and she could only find ones who hurt her. She watched him finish up and nodded she agreed that the babies sleeping down in the pen would be a good idea " I know Angus as I would be too , they need to focus on the mission and I understand that " her tone was calm " and I don't mind staying with you ether Angus, Robert tought me that sometimes we all have to give alittle to get later one what we need, besides it might give me a chance to finish that recipy book " she drew out a large well worn book from a draw " I found it in the back of a cupboard " she opened it to show him the ilistrations inside.