Finding Femininity

"I guess I'm just used to working. Its what I've done as long as I can remember. Even as a little boy I was helping my folks make ends meet somehow. Thats not saying my life was bad. It wasn't. It was really good for me as a kid. I have a great family. And I loved being a part of whatever they were doing. Somehow they never made work seem like a bad thing. It was just what we all did to get by. And when I was doing it with a family member, I never minded. It was fun. I guess I just never thought of it as bad.

"Maybe thats why my work and my hobbies blur together. Before I took this position, I ran a yacht on the Mediterranean that caters to the wealthy. And my chief hobbies are sailing, all sorts of fishing and swimming, and cooking. So somehow when I'm working, I am having fun.

"I do know one thing I would like to give Khaat some help with though. Abbey's first birthday is coming up really fast. She was born on May 9th. And Dakota was born about a month after that. We're going to have two first birthdays to host. I know Khaat is going to want to make those days very special for each baby. We might want to give her some ideas. If I know Khaat's she'll be returning to a regular work schedule as soon as she can. She'll want her life back in order."

He took breakfast to the table and set it out and double checked it. It looked good. He returned to the kitchen and opened a bottle of perfectly chilled Italian prosecco. He saw nothing wrong with having champagne for breakfast today. And he knew that Khaat especially enjoyed champagne for breakfast. It felt like pure luxury to her. He put the bottle on the table and the baby bowls for the girls and called everyone to the table, knowing Cassidy would bring the rest.

cassidy sat listening finding he likes the ocean just as she did she would sit for hours just watching teh ships come in as a small girl dreaming of one day being on one. she chuckled " well all work and no play makes angus a dull man " she said " even if his work is fun too do" she said looking up at him her eyes lit up as he spoke of dakotaand abbys birthday " ow like baloons and abanner and two cakes one for dakota and one for Abby , streamers and flowers " she said smiling.


steven heard Angus and walked in sitting down he dished up his breack fast from the fruit salad and listened " that reminds me i got to get something for those two humm might ahve to ask Dalilah for sugestons shes good with that." he said and atse " good salad angus "

jess and jack followed and pored coffee and tea and ate talking between the two of them about gifts and things .

Cassidyt looked at Angus and smiled to her self as she ate her breakfast .

"No, no. Khaat will want to separate parties. One for Abbey and one for Dakota. I know how her mind works. She'll want one on each girls' actual birthday. Dakota was born a month or so later. She's going to want to keep those days separate for each girl. Dakota was born in June sometime I think. I have it written down someplace. And I know she'll have ideas for Abbey. I presume she'll have ideas for Dakota too, but I don't know what she's thinking."

Khaat came to the breakfast table with her parents and with Brian. "Khaat," Angus said, sitting down at the table, "Tell us. What are your thoughts for your commitment ceremony with Angus, first off all? How can we help? And second, tell us aobut the girls birthdays. What do you have in mind?"

"We just want you all to come to the commitment ceremony," Brian said. "We're just going to go have a nice time on the beach in Tuscany. There ceremony is going to be the only dressy thing to it. Everything else? Well, we'll probably be enjoying the ceremony in cutoffs and t shirts and barefeet."

"You really arent' going to do that, are you?" Kate asked.

"Yes. We are," Khaat smiled.

Cassidy sat and listened again to him " ow, I thought they were born at the same time " she said now intrested in wht he had to say about them " makes sence " she said sitting abck as she saw Khaat come in she wanted to know. she listened to her say the ceramony would be on a beach in tuscany but saw Brians reaction and smiled she wasnt sure if khaat was seriose or was just playing with Brian but ether was she couldn't help smile at Kates reaction to her saying it .


Steven chuckked " well it would be very cashual " he said and ate more breakfast as he chuckled , jess looked at steven and nudged him and he stooped they all hoped Brian and kate could talk her into a more formal one.

"I like the idea of tuscany my self but cutoffs and t shirts and barefeet" cassidy said trying not to chuckle.

"You do not really expect your father and I to show up in our barefeet do you?"

"I most certainly do," she frowned at her mother.

"And why wouldn't we?" Robert frowned. "My socks do come off." Kate looked at him, scowling.

"Robert," she frowned.

"We do know how to dress for a day on the beach, Katherine," he said calmly. "It'll be fine, Khaat. And, are you doing birthday parties for my granddaughters?"

"Certainly!" Khaat said.

"Khaat," Angus said, "I have a request."

"What is it?" she frowned.

"I would very much like the honor of making the cakes for the girls' birthday parties."

"You would?"

"Yes. I would. YOu tell me the theme, and I'll do it."

"You're serious, arent' you?

"I am. I can understand your thoughts behind your commitment ceremony, but I want to do the cooking and baking for the birthdays."

Cassidy chuckled then turned to face Angus as he spoke to Khaat about the birthday parties then she suddenly had a thought. " Khaat, do you think I could help with the parties too, please, I want to do something for them " she asked hoping she could do something " Even if its just to help Angus with it I don't mind. " she said and looked at her then at kate and Robert and finally Angus. " Of course if you don't mind me helping since it is your kitchen " she asked him as she finished her drink waiting to know what they thought . She actually like the idea of a beach ceeramony but realized she would have to go shopping for a dress she ahd only what angus had chose for her and none were dresses.

"It sounds like a good idea to me," Khaat said. "I do have some ideas about what I'd like, but you know I'm always open to your input and your suggestions. I'm thinking I want Abbey's party to be all done with dragonflies, like her room. And Dakota, well, since she likes Max so much, I might do hers in kitties. " She looked at Brian. "I am going shopping for new outfits for their first birthday. Thats all there is to it."

"I didn't expect less, Babe," he laughed. "But at least you can go now without looking over your shoulder."

"Not so fast," Robert said, sipping his tea. He hestitated before he spoke and then he said. "I really hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we must not forget Tom Gelding. We have ousted two of his assassins now. And we've bankrupted him at least twice in the last year, raided him at almost every auction he's done, not to mention the deaths of his father, and the deaths of Barker's father and Burke's father. He is still a powerful wizard and a very real, signficant threat. You might get a breather, Khaat, but you aren't completely threat free."

"I"m never going to be threat free. Thats just the way it is," Khaat said. "But I am not going to hide anymore. I will not role model for my daughters that they live in a world where they need to be afraid. I want my girls to be able to be independent, unafraid."

"LIke you," Brian smiled.

"No. LIke Remus wanted me to be."

"Stop it. You would not have disappointed him for one moment. But you do need to be careful still. Thats all I"m saying. Its a new day, but not a new world," Robert said.

Cassidy listened as they talked " erm...excuse me, but i have to buy a dress as well once I have been to gringotts to sort out my account , couldn't I go with khaat " she said then looked down at her hands " since all my money was tied up and I haven't had a chance to sort it out yet " she said softer as she then looked at them all " well khaat wants to go shopping and so do I what better way is there" she said looking more at Robert than the others for permishion but she ahd to get it sorted she ahd no money till then and she didn't want to look threw Khaats things again.

"Yes, you could go into London and go shopping," Robert said. "But you have never protected her completely by yourself, Cassidy. You can go, but just to satisfy a father's anxiety, you'll take an experienced guard along. You will be responsible for all the protection and the decisions. The experienced guard will be there to function only as backup. Consider it a test or a trial, if you will. If you pass, you'll get more of those opportunities. Does that work for you?"

"Works for me," Khaat said.

"If you're buying my daughters' dresses for their first birthdays, I"m going along," Brian said. "I want to be part of that."

"You really want to go?" Khaat asked, amazed.

"Of course I do," he frowned, a bit preturbed that she would think he might not.

"You're going on that knee?" Robert frowned.

"Yes. I am," Brian said.

"Then use a bloody stick to hold yourself up. Neither of the women need to be picking your behind up off the asphalt. "

"I am not going to fall."

"Yeah, yeah. And you've told me that before too. Do as I tell you, Lad."

"Oh, fine, fine," Brian sighed.

"You go, but she's got the heavy lifting on this assignment. You only get involved if she gets into something she cant take care of. Understand."

"Yes," Brian said.

Cassidy looked at khaat then at Robert " yes sir " she said now a little scared of what she had let her self in for more of the fact if something went wrong. she loked at Robert and nodded she needed her things and her life back and only way she could do it was if she went to London and sorted it her self regaining some of her strength and freedom.

" ok so when would you think of going?" she asked poring another glass she then waited for khaat to say she looked at Brian and nodded.