The Ties That Bind

Khaat heard Brian get up in the middle of the night, and she heard him explode in utter outrage. He even woke the babies. That was just not like him. Khaat got up and was a bit surprised to find Brian was nowhere in sight. She went across the hall and soothed the frightened babies back to sleep.

It was two in the morning. Once the children were back to sleep, she found him in the home office downstairs. He was doublechecking his bank accounts for some odd reason, and he was fully awake and 100% business.

"Brian," she asked softly. "Whats' wrong?"

"I have no choice. I have to go to Colorado. Now."

"Tell me. Whats' going on?" she asked.

"My idiot older brother. He's gotten entirely over his head in gambling debts, betting on horse racing or some such nonsense. He told some bigtime muggle crook that the ranch in Colorado is his to use as collateral against the debts. And it isn't. Its in my name. Well, it looks like the crook might be calling in the debt. I could lose that ranch. My brother? He can have that sot. But I want my ranch." Khaat repressed a smile. She knew how deep his hatred for his brother went.

"Do you think, really, you'd let him have your brother?'

"My brother is supposed to be a freaking wizard. He should be able to handle a bunch of greedy American muggles. If he can't, he's a bigger ass than I took him for. Yes, I would let them have him."

"I"m going along."

"Fine. Go pack. I'm sending an owl to your father. Asking him to watch over the estate and the girls. If we're going to battle muggles, who knows, we might actually need some backup."

"Depending on how many muggles we've got, then yes," she replied. She kissed him. "It'll be alright."

"I hope so. That place is worth a fortune." She laughed and went upstairs to pack for them both.

Angus came downstairs, showered, shaved, and changed for the day. He looked tired and very stressed. He was late, and he knew it. He was counting on having to do double time to catch up. Barn, Breakfast, Babies. He was relieved to see Cassidy and Steven up already. He said good morning to them on the way to the kitchen. He could smell fresh coffee. He was grateful. He sighed heavily, reaching for one of the large poppy red stoneware mugs. He saw Cassidy fixing breakfast.

"Thank you," he said, pouring the coffee. "That helps more than you know. I've been up with Brian and Khaat all night. I helped Khaat pack for herself, Brian and the babies, and then for the cats and Archangel. And then I've spent the rest of the night helping Brian look at his Gringotts and muggle accounts. He needed to know exactly where he and Khaat stood before they go to the States today. Then he needed someone to burn off steam with in the gym. I don't know that I"ve ever seen him so angry, and I guess he has a right to be. And now, I'm behind on all my morning chores. I am so glad you've got breakfast going.

"Anyway, since you have breakfast underway, I guess I'll go get the girls up quickly and get them bathed and dressed. Thank you. I presume Khaat and Brian will be downstairs in a moment. Khaat was still in the gym when I went up to shower, and so was Brian. And, believe me, you do want Brian to shower before he comes down for breakfast." He managed a tired smile. He sipped on his coffee, put it back on the counter and went upstairs to get the girls ready.

He came back a few minutes later, carrying a baby in each arm, and talking to Abbey. "She takes after her biological dad," Angus was laughing. "Her accidental baby magic was at work. She was transforming back and forth from a labrador puppy to a baby. It was making her and Dakota laugh. I don't think Abbey has an ounce of control over it. I think it just happens, but I'm thinking that if we feed her it will redirect her thoughts and stop the baby magic. " He put both girls in their high chairs.

By then, Khaat had dressed. She had chosen a pair of jeans, her tan boots with her wands tucked into them, , a shortsleeved form fitting white t shirt, and a beautiful pink crochetted cardigan. She brought down two shoulder bags, one for her and Brian, and one for the girls. She also had a pair of tan suede jackets, one for her and one for Brian. She expected her parents any moment to pick up the girls and the cats. She put the girls' bag near the carriers for the cats.

"Good morning," she said. "Brian will be down in a minute. He's dressing. I think he's better. Its easy for him to become doubly angry at a brother he does not like."

"He'll be okay," Angus said. "Kieran abandoned him a long time ago, and that goes deep for Brian. And this only feels like more abandonment."

"I know," she sighed. She went into the kitchen and got out a couple of coffee mugs and poured a cup for herself and for Brian. "Thank you, Cassidy. It smells great. And I see those apricot scones. You're spoiling me."

"I'm going to go to the barn quickly and take care of that, and if I miss breakfast, I'll grab a scone or something when I get back" Angus said, not knowing Steven had been there already

"Thanks," Khaat said, "I wanted to be comfortable today. Brian said this place is sort of out in the woods in the mountains, and said it isn't like we're going to be doing a lot of socializing, at least not today. I fell in love with the sweater when I saw it. Its surprisingly warm even though it doesn't look like it." Khaat made herself a breakfast plate and sat down to feed the girls first. They were both hungry, and she wanted to be sure they were full and happy. Then she would see to herself. "Brian's really on edge today. He really doesn't want to have to make this trip. I guess I can understand that. I only met Kieran and Fiona a couple of times. Fiona is alright, but she just seems to feel that she has a life of her own. They were so much older than Brian that when their folks died, they were already at Hogwarts and thought Brian was a little pest. Maybe I'd have felt that way if I had had younger siblings. I don't know. Kieran? Meh. I wasn't impressed with him the one time I did meet him when we were kids at the funerals of their parents."

"Kieran is an idiot," Brian said, coming downstairs and into the living room. Khaat could tell he was still seething. "Older does not make him wiser. I'll help you with the girls, Khaat. Give me a second. Good morning, Cassidy."

"We're fine. Take your time," Khaat smiled.

"What do I need to do to help pack?"

"Nothing," Khaat said. "Unless there is something special."

"I took care of that already. No, if you've done the rest, then we're good."

"I did."

Angus perked up at Steven's voice. "Oh. So I see. Thank you for taking care of them. It was a really, really long night. I think some of the men from Paris are going to take care of the estate while we're gone. Yeah, I was up with Khaat and Brian looking at this whole mess Kieran has gotten them into. I hope this doesn't turn ugly, but it doesn't sound like Kieran got in with a good crowd. Kieran isn't really a bad guy, but he and Fiona just literally walked away on Brian when their parents died, and Brian was literally an orphan from that point forward. They haven't spoken more than a time or two since. The reason Kieran lives in Brian's Colorado house is because he can't hang onto a cent. Brian lets him stay, in exchange for doing chores. And he's not good at magic at all, from what Brian tells me. Believe me, there is no love lost there between him and his siblings. He's doing this more to protect the property, not so much to bail Kieran out of his bind. If I'm worried about anything, its about Brian's stress level. He's just about had as much as he can take for awhile. Its the main reason Khaat is not taking the girls along. She wanted to, but Brian does not want Kieran to even so much as see them. And he refuses to let Kieran call himself Uncle Kieran to them. He was the one who insisted they stay home. So, yeah. This trip could be very interesting indeed. Well, since its all good here, lets go get some breakfast, then.

'Thank you for thinking of breakfast and lunch," Khaat said. "Brian and I have been trying to think of everything, but it sure isn't easy. And food? Well, that's sort of taken a low priority."

"Not with me it hasn't," Brian said. "You need to stick to your diet that I put you on. I am not going to have you losing one more ounce."

"I'm fine," she told him.

"For now, yes," he replied. "And I plan on keeping it that way. Anyway, thank you, Cassidy. I'll take care of dinner there--I think. If Kieran hasn't eaten me out of house and home and sold everything out from under me."

"Its all replaceable," Khaat told him.

"No! Some of it isn't!" he was angry again.

"Your art collection. Some of your best pieces are there."

"Well, at least they were. And they were worth thousands," he said. "I'm gonna kill him."

"We'll handle it," she told him gently. At that moment, Kate and Robert apparated in. Khaat looked at her father, who was already eyeing Brian rather analytically. Khaat could see his fatherly concern for Brian.

"Come talk to me about this," Robert said quietly to Brian. Brian got up from the table and followed Robert down the hallway to the office.

"I'm glad Daddy's here," Khaat said.

"Don't stress, Khaat," Kate smiled. She summoned a mug from the kitchen and poured herself a cup of tea and sat down with the babies. "Your father will calm him down. He seems to listen to your father. In the meantime, you eat. I'll feed my babies." She began making little cooing noises at the girls who giggled and babbled at her while they ate as Kate took over the feeding chores. It made Khaat smile. Grandmothers were wonderfully posessive of their grandchildren and this morning it was a blessing.

"So, one of you said Abbey was doing her animagus thing this morning?" Khaat asked.

"Yep," Angus replied. "Rather randomly switching back and forth between a labrador puppy and her human form. Just amused Dakota all to heck."

"I'm glad you thought of breakfast. It seems to have slowed that down a bit."

"We do get animagus babies in, in Paris. My guess is that she's picking up on your stress, Khaat. Stress seems to make them transform quicker until they get control of it."

"Well, that seems to be what triggers all accidental magic, is it not?"

"Well, true," he shrugged.

"I love her either way," Kate laughed. "She's a beautiful little girl and a gorgeous puppy, so whatever she feels like being is okay with me."

"Just don't feed her any kibbles, will you?"

"Certainly not!" Kate was genuinely amused with the thought.

"I can answer that," Khaat said. "Brian and his family were taking a vacation and were going through the village near the farm. They'd been in the area about a week and a half, and Brian and I had met the first day of their vacation. We were inseperable. Well, it was the last few days of their vacation, and they were taking a drive in a muggle car when their car was hit by a drunk driver headon. Brian's parents died instantly. Kieran and Fiona and Brian were in the backseat and survived. They were shaken up and pretty bruised but otherwise unharmed.

"In a small town like that, when there is a fatality, news spreads like wild fire. I told my father right away, and he went to the hospital to check on Brian as a favor to me. Kieran and Fiona were there, but they were angry with Brian and blamed him because he wanted to ride in a muggle car. They told him that if he had not wanted to ride in that car that their parents would not have been killed. Of course, it wasn't true, and it was a terrible thing to say to a young child. They wouldn't even sit with him in the hospital waiting room. They were on a totally different floor.

"Anyway, Daddy brought all three of them home. He took guardianship, but Kieran and Fiona never wanted anything to do with us--or with Brian ever again. Well, until Kieran got thousands and thousands of dollars over his head in credit card debt. He heard Brian had money by that time. Brian had been out of Hogwarts and working for Daddy for awhile by then. Fiona was married, but she wasn't rich. Not like Brian. Brian gave Kieran the benefit of a doubt and offered to let him live in the Colorado house. He gives Kieran a bit of an allowance, but Kieran has no intention of working, other thatn what he can do on the estate. He doesn't hear much from Kieran unless he needs something. He's lousy at even the simplest spells, so he just expects Brian to support him. He's not interested in getting a muggle job. He feels like Brian owes him for killing their parents and he believes Brian can afford it. They don't talk--except to argue. And Brian's anger about the whole business has only grown over the years. He hasn't seen Fiona more than once or twice either. They don't fight anymore. They just dont' talk. Brian believes the only family he has is my family. And for all practical purposes, he's right.

"But if Kieran really has buggered this up as badly as it looks like, then Kieran might be out on the streets by nighfall tonight, as angry as Brian is. We're not taking the girls to Colorado. Mom and Daddy are taking them and Mo and Max while we're gone. Brian does not want Kieran so much as laying eyes on the girls, much less touching them. And if Kieran ever dared to call himself Uncle Kieran, I think Brian would probably deck him. He doesn't want the girls anywhere near Colorado."