The Ties That Bind

"That would work, so long as we're not gone long. The spell will keep him for a few minutes. And I am sure he's not match for Jack. Its not like he can get past Brian's spell that binds him into the house. He isn't going to go anywhere even if the spell does wear off. Besides, I'd like to check on Brian."

"Now where did my wand go?" she frowned. "Accio!" She commanded her wand to come to her. It snapped back up promptly, and she automatically tried to clutch it with her wounded hand. Her hand failed her, and it started to fall. She caught it with her other hand. "Useless," she sighed. She was frustrated. She was hoping Jess could help her. She felt useless as a healer without both her hands.

"I...guess I'll let you do the apparating this time," she told Steven. "We might have to hurry Angus up with those steaks or nobody will be awake to eat them. Ask Angus to go ahead and put them on, would you, while Jess is working on my hand?"

Steven chuckled and aperated her to the main living room where jack still sat . He stod up and moved to Khaat " what hapened to you " he asked just as jess walked in sleepily right over to from her nap and took her hand in her own" you know you both should be careful" she said and motioned that jack should go . Jack chuckled and aperated to the aprtment.

Jess sat Khaat down and undid her bandage with a sigh " ok Im not sure how good I am but I can tryand heal it " she placed her hand over Khaats and closed her eyes feeling the skin knit together hoping she was doing it right " Im sorry if I leave a scar but im sure a more experianced healer could remove it " she said moving her hand to show her it was nothing but a think red line .

"Nice," Khaat smiled at Jess. "Good job. Look, you can do this again. What you do is very simple. Lay your hand on it again, let your energy flow not just to the wound, but through it. Imagine it going down throughthe wound, through me, and down into the ground, and then the ground returning recharged positive energy to you. Imagine it just as a cycle. From you, through me, to the ground, and then back to refuel you. Now, try it one more time. Jeffrey isn't a healer that uses his hands. You need to learn that from my father or me or Brian. Jeffrey is an expert healer, to be sure, but he has his own style. And its not the same style that we use. Your style is closer to ours. You'll have to learn from us. Now, try it one more time."

Jess looked at her and did as she instructed noting how even the scar slowly disapeared and she fels better about it , more incontrol " that felt much better , more controled " she said finaly moving her hand to show her it was all gone . she smiled at her " never knew i could completly heal like that " she said now f eeling more confident in her ability .

Steven moved into the kitchen and smelt the dry rub " wow thats so going to taste good on those steaks " he said then looked at Cassidy and Angus " Khaat whould like to know if you can start the stakes early , i think its acase of were all hungry" he said taking a carrot stick Cassid smirk on her fy had just cut , he smiled at her protests but also saw the smirk on her face too.

"Much, much better," Khaat smiled. "Well done. Part of healing by touch is understanding how it works. The more you understand the process of it, the better a healer you will become. Perhaps you can help relieve me tomorrow during the day and help Daddy with Kieran so I can get some sleep. He can help you polish some of those fine points. You'll learn them. You'll also learn how different kinds of healing requires different kinds of energies. You know, we do a series of exercises in the healers' intern program where Brian creates illusions of various illnesses and injuries and they require your use of healing spells and energies in order to stop the illusion he creates.

"Once healers get used to that, we expose them to trauma room stuff in order to get them, in progressively more difficult or emotional situations in order to condition them for healing work. We also have the option of trying that in a more informal way, if you like," Khaat suggested to Jess.


"I think that's a good idea, Steven," Angus said. "Otherwise, everyone will be either in bed or asleep and they'll never get dinner. I'll go fire up the grill. Cassidy, please get the potatoes out first, then the meat so it can come to room temperature, and then the asparagus and the bottle of olive oil. I'd like you to brush the asaparagus with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Oh, and you'll find in the little white stone bowl on the counter that I have crushed up some rosemary. Sprinkle that very lightly on the asparagus, please. I'll be right back." He left to go out and start the grill out on enormous wood deck that ran almost the length of the house. It was huge, and it had gorgeous lighting for after dark, a stone firepit built in, and handcarved outdoor furniture that had beautiful brightly colored cushions for extra comfort. It was a perfect place for a summer night. It would not be that warm outside tonight, but still, with a jacket, Angus figured it might be quite wonderful indeed. He hoped someone had enough energy to enjoy it. If not tonight that certainly at some point while they were here.

jess nodded and smield she agreed " sure I would love that" she said and rubbed her thunb over the area then let her hand go " I want to know more learn how to use this better " she said with a new sparkle in her eye that she had lost so many years ago. Even J ack noticed and smiled at Khaat thank fully . Taking a deep breath he smiled " seems Angus is starting the food " he said and jess smiled taking a deep breath " smells wonderful" she sid and sat back with jack.

Cassidy did as she was asked and soon had the apraguse cooking on a griddle pan seasoned and lightly dusted with rosemary, the poatoes were on the table warming back up along with the steaks as she worked at laying it all out .

Khaat was appreciative of the fact that Jess had healed her. "Thanks, Jess. Have someone send a plate over when its ready, would you? I don't know how long my petrificus totalus spell will last. I'm going to go back over to safeguard Kieran from hurting himself or anybody else. Tell Steven I really believe we have another ten minutes at least. Tell him to take his time." She smiled and apparated back over to the apartment.

Angus accio'd the potatoes and the steaks, and watched them float out to him. He put the foil wrapped potatoes on the grill and then apparated a beer from the fridge. There was just something about an icy cold beer when one was grilling that appealed to Angus. Just one beer. Not a caseful. And he felt a bit self conscious, especially since Kieran's idiotic behaviors were setting a no alcohol tone. He didn't mind no alcohol, but he didnt' want to be labeled because he popped the top on one bottle of ale either. He decided to say nothing. Unless someone said something, he didnt' have to apologize.

Brian's nose woke him from his sleep. He smelled steak. Delicious, succulent prime steak, with Angus's signature spicy dry rub. It made his stomach growl and ache with hunger. He got up and went downstairs, hand over his aching, overly empty stomach. But the first thing he saw was no Khaat. His heart felt like it stopped. He stopped dead in his tracks. He didn't even see who as there and who wasn't. He only saw she wasn't. He was instantly consumed with utter panic.

"Where is she?" he asked Jack and Jess trying hard not to panic.

Jack looked at Brian as he aperated into the main room " she's with steven checking him , he gave Steven a split lip and cut her hand witch jess took care of " he said kissing her shoulder as he held her " now were going to sit out and enjoy the evening air.

Steven aperated soon after Khaat and loked at the bed grunting his aproval at the spell still holding " jess will send it over once its done " he said still holding the ice pack " i am not leaving you alone if theres any chance hes going to come out of that e said and sat facing spell anytime soon" he said facing the bedroom door as he sat .

Cassidy brought out the half cooked asparagus and placed them on the BBQ " they smel wonderfull " she said and smiled " the views not bad eather " she pointed out " out there so don't flater your self " she said and chuckled softly as she made sure he had plenty of everything he was using.

Angus laughed. "No," Angus said. "I won't. I must admit, though, Kieran's addictions are making me feel inappropriate for opening a muggle ale. Mugggle ales aren't bad, but they really aren't as good as a good old fashioned British wizarding ale." He took the tongs and put the steaks on the grill. It won't be long now. We'll be adding the asparagus in maybe 7 or 8 minutes--when we turn the steaks over. That should be plenty of time. We'll be eating in maybe 20 minutes."


Brian sighed, trying to de-stress. "Thanks," he said. "I don't mean to overreact. I just know what my brother has become. I'd honestly rather put him in a bug jar--for several years. Maybe longer. This is one time when Robert and I disagree. And I guess I'm glad I wasn't there when he hurt her and Steven. I probably would have changed him into something Robert would not have approved of. Maybe a doormat. I've always wanted a chance to walk all over him." He picked up a green apple from the fruitbowl on the table, shined it up on his shirt and took a bite out of it. "Yum. Juicy," he said, unable to wait for the steak.

cassidy smiled " thats good coz the hungry hords are gathering " she said . Cassidy nodded as she watched him cook " I agree but can't you get non alcaholic so they get the refreshment, but not the alcahol ?" she asked wacthing him turn the steaks over one by one.

Jack looked at him and nodded " I don't think he did it intenshonal, I think one of his hilushinations " he stood up with Jess and smiled " i guess so " he said looking at the fruit as spoke again " if you'll ecuse me were going out to the deck to check on those steaks Angus is cooking" he said and with Jess's hand in his moved out onto the deck and sat down on one of the chairs that sat on it.