The Ties That Bind

"Lets leave him," Robert said. "But first, I'll at least set the bones for him. I don't know if I'll set healing spells in place or let him suffer." Robert set the fractures with a flick off his wand. The joints snapped back into place, with crunches that sounded almost more brutal than Brian's had been in their breaking. Robert immobilized the breaks and put his arm in a sling. "That," Robert said, "is going to be particularly painful. I want to see how he is going to deal with that. And how he plans on getting up off the floor. You're welcome to stay and watch the show if you like. I plan to--once I go see to Khaat's headache. I'll be right back." He stood up and went to the door. "Oh, by the way, I didn't forget. Nice work, Cassidy. That's exactly what your first responsibility and your primary job is all about. Well done. Thank you." He walked out and over to Khaat and Brian's room where he found Khaat sitting on the bed. He walked over to her.

"Look at me," he said to her. She looked up at him. He could see the telltale signs in her eyes of a very large and very stubborn migraine. He frowned. "How long have you had this?"

"It started sometime during the night," she confessed.

"And you didnt tell me?"

"I was ignoring it," she said. He sighed. He put his hands on her head.

"You didn't give me a small job here, Khaat. You don't get these often, but you let this one get way too far developed. The only way this is going to stop now is a strong pain spell and rest. Sleep." He cast the pain spell, and it was so strong, she fell forward right into his hands. He caught her easily, expecting it. "I told you. This one isn't going to be easy." Brian came over to them, and he and Robert put her back into bed. "Now--sleep. And leave Kieran to us today," Robert told her as Brian covered her again.

"Anything you want, Babe?" Brian asked.

"Coffee?" she yawned.

"No," he laughed, kissing her. "Go to sleep." She fell asleep in seconds.

"Robert," Brian looked at him.

"She'll be fine. She's just been up too long, stressing, trying to be all things to all people. By tomorrow she'll be right as rain again. She might have an 'afterburn' headache, but it won't be anything like this, and I can get rid of that for her. Alright. Lets let her sleep. I'll have Jess keep an eye on her today. That will be good for both of them."

Casidy nodded " I'll stay i want to watch this " she said and folded her arms she loked at him when he thanked her but said nothing instead looked back at the man on the floor and shook her head . Moving to a chair she sat down to wait her eyes never leaving Keiran on the floor still out cold her wand in her hand and anger sitting in her eyes and on her face as she just staired at him waiting for him to wake or do somthing . She wished Robert was there with her but knew he had to sort Khaat and she understood that.

Robert left Khaat to sleep and looked at Brian. "Did you get into the gym today, Lad?"

"Not yet."

"Go do it. I'll watch things."

"Robert," Brian hesitated. There were so many things he wanted to say to the only man who had treated him like family since his only family died. Robert reached forward and just embranced him. Then he looked at Brian.

"I am so proud of you, Boy," Robert said quietly. "Your parents would have seen you as the shining star of all of the three of you."

"You think?" he asked.

"I'm sure of it."

"Am I doing the right thing with Kieran?"

"You don't have a choice," Robert nodded. "Its fine. Now, go hit the gym. I'll do the rest."

"Thank you." Brian headed for the gym, and Robert went back to Kieran's room.

"Jess," Robert said. "Khaat has an enormous migraine today. I set a really powerful spell in place, but its going to make her want to do little more than sleep. And that, really, is the best cure for her anyway. Make sure you keep an eye on her. Ice packs might help the pain if she's awake,. And she cannot go all day without eating. She doesn't have to be in bed, but she does need to give it a rest. If she rests today, she'll be fine tomorrow. I'm letting you oversee that. You need to practice your skills, so lets start with something non-life threatening. You take care of her." He leveled his wand at Kieran and fired a spell to bring him conscious. Robert sat down in the other chair and simply lazily crossed his legs, watching.

Kieran woke, crying out in pain. Robert said nothing. Kieran looked around and saw he was on the floor. He discovered his entire right arm had been immobilized from his neck to his fingertips. He looked over and saw Cassidy and Robert.

"I know that's not Kate," Kieran said.

"No, it isn't," Robert replied.

"And to my knowledge you only managed to procreate once, did you not? Or did you procreate with someone other than Kate?"

"She's not my daughter," Robert said.

"That's what I thought," Kieran laughed in an accusing way at Robert.

"Get up," Robert said. "If you can. Or would you prefer to stay down there."

"If I can?" Kieran laughed. He struggled for quite awhile and managed to get up, but it hurt. It really hurt. He cried out again in pain and then looked over angrily at Robert.

"Why are you doing this? Weren't you supposed to be my so-called father?"

"No. I was never your father," Robert said. "I was your guardian. But you've been over 21 for a very long time. I'm not doing anything. I didn't break your arm, or throw you on the floor. What is it you want me to do, Kieran? Things not going as you planned?"

"Just let me go!"

"No," Robert said simply.

"Why not? What the hell is the point of this?"

"Because I choose not to. As you so often told me, I'm a bastard. Maybe that's why I'm doing it. Maybe I really am as evil as you believe." Kieran laughed.

"From a Lupin?" he laughed.

Robert leaned forward, coming almost nose to nose with Kieran. "You," he hissed with a cold, evil tone to his voice that he seldom ever used. "have no clue who or what I am. Push me enough, and you will find out. That's not a threat, that's a promise."

Jess nodded and set about gathering the ice packs for if she woke later and then sat quietly watching as Robert left.

Cassidy stood up when Robert walked into the room she turned when Kerian spoke her eyes still filled with hate she wanted to thump him for his words but stood her ground her hands pumping with rage " If i were his daughter i would be proud and honered to be. " she said almost spitting it out like a bad peice of friut " un like you who are nothing more than an ungreatful worm " she said standing next to Robert looking at keiran " how dosen it feel to have you butt kicked by a woman ,humm?" she asked folding her arms across her chest "... twice " a small smirk crossed her lips as she waited for his awnser.

"Oh, that's right," Kieran laughed at her. "You do know how to fire a wand. You're another saucy little tart, aren't you? Brian seems to surround himself with little spicy pieces of work. Well, I guess he really didn't fall all that far from the Quinn family tree after all, did he? Does he lay claim to you too? I mean, if he can procreate with his sister, then it seems to me, the boy can make it with anybody. You do know thats what us Quinn boys do, don't you? I do prefer little blond packages, but then, if you really wanted to you could fix that, couldn't you? Just a flick of the wrist and you'd be blond. I think we could make a go of it, don't you, Sweetheart?"

Robert knew that Kieran was just trying to bait Cassidy and see if he could annoy her, maybe get a rise out of her. He didn't move or speak. He looked at Cassidy to try to tell her nonverbally not to allow him to get to her.

Cassidy felt her rage rising with each word she wanted to waltz over and thump his nose but she held her gound beside Robert " just let me , just once " she said softly " let me just brake that pretty nose of his " she asked softly her brown hair pushed back over her shoulder but her muskes were tense waiting for a release which she hoped would be his nose " I would rather sleep in a bae of cobras then any where near you " she spat back at him even though her anger was much more she folded her arms across her chest " you make me sick" she said back at keiran " I hope you never procreate" she said at him hoping he would not see just how scared she realy was.

"She's got spunk," Kieran looked at Robert and laughed. "You train her too?"

"I did," Robert replied.

"Figures."

"But her spirit is her own. I can't put in her something that isn't there. It seems she doesn't want you either. None of the women on my staff want you. So exactly how do you get these women here when you do manage it.?"

"Charm," Kieran exuded. "Sheer charm."

"Dont make me puke," Robert sighed. "There is nothing about you that is charming. You're disgusting."

"Well, yes, I do have a couple of disagreeable things," Kieran shrugged. "Don't we all?"

"Some of us have more disagreeable things than others," Robert said pointedly.

"Just leave me alone with the spicy one for ten minutes. I'll..."

"You'll do nothing," Robert said. "I'm not leaving you alone with anybody. Settle yourself. Or I will settle you myself."

"So is he really tossing me out?"

"Yes. He is. Get used to it. Its coming--just as soon as we can manage it. "

"You don't think I won't drink again once I leave here?"

"I don't give a damn. That's up to you. Do us all a favor. Go to sleep. Nobody wants to listen to you. Its the same tune and its dull and boring now. Just shut up."

Cassidy roled her eyes at keiran " you could try, but you'd not live long enouph " she said but fell quiet as Robert spoke again she felt her stomach turn as she thought about what he could do to her. She was glad in a way his intrest had shifted from khaat to herself, but still she felt ang ry at him for at he had done to Khaat she hoped she could keep his intrest on her and give Khaat a rest . She looked at Robert " you going to use a sleep spell on him or just let him suffer ?" she asked smirking as she looked at keiran " ether will be to good for the likes of you"

"Let's leave him awhile and let him figure out how he is going ot deal with all those broken bones," Robert said. He looked at Cassidy and said. "Let's leave him alone." He got up and waited for Cassidy to go out ahead of him. "Let me know when you've had enough of that aching sensation. You might be more ready to talk then." Robert knew that Kieran was completely miserable between the sickness of the detox and now the triple fractures. He didn't figure it would take long for Kieran to wake up at least about his own misery.

Once Cassidy left, Robert left behind her. He heard Kieran exploded.

"So go! Just leave me here like this!" Kieran raged, throwing things in the room.

"Leave him alone. At some point he'll want our help, but until he does, he'll suffer on his own," Robert said. He walked down to Khaat's room and peeked in and saw she was sleeping, resting. That pleased him. He closed the door quietly and paused, laying his hand on the door, putting an enchantment on the door so that if anyone went in that didnt' have his approval, Robert would know. "Let's go get a cup of tea, shall we?" he asked Cassidy. "He's not going anywhere."

Cassidy looked at keiran then at Robert nodding as she walked out of the room pausing to look back as Robert spoke to a whinning kerian who was still on the floor . She stood her ground till he came out from checking on Khaat " its good she is a sleep she needed it I could see that and im not a seer" she said smiling feling her anger now leave her as she moved from the room kerian was in " yes sir that sounds great about now " she slipped away her wand and saw her hands still shook " sir..." she held out her hands to show him " is...is that normal?" she asked clentching her fist.

Slolwy dhe poured out two cups one of tea for Robert the other of coffee for her self she put two sugers in then added a third feeling she needed it sweet.