The Ties That Bind

Robert took the tea and sat down and sighed, relaxing. "Thank you," he told Cassidy. Brian wasn't long in the gym. He had pushed his workout to do more in a shorter time, and he came back feeling less stressed and more refreshed.

He was sorely tempted to ask Cassidy to make him a cup of the tea that smelled so wonderful, but instead, he went upstairs, unable to not check on Khaat. He found her asleep. But he also heard Kieran demolishing the guest room. His temper flared. He was about to go down the hall to intervene, and he heard Robert's voice behind him.

"Leave it alone," Robert said. "There is nothing in there, except Kieran, that cannot be very easily replaced."

"I refuse to replace him," Brian scowled.

"Then whats the harm?"

"I guess there is none."

"Come downstairs. Cassidy has made some wonderful tea. Let Khaat sleep and come have some tea."

"How did things in the barn work out?"

"I dont' know. Lets go find out. See if Steven and Jack have even an initial report for us."

"Okay. I really will kill Kieran if I have to put any of those horses down," Brian said following Robert back downstairs.

"Cassidy, we have a very anxious 'husband' who needs a bit of calming. Do you have anymore of that tea you just brewed for Brian? I think he needs it."

Cassidy heard the noise and was about to investagate when Robert came back " yes sir " she said and pored a cup placing it in front of Brian " i think there in the kitchen finishing a carrott cake i brought with us " she said chukaling " i think they said everuthing was ll right " as she finished steven walked in with jack talking between each other " that far stall is damaged i'l fix that when we go back and that mare thin she is going to foal any day now , she need the most food to bould her strength back up " satd steven " ow hey, hows the squib?" he asked as jack who now stood with him was going to speack but stayed quiet instead ejoying the aroma of cassidys tea that still hung in the air .

"Your boss broke his arm," Robert said, looking at Brian. "In three places. Broke Kieran's right shoulder, elbow and wrist. I set it, but Kieran is really pissed off with me because I refuse to give him pain medications."

"Yeah, well, he had it coming," Brian said, picking up the tea mug. "He decided he was going to break Khaat's neck. So I broke his arm. Sounds fair enough to me. Minimally. I'd rather have just killed him and gotten it overwith."

"Eh," Robert waved Brian's desires to kill Kieran aside. "Its far more fun to wreck him one joint at a time."

Meanwhile, upstairs, Khaat heard a loud bang against the wall behind her. Kieran's room was next door. And whatever it was made the wall shake hard enough that the picture behind the bed fell off the wall and down onto the bed, missing her by a fraction of an inch. She was angry instantly. She got up, and picked up her wand. She still was wearing her gown and robe, and she walked over to Kieran's room. Furious, she took her wand and picked Kieran up and threw him against the wall with all the energy she had. It made a deafening bang. She did it a second and a third time, until Kieran was screeching in alarm that she had lost her mind.

Downstairs, Robert leaped to his feet when he heard the first deafening bang. "Move!" he shouted at them all. "Get up there! Now!" Then the second and third bangs, just as loud, happened, followed by Kieran's frantic screaming.

Cassidy droped her cup and aperated up into the hall way in front of kierans door ,diving in she saw Khaat " khaat stop, you'll kill him !!" she chouted at her and moved in between them " Robert wants him alive doing this is not going to help." she said seeing Steven and jack run in behind her .

" what did he do this time ?" steven asked jack gave him a light shove and he glared at him " what he ushually deserves it " he said and saw jack shake his head as he watched waiting for Robert to arrive , jack moved to khaat and disarmed her quickly before she could do any more harm.

Robert walked up behind her and simply wrapped his arms around her and held her against his chest. "Now," he said softly, looking at Kieran's form, laying on the floor. "What happened?"

"He's destroying my house!" she was furious.

"Yes, Dear. I know," Robert replied softly.

"He's an asshole!"

"Yes, Dear. I know."

"I have the headache from hell, and he knocked the painting above my bed down on my head!"

"Ah. So you're teaching him a lesson, then, , are you?"

"That's the plan," she replied, seething. Robert began to laugh.

"Your poor head," he smiled, sympathetically. He kissed the back of her hair. "Did he hurt you when he hit you with the painting?"

"No. But I"m gonna hurt him," she said.

"Let me do that. Thats' what fathers are for, my darling," Robert said. "Give her back her wand, Jack."

"And husbands," Brian said. He walked over to Kieran and grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him to his feet.

"She's a crazy b****!" Kieran shrieked. "Keep her away from me!"

"Its about time you were afraid of something," Brian said dryly. "Well done, Babe. Its about time he learned some respect." He sat Kieran back on the bed. He could see that Kieran was experiencing more pain that he could cope with. He rested his hand on Kieran's forehead for a moment. "You're fine. Maybe a bruise or two thats new, but that's all. So what was all the bloody screaming about?"

"It hurt!" he shouted angrily at Brian.

"You sissy," Brian scowled. Kieran looked at Brian, and it was as if he was seeing him for the first time.

"What the hell's happened to you?" Kieran frowned at him.

"What happened to you? You're the one who is obviously allergic to exercise, decent food, good friends, family...When you live like you do, everything goes all to hell. You're getting what you deserve."

"But I"m bigger than you are--and a lot bigger than she is."

"She'll whip your sorry ass with one hand tied behind her back, wand or no wand," Brian said. "Try her if you don't believe me." Kieran reached up and ripped Brian's shirt, revealing Brian's well defined, muscular chest.

"Damn. I guess you do hit the gym," Kieran said.

"We all do. You still want to mess with us? Go ahead. Any one of my crew could make you into pulp inside of a few minutes. I suggest you leave my wife alone. I won't warn you again. Next time, she can just have you. Now, apologize to her and to Cassidy--both." He could see that was something Kieran just never did--under any circumstances.

"I apologize," Kieran managed to spit out the words. Khaat spun out of her father's grasp and left the room in a hurry, still angry. She felt Brian's gaze on her.

"Jess," Robert said quietly. "In my bag. The purple colored pain potion. Give her a dose, please. Don't try to heal that by touch. That will take the edge off that stubborn headache for her. Thank you. Jack and Steven, either reassemble the furniture in here or get it out. Whatever you choose. The rest of you, lets leave him."

"Hey, what about my pain?" Kieran demanded.

"Oh, so you're ready for help now?" Robert said.

"Yes," Kieran admitted, with quite a bit of difficulty.

"All you had to do was ask--nicely." Robert went over and laid his hand on Kieran's head and drew off the pain and sent enough of a sleep spell the same time that Kieran would not know it was two spells instead of one. He began to fall instantly into a light sleep. Robert layed him back in bed and covered him and increased the spell. "He'll sleep now for awhile. Let's go," he said to the others, leaving Jack and Steven there to help with the mess.

Khaat went back to her room and flicked her wand at the painting, putting it back on the wall above her bed. She decided perhaps she needed to shower and dress and that it might make her feel better. She opened the closet and sat at the foot of the bed, trying to decide what to wear.

Cassidy breathed out hearing Rberts voice and seeing khaat wandless. she moved to stand wi th steven and Jack who on comand gave back Khaats even who sigstd then looked at steven " you owe me a fiver " he said and took it sighed " you always win" he said and chuckled Cassidy rolled her eyes and watched Robert listening her self to his words . Jess had his bag back in khaatup behind them when all the noise had stopped she nodded and headed f s oom she had just found the bottle and moved to Khaat " here take this "she said offering the potion to her.

Cassidy had heard his apology and not f or one second belived it , she ahd stoped Khaat only because Robert and Brian wanted him alive or she would have stepped back and let her finish the work. She scoffed when he called Khaat a crazy woman . " you havent seen her at her worst yet" she said softly her eyes keeping locked on kerians as he spoke to Robert. she saw Steven and Jack repair the furniture as if it had never been broken and walk back out but she stayed facing kerian hearing him speack as if he was sorry then she saw Robert send him of to sleep then with a last glance at the sleeping man she left to make bread rolls for dinner.

Khaat recognized the potion all too well. Her father was upping the weaponry against her migraine, clearly. That potion usually wasn't necessary for migraines at St. Mungo. Only for the worst of the worst pain. "Give me five minutes and then I'll take it, Jess. I promise." She got a pair of comfortable cotton khaki slacks from her drawer and a red v necked t shirt knit top that had long sleeves. She took a quick shower, combed out her long wet hair and dressed. pushing the sleeves up to three quarters. It was just comfortable. She went back and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I guess he is through fooling around with it," she said to Jess. "We dont use this one much because its too powerful. But that shower really felt good." She positioned her pillows so she could lean up against the head of the bed and took the potions glass and took it. In seconds, she closed her eyes, her head spinning both from the potion and the sudden sensation of the extreme pain rushing out of her head and away. She sighed deeply, grateful for the relief. She also knew, though, what happened to those who took this potion and tried to get up. They usually fell flat on their faces. She decided she would stay put.

"Thank you, Jess. Thats' much better," Khaat said. Unusually, her stomach started to growl. She began to realize she needed a snack. She had somehow missed lunch or something. "Hm...I might have to go get a snack. I guess I'm hungry."

Jess sat on the bed waiting for her to return , happy once she had and taken it and laid down hearing her say she was hungry she shook her head bring you " no you stay put " she said i'll have cassidy bring you something " she said and shook her head as she move to the door " if you move you'll fall flat on your face " she said and smiled as a plate of food floated up to set down on the beside table " seems Cassidy preemted , you sure shes not a seer too?" she said and chukled " come on sit up and eat " she said and sat next to her. Jess sighed you know I got a feeling that he didn't mean that aplogy one bit " she said looking at her.

Cassidy was beating the dough for the bread fearsly to the point she was hitting the table under neath and cursing under her breath at what keiran had done to make Khaat act the way she had . she finally rolled the balls and place them on a tray after brushing them with milk and egg and placed them in the oven to cook moving down to the gym and turning on the tread mill to run out her anger a bit more she didn't notice if any body else was there but knew steven and jack had return to the stables to fix the last things that they ahd found wrong leaving her to run on her own.

"Tell her I said thank you," Khaat said. It smelled delicious and tasted good too. She had not had much appetite since this started with Kieran, but once her headache was under control, she had realized she really did need food. "Jess, keep an eye on Cassidy. I know she has nonsense in her past, and a man like him could really do a number on her brain. Make sure he doesn't get to her. He's not worth that.

"I'm sure he didn't mean one syllable of that apology. He did it because we had him at a disadvantage. I really wish Daddy would just get this done with because we could all use a few days without nonsense like his."

Downstairs, Robert wasn't being idle. He was working. Finalizing his plan. He finally summoned the cordless muggle phone to come to him, and used the phone numbers that were contact numbers of Kieran's, found in Kierans' paperwork. He made several phone calls and put his plan into motion. There was no turning back now. The team needed to be geared up for it. He didn't know who knew if they all knew how to use muggle weapons, but it was time to find out. If not, then he was going to try to allow them to use their wands, knowing that it would cause the American Department of Magic would be aroused if wands were fired in public. This would have to be carefully done, or he would be kickingn off an international incident and a political disaster.

Jess chuckled and nodded " she is young and with your father training her she'll learn, but I'll do as you ask " she said watching her eat then nodded again " I agree it would be better for all of us if he left but its down to your father to decide and knowing him he will be on the thing muggles canna phone right now trying to clear this mess up" she said " just don't think about it right now it will make you worse and Brian would not far well with you like a bear with a sore head " she said ofering her a glass of cold water " its potion free he only told me to give you that pain potion" she said and smiled .

Cassidy finished her run and walked back up intime to take out the bread rolls tipping them out she paused and sighed before maken more but with sesame seeds on top . soon she had plenty and turned off the cooker plcing everything in the sink. she sat down and pored a tea for her self plumping for a cranberry and orange flavored tea robert had made a while back that she had got hold of.