The Ties That Bind

"If I were a muggle, I'd be reaching for an asprin right about now," she said. "But I think I'll live. Actually, I'm glad he came back. I really wasn't looking forward to going off to try to find him. I was making a mental list of things to take with me, but, truthfully, I wasn't looking forward to it.

"I hadn't really thought about the fact that you and Jack have had to get to know the lay of the land. I just took it for granted. That really is the sign of a good security team, you know. The fact that I just don't worry about my safety. I just know that you guys make it your business to be there. That's the way it should be. And I appreciate the fact that you do it right. Would you mind, please, getting him back in the stables and securing it so that the animals are all safe for the night?" She was really relying on his experience to secure the place so that the coyotes didn't get them. She had read that coyotes were really crafty and smart and not the easiest to keep out of anyplace they really wanted to be.

"I would really enjoy seeing the place in the daylight. Especially the waterfalls. The waterfalls on Daddy's farm is, I think, my favorite spot in the whole world. If you dont' mind, I think I'll go back and at least get my head to stop bleeding. Thank you. It might have been breakfast before I had walked back on my own."

She smiled and said, "I"ll see you back at the house in a few minutes. Thanks." She apparated back to the living room.

Steven chuckled to himself " yeap and I know a few who would ball like a baby at what you took " he said smiling , ne nodded as she said she would see him later in the main house ok but get Robert to check...." it was took late she ahd gone and he shook his head as he lead the horse back to the stable he slipped off his saddel and bridel placing him back in his stall.

Walking out he moved to the paddoc and whisled the horse walked over his head down " ok so why did you do that ?" he asked listening to his excuse and shaking his head " if you want to stay here you'll have to watch your step that inclkudes throwing the wife of the man who owns you and your home " he said and ledi him back to his stall. sl,ipping off the bridal and saddel he shook his head " now behave next time or he'll send you away and i personaly don't want that " the horse nodded and whinnied turning to eat some feed from his bag.

walking out he made sure everything was secure and aperated back to the main house " Khaat have you seen Robert yet ?" he said walking around as he tried to find her to make sure she would be ok. As he passed the kitchen he grabbed a glass of lemonade from the nopw half empty jug on the table and walked to the bed rooms thinking she might have gone there.

Khaat apparated back to the house, but her aim was off. She apparated, not where she wanted to be, but into the master bathroom upstairs, while Brian was drying off after a shower.

"God! Warn a guy, would you?" he said, startled, wrapping the towel around his waist. Then he noticed she was dusty, dirty, and a bit dazed. "Wait," he frowned. He looked down and saw she had blood on her hand. "Where's the bleeding?" he asked.

"My head," she said. "I hit my head."

"Let me see." He examined the bleeding knot on the back of her head. "Ouch. That has to hurt."

"It does."

"Headache?"

"Definitely."

"Look at me," he said. She obeyed. "Your father needs to see this. We need to be sure its alright. Give me a moment." He quickly dressed in some shorts and a tee shirt and went barefoot downstairs to where Robert and Kate were still sitting around the fire.

"What's wrong?" Robert looked at him immediately.

"Khaat's back. She's hit her head. I'd like you to check it," Brian said. "She's conscious. Bleeding. Says she has a headache. Is getting one hell of a goosegg and its bruising."

"What did she do?" he frowned, getting up. "Get my bag. Where is she?"

"Our room."

"I'm going up now." He apparated upstairs into the bedroom and found Khaat sitting on the bed. "What did you do?" he asked.

"Can't see a black tree branch in the dark on a runaway horse," she confessed. He groaned. He sat beside her and began to check her carefully.

"I don't need to tell you that was stupid, do I?" he sighed.

"No." she said quickly. "Ouch."

"Well? Its deep, and its dirty. It needs cleaned out. Don't be a sissy."

"I'm not. I just wasn't ready."

"Well, get ready. We're cleaning this up," he said, going into the bathroom.

Steven found Kate and Robert just as Brian walked out half dressed " ah wondered where she ended up " he said " she zigged instead of zaging" he said following them but not entering the door " I spoke to the horse, hes sorry for you being hurt and promises he'll do as he's told " he said and sipped the lemonade in the glass he held in his hand " is it bad Robert ?" he asked softly watching as he cleaned it unable to hide his chuckle at their banter. He finished his glass and still stood " I said if shes up to it I'll show her around tomorrow , in the daylight " he folded his arms across his chest and smirked. He moved to the kitchen and placed his glass in the sink returning to watch khaat and Robert again and sighed with a smirk feeling every one was relaxing again.

"I'm glad right at the moment that I don't talk to animals," she told Steven. "It makes me be nice even when I don't want to be."

"Don't be angry," Robert replied. bringing out a wet cloth, "Steven's right. The poor horse has been in that stable stall for who knows how long. The temptation was too much You're lucky you weren't killed. How did you apparate up here anyway?"

"Steven's right. My aim is buggered up."

"Try not to apparate someplace for the next 24 hours. You're liable to endup going sideways someplace. That can turn out rather badly, depending on where you apparate into. Steven-- you all have to help her for maybe 24 hours. This sort of thing always makes her magic go a bit wonky temporarily. You'll have to keep your eyes open. You know the drill. It could get a wee bit odd. We've seen it before. Make sure nothing hurts the babies. The cats can usually take care of themselves, but we dont' want anything to happen to them either. Khaat, try not to use your magic tomorrow unless you have to. I'm not sure what will happen."

"Oh no," Brian sighed. "Please dont make anymore lovesick furniture. I think I'd have a meltdown if you did."

Steven laughed " ow yeah the coat rack too " he said and smiled at her " no worries i'll let jess and jack know , and walking is on the agenda , besides its healthy for you " he said and coughed rembering how much he ahd eaten at dinner and chuckled " and for me too " he said wincing with her as Robert placed the cold flanel on her head. Steven turned and left them to it heading back to teh livinbg room where jack and jess were watching the girls. Abby was laughing as she was tugging gently on mo's tail and dakota was chewing on a small yellow rubber duck he chuckled " teething huh , soon be threw " he said and sat down " Khaats got a nasty bump on her head , bewarned , Robert says it makes her magic go out of control " he said and lent back .

jack watched Steven sit down and heard what he said and groaned " god not more moving furniture last time it was an ottoman i belive and its still alive " he said chukaling seeing steven chuckle. He rested his head on jess's shoulder and she looked at him questioningly.

" and what pray tell do you want creep? " she said but quickly kissed his for head chukaling along with them " nope i think the babies did the last moving furniture or am i missing something here ?" she said

" cookies ?" jack said and jess rolled her eyes and stood up.

" ok, chocolate or white chip or cranberry, apricot ?" she asked as she moved to the kitchen " or should i just suprise you all ?" she said and saw Jack full face grinning at her " ok suprise it is " she disapeared in to the kitchen to start the cookies .

"As Brian tells me," Angus said, "Robert said it was both. He said Abbey had her own baby magic at least initially. But Khaat has had some wonky magic on at least two occasions. Once when she was on some sort of odd potion of Rob's. The other when she had hit her head and had a pretty serious concussion. Said things were flying all over the house--especially the kitchen. Didn't you have a tangle with the oven, Jack? Seems to me I heard you totally destroyed it and then had to set spell to rebuild it. And what exactly was it doing, pray tell, that made you use that werewolf energy and rip apart an innocent oven?"

Brian laughed, coming in. Robert had told him the story one night in Paris over a glass of firewhiskey. They were trying to decide if they really liked some Cuban cigars they had recently acquired. Neither, in the end, had liked them much and they'd given them to Michael who had accepted with delight and joy.

"Khaat's fine--at least until the short circuiting begins," Brian reported. "Robert doesn't really expect much for a few hours yet, although we could be wrong. I plan to keep an eye on the babies tonight just in case."

"Oh no you dont, Mate," Angus said. "One night of sleep in almost a week just doesn't cut it, my friend. We're all rested better than you are. One of us will simply iether move the babies into our rooms for the night or sleep in the nursery. We won't let them go unprotected. Besides. I have no doubt that Max and Mo will stay on high alert if we simply ask them. They love those girls."

Steven ,looked at Jack and saw the look of embarasment and laughed out loud waiting for his explination he saw him fumble for words and his cheeks turn light pink and shift on his seat nervusly as Jess walked back in.

" he was impatiant for his cookies and couldn't wait " she said and walked over to him kissing his cheek gently " took about two days to repair that cooker and one ring still dosn't work " she said and sat down next to him " they will be about twenty minets ,and no you can't check , its why I took over the cooking ...all of it " she smiled at him " god knopws what he'd do with teh blander , i dread to think " she felt him shrink down in his seat.

A few moments later, Robert came downstairs. "She's going to head to bed early to rest," Robert reported. "She has a devil of a headache. I did draw off a lot of it for her, but she does need to rest."

"Would an ice pack help, Robert?" Kate asked.

"Certainly," he said. Kate got up without another word and went to the kitchen to make an ice pack for her. Robert was just about to sit down when Abbey looked up from her toy--a stuffed penguin--and saw Robert.

"Pa..Pa!" she reached for him. His eyebrows raised and he went over to her and picked her up, kissing her cheek.

"Well! Good girl! You are smart. Very smart. That's right. I'm your Papa," he said. He looked at the others. "Thats about as close as we're getting to Grandpa for now. Dakota looked up, saw the attention and immediately got jealous. She let out a strange somewhat shrieking babble that really had no syllables to it.
"Ah," Robert laughed. "That is Dakota-speak for Kate. I'm Papa, and Kate is whatever the heck that noise is. Kate and I have figured that much out. Anybody want to hold Dakota for a bit? She is developing a jealous streak lately."

Steven chuckled and walked over " come on little on " he said and picked her up bouncing ehr lightly on his knee " better ?" he asked and smiled at her he had forgot just how much fun playing with a baby could be and he had to get use to it for when his own two were older. " I for got how much fun babies were " he said and chuckled as he then blew a razzberry on her tummy.

Jess chuckled " yes they are steven" she said and looked at Jack as she then melt her cookies baking and stood up " cookies are ready " she said and saw jack move to ward her " stay !" she said and shoke her head as she disapeared into the kitchen again.

steven chuckled and looked back at Dakota " maybe we should arange aplay date with my two when there older" he sujested " would keep these two ocupied for about ten minets " he said as he felt Dakota pull at his shirt collar turning he found her hand grasping his nose and yelled " ouch !" but after rubbing it smiled at her.