The Ties That Bind

"I think I'll start by looking for that bottle of wine," she said.

"Let me do that," Robert said. He got up and went downstairs. He took his time wandering the wine cellar and picked a dry merlot and brought up several bottles of it. Kate looked at his findings. "Excellent," she smiled. "I don't usually use something this good for cooking, though.:

"Its there to be used, Kate," Brian called. "Use whatever you like." Khaat leaned back and curled under his shoulder. She yawned. Her head pounded. She shut her eyes, and in a few moments, she was dreaming, The next thing Brian knew, there were brightly colored pastel bunnies hopping all over the house. Scores and scores of them. He sighed deeply. "I've heard that head injuries can lead to some bizarre dreams, but...really? Bunnies? Robert! Bunny patrol!"

"Um...yeah. There here in the kitchen too," Robert laughed. "Let's get 'em."

steven watched with amuzment as bunnies apeared all colors and one hopped over his foot " ok this is bazzar" he said and picked up a dark blue bunny only to have a yellow one knock it from his hands " aww now thats not fare " he said and chased it .

Jack laughed at steven and had two jump o him a pink on and a rather odd looking stripped one " ow stripes thats amazing " he said and grabbed for it moissing it as it jumped up and away " the babies " he said and ran to the crib where he found them sitting with a blue and pink bunny. Each bunny was trying to leave but each hand a part of them in there small hands gigling and finding everything funny Jack chuckled " seems we should hire the bunny busters here " he said and pointed to the two girls.

steven reapeared from behind the couch with two bunnys " Robert can you get rid of these, please " he said as one rigled free and hopped down into the kitchen where a loud scream came .


" ah!! ok thats it bunny stew " came jesses voice as she chased it out with a knife " whats going on ?" she asked holding the knife less threataning ant at ehr side " I was cutting veg and the next thing i knew a rabbit had started to eat them ," she said

"What do you think is going on?" Robert asked, so far not moving to get rid of the bunnies. Jess's shouting woke Khaat from where she was sleeping beside where Brian was sitting. She looked groggily and saw the multicolored bunnies. She just sighed heavily.

"You do have weird dreams, Babe," Brian said, laughing.

"You do not have the right to intrude into my dreams," she said.

"When you bring them into our world, then you invite us into your dreams, like it or not," Robert said. He flicked his wand. "Finite!" The bunnies disappeared and immediately the babies started to cry because their bunnies had vanished. Robert conjured two stuffed bunnies and gave one to each of them. That appeared to appease them at least momentarily.

"You know," he said. "They are going to be good wizards when they're older. They are already learning to just accept magic as part of their daily lives, and they are getting really good at just rolling with the unusual when it happens. They will be better prepared than a lot of kids who get on the Hogwarts Express for the first time."

"Then perhaps I should be glad I could accomodate them," she sighed.

"What I'm saying is that there is a good side to everything. And, Jess, be glad she was dreaming of bunnies and not lions," Robert laughed.

Steven saw the bunnie disapear and stood up from behinds a couch and quickly he moved to sit down " glad thats over " he said looking a litle sweaty as he wiped his brow. He wondered what else could happen with khaats dreams coming to life he folded his arms and could not help but chuckle at the thoughts that spun in his head.

Jess was glad when the bunnies left as she returned to cooking clearing teh half eated vegtables and starting fresh again with a deep sigh soon she was done and waited watching Kate working on the spagettti sauce she was fasinated and wanted to learn more she felt a bit like an amiture seeing she only ever cooked home meals.

Khaat looked at her father, "Please. Bind my magic."

"Not gonna do it," he said. "You haven't hurt anybody. And besides, it brightens up our day and keeps your guards on their toes. Lighten up. Its not a curse. Its an injury. We've dealt with it at St. Mungos before, and you've been through it before, yourself, and lived. Think about it this way--if nothing else its good to test Steven's flexibility and see how well he crawls through small spaces." That made Brian laugh out loud.

"You know, I haven't made that a part of the training, but maybe I should," Brian laughed.

"Hmm," Robert said thoughtfully, envisioning a military style obstacle course. "Might be worth a thought."

"And exactly where would you put this?" Khaat frowned, knowing there was not enough space in the Paris headquarters for that.

"Here," Robert said promptly.

"That would work," Brian said.

"I"m sorry, you guys," she looked at Jack and Steven. I did not mean to plant that in his head. My apologies."

Meanwhile, Kate looked at Jess. "I can hear your thoughts, Jess," she smiled. "I'm just a home cook, like you. I"m just a lot older and had a bit more time in the kitchen that you have. You're a wonderful cook. Don't sell yourself short. You're welcome to any recipes I have. So far as I know, Angus is the only one who is anywhere close to a professional chef, but I have never heard one time anyone complain about anything you made. Not ever."

Steven laughed and looekd at Khaat " thats ok might keep us fit while were here , could turn this place into the orgasatios training ground american divishion" he said and chuckled " ow and small spaces don't bother me its whats hiding in those small spaces that does " he said hearing jack laugh beside him.


" ow right like the time you ran from a spaider in the closet " he said and steven looked pink on his cheeks " yeah he had a spider in the closet he was too afraid to move it" he said .

" hey did you see the size of that thing , it was as big as a quater , I swear " he said but laughed too.


Jess looked at Kate and smiled " I should block them better but im still getting use to doing it thanks to jeffery " she said and smiled " your a much better one than I am , i have to sit for hours looking threw books to get ideas where you can get them off the top of your head " she said " no they haven't , even cassidy ate before she left even if it was just a little, I do hope shes all right, she was acting all moody then the letter about her father" she sighed as she pored a cup of coffee " I worry about her "

"Cassidy is fine," Kate just smiled. "Why do you think you need to learn how to block your thoughts from another seer? There is a huge difference between leglimens and occlumency. I can understand why you might not want to hear others thoughts. It is helpful to be able to turn down the volume at least on some of that stuff. But what reason do you have for wanting to block others from reading you? Especially people you trust? Actually, thats something I dont' typically waste my energy on. Blocking out an enemy is another matter altogether. But you're not in the presence of an enemy. Maybe its time to stand down just a little.

"As for my ideas for cooking, I just try to make good use of what the freshest foods are that I have--or the fresh ones that I don't want to spoil. I guess thats what comes from living on a farm. And since the produce that Angus bought is all organic it will spoil quicker thant the stuff that hasn't been sprayed with all sorts of artificial preservatives. So I try to make good use of that. Maybe you need to spend more time over at my place in the summers when what we eat shifts by what fruits and vegetables are in season. It changes drastically all year round, but especially in the summertime. You're welcome to come any time you want. You know that."

Jess listened to her feeling she was right she ahd spent too much energy on blocking her thoughts and less on blocking those coming in " your right I guess i just put too many barriors up " she said and smile more when she said cassidy was fine " thats good " was all she said listening more to her as she spoke about the farm and fresh vegtables " I should , all i ever knew about cooking was what i learned myself my mother wasn't one for cooking and prefered me out of her way" she smiled sipping her coffee at Kate " I'd love to come out to the farm on my days off " she sighed and realxed loking at jack and steven shaking her head.


Steven chuckled " it was big ...I don't like spiders " he finally admitted to jacks delight as he burst into laughter again holding his stomack from all the laughing " yeah yeah we get it jack me a big guy scared of a small spider " he saw jess smile and shake her head.

"Hang out with Robert more, Steven," Kate said. "That would cure you in a hurry. He's got those bloody bugjars all over the house. I dont' even notice them anymore."

"I like bugs," Robert shrugged simply.

"Well, and it is a handy spell when you can change anyone who irritates you into something small enough to put in a jar on a shelf and forget about them."

"I dont' forget about them," Robert frowned. "They all have to be fed, the jars have to be cleaned, like any other caged animal. Its a lot of work." Khaat well knew that he spent a lot of hours in his study at home. And she knew a great many of them were in taking care of those bug jars.

"Brian," Khaat said, changing subjects, "Any chance I can go shopping while we're here?"

"Shopping? What for?" he asked.

"Easter and Abbey and Dakota's first birthdays. Its coming up really fast."

"If you like," he said.

"Its not a matter of whether I want to. Its a matter that I need to. And I need to shop for myself for summer clothes," she said.

"That's one trip I'll make with you," he said.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"I'm positive," he replied

Steven looked at Robert and chuckled to himself " ow its not the bug that bother me it just spiders that do" he said and too a sip of his coffee that he now held in his hand . Jack nodded as he sat still siping his own .

" ow I saw those once " he said and smiled " hes got alot I'll tell you " he said as jess moved to sit with him and she slipped his arm around her shoulder to pull her against him and holding her he could see she was tired " you ok?" he asked her softly.

Jess nodded she was and smiled " just working too hard at the wrong thing , now i stopped it kinda making me feel tired " she said looking at kate and took a dep breath leaning on him more than she would have liked but she also knew a good nights sleep would help also.