The Ties That Bind

When dinner was over, Khaat simply moved to help Kate with the dishes. Kate set spells in place to clean the kitchen and to store the leftovers. "Why don't you go perhaps sit on the deck, Dear?" Kate said. "Brian can make a fire for you in the firepit and you can sit outside and enjoy the stars. Its still early. Let me warm up your tea for you."

"That sounds like a good idea," Khaat said.

"Take a shawl. It will feel good as it gets cool tonight," Kate said. Khaat disappeared outside and got a shawl and brought it back. By them Brian had moved out to the deck, to the firepit and had made a fire for her. She went outside and sat down and wrapped the shawl around her and sipped on her tea.

"You alright?" Brian asked her.

"I'm fine," she said softly.

"Khaat," he said very gently, "I'm right here. We'll get through it. I promise. Believe me--I'm not going anywhere."

"You might have to keep telling me," she said.

"I plan to," he smiled, kissing her.

Cassidy watched kate and khaat and it kind of made her mis her own mother she moved back and sat in the kitchen flicking threw the cook book she hard brian and khaat out side sna smiled not wanting to disterb them she looked at Kate and dried the dishes that sat on the drainer " was that true that she nearly died having abby?" she asked rubbing the cloth over the plate she held more than once in the same place " I was going to talk to Khaat, but shes busy " she said and sighed " Clay is over the moon with me but I worried...Im worried come the time things will go wrong , the baby won't be the right size or ...or I have something that will harm it and I won't know " she said voicing her fears now to kate " I am sorry for bothering you with this but...but I don't have my own mother to ask " she placed the dish in the cupboard beside her then slowly stood up to take another " I kep thinking that maybe im not ready, i've nevr looked after anyone but myself before now I have a fiancee,a child on the way and 100,000 sickles in inheritance.".

"Khaat had multiple medical problems that you don't have," Kate said. "Khaat had been overworking herself for weeks, never going home. If she slept at all, it was for a few minutes here and there on the sofa in her office. Her husband had left her, and she didn't know how to face going home to an empty house without him. Robert and I tried to get her to move home and she wouldn't have it. She got almost no sleep for weeks, except some catnapping. Not only was that making her sick, but she was so grief stricken over losing her husband that she just stopped eating completely. Even when he did make rare appearances, the only thing he could get her to eat was his homemade cheesecake or french roast. And even that was rare. Her own grief starved her almost to death. Robert and I both knew she'd never carry Abbey to term. And she didn't. She was in such terrible health that Robert knew he should have admitted her to St. Mungos before the miscarriage actually happened. Rob caused it himself by adding more stress. He admitted to her that he was up to his eyeballs in illegal activities. She saw a side of him that she had never ever seen before. It so horrified her that she miscarried.

"Robert took her to St Mungos and that was when Brian came back into her life. Those two men who love her so much and I all stayed with her and we kept her alive and we delivered that little girl. Abbey's arrival here was a horror story. She was a delight, but her entrance was a horror. Khaat was in ICU for weeks. Brian was the one who picked Abbey up and took her home from the hospital. Khaat was still just clinging to life. Thats' why they're both so afraid.

"But you don't have any of those issues. There is no reason for you to think that you would. I'm only telling you so that you knwo why she is so afraid. Her experience and yours are not at all the same. Do not compare them. Got that?"

Cassidy looked at Kate some what stunned at what she was telling her , slowly she sat down " I never knew, and she thinks this time she'll.. ow , guess i have rotten timing " shew said and loooked up at her " and kate no I won't , Khaat won't go threw that again , she's got us to care for her and brian who loves her deeply even I can see that " she looked at Kate . Cassidy stood back up feeling even with her first she was lucky to have Clay with her. She finished off the rest of the dishes and looked at the balconey then at Kate " thank you kate " she said " now if I can only get a gurk...pickle i'd be set " she said and chuckled.

Brian had sat beside Khaat and had draped his arm around her, letting her lean her head on his shoulder. She was more peaceful with him here. He kept her grounded, kept her safe, and helped to constantly remind her that she was not alone.

"Do you think its a son or a daughter?" he asked her softly.

"I have no idea," she said.

"You're a seer. Aren't you supposed to know that?"

"Its not perfect, Dear," she said, smiling. "As long as its healthy and it doesn't inherit our...curse."

"Your father can supply wolfsbane for our child if we have to. I am not going to stress about that, and neither should you. Times have changed since it made Remus's life such a living hell. Whatever it is, we'll deal with it."

"Has Daddy told you whatever it is he's keeping so secret?"

"No."

"I don't understand. He doesn't treat me that way."

"He does when he has good reason."

"Maybe I need to research why my pregnancy test came out so different. That was when he changed."

"Leave it alone," he said to her softly, kissing her. "He is very capable of taking care of this. Let him have it."

"I know everyone thinks I"m being distant."

"They know you just need time to adjust," he said. "How about you and I do something together with them to make them feel all included?" She nodded.

Cassidy looked out side and walked out onto the balconey leaning over she looked down at the grounds chukaling at the asault course witch sat to one side. quietly she moved to a seat by the fire and sat down watching the flames dance infront of her as she took deep breaths in to quell her hunger for pickles that she had. she smiled seeing jack and jess walk out hand in hand they too sat and watched the fire together both cuddled together. Cassidy smile and wished Clay was there but knew he could not for he was not part of the organisation she was happy that she was back with her freinds again.

Brian looked over and saw that Khaat had relaxed enough to fall into a light doze on his shoulder. That was rare, and he decided to savor it. With two babies around, there was never enough of those quiet moments. And sure enough, it lasted about five minutes before Abbey let out a howl and then started to cry. Khaat woke, sighing tiredly.

"Don't get up," Robert said. "I think I can deal with little miss Dakota in there and her penchant for smacking her sister with her toys." He got up and went into the house. He levitated both girls with his wand and let them float out to the deck, along with two baby blankets. Brian reached for Abbey, when Robert floated her over to him, along with a pink blanket. Then Robert took Dakota and a yellow blanket and sat down with her on his lap. Brian soon soothed Abbey's tears away, as she cuddled into him.

Kate looked at Dakota who seemed to be just continuously agitated. Then she began to laugh. "Robert," she said. "You really do need to take her inside."

"I do?"

"Try a diaper change," she laughed. Robert showed the slightest trace of wrinkling his nose at the idea and then got up, sighing.

"Figures," he said dryly, taking Dakota and going inside.

Cassidy looked at the girls and smiled but it was jack who spoke first " hey I'l do that " he said and stood up " you got a bum arm or did you forget " he said and took Abby from him and moved inside.

" don't worry, jacks a wiz at dyper changing " jess said and smiled " he's use to our two wrigglers " she said and chuckled sitting back against the seat as she waited. Jack laid her down on the changer and took off her botoms quickly changing the dyper on her then placing on dry clothes as he smiled at her . Placing ehr in the crib he changed Dakota to be on the safe side. Picking up both babies he moved back out side with them both wrapped in clean blankets. Placing one with brian and one with Khaat carefully " all clean and happy U changed rthere clothes too abby was wet" he said and sat down " be fore you say it, it was my pleasure" he samiled and moved back to Jessica.

" eww I don't envy you that job" cassidy said wrinkeling her nose up just at the thought .

"Thanks," Robert laughed. "I can do it, but it is more of a struggle with one hand. Thank you, Jack."

"You'd better get used to it," Brian told Cassidy. "Babies have all kinds of things coming out of every opening all the time. They're just basically messy little people."

"Those are my princesses you're talking about," Khaat said.

"Yes, and they are pros at getting both messy and stinky," Brian laughed.

"They certainly are," Angus laughed. "Princesses my eye. I've cleaned them both up to know they are not royalty."

"Ah, well, royalty and superhuman are totally different," Robert laughed. "Maybe we should train Mo and Max to change them."

"No, lets not," Kate laughed. "They're good babysitters, but lets not do that. The visual on that is not appealing."

"Look," Brian said, "This place used to be a lot of fun. So, perhaps tomorrow we either need to go sightseeing or we need to go shopping or something. We need to do something fun. Any ideas?"

Jess chuckled at brian and angus " ow we know about that all to wel with three mess monsters , but we would not change them for anything" she said grinning to jack " ow shoping sounds fun my boys need new clothes and im sure cassidy needs to look at some maternity clothes for herself" she said and cassidy sighed rather loudly.

" I'd rather not think about that stage yet " she said and pulled her legs up to her chest as she looked at them " I can just wear my own clothes and leave them open ..ok way open" she said as she saw jess laugh.

" no dear you can't im afraid , your clothes will not streach that far " she said smiling " I think shoping would be good " she said and looked at Khaat "what do you think?"