The Ties That Bind

"By all means," Khaat said. "Take Cassidy shopping. She needs it." Brian looked at her, confused. He had seen Khaat's maternity wardrobe. They had been the finest money could buy a year ago. The problem was it had been all winter wear. Khaat had spent most of her pregnancy across cold weather. She had nothing for summer. Nothing at all. She needed a whole new wardrobe herself, and he knew she knew it. He did not understand her tonight.

Khaat just settled in beside him and said. "Angus, didn't you need to go to the grocery store?"

"I do. Soon," he said.

"I think I'd rather do that."

"You would?" Brian frowned. That wasn't Khaat at all. "You sure you're okay?"

"Fine. I think you all should go. I'll watch the girls, like I should be doing anyway," she said. "And I'll have dinner waiting for you all when you get back."

"Are you sure, Sweetheart?" Robert asked.

"Positive."

"Very well then, We'll leave protective spells to keep you safe and we'll go."

"I'll have Kieran here. He can shoot a muggle gun, and I have my wand. We'll be fine," Khaat said.

"You're going to trust my brother?" Brian frowned.

"Yep," she replied. Brian frowned even deeper at her.

Cassidy looked at Khaat then brian along with Jess " Im sorry but am I missing something here I thought this was for both of us ?" she said " Im not going if your not " she said and folded her arms as Jess sighed shaking her head at cassidys stuborn streak. Jess looked at Brian "I see this will be more difcult , but she has a point shopping is never fun on your own" she said " besides casidy and I don't have any dress scence like you do Khaat , she'd come hom with all flower power things " Jack nodded his head.

" you should see half the stuff I had to take back to the shop after the twins were born, talk about out of style " he said and hugged jesscia closer to him " sorry honey but its true" jesica chuckled and nodded.

"When I was pregnant the first time I felt like I had to be a fashion plate," Khaat sighed. "I spent thousands and thousands. I'm not sure I want to spend that anymore. No offense, Brian."

"None taken," he laughed. "You spend what you want, Baby. If you want the best, we'll do it."

"But I have a lot of fall and winter and early spring stuff," she said. "Every season but summer."

"You will need almost entirely summer, Darling," Robert told her. "Very comfortable. Kate, I need you to go."

"You told my mother and not me?"

"Who else would I talk to?" he shrugged, as if it were natural.

"You both know this whatever-it-is and not me?"

"Yep," Robert said. "Deal with it."

"Don't worry, Dear," Kate said. "You know how protective your father is going to be this time. You've seen him deal with high risk pregnancies before."

"Not like this."

"You will always be his top priority in this life, my dear," Kate smiled. "And mine. No matter what. So, perhaps you and I can go to the grocery store while they're all still asleep, then maybe Jess and Angus can deal with breakfast, and we'll go shopping later. We'll put something in the oven to braise all day so dinner is done when we get home. Trust me. I've lived with your father too many years not to know how to multitask."

"You figure it out, then," she yawned.

"I already have," Kate smiled. She looked at Robert.

"Hormones," Robert said, with his usual smoothness.

Cassidy sighed and looked back at the fire again as she rested her head on her knees " guess i should get use to not doing much around here" she said softly to her self thinking it would have been nice to be invited on the grocery trip since it was something she enjoyed along with cooking. She didn't want things to change yet she felt it had for her at least. she looked into the fire and then stood up " if you'll ecuse me im going to lay down" she said and moved inside to her room.


Jess looked at Khaat and Brian then at where Cassidy had gone, sighing she shrugged her shoulders and held Jack's arms around her " I guess its a hormonal night tonight " she said loking at Robert.

"Oh for God's sakes," Khaat said. "I can't do anything right. That's it. You all go without me. I'm not going anywhere." She apparated out before Brian could stop her.

"I hope she ends up in her room and not sideways in the barn loft or something," he sighed.

"Shall I talk to her?" Kate asked.

"Someone needs to talk to Cassidy first," Robert said. "She does not understand that first time mothers don't always function well first thing in the morning. That, and she isn't going to have energy to do everything. Now Khaat feels like if she doesn't do exactly what Cassidy wants then she's offending someone. So she's opting out of all of it. These two women do need to find a midground here, or I say we dont' go at all. None of us."

"That's fine by me," Brian shrugged. "Jess? Jack? Steven? Any ideas?"

Jess sighed and shook her head " let me talk to cassidy, maybe she would like to go with you kate to the grocers, she does enjoy cooking and even pregnant she can still cook " she said and sat up from jack " as for the clothes lets just leave that for now there both safe to wear there own clothes " she said and sighed as she stood up " angus, cassidy can she help with the grocerie colection, you of all peole now how she likes that sort of thing, Im guessing the old saying to may cooks comes to mind and I don't mind standing down to let her take back over " she smiled at him " besides im best suited to loking after the girls anyway."


Cassidy lay on her bed she felt tired and heavy rolling to her side she looked at the clock beside her bed . A lot of thoughts spun in her mind as she lay. She closed her eyes but felt her tummy move . she lay her hand on it and sighed.

Kate watched Khaat apparate and then said. "She's safe, or I would know. I don't care who goes with me to the grocery store. It doesn't matter to me. I think Khaat has decided she isn't going. I think she's just really done with a lot of the arguing. Khaat knows that Cassidy us accustomed to being able to go wherever she wants whenever she wants to, and Khaat is getting used to not being able to go much of any place. So she pulled back. Its what she does when she gets really angry. She pulls back so she doesn't end up saying something she'll regret. She does have her father's temper. She tries to not let it erupt when at all possible.

"If Cassidy wants to go, thats fine. There might be others who would like to go too, for all I know," Kate continued.

"Personally, I think Khaat's original idea about everyone going and leaving her here with the girls was just to give her a bit of time without being surrounded by bodyguards every moment of her life," Robert said. "That feels oppressive to her and suffocating. Perhaps we should all go and let her and Kieran stay here with the girls."

"I'll go up and talk to Khaat," Brian said gently. "She's pretty angry." He handed Abbey to Steven and went upstairs.

Steven took Abby and chuckled " wow,ok my turn I see " he said and held her in his arms gently and bounced her making her giggle " I have to say she has a point and I like that Idea , breathing space is what I call it " he said adn lifted her up into the air making her giggle as he did . Steven sighed then chuckled at Abby " na Im fine right here, besides I'd like to takle that obstical coruse again " he said smiling at abby " so the next race we have I won't fall flat on my face half way around " he sid and nodded to abby as he blew razberrys on her tummy.


Jess looked at Kate and lent against Jack and sighed she had felt the tenshion from Khaat and it had given ehr a slight headache .Jack moved his hands and massaged her shoulders gently " better?" he asked softly feling her relax against his hands .

" much sometimes i feel the more I try with cassidy the les I know about ehr and the harder she pushs away" she said softly turning slightly to look at him.

"Whoever stays," Robert said. "Steven's right. Khaat needs a bit of breathing space. This business of needing bodyguards has taken its toll on her. She doesn't generally buck it or run off from us. Don't hover. She really has been taught to defend herself. Perhaps I've taken some of that away from her. I'm fine with her having some time for herself. Same goes for you, Steven. Make sure the reason you're staying isnt' to guard her. You'll defeat her purpose and you'll actually increase her anger rather than decreasing it.

"Jess," Robert said. "Let go of Khaat's anger. It won't help you. You dont' need to carry that around."

"I think I"m not needed right now," Angus sighed. "I think I'll go make a grocery list."

"I'll come with you," Kate said, making sure that Dakota was good with Robert, and she followed Angus out to the kitchen.

Steven looked at Robert and shook his head " nope I do actually want to takel that obstical course " he said loking at him and smiled " its got me hooked " he said and bounced Abby a little more " and Im in agrement with you to give her space " he said watching kate leave to talk to khaat. He heard Robert talk to Jess and saw her nod her reply.

" I know Robert and im trying " she said " I don't like having this head ache" she relaxed again under jacks fingers then felt it leave and sighed " much better now" she said and smiled " now I'll speak to cassidy " she said and stood up moving to cassidys room. She saw her laid on the bed and sighed walking in quietly.

" Cassidy are you awake?" she asked and moved to she could see her face .

" no Im not, go away" cassidy said softly as she sw Jess she gave a sigh.

" I know you feel left out and ignored and thats not the case, Khaat has ahd a dificult time and we need to give ehr space to come to terms with the fact shes expecting again" she said and Cassidy sat up to face her.

" shes not the only one whose scared , this is my first I don't know how Im suposed to feel or what im to do , nothing and nobodys telling me " she said looking at her .

"Thats because nobody can , each pregnacy is differant yours so far is smooth sailing and both of you are fine but khaat ...well roberts keeping hers under tight wraps because of what she went threw , give her some time to accept it just as its going to take time for those around you to accept you are with child too " she said looking at her on the bed. "if you need someone to talk to, at anytime just come and see me i'll try my best to awnser them , but just give khaat some time , we're all going grocerie shopping you can come too ?" she said softly to her.

Cassidy sighed and nodded her head and yawned " maybe later Im tired , so tired " she said and lay down this time she fell asleep. Jess stood up and pulled ablanket over her .

" Im afraid thats one of the downfalls cassidy" she said and chuckled , moving out of the bedroom she headed back to the fire pit where jack sat and sat down loking at Robert .

" she's asleep right now but we did talk she seems tense and scared over her own pregnacy I think i iliviated that saying she can talk to me anytime she needed, some one to listen is what she needs right now, like Khat her hormones are slightly off "