The Ties That Bind

Robert used some wandless magic to start some appropriate Asian music for Tai Chi. He also conjured a huge mirror in front of him on the wall so the entire team could monitor their own movements. It waas not so he could critique them. It was so they could adjust and correct their own mistakes. The music was a reproduction of what he had at home, and Khaat remembered every note without even thinking about it. She and Brian had spent countless hours doing Tai Chi to this music. It was like an old friend. Khaat and Robert seemed to just naturally take the kick start position naturally, in perfect timing with one anohter. And she already knew Brian was perfectly in rhythm with them. He'd done this too many times not to be.

"Copy us," Khaat told them. "Its about proper posture, fluid movement, breath control, discipline of mind and body both. It doesn't move quickly, but it does require you to give it your all. Brian and Steven will be behind you and help you to adjust your positions and your movements."

Brian stepped up and adjusted Jack and Jess's positioning. It wasn't bad. It was close, but it wasn't close enough. "Good," he told them quietly. "Very good. Start there." He returned to his own spot and resume his position. Knowing they were all set, Khaat and Robert began to move slowly through the routine, giving them all plenty of time to follow.

jes felt Brian correct her and sighed she knew it had been a while but not that she had let it go so long , she chuckled as jack yawned as brian corrected his stance he groaned tiredly at him but continued folowing Roberts lead with jess who he noticed seem to be enjoying the music.

Cassidy felt Steven move her and it strained her calf muscle a little and glanced at Brian " it pinchs my calf, is it ment to?" she asked still moving she came to one movment and try as she might she could not get it and instead ended up on her butt on the mat looking at Robert " I still can't get that move , i have tried and tried " she said staying sat rubbing her calf muscle and alittle disapointed that she still couldn't make that move. She looked at him then the others .

Steven moved to her side and helpe he to stand " gentel movements" he said and showed her holding her hands he moved them showing her it was not all mucles " relax your all tense thats why your calf is hurting " he said slowly letting her do it her self she breathed in then out and he moved next to her " thats it just relax its not ment to hurt but focus he said and moved with the music and Robert almost matching his movments while keeping slowl for Cassidy to follow.

Angus finally arrived back upstairs with Archangel on his shoulder and bags and bags of food with him. Breakfast for everyone. He had had the same idea Kate had had. They had run into each other at Sparks and Angus had offered to save her the trip and bring the food back with him. She was grateful to get right home to the girls. He deposited the food on the island in the kitchen as Archangel flew off to go find a place in the living room to perch himself.

Angus had decided he was not going to give them his bad news. Not right now. It was minor. Just another inconvenience. He had taken care of it. He had a couple of battle wounds, but he had patched them, and his clothes covered them. He went into the living room to tell the others that breakfast was here and fresh and hot, but the room was empty except the eagle who just eyed him.

"Where did they go, Boy?" Angus asked. "Where's Khaat? Go find her." The eagle perked up at the command, listened for a moment and then lifted easily into the air, gliding down the hallway and down into the gym. He decided to perch himself on Robert's strong shoulder.

"Well," Robert smiled. "So you finally made it, did you, Boy? How was the flight?" The bird made some indiscernable slight chatter at Robert who left his position momentarily to pet the bird and then stepped back into the flow of it easily. In the mirror, he saw Angus come in, and his eyes met Angus's. "Keep going, All. I'll be right back," Robert said. He walked over to Angus, and the two of them walked out of the room together.

Khaat was sure that everyone had seen, and it certainly didn't look good. Not at all. Something wasn't right. She refused to lose her focus on the workout, though. Not unless her father told her she needed to.

Steven caught sight of Angus but didn't miss a move not yet but he saw Cassidy faulter and frown " what hapened to him?" she asked glancing at Steven who shook his head gently and kept going watching the door as he moved waiting for Robert to walk back in he was concerned at the state of Angus 's clothes .

Cassidy almost stopped as she saw Angus walk in " did he walk into ahedge backwards " she said pausing for a moment but then continuing she said but she soon found it hard and she ahd to stop " Im sorry i can't do any more " she limped over to a chair and sat down breathing hard and rubbing her calf as she sat looking at Brian as she did she had done more in that week with him alone but the gap had showed her how keeping it up would have stopped the ache in her calf than she felt .

Jack and jess worked together both enjoying the movements together each copying the other and working together but nether taking there eyes off each other. Jack was confused as he saw Angus but didn't stop he could see jess relaxing to it and loved that.

Khaat looked up at Brian in the mirror. He had seen too, but he was working as hard as he knew how to not be distracted. To focus, to work through it and leave whatever it was in Robert's hands. It was, for Brian, a matter of trust. He had to show that he trusted Robert with everything he had--and then some. And so he waited, focusing, working.

"Hold," Robert's voice finally called after a few long minutes. Khaat was relieved. She was dying to know what had happened. Brian left his position immediately as Robert and Angus walked back into the room. "Everything is alright. Angus took care of it. And I have seen to Angus." He looked at the rather bedraggled Angus and said, "Its alright. Tell them what you know."

"When I was upstairs in the house, I looked out the window in Cassidy's room and I saw fire outside," Angus said. "I went outside and saw that the whole estate had been surrounded by a huge fiendfyre spell."

"It sounds to me like when they couldn't breech the spells the concealed the house, they decided to use a fiendfyre to wrap around the estate and were just going to pull it in continuously until they had destroyed it all--the whole works," Robert said.

"I did my best to find the source of the spell so I could find the caster. Well, he found me. We...had a bit of a skirmish...."

"You dueled him," Robert corrected. "Flat out. And?"

Angus displayed the wand of the dark wizard he had vanquished. "The estate is fine. The spells are back in place. I have the crew from Paris doing damage control. The actual damage to the grounds is minimal. We're still alright."

"Well done," Robert said. "Well done indeed, Lad. That's exactly what its all about. He has a couple of batttle wounds, but he's going to be alright. He's got two broken ribs and had some deep cuts. I healed the cuts and set the ribs and wrapped the ribs so it cuts his pain. He'll live. Oh, and--here's the best part, he brought breakfast. Its hot and waiting. Class dismisssed on account of food."

Khaat and Brian went over to Angus, and Brian gave him an embrace. "Thank you," Brian said to Angus.

"No trouble," Angus grinned. "It was actually a bit of fun."

"You sure you're okay?" Khaat asked as she gave him a gentle hug.

"Fine," Angus said, smiling. "I don't get to do that very often. I"m just glad it turned out well. Go get the food before it gets cold."

jess and jack stopped and chuckle having too much fun jack slipped his arm around jess waist and walked her to the door Jess saw Angus and heard what had happend "the spells held ?" she asked " and the animals they all ok?" asked Jack knowing the animals were just as important .

Cassidy breathed out limping slightly as she moved to the door She heard his injurys and sighed " you just can't stay out of trouble , well I'll get breakfast you rest" she said and she moved to the kitchen and started dishing up the food for every one laying it on a large wooden table with several plates she found she tried to ignor the slight throb she felt as she placed each dish down . " Breakfasts ready come and get it !!" she shouted and sat down. She took a plate and walked to Angus " I have to admit to take on a wizard alone to defend a home took guts " she said and smiled, in her own way she was saying she had a new respect for him. " Here eat " she said handing him the plate.

jack was glad Angus wasn't badly hurt and smiled as he grabed jess's hand and moving with her to the dinning room sitting down he pored coffee and waited feeling rude to start with out the others.

Jess just followed and laughed lightly at jack " hay hungry horise " she said and took a cup of orange her self smiling at Cassidy who sat facing them and sipped her own coffee.

"Everything is okay," Angus said to Jess. "I brought men in from Paris, and they have the animals outside getting a lot of fresh air. The sun is out today, so it will be warm enough for them. The spells held. They never found the house. I think Robert is right. I think he was planning on just drawing that fiendfyre closer and closer, like tightening a noose. I think he thought he couldn't break Robert's spells, but if he just kept drawing that circle of fire tighter, he'd eventually take it all. I am so glad that Khaat and the girls weren't there. I can't imagine if we'd have lost everything Brian loves in one fell swoop."

He smiled when Cassidy joked that he couldn't stay out of trouble. And she was right. He smiled at her. "No guts, no glory, right?" he asked. When she was thoughtful enough to bring him a plate he was grateful. "Thank you. I don't know that I've ever vanquished a dark wizard by myself before, but I have to admit, part of me feels pretty good about it. The other part of me really doesn't like that I killed a man."

"You were defending your home," Robert said. "You had no choice. I'm glad you were there. I'm glad you had a reason to go back."

"Oh, jeesh. That reminds me." He reached in his jeans pocket and drew out Cassidy's necklace. It glistened in the sunlight as it dangled from his finger. "I believe this is yours, Cassidy. I didn't forget. I could not be more glad you left it behind. It saved us from losing everything. I can't believe I'm saying it, but well done. Thank you."

"Come on, Lad," Robert called gently to Angus. "Come sit. Get off your feet a bit and enjoy that delicious food you brought back." Angus nodded and sat down and took a sip of a cup of coffee, trying to unwind. Khaat and Brian were a bit quieter. It was like trying to watch a hundred boiling pots all at once and making sure none boiled over. It was hard to keep a watch on them all and to know which one needed tending to next.

"What do we do next?" Khaat asked her father.

"We go back to resolving this mess with Kieran. That's what we do," Robert said.

cassidy looked at Angus n at Robert as he spoke " hes right , don't feel bad about it thet man knew what he was doing was wrong " she said then she watched him search his pocket for something when he pulled out her medalion she beamed and moved to hug him " ow thank you , you know thats the irst time i have left it any where , strange huh?" she said smiling as she cliped it around her neck again " I am never taking this off again I'll get use to bathing with it on" she said now feeling happier she was wareing it again. When she heard Robert mention Keiran she frowned " well he'll be a breeze compared to that wizard " she said chukaling as she moved to the kitchen to search for something she co uld cook finding nothing she dove into her bag pulling out teh cok bok she had brought its battered cover told her it was well used and she liked the recipys it had . She finished her food and walked in to the living room toast in one hand and the other as she sat down facing Angus.

"Nobody expects you to respond while you're in the shower, " Robert laughed. "It might be better if you continued to take it off in the shower."

"Yes, please don't show up naked," Brian laughed.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it would create the element of surprise," Angus laughed. "Maybe you should go right ahead and wear the thing in the shower. I dare you."

Robert shook his head, laughing. He loved the humor. It broke the tension, and Robert believed Brian badly needed that today. Angus looked at Cassidy holding the cookbook.

"Why don't we do things a bit differently for lunch and dinner, Cassidy?" Angus asked. "Why don't we go check out the supermarket and see what is the freshest fish or meat and build our meal around that?"

"You're still going?" Khaat frowned.

"Of course we are. Unless you prefer we starve," Angus frowned. His ribs hurt, but not badly enough that he was not going to go to the supermarket. There was no food. It was necessary.

"Are you up to it?" she asked.

"I"m fine, Khaat," Angus said, undeterred. "And I'll have Cassidy with me. We'll be fine."

Cassidy looked at Robert then at Angus and blushed as he said for her to ware it in the shower , she could do litle but half her blush behind the book " ow i could jut see the mens faces if i did , it would definaly stop the firgting , be chilly though on my part " sh e said chukaling but still with a pink blush on her cheeks . she compsed her self a little when they talked about shopping and she was relived " ok I don't mind I can't find anything in here that we could do with whats left in there anyway " she said closing the book reveling her still pink cheeks she hoped nobody would notice but by the look on jack and stevens f ace they had.

Steven looked at them as he walked in f rom the dinning room and looked at Cassidy puzzled " ok did i miss something ?" he asked " or is cassidy trying a new blusher" he said smirking as he took a sip as he sat down close to her on the couch , jack and jess found a large chair and sat together. he waited for the explination that was to come knowing by her face it had to be good.