Wardrobes and wonders will never cease (Khaat)

Jess laughed oput l;oud seeing jack a bright pink duck " nice color Robert " she shouted down to them and smiled as the duck jack waddled to a corner and sat down loking at her as he quacked " don't worry jack i'll have a hot bath ready when Robert changes you back.

Steven nodded "yes Im ready " he said looking at Jack and chuckled " whats for me a blue goose?" he said chukaling again as he waited to see what the second challange would be.

The next challenge was a labyrinth. A hedge maze. "See if you can get out. In less than five minutes. No apparating out. Do it on foot. Oh, and just so you know? I don't know the way out either. I'll meet you on the other side," he smiled. He disappeared into the maze. This was not about challenges added to the maze. this was about navigation and speed. Once Robert got inside the maze, he moved at an easy run, about the speed that he used around the trail, careful to stop and track his way at ever turn, using the position of the sun and other landmarks to guide him. He had made it particularly frustrating, and he wasn't sure why he had made it so hard, even for himself. But he was resolved to find his way out.

Khaat could see the layout of the maze from above, from her vantage point within the house. She knew she could go get them if they could not find their way out.

Jess watched as steven entered the maze he looked up aftr a moment and then rn on twisting ahd turning till he found the center then he walked off to his left and madse a right .Jess looked at Khaat " should I tell him hes going the wrong way?" she asked knowing she was not going to as that would be cheating.

Steven turned a corner and hit a dead end " wow , wrong turn " he said and sighed turning back to head to the center soon he felt totaly turned around . pausing he looked at the sun and faced it knowing it always rose in the east and set in the west as he slowly made his way out of the maze on the other side he didn't care about winning just getting out of the maze.

"Well done," Robert said. "Well, I'd say our contest is effectively over. We're missing half the team. I say we abandon it and go get them. I'll just apparate back to the pond and rescue them. Well done, Steven." He apparated to the pond flicked his wand first at the little fish and changed Kieran back to himself. Kieran shook off the remaining discomfort of the spell and laughed. "That was good fun. I haven't been hexed in decades. We do need to try that again."

Robert looked at Jack and laughed. "Well, should I change you back, or leave you that way?"

Jess chuckled as she watched " seems the contest is over steven did well " she said then she saw them back at the pond Robert seemed to be talking to the pink duck that once was Jack and she chuckled again. " LEAVE HIM THAT WAY !!" she shouted and laughed as the duck flapped its wings then lowered its head. She smiled as she saw Robert turn him back to himself.


Jack could do nothing but quack that he wanted to be back to being human and was glad when he did turn him back he laughed and shook himself down " I agree keiran " he said and grined at him " its good once in a while but whats with the pink color ?" he asked looking up at the main house he smiled " jess is so for it when i get back for wanting me to stay a pink duck" he chuckled a sign he was going to trick her in a good way and not abad way it was then he realised he had never used his wear powers not once since that night and he breathed out happy at this fact , He knew now that he could be al human and looked at Robert hoping he ahd sen it too.

Khaat heard the distinctive sounds of Angus taking the turkey out of the oven. They would eat soon. Her thoughts went to Brian. He loved a good healthy meal, like lean turkey and the side dishes. She heard the others coming back inside from their running the obstacle course. Khaat was looking towards the stairs , wondering if she needed to try to find a way to see if he wanted to be with everyone else on their last night here.

Robert, laid his hand on her shoulder. "What is it?" he asked her. "Concerned for Brian?" She motioned to the empty place beside her on the sofa. He smiled. "Let's see if he's up to it. I know he'd rather be down here with the rest of us too. Let me go up and check. I need to freshen myself up anyway. He went upstairs, took a very quick shower and changed. He went in to find Brian awake, alone, and frustrated by being in bed. He had never found Brian, even as a child, to take being in bed well. "Your lady misses you downstairs," Robert said.

"I miss her. Is she alright?"

"She's fine. You want to go downstairs?"

"Please!"

"On my terms then." He helped Brian put on a pair of pajama pants and a somewhat baggy t shirt over it. He levitated Brian downstairs. Khaat bounced up, and Robert put Brian on the sofa, allowing him to sit up on a stack of conjured pillows. Brian motioned to Khaat.

"Come on. There's room for you too here. There's always room for you. Come sit." She reluctantly went over and sat on the sofa with him.

Jess smiled seing how khaat was with Brian just as a sweaty and rather smelly Jack wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck " ewe you smell like a soggy dog , mirster black heart go and wash " she said and pushed him away smiling at him " then you can come back " she said and kissed his cheek gently.

Jack moved quietly over to jess as she watched Khaat and brian but stepped back as she pushed him back smiling " ow didn't think i was that bad but if you say so " he said and smiled as she kissed him even if it was just on his cheek . Quickly he headed up the stairs and to their room . Showering he quickly headed down back down this time when he wrappe dhis arms around her she did not push him away but pulled back against him.

Jess felt his arm once more around ehr and smiled smeling nothing but his calogne " thats much better " she said and turned to kiss him properly on his lips " well done for not using your wear powers " she said and saw steven about to sit down on a chair " ah ha you shower too and change " she ordered and saw steven chuckle as he moved past.

" now I know how you feel mate " he said and grined at Jack as he passed them both heading to shower and change.

Kieran came down from showering and changing as well and was totally surprised to see his brother out of bed, even if it was just to the sofa. A few hours earlier, he had not been certain he was going to live. That had thrown Kieran's mind into places he didn't think it would ever go. He looked at Brian, and Brian looked back at him. An unspoken message passed between the brothers. Khaat hoped it was a message of healing and peace.

"She got much too worried about you, Dude," Kieran said.

"I know," Brian said. "But I don't die that easily. She'll get that figured out again. She used to know that. She just needs to remember." Khaat curled closer to Brian, not feeling like she ever, ever wanted to be out of his arms again. Without Brian, the world was just too unbearable for her to want to be in it.

And then her memories flooded back all at once. She apparated outside. Robert got to his feet and looked out the window. He saw her re-appear in the grass and began to just walk on the grounds in the sunlight. He saw her wiping some tears from her face.

"I think she just wants to be alone for a moment," Robert said. "I'll keep an eye on her." He hoped what he saw was the return of a memory of some sort. That would be a sign of her coming back into her own.