Wardrobes and wonders will never cease (Khaat)

Jess looked at Brian and listened she nodded and smiled " I understand Brian " she said and glanced at the stabkes that jack was still working in " all too well, I will talk to her " she said finishing off the bread rolls that she ahd been making some with italian herbas and cheese others with sesame seeds. Finishing she wshed her hands and made a fresh pot of coffee and one of tea.


Jack finished in the stable and moved to the barn fixing one door that half hung off its hinge his work load had doubled by his own choice, he wanted to keep busy. But something made him look back to the main house finally he had choosen. He would never use the wear side of him again, he would be that human man jess loved and not the wear that killed and hurt people. If there was away he would have asked Robert to take that half of him and lock it away in a jar, never to bother him again. But he knew it was impossible, he had to lock it away inside of him and for the sake of his family remain human till he died with jessica at his side. His mind was now made up. Now he had to prove to jess and khaat he was not that beast that attacked them, but the kind caring man who worked for khaat, because he cared for her like a sister. He walked back up to the main house and threw his shirt over his shoulder as he walked into the kitchen to wash his hands clean of the dirt and dust. He could see jessica on the other side of the kitchen her eyes told him not to aproch or she would hit him again.

"Jess," Angus said, returning from the basement,, "I'm going to restock the house today. If there is anything you want from the store, let me know. I'd ask you to go, but its more important that you stay here for Khaat. Jack, you're welcome to go with me, but you can't go smelling like horsecrap. Go wash off the horsepoop and you can go with me. Besides, I intend to buy enough that your brawn would be put to good use."

"I did make a list for a few things that I would need if I decide to cook," Kate volunteered. She floated a piece of paper to Angus. He snatched it out of the air and read it. "Should be easy enough. Ok. Consider it done. Jess, make your list. If things are more settled here in a day or so, you should come with me. We will trust that Steven and Brian are enough protection for you until Jack and Robert and I return." He did know that Jess and Kate wee very skilled with wands as well. Angus knew things were well in hand.

"Brian, there is a new room next to the wine cellar for Robert, and it has all the basics in it for him," Angus said.

"Thats a good spot. Its far enough out of the way that it will give him the privacy he likes, Thank you," Brian said.

Jess looked up and nodded to Angus setting about working on a list for him as Kate flaoted hers so did she to him " thats everything that I can see we need " she said and looked at Jack as he moved out and to the bedroom to change. Jess looked at Kate " what do I do kate?" she asked " I don't want to divorce him but i want him to realize he can't continue like he was " she said softly and sat down to face her.


Jack nodded " sure" he said and quickly headed to the bedroom and washed up splashing calogne to hide any residual smell that might linger and changed his clothes. He wore a dark pair of trousers and a light shirt with his black shoes and a denim jacket which he always liked. Moving back down to wait for Angus he was ready to undertake the trip to the store and carry all those groceries. He thought maybe he could get something for jessica to try and rebiuld his marrage with her.

"He knows. You've said your piece," Kate said. "Now, you need to decide what he needs to do in order to be acceptable in your eyes. We've decided he simply needs to apply himself to learning what Robert can teach him in order for him to be acceptable in your eyes. We can't decide that for you. But until you decide that, it won't matter if he buys you an entire tropical island to try to atone for his mistake. Power is an addicting thing, Jess. Why do you think Fenrir's movement has such power? The idea that someone can be more than what we were born to be? It can be quite intoxicating and very, very addicting. He's made a mistake, and he can't rewind things and undo it. But, if you tell him what you want from him he can do things better."

Kate watched when Jack came downstairs. "Stop it, Jack," she said, knowingly. "A little condemnation is healthy only if you learn from it. Too much, and it will eat at you like a parasite. Learn from it and move on. Its an easy mistake for a werewolf to make. Robert and I have seen vampires trying to do very much the same thing. Now--we need your help to bring back groceries. Go do that. You need to stay busy today. That's the best remedy that Robert or I either one could give you." She kissed him lightly on the cheek in a motherly fashion. Kate smiled. Somehow it seemed that no matter how old her "children" got, they still needed a mother and a father.

"GA!" Abbey decided she wanted Kate's full attention right at that moment and hurled a toy and struck Kate with it on the back of her leg. Kate turned. "You too?" she laughed. Kate went over and picked up Abbey who began calling Kate "Ga!"

"Well, I suppose that's close enough to Grandma," Kate laughed.

Jess looked at jack and then at Kate "I want him to be the man i married and give up any ideas of being more than he should just to take care of everyone." she said and looked at jack as Kate spoke to him and jess nodded " I will tell you jack black heart, I am still not ready to take you back, you have with me along way to go" she folded her arms across the front of her chest. She watched Abby throw her toy at Kate smiling at the small girls way of atracting her attenshion.


Jack saw Kate walk over to him as she spoke to him. He stood looking at her and sighed she was right he loked at Jessica as she spoke the look on her face telling him she ment every word " I know jess, I know I have a lot to make up for, But I do know one thing, you will never see that beast again, I promise on my life that I will do evrything to stop it apearing again" he said then looked down at Abby " I am never hurting an innocent as that....thing again" he looked at Kate .

'Then you have learned your lesson," Kate said simply as Abbey babbled at her nonstop, as if she were telling her something vitally important. It made Kate laugh. "I have a little girl who is desperate for attention. I think I will take her on a walk." She got out a stroller that had been brought for the girls. And of course, Dakota was instantly jealous and began screaming.

"Don't worry. There's room for you too," she said, putting Abbey in the stroller. Abbey was as happy as Dakota was unhappy. Kate put Dakota in the other seat in the stroller. "Would you like to go, Jess?" Kate asked. "I"m just going out into the yard."

"And we need to go," Angus said to Jack, grabbing a set of keys to one of the suv's. "Let's go." He headed for the garage.

Jack looked at Kate and sighed " I wish jess would see that " he said and looked at angus nodding he ws ready to go. He moved passed Jess who watched him then moved to Kate picking up dakota she slipped her into the buggy and did up the straps. " lets go" she said softly to kate not looking bck at where jack had gone with Angus " I know I can't stay mad at him forever but I can for the next few days " she said to her.

Jack sighed and followed Angus down to the SUV and slid into the passanger seat he closed the door and rested his arm on the window quiet as they headed out of the garage down the drive to the main gate. " Angus , I think i have just lost the one woman who ever made me feel anything" he said softly.

"Give her time," Angus said. "And you'll have to earn her trust back. She takes her position with Robert as a bodyguard seriously. It helps her feel strong and helps her feel like who she wants to be. Right now, you have good promises and intentions, but she needs to see you walking it out. She'll come around. Be patient. It'll be fine."

Kate took Jess out into the fresh morning air and sunshine. There wasn't so much as a single trace left of the ugliness that Robert had told her he had found during the night. Robert had cleaned up every single trace. He had gotten very good at that task, much as it wasn't something Kate had ever wanted for him. "What a beautiful morning," Kate smiled. "We really do need to get the girls out more now that its warm enough. They need to be able to enjoy the outdoors. Its good for them. Heck, its good for us," she laughed.


Meanwhile, Khaat woke upstairs on her bed, covered with a blanket. She had remembered Brian bringing her the potion. She already knew the spotting was gone. Her father had stopped it. There was still much she knew her father wasn't saying. She struggled with it. She curled up, sitting up, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"I might not be able to use a wand anymore, but I can still use a gun," Kieran said from the doorway.

"Its not that," Khaat said.

"So, what's on your mind?"

"Its complicated," she said softly.

"Why has that become the code for something we don't want to talk about?" he sighed. "You think I've forgotten my knowledge of magic just because I don't have the gift anymore? You think your babies might be like your famous uncle?"

"Maybe," she said softly.

"Then you shouldn't have gotten pregnant in the first place," Kieran shrugged. "Seems like you've done that at least once before and it worked out alright. And if Brian is a healer, why would he allow it if he knew the odds?"

"All very good questions," she said, knowing she couldn't tell Kieran the truth.

"Do you love your daughters?"

"Yes!"

"Do you regret them?"

"No! Never!"

"Then I doubt you'll regret these either," he said casually. "So if staying in bed wont' help you, get up. Do something."

"And when did you learn that?" she asked him.

"I learned it from you," he said. He went in and took the blanket. "Come on. Up." He reached for her hand. She took it and he helped her up. "Why is it you're the only one who can stand me?"

"Because you've let me see what's underneath all that crap you want everyone to see on the outside," she said, going with him.

"Come on. There's a fourwheeler in the garage. I can show you the estate," Kieran said.

"I'd like that," she smiled.

Jack looked at Angus and nodded " yeah, but till then i'm on the floor or couch. " he said looking back out the window in away he was glad to be out of the building but he did miss jess " I miss her " he said softly.

Jess smiled and moved with kate out side " it is beautiful out here " she said and pushed the buggy as they walked " its good fresh air it will help them sleep , I know it does with my two , and its good for them " she said looking at the drive " I am made at him but I need to know that hes truly learned and won't do that again before I take him back" she looked to kate and sighed as she looked down at dakota and smiled at her " there both growing fast " she said feeling it was time she changed the subject away from her feelings.

Kieran took Khaat to the garage and took her to a small fourwheeled vehicle. It reminded Khaat of a muggle golf cart. Kieran looked at her. "Don't diss it until you try it," he laughed. "It's actually a bit of fun. Get in." She got in, and he got in the driver's seat. He turned the key in the ignition and drove her out and down a trail to take her around the grounds.

Kate looked at them leaving. "Oh, good. She's up. Good for Kieran. I'm glad he got her up. You're not the only one with divided thoughts today. Khaat's doing some heavy thinking too. It seems Kieran has the remedy to get her out of her own head. It also seems that she has reached inside him and found something worth redeeming in him, and he's responding to that. I'm glad to see him reaching back to help her now. Its a nice sight.

"Jess, you'll get things straightened out with Jack. You both need just a bit of time. Neither of you saw where Jack was headed until Robert brought it up last night. Its a shock to you both. Robert did what he did because he saw Jack on a road to utter destruction. If we didn't care, we'd have never said anything. Do yourself a favor today. Do something good for yourself. Put some fun back in your life today. Jack needs to work off his negativity at himself. You need to learn that its not all bad now. Everything is alright. You're not hurt, your children are well. Its time you start to move forward now and start having some fun in your life."