Wardrobes and wonders will never cease (Khaat)

Jack sat with jess in the living room his hand always in hers as they sat talking soon eh puleld her to rest against him " I can see you didn't sleep last night " he said to her his hand brushing over her shoulders gently as he felt ehr shake her head.

" I didn't sleep at all " she admited to him resting more against him. Jack held her close and sighed.

" I don't think ether of us did but its ok now , after dinner you get some rest , I'll be right here " he said and gently kissed the top of her head. He heard Kate say dinner was ready and he stood up taking jess's hand and together they walked over to the table " smells delishiose Kate " he said and smiled as both he ahd jess sat down.

" ow I'll get the girls" jess said and quickly gathered both children placing them in their high chairs with a fresh bottle of juice witch they drank happily down. Jess sat next to jack and took his hand in hers feeling once again that there bond was stronger than it had because they now had an understanding in ther marrage.

OOC: DInner? Wait. Remember, this is the NOON meal, not the evening meal. Lunch. Not dinner. LOL

Khaat enjoyed the tropical taste that her large shrimp salad had. The shrimp had been grilled with tropical spices, and it was incredibly satisfying and felt jampacked full of vitamins and nutrients.

"Kate, this is truly one of the best chef salads I have ever seen you make," Brian said. "I love the mix of fruits and vegetables in the same salad. This is entirely delicious."

"Thank you," Kate smiled. "I have one for Angus when he wakes up."

"Give him another 30 minutes, and he'll be hungry," Robert told her. "He was telling me about a gourmet dinner he planned on making. Jess, if you help him, I think he'll be able to do it. But he is definitely going to need help. His arm was badly broken, and his shoulder was dislocated. Its going to be at least 10 days before all of that damage heals. He told me he wasn't telling me what he was fixing, but he is hoping you'll help him. And, Khaat, some odd little brown owl came to the wrong blooming window downstairs. Something about some clothes you ordered and need to pick up?"

"Oh," she said softly. "Sorry about that. The poor little thing had to have been exhausted. It was a long trip for him."

"He was. I fed him and took him out to the barn. I groomed him and made him a nest for him to curl up on. Where did he come from? I don't think I've seen any poor bird as tired as he was."

"Tuscany," she said.

"Gits," Robert sighed, disgusted. "They really should have used a muggle phone or something. That's too far for such a tiny owl. He's just a baby. He's an elf owl, but even then he's only half grown."

"What!" Kate nearly exploded in rage. "You should have told me! I'll see to him at once. Right after lunch."

"He's fine for now, Kate," Robert said. "He's sleeping."

"I will be the judge of that," she said, outraged.

Jack sat eating enjoying the vitamins nd flavors that came from the food he felt some what weaker but he knew it was because he had totaly subdued the wear side , the vitamins helped him feel alittle better.

Jess ate hers and nodded to Robert " yes sir I will , I t will be intresting to see his style of cooking and may be i will pick up some tips for my own at the same time" she said and smiled at them all. For the first time in two days she felt things might slip into a good rutine , no figting just happy people living and being who they were.

Jack looked at Robert and spoke " Robert , Sir how is the potion coming?" he asked as he ate more of the delisiose salad he wondered if there was seconds as he realy could go for a second plate , he loved it.

"Patience, Jack," Robert said. "Your normal potion should suffice to keep you from transforming for now. It hasn't even been 24 hours. I had to go back to England, get some things, and create a potions lab here. And this concentration does take several days to make. I know you're anxious, but as I said, the lions' share of the work is your responsibility to handle. No potion will control it all."

Khaat didn't even look up from her salad. Jack was overly impatient. She was letting her father deal with it. "Brian," she said, "I think I will go pick up those clothes this afternoon."

"Not alone, you won't," he said. "Can you lot do without us for a couple of hours? Jess, I presume Angus will have you busy in the kitchen by the sounds of it. And, Steven, its been awhile since you had a day off. Perhaps you'd like to go see Delilah today? I think Jack, Jess, Angus, Robert, and Kate can deal with it for awhile."

"I won't be gone long," Khaat said. "I could go by myself and come straight back."

"No," Brian said definitively. "Someone will go along. Preferably me."

Jack nodded to Robert " I understand " he said and looked at Jess " I will not slip again " he took out his potion and took his daily dose in front of jes " I made a promise I would not and i am keeping that promise" he smiled at her and began to eat again this time .

Steven looked up and smiled at Brian as he spoke and then he smiled "ow that would be great " he said and finished his food and stood up putting the plate in the sink " james is colicy and jayln shes picking of her her amounts " he said and smiled " but both are growing fast " he was happy to head back to her " I'll chaeck the animals and they head out if thats allright with you Brian?" he asked.

Jack looked at Jess he hoped some time during the evening he could sit with jess and just relax with her once again. Jess nodded "yes, I am thinking the same thing " she said and chuckled as she saw jack looking at her " jack stop that" she said and took his hand " we will get our time , don't worry " she gave his hand a gentel squeese.

"I'll go to the barn with you," Kate said. "I'm taking care of that baby owl myself." She got up and told Steven, "Take your time. I really do want to see that little owl." She headed for the barn.

"I'll take care of the dishes," Khaat said, "I need to feel useful." She gathered the dishes and took them to the kitchen. She grilled some fresh shrimp for Angus and assembled his salad, flicking her wand to have the kitchen clean itself. She put together a lunch tray for him and took it up to his room.

He was unsuccessfully trying to wash up and change his shirt. He whirled around and looked, embarressed at her finding him.

"Oh, come on. You're muscular enough that you should be proud of that chest," she laughed. "Besides, I am a healer. Need some help?"

"Please?" he sighed. She helped him wash up the dirt from his parkinglot fight very gently. He was scraped and bruised. She heard his stomach growl.

"Hungry?" she asked.

"I recognize your mother's spice blends any time," he laughed. "It smells incredible. But I do have dinner planned, if someone helps me."

"Jess is looking forward to it," Khaat said. "Oh, and we have a baby elf owl from Tuscany. He brought a message about some clothes I ordered."

"I'm going to choke my brother if he sent a baby owl. We have a flock of them, and they're not that common there. How young is he?"

"I dont know yet. My mother will make sure he's taken care of."

"I'd like a report, please."

"I will," she replied. She set up his lunch tray for him, and he promised he would be downstairs a bit after lunch. When she went back downstairs, her father had gone back down to his potions lab. Brian was feeding the babies their lunch, and both babies wanted food faster than he was managing to give it to them. It made her laugh. Both girls were getting frustrated with him.

Jess moved into the kitchen and smiled " good to see you up on your feet " she said and moved to stand infront of him " I presumb Khaat told you I am your assitant for a while now " she sid chukaling " first i think set the washer going , then arrange supper?" she asked looking at him .

Jack took the time to light a fire since it was growing cold at night now and he didn't want any one to get a cold. Now with it lit the glow warmed the room and he sat down for a moment .

Steven walked down to the barn and checked the horses and chickens he moved to the small nest the smal owl lay in and he smiled " well you not much more than a baby " he said softly looking at its plumage and his yellow eyes as the owl looked at him . " your beautiful " he took out a small pice of meat and held it out suprised as the owl took it and ate." theres more coming for you my freind" he spoke softly to him.

"These owls are tiny," Kate said. "They aren't used much in the wizarding world because they only grow to be four or five inches long. They're strong, but they really are teeny weeny. And this one can't be more than 6 months old. He's exhausted. They eat bugs mainly. I'll set Robert onto getting bugs for him. He can do that in his sleep. Right now the little bites of meat are better than going hungry." She looked and saw some of Robert's trademark bug traps in the stable windows and just inside the doorways on the floor. "Ah, he's already on it. Good for him. This little fellow looks in good shape, but he just really is too tiny to be dealing with this all by himself. Its a long trip for him all alone." She looked about and found a bit of soft warm flannel. "This might keep him warm tonight when it gets cold. I'll wrap it around him so he can snuggle down into it."

Meanwhile, Angus was busy, getting out a large package wrapped in butcher paper. "I bought some wonderful lamb chops for dinner. "I still need to french them, and that does need to be done by hand. It is a delicate thing. I should have had the butcher do that for me. I don't know if you've ever frenched out lamb chops before, but if not, Khaat can show you how and then you can do it. I'm grilling some vegetables as side dishes, and I'm making some potatoes au gratin--the real ones--not the nasty stuff the muggles buy in boxes and add water to. These will be the real thing. Do you know how to use a mandolin to get some paper thin potato slices?" He felt frustrated because he didn't know what Jess's skills were. It wasn't that he didn't trust her. He did, but he didn't know what she could do and what she could not. And a mandolin was no place for someone to start learning. Perhaps, if Jess had not used a mandolin, he could cast a spell to have the potatoes slice themselves on the ruthless unforgiving slicing device.

Steven nodded and gave the tiny owl another peice of meat " yeah, what about bringing him inside for now ?" he asked watching her place down the blanket feling alittle ticked himself at something so young coming all that way. he wanted to aperate to the man and shake some sence into him .

Jess listened to him and nodded " sounds al good and no I don't know how to french lamb chops" she said " Im more a grill with a barbaque sauce type " she looked at a slicer that sat on teh counter with a blade and leg underit " ah I know that it can slice or chip and you have to watch your fingers with the blade , I'll get on that " she said and took it down and prepered the potatoes. splashing on some water so the potatoes didn't stick she began slicing them wafer thin , picking one up she showed him it " this thin enouph?" she asked showing that he could see her fingers threw them.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do," Kate said. "When I find who sent this baby, I'll turn him into a toy for Dakota to slap around. That'll fix him."

"That would be Angus's brother," Khaat said, coming out to the stables.

"What!" Kate exclaimed. "I'll fire him!"

"You can do that?"

"I am an equal owner in your father's organization."

"You never told me that," Khaat frowned.

"You never needed to know," Kate snapped. She put the little nest in a wooden basket and wrapped the pieces of fabric around the little owl. "You go get your father. I want bugs. Lots of bugs. Right this minute, or I'll make him into a bug and feed him to the owl."

"Uh...okay," Khaat said. She looked at Steven, shrugged, and apparated out to the impromptu potions lab.

"I'll leave you to check the horses. One of them is ticky. They're not happy because there are no carrots," Kate said. "Carrots are treats, not horse feed. Someone is perhaps a bit spoiled." Kate took her basket and headed back to the house.


Angus was glad to see that Jess knew how to operate a mandolin. "Perfect, but don't let it cut you. That one is especially sharp. Use the guard on it so it protects your fingers," he told her. At that moment, Robert came with a strong purposeful stride up the stairs, with a canvas bag slung over his shoulder and headed for the barn. Khaat followed.

"My mother is in a mood," she sighed, coming into the kitchen and getting a mug of tea.

"The owl?" Angus asked.

"Yep," she said.

"I really am sorry about that. I'll make it right with her, I promise," Angus sighed.

"She'll get over it."

"Khaat, do you remember how to french lamb chops?" he asked.

"Of course. Michael taught me."

"Do you mind...?" he asked, pointing to the huge package of chops. "Jess is slicing paperthin potatoes for me."

"Not a problem," 'she smiled. "But I'd rather do it by hand."

"That's the only proper way to do it, really," Angus agreed. She picked up a boning knife and began to french each lamb chop by hand, tossing the scraps onto a large piece of parchment paper for disposal when she was finished.