Rain

Kate frowned, watching Jess leave just before they winning move in the game. She didn't understand. She didn't know if they all had just bored Jess that badly, or if somehow they hadn't made clear the king was in danger and not taken. The game had not been over. She just looked at Michael and Robert.

"I expect you two to finish the game," she frowned at them.


When morning came, Khaat woke slowly, heavily, just as it was getting light. She was aching. Her head hurt. She remembered of having horrible dreams during the night. She shifted in bed and rolled closer to Brian--except that his face was fuzzy. She jumped, waking up more fully now, and saw she was not in her own room. She looked to see who she was with. She was laying in bed curled next to Michael, who was awake and reading a book. She let out a small shriek.

"Well, good morning to you too," he laughed as she scrambled to clutch at the covers to cover herself, feeling totally humiliated. "Why are you hiding? Your evening gowns cover less. And did you seriously think I would take advantage of my goddaughter when she was having a vision and was not herself? I'm a cad, but not that kind of a cad. Think of it as merely sleep walking."

"Brian's going to think..." she began.

"He knows. As you can see, I left the door open. He found you shortly after you came in and made yourself at home."

"How long have a been here?"

"About 3 hours."

"Well, at least my father doesn't know."

"Of course he does. You've never been sleepwalking in your life. Who do you think diagnosed that you were caught up in a vision last night? You just went from sleeping, to dreaming, to having a vision and back to sleep again and never woke up. Your mother's done it a time or two."

"Great!" she sighed. "So everyone knows but me."

"No, you know now too. I'd say its pretty much everyone."

"Oh good, That makes me feel so much better," she said sarcastically.

"You take your time getting up, my dear. I promised your mother I'd help her cook breakfast in bed for your father this morning. He managed to squeak out the chess game last night."

"DIdn't you play on his team? Shouldn't she be serving you?"

"No, no. I won't ever ask that of your mother. Besides, he asked for a flat iron steak with some of Angus's rub I got the rub from Angus, and I promised her I would do the cooking. I know what he's looking for." He kissed her cheek. "Stop worrying. You'd better be working on trying to remember whatever you saw last night in that dream or vision or whatever it was. It must have been significant in order to cause that." He got up, went into the bathroom, and soon she heard the sound of the shower running. She got up and found Brian had left her robe on the foot of the bed. She put it on her left arm and wrapped it around the right where her arm still hung in a sling and hurried back to her own room that she shared with Brian. He had been to bed and up again. Then she listened. There were sounds in the bathroom. She went to the door and found he was dressed and was just finishing shaving.

"There you are!" his face was beaming. "Good morning. Feeling better?"

"Brian, I am so, so sorry...." she began. He merely laughed. He turned around to face her, just a strip or two of shaving cream still on his face. He opened his arms to her. She went to him and he held her.

"Khaat," he said softly. "How long have I known you were a seer?"

"As long as I have. You were there when those powers showed themselves for the first time."

"So, why would I judge you now?"

"How are you able to look past so much?"

"I don't always," he said. "But when it comes to you...somehow nothing else matters but you and me." He kissed her softly. "Oh. Sorry." He took the towel on his shoulder and wiped away some of the shaving cream he'd left there. "Why don't you let me finish shaving and I'll be right out. I just might sneak you a little French Roast this morning."

"That would be nice. And then I have to find a way to shower," she said.

"You'll need my help with that cast on your arm. Just wait. Enjoy a sip or two of coffee and we'll do it."

An hour later, she was showered, dressed and her hair simply brushed and left loose and full. Brian was up and dressed and he had packed for them for Tuscany. Michael had cooked breakfast in bed for Robert, and Robert and Kate were up and showered and dressed and packed. Michael had gone home, packed, and returned with his things as well. Everyone was converging downstairs. Kate and Robert decided to merely go for a walk around the grounds while everyone else was sitting down to the large hearty breakfast that Angus had prepared for them all. The babies were already in their high chairs trying to feed themselves bites of scrambled egg and little pieces of cereal--when Dakota wasn't tossing her sippy cup on the floor. Well, at least breakfast looked normal.

Jess woke feeling so much better she was a little disapointed that she hadn't stayed to see the end of the game but she realy had been tired. Now she lay wondering who had won. Slipping from the bed she gently kissed Jack and moved to shower as she stood under the running water she felt two arms wrap around her and she smiled " Jack " she said as he spoke softly to her.

With her shower finished she quickly dressed and after kissing Jack, she once again headed out the door and down to the kitchen smiling as she saw Khaat and the girls sat eating breakfaast " good morning , seems the storm passed in the night " she said and sat down with her food.

Jack dressed after jessica had left nad headed down to the kitchen he felt more like himself patikularly after the shower he ahd jessica had , had earlier. " morning " he said and bent down to kisss jessica who smiled at him. Moving he grabbed his breakfast of a cup of coffee and some toast then sat next to Jessica.

Next to show was Steven walking in from the barn and he washed his hands " part of the paddock fence came down whwn a tree fell last night , I got it cleared but have to put the fence back up " he said and grabbed toast and coffee also sitting to Khaats left.

"Good morning," Brian said, refilling his coffee cup. He sat back down at the table. "Thank you for taking care of the horses and that fence, Steven. I need to get down there today. I'm sure they ve missed us since we've been gone to the States. Anybody seen Kieran yet?"

"Not yet," Angus said.

"I did," Michael said. "He had breakfast early, said he had found some fishing poles and was going fishing. He packed up some sort of cooler of food and said he'd see us later this morning. Said something about thinking the fish would be biting today."

"They will be," Angus said. "After all those days of rain, they'll be hungry. He's right. If we're lucky he'll catch something worth eating."

"Everyone packed for Tuscany?" Brian asked. He didn't want them to forget they'd be going after Abbey's birthday party. Brian had arranged with Angus for a beautiful Tuscan evening for everyone to just enjoy. He hadn't told anyone what he had planned, but he knew they'd like it.

"I haven't packed a thing," Khaat sighed.

"I packed for us," Brian told her.

"We're packed," Kate said,

"So am I," Michael said. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Me too," Angus said. "I packed last night."

Jess smiled and nodded " I don't think I unpacked from last time " she said with a chuckle as Jack sat next to her at the table. Under it he took her hand and smiled at her and kissed her cheek.

Steven moved to the table and sat down " hey no worries can't have the horses running free while were away " he said and drank his coffee " just got to finish the last section of fence than im done Brian " he said and nodded " he passed me heading for the north fishing hole " he said and picked up a second slice of toast " same here Jess just didn't get around to it I guess " he said and headed back out the door to finish the fence.

Jess looked at Jack and smiled to him brushing her hand over his hand under the table as she thought about tuscany the wonderful scenery and warm winds she could not wait to lay on the beach again with him this time as a human.

Khaat wanted to see the beach, but she realized she didn't have a maternity swimsuit. She tried to tell herself she would just be happy with walking on the beach. Her father was the quickest to pick up on her mood.

"What's the matter?" he asked. "What caused that sudden concern?"

"Oh, nothing. I guess I'm just realizing a couple of wardrobe gaps," she said.

"Well, we know how to take care of those, don't we?" Kate laughed. "What do we need to look for?"

"I think I may need a new swimsuit," she confessed.

"Definitely," her father said. "The beach would be good for you. But I know that little bitty swimsuit you usually wear will not work. Time for a change. And a shopping trip."

"Wait until you get to Tuscany. They have amazing beachwear, remember?" Angus said. "You will find something truly spectacular there. You know the shop."

Khaat remembered. That shop was full of wonderful summerwear year round. Surely they would have maternity wear. She couldn't remember if they even carried maternity clothes, but she presumed someone would. With Abbey, she was still wearing her regular clothing for much longer than normal moms because Khaat was so small. This time, she was wearing maternity clothes in the midst of her third month because her own clothing didnt' fit anymore. She had already gained almost 20 pounds. She was already feeling annoyed by wondering what her father wasn't telling her. She'd never worked with a woman who had gained so much so fast. And never had she ever prescribed for a woman an increase of 1,000 calories a day. Not ever. It frustrated her. She planned on trying to cut his increased calorie demands by half without telling him. At this rate, she would be not only pregnant but overweight as well, and she didn't want those health issues.

"Where are your thoughts?" Brian nudged her.

"I have no idea," she smiled, piking up her fork again. "Sorry. Must be in Tuscany."

Jess looked up at Khaat as she too picked up the concern in Khaat " I saw some in that sweet little shop buy the jetty , there was abeautiful light blue one that would suit you " she said and smiled at her hoping a change in scenery would cheer every one up she'd pickied up on a strange lull in every one at the lack of activity " ow Angus does your yaught do water sports I'd like to scoba dive and im sure jack would love to water ski" she said and saw the look on Jacks face as he grinned at ehr " I know hes been bugging me for along time to let him well now im not pregnant and hes been very good i don't see why he can't " she chucklled patting his cheek " thats agood boy" she said in a motherly tone.

Jack rolled his eyes but loved the idea of water sking and chuckled " yes mum" he siad and then kissed her " what do you think Robert , Brian do you think we'll have time for that?" he asked hoping they would. He held her hand against him " now I know why I maried you, you always know whats in my heart " he said softly to her making jess blush as he kisse dher again smiling.

"We have a different boat for that," Angus said. "That requires a speed boat, and yes I do have one. I think you'd have a wonderful time. My brothers are certified instructors for all kinds of water sports. I think you'll be perfectly safe in their hands."

"And yes, I think we'll have a weekend just for play and fun," Brian said. He knew, too well, that they all needed a way just to de-stress. "I wasn't planning on any of you working this weekend. I was planning on us all just taking a weekend for fun." The truth was, he was planning on shouldering all the weight of the security issues himself for the weekend so everyone else could have a good time. He also knew that if it called for it, everyone would step in and help if it were needed, but he wasn't counting on it being necessary.

"Blue, huh?" Khaat said. "Sounds nice. I can't wait to see it for myself. And a light color might be better than some of the chocolate brown colored ones I've seen in the catalogs lately. I don't know if I want to wear a dark color in the sun."

"No, I wouldn't advise it," Angus said. "Not in Tuscany. It might look fashionable, but it really won't be quite so comfortable. It will be far too hot in the Tuscan sun. Jess and Jack, you ought to go out in the morning and do your water sports and then have lunch either on the boat or on a beach someplace."

Jess nodded to Angus's sugestion " well it was only a sugetion that I's seen on but Angus is right with you being pregnat you need to keep out of the sun more " she said and looked at Jack glad she didn't have to now that she could have no more children. At this thought she sighed she knew she ahd her children and they ahd made the desishion not to after the complications of the twins.

Jack looked at Jess he could see by the look on her face she ahd something on her mind but said nothing to her letting her figure it out for her self. Moving her hand let her lean on him " go grab the bag from the room and anything else we kneed that I forgot " he said and watched her leave to the bed room and sighed himself.

Brian watched Khaat get up and go into the living room. Kate got up and got both the babies and took them with her into the living room to be with their mother.

"The women are moody today," Brian laughed. "Khaat's been moody all morning."

"Kate hasn't been. Not really. I think she picked up a trace on whatever it was Khaat was seeing, but Kate knows how to not let that get to her. Is that what Khaat has on her mind?"

"I have no idea. She hasn't said. Although, I could tell for her that waking up next to Fuzzy Face over there was quite a shock." They all laughed.

"Well, at least you didn't call me Father Christmas," Michael said. "Some little twerp in Hogsmeade the other day asked me if I was Father Christmas." They all laughed again, knowing about how Michael probably reacted to that.

"I suggest we spend a great deal of the day paying attention to our women, lest they gather together and start some sort of hen fight," Robert said.

"You don't think we'll manage that, truly, do you?"

"I think we need to try," Robert said. "Negativity feeds on negativity. It won't be good if they don't stop it."

"That, Robert, will be a huge assignment," Brian sighed.

Jess headed to the room and sat on the bed looking around the room she saw brushes and things he had forgot picking them up she threw them into the suit case more amdn more she saw things he ahd fogot " god jack, basic things and you forget them " she said and slambed the case lid down finally happy it was packed she made it head down to the main hall and lay back on the bed looking at the ceiling " I need a holiday " she said softly to her self .

Jack chuckled at Brians's oberservation " yes I noticed that with jess today, not sure why shes like this , shes usualy so up " he said and sighed " yes we should maybe there feeling unapreshiated after all it was us who have done all the work do far" he said and moved to stand by the chess board that ahd been left out on the table from the previose night " humm knight to bishup 3 " he said and moved it before sitting down beside the fire again.