Feminine Fire

"Thank you, Everyone," Angus smiled. He got up to go get the frozen sorbet pies.

"You know that means I have to give him a raise now," Brian laughed.

"Yes, and well deserved, too," Khaat smiled. "And make it retroactive to his graduation day."

"I will. Don't worry," Brian said. Angus brought out two enormous frozen sorbet pies. They had a graham cracker crust, a strawberry layer, a pistachio layer, and it had a very dark chocolate sorbet as the top layer with a beautiful fresh whipped cream on top. He had already cut the pieces and he served them easily to everyone, including some pieces of a thin sliver for each of the babies.

"Oh, well done," Khaat said, tasting hers. "That is one beautiful dessert. Does this mean I"m going to lose you to some fancy restaurant or to some jet setting celebrity chef muggle lifestyle?"

"No way!" he laughed. "Not a chance. You're stuck with me, Love, I'm afraid."

"That doesn't disappoint any of us," Brian said. He picked up one of the tuiile cookies and tasted it. "Those would be lovely with a cup of espresso."

"Oh! I did make some. Darn it!" Angus said. He summoned a large pot of espresso and a set of tiny china espresso cups. "Who would like some with their dessert?"

Jessica's eyes went wide at the sight of desert as Angus brought it out " wow thats gorgouse " she said " its almost a work of art" she said and chukled softly as he placed it down then she looked at him as he said about the exspresso coffee " wow me, me I'd like some " she said and chuckled at how like a kid she sounded as she lent against jack moving she kissed him gently. She looked at Robert for a moment she ahd a question she wantd to ask but she knew it would wait till bed time now was Angus's time to shine seeing all the good food he had prepered for them all. Jess enjoyed the banter and the warm feeling that hung around them all as she ate she even laughed as Brian said about giving Angus a raise on his graduation " ow we all have to be there on that day" she said " I think it would so make your graduation more special" she said looking at Angus.

"I am doing a party for you," Khaat said to Angus. "You'll just have to live with it."

"Look, the graduation is done. I dont' need a party," he laughed, pouring espresso for all who wanted it. Khaat finished her dessert and then lingered over her espresso. Robert got up and conjured a number of Adirondack chairs around the fire ring, knowing how so many of them loved a campfire. The cook fire wasn't exactly a campfire, but with a few chairs, it would work just fine.

"Oh, very nice, Daddy," Khaat smiled.

"You will need help to get into and out of the chairs," Robert told her. "The babies might not like them. We'll just have to see."

"Well, I"m going to take my espresso and go over," Khaat said.

"That's my cue," Robert said, rising. He went over and took her hand and led her over to one of the chairs. "Let me do the work." He put his hands under her shoulders and lowered her into the chair. Once she got there, she decided she was pretty comfortable.

"I think I'll join my wife," Brian said. "Are you all coming?"

"In a moment," Angus said. He watched Brian pick up Abbey, who curled into Brian.

"Jess? Can you bring Dakota?" Brian asked. "Robert apparently taught her not to hit her sister. So far, we haven't seen a bit of it."

"I"ll help Angus clean up," Kate said. "Don't say that too loudly, Brian. She just might decide to test Robert."

"That is just never a good idea, no matter how old you are," Brian laughed. Everyone laughed with him. They knew exactly what he meant.

"What cleanup?" Angus laughed. He flicked his wand at the table to start the dinner mess to clean itself up. "Consider it done. You all coming?"

jes watched and chuckled " I bagsie third chair " she siad in a sing song voice " sure brian and thats realy good Dakota " she sid as she liftecd her from the high chair and carried her over to the third chair, she paused and looked at the chair " humm I don't like the color , mind if I change it ?" she asked Robert and waved her hand turning it a light shade of lilac smiling she sat down with Dakota on her knee her cup foated across to her and settled hovering next to her.


Jack was going to say he would stay and help Angus but she shook his head and chuckled as he saw it clear its self and he moved to sit next to Jessica smiling at how she looked with Dakota on her knee " the fires nice isn't jess?" he said softly as he slipped his hand in hers to hold it as he moved his chair closer to her so he could kiss her lovingly.

Robert was about to go settle into a chair himself when a very large owl arrived with several letters. He took the letters from the bird and before he could pet the bird, the owl swiped a piece of leftover fish from the trashcan where Angus's spell had tossed the trash. The bird swallowed the piece of fish whole and then flew up onto a treebranch, feeling sufficiently fed, and began cleaning its feathers to settle in for a nap before flying off again.

Robert took his coffee cup and sat down next to Khaat and began opening the letters. "Ah," he said, putting on his reading glasses. "Battle reports, intelligence reports. Good news. Jeffrey and Sarah were found alive and well. Jeffrey was able to care for his own staff, and our staff tended him. Our group there will rebuild overnight and put the damages to rights. They're assisting the staff in taking care of the patients at the clinic tonight under emergency measures and say that everyone is bearing up well. None of the patients are in crisis. Jeffrey and Sarah are resting for the evening, they're going to go to bed early, and our crew expects them to be back to themselves by morning."

"Good," Khaat said, relieved to hear their friends were well. "Anything else newsworthy?

"Um...the base in the Italian alps where you were kept, Jess, is no more. Its gone entirely. No one will ever be held there again. All of Gelding's finances is in our control and well hidden." Then he laughed. "And it seems we also took all the cash from every one of his associates and allies. It seems that we are suddenly wildly wealthy." He laughed. Brian laughed out loud. "Our intelligence officers are reporting mass chaos in his organization, and several defectors. Apparently, it just hasn't paid off today to work for Tom Gelding. And the reports go on and on. More bases have fallen. The US is gone. Um...Australia, Hong Kong....Canada...there isn't much left." He lifted his coffee cup. "A toast--to the safety of our children all around the world."

"Here, here," Brian smiled. lifting his own cup.

"Congratulations, Daddy," Khaat smiled.

Jess looked as the owl arrived and all the letters fell she felt relif as he said Jeffery and sarah were fine " ow thank goodness " she said " I was so worried about them" she said and smiled visably relaxing in her chair she looked at Robert when he told her of the distruction of the lair she ahd been held in " I hope they burnt it to the ground " she said drinking her now warm expresso" its not a place that should be rebuilt " she said and gave Jacks hand a gentel squeeze and looked at him her face now relaxed. Jess smiled and reasied her coffee up and toasted Roberts words now happy " finally " she said and looked at Robert.

"Believe me," Robert said to Jess. "They wont' get back in there. Gelding will rebuild something someplace, but its going to take him awhile. IF he doesn't regroup and bring some sort of rage driven battle right here, then we'll be alright. He won't get into Brian's place. We tripled the protection spells on that. If it looks like it will be dangerous here, then we'll all go home to Brian and Khaat's. We wont' have to be quite so on guard there. I'll watch the reports tonight and if it looks like we need to go home, I'll wake you all as soon as I know. Until them, I suggest you all relax and leave it to me and get some rest tonight." Robert honestly didn't know if Gelding was mad enough to bring the battle onto Robert's home turf, but at any rate, Robert wanted his family in good condition and ready, no matter what the outcome was.

"And, if for some reason it does come, I want one of you to make sure you get my daughter and my grandchildren out of here to a safe place. Whoever gets to her first. Khaat's a good fighter, but the more we get into this pregnancy, the larger of a target she will be. Its just reality."

"I will not leave my wife," Brian said firmly. "No one is going to touch her. No matter what."

"You're still under my command," Robert said to him in a firm, quiet voice.

"And your order that has always superseded all else is to keep your family safe," Brian said. "That family is also my family. I will follow that order first. You got that, Robert?" Khaat looked at Brian. She wasn't used to hearing Brian stand up to him, although she knew he had done it.

"You need to be ready to follow me if a real war comes, Son," Robert said, not willing to go to a war of words with him.

"You should know that by now," Brian said angrily.

"Enough," Robert said. "We can talk later if you still feel a need to. Let's just enjoy the evening, shall we?"

"Agreed," Brian said. Khaat reached over and took Brian's hand.

"Brian," Khaat said. "Pregnant or not, I can still wield a wand. You really do need to try to relax just a little bit. Please. For me." He kissed her hand and sighed heavily, nodding.

Jess looked at Robert reasured by his words that it would not be rebuilt on. " good and were ready Robert " she said she heard Brians words " its also ours in fact its evry man in the organisations if you put it in perspective every one if you ask them would fight to death for you, khaat, the girls , kate and you too Robert " she said when Khaat said it was time to relax she nodded and lent a little on jack " the fire pit is good " she said and yawned lightly she glanced above her and smiled seeing the stars for the first time in two days, she felt the warm breeze and sighed but she also felt Dakota wriggling " ok daddy she wants you now " she said and moved to hand her to Brian.

Brian balanced Abbey on one leg and Dakota on the other. The babies were full and warm and cozy against Brian. They both cuddled into him and began to yawn. He just automatically went to cuddle them. They began to whimper and fight sleep and cry. He soothed them and they soon gave into him and fell asleep.

As the evening grew on, the babies slept peacefully against Brian's chest. Robert and Kate got up and came over to him. "Grandparents rights, Boy," Robert said. "Hand 'em over." He took Dakota and Kate took Abbey. "We'll put them to bed, and then we're going to read. Don't worry. We can pick our own room."

"I prepared one for you last night that you never got to," Angus said. "Right across from the nursery."

"Perfect. Thank you," Robert said. "Goodnight, All." He and Kate disappeared with the babies. Angus soon bid them goodnight as well so he could get up earlier than everyone else.

"Does Robert still want us in the manor house?" Fiona asked Kieran.

"I think so," Kieran said. "It keeps us all in one place until we know what Gelding is going to do. You thinking of going to bed?"

"No, actually, Fi and I were going to just take a walk in the moonlight," Dean said.

"Don't stray too far, just to be on the safe side," Brian said.

"We won't, but the view here is too beautiful to miss at night from up on the hill. You can see forever," Dean said. He got up and took Fiona's hand and led her off.

"Okay, I'm a fifth wheel," Kieran said. "I know when I shouldn't be here. I'll see the rest of you inside. Besides, I want to see if I can still clear a billiards table." He got up and left too.

"Alright, that's odd. They all bailed but the four of us?" Khaat asked. "I know we all showered. Did we tell them we wanted to be alone?"

"No," Brian laughed, "but I think everyone thinks its been a long day. How are you guys feeling?" He asked Jack and Jess.

Jess looked at Jack and smiled " like it couldn't be any more perfect " she said and smiled resting her head on jack and smiled as he felt him rest on her. " its good to have her and hold her again and know she's her self , i don't mind telling you I was scared for a while " he said kissing her lightly as he too smiled. " yes I know tht was so scary not being able to tell some one you love it isn't you doing all those awful things "she buried her head against his chest as he held her close. Jack held her close " its ok now its over you back and your you, firyness and all" he said and she thumped him on his chest making him chuckle. " don't you belive it " she said smiling " sorry khaat and I mean that " she said softly as she gave a yawn again " I guess we should slep also , are you wanting us close in the main house or the stables , because I'd feel safer in the main house if thats ok with you guys" she asked looking at them. " I need to talk to Robert first though" she looked at Jack " its ok I need something to sleep " she looked at Khaat hoping she would understand.