Feminine Fire

"No," Khaat replied to Jack. "I don't." Brian got up and went over to her. He began kneading her shoulders.

"Hey," he said softly. "I know your thoughts, and I"m not a seer. I just know you. Let's go talk. Give us a few minutes, everyone." He got her to her feet and started to take her upstairs. Just as their feet hit the bottom step, Abbey saw they were leaving her and she began to cry really quite loudly. "Just a sec." he said to her. "Hold that thought." He went to Abbey, who was standing, her bottom lip in a big pout, tears rolling down her face, her arms reaching for Brian. He picked her up and then saw Dakota vying for his attention too, reaching for him. "What's with you two?" he frowned, scooping up Dakota.

"Normal separation anxiety," Robert laughed. "You've only got a couple more years of it with these two, and by then you'll be into it with the next batch."

"Sometimes I hate the way you think," Brian sighed. Robert laughed. Brian led Khaat upstairs, taking the girls with him because they refused to be alone.

"Give everyone a bit to calm down," Robert told the rest.

Brian came down by himself about 20 minutes later. "The girls are insisting on cuddling with their mama," Brian laughed. "They're all hunkered down on the bed with a big storybook, and if we try to do anything different, they scream. So, I think she's stuck with the babies until they go to bed. She's fine. She's just trapped with babies."

"Well, she'd better spend time with them now," Robert said. "Her time for attention for them is about to be divided again in the very near future."

"Well, we weren't counting on this. We had planned to do this next year or so. Not now," Brian laughed. "Can I have one of those sodas, Mate?"

"Sure," Angus said, pouring him one.

Steven stepped back and nodded but he let Brian take over and he walked out side to Jess who he saw sat looking upset " ow boy" he said and moved to sit next to her " hey jess , you ok?" he asked " don't take it too hard she's stressed out what with brians injury , the girls and the babies " he said and held her he knew jack would be ok with him doing so.

Jess looked at steven " I should not have said anything , thoughts are privet and I invaded hers buy speacking them out loud " she said and looked at ehr hands " so when does she want me to go home" she asked and felt him chuckle as she loked up at him smiling at her.

Steven chuckled at her and how she was acting " she dosn't want you to go, just don't read her mind or if you catch some thing, I no seer but my advice would be, ignor it and go on " he said standing he held out his hand " come on the ganes about to start Khaats with the girls up in the bed room and I don't want to miss seing Jack made into a chess piece or a rubber duck" he said and this made her smile as she stood up to walk back in to the main room again. Walking in she looked at Robert, kate and Brian wondering.

Robert was shuffling a double deck of standard playing cards. "Bring your wands, you lot, if you're coming," he said. "Let's see who takes it."

"That will be me," Kate said. "I took you last time."

"You didn't play fair," Robert said.

"What!" she laughed. "You sore loser! Of course I played fair. I played a wild card to take the trick. You just didn't like my transfiguration."

"No! As a matter of fact I didn't!"

"But it was legal."

"You made me an anteater, and you refused to change me back until I had eaten my entire ant collection. Not fair."

"Totally fair!" she charged.

"Totally funny," Angus laughed. "It was great."

Jack chuckled as he held jess moving her to sit with them he felt her resitance and sat her down to play " well Im ready " he said and took out his wand placing it in front of him jess just looked at them " I... I haven't realy used one " she said loking at the empty space in front of her then at them all again some what bemused buy the game . Jack pored her drink and then handed it to her.
" Drink and relax " he said jess took the drink and sighed as she took a sip from it moving to lean against him.

Angus put a glass of soda in front of him. He watched Robert shuffle and deal the cards quickly.

"Its pretty simple," Robert said. "Follow suit as long as you can. The suit can change each hand. When the cards run out, he who has the most cards..."

"Or she," Kate said.

"Or she..."Robert corrected himself. "Wins. He...or she....who has the least loses. Your lead, Angus."

"So I see," Angus said calmly, organizing his cards. He gave it a bit of thought and played a 10 of clubs.

"Everyone play a club," Kate said. "If you don't have a club, play your lowest off suit card because it doesn't count."

Jack looked at his hand and shook his head placing down a two of dimonds he smiled at jess as he slid his arm around her. jess smiled at jack and placed down a 4 or hearts her lowest card she ahd she glanced at the stairs she had not ment to upset Khaat but some how she had managed it and now she felt bad for it even as she saw holding her cards in her hand trying not to think of it . She could not help the sigh that left her as she felt jack pull her to him.

Brian looked up and saw that Jess was still stressed. "Jess," Brian said, laying down a 5 of clubs, "you can't let yourself get wrapped up in Khaat's stress. She's got a lot she's having to deal with right now. I think she just needs a bit of space. And I think she'll feel better when we're home tomorrow. I think, as beautiful as Ireland has been, she needs to be home. Is anyone else good with making this an early night and going home early in the morning?"

"I'm good with that," Angus said, watching Robert lay down a 9 of clubs. Brian frowned. He was watching who had clubs to play and who didn't have any. "The sooner we get home, the sooner I can go to the market and get food for us."

When the play got around to Kate she laid a Queen of clubs. Robert frowned. He wasn't going to win this round.

she looked over as she heard Brian speack to her , she sighed " I can't help think I did something to upset her, but her thoughts just screamed and I couldn't shut them out " she said she looked at Robert when he said they would head home the next day and nodded " I agree " she said as she placed down a 3 of clubs that she had found tucked behind another card that she held.

Jack kissed her cheek and smiled as he placed down a five of clubs knowing he was all out now of clubs " yeah that works for us " he said taking a drink of his coffee.

"My hand," Kate said gathering the cards to her. She had watched the cards well. She wasn't counting the off suit cards. Not in this game. She looked at who had the lowest suit card. That was Jess with her 3.

"Jess, its a good thing that this is just one hand. You'd have been at the end of my wand if this had been the last hand. You squeaked out this time." She and Robert marked down scores.

"Nice job everyone," Robert smiled as Kate gathered the cards. She shuffled and dealt swiftly. "Your lead, Robert."

"Hmmm," Robert frowned, looking at his cards. "Lets play hearts." He laid down the king of hearts. Brian sighed. If Robert had the king, he wasn't losing this hand, for sure. It would all be downhill from here. He looked at his own hand. This might not go so well. He glanced up at Angus who had no expression on his face whatsoever. Even as well as Brian knew Angus, he could read nothing in it.

jess looked at kate and smiled best she could placing down a five of hearts then loked around she could see Angus loking at his cards stone faces Brian she could fel a slight wavering panic but only very faint , jack was smiling slightly though she felt he was bluffing as he laid down a seven of hearts.

Jack looked at his hand findsing he had all black left after this heart, he knew he would lose but hay it was only a game.