Feminine Fire

"I...would be more comfortable if I had some way to return your generosity," Fiona said. "I'm...well,...really good at plants and I'm a good babysitter. I have a huge garden of vegetables and herbs at home and a lot of fruit trees and nut trees. I grow most of what we eat. If we can find a way that I can have some feeling of giving back, I'm good with it." She browsed the case and found a silver ankle bracelet that was a simple silver chain with tiny little round silver bells dangling from it. They weren't at all expensive but they were beautifully elegant. It made a very soft little tinkling sound when it moved. Fi smiled. "What do you think? Maybe one of these for each girl? Especially Dakota. It would at least let us hear which piece of furniture she's crawled under or behind if Max isn't on it. And Abbey, well, she's such a little lady, that I bet she grows up to be the most beautiful girl her age. I bet she's going to be a true lady in every sense of the word. And every girl should have just a little bling, dont' you think?"

Jess heard Fiona and smiled " i'll rember that " she said knowing she would not dream of asking fiona to repay her in any way but freindship " ow those are so cute and pratical too " she said and chuckled at the idea of putting a bell on Dakota " maybe Brian and Khaat should have done that sooner " she said and chukled " there perfect fiona " she said " but what if she has a boy this time?" she asked having not thought of that possibility herself , she looked around and saw a small st cristipher and smiled " how about that just incase and if she ahs all boys they im sure will change it " he said seeing the assitant nod to her they would.

"I...keep hoping I can talk Dean into staying until the babies are born or at least visiting on the weekend. Jess, I've missed Brian's entire life. And, Khaat, she seems like a nice lady. She's been nice to me anyway. She welcomed me right from the first time I met her even though she didn't have to. Kieran and I messed up when we left him. But we were just kids. We made a mistake. And then we lost track of Brian. I...well, our kids are grown and in Hogwarts. Its just Dean and me, and, to be honest, and I haven't told Brian or Khaat this but Dean lost his job two days before we went to stay with Brian. Dean has a hard time keeping jobs. He...drinks a little sometimes," she told Jess. The truth was Dean drank a lot. And when he drank, he often would come home and be outraged over something that she didn't understand. And more than once, he had beaten Fiona. Dean was halfways decent when he was sober, but when he wasn't, Fiona always ended up bruised, bloody or both. While they were staying with Brian, Dean hadn't gotten drunk. He somehow had grown to have some level of fear about Brian and what Brian would do to him if he laid his hands on Fiona. And Fi lived trying to keep it all silent so no one needed to know the terrible shame that he said she was responsible for. Dean told her at least daily that his getting drunk was because of what a miserable woman Fiona was and how no one would ever want her but him. Somehow, finding Kieran and Brian and all their friends had kept her safe as long as she was with them. She feared going home, and she didn't want anyone to know their terrible secret.

Jess listened and felt an underlying feeling and she sighed " fiona, we're here for you don't forget that " she said and touched her arm she felt the fear that lay inside fiona and just smiled forcing her self not to say anything she ahd gone down that road befoe but she also knew she could talk to kate about it later . " ok lets get them and head back , and fiona don't worry about Dean, jack and stephen will be there to help , stephen himself drank once but hes been sober for I think two years now " she said smiling at her.

"Dean's a good man," she said softly, realizing she had forgotten that she was talking to a seer. "Its not his fault. He worries a lot about how we're going to make it financially." Fiona had excused Dean's drinking so long she was now believing his lies that he had told her over the years and repeating them herself as truth. Dean had not told her why he was fired, but Fi believed that it was somehow due to the drinking. All alcohol ever did was to destroy bodies, lives, and hearts. She knew that. "At any rate, I really did want to be here somehow when the twins are born. I really want to be part of Brian's life now. I think I'll wait on buying gifts for the twin until I know exactly whether Brian and Khaat have sons or more daughters. Maybe I can earn a bit of money myself by then somehow. If my crops are good, I can make some jams and jellies to sell. It does help a little." She watched Jess pay for the two little ankle bracelets, and she did appreciate it.

"Thank you," she told Jess. "Its hard to know how to compete with someone who is as ridiculously rich as Brian and Khaat are."

Jess smiled handing her the packets with the braclets in and placing them in hr hands " tell you what when your crop comes I'll have the first jar of jams , deal?" she said smiling to her knowing this would make her happy " I know liz at sparks could use a sulpier of jams for the tables and well I own a shop well co woner with kate we could stock them for you , we'd pay fairly " she said glancing at kate as she saw her with Khaat. " we'd better get back Khaat is really over doing it" she said and turned back to Fiona "think about it and if you want to call to madam malkins " she said smiling " if you want I could offer you a position there it would keep you here so you'd see the babies born".

"I'd like that," she said, liking Jess's idea. "If Brian wouldn't mind me staying on. He said we were welcome to stay as long as we liked. I...guess I'll ask him. Dean was talking about going back home to look for work. I don't know if he'd leave me but...maybe. And, yes, I think working would be a good thing. Dean doesn't mind doing the garden when he's sober. It helps him get away from me." Her voice was softer. Dean had said the garden was a good escape from the useless woman he married. She tried not to let his hurtful words get to her. "But when he's not drinking, he's a good man. He loves me. He's just...different when he's drinking. But maybe he'd love me more if I were working."

She saw Khaat finish up her purchases and noticed she and her mother were still browsing the showcases and pointing things out to each other. "I know. Khaat looks really tired now. I think she's had enough. Maybe we need to head home. Thank you."

Jess smiled at her " Fiona Deans drinking is his escape from his reality, You are a wonderful woman who need to be respected for what you are a woman with her own mind , forgive me for saying this but ..your not usless , and I can't see why brian would not offer Dean a job " she said looking down then back at ehr " sorry sometimes I can't help speack my feelings from others thoughts , Robert Khaats father is teaching me how to block out stronger thoughts " she said then looked at Khaat "we can sujest it" she said " wether she goes is another matter " she said an chukled " hey Khaat why don't we head back and see if those cheese cakes and tea's arrived yet?" she said moving with fiona over to them " my feet are killing me " she added .

"Mine too," Khaat said. "I loved this day. It was a wonderful day, but I am tired."

"Let's go home, then," Kate smiled. She reached for everyone's hand, tucking the portkey to Brian's in her hand that she clutched Khaat's hand with. When everyone had linked hands, she portkeyed them home.

They landed in the living room. The first thing Khaat smelled was Angus' smoker outside, slowly smoking his beef for the barbeque. It made her stomach growl. She could smell all sorts of food cooking. It smelled incredible, like he had been cooking all day long. The living room was empty. In fact she didn't see anyone. And then Brian came downstairs. When he saw Khaat he smiled.

"I thought you were were never coming back," he smiled. he kissed her softly. "I missed you. Did you have a good time? Welcome back, Ladies. You all look amazing. How was the spa?"

"It was wonderful," Khaat said, kicking off her shoes next to the coffee table. She sat dow on the sofa and put her feet up on the coffee table. Brian sat down with her and laid his hands on her feet and hankles. He drew the pain off her and began to massage her feet and her ankles. She sighed, relieved. "Where is everyone?"

"Angus is outside with the smoker, cooking the barbeque. It smells great, doesnt' it? And everyone else is in the pool outside. Including the girls. Grandpa and Jack and Steven are introducing them to the water. Oh and Cara has joined them. It seems that the dog feels its her job to make sure we dont' drown the girls," Brian laughed.

"You didn't go?"

"No, as a matter of fact, I didn't. I've been doing things inside," he said. "Oh, and Lizzie sent 6 enormous boxes of desserts. 1 cheesecake, one lemonade cream pie, and, well, four more gigantic boxes of other things. I had to hide them to keep Jack out of them. He doesn't know they're here, but I know Jack," he laughed.

Jess chuckled as she watched Brian and Khaat " ow nice brian he'd have those away in a second I swear hes half blood hound " she said and chuckled as he walked threw the door dripping wet.

" have what away ?" he asked walking over to jess and kissing her he went to hold her but she puleld away from him.

" ow no you don't I like this dress " she said and pushed him back to the door " go , go back and swim I'll join you soon " she said and grinned as he turned and walked out the room.

" I'll get you back in the pool " he said and grinned at her as he quickly ran out yelling as he dove back in the pool.