Feminine Fire

"It happens, Jess," Robert said. "Its not your fault. My guess is that he's been an alcoholic since before they were married and that the abuse started shortly before that. There isn't anything you could have done. Not so long as Fiona believed she had to stay. The best we can do for her now is help her get enough self esteem back so that she believes she has a choice between staying with him in poverty conditions or that she can actually make a life for herself and her children without him. My best guess is that when she finds out where Dean is, she's going to make countless excuses for him and beg me to release him. Fortunately, the wizarding law gives me a bit of leverage there. I will listen to her request, but I don't have to let him out unless I want to."

When they had done all they could to clean her up and heal her, Robert woke Fiona. She woke, stunned at first, numb because of his pain spell, and then she saw her bandages and her bruises and she remembered.

"I...I'm sorry. He's not usually like this," she said softly. "He's a good man. He loves me...he's just been under so much stress lately. Things have been hard for us, and I don't help him enough. I..I can't find a job, and then...."

"Fiona," Robert said gently, "he's addicted to alcohol, and to power and control. And he's not here. He's been arrested."

"A...Arrested! No! No, he's my husband! How can you do that! He...l need him...You don't understand. He didn't mean it....."

"Fi," Brian wrapped her close. "I'm not going to let you live this nightmare anymore. No more broken bones. No more bruises. Its overwith. You're not alone. I am not going to let you face this alone. You have family and friends now." She finally curled into him and wept. Brian kissed the top of her head, holding her close.

"I think you can take it from here," Robert said to Brian, picking up his bag, motioning his supplies to pack, and then standing and leaving the room to go out into the hallway.

Jess took a deep breath she knew he was right and nodded " I guess nobody could forsee this hapening " she said " ow and thank you for sujesting to jack to go for a run he needed it " she said and smiled she turned to look at Fiona as she spoke pleading with robert over Dean but Jerss tood her ground quiet knowing Robert had done what hea hd for her good " Fiona that offer still stands you can work and be your self you felt that today in the spar we're all here to help you " she said and saw her curl against Brian. She heard his words and nodded " yes Fiona you have freinds , me for one " she said and moved closer to her and smiled at her.

"Let's see if we can't fix some of this," Brian said softly to Fiona. He brushed away her tears. Then he used a simple Reparo spell to repair her beautiful new dress. It had a couple stains but the rips were gone now and the stains would wash out when Angus washed it. He cast a glamour spell to redo her makeup and her hair. "There. Not quite as professional as the spa, but you can go back any time you want. I promise," he smiled, kissing her forehead.

Fi looked at Jess. "Thank you," she told her. "But...I'm afraid I do have to go back to Ireland now."

"Why?" Brian asked.

"My garden, my trees, my house...And the kids will be out from Hogwarts any day now. They're too young to be on their own...."

"Those are excuses, Fi," Brian said gently. "You leave all that to me."

"You can't take care of us for the rest of our lives, Brian!..."

"Fi, stop. Stop it. Let me do it. I'll take care of it. You just take one day at a time for now. If you want to work, go work for Jess and Kate. And I'll pay you to help me here. We could use a really good garden. If you want to make your own way, so be it. But you aren't dashing back off there alone. I need you here. So--how are you feeling? Any pain?"

"No, no, I'm fine," Fi said, feeling accustomed to more of this than Brian realized.

"Are you up to helping to set the large patio table tin the backyard for dinner? Maybe help Jess and Angus get dinner ready?" She nodded, grateful for something to do. "Jess, how about working with Fi to help Angus get dinner on the table for us. I'm sure the barbeque is ready by now. And he's made all the side dishes already. Some are in the fridge and some are in the oven."

Jess looked at Fiona when she said she ahd to go back to Irland " brians right, my children can bring yours here their in Hogwarts too " she said with a smile " well andrew is, the twins are still too young yet " she looked at Brian and watched him repair her dress and she smiled " I know I would love to go back there " she said " sure brian, I could use the company and help" she said smiling " and a herb garden would go down well with angus , but I don't have a green thumb " she siad and waggled them in front of her " Im more a brown thumb " she chuckled and then nodded " ok I bet there delishiose as ushual " she stood up and loked at Fiona " you don't have to if you don't want to but I would love the help "

"I'm alright," Fi said, standing, as Brian supported her until he was sure she had her feet under herself. "Brian, stop fussing. I'm fine. Let's go, Jess."

Khaat had been downstairs with Steven and the babies, when she heard Jess and Fiona coming downstairs. She looked at Fiona's bruised and battered form, and the instant she saw her, her senses were slammed-as if Fiona's memories had been set off inside Khaat's own mind like a bomb. She saw every single time Dean had battered and abused her, every blow she ever took, every cruelty she ever experienced, even things Fi had long since forgotten, and it came to her all simultaneously. It made her head feel like it was exploding, literally. The pain made everything turn black and the last she felt was her form falling backwards, limp, on the sofa.

Upstairs, Kate and Robert suddenly felt the sudden bombardment of Khaat's senses. They flew, as fast as they could run, downstairs and found her falling limp on the sofa. "Robert!" Kate exclaimed.

"I'm on it, Kate," Robert said. He flew to his daughter and laid his hands on sides of her head and began checking. "She's alright. She just fainted. that's all."

"Can you shut it out?" Kate asked.

"Its a bit late for that, my darling," Robert said. "But maybe this will help. Kate, go brew a pot of seer's tea. Make it extra strong." While he sent Kate to make tea, he set a spell in place to numb Khaat's seer's abilities for awhile and to stop the pain in her head. The pain spell was strong. It would make her a bit numb and perhaps slightly sleepy, but it was better than the alternative. The tea would do the rest.

"Is Khaat alright?" Fi asked.

"She's fine," Kate smiled. "She just got overtired and fainted. Robert asked me to brew a pot of tea for her. By the time we're ready to eat, he'll have her back up again."

"He must be a pretty talented healer," Fiona said.

"I think he is," Kate smiled proudly, making the tea. In the meantime, Brian came downstairs and found Robert now working with Khaat.

"What the devil...?" he was instantly concerned.

"She's alright," Robert said, stretching her out on the sofa. "She just fainted." Brian put a pillow under her head while Robert sat back down beside her. He laid his hand again on her forehead and woke her with a rennervate spell. "You fainted," he told her. "Lay still for a moment and rest. Your mother's brewing you some seer's tea. Brian, you keep a watch. Don't make her go run any races for a bit, will you?"

"I'll try not," Brian said, watching Robert get up to go fish Dakota away from trying to tear apart a large Native American headdress that was covered with feathers. Brian saw Dakota but decided to leave it in Robert's hands.

"Your father will not be happy if you take that apart, Missy," Robert said, picking her up as she jabbered at him and clutched tight to one of the leather pieces of the headdress. "Steven, how about helping me get those little fingers out from around that artifact, please, before she ends up being in trouble? It won't be pretty if she damages this thing."

Jess saw Khaat fainting runing to her she gently lay her down and stepped back to let Robert and Kate take over a she walked back to fiona " shes fainted don't worry it hapens in this stage of pregnacy and with a multiple birth its more so" she said hoping to put her mind at rest that she had caused her to faint.

Steven chuckled and moved to Dakota he accioed a cookie and held it up " you can't take this if your holding that now can you" he said and waited for her to let go " he smiled and handed her the cookie " best thing I could think of " he admited " but it worked " he looked at Fiona and sighed " let me guess Dean?" he said his voice showed his dislike " I know you took care of it so Im not going to ask any more " he watched Dakota and accioed a cookie for Abby kneeling to give her it.

"Nice, Steven," Brian said, pleased that his art work had not been destroyed. "Those girls will do anything for a cookie." Then he turned back to Khaat. "What happened to you?" he asked.

"Low blood sugar," Robert lied. "Kate's making some tea for her and putting some honey in it for her. She'll be better in a moment.

Fi looked at Steven when he asked her if it had been Dean. "He didn't mean it," Fi said. "He just had a pint too many. He never means it." She turned and went back to the kitchen. She didn't like being hit by Dean, but she wasn't sure she liked the almost overprotectiveness of these people anymore. She'd never experienced it before, and didn't know quite what to do with it.

Angus came back inside and said. "The meat is done in the smoker. As soon as we get the table set outside and put the side dishes out, we'll be ready to eat."

Jess sighed seeing Fiona head for the kitchen . she moved to follow " you ok?" she asked as she entered moving to pour a cup of tea as a cover for being in the kitchen she said nothing but turned to face her " you should try the tea its good " she spoke again not mentioning Dean or what had happend she felt Fiona had had enough of that and so jess just watched her thinking hos she would feel if it was her she ws thankful it had not beed and that jack could not stand the taste of alcahol for long and as such staid clear of it, except for that one time with steven when he and brain got steven drunk.

"I'm fine," Fi said working on getting the side dishes out of the fridge, uncovering them and putting serving spoons in the bowls. "I'm used to it, I guess. I think we need to just move on to dinner. I don't want to think about it anymore, really. He doesn't belong in Azkaban. He'll wake up in a few hours and regret it. They dont' know him like I do. He's not a bad man. He sometimes drinks too much, that's all."

Khaat waited until Jess had Fi occupied out in the kitchen. Then she said softly. "I saw how many times he has hit her and how many different ways. She's been doing this dance with him since they were teens. The first time he hit her was at the Yule Ball in their senior year. Then he bought her a ring to apologize. That was how they got engaged. She thinks about it every time he hits her and how many times he's said he loves her after he's done hitting her."

"Its a good thing you put him in Azkaban--before I killed him myself," Brian told Robert.

"Why do you think I did it?" Robert said. "I'd rather a drunk be behind bars than you, Lad. I need you."

Jess sighed and sat at the table " Fiona, Robert made his desishion based on the safty of this family , Dean was a threat " she said softly " I guess once he sobers up and robert feels hes not a threat he will let him out but ..." she stood up to face her " beating you like that is not loving some one thats abuse, wise up fiona " she said plainly as she walked out not realy feeling she could say much more. Jess looked at Khaat her face filled with the anger she felt " Im going down to the gym I have some things I need to work off " she looked ar Robert and Kate .