Feminine Fire

Khaat could hardly speak, her own terror still gripping her hard around her heart. "Thank you, Jack," she said very softly. "I....don't have any possible way of thanking you enough. You...don't want to know where my head went." Brian held Abbey close, kissing her cheek as she cuddled into his neck.

"She's fine, Sweetheart," Brian said to Khaat soothingly. "She might have a little cough for a few hours from taking the water into her lungs, but she's fine. I checked. Do you want to hold her?" He passed her to Khaat, and Abbey curled into Khaat's neck, burying her face in Khaat's hair and finally starting to cry. Brian kissed Khaat's forehead. "Abbey's just having a bit of a tough day today. Maybe you need to take her with you and change her into dry clothes and just hold her for awhile. I'll send up a sippy cup with some juice. Its about time for her nap anyway. I'll take care of Dakota. Should I send you up a sippy cup too?" he laughed.

"I'd like an icy cold beer," she said.

"I'll let you have a couple sips," he said. "No more. I'll send it up." She nodded and took Abbey and went upstairs.

Jack looked at Khaat " its fine khaat you don't have to " he said smiling at her " I'm just glad she's alright " he said softly to her he chuckled when Brian said did she want a sippy cup also. Jack looked at Brian then at Abby who cuddled her mother closely. He headed up and changed himself into a pair of trousers and a tee shirt to keep warm not that he had trouble with that. Walking down he moved to sit with Jess who was looking at a chess set that sat in front of her.

" jack will you play with me ?" she asked looking up at him with a smile as he kissed her cheek and sat to face her.

" well why not, I haven't played in along time " he said and moved the pawn two spaces , he watched jess do the same and slowly the match began.

Khaat took Abbey into the nursery and dried Abbey off and changed her into dry clothes. She found a pair of brown shorts that had turquoise and pink polka dots and a t shirt that was turquoise that had an applique of a kitty in brown with a pink nose and ears and pawpads, and a big pink bow that was polka dotted with brown and turquoise. It was out of soft knit fabric, and it was adorable. And as Khaat put the shirt on her, Abbey pointed to the kitty and said, "Max!"

"Yes!" Khaat was excited. "That's Max! You're right! Good girl!"

"Ki-Ki," Abbey said.

"Yes..Kitty Kitty. Good girl," Khaat laughed. Abbey reached for Khaat. Khaat picked her up and put her in the playpen in the nursery long enough for her to go and change her own clothes to a pretty coral colored sundress. She returned to the nursery just in time to see Abbey picking her sippy cup from Brian out of the air.

"Dada!" she laughed.

"Yes," Khaat couldn't help lauging. "You're right. Thats from your daddy."

"Mama! Mama!" Abbey said, looking behind Khaat. Khaat turned and saw Brian had sent a bottle of soda up for Khaat.

"You're right again," Khaat laughed. "That one's mine. Now, what shall we play?" Khaat asked, taking the bottle of soda.

Jess paused at the nursery door and smiled at Abby " she's growing so fast" she said and lent on the door frame as she watched " I remember when the twins said there first words but I don't think pinhead could be used as one" she said and chuckled " they called everything that till they found another word that wasn't much better but both Abby and Dakota are coming along great , your a great mother Khaat " she said smiling at her from the door way.

Jack walked out of the bed room and over to her standing behind her " Andrews was fight " he said and smiled " but Jess is right there both find kids Khaat " he said his mind thinking back to Andrew and how as he was growing up fast too.

"Thank you," Khaat smiled. "Remus said my first word, after mama and dada, was ReeRee. Apparently that's what I called Remus for ages. ReeRee." It made her smile. "I don't remember that at all, but it became a standing joke between my father and Remus. And after that, my next word was MINE!" She smiled. "I'm glad you guys think I'm doing okay as a mom. I do wonder how I'll work 2 jobs, own a shop, and raise 5 babies in diapers all at the same time. Sometimes I feel like I need to be doing more of it myself. But then Brian reminds me I'm not by myself in this. He keeps bracing me for the fact that I'm going to need a bit of time for myself, and time to bond with each of the twins....

"Oh," she sighed heavily, remembering. "I still don't have a nursery put together. The only thing I know for sure is that I want to use round cribs. And I think I want a fairy tale theme. grass, trees, castles, fairies,, unicorns, etc. I might ask Eli to paint a wizarding mural on one wall. But I dont' even have a nursery started. And shopping just wears me out."

Jess looked at Jack at the mention of the nursery and smiled " we have that in hand Khaat , think of it as our gift to you and the twins " she said and jack took her hand as he spoke.

" yes, I agree with Jess, you have done a lot for us this time we're doing something for you, I know Steven will help to "he said and moved hold Jess. " hum all that and sure as Eli to do the wizarding mural, it will be fantastic from what I have been told " he said smiling at Khaat " I'll send a note first thing in the morning and gather all the things you want I am guessing you want the nursery joining this one or next to your room?" he asked making metal notes of everything she had asked for to be in the nursery so he could add it or send Steven to get it for them.

"Well, we're almost at a disadvantage because we decided we wanted to be surprised by whether we were having girls, boys or one of each. Brian and I both feel that by the time the twins get here, Abbey and Dakota are on such a good schedule that it might not be a good thing to put the new babies in here with them. But...if we get a girl and a boy, then we can't really have the twins in the same room, at least not forever. We could do it for awhile, but not forever.

"Brian would prefer the second nursery to be next to this one. He wants some sense of privacy for us, but he wants them closeby. He thinks having them across the hall might do that. And I'm okay with that, if that's what he wants. I found some beautiful round cribs with canopies that hook together. I think that would really add to the fairytaie feeling. I'm thinking we need to use greens--like grass and trees and leaves for plants, and then let the other colors be carried by whatever images or fairytale accessories we use. Maybe sky blue for the sky in the mural. You know, Eli is so very busy, that Fiona might want to see if she can give the mural a go. Her drawings are beautiful. She might like being part of it. We might want an adjoining door, but if we do, we will want a baby gate to keep Abbey and Fiona from going over unless we're right on top of where they are.

"And that means we need double of everything we have--diapers, bottles, clothes, bedding, everything. Brian has a charge at all the major wizarding stores. Daddy has one at all of them, I think. You can charge whatever you buy for us. Maybe we could do an enchanted ceiling to look like a sky? So that its blue with some fluffy coulds during the day, and full of twinkling stars at night? And another changing table...And at least one more comfortable rocker.

"It feels very overwhelming," she said as Abbey brought her a ragdoll to play with, with her. "Oh, your doll? You want to play with your doll? Okay." She began to make up a simple game just to amuse Abbey with.


OOC: check out the cribs on this site. there are round ones and heart shaped ones, and they hook together! they're soooo coool!

http://www.crib.com/cribs

Jess nudged jack as he made notes and smiled " ow I know those there beautiful " she said and smiled as Khaat continued telling them her plans soon when she had finished Jess nodded. "Sounds beautiful, we had such a rush for our twins, I think it was because they came so suddenly"she said and smiled at Jack who smiled back at her as he checked his notes again.

Jack smiled at Khaat and moved down the hall to where she had told them she'd like the nursery he marked lightly in magic the outline of the doorway and smiled " perfect " he said and made a note to ask Brian if they could set up the nursery as a thank you for being their friends." Jess do you want to help me with something right now" he said using a come her I need to check something with you tone.

Jess chuckled and looked at Khaat " stay off your feet and relax and you'll be fine ow and do what your father says he helped me threw ,my twins I'm sure he will be a big help to you" she smiled and headed away and down the hall " ok what is it this time can't find your socks again?" she said and chuckled.

"I saw a magazine where they had a pair of those cribs hooked together," Khaat said. "I really liked that idea. I'm hoping I can get some sort of light green bedding for them. Brian has been talking to me about a pair of cradles so that we can move the babies more easily around the house if we want. The magazine ad I saw for the cribs had some beautiful cradles too. But I couldnt' decide which I wanted. I liked them all. With Abbey and Dakota we've been able to just use the playpen to lay them in. But Brian has seen the cradles too, and I think he likes them. I might leave the choice of the cradles up to Brian because if I had my way, I'd buy several of them. But that's silly.

"I remember your pregnancy," Khaat told Jess. "Daddy was very protective. About the same way he's been with me. And I was glad he was protective for you. It made the difference in getting them here or not. And I know he worries because of the troubles I had with Abbey. But most of those issues were things I did to myself because...well...it just was a stressful time...." She didn't say anymore, but everyone knew the truth. That she had grieved so hard for Rob that she had nearly starved herself to death, and in the long run it, combined with the sudden revelation of the evil side he had, had nearly killed her and Abbey both. It had taken all of her father's considerable skills to get them through alive. She did understand now his need to be protective. She knew that if the tables had been reversed she'd have been worse than he was being.

"Mama!" Abbey was becoming irked with how Khaat was caught up in her conversation with Jess and not paying enough attention to Abbey. It made Khaat laugh. It was about that time that Jess and Jack excused themselves and went down the hallway. Khaat turned her attention back to Abbey.

Jess smiled and nodded at where Jack has suggested. "That's perfect Jack " she said moving back to the first nursery where Abby and Khaat were she smiled " I see shes attention seeking now " she said softly " don't let her get kingly." she said and smiled " I'm going to see if Angus needs my help in the kitchen for diner" she said " maybe Abby would like a cookie or some fruit to snack on " she said and smiled " I know those cribs I was looking at some for our twins but they snuck up on us before we got a chance to get one " she said and chuckled " do you remember me in the bathroom screaming at Jack saying I would kill him, then Robert and you came and I think I blacked out." she said kneeling next to Abby .