Feminine Fire

"Damnit. Seers," Robert sighed. "I was afraid of this. This is what I get for both of the women in my life being freaking seers. With my luck all my grandchildren will be seers and I'll never have a thought to myself again." He took powerful strides down the hallway.

Kate just shrugged, "I don't know what he's worried about. He doesn't have a thought to himself now. Hasn't had it for years."

Robert went into the office and went straight to Khaat. He wrapped her close to him in his chest. "Now you listen," he told her. "I don't know what you saw, but I'm fine. Sweetheart, I am going to grow old enough to be a pain in the ass to all these grandchildren. Hopefully one of them will let me walk them down the aisle. I'm not going anywhere. Khaat, let me protect you, dear. Everything really is quite alright. I promise." He felt her start to cry in his chest. He brushed her hair softly. At least the terror was over. Now he just had to deal with the upset. He laid his hand on her stomach.

"Brian, go tell Jess. I need a cup of Seer's tea straight away." He scribbled down three potions and the exact dosages he wanted put into the tea, along with a spoonful of honey. That much potions might make the tea a bit bitter unless he had the honey to take the edge off it. He handed Brian the paper. "Brew it like that," he instructed, not wanting Khaat tipped off. Brian got up and went out to the others. He went to Jess.

"Robert wants you to brew some seer's tea, and he wants a cup with these potions exactly," he handed her Robert's note. "He wants it straight away." Kate looked at the note Robert had written.

"He's going to want her off her feet entirely now. Those potions mean he's picking up on distress from the babies caused by her stress. That combination is going to calm her and the babies, but it will make her a bit dizzy if she tries to be up and about on her own. One of you, fetch her pillows from her room and a blanket, maybe her most comfortable gown and robe. He's going to want to wrap her in all sorts of comfort, and he's going to want her close to us. He's not going to want her isolated in her room. Not under these circumstances. We'll make her a bed on the sofa. Hurry up. He's going to do this rather quickly," Kate ordered. She had seen this before, and she knew how critical it was to resolve this in minutes. And Robert would be pushing to cut that as short as possible--especially in this case.

Cassidy watched what was going on she out of instinct took Steven's have worried now for Khaat.

Jess took the note from Brian and headed into the kitchen gathering all the potions on the list she made plenty poring it into a cup just as the instructions told her. walking back with the cup floating behind her she moved to the office motioning it floated down to land in front of Khaat and Robert. She stood back to make sure she drank the tea and be there if Robert should need her.

Cassidy was still worried as she sat looking at the door, she had felt Steven take her hand and now gently squeezed it a little frustrated she could not help her in her condition but even she knew it was best to just let Robert and the others deal with it. " I should have come to you sooner Steven" she said softly as she looked up at him.

Steven smiled and looked down at her " its all right, don't blame yourself your here and your both safe now." He knew she would take some time to settle back into her routine and to trust anyone but him and the immediate people around her. but he also knew Khaat was close to having her babies and had to have full attention too.

"Thank you, Jess," Robert said. He picked up the mug. "Here, Sweetheart. Seer's tea. Drink. I know that was frightening, but we need to not let it mix your energies up." He slowly fed it to her, knowing she would taste the potions in it, but she didn't fight him. She just didn't care, and he knew it. He just sat quietly with her while she drank the tea. By the time she was done with it, she was quiet, dry-eyed, a bit numb, and just the slightest bit groggy. It was what he wanted. He didn't want her overly groggy. He checked her and the babies. "Much, much better. Good girl. Now, listen. Do you think, for one moment that I would go into anything--anything--much less something as important as dealing with a dark wizard without even a little planning? Give me some credit. I am taking no chances. I swear. Now, lets get out of here. I don't want you by yourself anymore. You've done enough paperwork for today." He flicked his fingers at the paperwork on the desk, and it put itself away. He put his hands under her shoulders and lifted her. She was heavy now because of the tea, but he was strong, and managed it without any problem. He kept one hand around her waist and took her hand with his other hand.

By then, Brian and Angus had followed Kate's orders and had made her a bed on the sofa according to Kate's directions. Robert turned Khaat over to Kate who helped her change, did it quickly and quietly without much speaking and then returned her to Robert. Robert took her and put her into the bed on the sofa. "Now--we're going to give these babies a rest," he told her firmly. "You know how I work. I want them to be delivered in their proper time, not because of excessive stress or fear. If you need something, you speak up. Don't make me ground you to this sofa. Understand me?" She nodded. "Alright, then." He accio'd her tea mug and took it back to the kitchen, refilled it with more Seer's tea, but without potion this time, and brought it back to her. "Here. Just tea," he told her. She took the mug, saying nothing, as he covered her. "Now, rest," he ordered her.

Cassidy watched and moved as Khaat and Robert entered the living room "is she going to be ok?" Cassidy asked some what worried that something was wrong she watched as Robert gave Khaat a tea that Jess had made and looked at Jess who smiled at her as she walked over.

" its seers tea helps calm her and any seer down if they have had a traumatic vision" she explained as she placed her hand on Cassidy's tummy " she's settled for a few hours " she said " but you should have some of that tea Angus made you, you still need to boost your vitamins " she said and made a cup float towards her from the kitchen. Cassidy nodded and took the cup drinking slowly. " make sure she eats at dinner, shes lost some weight since I last saw her"

The day seemed to progress now without any further incident. Brian worked packing her bag for St. Mungos, according to a list he had her make. He had allowed Hess and Jack to do the nursery, and he knew they were working on it. But the fact that Robert had said the babies were getting closer made it all more real to Brian. His babies were coming. All the waiting was about to be over. He was realizing his nerves were getting to him. He left the house in the afternoon and walked out to the stables.

He found that Robert's creatures from his barn had been moved here. Robert was still planning. Brian didn't have one ounce of issues with taking care of them. Robert was clearly planning for needing perhaps to go into hiding. And he needed to know he could shut the farm down if necessary. He was clearing things up. And he saw clear evidence that some sort of magically created storeroom had been made beneath the barn and secured. It was designed to not be seen or detected. Clearly, Robert had wanted him to see it for now,but in time, that would vanish as well. He figured Robert was hiding contents of his potions lab and other things that were important to him. Things he didn't want to fall into anyone else's hands. Things that were not expendable. Not an option to allow for others to find. Robert was playing a very carefully planned game this time. He'd never seen him playing to this caliber, and much as it fascinated him, Brian found himself increasingly worried about his children. He went over to the hippogryff and soothed it. Hippogryffs didn't adjust to change well sometimes, and he wanted the creature to feel comfortable here for however long it lasted.

Steven had been checking on the horses on the stables when he saw Brian enter he watched him and sighed " the wait getting to you?" he said as he brushed down a black stallion in the stall next to the hypogriff " I know what your going threw , sort of I went threw it with Janet" he said closing the stall and placing some feed in the bag witch the horse ate. He walked over to the stall where Brian stood " she'll be alright, every one is looking out for Khaat we all feel the nerves and tension both from you and her" he moved in to the stall and stroked it gently as he spoke softly to the creature. " I have gone threw this twice once with Janet and ..." he paused " with Delilah" he said his voice wavering slightly at saying her name as if hiding a secret that he wanted to share but couldn't yet.

"When Khaat had Abbey, I wasn't involved with her then. And we were still just friends. My part in that was to make sure that Khaat and her baby weren't homeless. I saw it through different eyes. Abbey has become mine in every sense that matters because of the time I've put in with her. And because she's so incredible. And, well, because Khaat and I are different. These kids, well, its all different now. These are mine. Somehow, I dont know, they're mine. I dont' care if it was Rob's sperm. These are my kids. And...Robert's animals here? The stakes are going up, Steven. Look here." He pointed to a faint purple outline of a hatch on the stable floor. "A hatchdoor. Robert's made a cellar here, and my guess is that he's already stashing things here. Hiding things. He's already enchanted it with massive protection spells. I don't like the direction I see this going. I think we need to be ready to move at any given moment. Because I don't know what the hell is happening here." He had heard the mention of Delilah. "Do what you have to do to work that out, Steven," he said. "You may not have much time."

Steven looked down at the floor and nodded " I agree but were ll ready for what ever happens" he said " as for Delilah I'm not sure any more she's...changed more... distant " he said " I have a feeling its not going to last she won't talk to me and she is constantly taking the kids away Andrews at Hogwarts" he looked at Brian and sighed " I try to talk to her but she won't " he moved to the hatch and brushed his hand over it feeling the energy radiating from the spell and he nodded " strong spell " he said and stood back up " I...I think its over between Delilah and I " he said blankly and moved away from the door. He looked at Brian " we are all by yours and Khaat's and Roberts side so don't worry "

"Well," Brian said, changing the subject rather deliberately. Clearly this was very stressful and painful for Steven. Brian didn't want to add to Steven's pain. "If Robert says the houses are fully equipped, I presume he means he hasn't forgotten one damned thing. Clothes, food, diapers, formula...everything. He's counting on us running with nothing and needing everything when we get there. But I do admit, I packed about triple of everything in Khaat's bag, including some clothes for me and clothes and toys for Abbey and Dakota. You'd be amazed at what I shrank and put in that bag," he managed a laugh. "If you guys have things that you want to take along, you'd better be packing a bag so that if we have to run, someone can grab it. I suggest you all combine your things in one bag and that way we only have one to keep track of. Its easier to run with one that with everybody having one. I'm quite sure Robert already has Kate thinking of the same thing in some fashion. And I'm quite sure that he must have Paris lined up to take over here the instant we have to run if it happens. I wish to God I knew how to help him right now."

Steven listened glad he had changed the subject rather easily and he nodded " I should make sure Cassidy as her hospital bag packed too, I'll let the others know so they will be ready and can warn family if they vanish for a while " he said and chuckled " I can truly understand Brian " he said and finally smiled again " but I have mine all done I'll get Cassidys ready and in put it my back pack" he added gently rubbing the hypogriff's neck gently.


Cassidy sat watching Khaat as she slept her back aching slightly and she shifted in her seat so she could push up to stand. Once up she moved around for a moment then headed to the kitchen " can I help Angus I really could use something to do I'm board just sitting around " she said folding her arms across her bump.