New Day, New Life

"When did she have anemia?" Robert sighed. It seemed to him like Cassidy just bounced from one health problem to another. The only thing it was doing was convincing him that she really could not manage her pregnancy herself and that she needed around the clock nursing care and a full time staff just to take care of the steady flow of one crisis after the next that seemed to be coming minute by minute.

"Angus would not carry anything for anemia," Robert said. "He is not a healer. We don't stock that here. And I didn't bring any because I didn't think anyone was anemic. I'll have to go to St. Mungos to get it." He rose, sighig heavily. "Are there any MORE issues you've kept secret from me? Can we please just disclose them all now so I don't have to make multiple trips over thousands of miles? Jessica, you have about 2 minutes to get me a FULL medical history and diagnostic so that we don't have to be reacting to a chain of nonstop emergencies. I cannot be responsible for treating what I do not know." He was beginning to lose his temper with all of this information that was not being disclosed in advance. It was creating massive security risks.

Jess stood up and moved to Robert facing him her hand held up " Robert she's fine, her irons a little low and some green vegetables and pulses will fix that over several days, I don't like the iron tablets" she said looking back at Cassidy who was fit to burst out crying. she sighed watching her stand to face him but say nothing.

Cassidy took a deep breath in and looked at Robert then at Kate " Jess I will be in my room I need to shower " she said and left. Steven stayed put his arms folded as he looked at Robert he knew he was right but being angry at Cassidy for things she could not control was not her fault. Jess moved from Robert and headed to Cassidys room closing the door as she entered.

Jack sat back in his chair " ok round four, " he said looking at every one in the room " you know this is not good for the new born babies or Dakota and Abby " he said " we all know your under stress Robert and cassidy's coming back is hard on her and badly timed with Khaat and her triplets but Jess has it sussed , she was confirming or denying that liver was bad for cassidy, she knows what she could have she wasn't sure on the liver issue" he said " yes cassidys had her problems but Jess has dealt with them all, Steven go see if shes all right , you might be senior Auror but in this I'm experienced" he watched Steven go, " now can we all calm down please , you'll wake the triplets and they just got off to sleep, I don't fancy singing a lullaby , I sound like a screeching owl and that's on a good day." he said peering into the basket.

Robert looked at Jack sternly. "If you recall, Jack, I never raised my voice. Not one time. And I will thank you all to remember that I am the Master Healer here as well as the Potions Master and Jess's supervisor--not the other way around." He got up and went down to his office. If Jess reallly believed she had it all under control, he intended to leave her with it. And when it all came down around her head, then perhaps she might learn the value of a capable healer to supervise her. But as long as Cassidy was lying and Jess seemed to need to defend her and Jack felt he needed to defend her right to defy Robert, Robert was going to ignore them all. He went downstairs and locked himself in his office. He had far larger battles to fight than to worry about one pregnancy case and a new healer that was perhaps a bit over confident.

Meanwhile, Khaat was ignoring the whole cat fight in front of her. She merely had accio'd a book and was deciding to read and not get into any part of it. She knew better than to get on the other side of her father's anger. This safehouse was not a pleasant place to be right now, despite her father's ever effort to surround them with 5 star luxury. She was making up her mind that she was only giving herself til tomorrow and then she was caring for her children herself to reduce the tension in the house. There was enough drama going on in everyone else. She could at least own her own problems for herself.

Jess walked out of Cassidy's room and sighed shaking her head as she walked into the living room she saw Kate and no Robert and she sat down " Kate I didn't mean to sound like a now it all or insubordinate to Robert before, It not my nature I was merely letting him know I knew about her problems and..." she sighed and sat back in her chair hanging her head. Jack moved to sit with her holding her close to him as he felt her hold him tight.

Steven walked out several hours later and poured a glass of cold tea for himself " she's sleeping " he said to Kate and Jess " she wanted to leave here, I persuaded her to stay for the sake of her child " he said and looked at them as he drank his drink and sighed. Jack looked at him as he held Jess.

" you do know Jess now feels she let down Robert because of Cassidy" he said seeing Steven stop drinking and looked at them both.

"She hasn't Jack, Cassidy is the one whose let Robert down in all this, she needs to focus on something other than herself and her baby, I'm not trying to make excuses for her, but what do we have to do here, but sit and wait for something to happen" he paused to finish his drink placing the glass down on the small table. " we swim , go to the beach, shop, and sit around , now we have a gym to work out that's great for us, but she can't do that in her condition and shes getting frustrated with her big size, she's use to being able to do things, now she's being told she can't work out as much , she can't swim out side because she feels the heat easier" he looked at Kate " I'm at a lose Kate, Khaat, as what to tell her" he moved out side and stat under the canopy in the shade.

Jess looked at Kate and Khaat and frowned " This whole thing with Robert and the ministry has got every one tensed and frustrated so much so they don't know up from down or left from right" she said and looked at Jack. She then heard one of the newborn's whimper and stood up to see what was wrong " Julia's hungry" she said accioing a bottle to her and lifting her out , she walked to Khaat " do you wish to feed her?" she asked hoping to bring some sort of normality back to the house so the drama could be forgotten and they could move on with the issues of Robert and the usurper in the ministry. " I hope Robert gets this ministry thing over with quickly, so things can get back to normal" she said .

Kate looked at them and frowned. "You lot haven't given any thought to this, have you? You're surrounded by 5 star luxury. He could have dropped you in a one room flat somewhere or out in the bloody wilderness with absolutely nothing. Then I could see that you had a right to complain, but I can't see one thing any of you really needs that he hasn't already thought of for you.. He could have separated you all and sent you all to separate parts of the globe. But he didn't. he sent you to one of the most beautiful places on the planet with countless things to see and do, and what do you lot do? You complain and you bemoan because you're bored. He paid cash for an entire fleet of vehicles. There are guidebooks up there on the shelves if you'd look. Get a bloody guidebook, go find some tourist attractions and pretend you're a muggle. Buy a muggle camera and go sightseeing. There is plenty of currency stashed here so that you will blend in. Go find something to do. Look up what there is to do here and go do some of it. For pity's sakes. You're all adults. You don't need parents to amuse you.

"And yes, Cassidy does need to do something else but focus on her aches and pains, otherwise it is going to be one hell of a long three months for all of us. Pregnancy is not comfortable. It is not designed to be, but neither is every little twinge an emergency. If she has special needs, she needs to lay them all out on the table so that we can be prepared to deal with them. Keeping secrets from Robert won't help any of us get along any easier. Any auror knows that when you've taken up residence in a safehouse, the last thing you want is any sort of emergency that you're not prepared for. The more secrets she keeps the more she puts all of our lives at risk. Its pretty simple. If she doesn't want to go out or doesn't feel that she can, then she needs to go shopping enough to get herself a hobby or conjure one up for herself. She needs to learn to crochet a blanket for that child, or something. Read a book, start a baby book. Dear God, can't she think of something to keep herself busy? Do you all need parents to give you toys to keep you occupied? Seriously?"

Khaat hadn't heard her mother talk in these frank tones often except to her father. She took Julia and the bottle from Jess and silently began to feed her. This was all because of her. She needed to talk to Brian. Alone. Soon. She watched her mother move out into the kitchen and prepare a mug of tea for Robert. Then Kate gave an angry wave of her hand and apparated out--obviously to go take the tea to Robert and perhaps talk to him awhile. She hoped her mother could take away her father's wrath, but that would require first that her mother release her own frustration before they could help each other.

Jess looked at Kate and thought about her words " you know I always wanted to paint " she said smiling as she waved her hand and a painters easel appeared stocked with paints " I know Kate paints too " she said moving it to a corner by a window as she looked at Khaat with Julia, Jack nodded and smiled as she did her painting " wonder if Stevens up for a run?" he asked and stood up walking out then both headed out for a jog down the beach.

Jess looked up " Hay Khaat how about I try and paint a family portrait I noticed you don't have one of you , Dakota, Brian, Abby and the triples well they just arrived but still. " she asked swiping her pencil across the canvas that sat on it in front of her.

Cassidy had heard Kate's words and sighed she couldn't knit or crochet but she knew Kate was right she had to find something. Walking out of her room she found an empty writing book and picked up a pen as she sat down in a chair not too far from Khaat I can't crochet or knit but I can write " she said softly and began writing in the book of her life, her hopes and dreams.

Khaat smiled, feeling a bit of relief. That was the ticket. Now they were getting the idea. She looked at Cassidy. "So enjoy your journal. And if you want to try sketching or painting, then fine. You don't have to be a professional. You just have to like to play in the colors. Thats all. Its alright to do it just for fun. Brian?"

"Yes, my love?" he asked softly.

"Could I talk you into making a replica of Mom's art studio?"

"Oh, good idea," he smiled. "That would be good for a lot of people to go play in. Consider it done." He kissed her and got up and went outside.

"That will give him something to do for awhile too," Khaat said. At that moment she heard Abbey cry loudly. It was a cry that instantly told Khaat something was wrong. She wanted to bounce up, but the pain stopped her. Her incision was not going to let her just jump up and run, no matter what she had planned. "Damnit!" she cursed, feeling helpless

Jess wanted to go to Abby but it was Cassidy who dropped her book and moved quickly to Abby who she found nursing a cut knee " ow dear, did Abby go a booboo? " she said and carefully picked her up carrying her inside and sat her on her knee " let me show you a trick I was shown as a little girl " she said making a cookie appear as Jess brushed her hand over Abby's knee and the cut healed leaving nothing but a red mark behind then moved to Khaat drawing away her incision pain .

Cassidy felt Abby lean against her and she looked at Khaat now knowing what it was to be a mother and how it felt to have some one who needed you " guess this was how my mother felt when she had me , before she ran away" she said softly chuckling as Abby held her shirt while she ate the cookie. Accioing a plaster with ducks on she placed it over the small girls knee who giggled at the ducks then wiggled to get down. " Khaat does it always feel that nice, I mean holding a child ?" she asked her.

"I think so," Khaat replied. "Most of the time, anyway. There are times when you feel so tired that you don't know where you're going to pull the energy from to handle one more thing, but so far, the good in it for me always outweighs the bad. I know thats how Brian feels. And Abbey--well, she's just special. She has such a gentle spirit. I think she's only had one bad mood her entire young life. She amazes me. Dakota can sometimes be a different story. Dakota is a lot like Mis. Dakota's emotions are right up front and she just has always had a more aggressive fighting sort of personality. Abbey, not so much. She's a cuddler.

"I'm glad Brian is making the art studio. If we come up with enough good pieces, Mom can sell them. It would make us feel like we still have a purpose in this world. Mom likes it all--pottery, stained glass work, sculpture, painting, jewelry making, sketching, anything that's artistic. Daddys' always wanted her to do her own show, but she's never done it. Maybe now she will."

Cassidy smiled as Khaat spoke " I'm glad it feels that way and is Brian adding a pottery kiln , I'd like to make some sculptures though I'm guessing they will look more like they were made by a fifth grader" she said and chuckled smiling finally " Khaat, I'm sorry about my moods lately , Steven has told me hes going to take me to the Liliuokalani Gardens he says its a beautifully landscaped park with arching red bridges over fishponds, rock gardens, pagodas, Japanese stone lanterns and a tea house." she said smiling softly " he said its a romantic place " she chuckled " did you ever feel around Brian that he was preparing you for something, not a bad thing but something good yet you were constantly in the dark?" she asked again" I get that with Steven especially today"