A new member,

Jack closed the circle making sure it sealed tightly before turning to Robert. " its done" he said.

Jess smiled as Khaat returned to the kitchen and took two bottles of beer. " thanks, there not that difficult, kinda like profiteroles." she said placing the last batch on the kitchen paper to drain out the oil. When Khaat offered her a beer she shook her head " thanks but no, I'll keep a clear head." she said " and I think he'll know in an instant that Brian has over done it, he's good at picking up those things." she said as she sprinkled icing sugar on to the zeppoli."

"I think you're right, actually," Khaat told Jess. "Brian thinks he can get by without him seeing, but I can't see that happening, myself. Anyway, I'm going to take him a beer. That big grill generates a lot of heat, and it's always hot work getting it fired up. I'm sure he is too warm. Give a shout if you need anything." She took the beers outside and gave Brian one of them and sat with him.

"Well done," Kate told Jack. "It should hold now. Any reason we can't go home now, Robert?"

"None that I can see," Robert said. "Unless you lot like the atmosphere here."

"Thank you, no," Kate said. "Let's go."

"You won't get any objections from me," Angus said. "I'll see you there." He ported out.

"Coming, Jack?" Robert asked, offering Kate his arm. Kate took hold, and Robert ported them home. Kate and Robert first saw Abbey scribbling on the walls, and Robert looked to the sofa, expecting to see Brian, but the sofa was empty.

"Abbey, where's Daddy?" Robert asked.

"Out," Abbey pointed to the large glass door to the back yard. Robert looked out and saw the grill was heating up, and Khaat and Brian were outside minding the fire.

"Looks like the grill will be ready to cook on in about thirty minutes or so," Robert told Angus.

"Then I'd better cut some steaks. I did promise steaks if the weather held up."

"I'll help you fix some sides," Kate said. She followed him to the kitchen and saw Jess making zeppoli. "Those look scrumptious, Jess. I can hardly wait to get into them. I told Angus I would help him with..." she opened the fridge and saw the potatoes and corn and the large foil packet all ready to go. "Well, I guess I don't need to help with sides. It looks like you've been busy while we've been gone. Looks like it's all handled but the meat, Angus. I'll set the table outside for dinner tonight. Looks like the weather will be perfect for it."

Angus cut a stack of lean strip steaks, and he trimmed them out to be extra lean, except for the marbling in the meat. He brushed them with oil and made a quick rub for them of lemon pepper, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder and seasoned all the steaks well.

"You have enough there to feed a platoon," Kate laughed.

"If we have any left, I'll use it for breakfast and make a nice steak hash to go with the eggs in the morning," he said. "We won't waste it." He rounded up the corn and potatoes and foil packet and levitated it all outside with the wood chips and the steak and put the woodchips on the grill so that the steaks would have a wonderful hickory flavor when they were ready. He put on the potatoes and corn and the foil packet and settled in to tend the grill.

"I can smell that steak already," Khaat said. "It smells wonderful."

"Don't let Jack smell it," Angus teased. "He'll eat them before they're cooked. Werewolves have a thing for meat."

"Did you cut enough of them?" Brian asked.

"I cut enough to feed us and the entire outdoor crew twice over, I think," he laughed. "I figured we might be hungry."

"How did it go with the spiders?" Khaat asked.

Jack nodded and listened to the others talking. "please lets go I love the smell of sewer water." he said jokingly now looking forward to seeing Jess again and holding her after he'd showered the smell of sewer off him.

Jess heard porting and smiled looking up to see Kate enter the kitchen " thank you I thought we could have them as desert, and yeah Khaat made them, guess we both needed something to do while you guys were chasing spiders, which reminds me ..did you find them?" she asked noting Jack walk in behind Kate.

"Nope, they were long gone, but we put up a barrier to prevent them returning" he said and she breathed out in relief. " even James has disappeared, but I wouldn't count him out for now." It was now he smelt steak and sniffed the air " yum Steak" he said heading out to the grill. " I prefer mine medium rare thanks" he said chuckling as he moved to sit down.

Kate took advantage of the time they had on their hands to cast a clean spell on everyone to rid them of the sewer smell on their clothes.

"That's better," she said. "Brian, I thought you were resting."

"I am resting. I'm sitting," he said. She knew better, and she shook her finger at him, knowing he had been misbehaving somehow.

"I'll help you with the table," Khaat said, getting up to help her mother. She helped Kate set the table, and they lit a couple of outdoor candles to ward off the bugs from the table.

Angus grilled the steak and all the vegetables, and Khaat brought out the butter for the baked potatoes and the butter for the corn on the cob, and then she went back in and made a hasty dressing for her hot salad and brought out a bowl and put the hot salad in it with the warm dressing, and a wooden bowl with her savory, cheesy monkey bread. Kate brought out a pitcher of raspberry lemonade and a couple of bottles of steak sauce, as Angus served the steaks.  

"Would one of you be kind enough to bring Abbey's high chair and little Miss Abbey?" she asked. "I think all we need is us. I think it's ready."

"I'll..." Brian began.

"You will not," Kate scowled reprimandingly at him.

Jess moved out carrying Abby's high chair " I thought we could use this , unless she's going to sit on some ones knee" she said smiling as she walked to the table and placed it down.

"I'll get Abby" Jack said heading to the nursery. He returned with a freshly dressed and diapered. " I put a clean diaper and her PJ's on her so she could see the stars with us, hope that's okay." he asked handing her to Jess who placed her into the chair. Jack kissed Jess on her cheek and moved to watch Angus cook the steaks.

"Jack wait till there cooked please." Jess said and Jack threw her a teasing look with his tongue sticking out.

"Thank you," Kate told them. "And I think putting her in her pj's was a wonderful idea." Angus set a large platter of cooked steaks on the table and fixed a little plate for Abbey of little bites of steak, cubes of baked potato, and pieces of the cheesy monkey bread.

"Berries?" she asked Angus.

"I'll get your berries if you eat your dinner," he said.

"Berries now," she frowned.

"Eat your meat first," Robert told her. "Meat first, then berries." She cast out her bottom lip at him, and he made a face at her. They traded silly faces for a moment, and then she laughed and he fed her a bite of steak.

"You know, this is the first meal we've all had here at this table," Kate said. "But I certainly don't think it will be our last."

"No, it won't be," Robert said. He lifted his glass in a toast. "To new beginnings."

"Here, here," Kate agreed. Khaat and Brian and Angus raised their glasses to Robert's toast.

Jess sat next to Jack and smiled at the feeling of family that surrounded every one. "Agreed, To new beginnings." she said and gently touched her glass to Jacks who was smiling at her.

"yes, to new beginnings" Jack said smiling at Jess. He knew she was the one and only one for him. " I just hope my brother stays away, the longer the better." he said softly as he felt Jess take his hand in hers.

"if he knows whats good for him he will." she said softly.

It was a wonderful meal, and even Abbey ate well, and without a big hassle. She seemed to be honestly hungry, and she liked the steak and liked the cheesy bread even more. Khaat was happy to keep putting food on Abbey's little plate for as long as she would eat. Abbey hadn't even brought up the subject of berries, and Khaat wasn't going to bring it up while the child was eating well. Khaat even got her to eat a few of the roasted carrots from the hot salad. Khaat didn't get much of a chance to eat her own dinner because Abbey was so busy eating food just about as quickly as Khaat could give it to her, but Khaat didn't mind a bit.

"I've never seen that child eat that well," Kate said quietly, trying not to make a big deal about it.

"She's taken a real liking to the steak," Robert smiled.

"That's fine by me," Brian said. "She can have as much as she wants."

"She'll sleep well tonight with a full tummy," Robert said.

"That'll save me from having to feed her at 4 am, then," Brian laughed.

"She just might sleep clear through for you tonight," Kate said.

"Shall I brew some espresso to have with dessert?" Angus offered. "Those zeppoli would be fantastic with a little cup of espresso on the side."

"Sold," Khaat beamed.

"I knew you would," he laughed. "Any other takers?"

"Robert?" Kate asked.

"Sounds good to me for a change," Robert said.

"Make that five," Brian said. "Jess or Jack? Espresso with dessert?"

"Might I help you serve your zeppoli, Jess?" Angus asked. "I promised Abbey something special anyway." He was avoiding using the "b" word, to avoid saying berries, so that she wasn't distracted from what little Abbey had left on her plate.

Jess ate up her food as did Jack he actually ate two whole steaks to himself. On hearing coffee Jess smiled " That sounds perfect Angus and thank you." she slipped from the table and headed into the kitchen returning with a large plate filled with zeppoli filled with vanilla cream, Jess carried a smaller plate with some filled with berries just for Abby but she didn't mention what was inside she wanted to see her face.

"there we go" Jess said " tuck in I hope there okay I'm not as good as Angus." she took her seat next to Jack again

"Espressos coming right up," Angus smiled, heading for the kitchen. It didn't take him for than a couple minutes to brew espressos, and he poured them into some of Kate's little handmade pottery espresso mugs, all done in a bright red orange color with brightly colored abstract designs in yellow, blue and green. Angus put the cups on a tray with a little bowl of sugar cubes and beautifully curled pieces of lemon peel if anyone chose to use it. He made a little cup of chocolate tea for Abbey with a little bit of sugar and milk and added that cup to the tray. Then he took the tray of espresso out to the others.

"This one is for Abbey," he told Khaat, handing it to her.

"Oh, thank you, Angus. That was nice that you thought about her."

"You're welcome," he said. "Abbey, try your dessert." Abbey picked up the zeppoli on her plate and bit into it and looked at the filling wide eyed.

"Berry!" "she shouted, excited. "Berry!"

"I didn't get berry in mine," Robert teased Abbey, showing her his vanilla cream.

"They mine!" she said, grinning from ear to ear. They laughed.

"Jess, they're delicious," Robert said, "And you've made one little girl very, very happy."

"You can make these again any time," Angus said, biting into one. "They're perfect. I couldn't have done better myself."

"Abbey, look," Kate said, pointing upwards. "The first star tonight. Close your eyes and make a wish." Abbey looked up at the star, closed her eyes tightly and then opened them back up again.

"What did you wish for?" Khaat asked her.

"More!" she said, holding up her zeppoli.

"It's a hit, Jess," Khaat laughed.