Fee Fi Fo Fum

Jess chuckled and looked at Brian and Khaat and bit her lips slightly. Standing she moved to the dinning room. "Its okay Khaat" she said " its good to see you up and around, hows the knee?" she asked knowing it would probably still be tender.

"count me out, just for the moment." Jess said and sat down " you guys have at it" she said seeing Jack smile at her. " Jack don't get cocky, I'd take you on any day." she heard him chuckle and smiled at him.

"oh, I don't think you could make it, dear" he said walking over to Jess and looked down at her.

"oh, once I'm healed and got the all clear from Robert, Your on" she said poking his chest as she spoke looking up at him. Jack smiled and lent down to kiss her gently.

"your on, and going down." he said " I won the last bet , l'll win this." Jess just smirked and sat to face every one.

"so who else is doing the assault course?" Jess asked

"Marcus hasn't let me on it today to know, Jess," Khaat said.

"Good," Robert said. "She might actually be able to walk on it in Santorini if she's careful. I'll keep adding some healing spells to it so it holds up a little."

"If you want to go, Marcus," Angus said, "I'll stay with the girls. I know you've been wanting to go for a run."

"Robert?" Marcus asked.

"It's fine by me, so long as they're not alone," Robert said.

"Alright, I'll go," Marcus said.

"Kate? You coming?" Robert asked.

"Someone needs to give Abbey her bath and read her a bedtime story," Kate said.

"You like bubbles?" Abbey looked at Jess. "And cookies? And stories? You know how to read?"

"That sounds like a not-so-subtle hint," Angus laughed.

Jess smiled at Abby and nodded " oh bubbles are my favorite, as for cookies and stories , Jack loves cookies but stories I can do." she said smiling as she looked to Kate " I'll take her for her bath that way I can tell Abby a story after." she said as Jack sat down next to her.

"if that's okay with you Khaat, Kate?" Jess asked " give me something to do while the boys go all macho on the assault course, beside I like spending time with Abby." Jess smiled at Abby.

"Of course its okay," Khaat smiled. "I want her to know she has plenty of family."

"But first, you need to eat your dinner," Kate told Abbey. "The chicken is wonderful, Angus. Your Marsala sauce is divine."

"It certainly is," Robert said.

"Any new developments with all those women?" Khaat asked her father.

"No, and no new ones, thank goodness. My guess is that he had to take a bit of time to go get some sleep. Even he cant last forever," Robert said. "I'm hoping he spends a night in, wherever he is. London could use a break from him."

"And you could use some sleep," Kate told Robert. "When was the last you slept?"

"I don't know," Robert said. "It's been a couple of nights."

"Three at least," Kate said. "You need a night off. Tell the bloody ministry they'll have to do without you tonight. Let that no count Audra Prewitt woman actually do her job as Minister and run the place overnight." Robert didn't respond. He didn't think much of her.

"Are you going to join us for a run tonight, Kate?" Robert asked.

"No, I think I'll stay behind. I want to finish this sweater I'm working on," she said.

"Are you going to dress up Abbey for Halloween this year?" Robert asked Khaat.

"I am," Khaat smiled. "Last year she was too little for anything but a onesie. This year, I have a costume for her."

"What's she going to be?"

"She told me she wants to be a berry, so she's going to be a big red berry. Flourish and Blotts is having a special event for children, with some Halloween stories and refreshments, and I thought I'd take her. And there is going to be a Halloween fundraiser for families, and I thought she might like going there too."

"Good ideas, but do take Marcus," Robert said.

"I wouldn't be left behind whether she liked it or not," Marcus said.

"Whatchu gonna be?" Abbey looked at Jack.

Both Jack and Jess sat listening when James was mentioned tho Jess sat quiet Jack spoke up as he ate. " don't count on it" he said continuing to eat the Chicken Marsala with gusto. " yum I might have a second plate, this is delicious." he said to Marcus.

Jess Sighed as she pushed her food around her plate eating small amounts as she listened. " I have a bad feeling that he won't give it a rest." she said softly taking another small bite. It was now she felt Jack place his hand over hers and she looked up at him.

"he won't, if he knows whats good for him." he said " and he won't come here." Jack reassured her as he gently gave her hand a squeeze. Jess smiled and nodded.

"sure, but how can we stop him, he's...well hes insane." she said turning to Jack " I'm glad you didn't end up like him." he said leaning closer to him.

"so am I" Jack said leaning over and kissing her cheek gently.

"Some of you need to breathe and relax a little," Robert said. "Or come along for a run and burn off some of that anxiety. So far, he doesn't know where this place is, so, as long as we're not foolish, we're most likely alright for awhile. I think we should finish up and then go run."

"Abbey's finished," Kate said, noticing that Abbey was just playing in her food now. "I'll take her for her bath, and then she can have a cookie when you all get back, if it's not too late."

"Cookies?" Abbey perked up at hearing about cookies.

"If they don't dally on their run outside. And while they're gone, we'll get your bath done," Kate said, getting up and picking up Abbey. Get going, you lot, or you won't be back til breakfast."

Jess nodded to Robert then patted Jacks hand " you go, we'll be fine." she said and he nodded picking up her plate and his own and took them to the kitchen. Placing them in the washer he turned back to the dinning room.

"Okay so whose ready?" He asked looking from Brian to Marcus and back. " because I really need to blow off steam" He looked out at the assault course out side. Jack headed up the stairs and changed into the jogging bottoms and a white tank top. Heading back down he headed out of the building to the assault course and began to walk it to get a better look at it.

Jess in the mean time had followed Kate with Abby. "Mind if I help?" she asked picking up a clean towel and moving to stand next to her. " Jacks out running the assault course."

"I think everyone but Angus and the ladies are going this time," Brian said. "You're sure you've got this, Angus?" Marcus went upstairs to make very quick work of changing.

"Look at it this way," Angus said. "If I don't, your response time should pick up, then, shouldn't it?" Robert laughed out loud.

"He has you there," Robert said, using his wand to transform his clothes to workout clothes. "Kate really hates it when I do this, but it's so much easier. She doesn't like the increased dry cleaning costs though."

"Good idea," Brian said, transforming his clothes as well.

"Neither of you have any fashion sense in your work out clothes, though," Khaat told them, looking at their plain gray sweatshirts and sweatpants.

"It isn't about fashion," Brian frowned. He looked at Robert. "Do you care what we look like?"

"As long as we're not naked? No," Robert replied.

"Who's going naked?" Marcus frowned, returning.

"Hopefully, no one," Robert laughed.

Upstairs, Kate was just putting Abbey into a tub of bubbles when Jess arrived.

"You're just in time. I forgot to bring in Abbey's pajamas," Kate said. "I'll go get them, if you try to keep the bubbles in the tub--if you can. And if she goes all Labrador on you, then we'll let Robert change her back."

Jess chuckled and knelt beside the bath and gently swished the water back and forth over Abby so she could wash her down. " I agree, though he did tell me how to change her back." she said watching Kate leave to fetch the pajamas.


Jack walked back and saw the others stood in jogging clothes." Well, I'm ready to go." he said folding his arms across his chest as he waited " shall we get this session on the go? I've already walked the course."

Jess chuckled as she watched Abby play in the bath, Jess let the bubbles float up into the air, taking out her wand she cast a bubble spell in the colors of the rainbow each one a different color that floated down and around Abby.

"We're ready," Robert said, motioning for Brian and Marcus to follow him outside.

"Anyone want to lay down any wagers?" Brian asked.

"What are we betting on? Who finishes first or who scores better on the obstacles?" Marcus asked.

"I'll finish first," Brian said, deliberately starting some teasing.

"You'll finish first but I've handled the obstacles better than you every time we've run it," Robert said. "If we're laying down money on it, you'd better have your wallet in those sweatpants, Brian. And we have yet to see Jack or Marcus either one run it."

Abbey was delighted by Jess's bubbles, and she found she could sometimes catch one in her hand without it breaking, if she was really gentle. It meant, though, that getting bubbles all over the bathroom wasn't so much of an option if she wanted to catch bubbles.

Kate had fetched the pajamas and was standing in the doorway watching Abbey think through how to catch bubbles without breaking them. She liked the good interaction between Jess and Abbey. Abbey didn't ever seem to display much stranger anxiety around Jess. She just took to her naturally. Abbey wasn't so comfortable with other people, but she did not ever seem to be anxious or afraid with her, and Kate was glad to see it.

"Do you want pajamas or do you want to stay in there all night, Abbey?"

"Yes!" Abbey nodded.

"Which is it?" Kate laughed. "You can't want to wear your pajamas in the tub." Abbey nodded, giggling.