LONDON CALLING

Jess stood thinking on what he;d said and nodded " I see your point" she said and smiled at him " im okay with not doing it if Mira realy wants to learn." she said knowing it wasn't an idea proffeshion but with Michaels tutoring she would be in good hands.

Kaden woke to find Jessie still sleping his arm around him. He slipped from the bed and headed to the living room. " afternoon" he said and looked to Robert " hes sleeping, seems...calmer too but when you have time could we talk privatly?." Kaden asked Robert as he moved to the kitchen and helpped set up for dinner. " good to see you Khaat, and you too Mr Quinn." he said politly as he placed down the tray of yourkshire puddings for every oen to take.

"Don't misunderstand me, Jess," Robert said. "I'm all for us learning all the skills we can get. And I'm not counting you or anyone else out if they want to try to learn some skills from Michael. Not at all. If you want to do some training with Michael, be my guest. I'm sure he'd be happy to teach anyone who wanted to learn. I do get perhaps a bit protective of the women on our team, I know.. I guess I'm a bit old fashioned that way."

"Chivalrous," Kate said. "And I don't mind it a bit."

"Not everyone would agree with you," he laughed.

"From a practical standpoint, there are times when we just plain need someone smaller. There are times for our big guys and times when we need someone smaller or lighter to fit into tight spaces," Brian said.

"Agreed," Robert said.

"Hello, Kaden," Khaat said.

"Hi, Kaden," Brian said. "Call me Brian. Everyone does."

"Certainly," Robert said when Kaden asked to speak with him. "After dinner, perhaps?"

"Come fix your plates everyone," Kate said. "Don't let it get cold."

"I am not about to let one of your roasts get cold," Robert said. "I'm starving."

"Then perhaps you'd be kind enough to start the buffet line?" she asked him.

"Certainly. I'm not shy about food," Robert laughed. "I'll try to leave the rest of you a little." He picked up his plate and made his way down the sideboard to fix his dinner plate.

Kaden smiled to Brian and nodded " of course Brian." he said then looked to Robert " I would not dear interupt dinner." he said with a chuckle " but I will fix a plate for Jessie so we can eat togther." He watched as they all started getting in aline and gthering food. Joining he put a little of everything on a plate for himself then for Jessie.

Jess chuckled at Robert and nodded " oh you sure are and I don't mind letting some one younger take it, I have my hands full with St Mungos and with Jack too." Jack looked over and stuck his tounge out at her " oh so mature" she said smiling as they both moved to the table.

Dinner was fabulous. Kate's roast beef was one of Robert's favorites. She didn't fix it all that often mainly because she knew he was often defying her attempts to get him to eat healthy and was sneaking off at least a couple times a week for fish and chips from the Leaky. So, she most often cooked chicken and fish and lots of healthy whole grains and fruits and vegetables when it was the two of them. He never complained but when she went out of her way to make something exceptional, he was not going to miss a chance to tuck in.

"Jack is a handful most of the time, isn't he?" Robert asked Jess, teasing Jack just a little. "You've all outdone yourselves with dinner. It's marvelous, every bit of it."

"Always glad to please," Kate smiled, and she meant it. She had her independent streaks, but she did like making Robert happy. Robert didn't honestly ask for much, and since so much of his work was so dangerous, she liked pampering him every so often.

"Who would like coffee with their dessert? We've got sticky toffee pudding and Knickerbocker Glory. And, just because I know so many of us like desserts of all kinds, we've made smalll servings of both so that you honestly can have both if you like. If you want one kind and not both, then just help yourself to two servings of the one you like. There's plenty for all."

"Coffee for Brian and me," Khaat said. "Shall I help you with it?"

"I can help her," Angus said. "You just enjoy your desserts, All. Is there anyone who would prefer tea or something in the adult beverage catagory?" He set a spell in place to clear the finished dinner dishes off the dining room table to make room for the dessert course.

"Coffee is fine for me," Robert said.

"Grandfather, I know you want coffee," Angus said to Edward.

"Indeed I do," he said.

"Michael will want coffee," Robert said.

"Will he want both desserts?" Angus asked.

"And then some," Robert laughed.

"I'll take a serving of both to him and a cup of coffee," Kate said.

"Berries!" Abbey chanted.

"We've got berries for you, Pet," Kate smiled, stroking Abbey's cheek. "You want ice cream with your berries?" Abbey nodded, and Kate decided to make Abbey her own little Knickerbocker Glory with just berries and berry topping.

"Kaden, should we perhaps take our coffee out to the patio and then come back for dessert after?" Robert asked him.

Kaden returned from the bedroom having eaten with Jessie who had fallen back to sleep. " of course Robert" he said and gathered the coffee things on a tray to carry to the patio. Returning after setting them down he picked up two deserts and walked with them out side.

Jes laughed at Roberts dig at Jack and nodded " oh I agree hes totaly a hand full." she said tucking into her wonderful meal " yes Kate absolutly delishious." she said as Jack finished his plate then took seconds of what was left.

Jessie woke with a start and looked around the room. Finding nobody attacing him he lay back down. Soon he was once more lost in his thoughts of his former platoon. As hard as he tried to push the memories of the day he had been hurt away he found he could not.

Robert went out with Kaden and sat down and poured them both some fresh hot coffee. The evening was still just comfortably warm, and with the coffee and the freshly made desserts, it had the makings of a nice night to be enjoying one's coffee outside. Smelling the aroma of the coffee, he decided this was one of the flavored roasts.

"You might like this. I believe it's hazelnut coffee. Before the beans are ground, they're roasted in a hazelnut liqueur to give it a warm nutty fragrance and taste when its brewed. The alcohol isn't actually in the beans enough to create any sort of alcoholic effect, but it does make a very nice after dinner blend," Robert told him. He took a taste of it without milk or sugar. "Definitely hazelnut. A perfect pairing with the sticky toffee pudding, in my humble opinion. So tell me. What's on your mind?" He had figured it was something about Jessie, but he wasn't sure what. So he settled in to listen.

Kaden placed down the deserts and took up a cup of flavored tea sitting close by as he sipped it. " its delishious." he said but his face showed something else, worry. When Robert told him about the bean he nodded at his sugestion that it would be a good acumpliment to the desert then asked him what was on his mind. Now he had to find the words to explain.

"Im worried about Jessie, I know you now already but his fathers non aceptance has shaken him badly, its as if hes been set back in his recovery" Kaden sighed deeply as he sipped his tea again " hes having nightmares and when I ask about them he says he can't remember them, I know thats possibly normal but...hes also scared he'll hurt me if we stay in the same bed." placing down his cup Kaden looked at Robert. " I know and you all know, he could not hurt me but... some how in his mind something has told him that his monster as he calls it ,will come out while hes sleeping and kill me." He sat back in the chair and looked out over the grounds.

" I've told him over and over that won't happen, but.." Kaden took out a small foulder and placed it in front of Robert. " its the report from the Vets hospital the one where he was discovered to be a werewolf, I will admit I read it and its not good reading." he pushed it over to Robert.

"You do understand that the report was almost certainly written by muggles who have no bloody idea that magic really truly does exist, and any idea that it might would make Jessie look entirely bonkers. I have learned to give any medical diagnostics written about wizards by muggles very little credence," Robert said. He scanned through the report and didn't find much in it that took him by surprise.

"For what it's worth, Jessie's tendencies to think of his werewolf side as being separate from himself is a very normal part of his adjustment. Jack went through that too, and so did my brother. What they both came to realize, in time, was that even when they were in werewolf form, they were still in there, albeit a bit shoved out of the way. Think of it as seeing themselves standing behind a big dog. They're still there, but the dog is out in front. Right now, all Jessie can see is the wolf. He hasn't been able yet to see he's still there too. He will, in time.

"But that's only part of it. The PTSD will take him learning how to understand what PTSD really is and how to cope with it.

"In time, he will learn that his father might have rejected him for what his father figured Jessie was not, but in time, he will learn that each one of us have been at one time or another, a misfit somehow and we've come together to form one of the most elite teams of civilians in the wizarding world. We are one of the international wizarding governments' best kept secrets. And, yes, we are known in other countries' wizarding governments besides our own. That's what gives us the freedom to operate as we do. So, he will learn that he isn't just another man on the team, he's part of a very tight knit family. When he realizes that, he'll start to heal.

"I can help him with the nightmares and the sleeping. That may help him not to be so insecure. Part of that insecurity comes from the PTSD itself and has nothing to do with what happens or doesn't happen in bed. And, time. Time is an invaluable healer with most things, and this is no exception." He closed the report and handed it back to Kaden.

"I'll try to talk to him about a couple things to reduce some of his anxiety at night. That might help hi a little."

Kaden relaxed in his chair and took the folder now his worried aleviated and he nodded "Thankyou." he said turning to see Jesie stood wrapped in a blanket stood at the back door looking at them both.

"That my medical report?" he asked softly Kaden nodded " I wondered where that went." he simply said and sat down next to Kaden his head resting on his shoulder as he looked at Robert with a sigh. " The nightmares are getting worse." he told him. " I honestly don't rember them but I rember fear, a whole lot of fear." Kaden wrapped his arm around Jessie.

Jack walked out now and looked at Kaden and Jessie with a smile. " Okay, whose up for a run?" he asked Jessie looked up at him puzzled " well can't much around all day, get moving again, come on" Jack said as he pulled Jessie to his feet and took the blanket from around him. Transphiguring Jessie clothes he marched him across to the assault course. " I'll bring lover boy back soon, and in one peice, assumbing he can out run me, grunt." Jack teased.

"oh its on grandad!" Kaden heard Jessie call out and he chuckled. Turning abck to Robert he took up his cup of tea again. " Let me know when and where you need him and I'll make sure hes there." Kaden smiled " I think Jack and Jessie will be great freinds."

"I can help with your sleep issues," Robert said to Jessie. "We'll talk about that in the morning. It really isn't as dismal as you're seeing it right now. The nightmares are feeling worse right now because the bewitching reminded you of when you first got the curse. Things will get easier, you know, now that you've found a place where you honestly belong and are accepted. It just took you awhile to find us."

Robert was glad that Jack had come out and was ready to go on a run. he simply sat back and watched Jack draw Jessie out of himself and go on a run. He listened to Kaden's comments about Jack and Jessie being friends.

"Of course they'll be friends. Jack's history is very similar to Jessie's, and Jack has survived. He knows what Jessie needs. And Jessie already knows that Jack knows what he needs. They've already decided to be good mates, and that can make them good partners out in the field when things get dangerous. For now, the best training for Jessie is to learn everything Jack can teach him."