Gibb's House

Khaat hadn't slept in days. Her father was now in Jack's spot at St. Mungos, and he felt himself free (as of course he was) to apparate into her office at any time of the day or night. She really wasn't trying to be neglectful of herself. But every time she closed her eyes, she saw Rob, so it was just easier to stay busy. Working kept her mind off herself. And as neglected as St. Mungos had been for the last 100 years, there was more than enough to keep her busy.

But tonight, her father had found her at her desk again, and had, basically, evicted her from her own office. She knew his magic was so much more than hers that she didn't begin to argue with him. So she had left. She couldn't go home. She'd decided to let Rob and the kids stay there. She didn't have any cash with her. Well, she hadn't had much of that since her escapade in Knockturn Alley. And right now going home to the farm to admit her father had been right was not an option. Made her feel angry. Made her feel 5.

And of course, he would have to kick her out of her own office on a night when there was some bloody thunderstorm that was making it rain in sheets. She had just apparated without a direction and then started walking. Before she realized it, she found herself within eyesight of where Rob had mentioned Gibbs lived. And to her surprise, there was a light on. Soaked to the skin, she gave in, and knocked on the door. She stood, waiting, debating on givng him some lame line about wanting to borrow a towel.

"Bless you, Gibbs," She sighed, relieved. "I was going to make up some lame excuse for being here about needing a towel, but...well, I didn't. The truth is, I've let Rob have the house for now, and I've been staying in my office at St. Mungos. My father basically evicted me from my own office and told me to go get some sleep, but, first of all, I couldn't sleep. And second, I had no place to go. So, I've been sort of wandering since about midnight, apparating and walking, and ended up in your neighborhood by sheer acccident. Any chance I could just hang out for a few hours til its time to go back to the office? I really don't want to be a pest, but I'm actually getting tired of being wet."

"Oh, you know, that could be a problem," She laughed, taking the coffee. "I really didn't think about his tendencies to cause trouble. Gibbs, you are a lifesaver. And I can bring you enough of the best french roast coffee that you've ever had in your life, that even a fellow hard core coffee drinker like you would have trouble using it all up. I made sure that I bought the very best I could find for Sparks, and it comes in big industrial sized airproof containers to keep it fresh.

"Thank you. I appreciate this. I didn't think you were a nightowl like me. I did guess you might be a bit of a workaholic, but I didn't guess you were a nightowl.

Khaat had gotten a laugh out of watching the coffee table jump out of the way on it own. "Oh, so its your side of the family! You guys are responsible for it! I see now!" She laughed out loud. "Somehow our furniture got all animated too, and Rob and Jen have taken to playing poker with the living room furniture. The sad part is that the armchair nearly always skunks Rob really pretty badly. Pitiful. Just pitiful. To be beaten by one's own armchair. And the darned thing follows him around like they are old mates. I'm waiting on him to have an affair with the ottoman or something. Its really hard to wrap my mind around him befriending the furniture."

'Well, I have to confess, I did think I did it myself. My magic went a bit wonky when Rob and I split. Not sure why. But I had a few days where every spell I did, caused the exact opposite result. I thought perhaps I accidently did something. Maybe I did. But it certainly is nicer to think that perhaps Rob is blame for it. You know, it even got to the point where Vincent Majere, of all people, had to rescue me from an ice storm I guess I started myself in my own office. That was much too strange. When I tried to stop it, all I did was unleash some sort if ice hurricane." She laughed, warming her hands around the coffee mug and taking a drink of it. "You really do have coffee making to a fine art, Gibbs. This is wonderful coffee."

She paused for a long moment, just thinking. "I was just thinking, wondering when I really did sleep last. Not sure I remember. You know how it goes. You have too much on your desk and you feel like you have no choice but to follow it through. St. Mungos hasn't been changed or updated in almost 100 years until I got there. Its a huge task. It gets to be all about the principle of the thing. Fixing up other people's messes.

She looked at the tv and frowned. "A muggle tv? I haven't seen one of those in ages. Have they finally gotten around to putting anything worthwhile on at this hour of the morning? The last I knew, the shows really were pretty stinky at this time of day. Do you care if I go use your bathroom to change into some dry clothes? I have pretty much everything I need in my bag--except a place to change."

She excused herself and took her bag into the bathroom, rifled through the clothing she had shrunken to Barbie doll size and chose for herself, and selected a very simple pair of blue shorts--a pair she often used for running in when the weather was warm, and a tee shirt she bought at some muggle store, in battleship gray that advertised some sort of muggle soda. Over that she simply wrapped up in her favorite long gray flannel robe. It was soft and comfortable, and something she dearly loved. It felt good on such a nasty night outside. She combed out her wet and tangled hair and felt much better. She shrank the other clothing that she had worn, and put it into the bag and returned to the living room.

"That feels much bettter," She smiled. She picked up her cup again and sat down, warming her hands around the cup again. "You know, you have really excellent, strong Defense Against the Dark Arts energies around you. You have all the energies of a really well trained warrior. It seems odd to me that we haven't met before this with as many skirmishes that we both have undoubtedly been through. I bet we would probably actually enjoy working together to try to get rid of these Death Eaters and things that are such a huge thorn in our proverbial backsides. Energies like yours don't get to be as strong as they are without a certain love for the adrenaline and the chase, and usually the fighting. Maybe someday we'll get that chance. I think I would like that. There is a part of me that really does like dueling. I got that truly from the Lupin family.

"Makes me wonder what Abbey will be like when she's born. With Rob's impulsiveness, and my love for fighting, we could be creating a really impossible child, you know. And if she has my gift for getting into trouble, Rob will simply lock her in her room until she's eighteen. I really hope she doesn't turn out too much like either one of us, actually." She laughed. "That reminds me. I have not had the pleasure of meeting my mother in law. Rob and Jen have consistently told me she and Grandma are a bit 'different'? Come on, Gibbs. They can't be that different. I mean, you all turned out alright. They can't be as bad as Rob and Jen say they are-- Right?"