Spring Flowers

Steven smiled as she said he hadn't lost his bet yet "when your ready to maam " he said grinning "think ya like it" he said he downed the last of his coffee and placed it into the sink with a sigh as he turned to face her his hands thrust deep now into his pockets .

"Stop being so nervous," she laughed. "I'll just pop over now while you're working on all your little tasks here if you like. If you two promise to make sure Khaat behaves just a bit. You both know you won't keep her on that sofa all day, but just keeping her at a low roar would most likely be a good thing. Do you both suppose you can manage that for a few minutes while I'm gone?"

Steven cuckled "yes maam" he said feeling a kind of freedom he had not felt before taking him over , like something he had done had relased him to be himself again as if all that depresshion like the clouds on rainy day had just gone and he gave a soft laugh shaking his head "do we have ya permishion to tie her down if she wants to do more?" he said smirking.

"Now, that," Katherine laughed, "would be most dangerous. She'd have you hogtied to a fencepost before you could figure out what hit you, and then Robert would just have to untie you. Ask the auror she turned into a little yellow duck. I will be right back." Robert laughed, remembering the sight, and Katherine apparated out to the Walker ranch.

"It's true. She beat him fair and square," Robert said. "It was pretty funny."

Steven laughed " I would love to have seen that , an auror reduced to a fluffy yellow duck " soon she couldn't stop himself laughing, son it subsided and he was left smiling " gonna have to tell john that one he'd be in stiches" he chuckled at the remaining image a duck with an auror badge on its chest "ok for that i am gonna do just as she wants but your tellin her what she can't"

Robert laughed, "Sure, tell away. It was hilarious. She can be a very formidible opponent when she has the need to be. I do have a lot of stories about that. She stood up to Ne'Os Emof without even batting an eye. Yes, we did back her up, but she never lost one ounce of courage. And she played her strategic cards like a professional poker player. Flawless. Absolutely flawless. After all, she was taught by the best--and my brother was and always will be the very best." Robert's voice got quieter. "He made her a warrior through and through. I am so proud of how she turned out. She's an amazing woman."

He took a sip of his tea. "You should have met Remus. You'd have got on well together. He'd have liked you. he liked all of Khaat's friends. And you'd have had some things in common with him. " He distracted himself. "I think I will go ask her what she wants in the yard. All that unnessary ornamental stuff." He reached up to a kitchen shelf and handed him a small key. "To the lock on the garden shed. You should find all you need in there. I'll join you outside, no doubt with a scroll sized list of unnecessary folderol in a moment." He excused himself to return to the living room to talk with Khaat about the garden ornaments she wanted.

Steven chuckled then stood straight as he told him of who she had battled "she sound quite the worrior but even a warrior needs down time" he said smiling as he took the key from Robert "sure thing , yeah i'll probably open the door and it'll roll out the length of the yard" he said with a gentel smile "I'll do those jobs i mentioned first then the smaller stuff" standing up he headed for the back door and out into the back garden to the shed.

Taking out a ladder he propped it against the house side and climbed up to clear the gutters now humnh a soft tune to himself as he did.

Robert went in to Khaat, taking an ice pack as he went. He put it on her knee. "How's it feeling?" he asked. "Pain spell is wearing off," she confessed. "Thing is a damned nuisance." He laid his hand on her knee and numbed it again for her. "Better?" he asked. "Yes, thanks," she said. "You don't need to lay and suffer, Khaat. If it stirs up again, numb the silly thing. I know its an annoyance, but you know better than to stress yourself unnecessarily." "Sorry," she said.

"Okay, so tell me exactly what it is you want in your yard that you do not have," he said, accio'ing a pad of paper and a pen from her desk in the study. Khaat gave him an extensive list. She wanted a deck with cushioned outdoor furniture--basically an outdoor room for entertaining in good weather. She wanted some small outdoor lighting along the sidewalk to the garden shed, and maybe some tiki torches. She wanted some birdhouses, a birdbath, a really nice big bird feeder, maybe a squirrel feeder. She wanted some colorful jeweltoned glass windchimes--the ones her mother liked to make. She wanted a colorful glass gazing ball that would actually light. She wanted lots of jewel toned glass to add some addtional color. Maybe some small concrete statues in the flowerbeds. Benches. Some benches would be nice too, she thought. Maybe a tiny pond with koi fish, or a self watering fountain. Flowering trees. Lots of flowering bushes. She wanted it to be a sanctuary for her and for her family and friends.

Steven looked at the now clear gutter and smiled "a job well done" he said to him self even found a ball that had got lodged in the gutter "you don't belong there "he pocketed it and climbed down the ladder reposishioning it againt the loft window, then climbing back up to look at it he saw a small branch laid inside "must have been done during a storm " he accioed it to him the reparoed the window and climbed down folding the lader back a way and heading in doors "ok gutters now cleared im suprised you didn't have a flood , ow i found this lodged in it too" he held up a small red ball "your window in your loft is repared too." he held up the small branch.

Wonder how that ball got up there. Well, give it to your boys. Fauve--Eli's daughter--is the only one young enough to appreciate it, and she has every possible toy available. The boys would enjoy it more. Thank you for the repairs. I do try to keep up on that stuff, but I guess I have had more on my mind. I do appreciate the help. That and I doubt that Rob would let me within 30 feet of any ladders. Did you see the list that I gave to my father? Feel free to include ideas of your own. I just want the front yard to be pretty. But I want the back yard to be a real sanctuary. So I'm open to ideas.