Escape to Brian Quinn's

steven shok his head "geez " he said "thats like me chalging you, I don't because i know your better and would whoop my butt to the deck in a blink , but I don't keep at you about it " he said helping Brian to stand "as for beating him, not going to happen , he has age experiance and wisdom on his side " Steven said as he held him on his feet "come on sleep doctors, sorry captains orders" he said with a chuckle.

"Well, I guess that leaves the rest of you in charge for awhile," Brian gave in. "And you're right. He just puts up with me sometimes. I know that. But I always turn out to be a better man for it in the end. Every time. Oh, okay. I'm off for a few hours then. Don't forget about asking Robert to wrap those spells around the place. And you might see if he's okay? As I recall, I've broken a couple of his bones in the past as well. I wouldn't want those to be neglected if I really did hurt him." Brian rose, already feeling stiff and in pain. "I'll see you in a couple hours." He apparated to his room.

steven shook his head "don't worry he was next on my list of things to do and people to se " he said and chckled as he aperated away "he just won't learn " he said softly as he walked back up the stairs and to here he knew Robet wuld be " forgive me for asking but you ok?" he asked leaning on teh door fraome his ars folded across his chest.

"Minor compared to young Brian," Robert said, taking a drink of firewhiskey to numb the pain in his jaw and his cheekbone. "I think I'll only wear a few bruises. And as for the broken cheekbone I have, well, I can set healing spells in place, but there's not much else to be done for that. But believe me, we've both come out of those worse. But thank you for asking. I think he'll be in a much better mood in the morning. He needed to burn some of that frustration off. He'll be fine. And I'll bet you he sleeps 4 hours at best--unless I really wore him out. Then he might sleep 5 hours. Maybe.

"I am glad Khaat is able to rest. There aren't may peole who really understand what a drain it is on a witch or wizard to completely lose their magic--especially as an adult. It's like losing half of their life energies. She isn't going to regain her strength now until Emof gives her energies back. Granted, she didn't have much to lose, but it still did not help her recovery at this point. I...don't feel like I can leave her tonight. I already sent Archangel to Kate to tell her I was staying. She sent me a bag of fresh clothes.

"I'm glad you're helping her with the farm. I don't know if I will ever be able to pay you what it really means to me to have your help with this whole situation in so many ways. I do appreciate it. Thank you."

steven shook his head at the mention of payment "you both did enouph by finding jOHN AS YOU DID AND MAKING ME UNDERSTAND LIFE IS TO BE ENJOYED NOT MOPPED OVER" HE SAID SMILING AT TEH THOUGHT OF A BRUSIED rRobert and Brian the next day "I can't wait to see Kates face when you show up with a shinner, ove to be a fly on the wall when you explain it" he said chukling "yeah he should as should you, me and jack can take care of it for you for tonight, captain"

"Thank you. I'm just going to stay here a bit with Khaat. I just feel like its where I want to be. I'm sure as a father you canunderstand that--that need to be with your sick child, no matter what age they are. I need to be here. And Kate is the first one to understand that." He yawned but it hurt his jaw and his cheekbone both. He winced. "I'm getting too old for this crap," he sighed tiredly, his eyes closing on their own. He'd dozed off before he even realized it.

Steven smiled taking a spare blanket he gently laid it over the sleeping Robert "yes I do Robert" He then moved down the hall to Brians room glancing in he saw him asleep and smiled aggain Closing his door as he moved down to teh main living room and the porch the night had become cool but he didn't mind he watched the night sky seeing fire flies dance across the lawn and the odd owl hooting in the distance as it flew past teh half moon , he cuckled lightly as he felt he ahd a deeper understanding of brian and Robert now.

Khaat woke the next morning, and saw her father sound asleep in the chair beside her bed. The whole side of his face was coal black, and the bruise was starting to wrap down the side of his neck. She thought it looked like two separate bruises--but they were very severe. She sighed. As she figured it, he and Brian had been at it again. He was the only one that her father would let bruise him like that. He didn't generally look like that not even after real battles. Now, in the cold light of day, she could see the exhaustion on his face, even as he slept. Beside him was a bottle of Brian's brand of firewhiskey and an empty glass. She guessed he'd used it for the pain instead of a proper pain potion.

She watched him sleep for a long while, until he woke slowly, fighting to wake when his fatigue wanted him to clearly sleep longer. He was aching and hurting this morning. She felt sorry for him.

"Do you want me to fix that for you?" she asked.

"How, my darling?" he replied, reminding her she had no magic even to heal with. She sighed heavily. "It's just bruises anyway," he said.

"Doesn't look like it," she replied.

"Well, there is a chance of a slight fracture to the cheekbone..."

"You liar. He broke it. When will you boys stop playing at that? One of these days you're not going ot be able to fix it!" she was angry now. He raised his eyebrows at her. Boys? He hadn't been called a boy in many years.

"And since when have I actually been a boy that you've truly known of?" he managed to laugh, despite his obvious discomfort.

Brian was furious with himself that he'd slept all night. He hadn't done that in years. He snapped out of bed like he'd been set on fire and flew through a shower and the morning ritual of dressing. He started to race down the silent hallway, until he heard Robert's laughter from Khaat's room. He stopped short. He looked to his left and saw Abbey safely asleep in her crib, and then looked right and saw Robert awake.

"You look like Filch shot you out of his bloody cannon, Lad," Robert laughed at Brian.

Brian came in. He was bearing some bruises too, but nothing like Robert's otherwise strong and dignified face that now wore bruises down the entire right side and down into his neck. "Why didn't you call me? I'd have fixed that last night!" he was upset with Robert.

"I was tired and, evidently, so were you. No harm done," Robert replied. Brian laid his hand on the side of Robert's face.

"No harm done! Your cheekbone is broken!"

"Uh, yes. It is. I knew that last night," Robert said. "The rest is just some rather uncomplimentary discoloring."

"You have a terrible habit of gross understatement," Brian said, applying a healing spell to the broken cheekbone. The bone snapped back into place with a loud painful crack. It made Robert jump and wince. "Sorry," Brian said. He applied a pain spell, much to Robert's relief, and set a spell into place to reduce the bruising. "You might have to carry that at least today, though," Brian told him.

"Hm...well, I did expect that," Robert said. "No spell relieves that instantly.

"I want you and Daddy to stop playing so rough," Khaat ordered, fiercely protective over both of them. Brian and Robert looked at each other and burst out laughing.

steven streached as he stood up his legs and back aching from sitting most of the night in the porch lounger chair , the night had gone undisterbed this time much to his relife though now he felt like he could shoot that ow as it had hooted all night .

Moving back inside he headed for the kitchen dn made a pot of coffee , fench roast smelling it permiate the air as he stood wating for it to brew, soon it was done , pouring four cups as he knew jack would get his own and was not sure if emmy was a coffee drinker. He placed them on a tray heading up to Khaats room where he found Brian already up dressed and talking to Robert. "wow thats a wopper of a bruise" he could not help say on seeing the blacken bruise on his neck "ok coffee " he placed the tray down and handed Khaat hers "french roast , maam" he said grinning, then hands Robert and Brian a cup each.