To Hell and Back

jess stepped out of the floo and smiled seeing Brian an Khaat "hey slow boy will be along any second now " she said and moved to Khaat "god you look like crap " she said and stood over her but then she huged her "good to have you back and I hear congrats are in order , good choice this time if i didn't have jack god i would so take him" she said and chuckled 2no ofence Brian but you are a catch " she looked at the puzzle "ah ha, i knew he couldn't do it , thats the puzzel the kids made him by last month" she said just as jack aperated into the room

Khaat hugged Jess back. She was glad Jess knew how to not take things too seriously. She knew full well she looked like hell and didn't mind Jess speaking the truth. It didn't bother her a bit. She showed Jess her hand to show her the ring Brian gave her. Khaat loved the ring and was pleased he still loved her enough to want to still give it to her.

"Khaat loves puzzles," Brian said. "I think she's enjoying it. Robert made some pumpkin spice tea. You want some, Jess? Oh, and by the way, Kate has him captive in the kitchen fixing supper. Khaat hasn't eaten since before she 'left,' and I think we all feel a bit hungry. So we're going to let them do the cooking for us tonight. I think its funny that everyone thinks Robert is so powerful and intimidating,and all Katherine has to do is look at him. Strikes me funny, if you ask me."

He connected a few pieces towards the border for the left side and rose from his seat. He wanted an excuse to let Jess have his seat at the table. "I'll get you some tea," he told Jess. He kissed Khaat's cheek. "I'll be right back" He left for the kitchen.

jess looked at Brian like ' do you have to ask' as he asked if she wanted some spice tea she ahd liked it ever since she ahd staid at their house before the twins were born. she took up Brians chair as he stood to fetch her cup "so how does it eel to get your man" she said grining at her as she picked up a pice and looked at him shrugging she chuckled " sorry Khaat i was never good at puzzles , now give me agood mysery book and i could read for england " she said placing the peice back down.

"so how you holding up, sheesh why should I ask with a guy like Brian at your side you should be doing great" she said grining at her

Khaat picked up a pad of paper and a pen and wrote, "I'm going forward. Nothing else matters. I can't change what happened, so I might as well move on. I'm fine. I just dont' want to think about it, that's all. Nobody seems to get that I really do just need to move on. I need to go back to work as soon as possible. My healing spells will still work. Not the others, but I could still work. They're not willing to consider that right now. "

She passed the note to Jess. Khaat was feeling that anyone really understood how she felt. She felt very alone. Even with all the people here, she felt alone. She was beginning to smell a chicken dish of some sort from the kitchen. She didn't know what her mother was planning, but it was the first food she had smelled in a long time that she wasn't afraid of eating. But now that she smelled it, she didn't have any appetite. She wasn't sure why, but she just wasn't hungry. By rights, she should have been desperately hungry, but she just didn't feel much of anything where that was concerned.

Jess sighed as she was give the note "I know Khaat, I know all to well the need to get back to normal , pysicaly your healing but in your mind it still hurts , you still feel as if your still being tortured, I...."She sighed "It took me months to get my mind back to a normal state , Your not as strong as you think you are "she placed her hand on her shoulder "they care for you deeply especialy Brian, let them help, take time for your self and relax and just be happy for once you have a beautiful daughter in Abby and grandaughter in Dakota enjoy them and let go of what hapened it does no good to dwell , I don't know if im making much sense im just saying from my own experiance how i put it behind me I can't say get over it, because i haven't, even now, jack can tell you that." she looked at jack who moved to hold her hand and smiled at her.

"Maybe she'll listen to you, Jess," Brian said, bringing the tea in and setting it in front of Jess. ""Sbe signed her own discharge from St. Mungos within hours of our admitting her and tried to go back to work in her office. Took us a bit to bring her home. She needs some food and some sleep, and a little time for herself, but she's not listening to us. I get why she's not. I really do. But that doesn't mean I'm going to agree with her."

Khaat shot him a scowl. He kissed her cheek. "I love you too, Dear," he laughed. "Dinner won't be ready for an hour, but its one of your favorites." Chicken soup. She loved her mother's homemade chicken soup. It was something she could never refuse, no matter how sick she was.

Archangel seemed to sense her distress. He flew over to her with his toy in his mouth. It was a magical fetching toy. It would change into a bird, until it landed. If it landed on land, it would turn into a mouse, and if it landed it water, it turned into a fish. Archangel loved when Khaat would throw it and he would go fetch it. She looked at Brian, not sure he would let her go out.

"If you like," he said. "Jess, you want to go with her and help her play fetch with Archangel? He needs the flying practice anyway. I'm sure either Jack would keep watch or I will. Khaat, I"m sure could use seeing some open space and smelling some fresh air."

Jess nodded and hoped inside she would take her advice as she knew just how hard it was to get over such a tromatic event. "sure i'd love to " she said and let jack pull her to her feet her arms wrapping around his waist as she kissed him "coming dear?" she asked seeing the sappy look on his face "shesh i think he does need air, hes gone all sappy on me." she said and grinned to Brian and Khaat .

"Come on, Boy," Brian said, "Let's go play." Archangel waited for Brian to open the door and flew outside carrying his toy. Khaat smiled and followed. Archangel dropped the toy at her feet.

"The first pitch is mine," Brian said, laughing. He picked up the toy and hurled it with all his might as far as it would go aross the enormous yard. The egale took off like a shot. He looked at Khaat, "Have a good time, Babe." He turned and went back in the house.

Khaat suddenly felt fear without him present. She hadn't been afraid til now, not even when she was in St. Mungo's. And it wasn't about trusting Jack or not trusting him. But right now, she felt like she wanted people she trusted all around her. At every turn. She suddenly felt herself noticing every shadow in every bush and between the trees.

She hated it.

She liked being outside, but she hated being afraid of her own shadow. She glanced back at the house and saw her father glancing out the kitchen window. There was some security in that for her. She wondered if Jess had ever seen all kinds of monsters where there were none. She wondered if Jess had been afraid of her own shadow when she got back. Khaat had always been so confident. And now she didn't feel confident at all. Maybe Jess had always been confident. Maybe it hadn't gotten to her like this had gotten to Khaat. Khaat just didn't know.

Jess watched Khaat and saw the look of fear on her face even with jack around . She walked over to her "hes not there nor is any body else who you wnt there to be" she said smiling as she looked at her "The fear is normal, but you have to let go, your safe with us and we all care about you. "she looked at and shook her head as he fell over a plant pot and landed on his face. "ok your safe apart from my clutsy husband " she said and hoped jacks clumsy moment would make her smile a little as she went to pick him up off the floor.

Khaat smiled when she saw Jack fall over the flowerpot. Archangel brought the toy back and dropped it at her feet and she threw it for him. This was what she had been doing when she had met Rob. Playing fetch with Archangel on the Hogwarts grounds down by the Black Lake.

And truth be told, Jess was right, she knew. She wasn't seeing anyone in the shadows. The only thing she really saw in the shadows was more shadow. Nothing more. And she believed she was safe here. She knew she was with people who loved her. People who would gladly fight for her to keep her safe. She knew that. She knew if Felix Barber came back here he wouldn't have much of a chance. She hadn't decided yet if she was going to try to find Barber or Burke or Gelding, but she presumed they weren't far from the minds of her friends. And they weren't off her father's mind either. That much she knew.

This time when Archanggel came back, he dropped a live fish at her feet. Khaat frowned at him. Where was the toy and what the heck was he doing with the fish? She certainly had no intention of throwing a live fish. He either was bringing her a gift, or he'd lost his mind.