To Hell and Back

Jess smiled "be my plaesure Robert" she said grinning as she moved up the stairs to ther nursary opening the door she saw abbey grisaling for her bottle moving she picked up one and warmed it picking up abbey she sat with ehr feeding her , then burped and changed her the small baby now comfortable yawned and fell instatly asleep in her crib.

"long day hay little one" she said softly as she sat in a chair watching them closely.

It had been a very long night. Robert had never complained, but he was starting to feel, himself, that he had signed himself out of St. Mungos prematurely. He had done it to tend to Khaat when she had been brought in the night before last. And he hadn't slept since. He was not feeling well by now. He knew Kate was sensing it. He needed to sleep soon, but Brian had been exhausted, entirely. He had worried himself almost to being sick because of Khaat's disappearance.

He had found Brian, twice, pacing the floor in the bedroom just to stay awake. Robert had refilled the young man's coffee, but once the house had grown quiet, and Brian had finally settled himself that Khaat was indeed going to sleep through the night because of Robert's potion, Brian had fallen accidently into a deep, exhausted sleep that Robert refused to wake him from. Robert had merely covered Brian with a blanket and had let him sleep.

Kate had weathered the night very well. Like him, she was used to saying up if she had to. And the more she felt Robert giving in, the more he felt her gearing up. Compensating for him. He wasn't going to tell anyone he'd dozed off twice himself, but never for more than a few minutes.

Now he checked on Khaat's room again. Khaat hadn't moved once all night, and Robert was glad. She was still in the same position she'd fallen asleep in. Brian had barely moved himself. Robert went over to the bed and checked on Khaat. As weak as she was, the potion might well hold her for hours yet. He was fully intending to let her sleep.

He heard Brian woke with a jolt. He turned to see Brian, more asleep than awake, sitting up, panic on his face. Robert went over to him. "Brian," he sighed, sitting with him, "She's fine. She may well not wake for hours. I let you sleep because you needed it, and nothing happened. We're fine. Slow down. Khaat needs to see you taking care of herself so she knows its safe enough for her to do it for herself. Please. Take your time. Get a shower, and then come down for coffee. Let's let her sleep." He rustled Brian's hair as he had when Brian was a boy. It was reassuring for Brian to know Robert was still in charge, Robert knew. He left so Brian could shower and meet the day and went back downstairs.

"Brian's awake," he said. "Barely. I told him to go ahead and shower. Khaat's still out like a light. By the looks of it, she could well sleep most of the day. And that would help her. I plan to just let her sleep. Anyone need fresh coffee?"

Jess had dozed but never fallen into a deep sleep though she still felt refreshed she was use to hardly any sleep with ehr own twins she smirked wondering how Jack was fareing with them. Feeling her ned for coffee she saw both babies still sleeping and snuck out quicklyu down to the kitchen grabbing a cup as she smiled at robert along the way "good morning" she said as she pored her coffee "their both sleeping" she smiled .

"Good," Robert said. He got some fresh coffee as he watched Kate get up and go to fix breakfast. He looked out the glass doors into the backyard. The sun was just coming up. He was glad of the feeling of peace in the house this morning. He hoped that when Khaat woke she was calm enough to feel it for herself.

Meanwhile, Brian showered and shaved and got fresh clothes. It made him feel new, like perhaps he was washing off the ugliness of the last days. He was ready now to deal with whatever came long, to walk beside Khaat in whatever she needed to be whole again.

When he was ready, he checked on Khaat. She was in a much lighter sleep now, but she seemed to be resting on her own, the potion now worn off. This was her own fatigue now. He didn't want to be too far if she did wake, either. Just to be safe, he laid his hand on her forehead and cast another sleep spell so that she would not wake alone while he was gone.

He looked across the hall and found Jack there. "I'm sorry I abandoned you all last night. I didn't mean to fall asleep. I don't think I've ever done that. And never on such an important assignment. Thanks for taking such good care of things. Have the girls woken up at all yet? Should I get a couple bottles for them?"

Jack ,looked at Brian and smiled " Don't worry about it its my job remember " he said "There's fresh coffee down in the kitchen , hows Khaat doing still sleeping?" he asked as he walked down for a cup himself "I just got back from loking after the twins I think there teething they cried all night" he said smiling as he saw jess , wqalking over he kissed her cheek and held her "looks like you have a better night " he said as she held him back.

"She's stil asleep. She's sleeping on her own now," Brian said. He began to smell Katherine's efforts at making breakfast. He went into the kitchen and kissed Kate's cheek. "Thank you, Kate," he said softly.

"You're a son to us," Kate smiled, "You know that. Anything either of you or Khaat need. That's what family is for."

"Thank you," Brian said.

"You look a lot better. Robert and I were worried about you."

"Yeah, but I'm worried about him. He looks like hell."

"Well, I don't think I'll get him home to sleep, but I might get him to go sleep in one of the guest rooms here."

"Take your pick. You want me to be sure he's okay?"

"After breakfast? If you would?"

"I'll be glad to." He prepared a couple of bottles and decided to take them up to the girls to keep them from waking Khaat up.

"Breakfast will be in ten minutes," Kate called.

Brian went back out of the kitchen. "You all hear that?" Brian asked Robert and Jess and Jack. "It smelles great. I'm going to go get the girls and I'll be right back. If I don't, they'll wake up before we're done eating and wake up their mother."

Jack nodded and rubbed jesses tummy "I know some one whos hungery" he said jess shook her head "he means i like us all love a good cooked breakfast " she said and jack held her again kissing her naeck he grabbed a cup and moved to a couch jess staid in the kitchen as she drank watching Kate work on breakfast she loved watching her cook wondering if she could help even just a little.

"Jess, I made some pecan sticky rolls. They should be ready to come out of the oven. Would you take them out and take them out of the pan, please, before the pecan glaze hardens?" Kate asked, filling a bowl full of a scrambled egg mixture she'd made. It was eggs, onion, a little garlic, potatoes, and lots of melted cheese all mixed together in a tradtional farmhouse mix. It was one of Robert's favorites. She was pampering Robert this morning. She drew out a fruit salad she had made during the night and set the icy cold glass bowl out on the table.

"Oh, darn! I forgot to set the table," Kate sighed. "I dont' know if Steven and Ronata will be here for breakfast, but there's plenty if they do show up. And there's a pitcher of fresh squeezed orange juice in the fridge. I guess I"m pampering Robert a bit. I came far too close to losing him, Jess. I just want him to know I'm glad he's still here. I do worry about Khaat, though. Brian should really wake her and let her eat, but Robert says no. He wants her to sleep as long as she needs it. Part of me wonders if he's wrong this time."

Meanwhile, Brian went upstairs and got both the girls up, one at a time, changed them, and brought them downstairs, each one holding their own bottles and drinking happily.

"There are my girls," Robert's face brightened instantly. He took Abbey from Brian eagerly. He kissed Abbey, and she giggled at Robert. She looked over at Brian and giggled and said "Da! Da!" Robert smiled at Brian. "Your daughter just called you Daddy," Robert said to Brian with a gentle smile. He knew that nothing would mean more to Brian than that. He saw the thrill that lit up Brian's eyes. Brian went over and kissed Abbey lovingly. "He's you're Daddy, Abbey," Robert said. "Good girl."

"One of her daddies. Her other daddy loves her very much," Brian said. "I don't mind sharing her with him. She's allowed to have two daddies."

"Kate! Abbey just said her first word," Robert called. "He just called Brian 'Da Da.'"

Jess smiled as she took the oven and took out the pecan sticky rolls from the oven and placed them down on the cooler she then took a deep breath in and smiled "wow it all smells wonderful and hes probably right she looked worse for wear last night " she said smiling she hoped caringly at her. She turned on hearing Robert and Abby say her first words "aww thats cute" she said holding jack as she rembered andrews first word she foround slightly as she could not quiet remember it she gyessed some of her memories even now still illoded her, but she got over it and around it easily till now.

Brian was thrilled to hear Abbey refer to him as Daddy. He had not ever imagined that he'd ever hear any child call him Daddy, but it seemed to warm his heart more than anyone would ever know. "You're allowed to be excited about it," Robert laughed.

"I am," Brian said, trying to hold back his excitement. Robert laughed out loud. Brian was so transparent. He was beaming.

"Come on, Dad," Robert said, "Lets go get some breakfast." They took the girls out to the table and put them in high chairs, and Brian put some finger foods in front of them to play with--and hopefully eat some of it. Brian then cast a spell to start the table to set itself.

"I hear babies in the dining room," Kate laughed, sending the fruit and the eggs out to the table magically. "They sound happy this morning. Khaat's very fortunate that both babies are so happy all the time. IF I had two at the same time, they'd both be holy terrors, knowing my luck. And from what I've seen of your twins, you've been very fortunate to have two good babies too. What a blessing that is, Jess."