To Hell and Back

Jess was brough back from her thoughs by Kate and smiled "yes they are though some times they can be a hand full" she said and walked over " my two just playaround all day, one cries the other laughs" she chuckled "Its confusing right dear" she said and Jack nodded "I can't wait till they start walking " he said sarcastikly.

Jess smiled "well, we'll have to find some lock spells for the cuboards and draws to stop them , won't we" she sid kissing his cheek "though aby and dakota both are good girls" she said watching a dakota picked up one of her finger food and started to chew it

"Lock spells aren't hard," Kate said. "Robert and I can give you a couple that are easy for you but hard for babies. Khaat was very strong willed the moment she waa born, it seems."

"She certainly was," Robert said, coming in to refill his coffee. "I earned every one of my gray hairs. She really, really liked the word 'no' once she learned it. She's been saying no ever since. And she was the most curious baby I ever saw. She had to constantly be into something. Nonstop. Remus was the only one who seemed to have the ability to head her off and actually occupy her mind. He had to give her some adventure to deal with even back then.

"One time, he rigged a box up with all sorts of doors, toys, sounds, all sorts of ways for her to explore. Kept her happy for weeks. I wish I'd thought of that," he laughed.

Jess smiled "sounds like our two right now" she said and held to Jack " Ttheir both very into whats behind any and all doors, yeah they crawl " she said cnd gave a soft laugh as she moved to sit down to face Robert and Kate a slight blush on her cheeks "yes the opened our bedroom door once right at the qwrong moment" she said jack caughed at the mention of that incident.

"yeah buit we would not change them for anything " he said now holding her from behind as he lent down and kissed her .

After breakfast, Brian had gone back upstairs and had stopped his sleep spell on Khaat. She didn't sleep all that much longer before he saw her start to stir. It seemed like she was just starting to dream. He went over and sat down on the bed and woke her gently. She woke with a slight start, and when she saw him she sat up and wrapped her arms around him, hiding in his neck.

"I'm here," Brian soothed, holding her. "You're safe. You haven't been out of our sight all night. Look. Its morning. See? Sunshine." She managed to look and saw, indeed, morning sunlight. She sighed with deep relief. He kissed her cheek. "You feel like showering?" he asked her.

She definitely wanted a shower in her own bathroom, and she wanted fresh clothes. She nodded. He was going to try to make things easier by picking out some comfortable clothes for her, but she went instead to her closet, picked out her softest pair of jeans, a plain white t shirt, and then went to brians's closet and picked out his softest long sleeved denim shirt. He just laughed.

She showered, and spent longer than he was comfortable with. She was feelign liek no matter how much she showered she didn't feel clean anymore, like she wasn't ever going to be clean again. He finally went in and turned off the water and handed her a fluffy towel. "Alright. Enough. You're clean. Come on," he coached gently. He brought her a cup of coffee while she was dressing. He laughed at how long the sleeves on his shirt were on her. He took it upon himself to roll up the sleeves for her and help her with her old favorite deerskin slippers. She'd had them for years and they still had the Native American seed beading on them. They were warm and comfortable and had hard soles so that, if she really wanted she could wear them outside.

Once she was dressed, he led her downstairs. "Look who I found," Brian grinned. "She made it though the night, and I think she's looking a lot better. More like herself. What do you want for breakfast, Khaat? And don't say nothing?" She began to make a charade with her hands. He frowned slightly.

"Toast," Robert laughed. "You've forgotten, Brian. That was her little bit for toast. How do you want your toast, Khaat?" She made another symbol and he smiled. "Just butter. Got it."

Jess finished her breakfast of toast and lemon curd and a hot cup of fresh coffee , she smiled as Khaat waslked down quickly setting down her cup togive her a hug " morning " she said smiling as she stepped back grinning "good taste in shirts " she said winking to Brian and then grinning at Jack who she saw was also shaking his head and smiling at her.

"hey, its comforting for us girls to wear one of our mens shirts makes us feel closer, that and there always warmer too, I did for about three months after I came back, so don't say a word , besides i think its cute" she said picking back up her coffee cup and moving to Jacks side who she noted sliped his arm around her.

Khaat gestured to Jess, while Katherine went to the kitchen to get Khaat's toast, that Khaat liked the smell of Brian's shirt. It smelled like Brian's aftershave, which was a very masculine scent that Khaat loved. It was totally different than her father's or Remus's, and she liked having the smell of his aftershave in her senses.

"Personally," Brian said, "I think the shirt is too big, but I'd rather have her wearing my shirts than my jeans. They'd fall off her skinny little butt." He looked over at Khaat who simply rolled her eyes at him. That made Brian laugh out loud. He kissed her. "Don't take it personally. I like your itty bitty jeans just the way they are. "

"I don't," Robert said, opening the morning paper, "She's lost weight. Her skinny little jeans are too big." He raised his wand and flicked them at Khaat's jeans. They resized themselves so that they fit. She smiled, pleased with the new and improved fit. She went over and kissed her father's cheek.

"You're welcome, my dear," he laughed.

Jes smiled and then chuckled at Brian as he said he would rather have her in his shirts than his jeans she nodded and was amazed as Robert shrakn Khaats jeans down to fit her "does he travel ?" she said grinning "he'd be worth a fortune in the fashon trade" she said and grinned at Robert "kidding though that is a neat trick" she said smiling to him "for me good eating and plenty of excersise does it " he said and patted her flat stomach "that and chasing the kids around the garden all day too helps"

Brian laughed out loud. "Don't say that too loud," Brian said, "He can let them out too, ridiculously large if he feels like embarressing you. Can't you, Robert?"

"Hmm?" Robert asked from behind his paper, pretending to be preoccupied and refusing to be tempted to demonstrate on one of them by suddenly making their jeans wayyy too big. He promised himself he was not going to do that, no matter how much fun it sounded like it would be.

"Don't you dare," Kate hissed hin his ear, coming back in with a plate of toast for Khaat. She handed the toast to her. "Here, Dear. Before your father decides that one of you would make a great practical joke. I swear, I can't leave him alone for a moment before he's causing trouble." She leaned down and said softly into Khaat's ear, "He's just jealous because I dont' wear his shirts anymore." Khaat looked at her mother and silently wished she could use her wand. She had a bit of mischief of her own in mind, but without her magic, she couldn't do it. She looked at her mother, who resisted a strong urge to laugh. Kate knew that whenver Khaat was able to prank her father again, it would certainly not be wasted.

Jess smiled and raised her hands in moke submishion as she spoke. "ow I wouldn't dream of it " she said now grining Jacks arms srill around her waist as she spoke, she smiled and took his hands in hers as she then lent back to kiss his cheek with a grin. As she sat back up she saw the look on Khaats face and shook her head.

"Don't worry Khaat what ever it is thats blocking your powers may not be around much longer" she said "Then think of all the fun teasing that man of yours " she chuckled as she looked at bring unable to hide her blush both from Brian and Jack but most of all Robert.

Khaat nodded. She knew Jess was right. She nibbled on her toast until she decided she'd had enough. "So," Brian asked her, "Do you have anything you'd really like to do today, Khaat?"

She shrugged. She had no idea, really. She was feeling like she felt okay physically so she really should go back to work, but it didn't appear they were going to let her do that. She went over to her father, reached into his shirt pocked while he merely watched her, and she pulled out his St. Mungo's ID. She waved it to him.

"Something you want there?" he asked. She frowned at him. He sighed. "Give it a rest," He told her. "She thinks she should be working. Take a couple days off, Khaat. I really can handle it." She looked back at him. He could handle it, but he wasn't there, and he had been a patient there himself until he released himself for her. He needed to rest.

She simply folded her arms, unhappy with him.

"What?" he looked at her.

"She's a healer, Robert," Brian said. "She remembers you weren't well yourself when she was taken. She wants you to rest. If she wants to go in for awhile, I'll go with her."

"I don't want her in there..." Robert began.

"Stop it, you two," Katherine said. "Both of your are trying to protect the other. Its sweet but impractical. Khaat's right, Robert. You need some sleep now. And Khaat, your father is right. You're not ready to go back."