Rest and Relaxation ( Khaat )

Jess nodded she agreed with him " I remember Jack having to fish her out on several occasions." she said and chuckled as she pored two cups of French roast. " here drink will help you as well." she handed him a cup and headed to their room. Knocking she walked in.

" I bring coffee Khaat" she said softly and placed it down on a table beside the bed. " I hope everything is to your liking?" she asked " I tried to make it feel relaxing, as if at a spar." She pulled back the gossamer curtains to let more light in.

"Jack and I have planed to go swimming later you and Brian could join us, after I have gone into the local town and gathered some things for Abby's birthday. " she stood and waited for her response hoping this would at least make her smile.

"Its perfect, Jess," she said. "'ve forgotten how wonderful it is to be able to leave the whole side of a room wide open to the breezes and to the stars at night and not feel like James was going to barrel in on us.

"Thanks for the coffee. I just got in a hurry this morning and didn't get any. Abbey came in and woke me up this morning. Its odd because she actually has ideas about what she wants for her birthday. She wrote me a list. Or rather, she drew me a list on a big piece of drawing paper, using crayons. I think I might have tucked it in my jeans pocket."

When Jess mentioned swimming, Khaat had to think a moment. "I don't remember when I went swimming last. Maybe...I don't know. I think Marcus and I went for a late night swim in the basement pool before Christmas. I'm surprised Brian hasn't been nagging at me for not working out regularly anymore."

Jess nodded and saw the piece of paper taking it out she smiled " ah she wants a lot " Jess walked over and handed Khaat the list written in crayon. She heard her mention about not worrying about James and she smiled " well this place is protected with spells that will alert us if anything should pass that has magic in it, please relax." Jess sighed and looked out the large doors " I know how it feels, this is my no our sanctuary now, I keep it peaceful and relaxing, Jack doesn't mind he actually likes it like this as well."

Jess smiled and walked over to her " theres a market on tomorrow we could go and you can get what you need from it then, for today relax." she chuckled seeing Jack waft smoke away from him " seems Jacks almost got the food ready, Brian's making a fruit salad with the fruit that was delivered fresh this morning, your bathrooms threw here the bath is big enough for two and has jets built in, if you wish to use them." she opened a door to her left and showed her a large bathroom.

"That could be fun," Khaat said, looking into the bathroom.

"I noticed Abbey had some weird things on her list. She wants a stuffed strawberry. I have no idea why. She wants a strawberry kitty--and I don't even understand what she means by that. She wants lots of storybooks. She wants her own berry tree. She doesn't apparently know berries don't grow on trees.

"She wants her own perfume. Last week, Marcus caught her sitting at my vanity, looking at all the perfume bottles. She liked the pretty glass shapes, but she didn't really like the smells. She said they were 'grown up' smells. She wants something of her very own. If I'm right, my father is talking to Edward about some weird thing that they have up their sleeves. I don't know why that concerns me. After all, what's a five year old supposed to smell like, besides clean?"

She finished unpacking and realized she had packed exceptionally well for Brian. For her own needs, she had packed one bathing suit, a pair of jeans, a t shirt, a long sleeved shirt, a sweater, and a big stack of sarongs and another of veils and shawls that included just about every color of the rainbow. She didn't even have a pair of flipflops with her.

"Marcus does better packing for me these days," she sighed. "He purposely packs to force me out of my shell a bit. It always irks me, but now I see exactly why he does it. Let's hope I remember how to transfigure all these wraps into other things."

Jess chuckled and nodded at how well she'd packed for Brian yet hardly anything for herself. " I'm sure there will be some things I can lend you, you can change them as and how you wish." she told her " my home is your home Khaat, I owe you that much." she smiled and chuckled as she heard Khaat reel of what Abby wanted for her birthday "I think she wants ether a strawberry scented cat or a pink one, not the stuffed strawberry we can do I saw one on a stall last time I was here, if its still there we can pick it up tomorrow." she smiled.

Jack walked over brushing sand from off his hands and smiled. " foods ready" he said to them both but walked over to Jess his arms wrapping around her gently as he spoke softly to her. " will you sing for me tonight?" He asked Jess blushed.

"we have guests Jack, I don't think they want to hear my singing." she told him but Jack turned to Khaat and spoke.

"persuade her please she has a beautiful singing voice and doesn't sing nearly enough." He asked her. Jess looked on apologetically to her.

ooc: I'm going to presume this is just lunch perhaps.

"I thought I smelled something cooking already," Khaat said. She headed out to the beach through the open bedroom doors that opened out onto the sand.

"And you might be right about the kitty, Jess. I don't know. She's been talking a lot to Daddy about her birthday, so maybe he knows something. All I know is that she's all excited about being a year older than Dakota, even if it does last about a month. It still, for some reason, makes her feel important. She's been telling Dakota she's going to be five and Dakota's only four."

"It matters," Brian laughed, "because Abbey believes that if she can tell Dakota she's older that it will stop Dakota from bossing her around and hitting her."

"Well, I wish her luck with that, but I think Dakota is more stubborn than that," Khaat said. She sat down near the fire.

"I think we've all heard you sing to the kids at one time or another, Jess," Brian said. "So, why would you be shy about it now? If its something you'd like to do, I'm sure we'd all enjoy it."

Jack smiled and nodded as Jess looked at them all some what shocked at hearing they had heard her sing to the children. " you..you heard me?" she said " That was just to get them to settle down, its different when you have friends." she told him but looked at Jack " I do enjoy it, and I will this evening, right now Dinner." She told them with a smile her left hand resting on Jacks cheek.

"I agree Robert is best to figure out Abby's mind, and who at that age doesn't want to be the oldest, its at our age that age doesn't matter." She smelt the food and took Jacks hand " we should eat " she said and slowly walked him outside leaving Brian and Khaat alone. Jess let go of Jack and moved to gather some plates and drinks for every one.

" Come get it while its hot" she called out s Jack opened the parcels filled with pork and rices " we have a Traditional Caribbean Sorrel Drink for you to try, Jack's specialty while were here, 1.5 lb sorrel flowers, 8 cups water,1 cinnamon stick,2 pieces of dried orange peel, 4 cloves,thick slice of ginger, sugar to sweeten" she told them as Jack shook his head.

"awe that spoils it" he said and pouted like a kid whose secret had just been told.

"It smells great," Brian said. "I don't think I realized how hungry I was. You know, Jess, if it makes you self conscious, maybe Jack should sing with you. Or maybe you should give him the first verse and the chorus of whatever you sing. Seems only right that if he wants you in the spotlight, he ought to share it with you."

Khaat decided to just watch and see if Jess would use the chance Brian just gave her to prank Jack just a little bit. She sat down and tried the sorrel drink.

"That's good," she said. "Its good cold, but it would be good hot too, especially on those days when you feel like perhaps you're starting to get a cold or something."

"Well, it wouldn't be that different from your mother's hot lemonade drinks with all the spices," Brian said. "The cinnamon and the ginger and the citrus are all good for upper respiratory distress. Perhaps we need to talk to Angus to see if he can either get us some sorrel or some equivalent for something like this at home. It would be very healthy and the kids would love it."

"They'd like the banana leaf bundles too," Khaat said. "Abbey loves to help Angus in the kitchen, and she'd like to watch him wrap the stuffing up in the leaves."

"She'd like to watch them being grilled too," Brian said.

"So long as we were careful about a little one around a fire pit," Khaat said.

"That's what bodyguards are for," Brian smiled. He understood Khaat's protectiveness over the kids. They all felt the same way, but so long as there were adults to keep them safe, Brian thought that perhaps exposing the kids to the "normal" dangers in the wizarding world, they'd grow up better prepared. He tasted the banana leaf bundles. "The kids would definitely like these. They're delicious."

Jess heard Brian and smiled turning to Jack she had a mischievous smile on her face " ow I agree Brian that sound a good idea." she saw the look on Jacks face and burst out laughing. " ow don't worry Jack I know you can't sing." she said still chuckling as she handed Jack his drink.

Hearing Khaat talk about the drink she smiled and nodded " in this heat it cools you right down and is refreshing, but never had it warm, might be okay." she sat down and ate her food.

"ah thats my job " Jack said in response to the mention of guard duty on the grill. " we can add banana's and berry's to make sweet ones for them" he said Jess nodded as she took a sip of her drink. "

Soon she was done and set her plate down next to her. She sat back and looked out over the clear blue sea. " I think a relaxing afternoon is the call for today." she looked at Brian and Khaat then to Jack who just finished his second plate.

"what ..ow, yeah feel free" he said realizing Jess was giving them space to relax. "things don't rush out here, as they say “Kuul yu fut” he chuckled and looked at Brian " it means chill out and relax." He gathered the plates and headed inside.

"he learned that from a local when he went to a bar." she told them and chuckled " he got in a fight or nearly, thats all they kept saying to him."

"hey... don't tell then that one" He called from inside then walked out a towel over his shoulder."I had too much rum and well wasn't myself" Jess laughed.

"he was so drunk he slept on the couch because he passed out , I couldn't carry him so...I left him there." Jack shook his head and smiled.

"He's lucky he didn't marry Khaat. He'd have been sleeping in the yard or the garage," Brian said, laughing. "She just won't do someone drunk in bed with her--never ever. That's just an absolute. Not sure where she got it, but, its just the way she is."

"I'm not sure where I got it either," Khaat shrugged. "I guess I never saw either of my parents that way, or Remus or Michael. They didn't drink that much. So, I think it just makes me uncomfortable."

"Well," Brian said. "I'm not planning on it any time soon either. I was rather thinking about a walk on the beach. Maybe collecting a few shells for the kids."

"For the kids, my eye," she said. "You'll be getting them for yourself and for that jar you keep on the shelf in your office."

"Well, maybe a few for them too. Besides, its a good opportunity for you to work on your tan. I hope your brought your white two piece suit."

"No," she frowned. "I brought the black one."

"That awful thing with the skirt?" he frowned.

"I like it," she said.

"Its awful. Its made for someone twice your age. You didn't seriously bring that one."

"I seriously did," she said. He groaned, rolling his eyes.

"I'm throwing that one out," he said.

"You'd better wait til we get home or I won't be able to go out at all," she said.

"Do me a favor," he looked at Jess. "Take her to town and get her out of the old-woman bathing suit. For Merlin's sake. I don't know of any woman under 80 that would wear it."

"Its not that bad," she protested.

"You have an amazing body. You do not need that. Jess--we can do better, can't we?"