"It is Finished!"`

Khaat woke in the morning, feeling odd. She wasn't sure whether she felt better or not. As she tried to wake from an incredibly deep sleep, she saw all sorts of familiar potion bottles and things. Her father's things. She should have expected that. Across the room, she saw him busy writing in a notebook, and drinking coffee as he sat in the chair by the window.

She heard someone rise, and looked over to see Brian still there. He came over and sat on the bed. "I just sent Steven for some fresh coffee for all of us. Didn't know I wasn going to need a fourth cup. Well, maybe he'll either just bring you one or won't mind accio'ing a cup for you. How are you feeling?"

"I'm not sure," she said softly. She noticed her father take his reading glasses off. He got up and came over and sat on the other side of the bed.

"I'm sorry, Khaat," he said gently. "I owe you a huge apology for several things. It might take some explaining, though."

"I don't understand what you did at all," she said.

"Let's start with the potion. Khaat, I do know how bonded you are to him. I think you're more bonded to him than he really is to you simply beause he's never really known love his entire life. You were the first person he ever felt any genuine deep love for, except for his dysfunctional love for Jen. I know how your heart melts, no matter how much you try to talk to yourself and tell yourself you're not going to let him get to you this time. And he always does. All he has to do is to be even civil to you and your heart melts all over again. He's in a desperate place now. It's to his benefit to be nice to you. And it would be pure manipulation on his part. I couldn't stand to have him do that to you again, and I was afraid it would resurrect that grief. Khaat, that grief has done serious physical damage to your body, that, if you were muggle, they might not be able to reverse. This might have well killed you if you were muggle."

"What are you talking about?" she frowned.

"Khaat, I spent last night going over every bodily organ and system you have. Some of it I knew. Some of it, to be honest, I just wasn't getting all your body's messages because there were so many of them. I was only getting the loudest ones. Khaat, my dear, you are in far more difficulty than we first realized. A lot of it was a result of how little you were able to eat while you were pregnant. It did some severe damage. Your bone structure, for example, was seriously compromised. Abbey robbed a lot of nutrients right out of your bones in order to build hers. When I squeezed your hand yesterday, the bones just collapsed under far less pressure than they should have. You should have well been able to withstand that. I didn't use that much force. I know I didn't. You're still experiencing some systems and organ failures. The ones I knew about are getting better, but I want you in good health again. In every system. I'm going to have to change your eating plan and suppliment with more vitamins and potions in order to turn this around. But we will turn it around. I promise. "

"How bad is it?"

"Its not good. It's not as bad as it was, but we do need to change things. I was just working on a potion to combine several potions so you dont feel so overwhelmed by it all. It's going to take a bit to formulate. I'll try to do that today. Khaat, I am so sorry I missed all this, but your system is so desperate, almost every organ you have is vying for my attention. And some just arent strong enough anymore to be that loud when it tries to talk to me..."

"We've all missed things with dying patients," she said, catching on fast.

"You are not going to die. We can stop this. I promise. We're going to turn this around. I will not lose you."

"Okay, " she said softly.

Steven gave a yawn as he waited for teh kettle to boil , he could feel his body screeming for sleep , he ahd staid away all night watching Robert and Brian , luckaly Robert was busy working on Khaat while brian watched him. Now he felt he could use a cup of coffee, somthing told him kHAAT WAS AWAKE AND HE BROUGHT OUT A fORTH CUP placing next to the others..

Now boiled he made the coffee and placed them on a tray with milk and suger should anybody want it, picking it up he moved to the bed room to find Robert standing over Khaat and brian stood close "whats this about dieing , not before moring cofee and certainly not on my watch" he said placing down teh tray to give brian and Robert teh cups " ok miss how would you like your coffee , aoraly or intrvinusly?" he joke while he smiled

Brian was glad to see Steven had brought a fourth cup automatically. "Her? Miss the taste of some really good coffee? Not a chance."

"He's right," Khaat shrugged. "I'd much rather drink it please. Just black." When Steven handed her the coffee, she took a smell of it. She loved the smell of fresh coffee. She glanced at Robert who was retrieving his cup as well. He looked back at her.

"Well? Its safe," he laughed. "No potions. Just coffee. I swear. Looks like its going to take a bit before I live that down."

"Yes--it will, "Khaat said. "You ever do it again, and you'll wake up in one of your own bug jars in your own lab. You can't stay awake forever."

"Okay. No more hidden potions. Although--it might be interesting to see what kind of bug you think I should be."

"I'm still thinking about that," she admitted. He laughed.

"I could still be in trouble then," he said, laughing.

"Could be," she agreed. "You're only safe until I get my magic back."

steven chuckled as she took teh coffee taking his own and backing to sit in a chair , he could not help the long yawn he gave " oow sorry been along night " he said watching them the air now some what replaxed again but he kept his eyes on both robert and Brain.

Brian saw Steven was getting tired. "I think breakfast should get here in about half an hour. If you can make it til then, Steven. I think she's sending some Tex Mex breakfast burritos with some really good homemade salsa and some hashbrowns. I don't know about you, but a taste of Texas is always welcome first thing in the morning for me. I accidently mentioned it was one of my favoriites and I think Lizzie is spoiling me."

"Maybe she's taken a shine to you," Khaat teased.

"She's taken a shine to all those exhorbitant tips I pay her," he laughed, "And that's all!" He liked Lizzie well enough as a friend, but he just had no intentions of messing up his life by falling in love. He was only married to his work, and it suited him just fine. And he knew Khaat knew that all too well. It made her laugh seeing him just a trifle uncomfortable at the mention of a woman in his life.

"You never change, do you?" she asked. "Someday you'll find a woman. I keep telling you that."

He groaned, "Please dont threaten so early in the morning." Khaat and Robert both laughed.

stevens eyes it up at the sound of teh food "ow boy , for that I so will" he said but yawned again " if I can stop yawning that is" he said standing to wak around , he just smiled as Khaat teased Brian about having a woman in his life "yeah this place could use a womans touch " he said runing his hand over teh matal to show the layer of dust " maids day off?" he said getting rid of it "you know sometimes you need that buffer she gives yuou at teh end of teh day , that wind down feeling " he said feeling himself sliping he shook him shelf again "ok enouph , when shes on the men you me jack night out and don't say no" he said grinning.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Brian grinned, "You coming, Robert? I bet you can still outdrink us all."

"Do I need to try?" Robert frowned. "You really are a glutton for punishment, Brian. You just seem to like me beating you all the time."

"No, he's hoping he'll beat you at something sometime," Khaat said. "You know those challenges just keep coming."

"Yeah," Robert sighed, "And he just keeps losing. But if he's that desperate, I can oblige him by beating him at that again too. Steven knows better. I know he won't challenge me to a drinking contest."

"You learn quick, then," Khaat looked at Steven and laughed a litttle. "Most guys are like Brian and would rather test him."

steven listened to both men "hey hey no chalanges, just a good night out " he said shaking his head "Im now carrying one or both of you home" he looked at Khaat and smiled to her " janet showed me the error of that way " he said chuckaling he was now actually looking forward to teh night out at lest he'd have jack if jessica will let him come with them of if he trust them after the last time when he was made drunk . he sipped his coffee fighting to keep his eyes open.

As they were talking, Archangel flew in to see Khaat, but she noticed he had something in his mouth. "What do you have, there, Boy?" she asked. He looked at her, proud of his trophy. Then she realized what he had. He had a breafast sausage link in his mouth. "Uh oh," she laughed, "One of you forgot to feed Archangel this morning. Evidently our breakfast is here because he just helped himself to a sausage. Oh well. You can have it, Boy. Enjoy." She petted the bird who greedily finished the sausage, proud of his conquest. "But I suggest you all get downstairs before he gets into more of it."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Robert said, rising. "I'm starved. I'll send you up a plate, Khaat."

"Thanks."

He left, heading downstairs.

steven chuckled as saw acrchangel fly in a sasgae in his beak. he yawned again as he watched every one around the bird , he wished he could just drift off to sheep but he knew he could not teh small of teh food kept his tummy grubaling.

Watching Robert leave the room Steven stood up "ok you two no fighting" he said to brian and Khaat then on wobaly legs headed down for some of the food he smelt drifting up the stairs , "Jack's wife must be a realy god cook for it to smell that good" he thught as he now heading down the stairs to the kitchen wher he too pintched a sasage and sat down in a rather large comfotrtable chair.