Marriage is Murder

Kate spread the blanket out on the sand and let the kids sit on it as she gathered the toys around. Abbey started to try to put sand in her pink sand pail. She found a sea shell and picked it up and debaed on eating it. She turned it over in her hand, trying to decide if it was edible or not. Kate was busy trying to keep Dakota from eating the sand.

Meanwhile, Robert and Khaat and Brian had diverted themselves down to the gym. "Prepare," Robert ordered her.

"You prepare," she replied, taking a firm stance.

"I am always prepared," he said calmly. "Ladies first."

"Expelliarmus!" she fired at him. He dodged it easily.

"Weak," he said sharply. "You want another chance?"

Cassidy watched the children and smiled seeing Andrew filling his bucket with damp sand a making it into a sand castle she smiled finding a shell cassidy placed it in one of the towers Andrew smiled and went about gathering more as Cassidy and Stephen watched Catlin and James as they played in the warm sand in front of them Steven brushed sand from James hand as he was about to eat it but Steven loved acting like a father again and looked at Kate. " its been a while since I did this its funny how you never forget " he said smiling at cassidy kissing her lightly as she smiled back at him.

Kate turned just in time to see Abbey put the seashell in her mouth. "No, no," Kate said, "Spit that out of your mouth, young lady." She put out her hand to take the shell and Abbey shook her head disobediently. "Don't think I can't make you give it up," Kate frowned. She grimaced as Abbey tried to crunch the shell with her little teeth. Kate simply watched for a moment, knowing it didn't taste pleasant for her. Abbey seemed to be more into defiance than she was into the nastiness of chewing on a seashell. Kate sighed, not wanting to use a spell on Abbey, but feeling like there might be little choice.

Cassidy looked at Steven then at Kate " that's got to taste foul" she said and pulled a face they both stopped James and Catlin before they too could put shells in there mouths but in seeing Cassidy's face dropped them into the sand and proceed to cover them over and look back up at them both as if butter would not melt in there mouths , cassidy chuckled " ow the innocence of youth " she said and looked at Kate " hoe long you going to let her chew on that?" she asked feeling queasily her self at the thought of all those sharp pieces of shell cutting the inside of her small mouth .

"Oh, I think she's done it about long enough," Kate said, seeing a couple slight drops of blood on Abbey's mouth. Abbey looked about ready to cry. Clearly it hurt. "You ready to give it to me yet?" Kate asked Abbey. Abbey finally did begin to cry, and when she opened her mouth to cry, Kate flicked her fingers and easily drew the pieces out of her mouth. "I think I'll let her grandpa deal with this one," Kate said. "And besides, it might keep him from making mincemeat on her mother. I'll be right back." She got up and picked up Abbey and took her inside. Angus saw Abbey bleeding and flew towards them. "She's fine," Kate reassured Angus. "But would you get Robert please? Don't alarm Khaat unnecessarily."

Angus went downstairs and called to Robert, merely asking to see him for a moment. Robert signalled Khaat that they had to take a time out. He followed Angus upstairs, where Angus motioned him to Kate. Kate explained as Robert merely forced open Abbey's mouth and healed the few tiny cuts in her mouth. He took her from Kate and then soothed away Abbey''s tears, talking softly to her. Kate went back out to the sand, leaving Abbey with Grandpa.

Cassidy smiled as Steven shook his head slowly from side to side " they have to try don;t they , john was the same he drank some coffee kept him away all night , she'll be fine" he said reassuring Cassidy as she sat playing with the others in the warm sand she smiled as Kate returned empty handed " everything ok?" she asked watching her sit down as Steven showed James how to make a castle but he took joy in smashing it flat again and laughing at the pleasure. Catlin had managed to part bury Cassidys legs not that she mined but she did accio Catlin a small sun hat to wear seeing her fare skin turn slightly pink. She did the same for herself too feeling Catlin would wear it and keep it on if she saw some one else wearing one and she was right.

"There is sunscreen here," Kate said. "I put some on Abbey and Dakota. maybe you ought to put some on. And yes, Abbey is fine. She's with grandpa an hes making it all better for her. Actually, if I know him, he's spoiling her with some of Angus's homemade sorbet right now. As if a little ice cream makes it all better. Actually, its a lot more about him liking to spoil her."

She looked over at Dakota who seemed to be having a great time just scooping sand into her shovel and dumping it back onto the ground. She seemed fascinated by watching the sand fall. "Wouldn't it be lovely to be that fascinated by simple things again?" Kate laughed. "At any rate, that seashell stopped Robert from transfiguring Khaat into anything, so for that I'm grateful."

Steven put some on himself then on the girls who giggled as he wiped his big hands over there small arms . " well they have to learn some how I bet she doesn't do that again and listens to you next time Kate " he said smiling as he remembered John when he was their age " john drank a whole cup of cold coffee he was awake all night kept Janet and I up all night he did but he never touched a drink unless he knew it was ok with us after" he said smiling as he then put some more on his hands " ok Cassidy your turn" he said and cassidy pulled a face " come in your worse than the kids " he said and chuckled as he offered him her arm begrudgingly to him and sighed .

Khaat was a bit perplexed as to why her father hadn't come back. She simply frowned at Brian and walked upstairs. Brian went with her. She saw her father walking the floors, holding a sniffling Abbey.

"Everything okay?" Khaat asked.

"Fine, fine," he smiled. "She just found out seashells are not edible, that's all. I think she didn't like her grandmother taking it away from her. She bit down on it and got a couple of teeny cuts inside her cheek. They're gone now. I think she's just more surprised that there are things in the world that she cannot eat. You've sheltered her from a lot of that very well, Khaat. But she does have to learn it, just like every other child does."

"Here," Angus said, bringing Robert a homemade popsicle made from apple juice. Robert handed it to Abbey who eagerly took the cold frozen juice stick. It put the smile back on her face.

"See? All better," Robert smiled, kissing Abbey's forehead.

"Thank you for healing those for her," Khaat said softly.

"You can't, nor should you, shelter her from everything, Khaat," he said to her. "Teach her how to deal with the world while she's still a child so that she knows how to deal with it when she gets to be an adult. That's the true job of a parent. You know that as a guardian of a child. Don't lose that priority because she's yours biologically. You're a good mother. Perhaps a bit too protective, but a good mom nonetheless." Just then she heard one of the triplets start to cry.

"Midmorning feedings," Angus said. "Right on time. I've got bottles ready already."

"We'll get them," Brian said, taking the bottles. He motioned to Khaat to follow him, and they went back to the new second nursery to feed the triplets. When they were fed and changed, Brian decided to take them outside. He changed them into sunsuits, put good sunscreen on them, and put them in a stroller for triplets. He took the stroller outside. Kate was delighted to have the 5 month old triplets outside in the fresh tropical air with them all. "Its good to see them out, Brian," Kate said. "You used that sunscreen for infants, right?"

"Yes. It says it completely prevents sunburn for infants?" he questioned.

"Yes. Its not a muggle sunscreen. Its what I put on Abbey and Dakota," she said. "Its easily available in any good potions store, or, of course from Robert. He says its a very simple thing to make. Is he bringing Abbey back out?"

"Probably not before she finishes her popsicle," Brian said.

"I knew he'd not be able to resist giving her one of those," Kate laughed.

Jess sat with Catlin and James and Andrew as they played unaware of the drama Abby had created Andrew had stood up when she was taken inside but he just looked at Kate worried. Seeing Brian return he sat back down happy that she was ok but not playing any more just watching the house. Jess looked at James just as he had a fist full of sand and was looking like he was about to eat it she shook her head " no, sand not food " she said and he dropped it down seeing her brother drop the sand Catlin did the same looking rather sheepish as if learned that copying her brother doesn't always go well..