Marriage is Murder

"He was just this side of nuts when Eileen had taken over. He wanted to protect you and he just didn't know how to protect you when he couldn't go where you were," Robert told her.

"I thought I handled it rather well," Brian frowned.

"Well, who in the devil lied to you about that?" Robert laughed. "You were almost completely insane."

"I was?" He looked at Jack. "Was I that bad, really?"

"Who was the one who decided to tackle a set of barbells set entirely too heavy for them and did it enough to completely destroy their own shoulder in the process?"

"I didn't even feel it," Brian protested.

"Exactly my point. You had no bloody clue until your shoulder made enough noise that you knew it wasn't supposed to do that. Then you felt pain. Not because you were using any sort of the intelligence or reasoning God gave you," Robert said.

"You did that for me?" Khaat asked softly, stroking Brian's cheek.

"I'd have done anything if I could have gotten to you," he said.

"Alright," Michael called from the kitchen, "Lunch! I wrestled the kitchen away from Angus. I made an Italian Wedding soup, and some freshly made sourdough bread with Asiago cheese inside and grated over the top. And spinach salad with bacon, egg, and hot bacon dressing."

"Dont forget the fresh garlic butter you made for the bread," Angus said. "I did sneak the heal of the loaf of bread with some of that garlic butter. I wont ever need to cook while you're here."

"Don't get all excited about retiring yet, Shorty," Michael laughed. "I have to go back to Hogwartts. Robert has insisted I teach a class there, and believe me, being a professor was never on my life plans. Burglary yes. Professorship, not a chance. Come and eat, all, before it gets cold."

Jack chuckled and nodded " that's putting it mildly " he said but nodded at Roberts words " I was there Brian remember that thing popped like a champagne cork out of its bottle " he said chuckling as he held Jess close to him. He smelt the food and sighed "wow, that smells good Michael" he said loving how the food sounded .Jess poked him as she smiled.

" your always thinking with your stomach I think the term you can get to a man threw his stomach so applies to you my dear" she said and chuckled taking his hand in her own.

Steven sat with Cassidy on the sand one arm around her as he looked out over the ocean " its beautiful but not as much as you Cassidy " he said and felt her lay her head on his shoulder " you know I'm not going to run away like clay did " he said and she looked at him.

" Steven that was one of my fears " she said to him " but I know it now from the way you have stuck with me that you won't and I'm not going to leave you ether Steven I know what happened with Dahlia, trust me it won't happen " she moved closer to him and kissed him then rested her head on his shoulder " I want to become Mrs Steven walker I know in my heart I am ready now I'm just sorry your son John couldn't be here hes a nice kid " she said then glanced back up the beach " we should get back " she said but laughed as Steven piked her up in his arms.

" ok but first " he said smiling as he walked with her behind a dune.

Jess chuckled as she looked down the beach "seems their talking all right " she said and looked at Michael " might be some time guess we can eat " she said

"No, let's go eat. They'll eat when they're ready," Robert said. "Michael always makes a large pot of soup. I'm sure he made plenty."

"I did," Michael said. "But...perhaps we should give them a shout." He went to the door and stepped just outside. "Oi! You two are going to miss lunch. Maybe you'd like to come and get lunch for yourselves and take it out with you? Your choice." He stepped back away from the door, deciding to let them decide for themselves. Robert and Kate took Abbey and Dakota to the table, and Angus helped Khaat to the table. She was feeling strong enough to go to eat, with a bit of help. He noticed that Robert had positioned Abbey and Dakota between him and Kate. He respected that Robert just automatically stepped in where he was needed.

"I am looking forward to that hot bacon dressing, Michael," Angus said.

"Then get to it, Boy. Before the dressing grows cold. Nothing better over a spinach salad than hot bacon dressing.

"I'm looking forward to the bread," Khaat said. "I love asiago cheese."

"And I'm going to be on that soup in a minute. I love Italian wedding soup," Brian said. "Nice, Michael. It looks just incredible." He sat beside Khaat. "I dont' think I knew how hungry I was."

Khaat took a slice of the bread and spread it with the garlic butter.

"Mine!" Abbey demanded of her, getting a bit loud, and reaching for the bread. Khaat laughed and took another piece of the cheesy bread and broke it half, giving one half to Abbey and one to Dakota.

"You've done a good job with them, Khaat," Robert laughed. "They eat anything you give them. And if its new they actually want to try it. Not too many kids are like that."

"They have Brian's spirit of adventure."

"And yours. my dear," Kate said. "You've both been good parents. I daresay Rob wouldn't even know Abbey now."

"The sad part in that is that she would not know him. Its Brian she calls Daddy," Khaat said.

Jess chuckled at Michael as he shouted out the patio doors. Out on the beach Steven chuckled hearing his voice " we should get back " he said as he gently brushed her hair smiling at how soft it felt between his fingers. He felt Cassidy sigh and then nodded.

" we should but I'm comfy " it was then her tummy growled " but the sound of food is tempting" she said and sat up brushing sand from her shirt and looked down at him smiling happy with her self as she quickly kissed him and sighed " come on this is all nice but food is better besides I need to get sand out of a certain place " she said and blushed . Steven sat up and picked up his shirt and placed it over his shoulder brushing the sand from his skin and taking her in his arms as they walked together back up to the house.

" hay guys " he said smiling as Cassidy kissed him and took his shirt to the bedroom so she could shower and change for dinner " so anything interesting happen while I was gone?" he said humming as he sat shirtless at the table till Cassidy returned with a clean light blue shirt " thanks honey" he said and smiled as she sat next to him " Fallon still sleeping?" he asked and she nodded.

" yeah just checked on her " she said now in a pair of tan slacks and a white cotton shirt loosely left open slightly as she smiled at them all.

"You havent' missed anything yet," Kate said. "You were about to, though."

Khaat poured dressing on her salad and immediately loved the delicious warm dressing over the simple salad. She moved on to the soup and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. She decided on seconds on the salad with the dressing. Brian, meanwhile was having seconds on soup. The girls were eating bread like they were afraid it would run out. They were just enjoying their food when the triplets decided they were hungry too.

"Not to worry," Michael said. "I have strained foods for them too. I pureed the soup and thickened it with soe extra vegetables for them."

"Hm. It seems we need some extra high chairs then," Robert said. He conjured copies of the chairs that Abbey and Dakota had, and he and Angus went and got the triplets while Michael prepared little bowls of the pureed and thickened soup for them. Kate helped Robert and Angus put the triplets into their high chairs and Robert, Kate and Angus began to feed the triplets, feed themselves and then make sure that Abbey and Dakota had food to feed themselves.

Khaat sat, distracted, watching a table full of hungry children. All her babies at the table at the same time. Her only child that wasn't here was Miseria, who was very busy at school.

"Look at all the kids," she said to Brian softly.

"Yeah," he smiled. "Great, isn't it? This is their first meal with us at the table. I knew it was coming. The bottles with cereal in it just wasnt holding them anymore. And it seems they're going to take after Abbey and Dakota. they're going to like almost anything we give them."

Cassidy smiled " that's good "she said and started to eat but she saw Andrew fidgeting on his chair and looked at Jess who glanced at him as he pushed his food around the plate pulling faces as he tried each bit but gave up. " Andrew if you don't eat I'm sure Michael won't let you have desert " she said and Andrew looked at them and sighed as he then ate quietly finishing he liked it once again " yummy, any more?" he asked holding up his plate to Michael for more food .

"Well, dessert isn't fancy, but it is freshly baked," Michael said. He went to the kitchen and brought out a platter of fresh sugar cookies that had glistening crystals of turbinado sugar on the top. The cookies were very soft and tender and he served them simply with tea for the grownups and some hot spiced pumpkin juice for the kids. Just warm enough for them to enjoy.

"Michael, these are addicting," Khaat smiled, enjoying a cookie.

"There are plenty," he said. "Enjoy yourself."

"If I do that, I won't be fitting into that white bathing suit Brian likes so much," she laughed.

"Don't worry," Brian said. "We'll just get back into the gym a bit harder. Enjoy them."

"Yeah," she laughed. "I want to see you in the gym like that."

"I'll be back there doing something or another before the day is out," he promised her.

"I want to see that too," Robert laughed. "That should be amusing."

Jack chuckled and handed Andrew a cookie and his juice he sniffed the pumpkin juice and then drank now knowing what ever he was given would be good . Jack smiled seeing him just take it and eat. Jess took one and ate it loving the flavor as she ate it " these are great Michael" she said sipping the tea with it she felt her self warming and smiled " got to get the recipe so we can make them at home" she said to Jack and smiled as she watched him take another from the plate followed buy the small hand of Andrew " like father like son" she said and laughed lightly.

Cassidy enjoyed her meal and the tea and cookies " that was great " she said smiling but she could not hide a yawn " sorry fresh air always makes me yawn " she said and chuckled glancing at Steven who smiled out the corner of his mouth at her as he too sat sipping his tea.

Khaat found herself gettin sleepy as well. Her stomach was full and she was comfortable. "You really do need to rest," Robert told her. "You know what energy drains do. That was about as full an energy drain as I've seen someone have in quite awhile. You and Brian go ahead and get some rest. Brian's pain potion has worn off, and he's hurting. He's wearing himself out because he's too stubborn to go take some more. We'll get the kids to sleep for their naps. You'll both feel better if you rest awhile."

"Why didn't you take your potion when you needed it?" Khaat frowned at him.

"Because I'm stubborn," he said. "You heard your father."

"In the meantime, I'll write off your recipe, Jess. And then I'd better get back to England. Before I'm missed too much," Michael said.

"We do understand," Robert said. Khaat got up and went over to Michael and folded herself around him in a loving hug.

"Thank you," she said to him softly.

"You know I'll always be there for you," he kissed her forehead.

"You'll join us at the holidays?" she asked.

"I would like that very much," he smiled. "Unless we're still under lockdown conditions then. But Ill do my best. I promise. Now--go take care of yourself and Brian." She nodded.

"If you'll excuse us," Brian said, standing up. He led Khaat back to the bedroom and closed the door behind him.

"You did that on purpose, Robert Lupin," Michael charged.

"Of course I did, Robert shrugged shamelessly.

Steven nodded " ow Michael could you take some thing to John for me please, it would mean a lot if you could " he said moving to his room returning with a letter and a small box wrapped in brown paper he looked at Michael " I promised to give him this when he was old enough opening the box he showed him a silver inlaid watch " it belonged to my grand mother and is passed to the eldest son I was going to give it to him at the wedding but... since theirs a likely hood he won't make it I still want him to have it " he said and gave it to him with the letter. Cassidy came up be side him and held him " he'll be with us for Christmas " she said and he kissed her deeply.

" I know but I want John to know I'm still thinking of him and that hes part of all this too " he said cassidy smiled and nodded that she understood.

" ok can you do that Michael?" she asked him hoping he could.