Marriage is Murder

Jess smiled and looked at Jack as he sat drinking his tea." I know that feeling I ave one of my own who never gave up looking for me, Love is the most powerful thing around , it can make you stronger but at the same time weaker too " she said and smiled at him. She had known just how strong love was since she was missing for several months and Jack never gave up on looking for her till Khaat found her in the three broomsticks huddled, dirty, cold and hungry buy the fire. " when we get men like that we hang on to them , right Kate " she smiled at her knowing Kate would know she spoke of Robert.

" We do indeed," Kate said. as breakfast plates floated out in a seemingly endless line to the table. He had prepared plates for not only the usual crew but also all of Lee's crew. It was a huge line of plates, and following that was an equally endless line of crystal bowls with Khaat's favorite fruit salad on it, glasses of freshly squeeze orange juice, and pots of tea and coffee, platters of Kate's donuts and donut holes for those who wanted more of them.

"Are we feeding an army?" Brian frowned, looking at the never ending line of things floating out fo the kitchen.

"We are," Angus said, and silverware shot through the air above their heads like arrows, landing smoothly on the table. Napkins fluttered into shapes of birds and fluttered over the the table and perched there in their winged shapes.

"Oh well done, Angus," Kate said, admiring all his enchantments that he used to set the table today.

"Oh, I forgot the centerpiece," he sighed. He flicked his wand, and flowers from outside shot in above the silverware, up close to the ceiling, and came into the kitchen and arranged themselves in a large crystal vase with water. He flicked the finished vase to head to the center of the table.

"Flowers. What a nice touch," she smiled.

"And Khaat's tray is ready," he said, as the final touches arranged themselves on her tray.

"I'll take it to Brian," Kate said. "She's still going to need help, and that boy needs to feel useful. Perhaps, Jess, you would take over rounding up that army of kids we have and start them eating? That sometimes is a bigger job than cooking for them." She laughed.

Jess chuckled and nodded " sure Kate, I'll get jack and Steven to help as well. " she said and motioned to Jack to bring Abby and Dakota in while she fetched the twins and Steven the triplets. Each now placed in their respective seats Jess set about the production line of feeding, Steven fed the triplets while Andrew fed himself as Jack placed fruit salad in the bowls for the girls before she sat down to take some food for herself and some juice witch she left for the end of the meal. Baby Robert threw his bottle at Andrew who caught it and handed it to Jack who chuckled.

" nice catch Andrew" he said and Andrew chuckled.

"Oh, good," Robert said. "We're going to be in the food fight stage now." He sat down at the table watching his namesake toss his bottle. "This ought to be interesting with 10 other kids to help him. Shall I wear my raincoat to lunch?"

"Hardly, Dear," Kate laughed. "I think we can handle it before it comes to that. Brian, did you get a plate for yourself?"

"I did," he replied, sitting with Khaat and devoting himself to trying to get her to eat first and foremost.

"More emphasis on the protein, Lad, than the fruit she'd prefer," Robert ordered. "Carbs are good, but we want a slower energy burn. We don't want her to get energy from her food and then crash an hour from now."

"Ignore him," Khaat managed softly to say to Brian. "You know I want the fruit."

"You really are allowed to have it all, Sweetheart," Brian laughed, deciding to appease her with a large, sweet strawberry from the fruit salad bowl.

"I eat with Mama!" Abbey demanded.

"No," Robert said, kissing her tiny hand. "You eat with Papa today. You can have a donut with Mama a little later. See? Grandma made some just your size." He put a donut hole on her plate. "Taste that." She picked up the donut hole and ate it. Her eyes brightened.

"Cake!" she said, delighted.

"Okay," he decided to let her call it whatever she wanted. "It's cake."

Jess chuckled and shook her head " no , no food fights " she said " at least not yet" she added just as one of the girls threw hers she grabbed it " ok no more flying bottles " she told her and placed it down picking up a small piece of soft fruit she placed it in front of her and let her feel it, squishing it she then ate it rubbing it against the top of her mouth and giggling at the feeling of it. Jack gave Andrew a donut and he bit into it smiling he loved anything sweet , once he finished he took some strawberry's and at them.

Abbey looked at Andrew and picked up an orange section and showed it to Andrew. He didn't usually eat those. "Peach," she told him and ate it, grinning.

"No," Robert said. He picked up a peach piece and gave it to her. "Peach." She ate it. Then he picked up a piece of orange and gave it to her. "Orange." He handed it to her. She ate ti and then promptly scowled at Robert, ticked with him. "What?" he asked, laughing.

"She's ticked with you," Kate burst out laughing. "She can't say orange. She wants it to be a peach because she can say that word."

"Peach," she insisted.

"No," he laughed. "Orange."

"Abbey," Angus said, picking up her sippy cup. "OJ, right?" She nodded quickly

"OJ," she repeated. He picked up an orange slice.

"OJ" he said. She frowned and shook her head and picked up her cup.

"OJ" she said shoving the cup towards him.

"Oh now you've confused her," Kate laughed even harder. "The OJ is in the cup. She doesn't get it that the piece of orange makes the OJ."

Jess chuckled but watched Andrew watching what was going on he picked up the fruit Robert had earlier and at it juice running down his chin as he looked at Angus and Abby confused. " OJ?" he said looking at them " norange not O..J" he said finally and ate another piece smiling. Jess chuckled and nodded " Andrew, orange juice comes from oranges" she picked up an orange piece and gave it a gentle squeeze then showed Andrew who dipped his finger in.

" OJ!!" he said in delight , Jess moved the glass to Abby and showed her too.

Abbey watched Andrew and then Jess, scowling. She picked up an orange slice from her bowl, laid it on the table and took her little fist and mashed the slice by giving it a hard pound.

"Flat," she pronounced. She picked up the flat slice and dangled it like a dead fish. Robert laughed so hard, he had to clutch his side from the pain to all his broken ribs.

"Berry," she picked up a blackberry and ate it. "Flat," she picked up an orange slice and ate it. Kate was laughing as hard as Robert was.

"So if she asks for cake and flats, I suppose that instead of giving her cake and shoes, we give her donuts and orange slices now," Angus said, laughing.

"Abbey," Robert said, trying to stop laughing. "Watch again." He summoned a glass and an orange. "Orange," he said.

"Peach," she corrected.

"Orange," he repeated. "Now watch." He squeezed the entire orange into the glass. Abbey was more focused on the orange.

"Flat," she said.

"Right. Its flat," he said. "But here. Taste." He fed her the orange juice. "Now--what's that?"

"OJ," she said.

"Right."

"OJ is flat?" she frowned.

"Well, more or less, I suppose," he said. "I think her thinking is a bit stuck," Robert said.

Jess chuckled at Abby's reaction " I guess she will get it eventually " she said and drank her juice Andrew still looking from the slice of orange to the glass and back .

" flat?" he asked confused looking at Robert then Jess who sighed at him.

" ok this so so confusing for them " she said " how do you explain orange juice is the juice in the orange to a 1 and a half year old and a three year old" she looked at Jack and Steven.

" hay your on your own with that one " they both said and chuckled as they continued to eat and feed respectively.

Khaat had been listening to this all this time, and she asked Brian to levitate a peach. He did, and Khaat said, "Abbey, what is that?"

"Flying," she smiled, nodding.

"Yes, Its flying, but what fruit?" Khaat asked.

"Peach. Mama's peach."

"Right." She looked at Brian and asked him to levitate an orange to Abbey. Brian did . "Abbey," Khaat said. "Smell that. Does it smell the same as peach?" Abbey plucked the orange out of the air and smelled it and shook her head. It was different than the peach. "Does it taste like peach?" Khaat asked. Abbey shook her head again. "So," Khaat said. "Because its not the same as peach, let's give it a new name. One you can say for now."

"Peach," Abbey insisted.

"No, different from peach," Khaat said. "Its not a peach."

"Ball?" Abbey asked.

"Well, it looks like a ball, doesn't it?" Khaat asked Abbey nodded. "But it tastes like OJ, doesn't it?" Abbey thought a minute and nodded a bit more unsure. "So lets just call it O. What do you say?"

"O?" Abbey asked.

"That works," Robert said.

"That's right. Let's just call it an O for now. You can say that word."

"O," Abbey tested it.

"Show me an O from your bowl," Khaat said. Abbey thought a long moment and reached for the peach slice but then at the last minute, she rethought it and picked up an orange slice.

"That's my girl," Khaat said. "Good job. That's right. That's an O." The moment of triumph ended then immediately as Abbey's focus went to a donut hole on the platter.

"Cake, Papa," she asked. Robert flicked his index finger and a donut hole rolled off the platter over to her.

"MINE!" she squealed with delight, snatching it.

"Well, she knows that word," Robert laughed.

"Yeah, she got that word almost as soon as she was born, I think," Brian laughed.