Marriage is Murder

Jess nodded and smiled but Jack chuckled as he was mentioned in regards the cold remedy " I know but his immune system needs to know it to become strong " she said " but if he gets too bad we will use it" she looked at Kate " hes very clingy when I with him " she said and Andrew came running in, in his pajamas up to Jess his nose running and red as he sneezed holding up his arms to Jess . Jess picked him up and placed him on her knee wiping his nose clean and holding him close to her " see what I mean " she said smiling.

"Stay with him," Khaat told Jess. "I'll go see to Daddy. Brian, go ahead and go. He wanted to talk to me anyway." She got up and excused herself and left him with the kids to deliberately stall him from coming along. He knew waht she was going and sighed.

"Let her go, Junior," Michael said. "She's alright. You think she won't go upstairs to him?"

"No. I know she will," Brian said.

"Then let her be. She's in her element when she's healing. You know that. Let her do it. It gives her some way to give back to everyone who has given to her. Look--we all know I'm not good with little rugrats. Kids John and Andrew's age are easier for me. But--I've always looked out for her. You lot manage the wee ones. I'll keep an eye out on Khaat."

"Hello," Kate said scowling. "Mother here!"

"I'm not overlooking you. I'm hoping you'll do the grandma thing. I refuse to do wee ones," Michael said.

"That's because you're afraid of them," Kate rolled her eyes at them.

"Not them, perse. But they're always leaking from one end or the other." Brian and Kate burst out laughing at his remark.

Jack, Jess, Steven and Cassidy laughed along with Kate at Brian's remark about kids " doesn't gt much better as they get older " Jess said and wiped Andrews nose again as he sneezed she stood up with him in her arms and excused her self while she took him back to his bedroom to rest. Steven shook his head and jack looked at him.

" ok you ready to get that wood ?" he asked and Steven stood up " ok lets go " jack said smiling as Steven kissed Cassidy before joining him as they headed to the group already formed to go collecting.

Angus and Kate and Brian took the kids to play and the rest of the staff pitched in to help. Michael, in the meantime, saw Andrew and John eating of by themselves, and he could tell by the looks of them that they were plotting some sort of mischief. He knew teen boys too well. He got up and went over to them and land his hands on their shoulders.

"I've got my eyes on you two. Whatever you're up to, its either overwith, or you're taking me with you," he said. Andrew looked defeated. "Confess, you two."

"I just wanted to go out to visit the new cave," Andrew finally confessed.

"What?" Michael said. "What new cave?" he frowned. "There are no caves on this property.

"Yes there are. I found one yesterday."

"I'm going to give you detention til the end of the school year for not telling me," Michael scowled. He drew a map of the grounds out of his pocket and accio'd a pen from Kieran's pocket. "You show me exactly where," he ordered Andrew.

"Its my secret," Andrew defied him.

"Don't push me, Boy. It could be very dangerous for all of us. Speak up or I'll hex you into a piece of furniture. People can then rightfully sit on you for the next 600 years," he liiked at him with unusual fierceness. Andrew sighed and drew an x on the map. "Better. Much better. Owens!" he called. "You get a partner and you two stay with these young hooligans."

"I was going to go get wood."

"They have 200 people getting wood," Michael snarled. "You keep these two in your sights and out of trouble." He summoned Archangel and sent the bird out with a message to Brian. Brian summoned his men.

"No one goes into Sector 12. Not for any reason," Brian ordered. "The first man who does is fired. Am I very clear? There may well be a problem there, and nobody's going there until Robert and i can check it."

Cassidy stood up and walked over to Michael " problem?" she asked him hoping it was nothing serious but she could tell buy the sound of his voice it possibly could be. she heard Michael give the order about section12 and became puzzled. " need me to help" she asked looking at the boys worried it was something that would be a problem for them all. John looked at Cassidy and sighed knowing they should have told some one earlier but it was so up for investigation they wanted to do it by themselves.

"I've sent a message to Brian. Nobody in Sector 12 until further notice," MIchael ordered. "It seems our young boys have been holding out on us. They've found a newly developed cave out on the grounds. Robert needs to check this for himself. These two thought they'd be the great adventurers and investigate it themselves without telling us." He headslapped both boys. "Idiots! Neither of you have any idea how damned dangerous it is to go on a cave explore. Its not for children!" Andrew scowled at Michael and rubbed the back of his head. Michael saw Andrew scowling at him and headslapped him again.

"What was that for?" Andrew frowned.

"For having a pissy attitude," he replied. "Owens..."

"I'm on it, MIchael," Owens said.

"Perhaps I can help," Kieran said. "We need to clean the stables today. They can help me shovel out the....well,..the stalls."

"Good. Both of them," MIchael ordered. Both boys groaned. "Next time you'll think twice about keeping secrets that could kill us all, won't you?"

"Yes, Sir," the boys groaned, not liking his discipline.

"March. Right now," MIchael ordered. They got up and Kieran and Owens took them under their supervision to go out to the barn.

Cassidy chuckled seeing them both walk off " they might not like it but the will know not to hold secrets from us again " she said and looked at him smiling as she folded her arms across her chest watching both boys following Owens out to the barn where they had to clean out the stalls.

"This both sucks and blows. " John said to Andrew as he scooped up some hay on his fork and placed it in a wheel barrow the he stopped and lent on his fork for a moment as he stood looking over at the forest .

"I'm going to go talk to Robert," Michael said. He went upstairs and found Robert was showered and shaved and dressed, except his shirt, because Khaat was finishing a large dressing that covered his left shoulder. She'd already dressed the wound on his right shoulder.

"You're a nightmare," Michael sighed.

"Yeah, probably so," Robert said.

"You feel like being up?"

"Yes..." he began and then looked at Michael. "I need to be up, don't I?"

"Indeed," Michael said.

"What happened?"

"The boys said they found a new cave out in sector 12 or near there," Michael said. Robert paused for a moment.

"Finish up, Khaat. Quickly," Robert said. She finished very quickly. "Can you bring Hiss, MIchael?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Michael grinned. "I warned Brian to keep the workers away from there, and I have the boys, well,...redirected."

"Good," Robert replied, letting Khaat help him with his shirt.

"I'm going along," Khaat said.

"You're not up to that," he said.

"I'm going," she said firmly.

"Not unless you're ready to follow my every command," he replied, unyielding, even as she left to go get her own coat. He sighed. "She's bloody stubborn."

"She gets that from her father," Michael said. He went to go get his coat and his enchanted climbing rope. Robert got his own wiinter gear out while they were gone.

Cassidy walked past then stopped in her tracks and moved to Roberts room " want me to come too?" she asked needing to do something other than sit around the house. She saw the bandages on Robert and was glad Khaat was tending to him. She waited and looked at them both while Michael went and gathered his things she already wore jeans and a warm jumper and her normal ankle boots. She really did want to go and get out the house her kids were well taken care of leaving her nothing to do but play with them but right now they slept.

"If you like," robert said, "but dress extra warm. Its bound to be bitterly cold. And make sure you have your wand. We're better in pairs than in odd numbers. Hae you eer explored a cave or done any climbing, either one?"

Khaat came back with a very heavy winter jacket that Brian had bought her to wear here. It was a white quilted jacket, geared for up to 50 degrees below zero, Farenheit. It had a belted waist and a hood with fur trim. She added a tan scarf and heavy tan gloves and her tan boots.

"Where are we all going?" Kate asked, coming in.

"Spellunking," Michael said, coming back in, wearing his coat with the rope slung over his shoulder. The rope waved to Kate.

"Ooooh. Cave exploring? I haven't done that since the last time Robert and I went camping!" she was excited. "Hello, Hiss." She grabbed her coat and her winter gear. Robert just shook his head.

"You know we need Brian," Khaat said.

"I know. He'll show up when we get there. And hopefully, he'll put someone to guard the entrance so that we don't have everybody on the grounds down in that cave," Robert said.