Marriage is Murder

"We'll make sure we have good food tomorrow," Robert said. "But I really wans't planning on frying fish. I use a beer batter, actually."

Brian's ears perked up hearing Abbey's cries from upstairs. He got up. "Sounds like another bad dream. I'll get it--before she wakes up Khaat. Excuse me." He went upstairs but found Khaat was somehow up by the time he got there and was holding her.

"How are you up?" he asked gently.

"She's my daughter," Khaat said, simply folding her in her arms and comforting her.

"How's your head?"

"Hurts like hell," Khaat said.

"Can I help?" Brian asked.

"A couple asprin maybe?" she sighed. He laid his hand on her forehead and drew off her pain.

Steven chuckled as Jack awed at the sound of beer batter but also of not making any fish and chips yet " hay plenty of time to have that mate " he said and smiled Jack shrugged and nodded eventually, Jack heard the soft cries and the soft foot steps leading from Khaat's room across to the nursery. He nodded when Brian excused himself.

" I think he'll find shes already there " he said and sat back in his chair with a cookie and a cup of coffee in his hand to warm up after his run he knew all the fresh air and hot chocolate would send him sleeping in no time at all and soon finished. " well if you'll excuse me I am gonna join Jess at the cottage " he said and left leaving Steven and Robert in the main living room.

"Guess he couldn't handle the fresh air" he said and smiled as he watched the flames dance in the open fire close by.

"Well, he's gonna be in for it in the morning then. We'll really see what he's made of then," Robert said. "I'm predicting that you're all going to be a bit surprised by Lee. None of you have seen his skills. He didn't get his job by having it handed to him. Nobody get to the equivalent of my job without some skill base. And I don't place my trust in anybody who hasn't earned it."

Brian helped Khaat get Abbey back to sleep and then, at Khaat's insistance, he helped her to go downstairs.

"How the hell are you up?" her father frowned.

"I haven't figured it out either," Brian said.

"I am your child," she said, ignoring her own pain and taking a seat in the living room.

"I'll get you something to drink."

"Never mind," she said, accioing her father's brandy off the table beside him, to take it herself. Robert scowled at her.

"Does that have your name on it?" he asked.

"It does now," she said, taking a sip. "Good. Its the good stuff."

Steven chuckled and nodded "no we haven't and that is true sir" he said and watched Khaat walk in " good to see you up, or should that be not so good to see you up" he said and chuckled again as he watched her take Roberts Brandy to drink " might do her some good " he said " make her relax a little " he sipped his own coffee not feeling like anything alcoholic so late at night. He just wanted some thing warm and coffee fit that bill nicely. " all quiet on the Abby front now?" he asked

"I'm okay for now, Steven. I'm a bit achy but I need to be up. I can breathe easier when I'm either sitting or standing. Abbey still insists she sees monsters," Khaat said. "I think she's still seeing either Fenrir or James, personally."

"Well, seeing as though she's never met them, this might not be a good sign," Robert sighed. "And your breathing issues are from smoke inhalation. They will pass, so long as you do not overdo it or go back out in the cold and do something ridiculous.}

"Every day I don't see either james or Fenrir is a good sign in itself," she said.

"You do know your mother's family--on her mothers side--has a long history going back hundreds of years of the women being seers, particularly strongest in the first born. Maybe you inherited that and so did she," Robert said.

"Perhaps. But we can't deny she inherited Rob's animagus. I don't know what else she got from the Dents but..."

"I'm wagering its not a lot. I"m wagering she'll grow up a lot more Lupin and Quinn than Dent," Robert said. He flicked his fingers and accio'd the glass back from her. He refilled it and took a sip.

"Thanks for refilling it for me," she flicked her fingers and took the glass back again.

Steven smiled and listened to Robert with Khaat but he also watched the glass going back and forth between them " um Robert maybe I should get you a second glass " he offered and chuckled seeing it back with Khaat again. He listened to Robert talk about Abby and nodded himself " if I'm aloud to say that's a good thing in my eyes" he said as he passed Robert a glass of brandy in a new glass smiling at him. Then he sat back down he'd decided on a small glass for himself as a night cap.

Khaat saw Steven get the new glass for her father and she merely gave her father a self satisfied look that tol him she was pleased with herself for defeating him at something.

"Did I hear that you're running tomorrow moning?" she asked.

"Yes," her father said. "I intend to win."

"Oh. There's a wager on it then."

"Yes."

"Then perhaps I will join you and take the prize."

"No. You won't," he said. "Your heart and lungs won't be up for that tomorrow. You're going to simply behave. Besides, if we do a cooking contest, I want you to be up to joining Angus as our other judge."

"Cooking," she scowled at him. "You? Besides fish and chips?"

"Yes," he said firmly. "Me. And everyone else except you and Angus."

"Well, this should be very interesting indeed," she said.

Steven looked at Khaat and smiled " ow that's a good idea , you get to taste my barbeque ribs " he said and smiled at her " not that I'm blowing my own trumpet but its good " he said and chuckled as he drank his Brandy feeling the warmth seeming to fill his body and he smiled not having felt it since the fire whiskey he'd had back in Texas. " good brandy Robert I go so far as to say better than th4e fire whiskey we had back home in Texas" he said and smiled looking at Jack who chuckled at the thought of ribs smothered in a barbeque sauce and cooked over an open flame.

"Is this the brandy I gave you for Christmas last year, Brian?" Robert asked.

"It is," Brian said. "I save that for special things."

"You can afford to buy top shelf."

"I do buy top shelf," Brian said. "I just don't always buy the top of the top shelf. If I bought everything I wanted, you'd never be able to buy me a decent Christmas gift."

"Oh, so that's what its about," Robert laughed. "So I take it you're making ribs, Steven. Brian, what are you making?"

"I'm not telling," Brian said.

"I know what I want you to make," Khaat said.

"No input from the judges," Robert said. "Not fair."

"That's just because you're afraid that you can' take the competition," Kate said,.

"What? When have I ever backed down from competition?" he said.

"You want me to make a list?" she asked. "You're up later than you should be anyway if you're going running in the morning. Go ahead. Just keep handing them the advantage."

"I'll be fine," he said.

Steven chuckled and jack laughed at the banter between Robert and Brian both men understanding it was friendly and like a father and son thing. Both smiled to each other . Steven nodded to Khaat " yep, too right, not made them in a long time, just hope every ones ready for them as they do have quite a kick " he said chuckling at the worried look Jack gave him " ow don't worry I'll pull it back for those who are4 not use to the heat " he said and Jack roled his eyes.

" ow so sure I won't like them, b ring it mate " he said and grinned seeing the smile on Stevens face.