Marriage is Murder

"Of course," Brian said. "We haven't been able to hide that Khaat had triplets, but we have been able to hide the kids pretty effectively. The fact is that the kids are all going to be wanted just like their mother. That's always been the risk that we've had from the moment she first got pregnant with Abbey. But, the more public Khaat and Robert become again, the more that we do need to look at the risk that we have now that we're not just protecting two kids. We're protecting 5. When we left here to go into hiding we had 2 kids. Now we have 5."

"You will have to teach them to fight, like we taught you," Robert told them. "You dont' have a choice. You'll have to teach them to have more skills than they rightfully should have by the tim they're old enough to go to hogwarts. They'll all have to know, basically, auror skills by the time they leave school. But then, at some point or another you all already knew that."

Jack looked at Robert as he spoke to them all " and our children will be trained to be at there side should they be needed " he said looking at Jess who nodded she agreed with Jack. Cassidy looked at Steven who nodded he agreed also.

" as will ours Brain and we will till we can't any more" she said Steven moved to her and held her around her waist as they looked at them both.

" we swore we would for you and your family and it still stands. " Jack said looking at both Brian, Khaat and Robert.

"Well, I'm glad you all have good intentions," Kate smiled. "But in all reality, while we might not want our kids to every be anything but strong allies, they will make their own choices. We will hope that tey always stand in friendship and peace, but we can't control the events that will shape their lives. We certainly can't even choose the events that shape our own."

"Well said, Kate," Angus said, floating large chef salads to the table. "Southwest chicken salad and sodas. Lunch is served." He floated plates of chicken and vegetables fand fruit or the kids. "And dessert will be a little late. Its still in the oven."

"That's fine," Kate smiled. She and Robert and Brian stepped in to help the kids get to the table. Brian was firm in telling Khaat just to get herself to the table and let them worry about the kids.

Jack, Jess and Steven all nodded they agreed " of course we can't control their decisions, as much as we wish we could , they will make mistakes and we'll be there for them as their parents" Jack said and smiled seeing the food " wow nice spread " he said and Jess chuckled and patted Jack's tummy.

"Hay Jackie boy, your always hungry" Jim said and stood up as he moved to the table smiling as he sat down taking a soda and a chicken salad for himself as the others move in and did the same sitting down as Andrew ran in and wanted to climb up on Jacks knee he picked him up and placed him on his knee Andrew took some lettuce and began to eat it.

" well that's a first " said Jess " he actually wants salad now" she took some of her own and placed it in a small bowl giving it to Andrew who sat happily eating it watching Robert and Khaat closely.

"I think its in setting good examples for them," Angus sai, "When kids see that healthy food is what we have, by and large, and that junk food is very very rare, they will grow up to not want it. Even when I do make sweets, I make them with all organic healthy ingredients. These kids have never had more than one or two things their entire lives that wasn't made from a healthy recipe. In fact, when we were in Hawaii, I did try to offer Abbey a processed muggle cookie and she disliked it so much she spit it out. All she wants is what we make here at home."

"Nothing wrong with that at all," Robert said. "That will keep them healthy for a lifetime if they learn good habits now."

"Until they get to Hogwarts," Khaat sighed, remembering the food that sometimes wasn't so good there."

"You could always send them to Beauxbatons. Madame Benoit is very meticulous in the food she feeds her students," Robert said.

"Well, I'm glad we don't have to consider that all today," Khaat said.

Andrew finished and wanted more salad " pweese" he said and held up the bowl to Angus. Jack smiled and so did Jess. Jess listened to Angus and nodded " I don't blame her those muggles cookies have sheds loads of additives, home baking doesn't " she said eating her own salad as she watched Andrew eating happily again. Cassidy looked at Steven who smiled at her as they ate their food. Once done Jess picked up her plate and Andrews bowl while he sipped on his sippy cup while jack held him as he drank his own soda.

Angus helped Andrew to more salad and then he got up and went out to take his dessert out of the oven. He sliced it and served it within minutes.

"This is a new recipe I designed myself based on Kate's cocoa. They're supposed to be hot and melty. I guess I'll just call them Hot Cocoa Cookie Bars. You'll have to let me know if you like them," he said.

Kate took a bite of hers. "Those are divine," she said. "I hope you made a lot of them."

"Actually no," Angus said. "I didn't."

"Then make more," she laughed.

"I agree. They're really good," Khaat said. "But lets make them in small batches because they'd definitely be better hot like this."

"I don't care if they're hot or cold, and neither does Abbey," Brian laughed, looking at the chocolate all over her face.

Jack coughed and looked at Jess as he turned Andrew to face him to show he too had chocolate on his face and hands but also a huge smile too " yummy Angy" he said and grinned licking his fingers clean Jess found a cloth and moved to wipe his face and hands but Andrew wanted another and just tried to dodge her a she wiped him, jack held him and chuckled.

" ok here" he handed him another cookie and shrugged at Jess |" well, he's happy" he said and she chuckled

" yeah, happy putting chocolate hand prints on your shirt" she said and Jack groaned seeing a light brown hand print on his once clean shirt .

" it can be washed Jess" he said and they both smiled at Andrew who offered his cookie to Jess who shook her head letting him eat it.

Once lunch was over, Angus set a spell in place to clean up the mess. Then Kate drew out some muggle movies.

"Dont tell the minister, will you?" she laughed. The idea that Grindlewald would care if they broke the law by watching muggle moview was laughable.

"What are we watching, then?" Robert said.

"Well, I'm sure we'll all get a laugh. Its the muggle idea about the wizarding world I hear they're all going back through another phase of those fantasy films again."

"Oh, Lord, no," Robert laughed. "I must tell you, I didn't ever accomplish anything by twitching my nose except perhaps relieving an itch. Ah well, we could use a laugh. Break out more sodas, Angus."

"My pleasure," Angus laughed, as Kate went to get the movies ready.

"Lets get the kids down for their naps first," Brian said.

Jack chuckled and nodded as Jess took Andrew who looks half a sleep already from jack with Andrew laid over her shoulder jack chuckled again seeing him wave night to him and he waved back smiling as Jess walked to the nursery. Moving from the table he sat on a comfortable couch with a soda Jim sat with a cup of tea and his second book of the day. Cassidy put James and jaylen down for a nap and walked back to sit next to jack while she waited for Steven who finished and sat with her Jess was the last to sit. " is it bewitched ?" asked Jack " the original or the new one they brought out?" he asked