Marriage is Murder

"Delicious," Kate told Michael. "No one makes this like you do. There is something you do with your stock that no one else does. Its lovely."

"Thank you, Kate," Michael said. "There is plenty here so feel free to eat up. "

"I intend to."

"One small detail, Robert," Kate said. "I haven't bought any food for the farmhouse. I haven't had time to get to the market."

"Not a problem. I'll send out to Lizzie," Robert said.

"Why should you do that?" Michael said. "Stop here early before Robert goes to work and eat with us. I'll help Kate do the marketing tomorrow."

"Would you? That would be nice," Kate said. "it takes a lot of shopping to re-equp a house entirely."

"It certainly does. I'll be happy to help you."

Jess smiled seeing jaylen pick up a noodle and eat it with her fingers along with James but Andrew used his fork to eat copying his father who smiled at him. " mo mo " James said holding up an empty plate to show every one. " MO MO!" he said Steven frowned at him.

" James we don't demand " he said and took his bowl and added more noodles placing it back in front of James who smiled and ate again quietly Jaylen sat quietly cassidy noticed she had finished and looked at her.

"Would you like some more Jaylen?" She asked and jaylen nodded cassidy refilled her bowl and placed it down again as she smiled and ate once more. Jess smiled and so did Jack as Catlin and Alex ate quietly ate there's.

"this tastes wonderful Michael " Jess said smiling as he finished her plate.

"I'm glad you all enjoy it," Michael smiled. When dinner was over, Angus and Michael cleared the table and set the kitchen to clean itself while they served tea and coffee and Angus's freshly made raspberry cheesecake. Robert got out a bottle of top shelf raspberry cordial and put it out for anyone who wanted to add a bit to their coffee or their tea. He added some to his own and to Kate's. Michael took some, and so did Angus and Brian. Abbey smelled her father's coffee cup and looked up at him.

"Me? Berries?" she asked.

"You can have all the berries you want, Sweetheart," he said. "But Papa's bottle is for grownups."

"I think I can fix that, Brian," Angus said. He went into the kitchen and brought out a large bowl of fresh raspberries for any of the kids who wanted more berries. He also brought two bottles of raspberry soda and poured small amounts into the kids' sippy cups. He knew Khaat's kids had not had soda before, but he knew they were going to like it. It was all organic, his own recipe, and he knew there was nothing in it to harm them. "I don't know if any of the rest of you are okay with giving your kids soda, but there's enough here for them each to have a bit. Help yourselves."

Cassidy smiled " we'll brush their teeth or tooth later so don't worry " she said seeing Jaylen take a sip James was a bit weary but he took a drink finding he liked it he continued Jaylen was a little taken aback by the new taste. Jess took some raspberry cordial and pored some into her tea and smiled.

" tastes wonderful " she said blowing across the top of her cup and smiled at cassidy who did the same and shrugged her shoulders.

" its nice " she said watching James as he watched her pore her juice into her tea. " its ok mummy and daddy juice just as grand dad Robert said " she said and he giggled picking up his sippy cup.

" mine" he said smiling, Jaylen did the same and cassidy nodded her head to both of them.

When the meal was finished, Robert and Kate got up. "Delightful meal, as always. Thank you. I think, if you don't mind, we'll borrow some tea and then head for home."

"Angus," Brian said. "make a package of the basics and send it with them, please. You can take anything in our kitchen that you want, Robert. Take it all if you like."

"No," Robert laughed. "I don't need to feed 2 dozen people. Just two." Angus made a care package and packed it and handed it to Roberrt.

"Thank you. And we will take you up on your offer for breakfast unless we let you know otherwise. One last thing, do not hover over Khaat wen she returns. If she returns," he laughed. "I presume if she's in trouble, Hannah will send for me. Goodnight," He and Kate apparated out.

Jess finished her meal and saw James yawning so did Steven as he finished his food and lifted him into his arms where James fell asleep. Leaving the table he carried him up stairs placing him in his crib cassidy was close behind with Jaylen and Fallon both yawning as she laid them down and covered each up with their own blankets and kissed them as the slept before moving back downstairs to the living room. " We'll stay a bit longer then move to our home" she said Steven nodded along with Jess and Jack.

" we're a shout away if needed " she said sitting and drinking her tea quietly as Jack put Andrew , Catlin and Alex down for a nap .

"Thank you, but I'm sure we'll be fine," Brian said.

"Since I'm a nightowl out of necessity," Michael said. "I'll stay. Rene is surely up. He likes the night. And he is very good about detecting negative energies. We'll be fine, even with him in the guesthouse. If anything goes haywire, he'll be on it and so will I. Brian, you should get some sleep. Khaat's been up too many nights and is feeling lousy and she's got another whole work week starting in the morning. She's going to need your help."

"I was thinking about that," Brian said.

"Let me help you put the kids to bed," Angus said to Brian. He and Brian put all the kids to bed. Angus said goodnight and went to bed, while Michael got out a first edition copy of Tolstoy and a glass of brandy and sat down near the fireplace. He flicked his wand to light flames upon the hearth.

"Its going to storm tonight" he said calmly. "All the weather signs and sky signs point to a storm. Make sure you lot get home before it starts. Storms with a lot of lightning can sometimes interfere with apparating. We don't need to have Robert have to put you back together for splinching, do we?"
.

Jack , Jess and cassidy all laughed but Steven shook his head " don't worry it will be probably in an hour buy the tired look on Cassidys face that we'll head home " he said and cassidy gave a yawn along with Jess who having thought about it stood up.

" you know your right we'll get back now before the storm shout us if we're needed" she said and moved to hold jack who aperated her and him back to their house. Steven sat down next to Cassidy and smiled as he read the article she was readying , it was about horse riding and how to correctly stable them.

" you don't have to worry about that I'll take you out in the summer and teach you how to ride and show you how all that you have to do" he said smiling at her as she lent on him. as she did they both heard the first rumble in the distance. " ok time to head home " Steven said and took Cassidy in his arms and aperated home to sit in front of the fire while cassidy checked the children all were sleeping .

Brian was rousted out in the middle of the night by Abey's screaming. He got up and dashed to her room to find she had been frightened by the thunder and the lightning. The other kids were awake and crying or huddled in their beds. Brian took them into his bedroom and put them all in bed with him and before long, he had all five cuddled tight to him sleeping peacefully. Brian laid awake, starting to worry about what was keeping Khaat all afternoon and all night. He made up his min that he was going into London when the storm cleared.

But just a bit before 4, Khaat came upstairs into the bedroom. Even in the dark, she could see he had the kids in bed with him.

"I was starting to worry," he said softly.

"I know," she yawned. "Michael came and got me. We're being slammed with this virus or whatever it is. I don't understand it. Some people are ridiculously sick with it and some are barely touched and some don't have it at all. I'm going to shower and close my eyes for a few minute then."

"Okay," he said. She showered and, not wanting to expose all her kids, she curled up on the sofa in the bedroom iwth a blanket and was soon sound asleep.

Within the hour, he got up and got the coffee tray and had his first cup of coffee, letting her sleep, and the he showered and dressed. By then, he got the kids dressed. Angus came up and he and Angus took them down to breakfast.

"Any sign of any of the others yet?" Brian asked.

"Just Michael, who never went to bed and me. I imagine the others will be along soon. Its a bit early yet," Angus said, putting breakfast in front of the kids. "Come eat with your kids."

"I'll feed them first. Then I'll eat," Brian said.

Jack and Jess had been up half the night all the kids seem to be scared of the storm that had raged out side only when the sun came up did they all fall back to sleep for a few hours. soon they all showered and dressed heading over to the main house to have breakfast. " smells good " jack said as he aperated in followed by cassidy.

" Stevens down by the stables seems a branch came down in the storm and took out part of the roof, hes out now fixing it and said to tell you to save him some food " cassidy said with three kids in tow, she placed them in their high chairs all but one yawned " they were awake half the night thought James slept through it all so hes ll chipper poor Jaylen slept with us scare silly" she said smiling.

" big boom" jaylen said " big big boom" she repeated again.