Marriage is Murder

Cassidy stood up seeing Robert walk in and go straight to check on Khaat. she nodded as he told her to go eat " shout if you need me" she said and walked out the door glancing back she sighed seeing how he seem to now she had lost weight. Moving down to the kitchen she sat down next to Steven taking some food she ate. Steven moved closer to cassidy " she'll be ok" he whispered to her and she smiled at him.

" I'll be happier once we get this epidemic under control " she said showing Steven her rash on her side and she sighed deeply.

The rest of them sat down to dinner, and Brian decided he couldn't decide who had made the better duck. He thought they were both roasted to perfection.

"What was the bet?" he asked.

"Well, it seemed to get bigger the longer it took us," Angus laughed. "The last I knew, the bet was that the loser fixed all the meals and the snacks and did all the kitchen cleanup and shopping for a week."

"I hate to tell you,but I think you'll have to split it," Brian laughed.

"That's still a win for me," Angus laughed, grining at Michael.

"Thats what wands are for, my boy," Michael said.

Jim chuckled as he took some food loving the duck as he ate he was still smiling as she finished " wonderful both of you " he said taking a drink and sitting back he chuckled hearing all they had to do " more you than me I say " he looked at Jack who smiled. Cassidy ate and stood up.

" if you'll excuse me I will check on Khaat " she said and moved up the stairs. Steven watching her as she went.

" I think that virus is taking its told on cassidy " Steven said " shes exhausted all the time" he added as he ate his meal downing his cold soda he sighed.

"I can't afford to have you all out sick," Robert said. "If she's too tired, then she needs to take some time off and take care of herself. It exposes her to others who have the illness and exposes them to her." Robert knew that anytime he made reference to staff taking good care of themselves in a healthy manner, they almost immediately jumped to conclusions that he was putting them on leave. And he was prepared for the typical panicking that always seemed to come when he simply advised that they use good health care practices. He noticed Brian looking at him, almost waiting for the unnecessary panic to begin.

Steven looked at Jack who stood and shook their head " cassidy is suborn, but I'll make sure she goes home and rests. " he said " I'm so far ok so I'll stay as will Jim , Jack take Jess and go home rest, Roberts right we don't need you spreading this take care of your self's." Steven said Jack moved to Jess and picked up the kids " I'm guessing if there feeling any better they can come back ?" he asked and watched Cassidy walk back down. " Cassie home rest now " he motioned to Robert " doctors orders" with little but a nod she moved to him " be right back " Steven said and took cassidy home settling her in bed he aperated back to the main house. Jim had looked after the kids and he smiled at him " thank you Jim" he sat with them as Jim moved to take the first patrol of the evening.

"I'm not ordering anyone home," Robert said, to clarify. "I'm just saying I prefer you all at your bests, at least as much as that might possibly be right now. I don't have a cure for this yet. I wish I did, but I don't. You all do know, don't you, that I am going to start trying to shut myself off in the potions lab at St Mungos as much as I can. I have to try to spend more time looking for a cure. And secondly, since there are no other potionsmasters, I do need to keep from getting it as badly as some of the other people--like Khaat--are getting it. Its not that I want to be away from you, but I do not have much other choice. And until such time as i get a deputy Minister, I do have to depend on Khaat working as much as she can manage to do."

"We know," Brian said, answering for himself and Khaat. The two of them knew the risks, and they were ready for the risks they were facing.

Steven stood up holding James and walked over " they know Robert, they also know they can't be at peek if there feeling less than that" he said " they went home so they could rest and recover and not have you worried that the people guarding Khaat are under the weather and might make mistakes. " he added as James giggled in his arms. " You've still got Jim and I here " he said " we haven't had any sign of the virus, apart from the dratted rash" he chuckled " but we're here and are fine" he looked at Brian and moved back to the kids. Jim returned and looked at them all stood around.

" wow did I miss something?" he asked and walked over folding his arms as he looked at Brian " nothing to report one man got splinters nothing serious" he said and scratched the rash before putting on some cream" boy that fees good" he said and chuckled.

"Splinters? What were you doing attacking Brian's trees?" Robert frowned. "The trees don't generally fight back. Not usually."

"Do we have some rogue trees or something?" Brian asked.

"I call first dibs on burning down the forest," Michael laughed.

"Mine," Angus laughed. "You don't chop the firewood for all the fireplaces in this house. If anybody is going to attack any misbehaving trees, its going to be me."

Jim chuckled and smiled " no they were cutting up the ones that fell and you could say it attacked as he was moving a branch he let it slid a little, and he got splitters " he said and chuckled at Michale and Angus " good to know if any killer trees are around I can call on you two for back up"Jim said chuckling at the thought of Michael and Angus attacking rouge trees, Steven chuckled as well from the living room floor hearing there banter.

" that would be a sight" he said " bet you could turn them to ash very quickly" he said and then groaned at his own joke " sorry not a good that one" he said but Jaylen giggled and then drew a green scribble then a black one. " tee, nangus" she said and Steven chuckled as she made a chopping motion.

"Back up? Hell, I'm gonna go get 'em," Angus laughed.

"I'm in," MIchael said.

"God, we're doomed," Brian laughed. "We wont' have a twig left when they're done."

"We'd better or Rene and Kate will kill them. They're counting on shade trees and orchards of fruit and nut trees," Robert said. "Alright, you lumberjacks, leave the trees alone. Look at it this way, if they're cutting the trees up that fell in the storm thats just that much less firewood you all need to cut later."

"Hm..." Angus looked at Michael. "Last one to the library is a rotten egg."

"What are we looking for?" Michael asked.

"Lightning charms, what else?" Angus said.

"Stop," Robert said. "Don't make me think of the potions lab as a vacation from you two."