Marriage is Murder

Jack chuckled and nodded " yea as soon as I got there " he said and saw Abby falling diving quickly he grabbed her before she hit the ground " wow there Abby " he said holding her now " that pink socky says stay off your leg" he said walking over to Brian breathing out " she almost fell " he tickled her and made her laugh " that's better " he said and handed her to Brian " I don't think she hurt her self " he pored himself a cup of coffee to finish off his breakfast .

"Thank you," Brian said, breathing a sigh of relief as he turned to see Jack catch her just in time.

"Bad socky," Abbey frowned as Jack handed her to Brian. "Off!" she demanded.

"When Papa says you can have it off," Brian said. "Then we'll take it off."

"No! Off now!" she demanded.

"Jack," Khaat looked up. "If Abbey's good between now and when the gift shop opens downstairs, would you take her down there? They just got a new shipment of gigantic all day lollipops. Maybe she'd like one. Maybe she'd pick out some for some of the other kids who are old enough to enjoy one. That is, if you don't mind. I think she'd enjoy seeing something new." She knew that sometimes distraction was a very good thing with toddlers.

Jack smiled and nodded to Khaat " of course a distraction " he looked at Abby " what do you say you want a big lolly pop?" he asked her " we can get for the others too" he asked sipping his coffee as he smile at her " maybe I'll buy you a toy of your own for being a big girl with her pink socky" he winked at her. Jack finished his coffee and placed the cup back then looked at Abby " you ready?" he asked picking her up" he looked at Khaat " don't be surprised if she comes back with tons of things and one broke body guard " he said grinning as he took her down to the gift shop leaving them both alone.

Khaat was pleased to see Abbey willingly going with Jack and seeming to enjoy it. She wanted Abbey to always feel loved. And with so many people around, Abbey had never had had to look at a time when she wasnt surrounded by a lot of family. It was so different from how Khaat had grown up. Khaat had been an only child--until Brian had moved in, and most of the time, when her father was working and her mother was working at a local gift shop, Khaat had been alone with Remus. It had been a delightful time but he was her parent and her playmate and her best friend all rolled into one. She hadn't had much of a circle of friends until Brian came, and until she had gone to Hogwarts.

But Abbey--Abbey was surrounded by children, animals, lots of family who loved her, all sorts of magic, and she was already learning early that there were bad things in the world. It waas just part of how the world worked. So far as Khaat could tell, Abbey was learning well.

"Brian?" Khaat asked.

"Hm?" he asked, looking up from a log where he was working on the budget for his department.

"Do you think she's happy?"

"Abbey?" he frowned.

"Yeah."

"Well, the cast doesn't make her delighted."

"Thats not what I"m talking about. Is she a happy kid? Does she have a good childhood?"

"I think" he said with a smile, "I think that she has a great life and just about the sort of childhood that most wizard kids dream of. Yeah. I think she's very happy. Do you think she's missing something?"

"I dont know. I was asking you. I mean, should i quit my job and be a stay at home mom?"

"No. Then you wouldn't be happy," Brian laughed. "They're surrounded by people. Theyre not suffering. Believe me. Its alright. The kids are fine. I think you're missing them. How about we try to go home this evening. We don't need to stay every night. Perhaps we need to have dinner with out kids and spend the evening at home with them."

"I can't leave Daddy here by himself," she sighed.

"I will make sure he isn't alone," Brian promised. "I swear."

Jack chuckled as Abby chose a lolly that was almost as big as she was , he bout it for her any way and carried her back up to Khaats office a second lolly was in his pocket Abby had insisted he bought one for Khaat now he walked with it sticking out his posted and a happy Abby licking at her own " we're back " he said and walked in smiling at them both " she choice her lolly " he said and chuckled as he placed her next to Khaat " she was good as gold". he stepped back and took out the second lolly pop " she wanted you to have this Khaat " he said and handed it to her looking at Brian as well " no I didn't get one Jess would really kill me for that one" he said moving back to his chair by the door.

"Thank you," Khaat smiled at Abbey and kissed her cheek and then looked at Jack. "And thank you. She had a good time. I can see it."

"Candy!" Abbey was excited about the large lollipop. "Mama!"

"Yes, you can have it," Khaat laughed. She took the cellophane off it for her. "Sit down with it." She put Abbey on the sofa and let her sit with her lollipop. It was almost bigger than she could handle and every time Abbey licked it, she giggled.

"Thank you," Khaat laughed. "That ought to take her several weeks to finish--unless the other kids figure out that she has it."

"Jack," Brian said, "I want to perhaps take Khaat home tonight for a night at home with the kids. I just want to either make sure Robert comes with us or that he has security for himself. When I get a chance I'll go downstairs and talk to him." He picked up the list of patients that needed to see a healer as part of Khaat's rounds today. "I'll go do rounds. I can do them faster. You work on paperwork and take care of Abbey," he kissed Khaat and left them under Jack's watch.

Jack nodded h understood and smiled at Abby " yeah she did " he said smiling at her " I think the others will be all right I got some treats for them while I was there , I sent them on ahead " he said chuckling as he sat watching them both " it will do you some good being with the kids tonight I'll stay with Robert if hes staying I don't mind , got a bit more stamina than Steven and Jim anyway" he looked at Abby and smiled " I think two weeks rather than one Khaat at that rate."

Brian made rounds while Abbey sat happily with her lollipop. Khaat worked on paperwork.

"Mama," Abbey called awhile later.

"Yes?"

"Make bug?"

"Like Papa?" Khaat asked. Abbey nodded. "Jack," Khaat called. "Do you mind making a glitter butterfly like the ones in Sparks?" Abbey loved when Robert made them and when she could watch the glittery butterflies fly around the room.

Brian, meanwhile, had gone downstairs and had talked to Robert about taking the night off at least long enough to go home to eat and sleep. Robert hadn't been willing to budge until Brian brought up Khaat and Abbey. Once he did that, Robert sighed heavily.

"Alright. Alright. We all go home tonight for food and sleep," Robert said. "I'm not making a practice of this until this is over, but okay.

"Thanks," Brian smiled.

"Don't let it go to your head, Son," Robert said, going back to his research. "You wont' always win, you know."

Jack looked up at Khaat when he heard his name " I can try " he said and thought hard soon he cast his spell and was surprised as he made a pink butterfly and smiled " ah there you go Abby " he said smiling as he saw her face light up as it fluttered around the roof then down the wall close to her. " well I figured that out quickly must remember that for my own kids " he said and chuckled wondering just how Brian was getting along with Robert.

"You could always get a job at Sparks now if you like," Khaat laughed. It was mandatory for all the servers to know the charm. "That is if you can wait tables." Khaat was delighted to hear Abbey's giggling--until the butterfly got too close to where Archangel was napping on his perch. The butterfly annoyed him, and Archangel snapped his beak down on the butterfly, making sparks fly everywhere. Khaat was ready for Abbey to cry, but instead, Abbey laughed with delight.

"Do again! Again!" she bounced.

Brian finished up the rounds and came upstairs and reported the results to Hannah and told her that he was taking Robert and Khaat home at the end of the work day. Hannah agreed it was time. Khaat and Robert had children to think of now. They hadn't when they started this job. But times had changed.