Marriage is Murder

"I have no idea," Robert said. "I don't know if even she knows that right now. Its too soon to tell. She doesnt' know he was bewitched and doesn't know the nature of the spell. She is a healer, and she can be very tolerant about many things. but I dont' know if she is that tolerant to just accept him back on the same level. He just aggravated the rest of us. He was pretty abusive to her. If he's in his right mind, he'll understand earning it back. She is, understandably, less tolerant towards behaviors that have no other apparant explanations except that the person she thought she knew turned out to be little more than a horse's ass. If there is something more reasonable, she usually looks at it."

Jess nodded and sighed " I hope he does realize what an ass he was and try to make it up to Khaat. " she said touching Robert again but finding everything normal and she smiled " even if its just one day at a time " she smiled as she stepped back " now please rest I'll be back later if I'm needed I left Jack with the kids and I just know he will be knee deep in piggy back rides by now" she said and softly chuckled at eh image of Jack on his hands and knees with three children on his back.

Khaat had gone and changed to go into do her job and her father's. Brian was a bit surprised to see her dressed in the black silk pencil skirt and the green and black printed silk blouse with the black heels.

"You're...going in?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "One of us has to. We've been gone too long not to."

"Give me five minutes and I'll go with you," he said.

"No," she said, "Just stay here and take care of things. I know how to get your attention if I need you."

"You certainly do," he smiled. He kissed her. "Be careful." She nodded and apparated out.

"You're second guessing yourself, aren't you?" Angus asked.

"I always second guess myself when I let her go out by herself," Brian said.

Jess walked down to the living room just as she saw Khaat leave and she shook her head. " she's gone to work, am I right?" she asked as she saw Jack happily playing with the kids on the carpet in front of Jim, who had Andrew on his knee and was showing him pictures in a book he had. Jess crossed to Brian. " you want me to go in early?" she asked wondering if she should just to be there if Khaat needed her or if something should kick off and she had to get Khaat out quickly.

"No," Brian said. "She wants to have a sense of having a bit of independence. I have to let her try to have some normalcy in those times when things are fairly quiet because we all know there are times when she's lucky if she gets to go to the bathroom by herself. I need to trust her just a little bit. If I need any of you, believe me, I'll call. But with the storm damage here and at the farm, and Robert hurt, and Cassidy gone, that leaves us a wee bit short. We need to stay here a bit and try to get it under control here. Robert will feel better tomorrow, but we need to work on a skeleton crew here for today. I think it will be alright."

Jess nodded and moved to sit with Jack and pick up Fallon who snuggled close to her and sighed deeply. Jess smiled and rocked her gently humming softly to her so she would nap. Jack let the last of the kids slid off his back and moved to sit with Jess. Jim made fresh coffee and gave Brian a cup along with the others.

"Angus can I help with anything?" he asked hoping he'd have something for him to do " we got the limb out and repaired the window as if it never broke though that couch is a bit battered,,, nope a lot battered" he chuckled.

"I'm just going to do laundry, make beds, set the vacuum spell in motion and some of the other cleaning spells. Not unless you want to help me with that," Angus said.

"Well, I think I can go then and get a sofa before Khaat gets home," Brian said.

"You'd better or she's going to make you sleep on that messed up one upstairs," Angus replied.

"Call if you need me," Brian said apparating out.

Things began to get quiet again, and the only noise in the house was the sounds of the house cleaning spells underway. That and Angus working in the kitchen. "You know, its almost too quiet," Angus said. "I'm not used to this."

Jim and Jack shook there heads and Jess laughed " shesh scared of a little bit of house work" she said and chuckled as they looked at her both chuckling as they did. Jess played longer with the kids and soon it was nap time she let the nannies take them for a sleep in the new nursery and bed rooms. Jess headed off to work leaving Jack and Jim sat in the living room as Cassidy aperated back in she was smiling and quickly moved up to check on Fallon returning she headed to the kitchen.

"Nice cleaning spells Angus" she said poring some fruit juice.

"The house is too big to keep up with, without them," Angus said. "Especially now with the kids. I know Khaat prefers to do things by hand, but its just impossible with this place. I think she lets me take short cuts with the housework because she knows that frees me up to cook fresh and to tend to the kids."

Kate suddenly looked up at Angus. "Put down what you're doing," she told him.

"What?" he asked.

"Go see your grandfather. I think its important. Jess can take over in the kitchen. Go," Kate told him.

"Um...okay?" Angus frowned, taking out his wand and porting out.

Cassidy nodded to Angus " go, must be important, I'll make sure nothing stops working and if it does that its clean and if your now back by lunch I'll find something in the fridge no dough."She told him with a smile as she continued to clean making a rag wring it self out as it was leaving dirty streaks. Jack heard Kate and stood up walking over to the kitchen door to lean heavily on it.

"Everything ok Kate?" he asked softly watching Angus and Cassidy as she took over the cleaning of the kitchen.