Marriage is Murder

Jim chuckled "Ok will fix it closer to dinner, Angus" He said as Cassidy chuckled too.

"We'll go when your ready " Cassidy said thumbing threw a book. " Steven and I both were talking about it and we are so ready for the training" she said as Steven walked in and nodded.

"Ah the training, yeah Cassidy and I were survival camping on the weekend, she didn't do too bad ." He said and Cassidy nodded as Jess walked in with Jim both were talking about herb gardens.

"I see the herb gardens nearly done." Jim said as Steven finished Cassidy crossed her arms.

"Only not too bad?" she said " I thought I did well" she walked over to Steven.

"Well, you did get poison ivy on your..." he said and Cassidy blushed and he smiled.

"Alright," Robert said, "I'll contact Kieran and see if he can move up the arrangements and make it happen a bit sooner. I'll let you know when I know."

"Winter comes early and stays late in the Colorado mountains," Brian said. "If you want to do this in fall, you'd better do it sooner rather than waiting. Unless snow is optional."

"No," Robert said. "It is not. I want my teams to be trained to operate in all weather, under all conditions. So far, what I know we do is traditional European weather and winter. We have a lot more outdoor conditions to handle than that."

"Do you forsee us dealing with the Sahara or something?" Brian frowned.

"Not in the immediate future," Robert said. "Not unless werewolves suddenly develop a liking for unreasonable heat on top of all that fuzz."

"Unlikely," Brian said. "But werewolves aren't our only threat. A cold blooded vampire might find the heat refreshing."

"Equally unlikely. They're vampires, not reptiles," Robert laughed. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go send a message to Kieran. You all ought to make a list of what to take with you. I'll llet you take some things this time. But there always is the possibility that at some point, I might drop you all of on a training, as you are, with only what you have on you."

"Remind me to order one of those Batman utility belts then," Angus sighed, heading back to the kitchen

Jack walked back in and stopped " wow batman utility belt?" he asked "and where did you get poison ivy?" he asked Cassidy Steven laughed and shook his head.

" ah now that's telling" he said and Cassidy rolled her eyes as she moved over to Jess and stood with her.

" remind me not to go survival training with him alone again" she said and Jess chuckled.

"Too late Cassidy I'm afraid, we're all going on the training " she said patting Cassidy's shoulder. " and that must have hurt " she said Cassidy chuckled at Jess picking up where her poison ivy was and the expression on Jack face.

Brian let the banter about the poison ivy slide and didn't comment. He knew those things happened easily to people who weren't accustomed to survival coping skills, and he saw no point in embaressing anyone further with it. It was an easy mistake to make. Letting the conversation go on without him was his way of simply being respectful towards Cassidy. As a trainer and an employer there were some things Brian didn't need to belabor.

Robert sent a message to Kieran and confirmed the need to move the training date up and gave him the updated list of who would be attending the training. Kieran volunteered to come and help bodyguard Khaat while the rest of her team was gone, but Robert felt that he could provide sufficient protection across that short time and had his own plan in mind. He had initially thought he was going to be short on child care during that time, but Edward and his family volunteered to come stay at Brian and Khaat's place to take care of the kids so that the team could go. Robert felt like things were covered sufficiently.

"Now how in the world did you know i sent word to Kieran if you were outside raking leaves?" Robert frowned. "You're not a seer. Unless you were leaving those leaves to eavesdrop on us."

"I think they're just overly anxious to be put through a weekend of pure hell," Robert said. "They evidently just enjoy it. Maybe I should make it a bit more difficult."

"Nah. I don't think you want to do that. I don't know if they're ready for that," Brian said. "You want to make it that authentic?"

"Thinking about it," Robert said.

"Nah. They're not ready for that."

"I don't know. What do you think, All? How much of a challenge are you up for?" Robert asked.

"Oh boy," Brian said.

Jack stood froze on his spot " I finished early " he said honistly " but didn't want to interupt " he said bluching a little. Jess walked over and touched his face lightly.

"Now thats a sight I thought I would not see my husband blushing " she siad and he chuckled as did cassidy.

"Didn't think they could blush " she said and jess looked at her and nodded "So how can we prove to you that we ..all want to do this weekend " she asked Robert " because we all do want to, we all discussed it. " she said and chuckled lightly.

"We knew he could blush," Brian said, "We embaress the shit out of him on a regular basis. I think you missed Robert's point, Jess. Robert knows you want to go on the weekend. He's just not sure you're all ready for what he really could throw at you if he wanted to. The winter training was tough because of the weather. But it wasn't as tough as it truly could have been. It wasn't designed to be. It was designed to get the team working as one unit. It wasn't designed to truly test your abilities to survive with little more than your wit. He's only saying he's not sure this team is ready for it. As for me, I've been on his little tests like that--on my own. Without teammates. I don't honestly know if you're ready for it yet either. Perhaps the next one. I think a weekend training is a good thing, and we all agree on it. We're only discussing difficulty levels."

Jess looked at Brian and nodded " I guess so but we would never know unless he gives us it right " she said smiling as Jack nodded beside her. " well not to dificult if you think were niot up to the max level yet " she siad cassidy sighed and roled her eyes.

" where is the training in that , training should be hard it prepares you for whats to come " cassidy said siting down to face Brian. Jim stood up and moved to them.

"Maybe so but he dosn't need us all off on sick leave because we broke bones or came down with something because of the trainning session" Jim spoke softly as he looekd at them all as they spoke between them. It was Steven who spoke first.

" ok what ever you guys decide will be ok we all know what ever level ita at we will do our best" he said .

"You're not ready for the maximum," Robert said honestly. "And I'm not even sure I know where the maximum is because it changes all the time. Last year I didn't have to worry about training you to deal with vampires or half giants and how to defeat them. The worst we'd come up again with a werewolf with a foul attitude and a nut. As the times change, your skills need to change.

"We've run into a couple of nuts. Which one were you talking about?" Brian said.

"Gelding."

"Oh. Him. Yeah. I remember when we all thought he was such a threat. Now he's just a pain in the butt."

"See how much you've grown?" Robert laughed. The conversation continued for several minutes as Angus put the Asian chicken salads together for lunch and set the table. Brian's thoughts were a bit distracted when he heard what sounded like Abbey but it sounded oddly far away. He was going to go outside, when Robert pointed outside. Brian went to the window. Abbey had gone out by herself and apparently had fallen in a patch of gravel and had skinned her knees.

"What the devil is she doing outside by herself?" Brian said, apparating out to her quickly.

"Clearly, she's disobeying house rules," Robert said after Brian had apparated outside to get her. "She's two. Disobeying is part of her job at two."

Jess and the others chuckled at Brains discription of Gelding " well we won't say any different " Steven said and chuckled . Jess looked out on hearing Abby outside.

" I'll get her " Jess said and opened the doors walking out cassidy moved to stand where she once stood.

"they can be a hand ful, guess thats why muggles call it the terrible twos" she said " never undertsood that mine are fine" she sid steve walked over to cassidy.

"Still time yet dear for it to happen" he said wrapping his arms around her then glancing back at Brian " what ever you and Robert decide is ok with us " he said as Jess walked back in with abby in hr arms .

" ok so whose doing the boo boo honers , daddy or mommy?" she asked walking over to Khaat and smiling.