Marriage is Murder

Robert made a list. He listed two of the special quills, and just rounded up the number of books to an even dozen and he signed the order. He handed the list to Jack. "Go to Diagon Alley. Go to Flourish and Blotts. I want these immediately. Have them add it to my account. You'll have to shrink the books to get them back. They'll be too big and heavy otherwise. They've got them in stock. They'll probably give you lip because that will be about all they have in stock. I don't care. Get them. There's not a big call for them, so make them cough up all one dozen. Don't be mean, but be assertive. The sooner you get them back the sooner you lot can do this."

He looked at the rest of them. "Its a self study course. All you have to do is read the book and practice with each other. It isn't hard. As a matter of fact, the kids could surely learn simple signs and should. If you work diligently, you should have some of the basics, at least, mastered in a couple of days."

Khaat wasn't sure she wanted them all to have to go to such work for her. Brian looked at her. He picked up the paper again and handed it to her. "What's on your mind?"

"All these people," she wrote. "Dont ask them to do this for me."

"These people are your family and helping you is how they make their living," he said. "Nobody is being forced to do this. They volunteered. Besides, you're going to be busy too. You're going to be learning right along with us. Okay?" He kissed her forehead

Jack stood up and took the list he nodded at Roberts words and looked at Khaat and sighed placing his hand on her shoulder lightly. " Khaat we want to, we do this because we want to not because we have to" he said softly "That goes for every one here " he said Jess nodded so did the others " ok be back as soon as I can ," walking over he gave Jess a kiss and aperated out of the room. Jess looked at Khaat and smiled.

" hes right we all chose to stay and be here no force no force, its our own choice and we would not want it any other way" she smiled warmly to her " everything we do is because we want to do it."

"She's not used to having a staff anymore," Robert smiled. "She'll get in the swing of it soon enough..." The next thing he knew there was a soaking wet labrador puppy flying up onto Khaat, coming from nowhere. Khaat jumped rather badly, frightened, not knowing they had a dog.

"Abigail," Robert sighed. "You're soaking wet. For goodness' sakes. And did I not tell you not to jump on your mother?"

Khaat froze. A dog? Mother? How had she given birth to a dog?This was entirely beyond her.

"One of you take Abbey out of here, please?" Robert picked up the dog. He didn't want to turn her back right at that moment because he didn't want a naked two year old in the living room. "I'll put her to rights in a moment. I would like to know how she got wet."

Cassidy chuckled and picked up Abby " something else to explain, as for how shes wet she must have got out from having a bath " she said and walked her back upstairs to the nursery as she spoke to her. Jess watched and sighed.

"Cassidys right one of the nursery staff must have left the door open, Khaat I'm sure Robert will explain in time. " she said looking at him " its nothing to worry over right now though" she tried to reassure her more.

Khaat burst into tears. The confusion was just entirely too much.She curled up on the sofa in a tight ball, frightened. Robert sat down with her and wrapped her tight against him. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "This all made sense to you before. I know it doesnt' make sense now. I'm sorry. Your daughter is very human. She has the ability to change shape to a dog. It came from your first husband. I know you saw photos of him in the book, didn't you?" She nodded. Her daughter was a shapeshifter? How was that possible? "Its considered a very good thing in our way of life, hard as that is to believe," he said, still soothing her.

He picked up the glass of fruit juice and helped her with a bit of it. Part of his potions ixture would calm her just a bit. He didn't want to numb her from all of it but enough that she wasnt' so upset. He had an idea then. He laid a business card on the coffee table and accio'd her wand. He handed it to her and taught her how to do a nonverbal wingardium leviosa spell. He had her practice until the little card levitated a few inches.

"Oh well done," he smiled. She looked at him and the little card fell back to the coffee table. "I didn't do that. You did. That was your magic, not mine. You are not just an ordinary muggle. You have skills you've temporarily forgotten how to use."

Jess looked at Robert worried she'd said something wrong to upset her " was it something I said ?" she asked softly handing Robert the glass before moving back to her chair Jack returned with all the books in his pocket and looked at Khaat.

" what happened ?" he asked and Jess filled him in " ok that would shock any one " he said and placed the dozen small books on a table before resizing them as he did he looked at Robert and Khaat " ow I.. sorry Robert " he said and stopped looking at Khaat .

"We're alright," Robert said still soothing her. "We're fine." As he sat with her, he heard her stomach growl. "Angus, briing some small snack for Khaat, please?"

"Coming right up," Angus said. He brought her a basket with tiny square crackers.

"Oh, you'll like these," Robert said. "These are probably your favorites. These are hawaiian sweetbread crackers. There isn't anything in this that will hurt you, and he's cut them even smaller. Here. Taste." He picked up one and ate it. "I love these," he laughed. He held the basket out to her. She ate one, and decided it was good. "Have a few. They're healthy."

"I think I need to bring more of these out," Angus said, bringing out more baskets filled with the teeny tiny sweetbread crackers. "Anyone want a soda while I'm at it?"

"Yes, please, actually," Robert said.

"That sounds good," Kate said.

"Can someone take some orders and bring sodas? There's also some little bowls with crackers for the kids and a pitcher of milk and some glasses if someone wants to take it to them, please," Angus said.

"Your dog, Robert?" Kate reminded gently

"Oh yes. Brian?" Robert asked. Brian sat down and warpped Khaat close to him while Robert went to undo Abbey's animagus transformation.

Jack smiled and sat down with Jess taking a square " yum, these are good "Jack said as Jess stood up and moved to bring more baskets out for the rest of them her eyes watching Khaat and now seeing that Robert was gone she looked to Kate " let me guess, hes gone to sort Abby?"she said and smiled at her a she sat down handing Jack a soda as well for Robert placing it where he'd been sat for his return. Cassidy walked down and sat in a seat next to Jess.

"Roberts got her sleeping already" she said and chuckled softly as she sat back .

"Good," Brian said, relieved. "Your dad is amazing, Khaat. And all those kids--ours and all the rest of them, call him their papa." She was still having a hard time coming to grips with the fact that her daughter was a dog. Brian looked at her and smiled. "Its a bit easier to come to grips with when you see it. Have a cracker." He picked up a bottle of pumpkin soda and opened it. She could sell the pumpkin when he opened the bottle. Pumpkin soda? What kind of a place was this?

"Its good. We used to drink it when we were in school," he laughed. "Wanna taste it?" He handed her the bottle. She hesitated. "Go ahead. I know how to share." She sniffed it again, and then she took a taste. It was good. Really good. She looked at the bottle and saw just a plain white label on it. What kind of a soda company was that?" "Angus doesn't make fancy labels," Brian said. "Much as I tell him he should." Angus made it? "Homemade. I swear. Angus is a jack of all trades. You want some?" He accio'd a glass from the kitchen and poured some of his bottle into a glass for her. She found that the crackers and the soda went really well together.

"Start learning that sign language," Robert instructed them all. 'Learn the basic signs first. The book is divided into how often the signs are used. Try it. Its not nearly as hard as those muggle sign languages. You'd be amazed. And if anyone wants to try to practice, let me know."

Jack took a book and opened it Jess watched as he tried to learn it . Jess looked at Kate and sighed "hes trying but failing" she said and looked to Robert " we had to learn it for our work at the hospital, never thought I'd use it here" Jess handed the book to Steven who looked in it and closed it folding his arms as he looked at Robert.

" I'll read it later" he said but Jess sighed and cassidy shook her head.

" I'll make sure he does " she said and took his book with one for her own.