Marriage is Murder

"That's fine, Steven," Robert said. "I'm just not ready to go to bed yet." Robert opened his newspaper and began to read. Some days he didn't even get a chance to do that anymore. He hadn't read for more than ten minutes when Kate took the paper from him.

"What?" he frowned.

"With the rebellion, that is not nighttime reading. Its just more work," she said. She accio'd a book and handed it to him. "Do choose something lighter. It would be nice to see you actually sleep tonight."

"You're being a bit overprotective," Robert told her.

"No, I'm really not," she said. "This comes too close on the heels of the last idiot that took over the Ministry. Its not healthy for you to do this twice."

"Did you think I would be Minister forever? I didn't ever set out for a political career, you know. I figured I was done working until a few years ago."

"You were too young to retire anyway," she waved that off. "But I'm not going to let you put everyone else first again and not consider yourself."

"Kate, I love you, but I don't know how else to do this right now," he sighed.

"Come on, then. Let's go do some Tai Chi before bed. It will unwind your mind," she said. "Steven and Brant can deal with it for a bit. "

"Oh, alright. Call if you need me," Robert told Steven and Brant, laying his newspaper and book aside, and getting up to go with Kate.

Steven smiled as Kate spoke to Robert Brant made tricks slip back in his pocket an settled down for the night. " okay, so what you want to talk about?" he asked Steven as he sat down close to the window.

" well like how did you find out where we were considering this is an unplotable land " he asked and Brant chuckled looked at Steven as he spoke.

" well I travel around and I heard Edward needed good men from my auntie she gave me the port key to here and poof here I am" he said Steven nodded and held out his hand Brant gave him the key,

Brian had wandered out to the kitchen, feeling a bit peckish, and found a bunch of grapes, when Abbey came padding into the kitchen, sleepy, and sniffling, and crying.

"Daddy," she called.

"What are you doing up so late?" he frowned, going over to pick her up.

"Monsters," she said, curling tight into his chest.

"Where? Where are the monsters?" he asked softly, soothing her with a little kiss and a hug.

"Under."

"Under what, Sweetie?"

"Everything. They're everywhere. And they're mean."

"Ah. Okay. Don't worry. We'll get 'em."

"Can I sleep with you and Mama?"

"Don't you want us to get the monsters?"

She nodded. "And sleep with you."

"Oh. You want both," he said. She nodded. "Let me see what I can do," He said. He handed her the grapes. "Here. Hold these." He carried her into the living room, as she proceeded to start eating her daddy's grapes, and he looked at Steven and Brant, wiping away Abbey's tiny tears. "Steven, would you and Brant go up and chase those monsters out from under Abbey's furniture, please? And tell them they're scaring her. Its not nice. It looks like we're going to stay down here and share some grapes while you do that. She might be staying with her mama and me tonight."

Steven chuckled as Brant looked at him blankly " its okay we just look under everything and come back , its part of being a parent" he said Brant nodded and chuckled as well.

" ow I have that many nephews and nieces so I kinda know how it is" he said and moved to the stairs and up kneeling to look under the bed as Steven checked the dresser . Soon all was don and they moved back down " okay nothing under anything anymore all cleaned out " Brant said as he looked at Abby with a smile.

"See? All bet..." Brian was going to reassure her and when he looked at her, he saw she had both her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk with his grapes. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Grapes!" she said with her mouth completely full of them.

"For goodness sakes," he frowned, holding out his hand. "One at a time, please." She spit them all out into his hand but one. "No one is going to take food from you," he said.

"Uh huh," she said, "Monsters get 'em."

"Not anymore. Steven and Brant made them go home. They're not here anymore. Besides monsters don't eat grapes."

"What they eat?" she asked.

"All your dirty socks," he laughed.

"Noooo. That Otto," she replied.

"You feel like you can go to sleep in your own bed now?"

"No," she said. "I sleep with you, Daddy." He looked at Steven and Brant. "I don't think I'm gonna win this one."

Steven smiled and shook his head " I don't think so Brian" he said " she has her mothers charm" he added and nodded to Abby " there all gone, Otto's the ottoman who eats socks , he prefers argyle socks" he told Brant who just chuckled and looked at the stairs.

" I was wondering he kept nudging me until I gave him my spare, its okay I'm use to magical things" he said " Stevens right no monsters under anything any more, I even sent Tricks in , she knows mouse magic" he said softly showing her the mouse who slept in the palm of his hand.

"She need to meet the other mouse," Abbey said to Steven and Brant. "They be friends."

"What other mouse?" Brian frowned.

"He live in Papa's magic room. Up on the shelf. I see him sometimes. He make funny faces with his nose," Abbey said.

"I didn't know we had another mouse," Brian said. "does he look like that one?"

"No...He have hair like Gam."

"Hm...So we're looking for a little gray mouse, then, in the potions lab," Brian said. "Are there more?"

"I no know," she shrugged, "Where you put grapes?"

"Did you finish all those?" he asked. She pointed to his empty hand. "Oh alright. Here. Take them, but then you need to go to bed. Or Mama will yell at me."

"Noooo. I big girl," Abbey said proudly. "Papa say so."

"You are, but Mama is bigger," Brian laughed.

"Mama old," Abbey nodded.

"Dont tell her that. That would not be a good thing," Brian laughed.

Brant looked at Steven who shrugged " not sen one before might be worth looking into" he said and Brant nodded and placed Tricks down on the table.

" can you find him?" he asked the tan mouse who nodded then ran off . Brant turned back to Abby " she can find anything if hes out there she'll find him" he said smiling " I'm sure they will be friends, eventually, shes very persuasive." he added he chuckled at Abby's words of her being a big girl and that Khaat was old. Steven just watched and chuckled too.

" ah but you won't have the energy to play if you don't sleep" Steven told her gently hoping to persuade her into bed.

"I go with mousie," Abbey said, wanting to bounce up from Brian's lap.

"You go to bed," he laughed, picking her up and standing up. "No more games." She gave him a pouty lip. "Won't work tonight, Kiddo. You're going to bed. Come on. Steven's right. If you dont' go to bed, you'll be a grouch tomorrow."

"I be a couch?"

"No," he laughed. "A grouch."

"What that?"

"Later. Tomorrow. Let's go," he said. "If you'll excuse us,..." he said to Steven and Brant and took Abbey up to bed. He came back a few minutes later. "I don't think it took her five minutes before she was out like a light. She's too smart sometimes for her own good. If she's like this now, I don't think I want to know what she's going to be like when she's a teenager."

Steven chuckled and nodded as he watched Abby " it means not in a very nice mood" he said as Brian carried her out the door. Steven was sat looking at the chess board when Brian came in from putting Abby to bed. " you'll cope" he said and handed Brian some tea " here to relax you before you go to bed" he said Brant held up his own cup.

" yeah good.." he paused seeing Trick with another mouse " ah seems Abby was right " he said and picked up both mice slipping them into his pocket " solves that problem for now" he added and chuckled again.