Marriage is Murder

"You know I'm not giving up, right?" Brian said.

"We wouldn't let you if you wanted to, Mate," Michael said, coming into the kitchen. "You boys got those shrimp cleaned yet?"

"Just finishing," Angus said. "You want to tell us what you're cooking?"

"Nope," Michael said. "So get out of my kitchen."

"Excuse me?" Angus frowned.

"Did I stutter?" Michael asked. "Get out."

"I'll help if you want..."

"No thank you," he said. "I've got this myself."

"Um...It looks like we're being thrown out," Angus said. He motioned to the rest of them. "I think we need to leave the man and his vegetables alone."

"Keep pushing me, and you'll be a vegetable," Michael said dryly.

Steven and Brant stood up and looked to Brain " no, we know your not giving up" he said " we aren't ether" he added then looked at Michael as he ordered them out of the kitchen " hum wonder what we'd be, ow what about a carrot, na, maybe a runner bean, I hear there fast" he said and chuckled softly as he and Steven walked into the living room and sat down.

" well I personally would prefer not to be a vegetable again, been there once all ready. " he said and chuckled.

"I heard you were a duck," Angus said, ushering them out of the kitchen. "Oh, no, wait. That was Jack, wasn't it?"

"It was," Robert laughed as they went into the living room. "He looked rather good in yellow fuzz."

"Don't give me ideas," Brian laughed.

"Dont you start taking after Michael, Son," Robert said.

"Me? Nah. I wouldn't do that."

"Oh yes you would," Robert said. "I don't trust you. You've got that 'bored stiff' look. Am I to presume some pranking is about to take place?"

"You are to presume nothing," Brian said calmly.

"Uh huh. Just watch which way you direct that pranking. Unless you want to challenge me again," Robert said.

"I am not afraid of you," Brian said. "I can still beat you at that."

"You haven't beaten me the first time at it, so don't go promising to do it again until you do it once."

Steven chuckled and nodded " yep that was Jack , don't think I was turned into anything" he said as he sat down Brant stood some what confused in the middle of the floor. Steven laughed " ow don't worry its a thing they do , dares and pranks all harmless" he said and sat back.

" hum..ow I was just trying to picture big Jack as a small fluffy yellow duck , seems so...funny" he said and smiled as Jess looked over at him.

" ow you don't have to imagine, I have a photo around someplace" she said and smiled " I took it so I could remind him each time he annoyed me, just what a woman could do even to some one his size. "

"Thats what happens to a big guy who believes he can take Khaat in a duel," Robert said. "It doesn't usually work out well. I think you should find that photo, Jess. I'm sure I could find soemthing very creative to do with it."

"What are you going to do?" Kate frowned.

"Never you mind," Robert said. "Its just a small welcome home for Jack."

"You dont' even know when he's coming."

"No, but for now, it gives me a bit of time."

"Brian, I'm going to hurt you," Kate frowned at Brian, not happy at Brian giving Robert ideas to pull a few pranks.

"Oh, they're harmless, Kate," Brian said.

"Mostly," Robert gave them all a bit of a mischevious smirk and walked upstairs.

"Where is he going?" Angus asked.

"You don't want to know," Brian laughed. "As long as its not you're room, you're good.

Brant looked at Angus and then to Kate " I hope its not mine" he said softly to Angus as he moved to lean on the wall. Jess chuckled and looked at Kate.

" I believe its in a box up in our closet " she said as she stood up and headed up to their room and began looking threw boxes for the picture. Steven chuckled and sat smiling.

" ow you don't know he could be pranking you or one of us you don't know" he said and accioed a cup of coffee for himself then tipped a small spot of fire whisky into it turning it into an Irish whisky as he chuckled at the look on Brant's face.

Robert went into Michael's room and animated everything in his room. He left quickly shutting the door before anything could get out. He didn't say a word.

He disappeared into Brian's closet and flicked his wand at everything in the closet and left again.

Downstairs, at that very instant, Brian's clothes that he was wearing transfigured into a thick pink terry bathrobe.

"Oh, its definitely on now," Brian said.

"Pink is not your color," Kate said, "I think that should have been lavender."

"Shut it," Brian said.

Steven held a smirk at the sight of the pink robe " some ones ticked " he said and laughed as he saw the look on Brant's face at the change in clothes on Brian. Jess pulled down a small shoe box off a shelf and smiled there on the top was a picture of a yellow duck at the feet of Brian, Robert and Khaat all who were grinning broadly to each other. Smiling Jess closed the box and took the picture in her hand walking down she passed Robert and laughed.

"Pink isn't his color, now may be lilac would have suited him more" she said and stood holding the picture " ow, I found it" she said showing Robert.

Brian flicked his wand towards the upstairs. A moment later he saw a reprimanding bolt of energy flying back his direction from the upstairs. He dodged the bolt of "lightning" from Robert's wand.

"Come be a man about it, if you can!" Brian shouted upstairs. There was a pause.

"What did you do?" Angus asked.

"Shaved his head," Brian laughed.

"Oh, that's really not such a good thing," Kate said. Robert apparated back downstairs, his hair restored back to the way it belonged. He began firing at Brian,and Brian immediately returned fire. Kate rolled her eyes at the two of them dueling in the living room. Abbey woke up from her place beside Kate and watched, utterly fascinated at seeing her first duel.

Finally Robert hit Brian with a spell that shrank him to an inch tall. Robert deposited Brian into a bug jar.

"Oooooh! Can I play with him, Papa?" Abbey asked, excited.

"Sure," Robert answered, tossing her the bug jar through the air, as Kate started to protest.

Steven laughed and sat watching as Robert and Brian dueled in front of him and laughed as Brian shrank and was placed into a glass jar. Brant saw the jar being through and jumped up opening it and turned Brian back to his full size.

" sorry Abby hes the boss to me , besides I think Khaat would prefer a full sized husband and father" he added making a pink cookie appear in his hand and he held it out to her " all for you" he said and smiled as he gave her it and placed the jar on the table next to him. He looked to Robert as he sat down. " Sorry one out of action is bad enough" he said.