Marriage is Murder

"What are you making, anyway?" Kate asked Edward.

"Bought an old spell book in Ireland years ago. Some muggle had it in a church rummage sale, and the vicar tossed it in the dustbin. Said he wasn't having that 'fantasy rubbish' in his church. Turns out the thing is supposedly some handed down versions of some of Merlin's spells. Dont know if any of them work but one of them is supposedly some goo that Merlin used on Arthur after a sword fight gone wrong. Its worth brewing it up just for sheer curiosity," Edward said. "Legend makes it sound like it might be useful."

"Goo. That sounds terribly technical," Angus teased his grandfather. Edward didn't usually use "goo" as correct potions terminology.

"Why dont you boys make your goo after lunch?" Kate said. "It smells like Michael is about to serve up. Make yourselves all useful and go get the kids, please."

Steven chuckled and stood up motioning to Brent to follow him," come on kid lets get the others " he said and Brent chuckled walking behind him up to the nursery. Returning with a convoy of kids as they walked down to the table and they both lifted them one by one into there chairs one by one. Jess stood up and helped place Jaylen in as James tried to bite Brant.

" hey no biting mister" she told him " the only biting you should do is eating" she told him and he looked up at her as she looked at Robert.

Robert watched them dealing with some misbehaviors of the toddlers. He decided not to interfere. They were doing fine with the kids as it was.

"Wake her up, Brian," Robert said gently. "She really does have to eat."

"That might not be easy," Brian said.

"I thought you were into challenges," Robert said. Brian sighed and went over to Khaat and woke her up. Michael delivered five massive bowls of salads to the table. Each one had a different sort of chef salad in it. He had decided to let everyone take their pick. One had chicken, one had steak, one had shrimp, and one was vegetarian. They were all completely different, all geared to be loaded with tons of nutrition. And all gourmet perfect.

"You've outdone yourself," Angus said.

"They're just salads, Lad," Michael said, setting pitchers of iced tea on the table and baskets of fresh crusty bread. Michael fixed a plate for Khaat. He'd had this plan in mind all morning. He had made her plate to have just a few bites of each of the five salads on it, so that by the time she'd finished tasting them for him, she would have eaten enough.

"Hey," he took the plate to her. "Remember you asked me to design some salads for Sparks this spring?"

"Yeah," she yawned.

"You too busy to try these for me?" he asked.

"Its not like I"m going anywhere," she said

"Good. I've given you just a tasting portion of each of these five. Let me know what you think."

"Okay," she said.

"Iced tea to cleanse the palate?"

"No, coffee, please."

"Okay. I'll get you some. Do you need help with the plate?"

"I still have one good hand. I'll manage," she said, as he put the plate down on a small table in front of her. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," he said.

"Michael, did I hear something about fleas in the house?" she asked.

"No, my dear. A bottle of flea wings. I think they're going to cook up a batch of magical snot after lunch."

"How appetizing," she said dryly.

Steven and Brant chuckled at the description of the potion " hum another technical term I take it " Brant said and sat with Steven as the bowls were placed down in front of them and Brant looked at Michael he took some of the steak salad and smiled ,

" its wonderful I'd bye this every day if I could" he said and continued to eat his food. Jess was feeding the others , but Steven handed her a bowl Cassidy walked in and sat next to Steven giving him some of the steak salad and smiled at him as she fed Fallon herself.

Robert prepared a plate for Kate and one for himself that was much like Khaat's--a sampling of all the salads. Brian did the same and went over and sat crosslegged on the floor next to Khaat's recliner.

"Did we run out of chairs?" she asked him.

"No," he said. "So sue me for wanting to be close," he said.

"Delicious salads," Kate told Michael. "I think they'd be great for the summer menu, actually."

"I think so too," Brian said. "What do you think, Khaat?"

"I like them," she said. "They've got a French sort of a touch."

"You noticed, huh?" Michael asked.

"Its the herbs," she said. "Very nice."

"Glad you like them. Can I improve them somehow?"

"Toasted pecans on the chicken," she said.

"Oh. I think you're right. If I add a few, how about trying another couple bites?"

"I'm getting full. A bit later?"

"Sure," he said, pleased that she was satisfied. Robert was more than satisfied. Khaat leaned back in the chair, tiring. Brian set the plate aside. She looked like she was going to settle and perhaps finally rest a bit. Really rest.

Jess smiled as she saw how much Khaat had eaten to any one else it looked a small amount but to Jess it was enough to make her satisfied. Jaylen took out the leatce and placed it next to her bowl seeing Jess looking at it she smiled then spoke.

" it yucky" said and placed another next to it making Brant smile as he ate his own.

" ah a girl after my own heart " he said " I didn't like it ether " he told her " but it makes you healthy and its not that bad" He added as he finished his bowl " Micheal I take back almost everything I said against you" he said and chuckled.

Michael didn't reply. He didn't like,at all, that Brant was another picky eater like Cassidy. He hated picky eaters. Especially when things really were done in such good quality. Michael found picky eaters to be largely rude and offensive. And Brant had Cassidy's lack of any sort of sensitivity towards the cook. Neither of them could simply shut their mouths when their was something around that they didnt like. The kind, finessful thing was to merely not eat it. It wasn't something everyone else at the table needed to know. It was the one thing he didn't like about Cassidy, and he didn't like it any better in Brant. He merely got up silently and calmly, and began cleaning up.

"Let me clean up for you," Angus told him. "You did the cooking. I'll clean up."

"Thank you. I'd like that," Michael said, as Angus took the salad bowls from him. "I've got some things I'd like to do this afternoon anyway. Can you manage dinner tonight?"

"Certainly," Angus said. "I know just exactly what I'd like to do." Angus worked on cleaning up the dining room and the kitchen, and Robert put Khaat's kids down on the floor and then he and Edward took them upstairs for their afternoon naps.

"Good lad. I'll see you all later, then." He went into the living room to Khaat and kissed her forehead. "Did you get enough to eat, my dear?"

"Plenty," she said. "Did you do that on purpose?"

"No, but killing two birds with one stone did prove to be handy," he laughed. "I'm going out. Anything you need while I'm gone?"

"Not a thing," she said. "You work too hard taking care of us, Michael. You and Angus both."

"You're my goddaughter. Its a pleasure," he said to her. "Try to rest. I'll be back soon." She nodded. He accio'd his jacket and put it on and apparated out.

In the living room, Brian collected the lunch dishes and sent them out to the kitchen and helped Kate settle for a bit of a nap, while Khaat shifted just a little trying to get comfortable herself. Brian was judging, by the looks of things that Kate was going to be up and about in another day or so. She was healing well. She wouldn't be 100% yet, but she would certainly be on her feet at least part of the time.

Cassidy looked at Brant and sighed as she shook her head " you don't know you don't like it until you eat it" she told him " I was fussy until Michael showed me I can't be fussy and to try things , you never quite know they might surprise you" she handed Jaylen her lettuce. Jaylen looked at it but took it and nibbled on it, she smiled and ate it happily. " see Brant we all can change our habits"she said then looked at Angus. " I'll help" Steven smiled and nodded he approved that she'd got Jaylen to eat her greens. Jess finished and took her plate through after she walked over and checked Khaat as she placed her hand lightly on her she smiled as she found everything to be stable.

"Thanks, Steven," Angus said, continuing to clear the table.

Edward and Robert finished putting Khaat's kids down for their naps and returned downstairs.

"You really aren't going to fiddle with those flea wings, are you?" Robert asked.

"What am I out but some time?" Edward shrugged, handing over the potions book to him. The tattered old book looked old enough to disintegrate into dust from the mere handling of it. He opened it and turn the pages with care and respect and studied the potions.

"Hm...Some of them do look like they'd work. Then there are some others that are, well, just bizarre," Robert admitted.

"I know," Edward grinned. "They're the ones I want to try. Should be interesting, shouldn't they?"

"Centepede legs? Thats a lot of blooming centepedes," Robert said, reading one of the formulas.

"Not really," Edward said. "I've tried that one. Millipedes work far better."

"Does it work?"

"Brilliantly," Edward grinned.

"Well, lets go, then," Robert said, unable to resist the intrigue of a new potions formula.

"I thought you'd never give in," Edward laughed, going down the hall with him.

They reminded Brian of two little boys out for a great adventure. He was tempted to laugh. Brian saw Jess reduce Khaat's discomfort. "I thought I saw her starting to have some muscles stoving up," he said to Jess. "That wont' reduce her pain a bit of we dont keep ahead of that for her. I know how miserable it is to get stiff and sore after some sort of an injury. I think you'll help her be a bit more comfortable for awhile. You know this isn't going to be easy. I expect her to be up and around, or trying to be, long before that's healed. I suppose I should be glad it wasn't a leg. At least she can walk if its her shoulder. if this were her leg, she'd be even more miserable than she is right now."

Jess smiled and nodded " that was my intenshion Brian" she told him and sat back down in her chair. " yes she'd really be fed up if she had, once the shoulder has healed enough I'm sure Robert will let her up" she said softly as she recharged her own energies as she released the pain she had drawn off . Steven helped with the children he lifted them down one by one as Brant stat eating , he had eaten the lettuce and liked it so he finished the bowl then took it threw. " it will take time Brian, time and understanding" she admitted to him. Jim sat quiet as he listened not really saying much but he did watch Robert and Edward and he smiled.

" like two boys in a candy store" he said softly.