Marriage is Murder

Brant smiled at Kate continued handing out the food but seeing owen's arrive he handed him a cup of coffee and then headed back to the kitchen to start cleaning up kitchen so that Kate didn't have to later that day. Taking two cups Brant walked to the bedrooms to find Robert and Khaat he found them in one of the kids rooms, stopping he dropped several drops of pain potion in one cup then moved to pushed open the door. He gave a light cough before he spoke " I brought some coffee, sir." he took a tentative step forward placing one beside Khaat. and gave the second to Robert. Hoping he could catch the subtle hint of the potion in Khaat's. It was enough to take the edge off any remaining pain but not to interfere with Roberts spells.

"Good idea," Robert said, picking up the scent of the pain potion. He knew Khaat would detect the scent too. Robert drew off as much pain as he could. She was visibly relieved. He handed her the coffee cup them. "Now try the coffee. It'll take the edge off the rest of it."

"Thank you," she said to Brant, grateful for the relief. Frustrated as she was that she was still dealing with it, she wasn't going to take that frustration out on anyone else if she could help it. She took a few sips of the coffee and was starting to feel a bit better.

"Come eat," Robert told her. "The others will be back at the house by the time we get there, I'm sure. You do not need to take on things that, right now, you are not physically able to do. I do not want you to mess up the leaning on this. Brant, Owens should be here soon. I asked him to open the house and start preparations for us to go back. When he comes, go with him and oversee that things are up to my standards in the house and make sure the outdoor team has the proper security in place, please. Oh, and there will be a large delivery of fresh cut flowers because we haven't been there in awhile and all the vases will need to be refreshed. Do you think you know our routines well enough to make sure this is done correctly?"

Brant smiled at her looked to Robert as he spoke " owen's all ready here, I'll go once hes finished his coffee if that's okay" he added and nodded again " you'd like fresh flowers in every room" he said noting Khaat taking a drink of the coffee. He looked back to Robert and spoke again "I'll get it done sir" he moved back into the dinning room and looked to Owens " I'm to accompany you back, there's a large delivery of flowers arriving that need sorting" he added taking up his own cup of coffee. He looked at Angus and Edward with a smile knowing things had changed for him now and he was not going to mess it up buy acting silly , here he felt he belonged.

"He's here? Good," Robert said. "That means he successfully removed my spell to secure the property completely. Yes. Flowers in every room, please. The vases should still be in place where they always have been. And yes, it will keep until he's done with his coffee. I would presume that if they are not entirely correct, Jess will put them right when she gets there. So don't stress yourself about whether they're in the right vases or not. She won't let you go too far wrong."

Robert led Khaat out to breakfast and helped her take a seat at the table. Khaat felt Brian looking at her. She looked up at him.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, as Robert put the coffee cup with the pain potion at her place. Robert sat down at his place at the table.

Brant nodded that was a relief not having to get things right first time. He watched Brian with Khaat and smiled felling how they cared for each other. Brant finished his coffee and placed his cup in the sink then he moved to pick up his bag " you ready Owens?" he asked hoping he was as he was looking forward to getting settled in again. He ran his fingers threw his now short hair and sighed as he looked at Edward " I still haven't got use to this new style." he said and chuckled softly. He looked to Robert " he made me get a hair cut" he said and pouted but laughed as little Robert walked over and patted his hand gently telling him it will be alright.

"Yep," Owens said. "Do you know your way from here, or do you want me to apparate us?"

"He'd better know his way," Edward said. "Its not that far."

"No," Owens said. "It isn't."

Khaat and Brian finished their breakfast, and Brian poured her a cup of tea and told her to enjoy the kids while he packed their bag and the kids' bag so they would be ready to go back in a short while.

"I think Michael is planning on a b-i-r-t-h-d-a-y dinner tonight," Robert spelled to avoid Abbey understanding. Khaat nodded. She hadn't done much preparation for this birthday, but she knew the others--especially Jess. And she knew her family. They would be remembering that she just hadn't been able to do it. They would be making sure Abbey was remembered. She wasn't very stressed. She was more stressed about whether Brian could actually wrap a package or not. She had a sense he used a charm to get that done.

Brant chuckled and nodded " yes I know my way" he said just as Jess arrived and walked in smiling at them all as she saw Khaat.

"Good to see you all happy. " she said " the flowers are at the estate and just need putting in the rooms" she told Robert " Jack is dealing with suborn rabbit it seems to think under the porch is an ideal place to live, Stevens spoken to it but..."she shrugged her shoulders as she saw Brant leave. Jess looked at Angus " we need to discuss certain arrangements for you know what" she said smiling as she moved to the kitchen to wait for him.

"I guess I should have fixed a large scale breakfast," Kate laughed, seeing more people arrive.

"Told you," Robert said nonchalantly.

"I know what you need," Angus told Jess. "I'll have a bit more time to get to that when we get back home and 'everyone' gets into their routine again." Angus knew that Robert's house was a bit more limited on space and on things for the little ones to do. He had intended to get to Jess, but he had also hoped it would be a bit more secretive than pursuing it in front of Abbey at Roberts. He figured the kids would be delighted to get back to their own playrooms and their own routines and that would give them plenty of planning opportunities. "I have some of it worked out already," he said. "But not all."

Brant picked up his bag and looked to Robert nodding as he left for Brian's. Jess nodded and moved to Angus, " were mostly ready I have to get back I left Jack decorating , and well he's not the best decorator" she said chuckling softly, Steven and cassidy are helping" she added, glancing at Abby she smiled. Then she looked back at Robert " I'll get back and arrange those flowers for your arrival" she said looking at Khaat and smiled feeling she was pain free at least. " I can go back , unless you need me here" she could see all was in hand but wanted some time to let the others get the main room ready for the birthday girl when she arrived.

"Thank you," Khaat said, having long resolved to not try to undo Brian's need to fill the house with flowers. It was just his choice, and as much as she had talked to him about it, he wasn't changing his mind.

"No, go ahead," Angus said.

"Oh, Angus," Kate said, "Michael is working on a kitchen project. He was hoping you'd help him finish it. I believe he's going to bring it there to finish." It took Angus a second to figure out her cryptic clues.

"Cake!" Abbey said brightly.

"Cake?" Robert laughed, realizing it was nearly impossible to keep anything secret from a seer. "Who said anything about cake?"

"Unca Mikey making cake?" she asked.

"If you eat any more cake, you're going to turn into a cake," Robert teased her, hoping to redirect her. He tickled her deliberately at the table until she giggled, trying to swat at Robert to get him to quit. For the moment, cake was completely out of her little three year old mind. Brian watched, seeing how easily Robert could redirect Abbey's mind completely away from cake and back onto himself. Brian decided he needed to learn to do that.