Marriage is Murder

Jess smiled as Michael agreed to let her make the bread. Once the cups and things were washed and back in the cupboards she gathered the ingrediant and began making it , she made one large loaf and several smaller bund for the kids to eat buy themselves. Once ready she placed each in a awrm place to proove befoer she headed up to check on the children still finding them all sleeping soundly still and closed the door. Passing Khaats room she pushed the door open gently " Hows the patiant doing?" she asked smiling at her and Marcus.

Jack managed to get the main part of the sauna togther but he was puzzled by an extra paice he had and now he paced. " Hey Michael, can you help me, I got a peice I can't fathom where it goes." he called out hoping he would know or at least see what it was.

Michael heard Jack calling that he had an extra part.

"Well, does it work?" Michael asked. "If it works, you don't need it."

"Bloody hell, Michael," Robert sighed. "Go fix it."

"Oh, alright," Michael said. He went out to the shed. He picked up the part. It didn't particularly mean anything to him. He drew his wand and flicked it at the part. "Oi," he said to the part. "You know where you go. So go there. Now." The part shot off towards the equipment. "And do it right!" he said.

Marcus had helped Khaat change for the night and had made her comfortable in bed with some pillows. He had found a backgammon board and had put the men on the points. Marcus had opened with a roll of the dice that provided him a one and a three. He frowned when Khaat rolled, yielding double sixes.

"I might have known," He sighed. When Jess poked her head in, he said. "You're only missing her starting to win on the first move. Little more, I'm afraid."

Jack watched as Micahel sent the part to where it should be "Now why didn't I think of that" he said and face palmed. " some times I think too much like a muggle " he said and sent the rest of the parts to their places. Jess smiled and watched as Khat rolled the sixes.

"Ah yes,"she said smiling at them both " thats her lupin side, competative as always and yet smart." she said " its good in some ways but stuborn in others " she said checking Khaat shoulder as she drew off some stiffness and pain. " that feel better?" she asked as she heard Jack below." whats that man up to now?" she moved to the window and chuckled. " seems hes figured out he can use his magic to put the sauna togther , with Michaels help too" She moved back to the table and watched again.

"Michael cheats," Robert said.

"All's fair in love and magic, Robert," Kate, "Just because you didn't think of it."

"This from the woman who prefers to do everything by hand," Robert said. "I'll remember that the next time you want me to weed your flowerbeds or the next time you want a night off cooking."

"No, no. Gardening and cooking must be done by hand," Kate said. "The gardening spells never do the weeding properly, and conjured food is like eating flavored air. No thank you."

"The game isn't over yet," Khaat said. "Unless you're a quitter, Marcus."

"Is that what you take me for?" Marcus laughed. "You don't know me like you thought you did, in that case."

"If you think I'm competitive, you need to see his competitive side," Khaat said. "And, yes, thank you. It does feel better."

Jack smiled and nodded he agreed" jess does that she won't use magic to cook she says its not the same if you do" he said and stood back as the last peice slotted into place. Walking over  he tapped the dial and smiled as it moved to show the tempeture was climbing inside " Well its done and warming up nicely." he said as he then moved back to Robert " its a dry heat sauna" he said turning to admire the wood sauna that sat in the corner of the courtyard. smiled and nodded to Khaat.

"My pleasure Khaat." she said and watched the game again knowing it was going to be close as both of them were not quiters and when they get togther it would be intresting to say the least. Jess found a small stool and sat down to watch and learn from them as they played she knew the bread would take some time to fully rise.

Marcus found her to an immensely competitive player and a strategist. It made him laugh. He truly enjoyed a competition just for the fun of it. He figured she was a fierce fighter when she had the chance. He hoped she'd get back into that sort of shape again. He looked forward to seeing it.

He watched her strategy, and he started to try to anticipate it and defeat it. She looked at him and cast him a very slight grin. The next move she made was entirely different from what he expected. He frowned. Then he realized she had taken her own strategy and turned around completely.

"You," he looked at her, "are worth keeping an eye on. Do you play wizard's chess?"

"Only if you're prepared to lose," she said. "But its not a game Eli has ever really enjoyed. He won't have a chessboard."

"Well, that will give me an excuse to get the hand carved set I saw in Diagon Alley. If I can get away for an hour or so to go get it."

Jess chcukled seeing Khaat change her tactic as she played checkers with Marcus " ow she very agressive at wizards chess." she said " I think theres only one person whose beat you, is that right Khaat?" she asked as she watched them play again. "Well why not go tomorrow afternoon?" she sugested not ng to give too much away.

Jack smelled the bread and smiled lifting the cover but replaced it knowing that Jess would ap his hands if she caught him smelling the bread. " soda bread smells wonderful" he said as he sat down. Jess smiled and stood up and moved to the door.

" I have bread to get in the oven " she said and stepped out into the hallway " its soda bread" she said softly and headed down to the kitchen to place each into the oven to cook.

"Daddy beats me regularly," Khaat said. "And my mother beats both of us."

"Your mother?" Marcus laughed, surprised. "I didn't see that coming. I saw your father as the strategist in the house."

"Yes, but she's better," Khaat said. "Maybe you'd like to challenge her."

"I would indeed," he grinned. "Would she lay a wager on it?"

"Depends," she said.

"On what?"

"On how much you're prepared to lose," she said. He laughed out loud. He saw lightning out the window and then heard thunder a moment later, followed by the onset of rain.

"Go ahead, Jess," Marcus said. "The sound of a good rain and the smell of fresh bread. Sounds like a good way to go to sleep."

Jess smiled and headed down to the litchen , taking out teh bread she tipped it into the backing tins then placed them into the oven to cook she smiled hearing the thunder but heard Jack head up to sooth two of the children who had woken to the sound of the thunder. Once they were all in the oven Jess headed up finding Little Robert and catlin awake and she sighed picking up catlin and held her close humming softly to get her to settle in her crib. Jack settled Little Robert back in his crib then smelt the bread.

" I'll get the bread out Jess " he said and smiled as he left the room Jess shook her head as she passed her by.

" no eating it , its for tomorrows beakfast" she said and he nodded .

" of course , but not even a nibble?" he asked and she frowned at him.

" not a crumb" she told him and chuckled at the pout he gave as he walked off but she knew he would not touch it now that she ahd made it clear he was not to.

The backgammon game was one of the closest she'd ever played. She one by one man, on one point. Marcus laughed, delighted at the challenge.

He looked at the clock. "Its after midnight. You need to get some rest, and I need to work. The storm is getting pretty nasty."

"Go ahead and do what you need to do," she said. "I can't sleep." He understood that sort of anxiety well. He poured a dose of sleeping potion into her glass.

"Here. It'll do you good."

"I need to go stay with the kids. They don't like storms."

"Its England. They need to get used to it," Marcus smiled. "We'll take care of it. You just get some sleep." He motioned to her to simply drink. She sighed but didn't give him any real static. She merely took it. He took the glass after she fell asleep, cleaned up the backgammon board and turned down the lights. He was getting the feeling that it wasn't always so easy to get her to do something she didn't want to do. But for the moment, he was going to take advantage of it.