Marriage is Murder

"He's already done that," Edward said, still trying to straigten out his paper. Robert decided to see how on top of his game Edward was an used the tiniest bit of magic to create just one spark an sent it to the bottom corner of his newspaper while Edward was focused on the top of it. It didn't take long for the newspaper to start to smoke. It hadn't really lit, but it was going to smoke. Robert simply turned and walked away. Michael had seen and was simply peeking out of the kitchen to make sure that Edward didn't end up setting himself on fire.

Robert was refilling his tea mug when he heard Edward's voice rising from the living room.

"Oh, so its going to be like that, is it?" Edward asked, unhappily. "You do know it is very unwise to piss off a wizard." Robert walked back into the living room and looked at Edward sarcastically. He motioned to Edward, as if to say, "Bring it."

"I'm going to wait until you don't expect it, my friend," Edward said. "But I will get you." Robert rolled his eyes. Now he would be ready, so by Robert's thinking, it would take Edward awhile to find him unaware. Michael smiled. He was glad to see Robert having a bit of fun again.

Robert went back up to his room to start his research again. He wasn't finding anything of any real use to undo the curse that matched up with the effects of the one he had gotten from Thaor. There wasn't much, in fact, in the books at all for spells like that gone wrong.

Marcus felt that Khaat had had enough time out of bed and decided not to risk letting her try to stand and walk again. Not too much in one day, he felt. He carried her back to bed and made her comfortable again.

In the meantime, Kate apparated back in, carrying Abbey.

"Abs!" Angus said, surprised to see her back. "Kate, how did you find her?"

"A good grandma never tells everything she knows," Kate said, putting Abbey down on the floor. Abbey ran to Angus who picked her up, and she hugged him.

"Did you miss me?" He asked her. She nodded. "Did you have a good time with Uncle Lee?"

"Yeah, but he no know how to read the voices in the stories," she said. He laughed.

"We'll have to spend some time reading when we get a chance," he said. She nodded. "Do you want some cocoa?" She nodded. He carried her to the kitchen.

"How did you get her to come home?" Edward asked Kate quietly.

"Easy. She misses her mama," Kate said.

"I like Unca Lee," she said, as Angus let her sit on the edge of the counter while he got out a child sized mug and put some cocoa in it for her with some tiny marshmallows. "He gots berries and no doggies."

"You've got that here," Angus said. He handed her the little mug. "Here. Don't spill it."

"Okay," she said. "But he letted me sleep in his big chair with him all night. I no gotta go to bed with him."

"He's spoiling you," Angus laughed.

"Yeah," she nodded, unaware of what she was agreeing to. She drank the cocoa, leaving a chocolate marshmallow mustache on her face.

"You wanna go see your mama?" Angus asked her after Brant cleaned up her face.

"She wanna see me?" Abbey asked.

"She will always, always want to see you," Angus said. He set her down on the floor. "Go on. Go upstairs. Its alright."

She headed upstairs to see her mother. She had to pass by Robert's room before she got to Khaat's room, and she saw him with a book.

"Papa!" She scampered into the room. Robert was so glad to see her he dropped the book just as she reached him. She made a leap for him, and he caught her and held her close. He wanted to have the words to apologize to her but they just werent' there.

He wanted to apologize for a ton of things to her, but he couldn't say any of it. It occur to him that perhaps that she wouldn't understand it anyway, but it didn't lessen his need to perhaps say it. But what he got instead was her, hugging him, snuggling close, and finding it was alright to just be there with him.

"I don't know," Angus said to Cassidy. "I hadn't noticed, but I guess I've been a bit preoccupied myself today."

"I forgot all about the section of fence," Angus sighed. "Thanks. I appreciate the elves, I really do, but I have to get used to them. It sorta feels like there's four more hyperactive kids in the house."

"I would not call them kids if I were you," Edward said. "They would not be amused."

"I'll try to remember that," Angus said.

Upstairs, Robert finally took Abbey across the hall to see Khaat.

"Abbey!" Khaat called. Abbey ran towards Khaat, and Marcus intercepted her and picked her up.

"Gently," Marcus said. "No rough stuff, okay?" Abbey nodded and Marcus put her on the bed so she could see her mother. Khaat asked her about her overnight with Lee, and Abbey talked about having a good time--with no doggies.

"Abbey," Khaat said softly, not wanting her to be gone from her own home any more. "We need to talk about that."

"No," Abbey said, pulling against her. "I no stay. I go live with Unca Lee."

"No," Khaat said quietly but firmly. "You need to listen." Marcus decided he would stay close because it did seem like the child had a strong mind of her own already.