Marriage is Murder

Brant stood and looked from Edward and nodded not come across that adative before then he looekd to Robert as he handed him the jar then motioned to him to add 2 pintches " hum..okay , I'll try both methods and see whtch one works" he said and moved back tothe lab to work on the potion again. Steven chuckled as he heard Edward and saw Robert with Brant.

"Well hes into his work, I just hope it dosn't blow up in his face" he said then chuckled "Parden the pun" he added picking up the open book that lay on the seat that he sat down in.

"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.

Steven looked suprised but then shook his head " not suprised " he said softly then watched with curiosity as Robert let the corner of the paper Edward read smolder he did nothing but watch he knew Roberts ways and just left him be. Cassidy stood up and left to head to the green house to find some flowers she liked for the bedroom. Brant moved from one shelf to the other grasping at bottles as he mixed them carfully and mixing them then smiling when they worked. He rarly looked up from the table except to put bottles on the shelves and moving back now happy to be using them and making potion.

Jess just chuckled and moved down to the living room again finding every where was clean and tidy around her she looked at a book and took it down to read.

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.

Steven looked up and grinned " Hey Abby good to have you back home." he said as did Cassidy who smiled seeing Abby back in the house where she belonged. Jess smiled as she walked past Abby smiling as she passed. Brant walked out of the lab abd headed to his room passing the kitchen and he smiled to Abby.

" He Abb's have fun with Lee?" he asked poring some juice for himself before he would head up to the beroom to sleep as he'd spent all night in the lab working on potions and learing or relearing them again.

"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.

Brant chuckled and took a napkin to wipe her mouth with "Abby you don't look good in a mustach." he said softly as he chuckled and left the cloth beside her. "It is good he looked after you." he said poring some coffee for himself this time and smiled as he moved to sit at the table not far from abby as he went threw the motions of mixing phantom potions on the table in front of him. Jess moved into the kitchen just as Steven headed out the back door to the green house he knew veg needed tending and fresh veg was good for every one. Cassidy quickly followed him out the door with a smile. Jess shook her head as she placed more plates in the washer.

" she has more energy than a jack rabbit today, why, I have no idea." she said and shook her head with a light chuckle as she moved to the dinning room again.

"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."

Cassidy chuckled and followed Steven out the door to the green house. Jess chuckled and continued ith cleaning up the dinning room giving her something to do since Marcus was tending to Khaat and Abby was at home with Robert , Jack was staying out the way down in the gym or out on patrols making sure the area was clear and safe for the children. He walked back in and smiled to Jess as he again wiped his hands.

" south fence was down, think think the wood just rotted and it fell down no sign of anything attacking it" he told Angus " Im gonna replace it " he picked up a tool belt and headed back out to a shed he took out some fence wire and headed off with it over his shoulder.

"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.