Marriage is Murder

Jess nodded she understood and smiled to Abby as she tok verything back down to the kitchen she heard Michael and chuckled "He has you on that one" she said and placed the tray down. Jack walked back in and Jack walked back in his shirt dirty as was his hands Jess frowned and motioned to the sink.

" wash " she said and Jack chuckled and did as requested then moved to shower and change his clothes before he left the living room he looked at Robert " The fencing is replaced." he told him then continued up to his and Jess's room Cassidy walked in and sat with a book opening it she began to read. Steven looked at her ovr his paper and raised an eye brow.

"What you reading?" he asked Cassidy who held up the book cover to show it was a book on painting as she wanted to take up a hobby.

Brian came back downstairs carrying Julia and leading Dakota by the hand. They had their coats on.

"Are we ready?" Michael asked.

"I think so," Brian said. "Do you want Squirmy or Squirmier?"

"Oh, I'll just Squirmier," he said, seeing how excited Dakota was. He picked her up, and both men drew their wands. "Shall you or shall I?"

"Be my guest," Brian said. He looked at the others. "Hold down the fort. We're going out with the ladies."

"We'll try not to buggar it up too badly," Angus said. "Have fun." He watched them apparated out.

Robert looked at Jack and nodded, glad the fence was replaced. He hadn't known it needed done, but if it did, he was glad it was done before winter set in.
Your daddy would never forget you. Never."

"No?" she looked at Papa. Robert shook his head. She cuddled into Papa. "I stay with you?" she asked, looking for an invitation. He nodded, with a smile. She was satisfied and cuddled back into him.

"You are going to spoil that child rotten," Edward told him, coming in with an old rare book. Robert nodded. That was his full intention.

Jack finished and walked back down smiling seeing Abby still with Robert " isn't that what grand perents are for?"he said smiling as he sat down " I checked the other fences there fine I think this one needed it after all the rain and things wearing it down" he said as he accioed a cup of coffee. Cassidy chuckled as she listened to him thinking he was being very pylasophcal but said nothing. Jess walked in and nodded she aproved of Jacks clean top. then returned to Angus.

"Got anything you need me to do?" She asked hoping to help get the food ready for their next meal and lufft some of the stress off of Angus for a short at least.

"I am making chicken pieces. I'm going to put it over a salad for the grownups. And I have some sweet potato fries for the kids. They like them, and they're a bit healthier, if fries can be considered healthy. You could plate up the salads for the adults, set the table, get some drinks, and then add that platter of brownies. They should like them because they're swirled with homemade caramel and pieces of chocolate."

Marcus was still on duty upstairs. He was reading--not deeply, but reading nonetheless. It was quiet in the room, and the only sound was either him or Khaat running pages, his book and her magazine. He frequently interrupted his book to double check on her. Now he looked at her and saw something wasn't right. She seemed to be losing color in her face, and starting to sweat.

He looked at his watch and then sighed. "You're impossible," he sighed. "Will you ever be done with this?"

"Huh?" she asked, looking up.

"You're 30 minutes past your pain potion, and your pain is already out of control. Seriously, you could have said something."

"I didn't notice," she said, only partly telling him the truth. She had noticed but was trying to force herself to learn to cope. He got up and poured the potion for her.

"Bloody liar," he sighed, handing it to her. "You do realize if you don't stay ahead of it, no healer on the planet will be able to cut it for you, no matter how good they are, right?"

"Don't lecture, Marcus," she glared.

"You really are a cheeky woman when you don't feel well. Drink it," he said frankly. She scowled at him but obeyed him anyway.

Jess nodded and started on the salad for the adults making sure everything was washed and prepared then she added them to a bowl ready to eat , she wrapped some cling film over the top and palced it in the fridge then began preparing the sweet potatoe chips for frying and salting for every one. She sat at the table peeling them but stopped" okay so peel on or off?" she asked " I found some like them on and others off" Jess looked up at Angus and a sweet potatoe in one hand and the peeler in the other. Brant walked out the lab again and over to edward and smiled.

" it worked the light touch thats the secret" he said softly and sat down he glanced around hoping to See Dottie again and learn more from her.

"Either way," Angus said. "Most of the kids don't even notice the peel. I include it most of the time, and it is healthy. But you do as you like." He finished cooking the chicken and began assembling the chicken salads for the adults and plates for the kids. "I don't know if we have anyone available to bring kids to dinner or not, but we're ready to eat as soon as we put the plates on the table, I think, aren't we? Oh, I suppose we need to send lunch up for Khaat and Marcus, don't we?"

Edward came into the kitchen, and Angus looked at him.

"How do we feed the house elves?" he asked.

"They will fix their own, if you let them," Edward said. "They'd probably prefer to do the majority of the cooking duties here. They're used to it."

"There's plenty here for them too."

"Allow me," Edward said. He whistled, and the house elves apparated in. "There is plenty of food. You may fix plates from what is here in the kitchen."
The elves were more than satisfied and were pleased with the generosity they'd found in this home. They didn't expect to be served, and eating what wasn't served at table was fine for them. They felt privileged to be eating the same thing.

Jess nodded and stopped peeling she just cut them into chips and placed them in a bowl to be salted for supper. Jess she cleaned up her work area and moved to Angus and watched him prepare the food. she heard Edward talking and nodded that she agree the elves would love that. " I hear thats what they thrive on" she told them " though Im not sure last time I read up on house elves was when I was in hogwarts." she admited Cassidy finished her book and chuckled.

"Only thing about house elves I know is they look creepy, ow don't get me wrong I got nothing agaisnt them they do a wonderful job" she said smiling as she saw one walk past her. " but some work for the wrong side." she said remembering one that worked for a debt collector her father knew years ago it bit the ear off a man while he slept because the man was late with his payment.

"That's what makes them so loyal. They don't judge their employers. They merely serve," Edward said.

"Some make choices," Suki said. "As we chose you."

"Indeed," Edward said. "I stand somewhat corrected. You are employees. Not forced."

"Master gave us clothes straight off. We chose to stay," she said.

"Indeed, and we're glad to have you."

Suki saw Angus finish fixing the tray. "Does that go to the Lady?"

"Yes," Angus said.

"I could take it?" she asked.

"If you like," Angus said. Suki levitated the tray more smoothly than anything Angus had seen and seemed to hold it over her head with no effort at all. He watched her walk upstairs with it. He remembered being amazed by the magic he saw the house elves do in the Hogwarts castle, what little he saw of them. Now he was amazed again.

"Are we supposed to get your offspring?" Dottie asked, seeing the children's plates on the table, but no children.

Jack walked down with the children " its okay I got them " he said smiling as they all ran down to the table giggling hapily as they did " sorry it took so long they wanted to play hide and seak they all hid and I had to find them one by one " he said and Jaylen giggled as she sat in her chair.

"Daddy did good" she said grinning " he a good seeker" Jack just chuckled and walked over and gave her her food to eat before walking over to Edward.

"Not hard concidering they hide in the same places every time" he said softly and smiled " good to se you sukie" he said as he saw her leave with a try

Suki nodded to Jack, heading up with the tray.

Marcus had made sure Khaat was more comfortable and had used some charms to make some crushed ice out of some water from the bathroom and had made some ice packs for her shoulder. That had helped. He knew the pain potion wasn't entirely holding today, and the ice did help a bit.

He saw the house elf enter with lunch. "Thank you, Suki," Marcus said.

"How are you all learning our names so fast? Humans normally think we all look alike," she said.

"I noticed your eyes," Marcus said, taking the tray and setting it on the bedtable between his chair and Khaat's place in bed. "You have some much blue and green in your eyes they look teal sometimes. Dottie's eyes are violet."

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Suki asked Khaat.

"Sometimes," Khaat admitted.

"I know some healing spells. Not all, but some. You would like it to not hurt for awhile?"

"If you can, yes, please," Marcus said. Suki nodded and touched her shoulder lightly and drew off most of the pain. Khaat was visibly relieved.

"Eat now," Suki said. "Your unborn needs food."

"I'll do my best to get her to eat, Suki," Marcus said.

Robert brought Abbey down to the table, and Kate followed. He put Abbey at the table, and he noticed right away that she was peering into his salad bowl. He looked at her and motioned to his bowl.

"No berries, Papa," she sighed, disappointed.