Marriage is Murder

Jack chuckled and nodded " yes it is jess said I was getting flabby, how I can be is beyond me" he said and kept running " but yeah it is nice and don't worry about it even if we have to drag him out he'll run again he's always on at us to keep fit and in shape, some one should remind him it includes him too" he said and ran a little faster " think you can keep up?" he asked looking back at Angus "last one to the tree asks brain to run tomorrow morning and doesn’t take any excuses." he said pointing to one off in the distance then looked back at Angus smirking “ or is that too far?”

Jess saw Robert and Abby and smiled “ Good morning, you look pretty today Abby, Dakota dressed herself this morning too.” she told Robert as she lead the small posse to the table each climbed into their seats and she lifted Dakota and James into their seats.

"I can manage," Angus said. "But I don't want to be you when Jess sees you getting back late for breakfast. By the time we get to the tree and back, we'll be late. She'll be a bit unhappy with you, don't you think? I'll ask Brian, and if he doesn't want to come, I'll be a bit more persuasive. He'll come tomorrow. I can't promise every day, but he'll come tomorrow."

Abbey looked at Jess and smiled when she complimented her.

"I picked the sweater," she said, pointing to the bright pink sweater. "Papa no letted me wear the shoes I wanted."

"Why not?" Edward asked.

"She wanted to wear one tennis shoe and one black patent leather dress shoe," Robert signed.

Michael laughed and translated it.

"Oh, you should have let her do it," Edward shrugged. "She's home. Where was she going to go except to the playroom, anyway?"

Jack laughed and nodded " ow too right okay short and sweet " he said and took off running. He soon stopped and waitied for Angus " okay now we can head back for breakfast if you want" he said " I'll do another lap later" he stretched out to cool down and sllay walked back to the house. Jess smiled at Abby as she said she chose the sweater.

"Its beautiful Abby, but Papa is right, shoes need to match, like your mom and dad do, like Jack and I do, every one and thing has a matching pair, besides I hear they get lonly if they arn't matched up." she told her and she sat down next to Dakota and gave her some juice with a smile. She saw Jack enter and screwed up her nose " wow Jack shower you smell bad like a sweaty wet dog" she pointed to their room " go, now" she told him and he chuckled and left but noe befor walking over and kising her leaving sweat on her. "Eww, jack"

" okay but I thought you liked sweat" he asked laughing as Jess used her napkin to wipe her forhead dry.

" yes I do just not sweaty wet dog."She pointed to the door and Jack quickly left laughinh softly as he went Jess chuckled.

Angus decided he needed a quick shower too, and he went up to his room, made quick work of it and dressed for the day. Then he came back and joined the others for breakfast as Robert, Kate, and Brian joined them.

Suki sent a breakfast tray up to Khaat's room for her and Marcus.

"If there is any outside work to be done, we need to do as much of it as we can today," Brian announced to them as he sat down at the table. "Weather reports this morning are calling for a heavy snowstorm for our area by dark tonight. Could be several inches of snow and high winds. They haven't called it a blizzard yet, but it sounds like it might be nasty. Anybody know of anything we need to do quickly?"

"Yes," Angus said. "I need to go for some more perishable food stocks, in that case."

"I'll go with you," Michael said. "You might well need an extra hand."

"I need to get an extra supply of hay and straw and feed into the barn for the horses," Brian said. "They're going to need extra warmth and food."

Jack sighed " thought there was a nip in the air when we ran ealier." he said " I'll check the outer boundry fences and spells. " he said and quickly at his breakfast grabbing his warm jacket he headed out. Steven knew he had to make sure the green house was closed up and secure gainst the bad weather that was coming he took his time and ate slower than jack finishing he grabbed his jacket and headed out knowing Angus would need all the fresh veg he could get out of them to see them threw the storm. Jess and cassidy looked at each other both just smiling so not to worry the children.

Once breakfast was done they took them back up to the nursary and play a game with them of who could tidy up the quickest to take thre minds off the storm that was on its way.

Kate looked at Robert. "You," she said. "Get your work jacket. You need to get the hell out of this house. Go do something. Burn off some of that frustration. Brian could use some help in the barn. You do remember how to do that, don't you?"

Robert finished his breakfast and then got up and got his barn jacket and put it on and went outside.

"Should I go help?" Edward asked Kate.

"No," Kate said firmly. "Brian is out there. Robert needs to burn it off, and he and Brian have been playing rough for a long time. They'll survive. Angus, don't you and Michael need to head out to the market?"

"We do indeed," Michael said. "Are you going to be alright if we go?"

"Why wouldn't we be? We've got a werewolf and a bewitched potionsmaster in the yard, a bunch of house elves in the kitchen, and a vampire upstairs with my grandchildren. I think we're in great shape," Kate sighed.

"And you," Michael stroked her cheek, "are letting your husband's curse get to you. Why don't you help Jess and Cassidy put up the up the Christmas decorations?"

He said nothing about the fact that he had bought a number of brand new Christmas decorations and simply put them with the old ones for them to find whenever they got to them.

"With a dozen toddlers in the house?" Kate frowned. "I figured we'd decorate at night when they were in bed."

"And where's the fun in that?" Edward laughed. "Ask Jess and Cassidy. I bet they think we can manage."

Cassidy left jess and headed down she ehard Maichel and Kate and chucklis stayed "Thats why Jess is staying with the kids and Im here decorating" she said and waved her wand to make them come alive. " come on Kate it will be fun" she said and made the tincel dance across the room doing a rumba. She moved it up to the tree and sent it wrapping around it a stringer for the ceiling was next she made it hang across the room " hum same way or over the fireplace?" She asked Kate hoping to get her involved in it. she made the baubles float to the tree but left the topper " I thought Khaat or Brian would put it on the tree, kinda like a tradition?" she said setting a garland on the fire mantel.

"Oh, I'm not saying it won't be fun," Kate said. "I just know how the kids will be if we have a dozen preschoolers down here."

"Kate," Edward laughed. "How much trouble can it be? We are wizards, after all. Come on. I'll help." He reached for her hand, inviting her to lighten up and come join in. "You, my dear, need to get out of the house and stop hovering over your husband. You can't make him any better by doing it. You'll only make yourself buggy. When was the last you had any time in your studio to do some of your art projects?"

"I don't even remember," she sighed.

"So? Perhaps we should take a space in the greenhouse, where there is more than ample natural light, and add an art studio for you."

"Really?" she asked, not having thought about it before.

"Steven and Jack seem to spend a great deal of time there. Perhaps they'd be willing to carve you out a space. And I'm sure you could get the supply houses to send you more supplies. Its not like you're hard up for the money. I hear you have a full studio at the farm."

"I do," she said, a bit wistfully, missing it. Art and gardening--they were her two favorite things. And lately, she hadn't had either.

"So ask Steven and Jack when they come back in and see if they can't make you a room a studio. Even if they have to enlarge the greenhouse a bit. In the meantime, lets decorate."

She got up and went to join them.

"Oh, very well. You win," she said.

Cassidy looked over and smiled nodding at Edwards words " Im sure they will , steven was talking about adding a masonette section to it. " she said as Steven walked back in loking at them decorating the room.

" looking good" he said " Kate would you come with me please " he said smiling He hoped she would follow as he and Jack had something to show her " we were going to keep it untill christmas day but since the weathers closing in we bot thought we'd show you now" he said opening the doors to the green house then a second up to a second floor. Jack stood smiling as he opened the door to a fully equiped painting stuidio both men just staid stood and waited to see if she liked it.

Kate frowned. She went with them and when she saw the studio, she was completely surprised.

"How did you know?" she asked. "Its wonderful! Its big enough for painting, for my weaving, for my sculpture and my stained glass. Thank you so much!"

She had visions of weathering out the snow storm in the art studio by herself, with a sleeping bag on the floor and some fresh fruit from the greenhouse. Somehow she knew Robert and Brian neither one was going to let her spend a blizzard by herself and would insist she be in the main house.

"You do realize this means I now have better things to do than trimming a tree, right?" she looked at them, laughing. "Now there is art desperately asking to be created."