Marriage is Murder

Robert only had an instant to see the spider. He was aware that it was native to the islands but so far, they hadn't had any issue with it. He believed he knew of a potion that, if drizzled around the boundary of the property, would keep toxic spiders outside the boundary lines. He hadn't used it in a long, long time, but he knew it existed.

Once Brant had put the antitoxin on Abbey's leg, Robert went over and picked up the horrified, sobbing child. She clung to him as if he was the only human being left in the world. Edward stood in the doorway, watching the entire business, glad that the others had it well in hand.

He was grateful that he had a crew that could react so quickly to anything that was thrown their way and that they had gotten to Abbey so quickly. He couldn't speak to tell them he was grateful, and, for now, he would have to trust that they knew.

He motioned around the floor to them, hoping they understood that meant for them to check for any other wildlife that might be in the house. He doubted there was any more but he wanted to be certain.

He carried Abbey out of the nursery into the living room. Khaat was upset, fearful, seeing her daughter clinging to her papa. She saw him sit down in a rocking chair in the living room and merely cuddle her and soothe her. Brian had come in from outside when he heard the screaming but with so many rushing to the bedroom, there hadn't been room or time for one more to respond. He knew he needed to wait out in the living room with the others.

"Is she alright?" she asked. Robert nodded. He laid his hand on Abbey's leg drawing off the worst of the pain for her. He wanted to know, though, if the toxin were to still spread, so he didn't relieve all her symptoms so that he still had something to look for.

"Do I want to know what that was?" Brian asked.

"Bloody big spider," Edward said.

Robert nodded, glad Brant was also thinking of the spider deterrant. Robert didn't want any more of them around the kids.

Angus went into the kitchen and got one of the fruit cookies off the cooling rack and brought it into Abbey.

"Have a cookie, Abs," Angus said. "You'll like it. Its very sweet." She took the cookie and tasted it. "Like it?" he asked. She nodded, sniffling. "Good. There are lots more." He looked at Robert. "Would some ice help her leg?" Robert shook his head. He would monitor this himself for now. Robert acciod a storybook off the shelf in the living room and opened it and flicked his fingers at the drawings to get them to move and to act out the story for Abbey. He'd have preferred to read it to her himself, but she seemed satisfied with this for now.

"Shall I fix dinner early?" Angus asked them. "I had planned on a classic Asian sesame chicken with stir fried vegetables and fried rice. Perhaps an Asian noodle soup instead of a salad."

"Sounds perfectly lovely," Marcus said. "I know I heard her stomach growl."

"That was yours, and you know it," Khaat said. "Don't let him fool you. He does know how to eat like a football player if he lets himself."

"You mean like Jack?" Michael teased.

"Nobody eats like Jack," Angus laughed.

"Go ahead," Brian told her. "That's a training program basic, and I'm find with you going ahead with that.

"Well," Kate said, "why don't we wait on the grownups eating until after the kids go to bed? We can eat later?"

"What do you have in mind, Kate?" Angus asked.

"This compound has a multimillion dollar view," Kate said. And the breezeways are beautiful at night when they're lit by candles. So why don't we hang some drapes on the inside walls for a bit of privacy and let them be open to the ocean view on the other side? The grown ups can enjoy some privacy and dinner by candlelight."

"Its a lovely idea," Khaat said. "How about Brian and Marcus and I watching the kids while the rest of you enjoy that and then you lot can return the favor for us tomorrow night? Brian and I can have some adult time tomorrow night, and Marcus can have the night off then."

"You're just trying to get in the last little bit of adult time before you start changing diapers again," Marcus teased her.

"I'm not that rusty," she said. "The triplets just finished with diapers."

"At this rate, I'm going to be changing diapers when I'm in my 60s," Brian groaned.

While the others were busy, Michael took Kate out, at her request, and she bought some lovely white drapes for the breezeways and some additional candles, and some toys for the kids.

When she got back, Michael helped her with whatever tasks she felt needed to be done. Brian had ideas of his own. He went to the living room in one of the other houses and made bedrolls from sofa cushions for each of the kids. He gathered indoor palm trees and plants and sand and created a replica of the beach but indoors in a safe place with an enchanted fire ring, and then created a starry sky on the ceiling. They were going to get to 'sleep under the stars' in a safe way.

Khaat saw Brian was busy doing something or another, and she was curious as to what he was doing.

"So lets go see," Marcus laughed. "You want to stretch your legs?"

"Okay," she said. He noticed she had almost become too comfortable on the sofa and was having trouble getting up. He managed to stifle a grin.

"Okay, this is code for 'Marcus, help me up,'" he laughed. "You do realize you have another month to go, right?"

"No, I can do it myself," she said, struggling. He reached under her good shoulder and helped her up.

"It would be easier if you had two hands to use and not one," he said. "Take the help when you can get it." He took her over to the other house and saw what Brian was planning.

"All you need are some s'mores," she said.

"I think we can do that," he said.

"Where are we going to sleep?" she asked.

"I am going to lay on the floor with the kids," he said.

"Then I will too."

"Are you crazy? How will you get down there or get up?" he frowned.

"You're a wizard. Figure something out," she said, kissing him on the cheek. "I'll ask Angus about the s'mores." She headed back to the main house.

"I wanna see how you're going to do this," Marcus said to Brian before following her.

"So do I," Brian frowned.

Kate finished her work, and Khaat asked Angus about the s'mores for the kids. Once the kids were fed, Angus and Edward helped Brian take the kids over to where Brian had set up the fake campout for them.

Marcus went over with Khaat and Brian. Brian had still not made any accommodation for Khaat to join him on the floor with the kids. Marcus knew she wanted to be a part of it. He put a mattress on the floor for her and Brian to share.

"You really don't think she's going to get down on the floor, do you?" Brian asked.

"Getting down on the floor is easy," Marcus said. "Its the getting up that is the hard part. I think we can manage that for her, though." He helped her down on the mattress without much trouble. "You'll have to let me know when you want up," he told her. "You certainly won't make it by yourself."

"Is that a dare?" she asked.

"Certainly not," he frowned.