Marriage is Murder

"You aren't going to make any, Angus?" Edward asked, slightly frowning.

"Hadn't thought about it," Angus shrugged.

"He makes spectacular panoramic Easter eggs," Edward said. "Can spend weeks on them. But they're beautiful. Can I talk you into one perhaps, Grandson?"

"You aren't talking about a chicken egg sized one, are you?"

"Did you always tell me they were easier to do in a larger scale?"

"You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?"

"No," Edward said. "Not really."

"How about I agree to think about it?" Angus sighed.

"I'd think hard if I were you," Edward said.

"I'm not the cook anymore. I do have other duties," Angus said.

"We all make time for what's important to us. Even you," Edward said.

"I need to be making arrangements for us to go to Tuscany if that's what we're doing," Angus said.

"I know how to get home," Edward said. "I'll do that. You do what I ask you to do. Please."

"As I said, I'll think about it," Angus said. "Are we done here, Robert?"

"Keep close together," Robert told them. "Don't let James create distance between you. You're one force. Let's keep it that way. Got it?"

Brant sat and listened to Robert and nodded " don't worry every one here knows that Robert" he said and every one nodded and chuckled.

"Don't worry all hes doing is bringing us closer." Jack said from the back of the room where he stood his arms crossed over his chest. Cassidy nodded as did Steven, Jim sat quiet and looked at Robert all he did was give a soft smile. Jack walked forward to stand with Steven. "We'd better get on patrol, when will we be leaving for Tuscany?" he asked " just so we know when to ready the children" he added then chuckled " and that egg sounds interesting."

"Easter isn't for two more weeks, so we have time," Michael said. "Not to worry. And, Angus, if you do the egg, do it because you want to. Not because you have to. And if you decide to do it, perhaps you and I could do it together."

"Perhaps," Angus said, getting up and leaving quietly. Robert's eyes followed Angus.

"I'll talk to him," Michael said.

"No," Edward said, "I'll do it. Its an old wound that was reopened. Let me do it."

"Fine," he agreed. "Robert, what can I help you with?" Robert signed something to him that Michael didn't translate to the rest of them. "My pleasure," Michael smiled. "Meeting adjourned, Everyone. I have an assignment."

He went upstairs and found Marcus was holding one of the newborns. One of them had decided to get cranky, and Marcus was merely holding him and soothing him. The child was starting to quiet in Marcus's experienced hands.

"Did I miss anything?" Marcus asked.

"No, it looks like you have it covered," Michael smiled. Just then, the second baby started to sound off as well. "I refuse to deal with that," Michael scowled.

"Hand it here, and I'll deal with it. It'll be like old times," Marcus smiled. Michael picked up the second baby and Marcus easily jockied one newborn on each shoulder.

Michael went over to Khaat and sat down on the sofa with her.

"Do you remember what my job is as your godfather?" he asked softly.

"Yes," she said. "I don't forget that."

"I swore to be here for whatever you needed a father for, if your father couldn't do it," Michael said. "He desperately wants to give you this, and he can't." Michael wrapped her close to him, in his chest. She knew it was as close as her father could get to her. And she knew it was also from Michael's heart as well. She wrapped herself into his chest and hid there. Michael was silent, but he felt her tears on his chest.

"Why did you come?" she asked him very softly.

"Because its what we do," he said to her simply. "And because you'd never, ever leave us there."

"He's just going to keep coming! Don't you see..." she began, frustrated. He pressed his index finger against her lips.

"I know," he said very calmly. "I know. But you're not going to be alone. I swear. We've got you."

"Shouldn't I just give myself to him and end this? Honestly?"

"It solves nothing. You're not the only thing he's after."

"That's not where my children should have been born..." she began to cry softly into his chest. Michael sighed. Robert had wanted to be the one to soothe her from this, and Michael felt painfully inadequate to be here, in his place, instead of him. Still, he held her, glad she was going to let go of some of this pain.

Every one dispersed Cassidy headed back to the babies and found Marcus and Michael with them. "If you want I can take them from you Marcus " she offered but only took Ben " I'm not saying you couldn't cope in fact they kinda suited you." she said and smiled to him as she moved and placed Ben back in the bassinet after changing him.

"There, all clean and fed." she said then moved to sit down. Steven and Jack walked up soon after Brant followed his nose in a book as he made notes on what had happened then headed to the kitchen to start the nights dinner and the mornings breakfast bread.

"No offense taken," Marcus said. "I can handle two, but one is easier." He looked at Khaat. "Would you like to hold Daniel a bit? He shouldn't need much for a couple minutes anyway."

"If I can have more coffee," she said.

"I'll find you some," he said. He placed the newborn on her chest and draped a blanket over him. Then Marcus picked up her coffee cup. He had no real intention to give her more coffee. He took the cup to the kitchen and made some chai and put that in her cup instead with a couple of Suki's shortbread cookies and took it to her, with a mug of chai for himself. He left the rest of the chair in a pot on the stove to stay hot for whoever else might want it.

"There's fresh chai for anyone who might want it," Marcus said as he put Khaat's mug of chai beside her. "That's probably better for you than more caffeine."

"Thank you," she said, willing to settle for the chai, even though it hadn't been what she expected.

Cassidy smiled as she held Ben she heard Marcus offer Khaat to hold Daniel and she held Ben she chuckled hearing him coo over her shoulder. She smelt the tea Marcus brought and smiled. "Thanks Marcus Chi tea does sound good" she said " I'll get a cup once these two are settled down" she told him as Jack and Steven walked back in from out side. Jim walked up with a puzzled look on his face and he looked at Robert.

"Seems this new laws not going down well." He said and showed Robert the news paper he held in his hand. He sat down and looked at Jack and Steven as they walked in the door both holding armfuls of veg and fruit.

"We'll put these in the kitchen" Steven said and moved with Jack " hey Suki can you use these?" he asked.

Robert scanned the headlines and set the newspaper aside. He knew the marriage law was making a mess out of things. He hated the fact that there had been someone that treacherous right under his nose and that, very possibly, was responsible for Thaor's curse--the curse that had led to his own. The thought had entered Robert's mind that Thaor had been merely an unwitting pawn, a person in the wrong place at the wrong time, to be used to get Robert out of the way.

He guessed that the curse going wrong had not been in the villain's plans but that it was working exceedingly well for him and very poorly for Robert. The newspaper was a reminder that he had to figure out how to cure himself and then how to rescue his people from whoever this was. He got up, took his tea mug and went back to the potions lab. He had been enjoying his family long enough. There was work to do.

Khaat looked at Edward. "Can you help him look?"

"I have been," Edward said. "When I'm not looking for James. When you lot get into a pickle, you certainly know how to do it, don't you?" He smiled at her. "Don't worry. James will be well hidden today, and its supposed to storm. It will be a good day to work with your father in the lab." He went to the potions lab as well.

"Yes," Suki said, "I believe I can. Thank you. Oh, Jodey planted a whole field of potions herbs by the way, in that field in the northeast section of the estate that wasn't being used. He's put some odd hexes around the fields because he doesn't want any wildlife or anyone else mucking with the crops. I'd stay out of that field if I were you. But it should help with making a much bigger store of potions ingredients here on the grounds."

Steven and Jack both smiled and nodded "Wondered what had happened out there and yeah Brant will love that " Steven said just as Brant walked in yawning a little as he pored out some tea and sipped it.

"This is good tea" he said and sat down in the living room. He saw the headline and rolled his eyes "Shesh why can't they leave things be" he said as he sipped his tea. He watched as Robert headed to the lab knowing he would join him once he was finished. Cassidy moved to the bassinet and laid Ben down covering him with his blanket.

"Hes sleeping now" she said to Khaat and moved to sit close by again.

Brian came in from being down at the barn. He had an old worn saddle blanket in his hands and it seemed to be all balled up.

"Thought you'd like to see this," he said to Khaat. "Found them out behind the barn. No mother in sight. Looks like they were probably born yesterday, near as I can tell. And they're hungry and cranky." He went over to her and opened the blanket to show her a litter of five newborn kittens, their ears and eyes still unopened. The kittens were fidget in the blanket, making very, very tiny cries.

"They're rather small," she said quietly. "Even as newborn kittens go."

"Yes," he said. "Very tiny. My guess is that they're perhaps 2 or 3 ounces each. No more. And with no mother, we can't very well leave them in the barn. Ah, well, what's five more newborns in the house?"

"Seven bottles every 90 minutes," she said. "And a lot more pee than we used to have 2 days ago." He laughed.

"Now is a rather odd time to be having second thoughts," he laughed. "I'd have thought you'd have done that yesterday."

"Yes," she said. "Just a couple million times. And because you weren't there, you need to do the labor part of the next two."

"I am sorry about that," he kissed her. "It will take a bloody lot of making up, won't it?"

"More than you know," she said.

"I'm looking forward to it," he smiled.

"You say that now. Just wait."

"You do know she's planning n making your life hell," Marcus told him.

"She can try," he laughed. "Now what am I going to do with this lot?" he looked down into the blanket.

"Start feeding, by the looks of it," Marcus said.

Cassidy smiled then awed at the tiny kittens " I'll fetch the bottles I'm sure we can all take turns feeding them " she said smiling at them " awe there so sweet " she said softly as she then left and went to the kitchen to make several bottles of milk for kittens. Jack and Steven walked over and as well awed and smiled.

"I don't think you'll have problem with feeders" Jim said and chuckled as one tried to paw his finger even as young as they were he knew they could tell where he was. Jack nodded he agreed .

" I think there won't be a shortage of adopters ether" he said watching as Cassidy picked one up and began to feed it once done she wiped his bottom with a damp cloth and smiled.

" we should name them" she said smiling.