Marriage is Murder

Kate soon forced everyone out of her room because, after so many months of not being able to even so much as talk with Robert, they needed some time alone. She forced them out and sealed the door.

Brian helped Khaat back to the living room to rest. Suki brought in a tea tray.

"Brian," she said, "what if I'm wrong? What if the curse is still there?"

"I didn't feel it either," he said. "I touched him too--just like you. So did Kate. So did Escobar. None of us detected any curse. All we felt was his normal systems trying to heal. But--if we're wrong, then we're in it together."

"And if we're cursed, how do we deal with our kids?"

"The same way your father deals with Abbey. Their magic hasn't developed, so let's not borrow trouble, shall we?" He poured two mugs of tea and handed her one.

Abbey had been concerned for her Papa and when they said he was just dirty, Abbey didn't believe it. She'd heard Papa speak. Something was different. She came downstairs and found her daddy and climbed up on his lap.

"What's the matter, Abs?" He asked. "Papa is okay. In fact, I think he might be feeling lots better. We'll ask him a bit later."

"I no want Papa to go to his house," she said. "I like Papa here."

"He's not going to go anywhere for awhile yet," Brian said. "You don't have to worry about that."

Brant continued to clean and catalog all potions in the lab again while Jack went to inspect the out side of the estate. Brant once done walked out to the living room "Hows Khaat doing?" he asked Brian as he sat down " labs all clean again not sure what potion he made but it marked the wall behind the cauldron" he said.

Jack walked back in and moved to get a cup of tea and returned " do you think it will last?" he asked Brian as he sat down to drink his tea his face some what flushed from walking around twice and running the assault course that he decided to do while he was out to test if he was still in shape, to say he was not and now knows he needed to work out more and slack off less.

"Khaat's fine," Brian said, still soothing Abbey.  "Still a bit overwhelmed at all of this, but I think its understandable, really...."

"Daddy," Abbey tugged on his shirt sleeve.

"Yes, Sweetie?" he asked.

"Will Papa no read no more, with the pictures on the ceiling?" she asked.  Brian understood what she meant.  Robert had developed a charm that he could simply look like he was grabbing the illustrations out of the books and throw them up on the ceiling where the illustrations would play out on the ceiling. Abbey loved to lay on the floor and watch her stories move across the ceilings.  If Papa had his voice, maybe he wouldn't toss the pictures up anymore.  

"I am quite sure that if you want him to throw them up there, he'll do it for you," Brian said.  "He'll do whatever makes you happy."

"Then he gots to stay home with me all the time," she nodded.  

"You can tell him yourself a bit later," he laughed.  "I don' know if it will last, Jack, but I don't know when I've seen you so out of shape.  You're going to have to hit the gym and get that worked out.  Should I start you all over in your training?"  

"Don't scare him off," Khaat said to him, knowing how brutal Brian could be as a trainer.

Brant chuckled as Jack sighed and nodded " ow don't worry, I know I need to work out more" he said and patted his tummy " this will be flat again trust me and I will beat you on that course." he said grinning as Brant shook his head.

"Nobody beats Brian over that assault course." He said and chuckled "Well... maybe Robert or Michael" He added turning a page in the paper he was reading. Jack just looked at Abby and Brian and shrugged his shoulders while smiling.

"Well a spell in the gym couldn't hurt. " He said then looked at Abby " Abby your dads right, your papa will still do those with you" he said and smiled at her." and if he doesn't you give him what for" he said as he moved to head down to the gym leaving Brant with Brian, Khaat and Abby.

"I appreciate your drive," Brian said to Jack, "but at the moment, you have a ways to go before you beat me on the training course.  If you want to give it a go, I'd be glad to defeat you fair and square, though."

"Go ahead, Jack," Khaat said. "Take him on.  By all means."

"Are you hoping he does that so that Brian isn't all over you about toning up again soon after the twins?"  Marcus asked.

"I didn't say that," Khaat said.

"And you didn't have to," Marcus said. "I know you."

"So do I, and that's exactly what she's hoping," Brian said. "It'll be a little while before you're ready for training again, though, my dear."

"I see no point when I can't move my arm."

"And that might well change now that your father can touch you again," Brian smiled. Khaat just looked at him. She hadn't considered that.

Jack stopped and looked at them both then laughed " ow no I learned years ago not to take him on..I value my muscles a work out will suffice thank you." he said and chuckled then headed down to the gym to work out a little. Brant stood up and smiled " so what do we wish for dinner?" he asked " berries?" he asked and looked at Abby with a grin and a wink "Pink berries?" he asked.

Brant had a chicken dish in mind that he knew Angus would like or so he hoped. It was a rice dish with a chicken and white wine sauce for the adults. and for the children small pasta shapes with meatballs. He looked to Khaat and spoke again " would you prefer some soup, its a consume so its light yet tasty, I couldn't sleep last night so made some." He asked

Abbey nodded when Brant mentioned berries.

"You are going to turn into a berry," Brian teased.

"That okay. Papa fix it," she said, without a single care.

When Brant mentioned the consommé, it sounded like all Khaat wanted, but Brian looked at her.

"Oh, no, you don't," he said. "you have to start eating. Brant, the chicken sounds like it is light enough that she might be able to eat it, even if its a small portion. She needs solid food."

"With all due respect," Marcus said. "I think Khaat will try to eat whatever is served her, but she would enjoy the consommé--in a mug perhaps. And a small plate of the solid food." He looked at Khaat and gave her a slight smile. He knew she wasn't off her food by choice. It just had happened. He knew she would try to eat, but he didn't find it necessary to nag at her.

Brant nodded and smiled " of course " he said smiling to Marcus " thats a great idea, be ready in an hour." he said as he headed to the kitchen and began to prepare the food for dinner he took out a pan and began to heat the consume gently in it as he made the pasta by hand.

Soon it was ready Cassidy walked in and smiled " I'll lay the table." She said and began to lay the table as Jack walked up wiping his brow and face breathing hard.

"okay that was a work out" he said and smelt the food cooking " ow pasta nice" he said placing down a spoon that had over shot the table.

" sorry it got away from me" she said and chuckled as she caught another spoon.

"Why don't you go find a book for Papa to read to you out loud?" Brian said to Abbey.

"Can't," she sighed. "Its gone."

"Gone? Which book?

"The mousy book."

"But you love that book. Did you look on your shelf?" She nodded.

Marcus managed to get Brian's attention and cast his eyes to the top shelf of the living room bookcase. Brian followed where Marcus was looking. The storybook lay on the top shelf--the front cover torn from the back, and pages torn into pieces. Brian frowned. It looked to him like one of the other kids had had a temper tantrum. He certainly knew better than to show that to Abbey. He would have to find her another copy, he guessed.

"I bet Papa has ideas about what he'd like to read to you," Brian said. "I think we soon need to get a lot of little hands and faces washed so you can eat."

"Yeah. 'Specially Kota," Abbey said.

"What's she doing?" Brian frowned.

"'Playing in Mama's face paints," she said.

"Face paints?"

"My muggle makeup?" Khaat frowned. "In my closet?" Abbey nodded.

"Kota is all kinds of colors now," Abbey said. "She making your sparkly shoes all pretty too." Khaat tried not to show how much she dreaded seeing her make up all over her sparkling white satin stilettos. They'd been ridiculously expensive.

"Can we get someone to go rescue my closet and my shoes, please?" Khaat asked quietly, trying to not be irritated.

Brant heard from the kitchen as did Cassidy from the dinning room but she spoke first. " I'll go get them and rescue the shoes. " Cassidy said and headed up she found Dakota in Khaats closet she also saw the state of Khaats shoes she set a cleaning spell on them and was pleases with they returned to there original state.

"Dakota,thats Khaats, you should play with those" she said softly as she took her into the bathroom and cleaned her up. " its dinner time and its pasta" she said as she wiped some make up off Dakota's face gently with the makeup remover. Brant finished making the dishes and set each one down on the table he placed a cup of consume and a small plate of chicken pasta on a tray and sent it over to Khaat with a drink of fruit juice.

Jack returned from upstairs washed and changed and smiling as he smelt the food. " smells good" he said as in his hands walked James and little Robert Cassidy walked down with Dakota and Catlin. Steven had the twins Ben and Daniel in his arms and he placed them next to Khaat in there bassinets so she could see into them.

"Their changed and fed so should sleep a while" he told her then he too moved to the table.