Marriage is Murder

Brian had raced in like everyone else, and when he got there, Jess was getting her out of the closet. Abbey was crying and shaking and badly frightened.

"Abs," Brian called to her quietly. Abbey saw Brian and reached for him. He took her from Jess, letting her clutch big fistfuls of his shirt, crying in his ear. "Abs," he said, "Daddy's here. Nobody's going to hurt you. Daddy's here."

"Make the monsters go away, Daddy," he heard her say. "I no like monsters."

"Me neither, Abs," he soothed. "I won't let any monsters get you. Were there monsters in the closet?"

"Monsters gots Mama," she said.

"Now, listen," he said. "That was a bad dream. No monster is going to get Mama. Mama is just down the hall in the living room."

"No. Monsters, Daddy!" she was insistent.

"Okay," he said. "Come with me. Let's go see. I'll show you that we are not letting monsters in the house." He began to walk out of the room with her.

"I no wanna go!" she said, protesting. He simply kept walking with her, knowing that he would be in the living room before she got done protesting very well.

The sound of her daughter's screams had alerted Khaat. She had wanted to go, but everyone moved faster than she did these days. Marcus had told her to stay put for a moment. Brian brought Abbey out to the living room.

"Abbey?" Khaat called. "Come tell me about your dream."

"I no play that game no more," she said, sniffling. Brian took Abbey to Khaat and very gently put Abbey on her lap. Abbey tried to cuddle close to Khaat but she was having trouble getting comfortable. "You no gots no lap no more. Where it go?" Abbey said frowning. Khaat and Brian and Marcus laughed.

"It'll be back," Khaat laughed. "I promise."

Jess let Brian take Abby while Jack sealed the closet so none of the others could get in again. She frown at Abby's words she wished she knew what monsters she was talking about but she also knew the mind of a four year old was scrambled with not understanding the world around her already scary having a seer's ability only added to it. She followed Brian into the living room and chuckled as Abby said to Khaat she had no lap. "Thats your brothers or sisters doing that Abby" she said to her but she stayed back to let her be with Khaat.

Jack walked in and wiped his hands clean of dust. " its sealed off now, none of the kids can get in and nothing can get out" he said smiling at Abby hoping to reassure her more.

"I no want no more babies," Abbey sniffled softly. Khaat had never heard her ever say that before. She liked people, liked other kids. This was new.

"Abbey?" she asked gently. "What's the matter? What's bothering you? You like kids. Why do these babies bother you?"

"Send them back," Abbey said, frustrated. "I no wants them."

"Will you tell me why?" she asked. Abbey was quiet for a moment. "Come on," Khaat urged. "You can tell me anything."

"You getting more babies 'cause I'm a big girl now. I not your baby. I no want them. I wanna be your baby."

Khaat hugged her and kissed her. "Let me tell you a secret," Khaat said softly in her ear. "You will always, always be my baby. And you're the only big girl I have. I will always, always, love you. I will always have time for you. Nobody is ever going to love you like I love you."

"You love me more than monsters?" she asked.

"I love you lots, and I don't like monsters at all," Khaat laughed. "What do your monsters look like?"

"I no know," she sighed. "It was all dark."

Jess looked some what stunned at Abby this was new for her and some what unsettling. Though Khaat calmed her she was some what puzzled as to why this had come about with her. She looked at Robert then Khaat as she finally got her to talk about the monsters but admitted she could not see them because of the dark. Jess moved to the kitchen and took a pink cookie out the jar returning she knew it would spoil her but she also knew she was still upset. "Well here's something that is all yours too."She said smiling as she showed Abby the cookie sh had hide behind her back.

Jack saw the cookie and grinned at the smell of it "Ah, no, these are Abby's, beside your on a diet, no cookies, fruit" she said and Jack sighed nodding.

"Yes boss." He said smiling as he picked up an apple and chuckled as he took a bite.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Edward said quietly to Jess. "She's at the right age to want her mother's undivided attention, and she's feeling threatened by the idea of more babies.  It's all very normal for her age.  If Khaat and Brian handle it appropriately, she'll be just fine. She just wants a bit of reassurance, and the nightmares haven't been helping."

Without much warning, Robert came back into the living room and found Abbey feeling insecure.  He went over to her and simply scooped her up off Khaat's lap and began to tickle her.  Abbey began to giggle immediately.  

Edward smiled, "That appears to be the ticket, getting her mind off it. He's very good with the kids. And they appear to be good for him. Um...someone might want to go upstairs and give Brian a hand. He has the two new cribs that he's needing to assemble. He's got all the parts out of both boxes and can't find the instructions. He's got one hell of a mess on the new nursery floor, and he's determined to put them together by hand. He's liable to still be there in December if you all don't help him."

Jess nodded and moved back to Jack seeing Robert walk in and make hr laugh it made Jess smile. Jack looked to Steven as Michael spoke of cribs being put together by hand. " okay Im on it put several together that way in my time" Steven said as he chuckled and headed up to the nursery. " wow, Michael said you needed a hand" he said as he walked into the room. He began by laying out all the spindles and each sides as the instructions suggested then with a screwdriver he started to put it together, for him it was easy. " you want help with the other one?" he asked smiling at Brian.

Jess sat down in front of Jack as much as she hated the added tension she knew he was righting that was going through something that was perfectly normal for her age. "Seems he has the touch. " She said smiling now happy to see Abby smile.

"I know it would be easier if I used a charm on it, but that's hardly the point," Brian said.  "As I father, I need to do something besides starting the process. I must admit, I'm not interested in trading places with her in the delivery room, but there are other things I can do.  And should do."

"Abbey is a Papa's girl," Edward said. "As much as she loves Khaat and Brian, she's really attached to Robert.  I don't know that Robert has any magical touch. There just seems to be something special between him and her.  And that's fine. She's always been too bright for her own good. Better that she have some adult that is strongly connected to her to keep her out of trouble. I'd hate to see that much intelligence later without any controls," he laughed.

"If that were the case, she'd grow up a great deal like Robert and Remus did," Michael teased. "But I think she's probably more the adventurer than the whats-the-phrase...nerd?"

Jess chuckled and nodded to Edward " it was a saying " she said softly but chuckled at Michaels words just as Brant walked past.

"Hey I resent that remark, I am...well was an adventurer and am not a nerd, or I don't think so" he said but Jack walked over and nodded.

"Afraid so Brant" he said his hand placed on his shoulder." books and potions and locked away in your room , yep nerd actions" he said as Brant sat down. Jack and Jess smiled to each other.

" Don't worry Brant, its a good thing in some places" she said but Brant looked to Edward as he spoke again.

"Are they right?" he asked hoping he could get out of that rut he was in. He smiled at Abby " ah well maybe it won't be so bad by the time shes old enough" he said smiling.

"Well, either she hangs around Robert long enough to learn to love books, or she ends up giving into her genetics and follows her mother's sense of always ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time," Michael smiled. "A library card is certainly easier to help her manage that some of the crap her mother seems to get into. And I refuse to think about what the other six Lupin babies are going to be like."

"They're going to be brilliant," Kate said. "And beautiful. Where's your confidence, Michael?"

"You're not going deep enough, Kate. This is the family that seems to have invented the whole concept of trouble. Why is it none of you can pop out for a tea without having your very life attacked? And now there's going to be seven more of you. All under 4."

"Yes," Kate beamed. "I am rather proud of her for that."

"What is that?" Michael frowned, seeing something odd crawling behind the sofa.

Edward looked. "Um...that would appear to be the Lupin boys trying to ride the cat. Max puts up with a lot, doesn't he?"

"Ugh," Michael sighed. "Probably ought to catch them. I refuse to crawl behind sofas for two year olds."

Jess chuckled as Jack moved to gather them up from behind the couch. " and so it begins" he said grinning " that cat must be a re re-incarnated saint" he said " to put up with what these put him threw" he placed them down and sighed as they dove off after Max again he followed them but hung back knowing they would be okay even behind the couch for now.

Brant chuckled and nodded he agreed with Edward " library card is a lot easier to manage" he said smiling " she'll be who she wants to be" he said and watched as Jack got down on his knees and slid one of the boys back out almost getting stuck himself behind the couch as Max walked down his back to get out himself.