Snow Day Lunch

"Shall I tell your secrets?" Khaat looked at Angus and grinned.

"I have no secrets," he said.

"Oh, really? Like the chocolate chip cookie dough I know the kids get when you're making cookies. Or licking the bowls when you bake? Or how you take them swimming sometimes in the downstairs pool instead of taking them for their afternoon naps? Or the fact that I know you've taken Abbey for a ride on the hippogryff? Or the fact that I know you float a plate of fresh baked warm cookies upstairs every night at storytime before the kids go to bed? Or...."

"I think she gets it," Angus laughed.

"I like the hippogryff," Abbey frowned at her mother.

"I know you do," Khaat said.

"And the pygmy puff too."

"What pygmy puff?"

"The stripey one he gived me."

"You didnt," she frowned at Angus. "You gave her one of my mother's pygmy puffs."

"What if I did? They eat dust. Its not like they're high maintenance," he said.

"My mother has been raising pygmy puffs for years," Khaat said. "Somehow she got a batch that are rainbow colored. And one of the new little ones has markings that looks a bit like stripes. Now I know where he went."

Bella grinned as she heard all of Angus' secrets that he does with the kids, she was giggling at most of them. "Well Angus I see your mischievous ways are gonna lead to the absolute spoiling of my little one." She said grinning as she tried to hold back her laughter as she looked at him. "I don't know if my poor Rose can handle all that, I dare say she'll be stuck to you like glue." This time she started laughing not able to hold it in anymore, "Sorry I inherited my mother's sense of humor. Rose needs things that like in her life for her to develop into the little girl I know is in there somewhere. Since meeting all of you Rose has said more words than she has said to anyone else, her baby sitter can't get her to even say more than five words at a time to her. It's like the interaction she gets from all of you is making her become more talkative than anything. I want to thank you all for doing this for her even though it wasn't much that was done."

Rose at that time looked at Angus and said, "Can i ave one ggie?" She gave him big puppy dog eyes as she waited for his answer.

Bella started laughing as she looked at Rose, "It's already started!" She heard Khaat words and said, "I always thought those things were so adorable and cuddly."

"Shh," Angus whispered in Rose's ear, "I'll make sure you get one. Don't tell." Abbey giggled.

"Naughty," she said, eating her cookie.

"He certainly is," Khaat agreed. "No thanks are necessary, Bella. There's no such thing as too many friends. And I think the kids will all have a really good time. It will be good for all of them--if Angus behaves."

"And if not, we'll all have fun laughing at him," Marcus said. He picked up the tabs on the table, glancing at Khaat. She nodded. While everyone was finishing, he left the table and paid for everyone at the table. Brian always supplied Marcus very well with cash for any expenses when Khaat went out, and Marcus always took care of paying for whatever Khaat bought with it. It made things easier and seemed to improve security.

Bella laughed as she saw Angus whisper to Rose, she knew that Rose would try to weasel what ever she could out of him. "You better watch yourself Angus she's great at weaseling things out of people. She has my parents wrapped around her finger and all she does is give her puppy dog eyes." She said smiling at her daughter who seemed happy at Angus' words.

Looking over at Khaat she continued to smile. "I'm just glad that Rose is making friends here and so am I." She grinned and said, "He behaves?" She made a fake shocked face and giggled not able to keep a straight face. She felt light hearted just being able to be around these group of adults. "I'm sure my daughter will enjoy all the 'misdemeanors' Angus will come up with."

Bella smiled at Marcus' statement, she looked around for her check but she couldn't find it.

"Its on me," Khaat said to Bella. "Marcus took your tab when he took mine. Rose isn't the only one who had a good time today. I think we all did. The truth is that I don't take the kids off the estate much simply because the estate is so secure, and, well, sometimes trouble seems to follow me. I just don't want my kids caught in that."

"And thats why you have us," Angus said.

"I thought I had you to help me wrangle a herd of toddlers," she cast him an amused glance.

"Well, yeah, there is that too," Angus said.

"Rose will be in good hands, I think," Khaat smiled. "We've all sort of learned, with this many kids, to have eyes everywhere. And I've learned more patience that I thought I'd ever have."

"The winter weather is getting worse," Marcus said, returning to the table. "We might well be snowed in here if we don't home before too terribly long." He glanced over at Abbey who was putting some of the left over bunny cookies in her coat pockets and handed a couple quietly to Rose. Marcus saw them sneaking the cookies but he never said a syllable.

"Thank you Khaat," Bella said smiling softly then looked at Rose. "Yeah I'm glad she made some friends today as did I, I had a lot of fun today. Well it that is understandable that you don't want your kids caught in it. I know Rose needs some kids to be around so she's not stuck inside on snowy days like this."

Bella laughed at Khaat's teasing of Angus, her heart felt light as well as her shoulders. She was enjoying the company as well as the interaction. "Yes I think Rose will be in good hands. I'm sure you'll learn a few more from Rose, she's very sneaky about things." Bella said smiling with affection. "Well that's understandable about having to have more eyes around."

Looking up at Marcus' words and wanted to groan. "How much more worse will it get?" She asked kicking herself for not going to the store earlier. Hearing his answer she groaned softly to herself. "Oh no," She looked around for Rose's coat and things before she looked over at her daughter. Rose was looking at her with a big grin then nibbled on the cookie that was still on her plate.