Desperate Measures

As soon as school let out on Tuesday, Guin had a quick check-in with some of the teachers. Miss Abalone, despite being very strict, was glad to hear that she was taking an interest in her children's grades, and Kurt's teacher, Mr. Cockle, was more than happy to send some extra study materials to help him improve. He was even pleasant about it.

With that all taken care of, she and Jenny met Kurt by the door and started home. About a block away from the school, when they were clear of any authoritative eyes, Kurt shoved a box into Guin's claws. "This is for you."

"How thoughtful," smiled Guin. "You didn't have to give me anything..."

"I didn't," answered Kurt. "Seascape said she wanted you to have it. She also told me that you need to keep it in your room, under your bed, and never pull it out unless you're alone."

Guin turned her head away, then back to Kurt. "What about Jenny?"

"I wasn't given anything to give to Jenny."

"No, I mean, I share a room with her."

"Not my fault. I didn't look in the box; it's not my box. I was just told to give you this box, you're supposed to keep it under your bed and not show it to anypony."

"What about your dad?"

Kurt sighed. "Look, if you want to ask these kinds of questions, ask Seascape. She knows what's in the box, okay? I'm just the messenger."

As soon as they rounded the corner and were almost home, they saw Red Tape waiting outside, leaning against his carriage and waiting for them. Immediately, Kurt redirected them back up the street, around a corner, down an easement, and into their backyard without ever needing to go to the front door. Of course, the back door had a different key than what Kurt was carrying, but he'd left his window unlocked, and they all snuck in through there.

"Okay, now everyone stay quiet," Kurt ordered in a whisper. "Stay out of the front rooms unless absolutely necessary, don't make any loud noises, and just pretend that we're not here. Alright?"

Guin nodded. "The only time I should need to go to the front is to the kitchen for dinner, and Jack should be home by then."

Kurt nodded. "I'm going to do my homework in here. If you need something, let me know, first."

Guin reached into her bags and pulled out the materials she'd taken from his teacher. "You have a math test on Thursday," she whispered. "I want you to do well."

He scowled at her.

"Please?"

He swiped it. "Fine..."

With a nod, she and Jenny left and went to their bedroom. After stashing the box, not under the bed, but between the bed and the wall, Guin pulled out the materials she and Jenny had asked Miss Abalone for. After finishing their homework, they started studying for their own tests, which were coming tomorrow.

After a few hours of being quiet, they heard the door open, and Red Tape spoke. "You see? They're not here. Your children are off galivanting around town, doing who-knows-what!"

Jack spoke next. "Is anyone home?" he called.

Guin was the first to come to the living room, just beating Kurt by a few seconds. Jenny had stayed in her room. "We're here," she answered. "So's Jenny, but she's staying in her room for right now."

Jack leaned against the wall with a smirk, folding his hooves. "My children are responsible children," he said smugly.

The guard with them, the same one that had come to warn them after Red had first arrived, nodded his head.

"They must have just arrived back," answered Red.

"We've been home for two hours," shot back Guin. "Almost right after school let out. I had to stay and talk to the teachers for a few minutes, so we were a little bit late, but not by much."

"And then you came home and started on your homework?" added Jack, suggestively.

"Yep. One second." Guin rushed back to her room and returned right away with her finished homework. "All done."

"And then you went to play and have been quiet as to not upset the neighbors," concluded Jack.

"No," interrupted Kurt. "She..." he seemed to swallow something hard, then continued through gritted teeth. "Our new stepmom was concerned about our grades and insisted that we study."

The smirk faded from Jack's face. He immediately knew something was up, and he cleared his throat. "As you can see, we're settling into the married life. Now, it's time for the missus and I to make dinner, so I would recommend that you come back another time."

"No, no," insisted Red, "I did not spend all of yesterday applying for a warrant only to be approved an injunction in its place just to walk out empty-hoofed."

"Then why did you?" asked Jack. "I take little issue with you wasting your own time; I'm sure your wife is very proud that her husband isn't home very often. However, I take issue with you wasting my time. I'll not stand here and answer a series of questions I've already answered just to keep me in the living room and away from the kitchen, only for you to take note that it's dinnertime and there's no food prepared for my children and spouse. I have a family that needs to eat, and I refuse to neglect them. Sir, it is time for you to leave."

"You're going to cook dinner?" questioned Red.

"Yes, I am," insisted Jack.

"Then you won't mind if I question your wife, instead," Red concluded. "Sit down, Genevieve..."

Guin looked around, then up at Red. "Who's Genevieve?"

"You are."

She shook her head. "My name is Guin."

"Fine, Gwendolyn, have a seat."

"It's Guinevere..."

"Stop making up names."

Guin sat down and answered a lot of questions, most of which were exceptionally easy for her. Red's whole game, here, was to prove that she didn't know the household very well, as the marriage had been rushed, but having spent a lot of time here, Guin knew a lot of things.

When they did laundry, for example, matched up with Jack's answer that she hadn't been present for. Three years' worth of Hearth's Warming gifts, with special notice of what Jack had given to Guin, and what Guin had given to Jack, all matched up perfectly. The locations of every fire extinguisher, what time everyone went to bed, what school they went to, the names of the flowers in the window boxes, when those flowers were planted; Guin answered everything with ease.

She knew this house like the back of her claw by now, even though she'd only lived here for eleven days. Simply being here for years beforehoof had been a huge boon.