Marriage is Murder

Robert flicked his wand at the piggybank. He made it to look like a stereotypical pirate pig. With a tricorner hat with a pirate emblem in the front of the hat, a red bandana underneath that, a little gold earring in its ear, long ceramic hair, a white shirt, dark breeches, boots, a red vest, and a safely molded sword--molded into the ceramic.

"I'll go along and buy more mugs while we're out," Angus said.

"Jack," Robert said. "Go along. Help guard the women. "Bring them back safely, you and Angus."

"Robert," Brian said. "I want to make a withdrawl from my parents' vault at Gringotts. Its time." Robert looked up at Brian and thought for a moment.

"Will you go alone?" he asked Brian. "I prefer you didn't."

"Very well. Steven? You want to make a very quick trip with me to Gringotts? Anyone need something from Diagon Alley?"

"Go there. Nowhere else. Try not to be seen. Go and come back quickly. We dont' want you being traced back," Robert said. Khaat laid her hand on Brian's.

"Is it that important?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered her. "It is."

Jess looked as Steven walked in and sat down " sorry about that walked the perimeter its kinda a habit now and sure I'll go " he said smiling at Cassidy at the words wedding. Jess looked at him and shook her head at him he just took his food and ate smiling cassidy chuckled and shook her head as she finished her meal and placed the plates in the sink. Jess finished hers and noticed Andrew pushing some lettuce around his plate.

"Andrew eat your lettuce " she said and he shook his head at her .

" yucky" he said watching Robert eat he looked down at his own and then at Robert.

"It's very good for you, Andrew," Robert said. "It will help you be a strong fighter like your dad, and llike Brian and Angus and steven and me. That particular lettuce is full of vitamins that will make you strong. Here. Try a bit more dressing on it. The dressing is sweet. You'll like the lettuce better with just a bit more dressing." He picked up the cruet of kate's Honey Orange dressing and added just a few drops to Andrew's salad. "try it now. Would you like to go swimming with me in the pool later? If you do, then you'll need to eat your lettuce so you're strong enough to do it. And I think I saw Angus talking about making some brownie sundaes for dessert after dinner tonight. But you know, I never let Khaat or Brian have dessert unless they ate all their meal first."

"Its true," Brian said to Andrew. "He believes in dessert, but he believes that you have to eat your meal first. I ate a piece of cake before dinner one time, and he wouldn't let me have my dinner until the next meal. I learned to eat my meal first and then my dessert. You ready to go?" He asked Khaat.

"One moment," Khaat said. "I didn't change after this morning." She excused herself and went to change. She got a pair of white denim shirts and a beige crochetted halter top. She wore dressy little flipflops that were embellished with beads and seashells. She added a pair of small gold hoop earrings--each earring with a tiny emerald set in it at the bottom of it. She used a glamour spell to curl her hair and then tied it back in a loose ponytail that cascaded over her shoulder with the leather lace from Brian's broken bootlace. She liked it. He'd tried a hundred times to toss it out, but she always rescued it. She added makeup. It took away the traces of the stress from her face from the morning's events. This was the first she'd worn her own clothes at her original size. She found that she was healed enough from her triplets that she had her figure back. And she had been tanning a bit, so for the first time in almost a year, she was pleased with her looks. She chose an envelope style clutch bag--one crochetted in a natural colored cotton thread. She put her wand in it and her muggle ID's and credit cards and some muggle money. Then she went back out to the other room.

She looked at Brian. He was staring at her, not speaking. Just staring.

"Did i forget something?" she asked.

"N...No," he said, "I almost let myself forget how beautiful you can be." He got up and went to he and kissed her softly. "Don't be gone long. I'll miss you." It made her smile.

"I promise," she said. She looked at the others. "Are we ready to go?"

Jess smiled seeing Robert with Andrew , Andrew watched him put a drop of dressing on the lettuce and hear Brian talking, he dug his fork in slowly placing it in his mouth he chewed finally deciding he did like it he cleaned his plate and lifted it to show Robert and Jess who smiled at him. " that's good Andrew that's very good " she said and smiled at Robert " he has always been picky on lettuce guess I wasn't using the right dressing " she said and chuckled. she watched Andrew pick up a normal cup and tip it to drink witch he managed to do with out spilling any of it " well that's a first " she said grinning.

Cassidy stood up and moved to her own room changing into some jeans and a tight top now that she could wear them again with a pair of open toed boots. She walked back in to the living room as she put up her hair in a bun she chuckled at Steven's look " put your tongue away mister " she said and closed his mouth then kissed him as they waited for Khaat seeing how Brian was with her she chuckled and walked over to Khaat " well I am, but I think Casanova over there is too stunned" she said as Steven stood up and grabbed a light jacket and joined them.

" I think I will be the envy of every man with two beautiful women at his side " he said and smiled taking Cassidy buy the hand " though only one I hope will be mine eventually " he said earning a kiss from cassidy " whose driving ?" he asked taking a set of keys.

Khaat reached out her hands for the keys. She didn't like to miss a chance to drive.

"Keep it under the speed limit," her father said. She just smiled. Angus had given her the keys to one of the SUVs. She went out to the garage and then got in and put her purse on the console and the keys in the ignition.

When everyone was in the car, she drove it to the shopping center and parked the car. She got out and went into the bookstore, getting several wolf whistles from some of the guys in the parking lot. She went into the bookstore, just giving the men a casual wave as she entered the store. She browsed the aisles of books and magazines and picked out several. Then she started to pick up books that she knew some of the others would like. She was getting an enormous stack of them. And they were starting to get very, very heavy. She looked at Angus, barely able to see over her stack of books anymore.

"A little help?" she asked him.


Meanwhile, Brian got out his portkey for Diagon Alley and ported himself and Jack to Diagon Alley, just about a block from Gringotts. "We need to make this quick. We don't want anyone to think we're back here to stay. Not yet." He headed quickly into Gringotts an up to one of the goblin tellers.

Steven walked over and took the books placing them in a basket. cassidy moved to the same rack and browsed some magazines but each one she put back till she saw one with dresses on the cover she took it and placed it in the basket. " Khaat there's a wedding dress shop just down the way um you want to take a look? " she asked not quite sure if she would go for the idea. " might give us a chance to see what they feel like " she said looking at Steven and Angus who held the basket with several magazines in it. Steven holding an empty basket she shook her head and grabbed several more she had thought interesting.

Steven moved to the counter and paid for all the magazines , he heard Cassidy speak about the dress shop and smiled a little hoping she had mellowed to the idea a little but he would not push her.

"Sounds good to me," Khaat said as Angus rescued her from the large stack of books and magazines. Khaat made a second stack just as high and Angus carried them to the counter as well. Angus paid for them with Brian's credit card, and because they had spent so much, an assistant manager helped Angus carry the books to the car and put them in the back.

Then he looked up to see that Khaat was heading for the wedding dress shop. Angus moved a little faster to catch up with her. The shop had light blue walls and darker blue carpetting nad was done with icy crystal trims and lovely fresh flowers. It was clearly an upscale shop. Khaat went to the rack with her size and began looking at the gowns. She thought they were all lovely, but it wasn't what she wanted. Not so far.

Meanwhile, the goblin behind the counter took Brian and Jack down to the vaults. When the boat docked alongsie the right vault, the goblin got out and opened the vault. Brian went inside. There was the remaining wealth of his parents, along with other family heirlooms handed down from generation to generation. Robert had placed anything of value here when Brian's parents were killed. Brian had inherited the key to the vault because Robert had arranged it.

He loked through the things until he came to a fairly large wooden box. He opened it. Inside was an antique tiara. It was made of platinum and had diamonds and semiprecious stones. It was delicate and beautiful and fit for the finest princess. He showed it to jack. "This belonged to every woman in my mother's family as far back as we can trace," he said. "Fiona didn't want it when she got married. Kieran is never going to get married, clearly. Jack--I really want to give this to Khaat. She's the only woman I am ever going to love in my whole life. She's my queen and Robert's princess. Do you think...do you think she'd wear it at our wedding?"

Cassidy moved to join Khaat as did Steven and together they walked into the shop Cassidy stood for a moment everything looked beautiful in contrast to her own wedding that had been a town hall one. Steven moved her inside " take a look try on a few its all right " he said holding her tight for a moment . He felt her take a deep breath and head to a rack with Khaat.

"that's beautiful " she said showing her a red and white wedding dress she hung it back and saw a white dress with red roses embroidered on Cassidy stared at it " this ones beautiful " she said softly feeling Steven walk up behind her.

" then why not try it on " he said softly as he kissed her cheek.


Jack followed Brian all the way into the vault he was stunned at what was inside but more so by the tiara and he smiled " mate she loves you , she will love it it looks beautiful " he said smiling at him " she's lucky no your both lucky to have each other and those kids all five of them " he said and chuckled

Khaat saw some beautiful dresses and but they just werent' what she wanted. Then she heard a conversation at the store counter. It was between an old woman and the clerk. She wanted to sell an heirloom wedding gown and its matching veil because she had fallen on hard times. The woman clearly had very little anymore. The dress showed some tatters just from age. Khaat wasn't sure the woman would even have food on he table tonight by the looks of it. Khaat turned and went to the counter.

"May I?" she asked softly. The woman turned to her with tears in her eyes. She didn't want to sell it.

"Are..you looking for a dress? the old woman asked, trembling.

"I am," Khaat said.

"You' are a beautiful child. It would look beautiful on you. It is a..graceful thing. Like you. It is very old, though. Perhaps the clerk is right. Perhaps it is not good enough nowadays." She handed the dress to Khaat. Khaat held up the beautiful dress and veil made of lace. It was exquisiite. She'd never seen an thing like it, not ever. It took her breath away. A quick spell and it would be repaired and whitened and look as it was intended to be again.

"How much were you asking for it?" Khaat asked.

"Two hundred dollars?" She asked timidly. "It...only has a little wear...."

"Two hundred?" Khaat echoed. That was nothing for how gorgeous it was. The woman began to speak, to lower her price. Khaat opened her purse and looked for her cash. She got out a wad full of hundred dollar bills and pressed them into the old woman's hand. "I'll give you one thousand dollars for it--right now. Just as it is," Khaat said. The woman stood in front of her, stunned. A couple of tears slipped down her cheeks. she nodded, thanking Khaat over and over profusely. She turned and left, her tears threatening to turn to sobs of gratitude. Then Khaat looked at her, more firm now, deliberate.

"You can't wear that like that. Its completely see through," the clerk said.

"I need a sleeveless sheath of translucent white silk for underneath. Can you do it?"

"I...I...Well, sure," the clerk said. "It would have to be custom, and I dont' know where we will get translucent silk."

"I do. I want it to fit the gown's style as it if were made for it."

"If you can get the silk, we can do the dress," the clerk said.

"I'll have the silk here tomorrow at this time. Bring your designer and yoru seamstress. I want it done quickly and I want it done right," Khaat said. The clerk agreed and got on the phone to the designer and the seamstress. Khaat turned to Angus.

"That was a good thing you did," he said. "It seems that you have a dress after all."

"I think I do," she smiled.

Cassidy shook her head and turned to face him " not yet Steven not yet" she caressed his cheek then kissed him " soon , just give me some time" she saw Khaat and the old lady and smiled walking over to her " its beautiful Khaat" she said listening to the clerk " guess the clerk doesn't see the potential in beautiful things " she said and folded her arms across her chest some what annoyed at the clerk. Steven sighed and let Cassidy walk over to Khaat walking with her he nodded and took Cassidys hand in his own. He lent down to whisper to her.

" I can wait as long as you need " he said to her and smiled kissing her cheek he saw her smile. He glanced at the wedding dress she had admired and smiled. He also saw the dress Khaat held and smiled " wow once fixed up it will be one knock out dress Khaat " he said