Marriage is Murder

Robert and Brian allowed Steven and Cassidy to go back to their wedding planning. There wasn't much anyone could do for Khaat tonight anyway. Not at the moment. Perhaps, if they got an idea of where Gelding's operation had gone, Robert thought, he might be able to make a strike against them. In the meantime, he had to admit, he was curious about the runes too. It had all of Remus's signature style to it, and it was spellbound to respond merely to Khaat's touch. Something else Remus would have thought of. Brian was right. Looking for a code key seemed to be the best move at the moment.

"Go ahead," Robert said, "and please check on the barn while you're there. I hope they haven't let those damned pygmy puffs create another thousand or so of those things. If we let those things to their own devices they're run me out of my own barn."

"I'll make sure you haven't had a pygmy puff explosion," Brian laughed.

"I would appreciate that," Robert said, tossing Brian the portkey to the farm.

"Take your coat," Kate said. "It's cold there right now. They're talking about the possibility of a little skiff of snow tonight."

"Bah" Brian grumbled. "I am not disappointed to be on a tropical beach in the least." He picked up his coat and tossed it on one arm, and simply draping it across his wounded shoulder. "You ready, Jack?"

Jack chuckled and nodded " yeah I am " he said knowing he would not feel the cold in the least. Jess moved to the kitchen and pored out a cup of tea for cassidy and one for her self before setting down the cup next to her then moving to Khaat's room and watched Robert " hows she doing?" she asked placing the seers tea down beside the bed and picking up the cold cup. " I hope she comes out of this soon" she sat facing her " I regret not getting to her sooner " she said and sighed.

"She'll be fine," Robert said. "I wont' let her be anything else other than fine. She warned me. I should have been ready. Its my fault. I should know by now that when she has a dream that real that she's not just dreaming. I should have had us gear up. And I should have strengthened our protection grid right then. I shouldn't have waited an instant. I should have done that first. I sedated her to try to minimize the damage from whatever memories she has of being buried alive. Barker did so much damage to her emotionally that when it gets beyond her, she just shuts down. Its what she did to stay alive through his extreme tortures of her. Now its what she resorts to when she feels that frightened and overwhelmed. What Barker put her through was beyond her ability to cope. And now, well, it just seems to happen without her control. My guess is that Brian's right. She'll be on her feet but she most likely won't have her voice. Brian has always gotten that back for her before. He's taken her off alone, and whatever he does when he's alone with her over a few days brings it back. I've never asked him what magic he does, but we may need him to do that again--take her off someplace safe for a few days and see what happens."

Jess looked at Robert and frowned as he blamed himself she didn't like that he did that to himself " sir I know your the leader of this organization but we are human and we can't know whats going to happen all the time she gave you sketchy information at the beginning, please don't blame yourself " she said " we have her back and as for his organization its well hid just as you said I'm guessing the Americans will find something and send word " she looked at him and saw the worry on his face right at this moment he looked older to Jess as if at that moment all the worry and stress had taken its tole on him and only now did she see it.

"I know you're right," Robert managed a smile. "Thank you. I'm not feeling much like a leader right now. I'm just feeling like a father. And I've been down so much really hard road with her. It always takes my mind straight back to the worst moments I've had with her."

"That's because you gave up so much to just keep her alive," Kate said, bringing him a fresh cup of tea. She kissed his temple and took away a cold cup of tea. "Now drink that one," she smiled gently. He laid his hand on hers for a moment. "Go take a walk. Check the protection grid so you know yourself its where you want it. Walk off some of the tension. You and I both know that spell isn't going to wear off til morning anyway."

"No. It's not," he admitted. "I hit her pretty hard with it."

"Then go," she coaxed. "You can't do anything here but watch her sleep. We won't let her out of our sights. We promise." He sighed and stood up and walked out silently.

"You know where his mind went, right?" Kate asked, not sure if Jess understood the memories that haunted Robert right now. And Kate knew Jess was close enough to Khaat to be allowed to know.

Jess looked at Kate and nodded " Remus " she said softly " but he didn't have us at his back " she said and looked at Kate as she stood up and pulled up the blanket covering Khaat a little " we see you and Robert like our parents, and we would never let anything harm any of you " she turned to face Kate " what hes going threw is normal hes her father grandfather of her children and I have to say grandfather figure to not just my children but cassidys also " Jess gave a sigh and looked back at Khaat " all of us swore and oath and none of us will brake it and will serve you, Robert, Brian and Khaat till were too old or die " she said voicing how the others felt. Cassidy heard Jess and walked in with Steven following.

" she's right, let them do there worst we're here for the duration" she said " kids and..." she looked up at Steven as she finished her sentence. "husbands included Kate " she said as Steven smiled at her.

"Thank you," Kate smiled. "Robert used a spell that he found in a very old book after Remus died. I remember that. He was so desperate to save her. He felt so guilty that he'd not taken responsibility as a father to her and had let Remus do it so that when he was killed, it tore Khaat apart. Robert blamed himself. The spell he found required him to give part of himself to her to keep her alive. Permanently. Not the same thing as what you do as healers in helping someone. This was a permanent bonding he did with her. That's why he always knows when somethings not right now. It connects them in far deeper ways than most people know.

"Khaat had the same bond with Rob. Rob bonded to her unintentionally one night when Khaat nearly blew herself up by accident. Thats why she will always, always, be connected to him, no matter how much she loves Brian. And as for Brian? I don't know. I don't know if they are soulmates or how whether he just knows her that well. But he just seems to always know. Remus always knew too. I don't know how he did it either. No clue. Remus wasn't a seer, but he sure knew her. I just always thought I knew when something was wrong because she and I are both seers.

"Robert keeps his bond with her a secret to try to protect her, but it isn't as if you all haven't seen it at work already. Most of you already know most of that story, I think. But what you might not know is that when we found her after the last time Barker had her, he had to use the same spell again to keep her from dying before he even got her back to St. Mungos. She has such a huge part of him now that they will always be connected. What neither Robert or I know is what will happen when the day comes that Robert, hopefully, dies of old age? We don't know if she'll get to keep the energies he's given her or if she'll be strong enough to survive on her own by then or if she'll die when he does. She knows, and so does Brian. And he's said he gladly will take it. Whatever time he has with her is far better than none at all."

Jess listened as Kate spoke and explained " I thought there was some thing " she said a she listened more " he didn't fail her he did what he had to some times we have to look other places for our answers, I did when I went to Robert when that dark man attacked me there's no shame in asking or seeking some one elses help" she said and chuckled " shesh I have done it countless times I am surprised Robert doesn't tell me to look it up myself " she said and saw Cassidy chuckle her self " hay I'm not perfect, nether are you " she saw Cassidy nodding.

" nope Kate I have to ask you advice all the time , I'm not exactly versed on mother hood " she said and blushed " I'm just getting the hang of it thanks to that book you gave me " she said softly.

"You're doing fine. Robert and I made the best choice we could for Khaat at the time. I will always believe that. He was so conservative, very scholarly. Neutral. Very different from the Robert you see now. I just wanted to be at home, raise my animals, do my art, let Robert farm, and let the wizarding world go on without is. And then came Khaat. She was a hellraiser from the first moment she took a breath. She was so like Remus in every respect. She couldn't pass up any chance for adventure, no matter what Robert or I said to her, no matter the risk. She rebelled and threw fits and disobeyed from the first time we tried to take charge. Remus intervened in one of her temper tantrums and appeased that desperate need she had for adventure and risk. And it was like they were sew together from that moment forward. The only person she wanted to be with or listen to was him. And as much as it pained us when she rejected us, we let her go because we could see how clearly she loved him and how much he loved her. We didn't have a relationship at all, to speak of, with her until Minerva McGonnegal contacted us after the fight at Hogwarts. When Khaat came across Remus's body, well, it was like her grief was entirely endless. She didn't even want to live. When Robert got to her, there was so little life energies left that he had no choice. It was during that really long recovery with her that we started to get to know our own child. I don't regret letting Remus raise her. I only regret that deep a pain she felt when he was murdered. The more Khaat connects with Robert now, the more he seems to heal a bit. He'll be okay as soon as he gets all the anger and frustration out of his system. If that doesn't do it, I'll send one of the guys downstairs to challenge Robert in the gym--to get him to burn some of that off. Brian usually does that, but Robert would just flatten him, as long as Brian's shoulder is out of commission."

Jess chuckled at Kate's last words " ow and what says Jack could stand up to Robert " she said and Steven chuckled .

" I wouldn't stand a chance ether " Steven said " don't think I did that first training session with Brian in Paris" he said then looked at Cassidy smiling " I'll tell you all about it some day" he said softly and saw cassidy smile up at him. Jess looked at Khaat " that's good that there bonding now I know if Jack or my kids needed me I would do anything for him I'm sure cassidy feels the same " she said and heard Catlin cry out " ok speaking of children I think that's one of mine wanting me" she said and left to tend to her. Cassidy looked at Kate and smiled.

"Thanks Kate..I mean for everything" she held Steven's hand " I had made a mess of my life because I forgot to look at what was right in front of me, you guys and Steven, this is where I should have been all along " she smiled " not making that mistake again"