Marriage is Murder

"Robert," she heard Remus still addressing her father, with her father's voice. "I suggest you draw an ageline around your property. Now one can cross it who is under your age. Now that they're already in, your family is in no danger from it."

"But my backup would be," Robert said.

"Stop it," Khaat groaned, "You're making my head hurt." In her mind, Remus turned, smiled and simply faded. "No!" she heard calling, and reaching for him, but getting her father instead.

"He'll never be far away from you, Babe," Brian said. He looked at Robert. It seemed to be taking him a minute to shake it off.

"Jess! Need you for a bit for first aid until Khaat and Robert regain themselves. I need another healer here," Brian called her.

Jess heard the call and looked at Kate placing Abby in her cot she dove out side to Jack she found him sat on a lounger and Steven propping him up Steven stepped back but Jack kept his head down. He did wince when Jess looked at his shoulder. " I told you to be careful " she said holding or trying to hold hr own emotions but he made the move and held her close she held him back healing him as she did till she felt he was some what healed, he'd still be stiff and sore but at least he'd stopped bleeding. Jess just sat with him as he held her for about ten minuets gathering himself. Slowly he let her go and sat back looking at her. It was then Steven walked out with Andrew placing him down Andrew ran over and wanted to be held Jack picked him up and held him and Jess. " there's more in side who need ya mate" he said standing with his arms folded but giving them some distance.

" ok time to find out what Robert wants to do now" Jack said and stood up still holding Andrew who would not let him go even for a minuet. He walked in with Andrew around his neck and Jess to his left Steven was behind him. " now what Robert " he said as Jess moved to Khaat then headed to the kitchen to brew some restorative tea for them both.

"Brian," Robert said, sitting on the end of a lounge chair, "Take command. I don't know how the hell Khaat does this stuff. Its tougher sharing one's body with another person that you might imagine."

Khaat nearly slipped out of Brian's arms altogether. He layed her on a lounge chair and sat with her. "Khaat," he called, his hand on her forehead. He felt a heavy drain from her now. She was going to have a hard time recovering from this. Brian went over and laid his hand on Robert's forehead. He had suffered a severe energy drain himself.

"Alright," Brian said, "here's the deal. Neither of these two are going to be doing anything at least until morning, Kate, you're responsible for getting that stubborn oaf you're married to, to drink some restorative potion. I"ll tackle Khaat. Let's get them to bed and then we can tend to them more effectively."

"Allow me," Angus said quietly. "I'll get Robert if you can bring Khaat." He helped Robert to his feet and Kate bolstered the other side. They took him to bed. Brian picked up Khaat and carried her to bed, letting the others stand guard.

Jack sat down and tried to put Andrew down but he was stuck to him and he sighed as Jess finished the tea and carried two cups one for Robert and one for Khaat. she moved to Roberts room first " tea any one and yes it has restorative potion in. " she said and placed it beside the bed pausing to look at Robert for a moment before she moved to Khaat and placed the cup down " tea and restorative potion" she told Brian placing her hand on his shoulder " she'll be fine" she said and moved back to Jack holding both him and Andrew again.

" I'm fine Jess " he said moving her to look at him before he kissed her that got Andrew off his knee and standing pulling faces.

"eew, mom and daddy kissy face" he said and ran into the nursery again to play leaving jack, Jess and some of the men chuckling.

"Thank you, Jess," Kate said. She and Angus put Robert into bed. He didn't fight the tea with the potion except by his own fatigue. Khaat on the other hand was so seriously drained that he had to infuse some of his own energies into her simply to get her conscious enough to drink her tea. He took over putting her to bed and by the time the teacup was almost empty, he could keep her awake no longer. She was conscious, but barely, and in a deep, deep sleep. He covered her securely and left her to sleep.

Kate met Brian in the doorway of Robert's room as Brian began to go back outside. "How is he?" Brian asked.

"He's not going to move until morning," Kate said. "How is she?"

"So weak she's almost unconscious," Brian sighed.

"That's because she gets so much of her energy from Robert," she reminded Brian.

"Yeah, well, she's given him some of hers too," Brian reminded Kate. "Who knows when they'll recover?"

"When he does. Count on it," Kate said. "It'll be fine. Patience, Son. Go head up security for your family. Angus and I will take a stand in the house. You run a perimeter check with what you have left." He nodded and went back outside.

"Alright. We need a perimeter check. Who's up for it?" Brian asked, deciding on volunteers rather than drafting someone.

Steven stood up and walked over to him " I'm in " he said Jack was about to stand when Jess pushed him back down in his seat. He looked at her confused.

" Your not up to it. " she said and folded her arms across her chest he looked past at Brian and sighed raising his hands in defeat as he sat still with one arm around her waist. Steven tensed he heard the sound of aperation then a female voice coming from out side.

" you that way , you over there I want no gaps in this curtain" she said then walking in Steven smiled his mouth open as he saw her and her change. " had some fun with out me I see, Brian hope you don't mind I sent some of the men to the back of the building nobody challenged me when I ported in and we need this place tight" she sent her bag to their room and walked over to him " humm, patrol? count me in " she said her boots black and her hair now tied back off her face her wand sat on a holster on her hip she turned to Steven and closed his mouth. " your not catching flies dear" she said and turned back to Brian.

Brian was amused. Cassidy was merely trying to assert herself. He saw the tiny, well hidden smirks on the men's faces. They were rather pleased that she had learned well from them. They were letting her test herself here. They gave her some well humored salutes and headed off in pairs for their patrols, the way they operated in Paris.

Brian, on the other hand, moved out into a wider circle on his own. He made a circle that was twice as large as the ones his staff was making. He needed to know he'd covered his bases. He needed his family safe. And he needed to know he was still capable of taking command. He began to weave a spell to try to find magical signatures. He wanted to find where they were hidden. Something he could track. Anything. But everything he found seemed to stop at the portkey. Still, he found something odd up the beach. Something buried in the sand.

"Reveal!" he thrust his wand at it. A magical breeze blew sand away and he saw a nautilus shell that was edged in gold buried deep in the sand. It looked beautiful but felt quite deadly. This was it. This was a marker that James had left in order to make the unplottable plottable again. He picked it up and apparated out. He had to take it away from here. Make what James had found to be well hidden and lost again. He used a series of apparating hops to take it to the least likely location and buried it again before taking another route entirely home.

It had taken him about an hour for his trip. He was feeling a bit tired after using all that magic. But now he was determined to finish his perimeter check, just to be sure.

Cassidy shook her head and went out side with Steven at her side she cast her spell and walked level but not far from him looking for anything suspicious but found nothing which to her was good thing she found where Brian and been digging and covered it back as if nothing had happened glancing around she saw him return and walked over. " Let me guess hes going to be quiet lost if he comes back " she said " The guys brought me up to speed " she looked back down the beach both directions but all she saw was the men they had stationed around the house. Steven walked out seeing Cassidy with Brian he walked over " everything ok?" he asked and Cassidy nodded.

" yea, but I need to change" she looked at Brian " Do you need me for anything or can I change?" she asked waiting as if for an order of dismissal so she could change her clothes to something lighter as what she wore was more fitting for winter rather than the warm nights of the tropics.

"Go ahead," Brian relieved her. "We've got it. When you get changed, you and Steven do a very careful perimeter check inside the house. To the best of our knowledge they've never penetrated Robert's spells inside the house. I'd like to keep it that way. Jack, you go inside and rest up for the next round. We all know they're not done, and our real danger is right now when Khaat and Robert's energies are so depleted. Those who are able need to remain here tonight and stay sharp. Everyone clear? Someone go put a damned big pot of french roast on inside. When Kate gets the kids to bed, maybe she'll make us a big platter fo sandwiches. We're gonna need all the help we can get overnight."

"Not for most of us, Mate," Owens said. "Remember its only about lunchtime back home. We're good. We'll take it if you need us to."

"I appreciate that," Brian said.

Jack nodded and looked at Jess who sighed and moved to the kitchen to start a large pot of french roast for every one. Jack moved to the bedroom showering he tried to move his shoulder finding it stiff and with limited motion he finished and dressed laying on the bed and he was soon asleep. Cassidy moved to their room she saw the unmade bed and flicked her wand to make it his clothes she placed in the basket and only then did she change into alight top and slacks with a pair of heeled sandals her hair was still left up. She moved back out and glanced around the hall way she found nothing. but she kept her eyes wary as she moved from room to room except Khaats and Roberts knowing both would be shielded. She smiled as she entered the nursery and saw Fallon laid in her crib looking at her but she didn't go over to her yet instead checked out the room finding nothing she moved to pick her up comforting her before changing and placing her back in the cot to sleep again. Steven moved around the inside including the kitchen much to Jess's annoyance as she busied her self making sandwiches.

" you know hes fine now " he told Jess and saw her nod.

" I know but I can't help feel his pain at losing his family all over again" she said Steven smiled and walked over to her.

" but he hasn't, he has us and we're just as good as a family , hell we are his family " Steven said and Jess smiled thanking him she went back to making the sandwiches now feeling happier.