Marriage is Murder

When Brian finished his own perimeter check, he drew his own age line around the property for the night. It glowed bright blue in a wide circle around the place. If anyone crossed it that was younger than Robert, they would be alerted instantly. It might well hold people off until morning. That might buy Khaat and Robert some time.

He posted men all around the perimeter to stand guard. And then he went inside, got a pad of paper and a pen and started sketching. If he was going to be commanding this by himself, he was going to make use of every single thing he knew.

Kate saw Brian with the pad of paper and the pen and she brought him a cup of French roast. "What are you doing?" she asked gently.

"I want a good map," he said. "I want to mark exactly what we know on it."

"So that you can frustrate yourself by what you dont know?" she asked.

"Something like that," he said quietly.

Cassidy walked back to the living room " every rooms been checked apart from yours and Roberts , its all clear " she said to Brian" just getting a cup of coffee and I'll re do the out side again" she grabbed a cup of french roast for herself and moved out side to look around. Steven followed and walked next to her watching as he moved.

" So did you learn anything?" he asked her but she kept her head down as she walked .

"Yeah don't be distracted while patrolling, you could miss something important, its good to see you again dear." she said and glanced at him for a second smiling at him. Moving back she looked up at two men above her and three around the house. she walked in to the living room " All clear still Brian." she staid stood up where Steven sat down in a chair and accioed a cup of coffee for himself.

"For now," Brian said, looking up from his sketch. "Thank you." He sed it like a map and began to plot things out on it. Intrusions and attacks on the safehouse and where the intruders had been seen or spotted. He began to try to look for a pattern.

It was Kate that seemed to see it. "Look," she said quietly. "They got in either from the water or from the sand side where you found the shell. It will be very interesting now to see what they can do or what happens now that you got rid of the shell."

"If there's a leak, I'll find it," he said. "I swear. I refuse to lose my family."

"We're all standing with you," she said, starting to gently massage his shoulders. "Stop taking it personally. Its a war. If you go back to tatking it personally, you'll lose it. If you handle it the way Robert and Remus taught you, you'll win it. It might take some time, but you'll get it. I know you."

Jack woke with a start finding his room quiet and dark he moved stiffly but he sat up, with a quick shower soon he picked up his shirt and slipped it on moving back out to the main living room " hay any coffee left?" he asked and Jess brought him a cup and made him sit down . Jack looked over at Brian he knew he was going to go after them " I want in on this Brian" he said his voice housing a hint of anger as he spoke. Jess looked at Jack then at Brian. Cassidy walked in from being out side she sighed and shook hr head.

" its too quiet " she said and walked to the kitchen " got any tea ?" she asked finding the pot empty " WHEN YOU FINISH IT PLEASE REFILL" she shouted and heard chuckles from out side she looked at Angus " when will they actually realize I'm just as good as they are" she said as she started to make a fresh pot of tea.

"I want you in it," Brian said. "You're the only active werewolf here that we know of. Its potentially in the blood of my father in law, my wife and my children, but none of them have ever transformed. So I need you. But I also really do need Robert and Khaat. Remus is being drawn back from across the veil for this for some damned reason. I don't know why, but..."

"I'll tell you why," Kate said. "The night I went into labor with Khaat, Remus was there. He swore, that no matter what, he would always, alway be there for Khaat. He wasn't just giving us empty words. He was making us a vow. A promise he took more seriously than his own life. And then when he raised her, there was just that love between him and Khaat. It taught us that love is the singular most important form of magic in all of creation. I honestly don't think that he can ever be separated from her or from Robert either one. He knows she's in danger from a werewolf--his greatest fear of all. And that fear is strong enough to bring him back."

Meanwhile, Robert woke, found he had recharged and got up, showered, shaved and dressed. He looked like nothing had ever happened. He went into Khaat's room and checked on her first. She would be waking soo, but he didn't sense that she was going to be 100%. He came out into the living room.

"You lot arent' still speculating about my brother, are you?" Robert frowned.

"Yes. They are" Angus said, handing Robert a mug of fresh Earl Grey.

"Jeesh. You all must be dreadfully bored," Robert said.

Jack looked at Brian and nodded " always got your back Brain" he said and sat back against the chair " thought my shoulders still a little sore " he said and smiled at Jess who drew off the pain and kissing his for head moved into the kitchen.

" its because of how you're acting , show some back bone Cassidy and accept men will be men , present company excluded " she said smiling at Angus as she pored out a cup of tea slipping in a dose of restorative potion and returned to Jack handing it to him. " he'll be ok " she said and saw Robert walk in " when are they not " she said smiling at him.

Kate glanced towards the master bedroom. "Brian, you might want to go see if she needs a hand. She's waking up."

"On it," Brian said. He snapped his fingers and a large mug of french roast came and he took it back to the bedroom. Khaat was waking up, with a screaming headache. Brian went over and drew it off for her. He handed her the cup of coffee silently. He waited until she took a couple of sips of coffee.

"I need to be up," she said. "I need to be working. I...was dreaming."

"About Remus?"

"Well, sort of." She got up and went over to the desk. She saw the ring and the stones partly assembled. She sat down at the desk and began working on it. "I saw this ring," she said to Brian. "And I know where it goes. I don't know what it does, but I know where it goes."

"Why don't you shower first and then get some food? You need to rebuild your energies. I'll help you with this after that," he said. She sighed and nodded. "I'll get your clothes. You go dress." She chose a pair of jeans and a plain light baby pink cotton blouse with the sleeves rolled up almost to her elbows.

Jack chuckled as he drank his tea and lent against Jess as he watched Brian head to Khaat as she sat with Jack rubbing his shoulder. Cassidy walked out and looked at Robert and heard Jacks stomach grumble and chuckled " time to make breakfast" she said and moved back into the kitchen pulling out the things she needed to make a full English breakfast. Jess smiled and stood up " I'll help Cassidy" she said but paused a she saw Steven walk in to stand with Cassidy.

" so no welcome back hug" he said and she looked at him smiling touching his chest gently.

" later, I'm making breakfast " she said but she felt Steven grasp her around her waist and pull her to him kissing her deeply cassidy relaxed and smiled a she felt him kiss her her arms went around his neck , holding her closer to him " I have missed you " she said softly and kissed him deeply again " but now I have breakfast for a tone of people to make " she said trying to pull away from him but he still held firm. she looked at him and smiled " no no more stressing we have more important things to think of not that our wedding isn't...." she was cut off by him once again kissing her.

Brian wrapped his arm around Khaat's waist, not certain how strong she was today. He just wanted her to stay on her feet. He walked her out to the living room, helped her to a chair and took her coffee cup to refill it as Abbey and Dakota came out from their room, scampering down the hallway.

"Mama!" they exclaimed, leaping up into the chair with her. It made her laugh.

"Good morning," she kissed them both. She noticed Abbey was extra clingy this morning. "What's with you?" Khaat asked her.

"She saw Brian carry you in last night," Kate said. "It scared her, I think."

"I am just fine," she said to Abbey, kissing both the girls.

"Big dog not here?" Abbey said.

"No. He's not," Khaat said. "Everything is alright now. We made him go away. "

"Bad doggie," Abbey frowned.

"That's right. He is bad," Brian said. Abbey looked at Jack, frowning a little.

"Doggie," she pointed.

"Yeah, but how do you know?" Brian asked. Abbey pointed to her nose. That labrador animagus had picked up on the telltale scent a werewolf gave off.

"Bad doggie?" Abbey looked at Brian.

"No," Brian said. "He's good. I know its hard to tell it apart, but he's okay. You know Uncle Jack. I'm sorry that's confusing. It's okay now." She looked at Brian and simply nodded.

"Okay," she said.

Jack was sat back with his eyes closed for a moment hearing Abby talk he looked up and looked at Brian as she asked if he was a bad doggie. " um...that's right, I'm not like that bad doggie" he said looking at Abby and then he looked at Brian " its ok , its only confusing because we're related and the same thing , one good the other is bad. " he said adding a sigh " at least she knows not all wears are bad some are good " he hoped and wished more were like Abby and asked not just judged buy others actions. Jess caressed his shoulders drawing off more pain than he let on from the gashes even though it was healed.

Cassidy broke her kiss from Steven and smiled at him " ok I need to get these men fed, we can catch up later tonight" she said and Steven chuckled and smiled slowly he let her go and she went back to making the sandwiches soon there was four large trays filled with sandwiches she took a smaller one and walked out placing it on a small table in the living room. "ok foods ready time to eat" she said and looked at Brian and jack just as Andrew ran past and stopped at the tray he looked at Jack who nodded and he took two sandwiches walking over to Abby he held one up,

"For mabby" he said standing with one arm up to Khaat.