Marriage is Murder

It had been, so far, the best weekend Khaat had ever had in her life. Brian had brought her back to where they fell in love. Back to Venice. It was lovely. He had pampered her with absolutely the best Venice had had to offer, and with more love and romance than she had ever dreamed was possible in the world. He had taken her to a beautiful dinner their first night there and had asked her, over champagne and roses, to make their common law marriage real. He was happy, he was sure, and he wanted her--for life. She knew what had happened the last time she had let her heart answer before she had time to engage her head, and she had had every intention of taking some time to think. But her heart had spoken up the instant Brian's loving words had left his lips. Her heart had accepted without a second's consultation from her head. And now she was curled up beside him in their luxurious hotel suite, as somewhere off a clock chimed 2 am. Brian was in a deep sound, contented sleep. No one knew they were here. They could breathe. She settled in and laid her head on his chest and slept, his heart beating against her ear.


Meanshile, the floo in Robert's office sprang to life. It was 2 in the afternoon for Robert. He was 12 hours behind Brian and Khaat. Brian had been specific to not tell anyone but Robert where they were going and what hotel they were staying at. Suddenly the floo sprang to life and Owen's voice called desperately for Robert.

"Do stop shouting, Man," Robert sighed tiredly.

"Where's Brian?"

"On a holiday weekend alone with Khaat," he replied.

"Oh God," Owens said. "Gelding. We caught one of his agents tonight. Gelding and his gang know where Brian is right now. They're already on their way. Robert, Brian and Khaat are going to die!"

"Angus! Jack! Steven! NOW!" Robert bellowed. "We'll take care of it, Owens. Stay on standby in case I need you."

Steven heard Robert call and heard the urgency in his voice he took out his wand and dove to Robert. Jack, Jess and Cassidy not far behind him " whats wrong , gelding ?" he said instinctively as he walked over to him and stood waiting his face showing his anger to ward the man he had only met once in his life, the time he had hurt cassidy.

Jack stood next to Steven " when do we go and where?" he asked already ready for a fight to protect his friends his heart racing in his chest as the adrenalin rushed through him. Jess looked at Robert holding Jacks arm as she fought to calm him down.

" so he came out the wood work " she said " I'll stay with the children " she moved to stand to one side and looked at them as Cassidy ran in to stand with Steven.

" I'm going too and don't say I can't , I'm fine and ready to kick butt" she said holding her want up to Steven then turning to face Robert " time I got off my butt and back on my feet " she smiled

Robert said. "Jack--you remember where Brian took you to stay in Venice? That's where he went. Gelding is taking a platoon of wizarding assassins as we speak to go kill Khaat and Brian. I don't know how he knows where they are, but I need you to go. Go now--save my family. Gelding would lovve to draw me out, and I can't go, damnit. I can't go. Its 2 am there. They'll be asleep. They think no one but me knows where they are. They'll be off their guard. They'll be killed before they know what hit them. Go. Go now. For God's sake, kill anyone who tries to hurt a hair on their heads."

Angus drew his wand. "I know where Brian would go to. Lets apparate together. Steven, if you dont' know, one of you needs to apparate with Jack, and one of you with me."

Robert tossed them two portkeys. Old rusty skeleton keys. "This will take you to the hotel." He paused for just a moment. Then his voice got softer. "Please dont' come back and tell me they're dead. Go now."

"We'll make sure Gelding doesn't touch them," Angus said with an iron fierceness. "I swore with my life to bodyguard her. And Brian is my friend. Your grandchildren are my children too. I wont' fail you. I give you my word. Let's go. I'd lvoe to be the one to fire a killing curse at him."

Steven nodded as he watched Jack grab a port key he moved to jack and took hold of his shirt, while Cassidy still holding her wand took hold of Angus's arm as she watched Jack aperate with Steven away. She looked at Angus " don't worry I won't get dizzy " she said and let out her breath as she anticipated the pull that would happen when he aperated.

Jess looked at Robert and sighed before she ran back upstairs to the girls and Andrew moving them all to the living room where she could keep an eye on them all she sat with coloring books and crayons as she sat with them looking at Kate as she drew with Andrew.

Angus apparated Cassidy and himself into a large linen closet in the hotel that he knew Brian would be in. He had a general idea where the best suites were. "We know they'll be on the top floor but I don't know which suite. Jack will know when he gets here. We'll have no choice but to risk being seen and apparate upstairs. Hold on." He apparated them upstairs to the top floor and saw wizards all dressed in black and wearing black hoods to hide their faces. They were heading down the hallway towards Angus and Cassidy. Angus looked behind him to the elegant placards on the doors of the room. He quickly read the Italian and picked out the Presidential Suite. He took a stand between the room and the wizards. He used his wand and cast a glowing red line on the floor.

"You cannot pass this protection line," He said firmly.

"Not so long as you live," one wizard said, "But that's easily remedied."

"Contego!" he cast a shield spell to cover him and Cassidy as the wizards threw killing curses at them. They were outnumbered greatly. Gelding had sent at least 8 wizards to come to kill Khaat and Brian. Angus knew that Brian had defeated Gelding enough times that Gelding was clearly taking no chances now. But Jack and Steven arrived, they would have more even odds. And if Brian and Khaat woke, Angus knew that they were far more trained and skilled than Geldings men.

Steven and jack aperated into the second floor store closet and quickly ran up to the sound of wands and spells being fired jack pounced and knocked down one man while Steven fired at them from behind effectively catching them in a cross fire.

Cassidy had her wand out and firing taking down a man as she stood back to back with Angus " you'd think they would get the message by now " she said seeing Steven and jack firing behind them she dodged a spell that his a wall behind her but fired her own at the man who froze and fell like a stone statue to the floor twisting she aimed again at one who was aiming for Angus but she missed and he shot his spell ,"LOOK OUT !!" cassidy shouted as she reached out pushing Angus she hoped out of its way

Angus heard Cassidy shout a warning at him, and when she dove for him, he grabbled hold of her and apparated them out of the way to the other side of the wide hallway.

"Nice try, but you missed," he said. He fired a spell at the leader of the platoon, and it tossed the wizard backwards into the wall. The man's wand broke when he hit the wall. He recovered almost instantly, but he flew into a rage. He dove at Angus, who instantly engaged in a brawl.

"Wake them up!" He ordered Cassidy. They needed a few more wizards. Khaat and Brian were good fighters, and if they could help, it would even the odds considerably. "I'll hold them off. Go get them up. They need to know they're in danger."

Cassidy nodded and dove for the door of the suit that Brian and Khaat were in unlocking it she dove in " sorry to barged in, but we have a hallway full of men wanting you both death under geldings orders, Angus, Steven and jack are doing well, but we really could use the extra help." she said looking at them both as she waited wand drawn and tensed ready to fire in case they got past Angus and into the room.

Jack fired at one man who was aiming for Steven " thanks mate" Steven said and fired behind jack " now were even " he said as they kept firing. Steven slowly working to Angus standing to his left where Jack was on his right all firing and protecting the doorway.

Brian awoke immediately. He sprang out of bed and grabbled his wand. Khaat grabbed her robe and put it on and grabbed her wand as well.

"Stay here," he said to her, kissing her.

"Not a chance," she said. "I stand a better chance with you all than in here by myself." He sighed.

"Alright," he said. "But stay close. Let's go." Khaat and Brian followed Cassidy out of the room. Brian's temper raged when he saw Gelding's assassin squad there.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," he said in a quiet voice, trying to suppress his rage. "These people are Gelding's paid assassins. Kill every one of them that you can. And yes, that is an order. They've been trying to make our lives miserable for almost two years."

"That's about to come to an end, Quinn," one of them laughed evilly at Brian. The leader of the assassins began to weave some sort of a spell, and Brian knew it wasn't good. But before he could raise a shield, the man threw the spell at Khaat who fell like a stone before she even got a shot off her wand. Angus flew to her. He couldn't find a sign of life anywhere on her. He felt the color drain from his face. He looked up at Brian, the look in Angus's eyes saying it all. Brian felt a million emotions overpowering him. He began firing one killing curse after another as rapidly as he could trying to kill any of them--all of them.

Cassidy saw Khaat drop and the look of rage on Brian's face she fired fast and hard into the men one tried to grab her she spun kicking him then throwing him onto his back , as he landed she broke his neck then fired at another moving to Brian's side she turned to Angus " get her to Robert, NOW!!" she shouted as she felt the arm of another wrap around her throat Steven dove over and pulled him of her throwing him into two other men.

" keep your hands of my fiance " he shouted killing three more " Brain we should get out of here, or at least call more men in" he said knowing the pain that must be coursing through Brian's veins and mind at that moment in time. Jack killed four but more took there place.