Marriage is Murder

Andrew gave up and ate his orange piece and sighed he watched Abby with the orange pieces and peach pieces and made the letter O with his mouth and nodded. Jess was just glad that was sorted now even if she could not she would remember that for another time and another child. Jack finished his meal and moved out side to the pool area feeling the cool breeze blowing off the ocean against his skin he wish things with his brother had been different but he knew for some reason fate chose him to be on the side of good. Jess looked at Kate then out at Jack standing out side.

"He'll stop overthinking soon enough," Kate said to Jess. "About the next time James comes around."

"You mean like this?" a voice sounded, as James simply walked into the house through the walls that were always open to the fresh air. He had come in on the other side of the house from Jack.

"Where are my men?" Lee demanded, already on his feet , his wand draw. Brian was on his feet as well, an so was Robert, all with wands drawn. Khaat's necklace began to glow a brilliant emerald green. Powerful, ready, and just waiting for a chance to activate itself.

"I didn't see any men when I arrived," James shrugged. "But there are a lot of corpses out there. They really are making quite a mess. I'd clean them up if I were you before the muggles find them and you have an international incident to deal with, Mr. ..Kraig...is it?"

"It is," Lee said. "What do you want today?"

"You are a bit of an inhospitable substitute host, Kraig. Oh, I see you're not quite up to your chipper self, are you, Lupin?" James sneered. Kate and Angus moved slowly and carefully to stand between James and the children.

"More than enough to deal with dispatch you with great pleasure," Robert said.

"And then what would you do for amusement, pray tell? And we're just in time for breakfast. Girls? Are you hungry?" he asked. James mother and sisters entered. Lee's men were now all on their feet, wands at the ready.

"You're ridiculously outnumbered," Lee told him. "This is stupid on your part."

"Perhaps," James said. Perhaps not." He flicked his wand with the very slightest gesture and apparated Abbey from her place at the table into his arms. Abbey shrieked in utter terror. Khaat screamed for her daughter and tried to spring up from the sofa. Brian wrapped his arms tightly around Khaat to restrain her. Khaat felt her heart wanting to stop altogether as Abbey continued to scream and cry at the top of her little lungs in sheer terror. "Do tell," James said. "Exactly where is dear Jackie Boy this morning?" He backhanded Abbey hard across her cheek, and the child fell limp, knocked out. Brian was outraged. Khaat nearly lost her mind, seeing Abbey hurt. Robert stood firm, his face getting more and more stonefaced by the second. Brian knew that sign too well. Robert was amping up.

Jack lifted his head throwing down his cup and running as fast as he could into the house seeing Abby in James arms screaming then the slap that rocked him to the core and he gave out a vicious and wall shaking roar as he could not help part transform " PUT HER DOWN...NOW !!" he cried his muscles tensed as he looked at him stood mere meters from him James might have stood taller than him but he doughted he had his temper or his need to protect. " I will say this once more brother, let...her...go." he said again his voice deep and angry the hate for his brother clear in his eyes. Steven stood in front of Jess who held the triplets Andrew clung to his leg but his eyes seem to change slightly and he looked up at Robert.

"Oh, so there you are," James grinned calmly. "And give me one reason why I shouldn't simply keep this one for a snack later tonight?" Robert instantly shot a glare to Brian who covered Khaat's mouth to keep her from doing or saying anything, and he whispered swiftly into her ear in a tone so soft he was sure only she could hear.

"What exactly do you want?" Lee repeated.

"The same thing I have always wanted. I'll exchange one Lupin for another. You give me the mother, I'll give you the child."

"Never," Robert answered powerfully.

"Oh, then you wont' mind if I simply dispatch this one now. I would think a simple snap of the neck would do it--very much like a chicken? Do you think?" he said. Khaat struggled hard against Brian to free herself to willingly surrender herself for Abbey. But she was far too weak, and Brian was far too strong. Robert felt his knees buckle for a second at the same instant Khaat seemed to faint in Brian's arms, but an instant later, she was straightening herself. Remus's wand in Brian's boot silently snapped to Khaat's hand. Her face looking at Robert with a suddenly serious stonefaced expression that mirrored his own.

"Let her go, Brian," Robert said, clinging to the table to stand. Brian frowned, wondering if Robert had lost his mind. "I said, let go of her," Robert ordered.

Jack let out a deep gravely growl at James " you do and I swear I will tear out your heart and rip it to shreds " he said taking a step closer to him , Jack turned to Khaat his nose picking up the subtle scent of Turkish cologne and he looked slowly back at James grinning at him " I say again for the last time ...let her go" he growled. Cassidy looked at Khaat and then saw Robert go down she touched Kate's shoulder her wand now held in her hand as she held Fallon close to her.

" you'd better do as he says " she said to him glaring at him but not giving away any sign she knew who he was dealing with now.

Robert nodded very slightly at Brian that he knew what he was saying. Brian didn't have one cell of his body that wanted to let her go, but he obeyed. Khaat seemed to straighten herself even taller and changed her defensive stance. Then Brian recognized it, but not until she changed her position slightly to mirror her father's. Suddenly Khaat apparated out of the room and reappeared behind the women, a wand in each hand, and one thrust into the back, right over the heart of James's mother and another into the back of one of James sisters. And because one sister was standing in front of another, if Khaat's wand fired a killing curse, it would go straight through one sister and into the other.

"Now," Khaat's voice was fierce and unyielding. "Hand the baby to your brother, James, very gently or you'll all die right here, right now. Do as he says or I'll take you all out simultaneously, and believe me, i won't miss. But even if by some miracle i did, your brother won't hesitate."

"Oh, well played," James said, seemingly amused. "Perhaps I'll keep you for myself. You really are a spicy, unpredictable little package, aren't you?"

"You have no idea just how right you are," Khaat's voice responded. "And no idea of just how unmanageable I can be."

"Sounds like something I'd like to try," James said in a false alluring tone.

"Oh, do try," Khaat's voice laughed. "Give me a reason." Then the voice got hard and cold. "Black Heart. take the child from him. Now."

Jack snapped a look as Khaat appeared behind his mother and sisters " yes sir..erm ma'am" he growled and stepped forward taking Abby from James he had to pry James arms open but he managed it his eyes looking right into James not a flicker of remorse crossed them " you can thank Khaat that I don't tear you heart out " he said his nails digging into James arm as he slipped abbey into his own and stepped back he didn't take his eyes off him for a moment. Steven moved forward and took Abby off him knowing he would want her to get to Kate, moving quickly he handed her to Kate and stepped to stand beside Jack his want ad the ready. Andrew watched then gave out a loud ish wolf growl but staid hid behind Jess's leg.

"Give her to me, Kate," Robert said. Kate passed Abbey's limp form to Robert, and Robert checked her quickly and revived her. She immediately began to kick and scream and fight in complete hysterics. Robert laid his hand on her tiny forehead and said softly in a slow chanting tone, "Calm. Peace." He cast a calming spell into her. She stopped her screaming and curled into him, crying very softly. "Take her now please until I can tend to the bruises," Robert told Kate. Kate took her back from Robert, immediately moving to comfort her.

At that instant, the wands in Khaat's hands fired simultaneously into the women and then both rapidly into James. The women fell like stones and James fell, victim of a powerful Petricus Totalus. Khaat's form moved around to the face James. Her face looked up into Jack's. "They're not dead--yet," her voice said. Then she looked into James's open eyes. "Believe me, you don't know me at all. But I do know you," the voice said. She looked up at Lee. 'Kraig, I presume you can take them into custody while they're still stunned?"

"I can," Lee said, motioning his aurors forward to secure the 4 paralyzed werewolves. "Well done, Khaat."

"Just get them away from my family," was the only response he got. Her eyes looked back at Jack. "I'm sorry they chose this path, but they chose it years ago, and once one heads this path, there is no going back, as you well know."

Jack watched as the 4 wears fell his mind saying finally it was over till Khaat told him they were not dead he looked down at her " you should have killed them " he said coldly and looked down at James, kneeling down he lent over him " if it were up to you I and very one here would be dead, but that's the difference between us brother, its called humanity " he said his claws digging into James chest as if marking an X on him " come back again and my promise will be kept " he said and stood up closing his eyes he took a deep breath reverting back to human once more as he moved to Jess holding her then picking up Andrew in his arms before turning back to watch them take James and the others away.

Lee supervised how the aurors secured them, and Lee stripped them of their magic altogether and made sure they were in magical shackles and handcuffs that would not be broken and would not release them until Lee released them. "Get them out of here," Lee ordered.

"Where are you taking them?" Brian asked.

"Dont think you Brits are the only ones with a wizarding prison. Ours just isn't here. They'll be secure, believe me. I'll go with them to transport and I'll be back. I'll leave most of my men here with you. I need a departmental detail to remove my...men..outside," he said. Losing even one man never got easier, but so many...well, that bothered Lee. "Don't send your women out. Its not fit for them to see."

"You all stay here," Robert ordered. "Brian, you're in charge. I'm going out with Lee to the scene for a moment." Brian understood. The two ministers needed to look over the brutal looking scene and handle it without two nations coming apart. "Jess, see to Abbey, please." Then he looked at Khaat. "Are you staying?"

"No," was the response. "I won't be far, though. Brian, you'd better come and get her before I go." Brian went over to Khaat and an instant later, she fell entirely limp. He picked her up and returned her to bed on the sofa. He accio'd the wands back to him and slipped them side by side into his boot. He now had three wands. His in his right boot, and both of hers in his left.