Marriage is Murder

Jack sat back and nodded that he under stood perfectly " Understood " he said and took a sip of his tea and glanced at Andrew who sat next to him copying him again, he smiled he would do anything to protect the women and kids that were his family. Steven looked at Jack and chuckled.

"Don't worry mate you'll have your turn " he said smiling as he spoke to him he knew how jack felt he too wanted to take down James but he knew that he had no chance as James was way stronger than he ever was or ever would be. Cassidy looked at Jess and shook her head Jess chuckled at her but had to agree it was amusing how Steven played Jack..

"Khaat," Brian said, feeling a seriousness come over him that almost bordered on sadness. "are you up to a short walk with me?"

"Of course," Khaat smiled at him. He looked back at her, unsettled. He got up and reached for her hand, and she took it.

"Excuse us for just a moment," Brian said to them. He slipped his arm around her for support and walked outside with her just to have a little time alone.

"Why are you so sad?" she asked him.

"I'm not," he sighed.

"Liar," she said. "Dont start saying goodbye to me. Its just an assignment like any other. We discussed this before we got serious. We knew we'd both have dangerous jobs from time to time, and we agreed we'd accept it--children or not. Don't let it get to be different for you now."

"It is different," he said. "Its all different now." Khaat sighed heavily, not wanting this to hurt Brian like this.

"Sounds like we need to do a lot of talking," she said, glancing out at the ocean.

Cassidy reached down and placed her hand on Stevens as Jess took Jacks not that he was going anywhere Steven pulled Cassidy down to sit on his knee and she gave a soft yell as she fell on to his lap but she smiled. Jess and Jack smiled and he held her close to him but Andrew wriggled out from between them " ugg auntie Cassie and uncle Steve going to kissy face. " he said and cassidy laughed looking at him.

" no Andrew were not " she said and looked at Steven " not yet anyway, if it upsets you we won't in front of you Andrew" she saw him smile and run to play pen and take out a toy car. He sat and started to play with it rocking it back and forward.

Khaat and Brian walked until Khaat got too tired to walk anymore. She and Brian sat down on the sand and they just talked, his arm around her and her leaning against him. Eventually he came to peace with it by deciding that he would do whatever it took to protect her. It wasn't as if he had any doubt that the others would do their best to help protect khaat and robert. And it wasn't that he didn't care about Robert. He did. Robert was the closest thing he had to a good dad for most of his life. But Khaat--she was his past, his present and his future. And he didn't want it cut short.

She whipsered a few promises in his ear, and it made him laugh. He resolved to go into it as her fighting partner, not as her husband. He had to emotionally divorce himself from this battle and decided to deal with it as best he knew how as an auror.

When they came back in, Robert looked up from playing with Abbey on his lap with a toy where he had been enchanting it with his finger to fly and dance. "Got it all worked out?" he asked Brian.

"We do," Brian answered. "We're in. Whatever the cost. We're in."

"You're a bit slow on getting to the right choice, Lad, but I'm glad you're there," Robert laughed.

Jess looked up and smiled at them both feeling the tension relaxed in both of them now. Cassidy nodded to Brian " so were all set now " she said as Steven tried to tickle her " hay not now " she said and batted his hand away " behave " she said and looked at them both as Jess stood up.

"tea for every one and some more of those popcorn scones" she said placing down a tray " I think for now we should relax a little there's enough tension in the air right now" she looked over at Jack who let his head fall back on the couch.

" Jess I'm fine, please relax " he said smiling at her.

Abbey bored of the dancing and flying toy when Brian and Khaat came back in and she climbed off of her grandpa's lap and scrambled up onto Brian's to glare hard into his eyes in a demanding way.

"What?" he frowned. "What do you want?" Abbey demanded Brian take her swimming--now. Not later. Now. He looked over at Khaat.

"She takes after her mother," he said.

"What? I dont like swimming quite that much," she said.

"No, I mean she's headstrong just like her mother."

"Youre not a pushover yourself," she said as he got up, picking up Abbey.

"Oh, I'm so tough," he laughed. "You see how hard I'm resisting her, dont you? Come on, Dakota. Andrew? You coming?"

Andrew dropped his toy and stood up " yay swim swim" he said and looked at Jess who with a wave of her hand changed his clothes to swim trunks and he happily ran to Brian and chuckled. " come on, come on wanna swim" he said Jack stood up and transfigured his clothes into swim trunks but Jess shook her head.

" ow no you don't jack black heart not in those flower power things" she said and changed them to a khaki colored pair. Steven laughed at Jacks face.

" hay wife knows best" he said and grinned at Cassidy who stood herself up transfiguring her clothes into a two piece suit showing her slender figure and slightly muscular body to him, " hay wait up" he said and did the same running after Cassidy who had dove into the pool to wait for him. Jack looked at Jess who also changed but she was not going to swim she had decided to catch some sun.

"Oh do let me help with those, Lover Boy," Brian grinned. He picked up Robert's wand and flicked it turning Jacks swim trunks to white with big red lip prints all over them. Khaat and her parents laughed loudly.

"Oh, be glad that was Brian doing that and not what I'd have done to you, Mate," Angus laughed. Brian transfigured his clothes into trunks and the girls into swimsuits. He looked at Khaat.

"I trust you to stay in and behave. Especially if you're going to battle a werewolf. You're going to need your energy."

"Not if I'm going to have all you there with me, I'm not," she smiled. Angus brought her a fresh cup of coffee, and he accio'd her book for her.

"Here. Make yourself useful. You've been reading this book for a year at least, almost 2. How about finishing it?" he asked.

Jess could not contain herself for laughing along with several men who saw him but jack saw the funny side and laughed too as he dove into the water , Jess transfigured them back knowing white would show all when wet and she didn't want very one seeing what her husband had, that was her privilege. She lay back on the lounger and smiled as Andrew jumped into Jacks arms laughing and happy to splash his father soon he was swimming with jacks help around the pool " mummy see what I can do" he said

"Nice one Andrew, keep that up and you'll be swimming on your own soon." she said and Andrew smiled at her kicking his legs splashing jack as he went. Cassidy and Steven were down the other end of the pool cassidy faced Steven and Jess could tell they were talking she smiled when she saw Steven splash her and she gave back then swum a little away from him he dove under the water and emerged up behind her making her scream out a little.

"And exactly what would you have done to him, Angus?" Robert asked, curious.

"This," Angus said. He flicked his wand at Brian, transfiguring his trunks to black with strands of great big magical, blinking Christmas tree lights in all sorts of colors.

"Hey!" Brian laughed. "Angus! Be careful. Payback is a devil. Be careful what you wish for!"

"And when exactly have you seen me swimming lately."

"Do not think I am limited to a pool, my friend," he said.

"I'd take him seriously if I were you," Robert said. "I could tell you stories about how he and Khaat used to prank Remus on a regular basis, and it wasn't that Remus was pretending to be surprised. They would actually get him. If they team up, you're in serious trouble, Lad."

"I'm shaking in my shoes," Angus laughed. Khaat looked out at Brian and gave him a very slight grin. Brian returned the same grin. Kate knew that as far as Brian and Khaat were concerned, the game was on.