Marriage is Murder

Steven walked out dressed along with Cassidy who wore a short but respectable black dress with a pair of small heeled court shoes. " don't any one say anything I am so not liking the short skirt " it was jack who spoke first about it.

" you look fine Cassidy " he said and moved to Jess as the walked into the kitchen for breakfast and food.

" I don't feel right in a dress " she said " Khaat could you help with the makeup I'm not that good at it " she asked as she sat down.

"I didn't do mine today," she said.

"Here, let me," Kate said. She found Khaat's makeup was close enough in color to Khaat's to use. The glamour spell would adjust any differences. When she was done with the makeup she cast a glamour spell. Then she joined Robert at breakfast to help him feed all the kids. Angus was dealing with Michael who seemed to be wanting to start a food fight with his finger foods and needed a bit of extra supervision. Kate and Robert managed Julia, Robert Remus, Abbey and Dakota.

Brian watched Khaat deal with breakfast and then he took her plate to the kitchen with his. She'd eaten half. That wasn't all that bad.

It wasnt that much longer before Lee came with at least a dozen additional very skilled aurors, all in black suits, to help transport their allies to their temporary quarters until the memorial service.

"You all look very nice," Lee said. "Are you ready to go?"

Jess fed the twins, Andrew and Fallon and then finished her own food with Jack who to her looked smart in his suit even if he did fiddle with the tie. Cassidy smiled at Kate and sat still while she let Kate do her makeup. "thanks Kate I'm useless at this sort of stuff " she said and saw Steven raise an eye brow.

" You don't wear it normally?" he asked and she shook her head Steven just chuckled. Jack chuckled along with him.

"That's a first " he said and got poked by Jess" what it is I always thought you women knew how to do makeup" he said and Jess sighed beside him.

" some of us don't know how " she said " you look nice Cassidy" she said and cassidy breathed out , Jess looked at Lee " I think were all fed, changed and are ready to go" she said smiling as she lifted Andrew from his chair and on to her knee.

Lee ordered each of his aurors to pick up at least one bag and one child until they ran out of kis and bags. Once they had the bags and kids in tow, each auror drew out their portkeys and offered a hand to each adult so that everyone could get there swiftly and safely past the protections.

"I know some of you would prefer to port together, but really, it will be just a moment and you'll all be together again safely," Lee said. "But it really is necessary to get past our protections."


"That's fine, Lee," Robert said.

"I'll take your daughter, Robert, if you go with my second."

"Agreed," Robert said. He watched his family go obediently to an auror and stand beside them, as Lee went over to Khaat and simply wrapped her close to him, sensing she needed the extra support.

"Port when you're ready," Lee said, porting out with Khaat. Brian took one last look at his children in the safe hands of the aurors before he ported out.

Jess took one mans hand while the other took one each and waited " we're ready" she said looking at Jack and then at Khaat as they ported away she opened her eyes to see a different room and let go of the Auror straight over to Jack and Andrew who sat with him chuckling as Jack tickled him.

" well no point in him being gloomy " he said and Jess nodded looking over at Robert and the others glad they were all safe.

Brian had landed in a very large, sprawling one floor home, disguised to look like any other military base building. The house was decorated in American southwest decor. Rustic, ruggid, solid, hearty. Comfortable. He liked it very much.

"Will this do?" he asked, as the aurors delivered the rest of Robert's crew.

"Indeed it will," Brian said.

"There are five adult bedrooms, and we've made six others to be either nurseries, children's bedrooms, or playrooms. There is one office/potions lab for Robert, fully equipped, and we'll be catering your food in so Angus wont' have to cook. However, there is a fully stocked gourmet quality professional kitchen. There is no work out room, I'm sorry to say, but you're all welcome to join the muggle air force soldiers for any of their workouts. There is a schedule on Robert's desk.

"Most of the people you see here are muggles, but everyone on the base is fully read in on you and on wizardry. They just accept is as any other skill. The one's who are wizards wear a forest green armband on their right elbow. Muggle reporters are always using satellite monitoring over the base, so we need to be careful what they see. The forest green is hard to detect from satellite height against fatigues. You have a couple of hours to get yourselves..what's the term you use...sorted?...before the calling hours begin. If you need a bit of a snack or a brunch in between the calling hours and the funerals, we are prepared to provide it, especially for the kids. Some of the aurors will remain behind with the children. I am presuming you do not want them to see this much death."

"I certainly do not," Brian said, "Not for mine, anyway."

Jess nodded " me to that's fine " she said as she saw Andrew run around like a plane jack walked in and chuckled "let me guess he saw one out the window?" she asked and jack nodded. Cassidy walked in and smiled

" This place is amazing " she said and brushed down her skirt " Steven has placed the bags in the rooms " she said and smiled as she stepped out of Andrews way. Steven walked back in stepping to one side.

" I'll be joining in the evening run " he said to Lee "might give the young ones something to aim for " he said and chuckled as he saw Cassidy roll her eyes

" be more if a woman beat them " she said and he had to agree.

Kate saw a mischevious look on Robert's face.

"You behave, you old man," she frowned.

"Katherine, I'm shocked. You think i'd misbehave in front of our hosts?"

"I certainly do! You have five broken ribs, You do not need any more trouble."

"I'm healing and I feel fine," he smiled. Khaat and Brian both already knew what he had in mind, and they just shook their heads. There would be no changing him now. "Can someone make some decent tea?" Robert asked.

"Coffee, please?" Brian asked.

"I already put spells in place to do that," Angus said. "Hold your horses til its ready. In the meantime, I'll go put the rest of our bags in our rooms and do the essential unpacking."

"Thank you," Khaat said to him.

Jess chuckled at the thought " ow a race how nice that would be " she said grinning as she looked at Robert " its been awhile " she said jack looked at Robert.

" no, we couldn't humiliate them like that " he said and smirked Steven looked up from moving Fallon to a toy drum witch she banged happily.

" yeah would be so wrong " he added and looked at Jess " well we all need a release and I think after the memorial it would be a good way to let off steam" he said hoping Robert and Kate would agree " you don't have to do it jack , Brian , Angus and I can do it I think we'd be enough for them anyway" he could not help but lok at Lee.

"Yes we could," Brian shrugged shamelessly.

"I'm in," Angus said.

"You all go," Kate said. "We're on a military base, one of the tightest guarded in the world. Go and relax a bit. Lee's got our security here. Khaat and I will look after the kids. By then, they'll be so tired, they'll all be asleep anyway. Maybe I'll bake something while you're all gone."

"Oh, good. Peppermint brownies?" Brian asked.

"If you like," she said. "But I was thinking of the peanut butter chocolate ones."

"With the s'more frosting?" Khaat asked.

"Those are the ones," Kate said.

"You lose, Brian. Peppermint brownies are for Christmas anyway." Angus floated in one tray of tea mugs and one of coffee mugs.

"Help yourselves," he said. A third tray floated in of bottles and juice boxes for the kids.