Marriage is Murder

Jess sighed as Cassidy listened she sat quiet listening to Robert's words and looked at Jess, standing she walked out to face Steven her face like thunder " sorry Robert but I have something to say as well " she said and poked his chest " if you ever do this again and put Khaat or disobey a direct order I will personally cancel this wedding and you will never EVER come near me or Fallon again" she said her anger got the better of her and she smacked him hard before turning and leaving the room for her room. Steven looked at Robert and sighed as he rubbed his soon to be black eye " yes sir perfectly clear" he said " can I go sir?" he asked

"Yes," Robert said quietly. Steven appeared to be getting it from all sides. People cared about him, but they were all professionals and when a team member made a rookie mistake, they were going to get called on it. And thats what they were doing. They were recognizing the strain that Brian and Khaat were under and they were responding like a team--exactly as they had been taught to do. Much as Robert wished he could soften it a bit for Steven, he realized he didn't dare. He sighed heaviy and excused himself and then said in a normal tone of voice, knowing perfectly well that jess and Cassidy would hear him perfectly well, "Lee's chef should be here any time with dinner. Please either set the table or just get drinks. Everyone is a bit scattered tonight so people might want to eat in either their rooms or the living room or wherever. this has been a hard day, so I suggest we let people do whatever they like."

He got up and went into the office Lee had arranged from and sat down to work. There was nothing he could do to help anyone at this point, so he decided he needed to work. He opened his bag and drew out his potions journal and began to formulate a new potion.

Steven left pausing at the door that lead to what was their room he moved to a spare room and lay down in the bed. Jess laid the table and sighed shaking her head as she did so then went back to finish her scones placing them on the cooling wire. Steven unable to settle got up and walked to the kitchen looking for a stake for his eye. Jess saw him and sat him down " it was your own fault " she said placing her hand on his eye and felt him sigh.

"Seems so" he said and looked at her wincing a little as she drew off the swelling from his eye. " its what I get for trying to watch some ones back" he said Jess made him look at her.

" its what you get for not following orders, Robert and Brian would rather Khaat be safe than them selves remember that Steven, as for Cassidy she's your problem " Jess said moving her hand as she felt his black eye now healed " for her I'd suggest you woo her again and this time don't be a jack ass" she said and moved to continue to set the table.

The food arrived on time. Robert seemed to be obsessed with his new potion formula,whatever it was, so she took him a plate. Khaat slept, and Brian wasn't hungry. He was dedicated to sitting with her. Kate and Angus took it upon themselves to feed Khaat and Brian's children and themselves.

"This is some of the best veal parmesan and spaghetti I've ever had," Kate said. "And the kids love the noodles. But this is the worst this group has been in a long, long time. They're struggling. I'm voting for us to get up and go to Colorado before breakfast. We need to get this behind us and start doing some things for fun. And there will be lots of staff there who will be just over the moon for a chance to spoil Robert's grandkids and any other kids. I know they've been working hard to make sure we feel like we're going to have a bit of a vacation in amongst all the dismal nonsense. We need to get the heck out of all this death into someplace where we dont' have to look over our shoulders."

"How about I go ahead of you all to Colorado tonight and have breakfast wating when you get there?" Angus suggested.

"What do you think?" Kate asked the others.

Jess sat with jack who was now awake and sat eating with her as he fed James, jaylen the twins and Andrew Cassidy sat away from Steven feeding Fallon she was clearly still annoyed at him. Jess looked at Angus " that's a good Idea Angus" she said " I think Kate we should do just that might clear the air a little " she said feeding the twins some noodles witch they loved as they could use there hands to eat it. Andrew used his fingers and fork to eat loving all the vegetables in it.

"I'll see you all in the morning, then," Angus smiled. He got up and cleared his place, sending the plates to the kitchen. He simply went to his room and picked up his bag, got his portkey and ported to Colorado.
Kate went into Robert's office and Khaat's room and ordered Robert and Brian to get off their behinds and come put kids to bed. They did so gladly, willing to do anything for the kids.

Kate did notice, though, that after the kids were in bed, Robert brewed a pot of strong French Roast instead of his favorite tea. Not his habit. He took a large mug of the extra strong, double duty coffee and went back to the office. She followed.

"Are you going to work all night?" she asked softly.

"Most likely," he said.

"Robert, we have to feed Khaat. She needs the food."

"Let her sleep, Kate. The exhaustion needs deep rest. I have her sedated. I'll wake her at breakfast."

"I've send Angus on to Colorado."

"You did?" he looked up at her, frowning.

"This isn't good for us," she said to him. "We need them to all be able to de-stress. They're ready to crack. We need to go on to Colorado--all of us--before breakfast. First thing in the morning."

"Then I have work to do tonght, Kate. Sleep well," he said gently.

Jess helped clear the table while Jack put the kids to bed making sure the were all tucked in he looked at Cassidy as she put Fallon and the twins to bed " how long are you going to stay made at him for?" he asked her.

" till he learns we're a team who follow orders" she said and kissed James on his cheek before moving to her room and took a shower. Jack shook his head and sighed before heading to help clean up with Jess.

" still not forgiven him right?" she asked and he nodded as he moved to hold her. " they will in time " she said chuckling as he kissed her neck " ok later Jack right now we have a table to clear" he let her go and picked up several plates.

Kate ended up falling asleep in the liviing room curled up on the sofa over a book she'd been reading. Robert saw her and stroked her cheek. She had stood beside him like his immovable rock. She was tired. He could see it. He covered her and let her sleep where she was. He was more than tired. Between his ribs, the energy he was giving to Khaat, the extra work he was doing on his potions for her, and the stress and strain that the loss of 12 American aurors had caused for his team, he was starting to feel it.

He drank coffee all night and sat at the desk working on his new potions idea, calculating, recalculating, researching and doing it all over again. He had also been running Sparks and St. Mungos long distance and preparing for what might need to be done in the Ministry if he ever got a chance to kick Grindlewald around London.

He heard the clock strike five when he realized he'd finished an entire pot of the overly strong coffee by himself. He was getting a caffeine headache and everything ached from being up all night. He went out to the kitchen, started another pot of coffee with less power because most of that crew wasn't going to drink the swill hed been drinking all night. Then he began rifling through the cabinet looking for some sort of muggle pain pill. Asprin, he thought they called them. He was becoming frustrated looking for them.

Jess woke hearing a noise in the kitchen she slipped from the bed and walked into the kitchen \" bottom draw at the back" she said walking over and poring some water " I can tell you have been up all night " she said and placed the glass on the table then walked over to him she took her hand and placed it on his shoulder drawing off some of his pain " there that should make you feel better if you still want those muggle things " she said reaching into the draw and taking out the box for him and placing them in his hand. " you shouldn't push your self so much, I saws Kate sleeping on the couch" she said

"She's tired," Robert said. "She's been carrying everything I haven't had time to deal with. I didn't have the heart to wake her once she went to sleep. Brian fell asleep in the chair in the bedroom and i didnt wake him either. Khaat's barely moved since we put her in bed yesterday afternoon. She's going to need one hell of a massage once she wakes up.

"Thanks for drawing thatt off. Its just stress and I know that, but...I've been working on a new potion. One to hopefully try to cause the body's system to increase regenerating against energy drains. Somethig more than the little bit that seers tea gives. But my calculations just arent coming out right. Its one of those potions that have defied potions masters for centuries. But my hope was to find it to help Khaat."

"Your daughter just needs sleep," Kate said from the sofa, yawniing. "Good food, people who love her, a break from the persecution that's followed her for the last three years..."

"That's all, huh?" Robert sighed, feeling the weight of that. He'd been trying to do that for her since it had started. He heard the coffee finish brewing and refilled his cup. "How soon are we going to be able to go?"

'there is a 3 hour time change. Its only 2 am there," Kate said. "Patience."