Marriage is Murder

Brian noticed how quickly Khaat dozed off once the lights went out. He never moved, silently savoring every second he got to smell her hair and her perfume, and to feel her soft skin on his shoulder. The panic he'd felt last night haunted him. He had believed she was dying and that he was helpless. He almost kicked himself now for not waking Robert. He couldnt answer even now why he hadnt woke him up. But he hadn't. It hadn't occured to him. The only thing that had occured to him was holding her. And, it has turned out that it was what she had needed. He simply wanted her to get strong again. And as he sat with her, he felt his own strength flowing into her, simply by his willing it to do so.

Midway through the movie, Robert moved up briefly and sat on the other side of Khaat and laid his hand on her and then moved Brian's hand away from her. "Stop," he said to Brian in a whisper. "She's fine. You cant fix her entirely like this. It doesn't work that way. She's just sleeping. She's fine. Just enjoy the movie. We'll talk later--I promise. There just hasn't been time today. It's alright. I'm watching." He patted Brian's hand reassuringly and returned to his seat. Brian put his arm back around her but he did try to stop sending energy to her. He began to renew some of his own interest in the cheese popcorn and in his bottle of cola instead.

When the movie ended, Robert asked them if they would like to watch another movie or try another muggle Christmas tradition--watching football on tv on Christmas.

"For football? I'm in," Brian grinned. "American or English, Robert?"

"Why not both?" Robert flicked his wand at the screen and enabled American football on the left and English on the right. "Shall I do quidditch too?"

"Might be a bit much," Brian said. "I only have two eyes."

"I could fix that for you," Robert offered, laughing.

"Well, as a dad, I might like eyes all over my head--for awhile," Brian said. "But no thank you." Then he looked at Steven. "I keep forgetting Jess is a seer and a healer. I guess I didn't expect her to notice."

"We all noticed, Son," Robert said, as he and Kate moved closer. He got out fresh sodas. "What flavor this time?"

"Root beer," Kate said.

"Oh, sounds good. Me too, please?" Brian asked. "Steven? Need a cold one?"

"Sure. Why not?" Brian asked. "Got any real beer in there, Robert?"

"Not your sort of beer. I just have a real man's beer," Robert grinned.

"Oh really? Bring it on. Two of them. One for me and one for Steven."

"Oh, brother!" Kate laughed. "Alright. Give me one of those instead of the root beer, then." She watched Robert get out four bottles of stout and float two of them over to Brian. He handed one to Steven and took the other. Robert took the other two for himself and Kate.

"Its an American microbrewer. Their beers and stouts and ales are really quite good, as American brews go," Robert said.

"Not bad," Kate said taking a sip of hers. "Run!" she found herself shouting at the quarterback for the Denver team as he intercepted the ball on a long pass that was to go to the San Francisco quarterback.

"I really would like to apparate him down to the goal line," Brian sighed.

"Behave," Robert laughed.

Brian was not the least bit disappointed when Denver won the American game. The British team he was rooting for in the other game lost. He just shrugged.

"Well, I guess that means I come out even," he said.

"Angus is coming," Kate said, standing up and stretching.

"Oh good," Robert said. "That must mean he's put something together for dinner tonight. I"m starving."

"Oh, honestly. You had a huge holiday breakfast, an even bigger holiday feast, you ate popcorn and beer all afternoon---and you're hungry?" she asked.

"As it so happens, yes," he replied.

"If anyone's hungry, I have just a simple buffet of cold sandwiches--ham, roast beef, or turkey, several salads, some fresh fruit salads, and more desserts. Oh, and I want you to try something new I did. I am trying to make homemade soda. I'd like your opinions."

"If you made it, I'm sure its wonderful," Kate said.

"Brian," Robert said, "We do need to wake Khaat. She's slept all afternoon. I really do want her to try to eat something. Anything."

"I have at least half a dozen different fresh fruit salads, Robert," Angus said. "I know she'll like all of them."

"That's fine by me. I don't care what she eats, so long as she does. What about the kids?"

"They're already there and they're eating like they haven't eaten all day. "

"Excellent."

"I'll go ahead up to the dining hall, Robert," Kate said. "I trust you three can wake up Khaat."

"I would suppose we can manage," Robert said, as Kate followed Angus out. Robert felt the hesitation in Brian, so Robert walked over to her. He laid his hand on her forehead. "She's fine. She should hold up fairly well for at least a couple of hours." He stroked her cheek and called to her gently, but she was in a deep sleep. He tapped her cheek very lightly a couple of times, and she woke. Well, sort of. He conjured her a cup of espresso.

"Try that," he told her. He watched her looking around, trying to get her bearings. "Were you dreaming?" She nodded slowly, yawning. "Well, you're still where you were. You slept through the movie and a football game." She groaned, finding her neck stiff from laying her head on Brian's shoulder. "Let me get that," he said as she straightened herself. He laid one hand on each side of her head and gave it a sharp twist in the opposite direction from the way she had been laying. Her neck gave a loud crunch. She groaned and Brian winced at the sound. "Better?" he asked her.

"Much," she said, rubbing her neck.

"Well done, then.," Robert replied. "Drink your espresso and then the two of you find your way upstairs. Come, Steven. I think the women will be a bit safer with all those kids with a couple of men in the room, don't you?" he laughed. He headed upstairs, knowing Brian would bring Khaat in a moment or two.

Brian brought Khaat upstairs for dinner. He simply helped her to her place and then he went and filled a plate for each of them from the buffet. He floated her plate and a bottle of Angus's new soda over to her. He selected a cream soda for her to try, and he selected a black cherry soda for himself. He looked up at Robert and Kate who were feeding the girls and keeping an eye on the staff members who were feeding the triplets. It struck at his heart that he wasn't tending his own children, but he saw the joy that it brought them to be able to do something for Khaat and him that he smiled.

He saw Kate looking at him suddenly very deliberately. He realized he wasn't trying to shout, but his feelings were so strong. He wanted to be the perfect father and he wanted to be the perfect husband and the perfect warrior for Robert, the perfect commander. Kate just shook her head slightly at him. He understood. she was telling her to let it go, to just be content in being himself, that he was trying entirely too hard.

When Kate got up and went to get a plate of some samples of different desserts, she went over to Brian and whispered very softly in his ear. It finally made him smile. She kissed his cheek and then went to fill her plate.

When dinner was over, he told the staff he and Khaat really wanted to tuck their own children into bed tonight. They understood. He told everyone goodnight, and the staff gave him Abbey in one arm and Dakota in the other. They brought the triplets and he told Khaat to take his arm. He took them upstairs and they changed them into their pajamas. He sat Abbey and Dakota on Khaat's lap and he took the triplets on his own. They simply rocked them and Brian told them a story while they slowly drifted off to sleep. He gently floated the triplets into their cribs. He took Abbey and Dakota from Khaat and put them in their cribs. Khaat and he covered them and kissed them goodnight. He wanted every night of their lives to be as peaceful and safe as tonight was for them.

Once the kids were asleep, he took Khaat into their sitting room and built a fire in the fireplace while the winter weather began to howl again outside. They changed for bed and curled up on the sofa, sharing a large beautiful Native American blanket, with Khaat curled tight to him. They just talked softly and watched the fire and listened to the sounds of the wood crackling in the fireplace. He couldn't imagine a more perfect day.