Marriage is Murder

Jess let the live in nanny take over looking after the babies and Andrew and walked with Jack around buy the pool where she sat watching the sun set and she felt the warm sun on her skin while she tanned Jack smiled as he saw her relaxing beside him .

Steven and cassidy transfigured there clothes and dove into their pool after nanny Jessa had come and taken over , Jack making sure she had the necessary paper work and clearance before he would even let her threw the door. Now he dove into the warm waters of the pool along side Cassidy who enjoyed just relaxing with him while John swum in the pool then sat on the side watching and laughing at the relaxed state he found his father and Cassidy in and he liked it.

When it started to get late in the afternoon and the wine coolers were gone and they had both started to get a bit of sunburn, they went back inside. Angus was fixing a lovely cioppino with a loaf of fresh crusty bread and a bottle of chianti for dinner, followed by a lemon sorbet and fresh shortbread cookies--at least for the adults. For the babies, he had fixed a chicken stew, with plenty left over for lunch the next day.

Khaat and Brian shared a shower for two in the oversized shower and emerged in comfortable clothing. Brian had a pair of shorts and a t shirt. Khaat had chosen a wrap around skirt and a halter top. Brian noticed she was thin. Very thin. Winter clothes covered that up. Now he saw it. The stress of having their lives turned upside down was wearing on her. He said nothing about it now.

Khaat and Brian had invited Angus and his family to eat with them, but the Donohues declined and took their share of the feast down to the beach. Khaat and Brian loved having the kids close to them for a family dinner, and to their surprise, Abbey wanted to try everything that the grownups were eating. That made Dakota jealous. So she decided to try it. Abbey liked almost everything they gave her. Dakota was just a bit more picky but for their first experiences with seafood, Khaat and Brian were pleased with them. Besides that all the kids loved the sorbet and the cookies.

After the children were all tucked into bed for the night, Khaat and Brian took a walk outside on the beach, under the stars, in their barefeet, still both clutching a glass of red wine from dinner. Brian could feel her relaxing. There was something special for her in Italy.

"What is it about Italy that you love so much?" he finally asked her softly, his arm around her shoulder.

"Its where I fell in love with you," she said, kissing him. "If you weren't here...I don't know..."

"Yeah..I know. I feel the same way. But whoever of us remained, can we promise that we'd still come? Because we both know now that the love never dies. If there was one thing we know for sure from Remus we both know that the love never dies. I think we need to promise that we'd never forget, never stop living and never stop loving all the things that we love now."

"Are you saying goodbye or something?"

"No," he said. "Not for another century or so at least, my love," he smiled.

"Even with all of this around us?"

"Especially with all of this around us." Then he laughed gently. "Who else would put up with you?"

"Oh, touche," she said. "I just noticed Angus and his family arent out here."

"Oh, that. Angus and his mother went up to do the washing up. The rest of his family promised us some great seafood tomorrow so that means they have to get up early. He saw small flashes of white light coming from the house. "That's Daniella's security arriving. I told them we didn't need them until closer to bedtime."

"Then, lets go in and meet them," she said.

"Alright," he agreed. They turned and headed back to the house.

Jack sat with Jess he held her as they sat looking at the sunset in front of them they could faintly hear the laughter from Steven and Cassidys place not far from them. Steven laughed as Cassidy splashed him he held her tight as he floated in the water " I know its not a honeymoon..." she stopped him and smiled.

" its good enough" she said to him and sighed looking at the stars that had come out over them, " its just as good Steven " she said and he smiled at her. Steven swum to the side of the pool and helped her out, walking her to a large fluffy towel before he wrapped it around her and walked her inside and up to their room. Cassidy smiled as she closed the behind them but they laughed when hearing John.

" wow!!" he shouted " nice one dad" he said and Steven chuckled as he lead cassidy to the bed.

" we can see Khaat and Brian tomorrow as we have been requested but for tonight " he said and smiled at her.

Jess stood up feeling a chill now in the air Jack followed and they both went inside to sleep ready for the next day when they would head up to Khaat and Brian's.

Khaat woke up to see the Tuscan sun just coming up. The colors of the sunrise were brilliant. She reached beside her for Brian but his side of the bed was empty. She wondered if he had resumed his workout. She figured he'd be out running at this hour, but when she looked at the beach, it was empty. And then she saw his sneakers at the foot of the dresser. She frowned and got up and tied her robe around her. When she stepped out into the hall, she didnt smell coffee or tea or breakfast. And there was always a start of something by this hour.

She went downstairs and found Brian there by himself, and he was just adding coffee to a coffee pot. "Where is Angus?" she asked. He sighed heavily before he turned.

"Khaat," he said gently. "He needed a couple days off. He woke me up in the middle of the night. It seems his grandmother passed away suddenly, albeit peacefully, very late last night. His family needs him far more than we do. We have plenty here to fend for ourselves today. He left us very well supplied with food. And he brought us a large tin of fresh scones before he left." He set the coffee to brew and opened up the house to let in the fresh morning sea air.

"We'll be fine," she said. "I'll make us some eggs and we can just have eggs and scones."

"That's plenty. I'll go get the kids up if they're awake. If they're not, I plan to let them sleep."

"That is an excellent plan," she said, cracking eggs into a bowl and heating a skillet for a large panful of scrambled eggs. She motioned the scones to put themselves on a large charger and set a spell in place for the table to set itself.

Jess woke next to Jack and smiled at him as she slipped from the bed and dressed heading down to the kitchen to make breakfast as she cooked she felt arms around her and smiled " Morning Jack " she said and heard him chuckle behind her.

" so whats for breakfast ?" he asked looking over her shoulder as she cooked.

" full cooked breakfast with orange juice " she said and smiled " but open those doors first and let in some air" she motioned and chuckled as he kissed her neck and moved to the big doors. Steven rolled over to see Cassidy still sleeping but smiling as she did he lent forward and kissed her gently. Cassidy opened her eyes and looked at him still smiling at him.

" morning " she said softly and heard him tell her he had " me too" she said softly to him and lay for a moment that was till John knocked on their door.

" dad whens breakfast?" he asked and Cassidy chuckled as she kissed Steven she was about to sit up and dress when he held her down.

" leave it to me you rest a bit " he said and smiled dressing he headed down soon cassidy smelt cooking and smiled.

Brian got the kids up and got them dressed while Khaat prepared breakfast. Once they all ate, Khaat and Brian set the kids to play in the playroom. They seemed to be entirely too wound up the morning. Finally, Brian spoke.

"I do need to go help the family put a payment down on the funeral and the burial plot," Brian said. "Apparently the wizarding cemetary is exceptionally small and space is outrageously expensive. Angus's grandmother asked to be creamated but it is not something that Angus's mother is willing to do. So, either we help them with the cost, or they have to do a muggle burial."

"You know what I'd tell you to do," she told him. "How long will you be gone?"

"Only long enough to do what you an I would both do. Shall I call the security guards inside? There are a few out on the beach."

"No," she said. "We've been safe since we got here. There is no reason to think that we'll be in trouble for that short a time."

"Okay, but you summon me if you need me," he kissed her.

"I promise," she said has he apparated out. She gathered up the breakfast dishes and took them to the kitchen and started a spell for them to wash up. She hated washing dishes, and this was one spell she never minded using. She wasn't alone for ten minutes when her necklace glared a brilliant green light on the backsplash behind the sink. She spun around to see James only inches from her, almost fully transformed. She had no time to grab her wand, so she slammed his face as hard as she knew how with the large cast iron skillet from breakfast. She flicked her other hand to seal shut the nursery door with a protective inpenetrable charm to protect her children. An instant later, James huge pawlike hand smashed into her face and sent her, through the air and out onto the stone balcony hard enough that she felt her body smack into the stone balcony wall. The air rushed from her lungs and her vision faded, her green stone sending a green light that filled the sky, and the stone itself starting a shrill, earshattering scream.

From his newspaper, Robert heard the screaming stone and felt the shift in Khaat's energies. He glanced up and saw the sky was now a brilliant emerald green. "Kate!" he shouted. "Go, go, go!" He picked up his wand and apparated out to Khaat's. Kate felt pure rage. James. She was sure of it. She drew her wand and apparated out.

Steven opened the doors but stopped in sheer horror and looked at Jess who shook where she stood " james hes back " she said and Steven spoke. " stay here " he said and ported out to Brian and Khaats he found James at the door but was stopped buy a hand on his shoulder it was Jack and Cassidy stood close buy.

" he's mine " he said and moved grasping him he pulled him back away from Khaat and across the room his mind and body focused on James. Steven moved to Khaat.

" we saw your signal but green sure isn't a color for the sky" he said standing in front of her while he saw Jack with James.

Robert and Kate apparated in just after Jack and Robert was relieved to see that Jack and Steven were already there. He saw Khaat bloodied an sstunned and from where he was, he could not tell if she had been bitten or not. Then it clicked into his head--even if she had been, the necklace would not let her transform. He saw Jack was best at this point in dealing with James.

"Steven," Robert said quietly. "Take her inside, please. Get her out of the line of fire. I'll see to her in a moment. Where the hell is Brian?"

"Not here," Khaat managed, her hand to her aching head, noticing her speech was a bit slurred. Her entire head hurt and she wasnt sure where she hurt worse.

"Then he's fired," Robert growled. He and Kate stood their ground between Khaat and the battling brothers.

Jack punched James but got a smack across his face causing several cuts to appear but he ignored it locking his hands with holding him back from them Jack was thrown against a wall he growled feeling two cracked ribs. Steven grabbed Khaat and took her into the bedroom closing the door. Jack pinned James against the wall and looked at Robert his eyes flashing yellow and brown.

" I could kill him here and now " he said but held himself back knowing it was not what Robert wanted . He held him his fist pressed hard against James spine and one around his throat one good squeeze and he could cut off his air.

"Daniella!" Robert shouted, firing his wand straight up. A moment later, a tall brunette apparated in at the sight of the two werewolves she began cursing in rapid Italian. She summoned a platoon of aurors and ordered them to secure James.

"I hope you have him," Robert told Jack. The aurors shackled James, and Robert stripped him of his magic. Robert's spell forced James to transfigure back. He turned to go into the house and noticed Khaat's necklace still glowing brilliant green. That wasn't right. James was human again. He was about to tell them to stay alert when he saw Jack's sister and mother kill two of Daniella's aurors on the beach.

"We're not done here, Boys and Girls," Robert pointed to the beach.