Marriage is Murder

"I hope you're right," Khaat said to Jess, watching her father go upstairs.

Robert went into the bedroom and saw Angus was up. Well, sort of. He was standing, or trying to, clinging to the bedpost with the one good arm he had.

"Khaat said you were awake," Robert said.

"How...Oh never mind. I should have figured," Angus said tiredly. "So, you and my grandfather decided it was worth my suffering in order to live."

"We did. You're welcome."

"I didn't thank you for that," Angus sighed.

"Your negativity is temporary from the hex."

"My negativity is from hurting like hell," Angus said.

"I presume youd like me to fix it," Robert said.

"No, leave it," Angus snarled sarcastically. "I like it." Robert touched his forehead and drew off his pain for him.

"Sit," Robert ordered. He helped him to sit back down on the bed. He checked the dressing and changed it. "Well, you're healing as well as can be expected. I'm just glad Khaat didn't pick up on that shitty attitude that comes with it. Do yourself a favor and don't go downstairs and wreck all your relationships by treating them like crap tonight. Tomorrow you should be yourself again."

"Oh, fine," Angus sighed.

Jess looked at khaat and smiled she then rubbed her temple a little "you'll be fine, seems Angus is in a mood " she said and sighed " I need an aspirin, hes giving me a headache. "she moved to the kitchen and found one moving back to the main living room feeling a little better as she watched the kids playing along with cassidy who pushed a small car to Andrew who then rolled it back to her laughing as the small figure bobbed its head up and down. She could feel the aspirin working it was ether that or as she knew Robert was at work and she smiled leaning on Jack who wrapped his arm around her as she finished the water in the glass.

Robert spent enough time with Angus to get him refreshed and back into bed. He summoned a cold drink from the ktichen for him, and when the glass of lemonade with ice delivered itself, Robert ptu it beside the bed.

"I really was hoping for firewhiskey," Angus sighed.

"And you've earned it," Robert agreed. "But tomorrow. Let's get rid of the side effects of the hex first. Then we can do that. Where'd you put the package?"

"The...Oh. I..." Angus started and then frowned. "I..dont' know. I dont' remember. It wasn't on me?"

"No," Robert said.

"Oh no," Angus closed his eyes. "that was the whole reason I went. I have to find it."

"Not tonight. Wait. Its my issue right now. You let me do that. Tonight you rest. As soon as dinner is ready, I'll send you up some. Abbey misses you, you know. She asked about you."

"I miss her," He managed a smile.

"I'll bring her up for a few minutes after dinner. Do try not to blow anything up or go on a temper tantrum while I"m gone, will you?"

"I'll do my best," Angus said. Robert left and went back downstairs.

"He's actually a lot better," Robert told them.

Jess looked up as Robert spoke to them and smiled " I could tell " she said and tapped her head " he sort of gave me a head ache with his bad mood, its eased a little now" she said and felt Jack rub her back and she sighed. Cassidy looked at him and stood up.

" you look worried Robert , anything we can help with" she asked knowing the look as she had seen it several times on Steven. she hoped she could help ether that or Jack or Steven could help out. Jack sighed and drank his coffee as he saw Steven reading a magazine.

"I need to go see Edward," Robert said. "Tonight. Or get word to him. I can go, or one of you cna port over to Edward in Tuscany with a message for him. Angus blew apart the Italian trafficking operation by leading a small squad to raid them. He took Gelding's man in Italy down but not before the man hexed him. Angus managed to get a key off him with allegedly leads to some location--and we don't know where--that supposedly has some sort of journal or code key that gives us key information about Geldings operation. I don't know if its names, locations, or what's in it, but Angus had that key in his hand just before he lost consciousness. I didn't find it on him, but Edward had him before I got there. I need to know if Edward either has the key or if he has the ability to help me find it--quickly. It could be vital to us."

Steven stood up and walked over " I'll go " he said and looked at Robert as Jack moved to stand with him to.

" I'll go too " he said and looked at Jess " shouldn't take too long " he looked at Andrew who walked up he picked him up and hugged him " I'll be back daddy just had to pick something up" he said and kissing his cheek before putting him down to run and play. Jess walked over to them both and sighed.

" I'll start lunch " she said and moved to the kitchen to start dinner for every one hoping she would not ruin Angus's reputation as a cook.

"If you wait an hour or so, it'll be nightfall here and in Tuscany both. You won't be seen. I'll loan you my portkey. Edward won't know you're coming. He will draw on you. Don't hurt him. Actually, on second thought, I should be more wary of him hurting you. Even with his age, he's a faster draw than any of us. If I were you, I'd put up at least a protego shield before you get there. If you don't, you might end up being sorry about it. In the dark, he might not hesitate to fire on an intruder."

"Robert," Kate said. "This would help." She summoned a cigarette. It was one of Michael's handmade ones that had been soaked in fine brandy. "He'll smell this even in the dark before he fires. Neither of you need to smoke it anymore than beyond just lighting it. He'll recognize the aroma of them. He loved them, remember?"

"Ah yes. Good thinking, Kate," Robert said. "Indeed he did. In fact, we sent him a whole case of them as a gift. He'll know it for certain. Are either of you willing to at least smoke one enough to light it so you two don't get killed? If not, I'll send Brian with you."

Jack looked at Steven who nodded that he could, " yes sir " he said and looked as Kate as she handed Robert the cigarette. " I'll do it, I use to smoke cigars back in the day " he admitted " I stopped though " he smile and took it slipping it in his pocket along with the port key. Jack chuckled and smiled at him then looked out the window he knew it would be about two hours before they could leave for Edwards Home for the key.

" do you know what the key looks like? " he asked hoping to have something to go buy when Edward showed them it so they would know they were not being tricked buy him as a test to see if they were really sent from Robert.

"No bloody clue," Robert said. "Angus might remember, though, depending on how badly the hex has muddled his brain right now. But I presume it looks like any other key. If i were Gelding, I'd make it look like any other bloody key so that I could hide it right in the open in plain sight. Edwards mind is like a steel trap, though. He'll remember any key that he didn't recognize. And he'd remember anything he took off Angus last night. Edward will remember you as well. He'll know your medallions and know that I sent you. Edward is trustworthy. You can try to ask Angus if there was anything specifically identifying about the key if you like, in case there is somethign there that would help you. Just be aware that the hex has brought out a very unusual sarcastic tone to him right now. Its not him. He's not typically a snarky bastard. But he is tonight. That should wear off by morning...."

"Bastard...Bastard..Bastard..." Dakota sang.

"Robert Thomas!" Kate reprimanded Robert. "DO stop cursing in front of the children."

"Her first two syllable word is a cuss word," Brian sighed. "Brilliant."

"I'll just obliviate it," Robert said.

"You will not continue to obliviate my granddaughter's brains. You will teach her. You created it. You teach her the correct way. She'll hear that word again in her lifetime sooner or later. Much sooner, the longer she lives in the same house with you. You make one step towards that child, and I'll obliviate more than the curse words out of your vocabulary," she stood fiercely in front of him.

Steven looked at Robert and nodded when Dakota swore he turned and looked at her but left the telling off to Robert and Kate since she was not his child. He looked at Kate and nodded " yeah she can't not learn it" he said and knelt down to face Dakota " Dakota that is a grown up word and you must not say it , if you do you get in trouble " he said knowing she would probably not listen to him one bit with her suborn streak. He stood back up and listened to Robert and chuckled " that's definitely new for him " he said and folded his arms across his chest, " that is going to make it more difficult to find" he thought for a moment and came up with nothing. Jack had heard Dakota swear and chuckled he nodded behind Steven as he had spoken to Dakota but said nothing.