Marriage is Murder

(Hm...you missed in my last post Kate telling cassidy to go fix a room up for him. you sent her to the kitchen instead.I guess I'll write around it.)

"The room across from Angus's should be available," Khaat said. "Angus tries to keep them ready." While Khaat was speaking she heard the rising cries of the triplets. First one, then the second, and then the third. "I thought they were asleep," she sighed, heading upstairs.

"I'll take you to your room," Kate told Jim, taking him upstairs. "its not the quietest house. We have 11 kids here during the day and all but maybe one is in diapers. At nighttime, depending on who is on duty, the number can just be Khaat's five or can be up to that eleven again. So, we just never know. The kitchen is that way," she gestured. "There is a rec room, wine cellar, laundry, state of the art gym and pool in the basement.. Pool and barn and paved trails outside, This floor has an office, kitchen, living room, dining room, pantry, a small potions lab, and playroom. Upstairs are lots of full bedrooms and baths. You'll find your way around soon enough. Workout time for most of the fist string is at 5, breakfast is at 6. Lunch at noon, dinner at 6. There is always some sort of awake security team around the clock. Angus is up by at least 4 am or earlier to fix breakfast. This is your room. I presume you will find everything you need. Angus doesn't usually miss anything. Is there anything else you need? If not, I'll go help Khaat with those whiny triplets. I love them dearly but they're eight months old, almost 9 months and they can get a bit whiny right now."

Jim nodded as they moved down the hall to the bedrooms as Kate spoke of the routine." don't worry I'm usually up buy four thirty and I'm use to it, with three kids of my own. " he said and smiled " I know I said I would not but I met Margaret and one thing lead to another now we have Stuart whose 12 Rose whose 7 and Irving he's only two." he said and saw Cassidy turn down his bed for him " Thank you cassidy I know this is not part of your main duties " he said and saw her smile.

" its ok nice to have a change, Kate dinner shouldn't be long. " she said and left to headed back down to the kitchen. Jim chuckled and moved into the room.

" This is more than i need thank you Kate, I could have gone back to the room I had in Hogsmead but I have a feeling Robert will want me to stay close for if I did go they might come after me to get to you" He looked at her " I would not want that to happen, besides I need to catch Robert up on the uprisings and who started them not that he would ever be surprised " he said and unshrunk his clothes placing them on the bed.

"No," Kate said," He wont be surprised. I'll let you get refreshed. I'll go help Khaat with the kids." She left and went to the nursery. Khaat had Julia settled and had picked up Michael. Kate picked up Robert and before long they had them changed and fed and had rocked them back to sleep. She double checked Abbey and Dakota and soothed them into deeper sleep. Kate told Khaat she had to go see her father before dinner.

She went to her father's room and found Brian was cleaning up the last of his medical supplies. Her father looked alert but a bit pale and very tired.

"How are you?" she asked.

"Alive," he said to her. "But we all knew this was going to happen at some point just from the fact that I put myself out there to let the wizarding world know there was something left worth fighting for. We knew that some sort of rebellion would come. I honestly do not think that this was sanctioned by Grindelwald. This was an impulsive and impetuous thing to do. Not Grindelwald's style at all. I have an errand for you to do in the morning. It is critical to us at this point. And I doubt I'll be up to do it, And no one but you or I can do it."

"That's fine," she said.

"Cummings will go with you," Robert said. "I want a quick entrance and a quick exit. If your knee holds you can go, Brian. Otherwise, I won't send you. They'll move quicker without you."

"Understood," Brian said. "What's the errand?"

"I'll tell you in the morning," Robert said. "But I'd like you to leave before daylight."

"That's fine," she said.

Jim nodded and went to shower and change into his clean clothes. Once done he went looking for Robert he heard talking and pushed open the door and smiled as he saw him sat up in bed. " ah this is where your hiding Robert " he said and chuckled as he walked over to the bed. " have to admit your looking a hell of a lot better than a while ago" he looked at Brian and Khaat in the room as well.

" Guess we're going some place, " he said looking there faces " you going to be able to keep up Half pint?" he asked looking at Brian's knee then at Robert smirking a little knowing he'd only used that nick name for him when he was younger. He smiled at Brian and shook his head. " sorry Brian couldn't help it, last time I saw you , you were a half pint running around and climbing trees"

"I'm feeling better," Robert admitted. "I'd be up, but I don't think Brian could keep picking me up tonight. Hopefully his knee will be better by morning. He dislocated it on a training run a few days ago. He's progressed to getting the cast off, but he wasn't supposed to be walking with that stick until tomorrow. I don't know where he got that stubborn streak from. Must have been Remus."

"It was you," Khaat told him. Brian just shrugged. The truth was, it had been Robert's wisdom and strategic mind and Remus's adventuring spirit that Brian had loved almost mutually. And when it had combined in him, it had morphed into a young man who was strategic and driven to have a finely trained body to keep up with his mind. He blamed what he had become equally on Robert and Remus.

"I wouldn't worry about Brian," Robert smiled at him, watching him finish up. "He could have run circles around both of us even when we were his age. The boy never stops training. Ask Khaat. He's in the bloody gym almost continuously when he isn't working or parenting. He'll hold up."

"Its been a long time since I climbed trees," Brian said, trying to remember when he'd done that last.

"We last climbed trees on that campout we did with Remus just before our second year at Hogwarts," Khaat told him. "Funny, none of us ever envisioned that would ever end. And somehow we just never got around to having another campout."

"I miss those," Brian said.

"So do I. And so does Remus," Khaat said.

"Ah," Robert said, remembering another point. "Jim. So you know. Khaat has inherited her mother's seers traits. But Khaat has developed an unbreakable sort of a bond with Remus..." he hesitated, not knowing how to explain the unheard of sort of bon between the living and the dead, "Even though Remus has been gone all these years. Somehow he's still watching over her. Its weird, but its true."

Jim looked at Brian and then at Robert " some relation to you Robert " he said and chuckled listening more when Khaat spoke and smiled at Brian. " so true Robert all that energy and enthusiasm they have it some times makes me dizzy to think of it " he said and smiled again " its been along time since I saw you half pint " he replied listening to Khaat talk he could see a spark in her eyes as she spoke of Remus. When Robert spoke he nodded " can see something was there, taking after her mother then" he said as a small boy ran in followed buy Jack.

" well hello whose this?" he asked kneeling down as the boy moved back to Jack. " yours Jack?" he asked and Jack chuckled.

" yep , this is Andrew " he said and picked him up. Jim took the boys hand and gave it a light shake.

" pleasure to meet you Andrew" he said and smiled " ok so whats this trip you want me to go on with these two" he asked motioning to Brian and Khaat.

"Details in the morning," robert sai. "But I am counting on you and Brian to escort khaat there and get her back inone piece. I am expecting that there is a far greater chance that you will be anticipated than not. There is a much greater likihood that we will be too later. We might be too late even if we were to go now. So, I might be sending you on nothing more than a wild goose chase, Khaat."

"Well, my second in less than 12 hours, then," she sighed. "What else is new?"

"And I presume I should use mission dress?" Khaat asked.

"Actually, no," Robert said. "Respectable, authoritative business dress. Good question.The catburglar black stuff needs to remain behind."

"Alright. But I am curious about business dress before daylight."

"That's fine. Be as curious as you like," Robert said. "The less you know tonight the better. But, check the time. Its getting very, very late. If you're going to be up ready to work in the morning, you soon ought to consider getting some sleep. "

Jim chuckled and nodded as he listened it was getting late for him but he wanted to check out the grounds before he went to sleep " welp if I may be excused I like to take a stroll before bed " he looked at Robert knowing he would know what he was doing " I'll see you youngsters at five tomorrow morning " he smiled and left them walking down to the main living room , opening the door he stepped out and looked around. He could see several men around the property. Jim walked and walked making sure every possible area was covered then as he returned to the doors he closed them and locked them up tight and walked up to the room that he had been given. Moving to a chair he took out a book and made a note of what he had seen happen and what he was going to do next and who possibly could be after Robert. " hum must make note to pay a visit on each to check there all oblivious " he said

Khaat got up just moments after Brian. It was clear to them that Angus was back at his duties. There was a coffee tray waiting on the coffee table in the sitting area, just like they hadn't been away for months. Khaat poured coffee for herself while Brian showered. That gave her time to just wake up and ponder what she was going to wear.

She chose, finally, a pencil think red sweaterdress, a chunky black belt, and her tall black stilettos. She chose black earrings and a strand of beads that were black and silver and red. Brian had chosen an expensive black silk suit that had been very sharply tailored. They both knew how to dress to convey power and they had dressed for this. Brian picked up their coats. Khaat finished her hair and makeup and then she and Brian went downstairs.

Robert was already downstairs. He was up and dressed and sipping on his Earl Grey. He clearly already ha his mind on business. Brian laid the coats across a chair.

"Kate still sleeping?" Brian asked.

"Yes," Robert said. Khaat knew her father had deliberately lied as soon as the words left his mouth. She didn't know why, but he had. She looked at him sternly. "Get your mind on this morning's business," he ordered. "As soon as Jim gets here, we will begin. You're a bit early. Sit. This will take some instruction before you go." Brian picked up on the fact that Robert must have not told the truth about Kate. Such a simple thing, but if he had lied, then there was purpose in it. He decided not to ask a question that Robert was obviously not going to answer right now. Brian motioned Khaat to sit and they both sat down on the sofa.

Jim walked in from the garden he wore a gray suit with a white shirt and black tie, his shoes were polished highly and in his hand sat a mug of french roast. " ow your up finally " he said and smiled " been up for an hour already kids was just checking the perimeter thought I saw something. " he sat down and placed the cup next to him wanting to here just what it was that Robert needed him to do for them.

He knew what ever Robert had planned he would need to focus on and as such had taken the french roast to sharpen his mind for any trouble that would inevitably turn up if Roberts enemies had anything to do with it. He'd checked he had all his equipment on him and that his wand was clean and polished and ready for battle should it happen as he knew it could go the other way and be rather quiet but that was when he worried that was when they worked out plans to get Robert and his family.