Marriage is Murder

"Their strength is in their resiliency," Robert said. "But yeah, I want to check on Khaat. I want to check to see if Lee is here and if he has taken our werewolf from us. And if that is the case, then we can leave and go home."

He went upstairs and found Hannah. He was about to speak to Hannah when Lee and three of his aurors came up behind him. "Sorry. Got your signal but I was held up. I'll take him off your hands now. Are you all alright?"

"Yes. We're fine," Robert said. "Thank you for coming." He motioned for Lee to follow into his office.Lee looked at the boy and rolled his eyes.

"He's barely old enough to be out of school," Lee sighed. He motioned to his aurors who took the boy into custody. "We'll see you in a bit." He and the aurors simply ported out. Robert looked at the others.

"Well, I think we're done here for now," Robert said. "Lets go home."

Jim looked at Lee and looked at the men with Lee he walked with Robert into the room and nodded when lee said the boy was barely out of school. " just shows you how low he will stoop to" he said folding his arms across his chest as she stood watching lee's men pick the boy up and port out of the room. Jim looked at Robert and nodded and chuckled as he apperated out to Brian's farm. Heading up to the room he'd seen Khaat in earlier he moved to check on her.

" Hay half pint hows she doing?" he asked walking in to the room as he spoke. He saw Brain and Kate in the room with Robert. Jess walked in behind him with Jack and Steven.

"She's asleep," Brian said, more restrained and reserved now.

"He cast a sleep spell to let her rest," Kate told Robert. "Robert, she just... wasn't there."

"I know," Robert said softly. "She was attacked. She was crucio'd. It took her mind right back to when she was within one breath of being killed from Barker's tortures. Her mind just won't let her do that anymore. She'll be alright but she needs to sleep for now. Stay with her, Brian."

"You think I'm leaving her?" Brian looked at him incredulously.

"No, I know you're not. I'll check her and then I'll help you keep an eye on it. Just maintain the sleep spell for awhile."

"I intend to."

"Jess," Robert looked at her. "I might want you to give Brian a bit of a break. He has every right to be angry. He needs some time in the gym. Even if its 30 minutes."

"I'm not leaving," Brian said.

"You can stay for now," Robert told him. He wasn't going to push Brian into going to the gym unless he felt it was necessary.

Jim stood and smiled as Brian said she was sleeping " good she needs it " he said and stepped to one side as Jess moved in and stood with Brian. Jim watched both Jess and Robert check Khaat Jess moved back and said she would return later when Brian was ready to work out. Jim looked at Robert " well I can see every things ok here for now I'll check out that gym " he said and left to head down to the gym transfiguring his clothes he worked out for 30 mints then headed back upstairs hoping to meet up with Brian on his way down to work out. But as he drew up to the bedroom to shower he saw him still in the room with Khaat. " you know she isn't going to wake up any sooner if your here or down in the gym Brian." he said resisting calling him half pint as he knew this was not the time for it.

"She's been fighting the sleep spell for awhile," Brian said. "I don't know how I know. I just know." Even as he had turned to look at Jim he heard a very soft noise behind him. He cast a quick glance backwards and saw she was up. Out of bed. She was motionless for a moment once she got to her feet. He flicked his finger and it draped her favorite handpainted white silk robe around her shoulders, knowing that her pink chemise would not keep her very warm. She simply walked past him. He looked her her face and saw a bit of recognition in her face. The shock was wearing off--slowly. She reminded him almost of someone who was sleepwalking. He did not move to touch her but allowed her to simply walk out of the room. A moment later, he heard Robert's voice.

"Its a start," he was saying affectionately to her. "Come with me. Let's find you some tea and let you warm up a bit. Did Brian see you leave?...Yes? Alright. Then let's just go find some tea."

Brian breathed a sigh of relief. She was up and Robert had a watchful eye on her. He sat down on the sofa in the sitting area.

"I know you were right," he said to Jim. "But I hate missions like that. I'd rather go myself than to take her along. She never hesitates. Never tries to stay behind. And I know its just part of who she is. And she trusts that if he sends her that there is no other choice. I guess I trust that too, but I really do not have to like it. And it truly did not bother me nearly as much before we got married as it bothers me now. I promised her I would not get like this, but she knows that it just happened without my consent. I became that way as much as I tried not to be. And we all know I am not going to manage to change her. And part of me doesn't want to."

Jim sat down and chuckled as Brian spoke " Margaret is the same with me she always needs me to owl her that I'm safe but I know how you feel Brian , you want to do everything you can to keep her and your family safe" he said and looked at him " you don't think Ozzie and I haven't been in your shoes already" he said smiling as he accioed a cup of french roast for himself " its hard to balance it but you have to realize she has her own strength that she draws on, its yours and her love that hold you together , you have kids with her, trust her to know what she is able to do, Margaret tough me that one the hard way, trust me you don't want to go down that road,ha..Brian" he said and smiled as he sat back to blow on his coffee.

"She is as strong willed as all the adults we grew up with, and its part of what I like about her. I do think its part of what made her relationship with Rob fall apart. She did what she's always done. She went out doing what she was called to do, and when she did it, it made Rob crazy. He couldn't stand her coming home hurt, couldn't deal with the near death episodes. And in the end he just buggered off. Left her months before Abbey was born. She couldn't understand what she did wrong. She was so heartbroken that when she delivered Abbey, she was just about 6 stone at just under 7 months. I couldn't walk away from that. She was too fragile to be able to take care of a premature baby. I do know she could have gone home to Robert and Kate, but...i guess by the time she was able to go home, I'd already taken Abbey home with me, and Khaat and I had rekindled what we thought was just going to be that best-buddy thing we always had. The only ones that were surprised when it turned out to be more was us."

Robert took Khaat downstairs and motioned to Angus who brought her a mug of seers tea. Robert sat he down on the sofa and took the mug and fed it to her slowly. It seemed to bring her out of her shell a bit.

"Better?" he asked her softly. She nodded. "Good," he replied. "The words will come back just like they always have. We're not going to worry about that," he told her. When she was able to handle her tea, he let her hold the mug to warm her hands. He draped a blanket around her to keep her a bit warmer.

Jim nodded " he was a waste of time and effort on her part as far as I am concerned, you did what your heart told you to" he smiled as he heard Brian say the only ones surprised was khaat and himself. " yes well some of us saw it coming along time ago " he said sipping his coffee " but in the end you both found out each other were meant to be , if she pulled threw that, all this skirmishing she does will only make her stronger, hum theres a saying, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger " he said " she is a strong woman Remus would not do what he did if she could not cope with it, your a very lucky man to have her love as you do, each one of us feel the same about our wives and husbands, each one fights our instinct to make them leave and stay safe, Margaret left because she wanted to not because I made her, our youngest was taken and Robert helped us find him , he was little more than a year old, but we both stood firm and we both still do, stand beside her not in front it only hurts you more than her" he tried and hoped he had put some fears to rest.

"You know, you sound like you've been talking to her," Brian said. "She says basically the same thing. Not in those words, but its the same message," Brian said. "You been holding out on me?" He knew Jim hadn't been in contact but it sure sounded like the same thing Khaat had been saying "We did actually agree before we allowed ourselves to get close that we weren't going to do this. But it seems at one time or another we both have."

"Brian," Kate called from the doorway, "Robert says Khaat is a bit better. He's giving her some seers tea. He says you should stop stressing now. Did he truly need to tell you that?"

"I guess he did," Brian responded.

"Then get off your behind and go see your children. Abbey has been looking for you and Khaat all morning."

"Somehow I knew it would be that one. Dakota couldn't care less."

"Ah well, yes. That. Stay away from your office for a couple hours, would you?"

"What did she do?" Brian frowned.

"She found my oil paints and squeezed the tubes all over your office," she sighed. "Got it all over the room and all over herself, in her hair,...every place one can smear paint. I..just found it. I am so sorry. I'll work on it straight away." Brian just groaned, thinking of the nearly priceless art pieces in there.

"Why do I have children?" he asked himself.

Jim chuckled and looked at Brian smiling " nope just had this talk with Robert about Margaret myself " he said and smiled as Robert came in " speak of the devil " he said and listened to Robert " ouch a two year old temper tantrum with paints nice and colorful, Irving did the same we had to redecorate the whole living room , didn't know a two year old could get pain in places even I couldn't reach" he said and chuckled and smiled " Because the woman you married, you love her and them that much half pint" he said and smiled at him as he drank his coffee. He looked at Robert " we all do isn't that right Ozzie " he said smiling " I believe you once had the hots for a certain healer, what was her name ow yeah Kate" he said and grinned.