Marriage is Murder

Angus went back inside and got Dakota. Robert took her and showed her the stars in the sky and then showed them to her through the telescope. Dakota was delighted for a moment or two and then looked at Robert and asked him in her baby talk for a cookie.

"Well, that lasted about 30 seconds," Kate laughed.

"30 seconds more than I thought it would," he replied. 'Wiat on that cookie another couple of minutes before you give it to her so that she doesn't immediately make a connection that she is being rewarded for being demanding."

"YOu read my mind," Kate laughed, taking Dakota from him. She looked at Dakota. "Let's go get your bath and then we'll get your snack."

Robert noticed Andrew sitting in the house by himself, holding his shoulder. He turned to go into him, when Khaat said. "Daddy, let me."

"No," Brian said. "I have more in common with him. Let me." He haded Abbey to her and went into the house. He checked Andrew's shoulder. He frowned. "What did you do? Robert would not have missed this."

"Nothing," Andrew mumbled.

"Hey," Brian said softly. "We've all done something we weren't proud of. What did you do?"

"I wanted to pass," he said so softly Brian almost missed it.

"Andrew?" Brian frowned. "Did you go back?" Andrew pressed Michael's portkey into Brian's hand. "How did you even begin to do it?"

"I..." he began and quit

"Its alright," Brian reassured him. "Just tell me."

"I...borrowed Hiss."

"Without telling Michael, didn't you?" Brian asked. Andrew nodded. "Just now? In the dark?" Andrew nodded.

"I'll help you this time, but you have to promise me that you won't ever do anything like this and not at least tell me," he said very quietly to Andrew. Andrew nodded, still staring at the floor. Brian reset Andrew's shoulder and saw that it decreased his pain instantly. "Now--where is Hiss?" Andrew said he had taken Hiss and hidden him so that Hiss couldn't 'tell' Michael where he'd been or that he'd fallen again. "You fell because you can't climb a cliff with one hand," Brian smiled. "Its alright." He drew off Andrew's pain again for him and said, "I'll go get Hiss and I'll straighten it out with Michael and Robert for you. You go out with the others for me. Alright?" Andrew looked at Brian, not feeling a part. "Go on. Its alright. I'll be right back." Andrew got up and went to the doorway to the terrace, reluctant to go out with the others, as Brian went upstairs to get the enchanted rope from its hiding place.

Andrew went up the the telescope when Cassidy called to him. He had such a strong feeling like he didn't belong here anymore that he wasn't worthy of any of them anymore. Lupins didn't tolerate stealing or stupidity. Michael was somehow different when it came to the whole stealing thing. But Robert detested stupidity, or seemed to. He liked looking at the stars, but a part of him was wondering if he'd soon be looking at them from a camp back out in the snow someplace.

Kate struggled against hearing Andrew's thoughts in her head like shrieking. His insecurities were louder in her mind than they had been before she had even met him. Something had shaken his confidence. Badly. His emotional energies hadn't been that poor since she had first met him. And they had worked so hard in building him up over the last two years. She was about to nudge Robert when Brian came back out and draped his arm around Andrew's good shoulder and whispered very softly in his ear. Andrew looked at him, and Kate felt a surge of additional anxiety from Andrew and then, perhaps, a bit of hope.

"Andrew," Michael called gently from the doorway. "Come here, Lad." Andrew froze. His panic was clear. Brian seemed to be functioning as reassurance and deliberately turned Andrew around and gave him a gentle shove to get the boy's feet moving towards Michael. Michael was completely calm. He too Andrew under his wing, and they walked inside.

"Should I ask what that was about?" Robert asked.

"He threw his shoulder back out," Brian said, once he was sure Andrew was out of earshot. "He took Hiss and Michaels portkey, went back to the cliff and tried to cliimb it."

"Oh no," Robert sighed. "Tell me he didn't. In the dark With one hand."

"He did try. He couldn't cope with the fact that he had used climbing all his life to survive and then had failed today. He needed to know he wasn't a total failure," Brian said. "And now he feels less than that since he fell again and now knows he stole from us as well."

Robert sighed heavily. "Why did I not see that coming? I presume Hiss and the portkey are back in Michael's hands?"

"Yes. And so is Andrew. I presume they're laying their cards out on the table, but he may have more damage to his shoulder. I"m not sure my pain spell is holding him much."

"Well, we may need to take shifts to keep him comfortable through the night. Otherwise, he may drain us if only one of us stays up," Robert said.

"Well, we didn't really have any trouble from Khaat or Brian either one," Kate said. "So, I'm not a real judge on that. They had Remus's adventuring spirit, but he was directly responsible for that. BUt hormonal stuff? that wasn't really a problem."

It took a several minutes but finally Michael came back alone. Robert looked at him. "Well?"

"Well," Michael shrugged, "He's asleep."

"Asleep? That pain should keep hiim awake all night."

"He's not going to move."

"What did you do? How many times have I told you to leave my bag alone?" Robert frowned.

"I didn't touch your bag."

"Then who's bag DID you get into?" Robert was demanding now.

"Angus's."

"Oh no," Angus laughed softly. Robert looked at Angus. "My granfather sent a bottle of his homebrew along."

"Oh nice," Robert sighed. "So, I have a 13 year old passed out on homebrew. How'd you get him to drink it?"

"He's 13. It only took one drink. I told him it was pain potion," Michael shrugged.

"I do have to have a talk w/ that boy," Robert sighed.

"Probably not first thing in the morning," Michael said.

"No. After the hangover wears off," Robert glared at Michael. He turned and went inside to go check on Andrew.

"One of these days he is going to follow through with that threat and make you a bug," Kate told Michael.

"So? We've already done that," MIchael said. "You have no idea how much trouble he got into for turning me into a housefly when we were in Hogwarts. Dumbledore nearly gave him detention for a flipping month. And--he made Robert find me. You'd be amazed how many places a fly can hide in, in that castle."

"You never told me about that," she frowned.

"And clearly he didn't eiither. One of his more embarressing moments, I"m sure. I enjoyed it, and he got into trouble for the spell working a bit too well."

"So, how did he find you?" Khaat asked.

"He didn't. Dumbledore did. I was in the Headmaster's office, noshing on some of his Bertie Botts stash. He changed me back and let Robert look for me for another week before he told him he'd found me."

"Oh, that's mean."

"No, that was Albus Dumbledore teaching a lesson," MIchael laughed. "I was well hidden, doing my lessons in a tower room, and living the life of Riley for a week. And laughing my butt off."

"Did he get detention?" Kate asked.

"Oh, yeah. Two weeks cleaning cauldrons nightly with Horace Slughorn," Michael laughed, remembering how miserable it had made Robert at the time.