Marriage is Murder

"Prepare the house, Angus," Robert ordered. "Jeffrey and Sarah will be with us overnight and will take Fi with them when they return home tomorrow night. Its what she wants. Oh, and Lizzie will be catering all our food for tomorrow. It is far more important that we are together than it is that we work. Owens will be here at some time today with appropriate clothing for us for tomorrow from home."

"Understood" Angus said, going upstairs.

"Brian, you and I will have to work on Khaat's energy levels today so she has enough for tomorrow," Robert said. "Jess, try adding some of the concentrated energy potion into her coffee today. That might help as well."

"Talk to me and not about me," Khaat said, picking up a magazine and finding it was a muggle magazine about television and music and movies. She opened it and found that most of the people and movies and shows were completely foreign to her. It was interesting, but foreign.

"I'm trying to make sure you don't fall on your face--again," her father said.

"Remus pushed me," she said.

"I know. But lets try to not have a repeat of it anyway," he said.

Jess smiled and nodded " yes sir" she said letting her hand slip to touch Khaat adding some of her own energy top her's up a little as she felt she was a little low. Cassidy looked at Steven who shook his head and spoke softly to her.

" He means our business clothing " he said and she nodded not understanding why but she went along with it knowing that if Robert said to do it she would. She thought about her black trousers and white shirt along with some black court shoes that would work well she would even wear her hair up to look as professional as she could.

Fi went through the house as if she was saying goodbye. She got a second bag and filled it with odd things, or at least Kieran thought they were odd. She put clothing and some jewelry and a personal item for her husband and for each child into Kierans bag, but her bag was jam packed, even with extra shrinking. It had taken her a couple of hours to do. She finally closed both bags and looked at Kieran.

"I'm done here," she said to him with quiet finality.

"Okay" Kieran said.

"Sell the rest of it. Sell it all," she said.

"Fi,..." he began.

"I'm not coming back here, Kieran," she said. "I have what I want. Sell it all." She was fighting back tears now.

"Okay," He said to her.

"Can we just go for a walk after we drop those off?" she pointed to the first bag.

"I didn't expect you to go along," he frowned.

"Its important to me," she said.

"Okay. Then, yes. We can go for a walk." They walked out of the house and he handed the second bag, the extra full one, to Jim. Kieran knew Fi had a lot of her things already in Colorado. This appeared to be the rest of the pieces of her life that she had now.


Owens arrived with a bag while kieran and Fi were out. He handed it to Kate. "I think we have everything you'll want," he said. "We brought standard black for everyone."

"Well done," Kate said. She opened the bag and floated each of them a plastic bag with shrunken clothes. Black suits for the men, and the women's best black business dresses, shoes and accessories. She found a bag for her and one for Robert and took them and inspected them. "Oh well done, indeed," Kate smiled. "How did you do this?"

"Carlson's wife, Jenna, is a stylist," Owens said. "She put it together."

"Thank her for us," Kate said.

Jess took hers and Jacks things up to their room she quickly changed as did cassidy and Steven both looking business like as they walked down and stood with Robert. All of them now thinking business and ready for Jeffery and Sarah to arrive. Jim took the bag and waited " Robert will be on that as soon as we get back" he said softly he could see Fiona and Kieran as they walked away from the house he didn't like it but he knew she needed time alone with her brother. Jim sighed as he held the bag over his shoulder jack joined him and watched them both.

Kieran and Fi took their bag to the funeral home and turned it over to the director. Fi wanted to see her husband and children and Kieran strongly forbid it. This was not the time. The mortician said they were not ready yet. Kieran said tomorrow was soon enough. The mortician asked if Fi had anything special she wanted, in flowers or music. Fi said no. Her mind just felt numb.

Kieran hurried her a bit to get her out of there as he saw her stress mounting and then took her for a walk in the snow. It seemed to help her clear her head a bit. Kieran noticed Fi was just quiet and businesslike. He was starting to get a bit concerned for her. He said nothing though. They met back up with Jim and Jack, and Kieran told him they needed to go home.

Kate took her things, Roberts, Khaats and Brian's upstairs and hung them up. Angus took Michaels, and his own. When Angus finished readying a room for Jeffrey and Sarah, he returned to the kitchen and started on making lunch. A fresh whole wheat linguini with a fresh marinara sauce. He took slices of a baguette he'd made yesterday and sliced it and made toasted garlic crostini out of it and then set the sauce to simmer.

Kate went to Brian and whispered in his ear. He looked at her. "Thank you, Kate. I'll take care of it," he said. He got his coat and kissed Khaat.

"Going out?" she asked.

"Just for a few minutes. Shouldn't be more than an hour," he said. He flicked his wand and was gone.

"Where did you send him?" Robert frwoned at Kate.

"Never you mind," Kate smiled, flicking her wand at the paper so that it opened up and levitated at eye level in front of him.

"Oh. Thank you," he said, appreciatively. "Now if I just had my glasses." Kate accio'd them and set them on his nose. "Much better." He turned his attentions to reading the floating newspaper.

Jack was happier when Fiona and Kieran came back to the house together they ported back to the cottage and jack went to change returning washed brushed and smart in his suit. Jim walked up to Robert " Fi asked for the property to be sold I told her you would take care of it, if you haven't already Ozzie" he said then moved to change into his best suit and black shoes. returning he sat down and picked up his book and began to read again more so to take his mind off the grim situation they were in.

"Not a problem," Robert said. "I do have some connections. When will she be ready for me to sell the property? Does she have any idea? There really is no hurry, you know. I'd be pleased to handle it for her." He looked at the paper. "Turn the page," he commanded the paper. The page turned at his command. "Why don't I always read the paper this way?"

"Because you prefer to do it the right way," Kate said, warming up his tea. "I refuse to let you get lazy enough that you dont' even hold your own newspaper, Robert Thomas Lupin." He looked over his paper at her.

Khaat began to smell chocolate. She looked up from her magazine. "What are you making, Angus?" she asked.

"Hand dipped chocolate truffles," he called back. "I'm experimenting with some new flavors. I think...I might get perhaps 8 flavors out of this batch."

"Did you leave any chocolate in Ireland?" Robert laughed.

"Belgium, Robert. It was imported from Belgium. And Belgium never runs out of chocolate. Lunch should be ready in about 15 minutes if one of you would fix plates of linguini with maranara and get the crostini out of the oven. Oh, and there is a salad in the fridge too. And some bottles of soda. If you'd take care of setting it out for me, I'll finish handdipping these truffles."

Jim looked at him " she didn't say just as quick as possible " he said and turned the page in his book slowly he too smelt the chocolate and smiled. Jess looked up and smiled at the smell it reminded her of peace and happier times, it was now she missed her own children and felt she knew how Fiona much feel the loneliness and pain of not ever seeing them again. Jack bumped her lightly.

" stop the dark thoughts " he said knowing the look on her face as he knew the back of his hand. Cassidy smiled smelling the food her tummy growled and she chuckled.

" I'm hungry and it smells good " she said looking at Steven who chuckled and pulled her closer to him.

Kate was silently a bit miffed that the staff wasn't stepping up as Angus had asked. She got up out of her seat as did Khaat.

"Watch your energies," Kate told her daughter. The two of them went into the kitchen and filled plates and set them on the table, put the garlic crostini in a basket and put it on the table and put out bowls of salad with a light viniagrette. Khaat sent bottles of soda to the table for the, just as Brian got back, with a paper sack in his hands. He floated it upstairs and hung up his coat.

"That smells awesome," he said.

"Good. You're just in time," Kate said.

"Fi and Kieran are on their way back. They're walking up the drive right now."

"I'll fix them plates," Kate said, returning to the kitchen. Just as Kate was setting plates for Kieran and Fi on the table, they came in the door.

"Thank you," Kieran said, smelling the food. "The walk did us good. We're both a bit hungry."

"Then come and sit. We're ready to eat," Angus said, finishing his truffles. He called everyone to lunch. Khaat unbound her father's hands enough for him to eat.

"Dont get marinara on those bandages," she told him. He rolled his eyes at her, taking his place at the table with everyone else.

Jack , Jess and cassidy all moved when Kate did to the table all thinking he'd meant to set the table in 15 minuets. All feeling a little sheepish as they sat down " we'll help clean up after Angus" Jess said and saw jacks face but he nodded along with Steven and cassidy. Jim stood up placing his book page down on the chair he'd been sat in. He too moved to the table and chuckled as he sat next to Kate.

" looks good, ow a wash crew, should take that up Angus " he said smirking as he started to eat his meal smirking at how squeamish the others seem to be.