Marriage is Murder

Kate wasn't exactly in the mood to come back but it was getting colder, and the wind was starting up out in the open. They were a bit more sheltered from it back at the camp site. She wasnt stupid. She wasn't letting her anger get the best of her. It was one thing Robert had taught her well. She turned around and returned to basecamp. Angus was relieved when he saw her come back over the rise. She sat down on the log beside Angus. He could feel the bitter cold radiating off her winter coat, straight through his.

"Damn," he scowled at her. "You're another 10 degrees colder than the rest of us."

"The wind is kicking up out there. Its coming from the east. The cliff face shields us from getting it."

"Get used to it, Boys and Girls. We've barely hit lunch time," Lee said. "We've got a long way to go. Kate, I was telling them they need to learn to work together."

"They used to know how to do that," Kate said, warming her hands.

"And there are some obstacles in our way now. If you'd all like to survive, you need to either put it behind you and work together, or get it all out in the open so you can work together, or resolve that its alright if you all just simply die out here together. You have your choice," Lee said, sitting down at the fire.

"What the hell you were thinking?" Angus blasted Jack and the others. "I thought you actually cared. But you sure as hell didn't show it. All you showed me was how much of a place in the spotlight you all wanted and what big powerful wizards and witches you thought you all were. Did you honestly think that you would frighten Robert by all of you standing up to your feet to make yourselves look bigger and more powerful and united? There was no other possible reason for you to all try to stand up and raise yourselves up to your full height in front of him. Four against one. Bloody freaking cowards--all of you."

"Angus," Kate said softly. "It doesn't matter. He didn't buy it. Let it go. But if I'd been him, I'd have fired all four of them. Right on the spot, for defying orders and being insubordinate and risking the lives of the very clients they were hired to protect. There is no excuse for that."

Jim heard Angus and sighed he watched them all , all but jack seemed upset at their failed decisions. He looked back at Angus " they got the message big time buy the looks on some faces " he said motioning to Kate to look at cassidy , Steven and Jess. Jess was sitting with her arms folded scowling at Jack as he looked at her like a little boy scolded buy his mother. Steven stood up and walked over to Jack.

" well ...what you going to say to that, jack" he said tapping his foot as he stood facing him " because of you were in the dog house, because of you we're out here having to retrain, back down Jack and stick that were attitude back in its box" he walked over to Lee " what do you need us to do? " he asked \" we'll follow yo0ur word to the letter" both Jess and cassidy nodded as well.

"Wait just a second here," Angus frowned. "The rest of you aren't innocent either. Jack didnt do this by himself. I distinctly saw every one of you standing right alongside him. What the hell happened? Did his salespitch seem so appealing that none of the rest of you could think for yourselves? I saw Steven, Jess, and Cassidy all three openly defying Robert right along with Jack. Jack started it, but none of you tried to stop him. In fact you sided with him. We're not done here. I don't care if we all freeze to death out here but I don't want any of you around those kids until you decide what the hell side you're on. I will gladly--gladly--freeze to death if it keeps you all away from those kids and from Khaat and Robert. I don't trust you around them. If you truly cared like you think you do, then none of you would have been able to sell them out so fast. But it only took a few hours of not getting your own way for you to literally abandon them. I'm not agreeing to work with any of the four of you as you are now. Period!"

"And now we're getting somewhere," Lee said.

Jim looked at them as Angus let loose on the four of them he could see Steven looking at him and he sighed. Steven listened to Angus and frowned as he waited till he finished before speaking. " hay we were carried along I was the one who told him to let it go Cassidy and Jess did nothing because what can you do against a were hes ten times stronger and can snap some ones neck in an instant we...cassidy Jess and I would not leave Khaat , Brian or those kids in harms way, you want us to prove we can work in a team fine we will your branding us with the same brander that he should have were not him..sir " he said and pointed to Jack then he moved to cassidy who moved to sit next to Jim along with jess.

"Oh, for God's sake," Kate sighed, angry now herself.

"Wait," Lee frowned. "Just when did you all become afraid of Jack? Even his own wife? Truly? If you didn't agree with him, you could have just kept your mouth shut and kept your arses in their seats and let Robert deal with it. But you didn't. You all stood right with him. You all ended up branded with him when you all chose to stand up with him and agree with him. You're in charge of standing against all odds, with your life. You're in charge of laying your life on the line for the Lupins and when push came to shove, you all caved. Its ripping this team apart, and its breaking the hearts of the people who thought you loved them enough to swear your lives to them and their children." Lee looked at Jack. "I want answers. Right now. What the hell happened to your brain? Why? You tossed the entire Lupin family under the bus. They can't trust you now. Not unless you earn it back. And why are your friends who stood with you saying they did it because they believe you'd rip their heads off? And why is your own wife apparently part of that bunch that was too afraid to tell you to shut up?"

"Do you lot want to be bodyguards or not? If you do, then you all need to grow a spine. Because you're not acting like youre ready to put your lives on the line for anybody. Not even each other."

Jim sat with his arms folded across his chest watching and listening he saw Steven look at Jack then at Lee " I will not put Roberts family in jeopardy " he said and looked at Lee " I can't speak for the others but I am a body guard I follow Roberts orders to the death " he said " if I have to re take the oath I will gladly and proudly " he looked at Cassidy who looked at lee before she spoke.

" Hes right, we are our own person, jack what ever you0 thought about Robert it was for your own gain leave us out of it " she said as she saw Jess stand up and walk over to jack with one hand she slapped him.

" you ever put lives of any one in jeopardy for your own gain again you can leave " she said her face serious as she turned to face the group " your all witnesses to that fact" she turned back to Jack " grow up, the rest of us , we made a mistake now lets get back on track, we're body guards not I am but we are, one organization one voice one action " she moved to sit with Jim and looking at Kate " I am sorry he did this Kate I am sorry I went with it, I work for Robert in both senses of the work I do" She hung her head

"Alright," Lee said. "So we have part of the problem solved. But, we're a team. We leave no man behind. We just don't. I've never left a man behind and I dont start now. Jack, I've seen you fight. I've seen the promise you made to Robert to take the wolfsbane and not to kill I've seen you avoid killing even when you had the right to do so and probably should have in the line of duty. I don't believe for one moment they had any reason to be afraid of you. Furthermore, if you would have transformed, Khaat's stone would have killed you on the spot, and if that hadn't happened, the instant you decided to attack Khaat or Robert or Brian, Remus would have struck you down without a moment of hesitation. We all know that. I've asked you twice now, and I expect an answer. What happened to you?"

Jim placed his arm around Jess " don't go that far Jess " he said softly as he looked up to see lee talking to Jack who stood his shoulders slumped and his face very sheepish as he saw him open his mouth to speak.

" I can't tell you, because I don't know why, I do take my potion religiously, I won't and never will kill because I promised Robert I would not and I have kept that promise, I won't transform because I take the potion but this, I...I honestly don't know," he said and looked at Jess " I am a body guard and a father first and foremost " he looked at his hands and sat down " I don't question Robert, I do as he asks he is the boss " he said holding his head in his hands " I just don't know why " he gave a sigh.

"Finally. Honesty" Lee said. "I don't think you do know. And I don't think the rest of you know either," Lee said. "None of you have a stinking clue why you bailed. There are a lot of people who would have fired not just Jack but all four of you. And with as much position as Robert has, if he fired you, none of you could have so much as poured a beer in a pub. No one would have hired you anywhere. And you know I'm right.

"Robert and I did talk, though, and he isn't ready to give up on you. I have no earthly idea why, but he wont. He wants you to work this through as a team. From here on out, you better function as one team, not two or three little groups." He drew his wand and enlarged the large wood shelter. "Its large enough for all of us now. Act like it. If you start functioning as separate teams again, then I'll start cutting jobs. Am I clear?"

Jim chuckled as they all said together " yes sir" and moved their things into the larger shelter even Jack he took the point buy the door feeling that was his place till he earned something better. Jess took the rabbits and cut them into pieces dishing them up and handing out the slices to each person. Jim took some and handed her his rabbit " nice rabbit, here add this to the pot " he said and she nodded placing it in a bag for the next days meal unless they caught some fish but she knew there was no river close buy.

" Lee is there a river near by we could fish from I heard rushing water earlier" Jess asked as cassidy stood up.

" I'm good with a fishing line, I could catch some fish, while the guys get more wood" she suggested