Marriage is Murder

Both jack and Jim did as ordered finding two more men one jumped on Jack but Jim killed him and they continued another jumped at Jim jack tor his arm off and threw him across the room " now we're even" Jack told Jim who chuckled and nodded as they moved back to Michael " checked all the rooms there empty and no sigh of James" Jack said with a deep frustrated sigh . Jim nodded and looked around he saw papers on a desk and a map hung on a wall tarring it down he looked at it " Michael take a look at this" he said moving with it in his hand to Michael.

"Shrink everything," Michael ordered. "Pack it and anything else that might be of value. We'll take it. You might as well learn to steal now. And stealing from the bad guys does make it infinitely easier to live with." He thought perhaps they would let Robert analyze it later. He had gotten enough of a glimpse to know that James had plotted where Brians unplottable house was. Michael flicked his wand, one by one, at the prisoners and obliviated them. He was eliminating the memories of any of the Lupins' homes from their minds. "Leave the bodies. Its not like the stench will get to the surface or make any bloody difference down here. Are you two able to drop off these scum at Azkaban? They have, after all, kidnapped broken into the Chief Warlock's home and kidnapped her and held her hostage. Ought to be worth a few years in Azkaban, don't you think? If you're able to do that, I'll make sure the rest of us got out and make sure all is well with them."

Brian had taken Khaat out of the catacombs and had found Hiss in the hallways. The rope was only too eager to lead Brian safely out. The rope slithered back to wait on Michael as Brian left to take Khaat home.

Jim and Jack nodded " we can most certainly do that " Jim said as he shrank all the papers and books and notes placing them into a small bag he handed it to Michael then turned to jack " ok lets get these to Askaban " he said and grabbed two men while Jack grabbed the rest pulling them to their feet he looked at Michael " see you in a moment" he said aperating away with his load Jim followed quickly after.

Appearing at Askaban several guards were waiting, Jim explained and they took all of them after Jim and Jack had frisked them for wands and any papers they might have before letting the guards take them. Both Jack and Jim aperated back to the house placing all they had found on the table .

Michael had collected Hiss and disappeared into the darkness as easily as smoke. He apparated back to the house before Jack and Jim arrived. He saw the house was settling. Kate was making fresh tea.

"Did Brian get back?" MIchael asked.

"Yes," Kate said. "Thank you. Robert and Brian are upstairs with her now. Robert was hoping that a bit of a bath and fresh clothes would make her feel better. And I changed those blood covered sheets and cleaned that mess up that James left in their room. I don't think they'll be long. She appears to be okay. Just upset. Robert will be down shortly. If I know Brian, he won't leave her tonight."

"I would certainly think not," Michael said.

Jack and Jim walked in from the main garden Jim took out the shrunk bag and placed it on the table in front of Michael and looked at Kate listening to what she had said to Michael. " good " he said taking some tea and walking back in " those men were too well organized for just opportunists" he said " as for James there was no sign of him I thought those men's personal affects might hold something so I brought them as well " he said dumping it on the table.

Jack had gone to check on Jess who had found a guest room to lay down in she was sleeping which he thought was a good thing for the moment. He checked on her and found no fever that was a good thing he thought at least her magic wouldn't go out on them.

Robert came downstairs, yawning, starting to look tired. But even what little fatigue he showed was far less than what he felt.

"Nice job," he told them. "Khaat's sleeping and Brian is staying with her. In all actuality, that wretched cold probably did her some good. She wasn't there long enough for it to do her any harm. My guess is that it might have lowered her fever a bit. the upset about finding herself back where she..well,..."

"Enough," Kate cut him off firmly. She wasn't willing to relive that. she simply turned and went upstairs. Robert did understand. That had been ugly. For Khaat, for Kate and for him. He poured himself a firewhiskey. He summoned Brian's cigarette case and his lighter. Robert was feeling the pressure that he'd somehow let his daughter be taken back to where Barker had nearly killed her. The memories of when he and Kate had found her were hideous for all three of them. He took the cigarettes, the lighter and the glass of firewhiskey and went out onto the stone veranda and put the glass on the stone railing and lit a cigarette, depositing the silver case and the lighter into his pocket. he inhaled, paused a moment, and then exhaled slowly, trying to destress.

"Of all the ugly things James could do, taking her there was below all ethical lows," Michael said, watching Robert go outside. "I think there is a growing line to kill him."

Jim waked out and listened watching Robert light up this was something he'd not seen before except under extreme circumstances and he knew this had to be one of those times. He sighed as he walked over to Robert.

"Since when did James or Barker do anything ethical" he said softly and lent on the railing looking out over the grounds " Khaat sleeping I take it , best for her " he said as he saw jack walk down and sit down in a large chair in the living room with a hot coffee. Jim had heard roomers about Barker and how he'd treat Khaat.

Robert knew what Jim was doing. why he'd followed him. He paused, looking for words before he spoke. He took a sip of the firewhiskey and stared out across the yard into the darkness..

"I can't blame Kate for not wanting to talk about it<" Robert said. "It was damned hideous. He had Khaat and Eli chained to the walls when we found them and that was after days of him torturing them already. He'd tortured them almost to death. He'd had her longer than he'd had Eli. When Barker couldn't break her, he kidnapped and tortured Eli in front of her to try to break her because of how much she loves that boy. Khaat was so close to death when Kate and I arrived that her spirit was already separated out from her body already--but her love for Eli wouldn't let her leave him. Eli believed Barker had killed her. He will never heal from seeing her lifeless form chained beside him when there was nothing he could do. And she will never heal from seeing Barker torture a boy she's always thought of as her son. Nor will she heal from being, for all purposes, beyond the veil and back again.

"Bless Kate's seers abilities. Dumbledore loved her for that. Kate still could feel Khaat in the room. I had to coach Khaat on how to go back into her body. If we had been 15 seconds later, she'd have been dead. No coming back, no second chances. Khaat was in intensive care in St. Mungos for quite a long time after that. So was Eli. We sent Barker to Azkaban. And then Grindelwald broke him out. The last I knew, Barker left the country when Grindelwald did. Don't think I wouldn't still like to kill him--because I most certainly would. And I doubt I'd have very little trouble doing it.

"Doesn't mean its any easier to deal with the fact that Blood took her back there. That it brought it all back for her, Kate, Brian..and for me. I've never killed without a damned good reason, Jim. But there just might be a first time for everything. And you know, its probably a very good thing that my circle of close friends is very small. If it were bigger the wizarding world would have a very hard time believing I am not as holy as they want all us Lupins to be."

Upstairs, Kate went to see Brian. He had taken perhaps one of the quickest showers of his life and was simply wearing a pair of jeans. Kate saw the deep black bruises that had already formed on his muscular upper arms. They were clear handprints with deep puncture wounds from each of Khaat's fingernails.

"Why didnt you let Robert fix that?" Kate asked Brian softly.

"Nah," Brian shook his head, his eyes fixed on Khaats sleeping form, which was, for the moment, safely back in her bed. "She earned it. If that's all I get from her, then I'm good with it."

"Don't lie. At this point, you'd take anything she'd dish out at you, just to let her vent it."

"You're right. I would. "

"Can I get anything for you?"

"No thanks, Kate. I'm fine. Get some sleep. I'll be up."

"I know. We'll be across the hall. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Kate," Brian said as she left.

Jim stood and listened to each word, "so the roomers were true" he thought to himself but said nothing only listened to him quietly. He didn't know how it would feel to have that happened, to watch the one person you care about suffer then almost die. "Thank god, you got their in time" he said softly, " she is a very very lucky woman to have you all watching her from this side and the other side of the veil " he spoke softly his hands clasped in front of him as he glanced at Robert " and thank god for Kate's ability's" he looked back out over the grounds his own face showing no emotion " he will be killed Robert, that I promise you, Khaat and Kate." he said his voice holding a tone that meant he meant business.

"I cannot tell you how many times Khaat has awakened Brian with screaming or fighting in her sleep," Robert said. "Its not something I ever wanted for Khaat to live through or for Brian to have to learn to consider part of his normality. Kate and I helped them cope at first. Not just in St. Mungos but also once she got home. They've gotten enough of a sense of being a strong couple now that he just deals with it. It doesn't take him more than a bit of reassurance to get her feeling secure again. I sometimes don't feel adequate to ease Kate's heartache as her mother, though. I do try. But to have Khaat taken back there again? Kate worries about how Khaat will react to it when she wakes up. I thought she was doing better than just about anybody I know. But Kate is probably going to be pissed off until she knows for sure Khaat is okay."