Marriage is Murder

Jim and the others, well Steven and cassidy aperated in jack and Jess didn't show " ok I'm guessing Jess and jack are staying at home." Jim said as Steven took a pasty and ate it while he nodded. Jim took some fresh fruit and ate feeling that fruit would set him up for the day along with a cup of fresh fruit juice. Smiling he moved to the table and sat down he saw Cassidy with fruit also and a cold juice. Steven finished his pasty and sat back.

"Good pasty Angus" he said and smiled looking at the last one on the plate

"That's fine," Robert said. "Maybe they need a day off. Who knows?" Robert wasn't jumping to conclusions but if they didn't call off or show up for work before long, then Robert was going to have to give them a bit of a warning for just simply not showing up without a word.

Brian dashed down the stairs, showered and dressed and snatched up his shoulder bag when Robert stopped him.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Robert asked.

"Forgetting something? I dont' think so. I've got to go," Brian said, rushing.

"Brian," Robert said more firmly. "Your children."

"What about them?" Brian said, picking up his wand.

"They need to eat, Son. Slow down. Khaat's with Michael. She's alright. Slow down. Put down the wand and the bag and go get your children and feed them and then get yourself a bit of coffee and some food."

Jim was going to say the same when an owl flew in and sat in front of Robert dropping a letter in Jess's hand writing on the table in front of him, he knew it was saying they were staying away since they felt worse and the kids were bad as well. " Well he didn't look that good last night, so I'm not surprised they didn't show today." he said as he drank his tea watching Robert with the letter before moving out side and looking around he could see a wisp of smoke the only sign that some one was up in the house Jack and Jess had close by.

Angus saw the strain on Brian's face. He went over and took the bag and the wand from him. "Go get some coffee and at least get a sip of it. I'll go get the kids dressed. You can help me bring them downstairs in a moment," he told Brian. Brian didn't respond but just went into the kitchen and got some coffee and took a sip of it.

Angus found Kate in the nursery already dressing the kids. He helped her and they sent Abbey and Dakota downstairs to breakfast. Between Kate and Angus they dressed the triplets and brought them downstairs. Brian put Abbey and Dakota in their seats and fixed them plates.

He was torn between being aggravated with Robert for delaying him and being glad that Robert was not about to let Brian get so carried away that he forgot his kids. Robert understood Brian was very tired, but he was going to make sure Brian did not misstep. In that respect, Brian was grateful.

Jim looked at Brian and shook his head lightly. "You know he only means well" he said sipping his own tea. Steven nodded his head as he looked up at Brian.

"Mistakes can cost lives hes just making you slow down , even as tired as you are." He smiled finishing his food with Cassidy who fed James and Fallon, Jaylen seem to have mastered the spoon and was feeding herself even as messy as it was. Jaylen was dressed in a pair of blue dungarees and a pink tee shirt with an elephant on her shoes were pink too with a white flower on the buckle, where as Fallon was in a yellow light dress with white frilly socks and a white cardigan James was blue tee shirt and jeans with trainers, which he seem to have a knack for undoing the laces on even when they were watching him close.

Brian and Kate and Robert fed the triplets, although they were getting the hang of finger foods and preferred to do it for themselves even if it was messy. Brian envisioned next year this time without all the spitting up and without all the mess at the table. He was going to miss it.

"Don't start missing it yet," Kate said perceptively. "They will someday be adolescents. The food fights do come back."

"Here," Angus said, putting a plate in front of Brian. "Eat. If you're going to follow her every place she goes until she either gets better or drops, you'd better fuel up."

Jim nodded at Kate's words " ow trust me Brian they do and the arguments over who took what from who and whose playing what next" he said grinning Steven nodded knowing that feeling all to well with John.

" ow drat I need to send John and Andrew some things, John needs some new text books, apparently his were...eaten?" he said sounding confused at how that could happen in such a safe school environment. Cassidy spoke up first with a chuckle.

" even in a relatively safe environment like Hogwarts, bad things can and do happen" she said eating her food in a seemingly one spoon for Fallon , one spoon for Jaylen and one spoon for her kinda way.

"It certainly does," Robert said. "And really we need to be glad that there are such dangers. Without them, none of us would have ever been prepared to face the realities of the wizarding world. We learn best by doing."

Brian picked at his breakfast, but he just couldn't eat. Kate looked at Robert.

"You aren't going to hold him back any longer, Robert. Let him go," Kate laughed.

"Alright. Go ahead," Robert laughed. "You'll find the only one more protective of her than you are is Michael."

"I doubt that," Brian sprang to his feet and took one more swig of coffee, looking hopefully at Angus.

"Go," Angus laughed. "We''ve got the kids under control. Go and get it out of your system." Without another split second, Brian apparated out.

"That boy is going to have a heart attack," Robert laughed.

Jim chuckled " never seen him move so fast Ozzie" e said " its like hes a teenager again" he smiled as he sipped his tea " ah the joys " he said and chuckled looking at Steven with his three at the table. " you got all that to come my boy" he said Steven groaned a little but Cassidy chuckled and looked at Jim.

" I for one am looking forward to the challenges parenthood brings" she said just as Jaylen threw some fruit at her " ow ok not so much" she said fishing it out from the front of her shirt to find it was a half eaten piece of grape she chuckled and placed it on a side plate handing Jaylen some toast she looked at it and pushed it away looking at a banana in a bowl " well at least you know what you like and its healthy" cassidy said and peeled it for her.

" Takes after her mother" Steven said and cassidy smiled and nodded making him laugh softly.

Brian apparated into St. Mungos and headed up to find Khaat. Hannah stopped him in the hallway. She told him that Khaat was in her office and wanted to be alone. No interruptions. That wasn't Khaat. Not the Khaat that Brian knew. He demanded to know where Michael was. Hannah said that Michael had refused to leave her. Something wasn't right. Brian ignored Khaat's wishes and went into her office as if he owned it.

Khaat was leaning against the back of a wing chair, looking out the window over London as the sky started to get light. She hadnt even noticed Brian come in. Michael looked up at Brian and shook his head. The delivery had not gone well. Michael poured Khaat a firewhiskey and took it to her and pressed the glass into her hand.

"What happened?" Brian asked quietly.

"She lost them both," Michael said softly. Brian went over to Khaat, who was just staring out into space.

"What went wrong?" he asked her.

"The mother had the illness. She was too weak. She started to hemorrage. It happened so fast. She bled out before I could stop it. And...the baby...the illness...it didn't have a chance."

"The father has sworn to kill her for letting his wife and son die," Michael said quietly.

"Yeah, well, thats not likely," Brian replied. He took Khaat away from the window and sat her on the sofa. "You are exhausted. Sit. Rest a bit."

"I..need to change," she said, noticing her surgical gown had not been successful at keeping her shielded from the mess.

"I'll get you a change of clothes ready," he told her. "Drink that firewhiskey. I'll be right back."

At home, Robert stood up, took a last sip of his tea, and stretched. He leaned down and kissed Kate. "I do have to go, Dear," he told her.

"Are you checking on Khaat?" Kate asked.

"She doesn't need a parade into her office," Robert laughed.