Marriage is Murder

Jess chuckled at the thought of Roberts back pocket shouting to him. "There's some in a medicine cabinet I saw them there when I was showering. "Steven said as Jess flicked her hand and they floated right to her taking some of the potion she found that Robert had used she bandaged Khaat eyes and her hand using a soothing ointment she had.

" There both done how do they feel ?" she asked and stepped back as Steven gave both of them a mug of coffee. " if you want I could get you some sandwiches cassidy and myself made if your hungry" she said seeing Steven smile and head out of the room " ok Steven obviously likes sandwiches at the speed he just left" Jess said and looked at Brian and Khaat.

"They're fine," Khaat said. "Thank you."

"Are you hungry?" Brian asked.

"Not really," Khaat sighed. He had already known that would be her answer. It was just how she reacted to stress and they had had a lot to be stressed about today. But he was getting concerned that she just couldn't go without eating.

"Alright," he said gently. "Look. Its been a long time since breakfast. I know neither of us feel like it but we do need to try. How about you split one with me. Would you split some fruit with me? I know your mom always keeps fruit handy."

"Yeah, yeah. Okay," she sighed.

"Alright. Thanks, Jess. We'll just split a sandwich and some fruit. Maybe Kate has some of those tiny little champagne grapes she buys. Or some berries. That would be great." He was thinking of just a dish of the tiny sweet grapes she loved or of berries so that it was something she could eat with her fingers and still have a sense of independence. It was the same reason he didn't want to be checking her skin for more wounds. Asking Robert was less embarressing. "You might ask Robert if there is some other little boo boo she has that we need to be bandaging. Please."

Jess smiled and nodded " that's ok Khaat " she looked at Brian and nodded again " ow I know just the ones you mean there's some in the fridge I'll send it up with the sandwich and Robert too " she said and headed for the door she smiled as she looked back at them " now rest both of you" she said and headed down to the kitchen where she found both Jack and Steven eating a sandwich. taking some grapes in a bowl and a sandwich she sent them up to Brian. Sitting down she looked at Robert " Brian would like you to check Khaat for any more injuries " she said taking a sandwich for herself.

"What did she do?" Robert said, finishing a sandwich and warming up his tea. Kate finished a sandwich and was cutting some apples into wedges. She got out some homemade cararmel dip and some chocolate dip for apples and put the apple wedges into a large bowl, flicking her fingers at them so they wouldn't turn brown.

"Well, I doubt she could do a whole lot," Kate said. "Just go make him feel better. He's bound to be a bit overprotective."

"Well, true. I know how he feels. Alright. I'll go check." He filled up a bowl with some kibbles for Enzo an a bowl with water. "One of you lot needs to make sure Enzo knows where to find something to eat and how to get outside when he needs it."

The sandwich and the grapes had gotten upstairs and Brian had talked Khaat into some grapes to start with. Brian sipped at his coffee and ate his half of his sandwich as Robert came up.

"Ah. Now I see," Robert said, noticing they had showered. He went over and checked them both. "You're both a hell of a lot better than I thought you'd be, given all you'e been through. You just need to rest, but let's check a couple things." He found that Jess had done a very good job but that neither Brian nor Khaat knew or remembered, one or the other, of the injury to her leg. "We'll fix this leg and then you can rest. Do you remember being pinned under that debris in the villa?" he asked her.

"Oh. Yeah," she said. "I do."

"Well, there's a cut and some scrapes and bruises to your left shin and you bruised the bone and some of the underlying tissues. The bone and the tissues are intact, but its liable to be very sore for awhile. And I've already set spells in place to keep it from scarring. Would you die if I didnt' bandage it? No. But your sheets and your nightgown will stay cleaner. Its liable to be messy for awhile." Robert bandaged her leg.

"When can we be up?" Brian asked.

"If you feel up to it and you stay off your feet, you can come down for dinner tonight and sit with us awhile--so long as it doesn't tire you. But don't push it. Is there anything else you need?"

"I need a briefing on the state of the villa," Brian said.

"Edward is on that," Robert said. "Leave it to me. You're out of commission officially. Give it up for a few hours, would you?"

"Yeah, okay," Brian gave in. Robert went back to the kitchen and sat down, deciding to have some apple slices and caramel dip.

"They're fine," Robert said. "They just didn't remember she scraped her leg. That's going to be just plain sore. Its not dangerous. Its just a pain in the butt. If they continue to do well, I might let them come downstairs this evening if they rest this afternoon."

Jess looked at Robert and watched him leave she finished her sandwich and sipped on some juice as he saw him return . " I saw it, but thought it best to let you see it first, in case it was infected." she said as she sipped her cold juice Jack finishing his second sandwich and leaning against her as he drank his coffee. Steven ate his some what slower next to cassidy.

" Robert do you think he'll try again?" Steven asked pushing his plate away with just the crusts left on it. " I mean the villa is all but gutted thanks to Blood " he said " no offense Jack , seeing hes your half brother" he said Jack looked at Steven and shrugged his shoulders.

" none taken and he was my brother, he chose not to take the name but to stand for evil rather than be a man about it all. " he said and glanced at Robert " sorry bad pun I know" he could not help but smile a little, " but hes right we need to be better prepared for when he comes back, hes made it clear he wants not just Khaat now but Brian too"

"Its not infected yet, but..." he began. He was interruped bythe sound of apparating in the living room. Robert got up calmly, unalarmed, taking a bite of an apple slice and went into the living room.

Khaat heard it and felt it. She jolted, hard. Brian clutched tight to her, drawing her back against him and wrapping his arms around her to hold her close.

"Relax," he told her softly. "Relax. Your dad is downstairs, and I'm quite sure your mom is too along with a million other people. They'd have to get through all them to get to us."

"He blew up our house! I will NOT let him get us one more time!" she said fiercely, ready to try to fight, without her sight.

"Its not him," Brian said, understanding her raw emotions today. He had his own, but he at least had all his senses about him. He couldn't blame her for being easily rattled. "James doesn't know where this place is. The farm has never been penetrated at all. We're safe. And he still has to get past me even if he does come. Calm down." He couldn't blame her for jumping out of her skin at the crackle of a wand.

"Stand down," Robert called to the staff in the kitchen, just in case they were ready to fight. "We're clear." He walked back to the kitchen with Edward and Angus following him.

"Well, who in the hell did you think would be able to find you here, Robert?" Edward scowled.

"Would one of you just check to see that Khaat and Brian aren't ready to kill somebody?" Robert said. "One of them is liable to be a bit jumpy. Edward is going to need reconstruction plans for the villa."

"It'd be easier if you bought a new place," Edward sighed.

"No. We're rebuilding. Kate, can you do a sketch of the floor plan for Edward?"

"Certainly," Kate said. "If they want to make any changes, though, now is the time to do it."

"No. Just as it was," Robert said. She nodded and summoned her sketch pad and her stoneware jar of sketching pencils, taking a seat at the table to begin skeching the floor plan as it was.

"Incidently," Angus said, "the lamborghinis were not in the garage when the house caught fire."

"Well, that will save a couple of quid. Where were they?" Robert asked.

"The men from Paris had taken them both to a muggle mechanic for routine oil changes and maintenance, not realizing Khaat and Brian were coming for a few days. The cars are fine."

"That will help make them feel better a bit, I think," Robert said, "They do enjoy those cars. I brought over a crew from Paris to see what could be salvaged. There may be more than we first thought. We just don't know. Robert, can we still help them have a few days in Tuscany?"

"When they're well again, certainly," Robert said. "I think that is precisely what they should do."

Jess felt the aperate and drew her wand as did Cassidy and Steven but hearing Roberts words they put them away she smiled hearing Edwards voice and continued to clear the table. Jess quickly moved up the stairs to Khaat and Brian's room " its ok its just Edward and Angus " she said pushing open the door and shaking her head seeing Brian holding back Khaat " Khaat nobody can get in here with out Robert, Kate and myself knowing " she said reassuring, she hoped, Khaat in to stopping her from worrying or panicking at every turn. Jack walked out and down to the barn checking for himself everything was ok.

"Thank you," Brian was glad to know who it was. He took a sigh of relief. Partly because he needed it himself, and the other part of him did it deliberately in order to reassure her. "See? Friends. You're safe. Breathe. Just breathe." He felt she was still tense. He kissed her neck softly and whispered very softly in her ear. She finally took a sigh of relief.

"I refuse to lose any more," she told him softly.

"I know," he said. "I know. Give us a chance to get through today. I'll make it right with you. I swear. Somehow. I'm sorry this weekend just hasn't worked out like I'd have liked it to. I'll make it up to you."

"Its not your fault," she said. "He just keeps taking, that's all."

"I'm not going to even think of him today. Just for today, lets leave him to the others, can we?" he asked.

Jess sighed and looked at Khaat she knew James had won by getting to her and she sighed " Khaat don't do that , your letting some one who isn't worth the energy, get to you" she said softly" he can't come here and he wouldn't dare to do it " she added she heard Brian and moved to the doorway to give them some time alone. Smiling she moved down to the kitchen and Robert . " Khaat is a bit worried that James will come here for her" she said and looked at Kate and Robert along with Steven and Cassidy who were still sat at the table now nursing two cups of coffee and talking about the fishing trip that never was.

"Well," Robert said, "perhaps I need to go talk to them. I don't suppose their minds will rest until they've had a chance to de-stress. I suppose I might be the same way if I were either of them."

"Don't lie. You'd be worse," Kate said. "Especially if you were Brian."

"You don't think I could deal with a flashburn?" he frowned.

"You're a control nut," Edward said. "You'd be running the Ministry and the hospital and your family from your bed. Men like us don't know when to stop."

"Thank you, Edward," Kate said, glad he agreed with her. Robert didn't reply. He just went upstairs to talk to Khaat and Brian. He sat for a long time on the edge of their bed, just talking to them. He was gone the better part of an hour before he returned. By then, Kate had her floor plan done and Edward had gone back to Tuscany. He reached the bottom of the stairs and Michael Tremaine apparated in and grasped Robert by the front of his shirt and jerked him closer to his face.

"You're a damned lousy father, Ozzy," Michael hissed in Robert's face.

"What'd I do this tiime?" Robert frowned.

"You let your kids get hurt and you didn't tell me? What's that all about?"

"No, that makes me a lousy friend, not a lousy father," Robert said, pulling his shirt loose from him. "I was taking care of my kids, as a matter of fact. They're fine. A bit edgy, but..."

"Well, they have a right to be," Michael said.

"Do you want to be filled in or not?" Robert scowled. He motioned Michael into the kitchen. "Tea's hot."

"It's always hot," Michael said, taking out a mug and filling it with tea. He took a sip. "Lovely tea, Kate."

"Its just Earl Grey," she shrugged.

"I know," he gave her a slight smile. She just laughed.

"So what did they say?" Kate asked.

"Well, after they got done venting, I suggested they go on their trip anyway," Robert said. "Brian is considering Venice. It's always had good memories for them, and right now they need something positive. He is considering a few day trips into the countryside, but he is very much thinking it might be good for them. And by the time they've recovered their strength and cleared up the breathing issues, Khaat might well be close to getting her sight back. Right now she sees no point in going if she' can't see, and I do understand that. I don't agree with it, but I understand that. For the moment, Brian wants to pick out some new clothing for her to replace what she lost. She lost quite a lot of her smaller sizes in her wardrobe. She's going to have a hard time finding things that fit.

"Oh, can one or two of you ladies go and pick up a few changes of clothes for her from her closet at home? I do not want her in a nightgown any longer than she has to be. And, I could use one of you gentlemen to do the same for Brian. Along with any necessities they will want or need. And--I could use someone to go to a pet store and buy whatever would make that pooch feel pampered. Steven, there are some of the muggle stores where you can take the pet inside with you. Maybe you might take Enzo and get some things that he likes? Don't worry about cost if any of you need to buy some things."

"How long do you think they'll be here?" Kate asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe three or four days, but that's just a guess," Robert said. "By then, they might be ready to go back to Tuscany. Angus, would you check with that hotel they have a partnership in and see if the suite they like will be available for them? I'd think certainly by next week this time, they'd be ready to travel. Oh, yes. One more thing. Brian is going to need a new wand. I had Khaat's, but Brian's was lost in either the explosion or the sea. It will have to be replaced immediately."

"Perhaps Thaor would be the man to see about that," Michael said. "And he owes me some money. I think I could talk him into a very nice wand in exchange for his debt."

"You can try," Robert laughed.