Marriage is Murder

Jess sat with Kate while Jack finished his coffee and headed out giving Jess a kiss on her cheek as he moved past her. Jim walked around the farm and smoked his pipe he nodded to some men who were stood on guard but at the same time piling hay into the stalls of the barn for the horses. Cassidy walked off in the direction Steven had gone she didn't find him and walked back to the main house knowing the next time he came to her he would get such a wallop from her he'd still feel it two days later. But she did come across a grave half dug up. kneeling she started to clear the weeds away and stopped seeing it was Remus grave she'd found. " I am guessing Khaat came to see you, I know if I had some one that close to me this would be the first place I'd come" she said softly as he brushed away some ivy from the tone head stone making it readable again.

"She'll come again," Remus's voice was so soft and faint it would easily have been missed. "Be aware. If this doesn't stop, she'll come again. And she'll work a lot harder to come to me. She was just looking to escape last night. If this doesn't stop, she will be much more focused on coming here to me. Not just to my grave. She believes she's too much work for any of you to cope with. And she thinks you now think is beneath your dignity to stand between her and James. She thinks you find it humiliating to have to try to save her life. She doesn't want to come back."

Remus wasn't saying that this was, in a large part, due to Steven, but he knew he wasn't going to have to. The other pieces were the overwork, the lack of food and sleep, her own mild case of the plague, the use of her father's energy potions to keep going. Physically, she just wasnt' well. And then, when she had obeyed her father to escape, James had struck hard--too many times from too many directions. He'd attacked her, destroyed her house and then nearly killed Brian. And when James was starting to hurt other people instead of just coming at her, she felt she had no choice but to leave.

Robert was laying out a plan with Brian. He was going to make sure Brian got what he needed to medically take care of Khaat. And he specifically told him to keep Khaat there for a few days, to let her rest. He felt sure Michael wasn't going anywhere. He was considering that if he sent any backup at all, it would have to be someone that Khaat wasn't quite so close to.

Cassidy closed her eyes listening to his voice and she could not argue anything he said , for it was all true. " I know Remus and it hurts me to think Steven could think that way, Khaat is like a sister to me I do what I do because I love her like she was my sister, I know Jess and Jack feel the same way as well" she wiped a tear from her cheek " I don't feel humiliated in any way working for her I feel proud and honored, I could have left with Steven but I didn't those were his thoughts and feelings not mine" she spoke softly " I feel the same some times but I look at Brian and Khaat and accept it will get better " she rested her hand on the stone and made a silent promise that Steven would never make her leave.

Robert made a list of what he wanted Khaat and Brian to be minimally supplied with. Brian headed home, with one small detour. He apparated into Steven's house, caught him off guard and proceeded to just relentlessly release his anger on him. He didn't say a word, didn't pause, didn't relent. Not until Steven was knocked out cold on the floor.
He believed he made his point. If Steven Walker came anywhere near Khaat again, Brian would do far worse than his 'lesson' today.

He went home, gathered what Robert had put on his list and a few other things and managed to do it without the kids seeing he'd even been there. Then he ported back quickly to Tuscany.

It took Robert about all of 10 seconds to see Brian's knuckles were bleeding on his good hand. He glared at him.

"What did you do?" he frowned.

"I tripped," He lied.

"Next time," Robert said, taking Brian's hand in both of his to heal the wounds on Brian's hand. "Try not to trip over the people I've already fired, would you?"

Jess looked outside and gave a smirk " seems Brian tough Steven a lesson , one he won;'t forget " she said hoping cassidy would not hold it against Brian in anyway. Cassidy finished cleaning up Remus grave and was soon happy it looked tidy again. Standing she brushed off her hands and sighed " rest well Remus" she said and headed back to the house as she approached she saw Jess who nodded and Cassidy nodded saying one words softly. " Good " she moved to the sink and washed her hands.

"You know what that means ?" Jess asked her and she looked at Angus and Jess.

"What, that he is an ass and I don't blame Brian for doing it? No, not by along shot. " she said moving to dry her hands. " If he hadn't done it Jack would have, under my orders" she said and looked at them both Jess nodded and smiled at her.

"Did you leave him in one piece?" Robert asked. "Or do I need to reattach something?"

"I did leave him a plaster...well, no..Technically, it was an American bandaid. Lord knows we can't contaminate him with our British remedies."

"Get your anger out here, Son. You need the break as much as she does. Let me see the bag," he took it from Brian and began to inspect it. "It looks like you brought everything but the kids."

"She needs to know she hasn't lost anything. Not really," Brian said, staring out over the canal.

"She knows," he said gently.

"Any word?"

"They've barely been gone an hour. Relax. She's completely safe with Michael. Take time for yourself to breathe."

"Its my responsibility!"

"Brian," Robert frowned. "Do you think this was your fault?"

"It must have been! She ran from me too! I couldnt' reach her! She..."

"Stop," Robert said. "Stop a minute. Don't you know why she ran from you? It wasn't because she didn't love you or because you failed her. You've got it all backwards. Look at me." Brian didn't move. Robert went to him. "I said look at me." Brian looked at him, and Robert saw, for a moment, a flash in his eyes of the young boy he took in who was so alone and afraid he would always be alone. "Now, listen," Robert said. "Keep your head. You know she loves you. You know that better than anything else you know. That didn't just stop last night." Brian hesitated and then nodded. "You're not thinking. It never once entered her mind that perhaps you failed her. And the one thing she knew more than anything else was how strong your love was for her. Why the hell do you think she kept running from you? She was running away from you because she believed she was trapping you, keeping you chained to her, risking your life when she thought you deserved better...."

"There ISN'T better! What about what I want? I am never chained with her. I am only chained without her!"

"I know. Brian, think. Why did she leave? Why go to Remus's grave? And why is this so powerful for you?" When Robert posed the question, Brian froze. Completely, his mind going back in time to one of the worst memories they had shared as one family. He felt utterly stunned.

"That's right," Robert said quietly. "James' attacks yesterday so close together. It resurrected all our pain. Hers, her mothers, mine,..and yours. It brought out her fear that perhaps he'd destroyed us all yesterday. It took her back to reliving what Voldemort almost did with this family."

"And she ran to protect us."

"Yes," Robert said softly. "She thought if she could get away from us then all would be well for us. That she could lure James away. And, incidently, now that you bruised him, Steven didn't drive her away, but he certainly reinforced in her mind that no one has the strength to stand against James to try to keep one woman alive. She believes she's robbing them of their own dreams, their own lives. She believes she's burned them out. And that only gave her more reason to want to leave. To give us all back our freedom from her."

"But blind! ...she'd die...she'd...."

"She knew," Robert said softly. "Oh, she certainly knew. Why do you think she ended up at Remus's grave? People who cross over most often try to reach out to whoever they love the most who has already crossed. It makes sense to me. It won't be hard for you to get her back, you know."

"She needs her sight, and I don't want to be free of her! I want what we had until yesterday morning!"

"Its coming. Her sight has stabilized today. Now it just needs to improve. Give it a bit. I can't do an episkey on it to fix it. It needs a bit of time...." Robert's words were interrupted by Brian's ears picking up on a sound outside. He looked out quickly and saw Michael walking Khaat back over a bridge, her arm in his and he was wearing a new fedora. He'd bought her a lovely white crochetted sweater, and he had a brown paper sack in his other hand. They were smiling, and what Brian had heard was her laughter. There was still laughter left in her life after all, and it was like light and music to his soul.

"I told you," Robert said gently. "Your life isn't over. She didn't stop loving you. You'll be alright. I think you can figure it out from here." He patted Brian's shoulder reassuringly.

Cassidy moved to start a fire to warm the house for those who felt the chill as she did. It also helped focus her mind on something other than her anger her hands grasping each log tightly as she placed them in the fire then she lit a taper and placed it right inside blowing gently until it caught the paper she'd placed inside it. Before long she sat in front of a roaring fire watching the flames. Jess moved to her and placed a hand on her shoulder but spoke softly. "Come and help me make some cookies I promised Jack he could have some when he'd fixed all the damage. " she said leading her to the kitchen feeling Cassidys conflict that went on inside her over Steven and the thoughts of her father. Jess set her to work and sighed looking over at Kate. " now I truly know what it is to feel like den mother " she said and smiled.

"Ah well," Kate said, "Get used to it. Khaat is always bringing someone new into the fold, and our family keeps getting bigger. When she was a kid, it was stray animals. Now its all sorts of people I've gotten so used to it that I would miss it if our circle just got to just our biological family again. There are times when Robert and I feel a lot more like a referee than parents. But then again, most parents feel like referees at some point...." She was cut off by her energies. She felt rage. Bitter, out of control rage. Brian's presence closeby. And then pain in the back of her head. She didn't move. She just closed her eyes against it, forcing it out. She got up and went to the back door.

"Jack. Jim. One of you go over to Stevens and check on him. Take a med bag," Kate told them. She turned back to Cassidy and Jess. "I have a feeling my son-in-law has been venting. He might not work for us anymore, but he is still my neighbor. I can't know that he's perhaps hurt and not try to reach out to him. Its not in me to ignore it. I don't mean to intrude there, Cassidy, but...he was with us a long time. Its...just the right thing to do."

Brian didn't breathe easier until Khaat came back in with Michael. He went over and laid his hand on hers and got her to release Enzo's harness from her hand. The dog stood at attention beside her, until Robert whistled softly for it, and it went over to Robert and laid at his feet.

"Did you think I was going to misplace her or something?" MIchael asked, putting his brown bag in front of Robert.

"No," Brian said softly, his eyes focused on her, his hand brushing her cheek. "How was your walk?"

"I didnt think I'd find anything to enjoy in Venice now," she said quietly. "I..I still like it here. I didn't think I would."

"I'm glad."

"You'll have your sight back in two or three days, I'm guessing," Robert said. "You can bear with it that long. Khaat, I have told Brian that I want you to just take the time away. Michael, will you stay?"

"Where else would I go?" MIchael said. "I happen to like summers in Italy. And besides, there is a marvelous art festival in Rome starting tomorrow." They all laughed.

"That will be rather short lived," Robert laughed. "Not once you've been there. And was that a Rembrant I saw in your bedroom the other day?"

"Rembrant? Now how would a poor, retired wizard like me come upon a Rembrant?"

"Very much like you just happened upon a Picasso that hangs in your bathroom."

"Ah, that is a print. You can't hang a fine print in your bathroom. The moisture isnt' good for it," MIchael said.

"And the vase on your desk in your study looks suspciously like a Ming."

"Does it now?" MIchael said, pouring more tea for himself.

"Leave Michael alone, Daddy," Khaat said. "I like his taste in art."

"And it doesn't bother you that its stolen?"

"It is?" Khaat asked, pretending that she had not known it was stolen.

Jess watched Kate and looked to Jack and Jim who grabbed a med kit and aperated out to Stevens farm. Cassidy looked at Kate and shook her head " its ok with me your like my family so you have just as much right as if you were my real family, but what ever Brian did to him Steven deserved." she said continuing to make the cookies " Jess how do you want these cut?" she asked Jess walked over with two cookie cutters placing them in front of her.

"I leave that to you cassidy" she said then moved to Kate placing some seers tea down in front of her before she sat with her own to face Kate.

"Thank you," Kate said to Jess. "I wish Robert would come back. It feels like he has been gone much too long for my likings. I could use some word. Khaat's emotions must be strong. My powers are over reacting to everything." She knew Brian's emotions were stronger than they'd been in almost 20 years. She knew exactly where their thoughts all were. "Brian hasn't been this affected since he was a kid. If Brian had a weakness, it was in not letting anyone get close enough to him that he felt like he had to risk investing his heart. And I know where his mind has been. He thought he lost her forever. He thought she was rejecting him and everything they had. I dont know where his thoughts are now. I know Robert is just plain stressed. And Khaat, I just dont' know." As for herself, Kate didnt know. She didn't know where her own thoughts stopped and started and where her seers energies began. And she wondered what Robert was going to do about the vacant bodyguard position.