Marriage is Murder

"I wouldn't make that choice until we know what changed his thinking," Robert said. "You dont have enough information to make that choice right now. You can certainly make him keep a distance until he seems to be leveled out, but I don't know that using the cruise to make that decision is wise. I think you need to use it to create emotional distance and get refocused on what you want for yourself and the kids. And for what its worth, I think Remus probably reached out to you because Khaat wasn't in any position to even begin to hear him. She's not even responding to us right now. She's in a state of shock. I think the sleep spell will help with that. It wouldn't be uncommon for someone traumatized to be temporarily in some level of a state of shock."

Brian soon had soothed Abbey, and he found her a coloring book with a box of big fat crayons that creating sparkling colors. He found her a place on the floor and gave her the book and the crayons. She loved to color and scribble, and he was glad to see her smile again. He sat down in the chair next to her, and Enzo curled up tight to her. Abbey turned and began using the magic crayons to add colored scribbles to Enzo's white fur. He never moved. Brian laughed.

"What are you doing? he asked her.

"He need pretties," she said, coloring on his fur. "He look like this." She pointed to the blank inside cover of her coloring book.

"Oh, I see. He's too plain, huh? he asked. Abbey nodded. Enzo just glanced back to see what she was doing and then laid his head down on his paw and closed his eyes, letting her do whatever she wanted. That made Brian laugh.

"He's a good dog," Edward laughed. "And he seems to have really taken a shine to that little one."

"Apparently so," Brian laughed.

Cassidy sighed and nodded knowing he was right. "yeah, I will and am doing just that." she said " I just kinda feel emotionally numb right now with what he's done to Khaat." she said and picked up her cup again this time drinking it. She felt it warm her and she took a deep breath in. " I'll work with Jess packing for the kids " she said and stepped back from him. "I'm guessing he did just that and I'm glad he chose me, like you said I knew what he was showing me and how important it was, as for the rings... " she looked at Robert a little like a child with a secret, " The guy wouldn't give me them so I kinda forced him to, might need to talk to Daniella about that." she said blushing as she sat down on the seats in the balcony and smiled " I hope she will recover" Cassidy said softly she saw Enzo laid with Abby and chuckled " so whose the dog seems Abby wants to color him in" she could not help but smile

"His name is Enzo," Robert said, "and he belongs to Khaat and Brian now. His original owner passed away, and Edward brought him to Khaat when she needed a seeing eye dog. Enzo is trained for multiple tasks. But evidently Abbey believes he needs to be some color other than white. Abbey, the next time you change into a dog, should we color you too?" Abbey nodded. "What color would you like to be?" She held up a hot pink crayon. Robert laughed.

"You should have figured that," Kate laughed. "That is her favorite color."

"Oh, damnit," Michael cursed suddenly dropping his cleaver on the counter, where he had been chopping.

"damnit, damniit, damnit..."Abbey sang happily. Brian rolled his eyes. That was not a word he was quite ready for her to know. Robert, however, hadn't paid much attention and was more focused on the fact that Michael had clutched his left hand with his right. Robert got up and saw blood all over the counter.

"What the hell did you do?" Robert frowned. He went over to the counter and frowned even deeper, immediately casting a spell to stop the pain. "Really? Michael John Tremaine! In all my years, I've never seen you do something like this. Do try to leave all your digits attached. Hold on while I reattach it." Angus and Edward quickly went to the kitchen and grimaced at the gruesome sight. Angus set in to immediately start to clean up the blood, and Edward stepped in to help Robert reattach Michael's severed finger. It was tricky for a couple moments, but Robert did manage it. Kate brought his medical bag so that Robert could bandage and splint the finger for a few hours to allow the healing spell to finish reattaching the bone and nerves and tendons. Edward helped him bandage it. Michael hadn't said a word. When Robert was done, he looked at Michael straight in the eyes. "Your mind wasn't on it, was it?" Robert asked.

"Well, I certainly don't do that when I'm focusing," Michael said.

"Go rest a bit," he said gently, not sure what was so unusually getting to Michael.

"I believe I will, " Michael said. He simply turned and went into the other suite.

"That is not the Michael Tremaine that I know," Edward said to Robert quietly.

"No, it certainly is not," Robert agreed.

Cassidy nodded and smiled as Abby sad she wanted to be a pink dog " pink's a wonderful color to be " she said and moved to Abby " its my favorite color too" she whispered but on hearing Michael cursing she frowned as Abby cursed as well sing song the words Michael had said. Standing she watched as Robert reattached Michael's finger. " I wonder whats got him out of sorts?" she asked as she watched him head to his room for a lay down. Cassidy moved back to Abby handing her the crayons when she needed them and chuckling as Enzo seemed not to mind nor care what she was doing.

"I think I know," Brian said quietly. He looked up at Jim. "You do too. You were there."

"Then if you know, Brian," Robert said. "Go talk to him."

Brian got up and left Abbey with Cassidy and went next door. He found Michael sitting alone on the far side of the liviing room in the other suite.

"You can't get it out of your mind, can you?" Brian asked.

"What?" Michael looked up, preoccupied.

"You keep seeing it over and over. You keep seeing her in that dumpster and its beyond you to deal with."

"No," he tried to brush it off. "Its just part of the job, and..."

"Cut it out. That was ugly and you know it. You never expected to see that in your entire life."

"No," he admitted it. "I didn't."

"Michael," Brian said. "This isn't the first time this has happened to her." Michael looked up at Brian, filled with rage at Brian's casual attitude about it all and about hearing this wasn't the first time. "Listen to me," Brian said. "I don't love her one bit less. There is nothing that could make that happen. Not ever. Its okay to be angry and disgusted and hurt and all those things. I'm right there wtih you. But what I won't do is let that get in the way of how much I love her. This is one of those kinds of things that seems to happen in her life that she desperately wants to protect us all from suffering through with her."

"I don't need her to protect me!" Michael was angry, and Brian could hear it.

"Its tough when you find someone in your life that you love that much, isn't it?" Brian asked gently. "And you' do just about anything for her and her family."

"Yes. I would."

"Me too," Brian agreed. "But I can tell you that as she gets better, all of this negative stuff in your head does start to face away. But Robert's right. You need a little bit of a rest. You've been up for days. Go get just a couple hours of sleep." Michael nodded and got up and went up to his room. Brian lingered a moment to be sure Michael was truly alright before he went back over to his own suite

"Is he alright?" Robert asked.

"He will be," Brian said.

Cassidy played with Abby as she saw Jim walk behind Brian. Jim looked at Michael and nodded Jim spoke for a moment when Brian said about doing just about anything for her and her family. "That makes three of us " he said and stood listening again as Brian continued, he agreed with every word and smiled as he suggested Michael go for a rest. " Everything is fine for now, take some time to recharge your energy. " he said and glanced at Cassidy. "There's more than enough people here" he said " go sleep" he spoke softer to him, he breathed out as he saw Michael head to his suite. Jim sighed and shook his head feeling this was all because of Steven. He moved back to the living room and sat watching Abby and Cassidy.

Brian didn't say a word about Steven but because Cassidy was there he let it drop for now. He knew she needed to soon go back to England and return to her own duties including the new ones Robert had given to her to prepare for a few days out on ship. He knew that everyone else needed to get rid of their steadily increasing rage at Steven, though, and he knew that needed to be soon.

And what worried him more was that nobody knew what sort of condition Khaat would be in when Robert let the sedation lift. They hadn't discussed the injuries with anyone. He and Robert had merely done what needed to be done at the time. And this did surely not help her overall health. It was going to make the recovery seem that much tougher and longer.

The floo opened and they all heard Daniella's frustrated voice. "Robert Thomas Lupin!" she was angry sounding. "You report to my office at once! Do you understand me?"

Robert had been expecting it. He stood up. "I'm on my way," he said, taking out his wand. He looked at the others. "You lot get back to your duties. If I need you I'll call." He apparated out.

Cassidy heard the females voice and looked surprised at Jack who mouthed one word, " Daniella" he said and she nodded as she stood up. Walking over to Brian she spoke softly to him.

" I should get back to the estate and pack for the children." she said moving to Jim she hugged him and thanked him then smiled at Jack." I'll let Jess know your ok" she said smiling as he nodded smiling back at her.

"Tell her I'll see her soon" he said and cassidy looked back to Brian before she spoke again.

" permission to leave?" she asked him as she picked up her coat and slipped it on knowing the weather would be colder back on the estate than in Venice. " my second visit to Venice and I don't even get to see st john's square, ow well" she shrugged her shoulders lightly as Jim walked over to them.

" You will one day I promise Cassidy, even if I have to take you to see it" he said and Cassidy smiled and nodded as she ported back to the estate.

Robert was gone for almost 30 minutes before he came back to the hotel. He saw them all looking at him when he came back.

"Stand down, All," he said. "You're all acting like we're about to be all invaded or arrested. We do generally try to do things peacefully between ministries."

"Should we ask, or will you tell us?" Kate asked.

"She was angry that her new trainer just up and disappeared on her. One more misstep that he made," Robert said. "I had to tell her the truth. I don't know right now if she will take him back or not, under the circumstances."

"No one here really knows if they want him back either," Kate replied, honestly, saying what the others were thinking.

"I can't make that choice until I hear from Jeffrey," Robert said. "Our attentions need to be on our family now. We can't help Steven. He's gotten himself just about as deep as he can go."

Jim nodded as he sat and listened " Yes he has dug himself in deep this time including with Cassidy " he said softly as he moved a chess piece " she's gone back to get everything ready for the trip" he informed Robert as Jack smiled and sat facing him moving his colored piece on the board.

" Get out of that one old man" Jack said and chuckled Jim did as well knowing it was meant in affection and no other way. Both men sat looking at Robert and Brian, both knowing he was right and they would not know more until Jeffery sent word.