Marriage is Murder

The other werewolves began to howl and scream at the loss of their leader. They seemed to go crazy. Brian and Michael and Edward and Angus found themselves in the midst of a war. Werewolves from everywhere seemed to be going after them to kill them.

"Watch your backs!" Brian shouted. "They're all around us!"

Khaat couldn't move. She was utterly frozen, and she couldnt see or hear because of the stone's brightness and shrillness of its shrieking. And then,huge hairy hands slammed against the figures who were protecting her, sending them airborne through the room and slamming them into the walls--one to her left and one to her right. Then it spun her around. Her eyes met the one face she never thought she would see.

She was standing toe to toe with Fenrir Greyback. She couldn't breathe because of the fear. He grabbed the necklace around her neck and tried to rip it from her neck, but the chain wouldn't break. She could hear the hiss of his burning skin as the stone burned the inside of his hand. He was outraged.

"If it will not break, then let it be your garrote!" he bellowed, twisting it hard. The delicate gold chain cut hard into her neck, strangling her. Her air was cut off. She felt blood running down her neck. She was able to say one last word in a desperate whispered voice. "Daddy!"

Brian thought he had heard every sound the stone ever made, every sound the medallion ever made, but the stone and the medallion began to sound such desperate alarms that it nearly made his heart stop. This was a whole new layer of summoning that Brian didn't think it would ever do. It was going to raise every worker from every part of the globe. He spun around to see that a mammoth figure was standing in front of Khaat. He couldnt' see what was going on, but it clearly wasnt good.

And then plumes of white smoke began to apparate in, as organization members from every part of the globe responded. And right at the heart of it was Robert.

"Get your hands off my child, Greyback, you sonofab****!" he bellowed,fully enraged, beginning to fire his wand immediately. Brian's heart nearly stopped. Fenrir Greyback? Himself? Here? Oh God! Khaat was beginning to will her spirit to leave her body, to go now to Remus. She had no more air left, and she was fading fast. Her body began to slump, her strength leaving her, and Greyback following her falling form to the floor, his grip tight around her necklace, determined on killing her and taking the stone for himself. Khaat began to see less and less of them around her and began to see more and more of Remus.

Steven saw what was happening he took his wand and aimed for Graybacks shoulder but missed as he was jostled by a were. diving for him he used all his strength to slammed hard into him knocking him off Khaat and off the stage even though he knew he probably broke his shoulder doing it. Looking at Robert he moved to Khaat untangling the chain from around her throat " ROBERT YOUR UP!!" he called and dove from the stage into a group of were's which were attacking Jack but he just in an explosion burst out throwing them across the floor while Steven fired and moved to Jim who right now was just glad some one had his back.

"Brian, move!" Edward commanded. "Now! Go!" He and Brian flew to Khaat. Edward took a firm stance at Khaat's head, and Brian stood at her feet, back to back with Edward. Robert was about to kill Fenrir when Daniella arrived with more aurors than Brian had ever seen at one time. They moved immediately to start to secure the werewolves. It took 6 of them to capture Greyback. Robert flew to Khaat. Brian panicked and knelt at Khaat's head, willing to give his own life, if that was what it took to bring her back.

Drip, drip, drip....It was odd, but Khaat heard nothing but silence and an annoying drip, drip, drip. Remus began to come into focus.

"What is that?" she asked him, frowning.

"You," he said. "You're bleeding out on the floor. Annoying?"

"Very," she replied.


"Khaat," Robert laid his hand on her forehead and one on her chest to restart her breathing and her heart. She wasn't responding to his spell. Robert began forcing his own energies into her form. "Remus, damnit, you can't have her! Not yet! Give her back! She's mine! Do you hear me?"

"You can't stay, you know," Remus said calmly to her. She didn't respond. She wasn't interested in going back. They were better without her. He just looked at her. "Listen." He tuned her into her father's desperate efforts to bring her back. "Were you planning on bringing him with you?" Remus asked.

"No," she replied.

"Then you have no choice. He isn't going to let you go. You know he won't. He's going to give up the last heartbeat and last breath he has to try to save you," Remus told her softly. "You have to go back." He paused and looked at her, with a gentle compassionate smile. Then he raised his palm to face her. "Now." It was as if he shoved her back into her body. The next thing she knew, she was gasping loudly, desperate for air. Coughing. In excruciating pain.

"Thank God," she heard her father say softly.

Jim left the wears to the Aurors as he moved back to the stage Jack joining him where Steven staid out of the way standing and organizing some Aurors as to who to take. But he did look over breathing out when he saw Khaat gasp. Jim let out his own breath as he heard Khaat gasp. Jack nodded and breathed out smiling at Jim in relief. " will she be all right?" Jim asked moving closer to them along with Jack. Steven staid at a distance feeling he should stay that way at least until he'd regained her trust in him feeling he had let her down. Jack moved to Steven and placed his hand on his shoulder but he felt Steven give under him and sit down.

" Your hurt" Jack said and looked at the group on the stage then back at Steven.

" I'm fine, deal with her first, shes more important that I am" he said his voice strained but he stayed sat down , beads of sweat glistened on his brow as he spoke. He sighed deeply inside as he kicked himself, he knew it now that Khaat was important, along with his family and now he knew what a fool he'd been and how so like a child he'd acted.

"Khaat," Robert called urgently. "Come on. Wake up. Brian, stop that bleeding." From a distance, from what felt like far away, she felt Brian's cool touch on the burning, firey wound all around her neck. She felt it closing to Brian's command. The annoying dripping sound began to stop. "Breathe," Robert coached her. "Slowly. Breathe. Deeper. Good girl."

"Robert," Daniella walked over with a glass of ice and a bottle of water and a clean cloth. "Here. It will help." Brian took it from her.

"Thank you," he said softly.

"She will be alright," Daniella saw the fear in what she understood was Khaat's friends and her young groom. "She is a seer, right?" Brian nodded, wetting the cloth with the cold water and starting to sponge away the blood from her neck and out of her hair. Daniella knelt on the other side of Robert and took another cold wet cloth and sponged lightly at Khaat's face to help bring her around and comfort her. Khaat felt her father adding a bit more strength to her energies. He was casting spells to help the damage to her throat and her breathing. It began to ease, but the pain seemed to be all over her body and was all she could cope with. She was finally able to open her eyes.

"Well done," he said to her softly, taking the edge of her pain and then brushing her hair lovingly. "Mission accomplished." It took her a moment to hear what he was saying. They'd gotten James? But they'd gotten him before. She wasn't able to consider that it was one less threat to her life. Robert slid one hand under her neck to heal any injuries to her bones and muscles.

"Bianca," Daniella ordered quietly. "Check her bodyguards. Make sure they are well. Take care of their wounds. You and Marco. We do not need werewolf wounds. Check the muggles before they are all obliviated and released." A strawberry blond woman and a dark haired man, both dressed in black slacks, black shirts, long black ties, and black suitcoats, began checking all of the witches and wizards who had come on this operation to help Robert and his family.

"Brian, your help, please," Robert said. He and Brian slowly sat her up. Her head spun viciously, and Brian sat right behind her and let her lean back against him, wrapping his arms around her. She hadn't realized that the moment he'd wrapped around her, she'd gripped his hands with what little strength she had.

"Here," Daniella told her. "A sip of water will help some of that aching." She opened the bottle of water and poured it over the ice and fed her tiny sips. Khaat hadn't thought it would do much, but Daniella was right. It did help. "Better?" Daniella asked. Khaat nodded.

"Jack," Robert said, addressing Jack to get his help, Robert's own anxiety settling again as he saw the panic in the room was settling. He knew people were hurt, and he couldn't get to them. That frustrated him, and he was very grateful for Daniella's help. "Job well done, Jack. Are you able to help Edward and head up the detail to work with Daniella to wind this up? Make sure that Daniella's staff checks everyone here before they leave. Daniella has to document any and all injuries as self defense so it documents that we didn't just come in killing people. I know Bianca and Dino. They are the best healers that the Italian ministry has. Finish this up and then send Angus to Paris to debrief most of the organization there. Then our usual lot needs tend to themselves, clean up and then report to the hotel for debriefing there. If that will not work, I will leave Brian to finish what needs to be done here. I need to attend to Khaat for awhile."

Edward agreed that Jack deserved a chance to show some leadership and see if he could handle winding up one of the biggest missions they had had for awhile. He had also noticed the figure in black who had stepped in, and noticed Jack had befriended him. Edward had not seen who it was, but figured that if Jack was befriending him he was safe enough to be around Khaat, at least for the moment. Michael and Angus were dealing with making sure the exits were sealed so that the werewolves who had not been arrested quite yet weren't going anywhere.

Jim watched Jack as he seem to pull himself together, Jack looked at Robert and blinked for a moment then nod to him it was then he realized he still held James heart in his hand seeing a trash can he dropped it in and wiped his bloodied hand on his now almost shredded jacket. "Yes sir" Jack said and set about his task he send Dino to Steven but Steven refused saying the muggles needed them more. Soon all the muggles were happy and unhurt and all the werewolves had been rounded up. Soon he found Angus and told him what Robert had asked watching as he left for Paris.

Soon every one was clear and the muggles talked about nothing but a wonderful fashion show as they seen and left one buy one out the doors, all the Werewolves were now in custody and he moved back to Robert and Edward. Steven still sat watching from a distance, a healer walked up and healed his shoulder and he stood up walking to stand not far from them as he watched them with Khaat. His shoulder now just gave twitches with the healer said would go after a few days since he had broken it in several places. Steven was just glad he'd stopped Grayback from killing Khaat.

"Brian," Robert said, "take her home. I'll be right there. Don't leave her." Brian didn't need to be told twice. "Michael," Robert said, "Go with him. Do what you can to help make her comfortable until I get there."

"On our way," Michael said. Brian picked her up and he and Michael simply apparated out with her back to the hotel.

Robert noticed Daniella's staff removing the dead bodies and cleaning up the blood. It did appear that Jack had things well in hand.

"Must you always start a war when you come to my country?" Daniella asked Robert. "Can't you just have a holiday like everybody else?"

"Now what fun would that be?" Robert laughed.

"We will finish here. Take your staff and go tend to your daughter. Be well, Robert."

"I will. Thank you," he kissed her cheek. "You too." He turned to his staff. "Job well done, All. Let's get back to the hotel. I'm not sure how you knew, Steven, but you did a good job today. You're welcome to come back to the hotel with everyone else. Edward and Jack and Angus have access to the room, so if you choose to come, you can come with them. I need to go see to Khaat until she is more stable medically. I'll see you all in a few minutes." He apparated out.

"Let's shorten this debriefing," Edward said to Angus. He helped Angus take care of debriefing the majority of Robert's staff in just a few minutes, sending them on their way. Then he turnd to the rest of them. "If you're ready, we should go." He accio'd Khaat's silver cape almost as an after thought. "We should go, All," Edward said. "Everyone ready?"

Back at the hotel, Brian had taken Khaat straight to the bedroom and had gotten rid of the dress she so hated. She was covered in her own blood, even as much as they had tried to clean up. It was dry now, though. He simply helped her into her nightgown and into bed. Michael made a pot of tea and a pot of coffee. He put out a platter of fresh homemade cookies and a bowl of fruit salad to give everyone a bit of something to unwind with.

Brian was just covering her when Robert arrived. "Thank you, MIchael. The others will be coming shortly. Could you get some ice packs for Khaat, please?"

"Straight away," MIchael nodded. Robert went into the bedroom. He spent a few more minutes stablizing her, and then he set a light sleep spell on her to calm her. It made her exceptionally drowsy and heavy. He knew Brian and Khaat needed just a moment.

"No more than 2 minutes," Robert told Brian. "Then she needs to sleep." He left them alone, returning to the living room where Michael handed him the ice packs and poured Robert a cup of tea.

Brian looked at Khaat. "You knew, didn't you?" he asked her softly. "You planned to die tonight. You've been saying goodbye." Her eyes fluttered shut heavily as she nodded very slightly. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked her softly, kissing her. He saw she was far more asleep than awake. "Tomorrow?" he asked her. She nodded and faded into sleep. He wasn't sure he was going to be able to pull himself away from her tonight. He curled up on the bed beside her, not wanting to leave her for a moment. After a couple of moments, Robert got up and went to the doorway.

"Brian," Robert called gently. "She's safer now than she's been for months. Let her sleep. Come on. We could use you out here." He had felt a need to redirect Brian into something useful so he didn't sink into his own heavy thinking. Brian reluctantly got up, checking her again more to help himself than anything else, and then followed.

Jim moved to Steven and Jack holding both he ported back to the hotel then let go of both of them " go wash up , Steven there's a washroom over there " he said and Steven nodded walking over to the room he slipped in and closed the door behind him. Jack moved to the room he shared and showered washing off the blood he looked at the jacket as he walked back out now in jeans and a tee shirt and bare foot. " Irena is going to kill me" he said and sighed placing it over the back of a chair. Steven walked out now shaven and washed his hair now clean and not the unkempt dirty look it had earlier.

"Can't you just cast a mending charm on it?" he asked and looked at it and hummed " Maybe its beyond that, I'll see what I can do" he said and found a sewing kit, he saw Jack face and chuckled " what didn't think I could sew" he took it and began sewing up the rips which had only gone at the seams. Steven more for want of space on their part moved out side to work. Jack looked at Jim and sat down.

" I wonder how he knew about James's attack" he asked Jim shrugged his shoulders.

"Who knows , he has his sources as do we " he said and drank his soda tat he accioed from the fridge he glanced over as he saw Robert and Brian reappear from the bedroom. " How is she?" he asked what both he had Jack were thinking.

Michael watched with amusement as Jack struggled with the tux jacket. Michael had paid for the formal wear, so unless Jack needed the jacket again, Michael saw no need for Irena to even know. The jacket was bought and paid for. He considered telling Jack that the jacket had not been a rental, but he enjoyed watching Jack struggle far more.

Robert quickly caught the look of amusement in Michael's eyes and caught on fast. He simply shook his head at Michael, not saying a word. Robert also knew a simple 'reparo' spell would have fixed the jacket, but he didn't speak either. If Jack preferred to do the job by hand, then so be it.

Angus however felt for Jack and asked, "Why are you doing that the hard way?"

"She's weak," Robert said. "She'll be alright, but it might take a bit. He nearly accomplished it. She was showing no signs of life when I reached her. No heartbeat, no breathing, no pulse. And it really did resist my spells for a bit. I didn't think she was coming back this time."

"She didn't intend to," Brian said. "She...just admitted to me that she knew." His voice was soft, quiet, disturbed. "I...don't know why she didn't tell me."

"I can fill in the blanks there," Edward said. "Of course she knew. Well, she knew part of it anyway. What she saw was a werewolf attacking her. She didn't know exactly how. It wasn't clear. But she did know it was going to happen at the art gallery. And she saw herself going to be with Remus. That was all she saw. She believed she was going to die. That's what her letter was about last night. It was her final wishes--as we all have final wishes. She wanted James out of your lives and away from her children. She was completely williing to do that for them."

"Why didn't she tell me? And where is the letter?" Brian demanded.

"Calm yourself. She did not want you knowing that she had known in advance that she was, as she thought, going to be killed tonight. She did not want you absorbing the guilt for a failed plan--which as it turned out, was an excellent plan and she did not die. She talked to me because I simply gave her no choice. And because, as a seer myself, I knew she was being haunted by something she had seen. I wanted to know before we got into the heat of battle because I did not know how it would affect her judgement."

"It doesn't appear that it did."

"Oh, yes it did," Robert said. "She gave up. She didn't fight for her life. She thought it was over. That's exactly why her spirit left her body and didn't come back when I set my spells in place. All I can figure is that she somehow chose to come back but it was almost too late by the time she had made that decision. There was almost no coming back this time."

"I should have called it off," Brian said. "We all knew she knew something. I should have called it off."

"No, you shouldn't have," Edward said. "It needed to play itself out just as it did. First of all, you needed James gone. And, she needs to understand that a fragment of a vision does not mean always what a seer thinks it does. It is not all conclusive. She does still have choices, no matter what the vision shows. I told her, but she needed to actually see that for herself. As for the letter, all I know is that it was designed to be delivered to you, Robert, if she died. She figured Brian would die trying to save her. So she designed it to go to you. I suggest you leave it where she's hidden it, if for no other reason than out of respect for her. You lot face life and death struggles continuously. I think its fine that she has a plan in place to express her last wishes. Just in case. It may bring her some peace, even if we never need to use them."

Steven looked at Michael as he was sewing the jacket back together." it helps me to think and focus " he said softly s he continued to sew it. Jack looked at Robert and nodded.

"She will recover won't she " he asked knowing time was the only answer for her but even he could not help but shiver at the memory of seeing her covered in blood and laid on the stage with Greyback towering over her. Jim moved to Robert and patted Jack's shoulder.

" She's alive that's what matters" he said " and she is going to recover" he looked at Robert to ask silently if his words were right.