Marriage is Murder

Kate finished her cake and went upstairs to keep an eye on Abbey so Robert could come downstairs. Neither of them liked a two year old being so far from the others at the other end of another suite. She took a mug of Robert's strawberry tea and went upstairs. A couple moments later, Robert came down, and Angus gave him a plate of pound cake and an espresso.

"You okay, Son?" Robert asked Brian.

"Better, I think," Brian said.

"Is she?"

"Yes. She thought I left her because she was no longer acceptable to me in any way. I had to break down a lot of barriers there that I unintentionally put up myself."

"I'd like to talk to her. Does she need to be by herself?"

"No, I don't think, necessarily. She can't talk yet, and I think she's feeling quiet in her spirit, but thats alright. Robert, she doesn't remember a damned thing from that."

"That's alright. That's because she damned near has a skull fracture. She has a horrendous concussion. Let me go talk to her."

"Okay," Brian said.

"We'r'e packed for the trip to the yacht. Does she know?"

"No. Not about that."

"Okay. I'll tell her." He went out to the balcony with her and sat beside her with his cake and espresso.

Jack listened to Brian and just sipped his coffee along with Jim both unsure what they could do to help them apart from stay out of their way. Jim finished first and moved to the living room and sat down with his drink he was looking forward to the yacht trip and the deep sea fishing that they would do. He knew Jack wanted to scuba dive and he hoped Cassidy would relax as well on this trip as he knew she and Khaat needed it a lot. Jack moved from the table clearing what had been emptied and placing it in the washer to be washed while he lent against the work surface and waited.

Robert went out and talked to Khaat and fond she was a bit better. She didnt understand why she didn't have her voice. Robert didn't have a clue, but he was sure she would get it back relatively soon. He told her about the trip on the Donohue's larger yacht. He told her that she and Brian could get back to some deep sea diving on this trip and assured her there were more than enough people to tend to the kids so that she and Brian could tend to themselves. Then Robert breeched the subject of her health. Brian had already gone there, so she had expected her father to go there as well. She sighed heavily, equally frustrated by things she felt helpless to stop.

Robert had a plan. He was hoping that with the reduction in stress with James gone that perhaps she could rest and decrease her stress and begin to eat again. He reminded her that it was the stress of her disintegrating marriage that had caused her to feel so stressed that she couldn't begin to eat. He didnt see this as all that much different. He saw her looking at her life and the lives of those she loved being at risk on a daily basis.

He was encouraging her that she needed to start to pick up her hobbies and interests again, to start to have fun, and to start living again as if she had the ability to live life without being watched every second of her waking day. She had to admit to herself that she did sort of like the idea of having some choice again. And of her friends just being friends and not always bodyguards in her life.

ooc: sorry--i've put in a 17 hour day today and i have to be up again in 5 hours to go again. my apologies, but its the best i can do tonight.

Jack and Jim sat and watched Khaat with Brian and Robert they said nothing for what could they say everything was being done for her to help her recover. Jack looked over at Jim and smiled as he glanced at the chess" you up for another thrashing?" he asked and moved to the table moving it out so they could sit on the comfortable chairs to play.

"Always Jack" he said smiling as he sat down and moved his first piece forward, both men did favorable, but as Jack took Jim's bishop Jim took his king leaving his king and several other pieces scattered on the board. Jack sat back and looked for his next move he glanced at Kate hoping she could help him a little but he knew if he was to learn he would have to find his own way around Jim's piece.

ooc: kate is upstairs w/ abbey, just fyi, and brian is in the livng room with everyone else. robert and khaat are on the balcony by themselves.

brian let the others get involved in the chess game. He took Enzo outside on a night time walk and then returned so that they could unwind for the evening. By the time he got back, Robert was winding up his talk with Khaat and brought the dessert plates and the cups in from the balcony so that they could all be washed. Then Robert said his goodnights and went upstairs.

"Not that we mind your company, but its been a long day," Brian said. "I think we'll go to bed, if none of you mind. Perhaps a fresh start in the morning wil look goodd to all of us. Goodnight."

ooc: sorry its short, been a mentally and emotionally draining day to day at the convention.

Jack and Jim finished there chess game and Jim won again and Jack just shook his head a little he looked at Brian and nodded "Na it ok Brian, sleep well " he said as he set the chess pieces back on the board again. Jim stood up.

" well Brian's got the right idea" he said and moved off to his room " night all " he said. Jack moved to the kitchen and pored a cup of coffee for himself as he didn't feel tired in the least. He found some left over pound cake and moved back to the living room and sat eating it waiting for Robert and Khaat to return from the balcony.

Brian did allow himself to sleep that night. Khaat had slept well during the time they had been alone, away from everyone else. He had helped her with just a touch of sleep spell, just enough to help her relax but that was all. He had expected to be awakened by nightmares again regularly but they had not come. Not yet, anyway. In fact, he woke to Khaat curled tight to him, her head on his chest like always, and Abbey asleep squeezed in between them in the bed, and Enzo pinning him in, between him and the edge of the mattress. He frowned. There would be no sliding out from all of that to get up before the rest of them.

He laid awhile longer and then nudged the huge white dog with his foot. The dog merely made a lazy rumbling noise and tried to go back to sleep. Brian poked the dog a bit harder with his foot and the dog made a halfhearted deep sigh and stood up on the bed and jumped down and stretched, scratched, and lumbered, yawning, out to the other room.

Now free to let his women sleep, he got up and went out to find Angus was up, had just finished putting on a pot of coffee and one of tea and was working on making some fresh scones and had several fritattas in the oven and a fruit salad chilling in the fridge.

"Late start, Mate?" Angus laughed, pouring him coffee.

"No. But I refuse to wake a 2 year old until I have to."

"Oh, is that where she went?" Angus laughed. "Grandpa and Grandma are tearing the other suite apart looking for her. I don't think they thought she could go too far."

"She didn't. I woke up to find her between Khaat and me this morning."

"Then all is well. Good. Someone ought to tell them that the emergency is over, I suppose."

Jim woke slowly and sighed he had woke with a head ache, he felt he'd slept too deep, why he didn't know what he did know was he had the headache from hell. Slipping out of the bed he headed for the bathroom , showered and shaved and dressed. Taking a deep breath he headed to the kitchen. " Angus, you got any headache pills, I have the worst headache ever I think I slept too deep." he asked and rubbed his temples gently feeling like his head would explode. Jack on the other hand woke feeling refreshed and smiled heading out of his bed he made it and took a quick shower dressing in a light white shirt , loose black trousers , black socks and shoes. He hummed slightly as he walked into the living room and saw Brian.

"Morning sleep well?" he asked but then he saw Jim and he looked puzzled " wow you don't look so hot" he asked and Jim rolled his eyes and groaned.

" understatement, I'll be ok once I get some aspirin or something"Jim said letting out a soft long slow breath.

"Right where they always are," Angus said, flicking his fingers towards the cabinet to summon the bottle of aspirin. "Excuse me a moment." He went next door to alert Robert and Kate that Abbey was safe and sound. Then he returned to the kitchen and to his duties, setting out breakfast. A moment later, Robert and Kate came in. They went over and peeked into the bedroom to see Abbey curled tight to her mother, sleeping peacefully against her. They were relieved.

Robert passed Brian. "Go shower, Son. We've got it for that long. Long enough for you to shower. If Abbey wakes, we'll get it."

"Don't wake Khaat, will you?" he asked.

"I didn't plan on it," Robert smiled. Brian went in to shower as Angus set the breakfast dishes on the table. Brian had finished showering and shaving and was dressing when he heard Abbey's little giggle. He peeked out of the bedroom and saw that Enzo was standing on the bed and waking her, nuzzling Abbey and apparently it tickled and she was babblling at Enzo as she giggled. That brought Robert and Kate. Kate talked Enzo into getting off the bed, and Robert picked up Abbey and took her into the other room, continuing to whisper something funny into her ear. It make the little giggles turn into full out laughter. It made Brian and Angus both smile to see that Abbey was so blissfully happy and so unaffected by all the trouble they'd all had recently.

Jim took the aspirin and Jack handed him a glass of water Jim took two and downed the water as he thanked Jack after. Placing the glass in the sink he paused for a moment as he watched Robert and Brian. Both smiled hearing Abby's little laugh as Robert brought her out from the bedroom both men smiled happy to see and hear her so happy after all that had happened. " Khaat still sleeping?" Jim asked still rubbing his temple slightly as Jack moved to open the balcony doors to let in some fresh warm venetian air to rid the apartment of the stale old air of the night.

Jack took a deep breath in and smiled " now that's a view " he said and looked out over the canals and gondolas that floated below him.