Marriage is Murder

"Yes. She will," Robert said. "I cast a sleep spell so she can rest. I was tempted to stop her from dreaming, but...well, if she has any unfinished business with Remus, perhaps I best let her get to it."

"She's always going to have some sort of unfinished business with him," Brian sighed. "Aren't you used to that by now?"

"I guess," Robert said. "I think the best we can do for Khaat right now is to let her rest. That's the best medicine for her."

"That, and I hope to talk to her in the morning and help her finish any bits of confusion still in her head about that."

Robert noticed Brian had drifted off a bit in thought.

"Where are you?" he asked Brian.

"Just thinking. She believed we were both going to die tonight, didnt' she?"

"No. Not really," Edward corrected. "She thought she was. And she knows you well enough to know that if it came to it, you would have died trying to protect her. She just wanted something in place, I'm guessing, for the kids and any other concerns she had. And, so far as she knew, You weren't coming, Robert. I think that's why she arranged it to go to you. What else is on your mind, Brian?"

"How much she really would have wanted a shower tonight when she got home. She really would not have liked going to bed that messy normally," he said. They laughed.

"No, she isn't going to like it. But if she'd strong enough, she can clean up in the morning," Robert said. "I'd best send a note to her mother to let her know we're all well."

"Robert, what was that sound the medallion made?" Brian asked. "I've never heard it."

"I've only heard it one other time myself," Robert said. "And in that case, a good friend died. The alarm went off, but when we got there it was too late. I think it sounds an alarm when someone is at imminent risk of death. that's my best guess."

Jim and Jack stood listening now realizing how close they had come to losing Khaat , Jack looked at Steven then back at Robert. " If Steven hadn't knocked Grayback from her, she would have died. " he said folding his arms across his chest. " but what do we do with him now , you fired him, yet he came to our aid " he watched as Steven stitched his jacket. Jim just moved to sit back at the chess board looking at his last move. soon he felt tired and his tummy rumbled " ow any of that food left , I fancy some supper before we all get some rest" he smiled at Jack who headed for the kitchen and opened the fridge. Steven walked back in placing the now repaired jacket over the back of a chair.

" I'll sleep out on the balcony" he said looking at Robert " some one needs to be on watch just in case they followed us " he added knowing there was no chance that would happen.

"I know all that, Jack," Robert said. "WE dont have to do anything with that. I will make that choice, but I don't really have the energy to deal with that anymore tonight. I'm not ignoring the role anyone played in saving Khaat or dealing with James. But--it is very taxing on my own life energies to keep her alive and myself too. Frankly, I'm very tired. I will deal with it, but I'd really like to do it when I'm fresh in the morning." Robert honestly wasn't sure what Jack's reason was that Robert immediately deal with either hiring or not hiring Steven back tonight. It was making Robert edgy and irrittable right after nearly losing his daughter to be forced to deal with making a choice of instantly hiring back someone that his daughter believed betrayed her trust. He wasnt' sure Khaat even knew Steven had been there. He wasn't going to just blindly hire Steven back until he had a chance to talk to her and to Steven--and not in front of everyone else. That wasn't fair to Khaat to have her feelings discussed out in the open. Nor was it fair to Steven to have his job issues discussed in front of everyone else. Robert always dealt with those things in private.

When Steven came back in and said he'd sleep on the balcony, Robert simply looked at him for a moment. That felt as far the other direction in Stevens thinking from feeling the work was too far below him as it could get. Robert got up and picked up the ice packs that Michael had prepared for Khaat before he addressed Steven.

"Dont be ridiculous, Steven," Robert said. "If any of you think for one instant that Brian and I either one could sleep tonight, you're all out of your minds. Nobody is sleeping out on the balcony. There are rooms and beds in the other suite that arent' being used. Use one of them. I'm going in to take care of my daughter." He went into the bedroom and closed the door. Michael sighed heavily.

"Go a bit easy on him, would you all?" Michael asked. "None of us truly understands what he feels after what he had to do to keep her alive and keep her from crossing beyond the veil tonight. He'll be himself in the morning, I think. Let's give him a bit of space, shall we?"

Jack stepped back that was not his intention, but at the harshness from Robert said no more but just stood quiet as Steven walked back in he listened and nodded " there's abed next to me empty" he said but then saw Steven chuckled as he moved to him and pat his shoulder.

"No offense Jack ,but with your snoring I'd rather sleep next to a jack hammer. " He said and smiled Jack chuckled too and nodded that he understood. Steven moved to find a room and lay down on the bed. Jack sat with Jim and looked at Michael.

" We all are a little I guess so don't worry. " He said stretching his back out as he looked at the game just started in front of him. " so how do you play?" he asked and Jim began to explain slowly they both began a game.

The night passed very slowly. Brian fell asleep near 3 am, and Robert just sat silently in the dark beside her. At 4, Michael came in, showered, clean shaven, and ready for the day. He laid his hand on Robert's shoulder.

"Any change?"

"Her vital signs dipped about 1 am, but I think she was dreaming," Robert said. "She was still connected a bit to Remus when we brought her back here last night, I think. She is a bit better now. Brian went to sleep about an hour ago. I didn't tell him. I let him think she was just sleeping. "

"Robert, you've not left her for a second. You need a chance to go shower and shave and get out of that tux. It is a wonderful stress reliever. You know that. I took the liberty of going to the farm and having Kate pack you a bag. She'll be here in an hour or so to join us. I put your bag in one of the empty rooms so that you and Kate have a room. Its the room at the end of the hall. Go shower. I'll stay with her, I swear. Angus is up and working on breakfast, and coffee and tea are brewing. Edward is up, and i think some of the others are up."

"thank you, Michael," Robert sighed. "I wont' be ten minutes."

"You really can take 12 if you like," Michael smiled. Robert managed a smile and went upstairs to shower and refresh himself.

Jack woke and rose to shower , Steven woke hours ago he had walked quietly past Robert and out to the baloney he heard sounds off in the distance like dogs barking but he knew it was the werewolves trying to gather themselves after they were dealt such a bitter blow. He sighed and shook his head knowing now he should not have left this work was more important than anything he had to do. An owl landed near him and he took the letter addressed to him and opened it giving the owl a treat it flew off and he tucked the note into his pocket with out a second glance. He heard voices and looked back seeing Michael talking to Robert trying to persuade him to shower.

Angus and Edward saw Robert reluctantly leave to go shower. "So how do I help?" Angus asked his grandfather. They watched the rest of the crew start to get up and start to try to get oriented to the start of a new day.

"You're doing it," Edward said. "A sense of normalcy will help more than anything you can do. She'll be alright. It might take a day or so, but have you been listening?"

"No. I've been sleeping," Angus admitted.

"James' pack is grieving. They're lost without him. The bloodlust is out of their system. He obviously was so infected by it that it kept driving the rest of the pack. And without that bloodlust, they can't find her. His bloodlust kept him tracking her. My best guess is that, for awhile, they're going to be in utterly chaos. They aren't going to have the slightest clue how to reorganize themselves, and I don't think they have a clue how to track her. Nor do they have the motivation right now to do it. If she's going to get any sort of a break, she needs to use the next week or two and get the fullest out of it. It will take them at least that long to figure out what the hell they're doing. They might be back--if they get a new leader, but it is going to take them awhile at best. With a little luck, it will take them longer than that."

"So..quiet day today, then?" Angus asked.

"I doubt it will be entirely quiet. Not for us anyway. Robert might want it quiet for her, but I would guess we will have work to do. And, I know Michael went to see Kate last night. There is no way any mother could let her child come that close to death and not come. She will surely be here this morning."

Jack listened and stood eating some toast that he'd made for himself finding that was all he wanted to eat. Steven lent on the stone wall of the balcony and shook his head. Turning he walked back in hearing Edward talking he nodded " their completely lost and uncoordinated I have been listening all night to them, time to worry is when they stop it means they have a new leader " he said placing his hands in his pocket as he looked at Edward. "My source says your right, their panicking, fights have broken out for who will be leader." He moved to pore some fruit juice and a cup of tea, walking over he handed the tea to Robert, before he moved away to stand drinking his fruit juice.

"Thank you," Robert said, coming back in. He'd chosen a pair of khaki slacks and a plain black shirt, sleeves rolled up. "Earl Grey. That's the way to start a day."

"Breakfast will be ready in about 30 minutes," Angus said.

"Good."

"They will stop for awhile before they pick their new leader," Edward said. "A pack normally goes into a quiet phase after that level of bloodlust. It is fatiguing. And when grief is on top of it, they will need time to bury James and to sort themselves out. I've seen most packs go deep into the woods of Romania to fight over dominance of the pack and to sort out the new leader's goals and priorities. The fact that Fenrir showed his ugly face here last night might well have some impact on who will be the new alpha. He may have already chosen James's successor. But--again--we are safe for awhile. James was the one who was trained in to her scent and his markers. Any markers he left are completely useless to them now because the spell on them ended with his death. You have successfully bought yourselves perhaps quite a significant deal of time."

"No more about werewolves," Robert said quietly, looking out over the canal. "Today we tend to ourselves."

"As well you should," Edward said.

"Robert," Michael called from the doorway. "Any objection to Khaat having a wee bit of french roast?"

"She's awake?" Robert asked. Michael nodded. "She can have anything she wants," Robert said. Angus immediately filled a mug with coffee for her, and Robert took it and headed in to see her.

Steven nodded and drank his juice Jack stood eating as Jim walked out yawning from the bed room his hair a tussle , jack could not help chuckle but Jim just shook his head . " I heard Khaat's awake" he said rubbing his eyes as he pored some tea or himself and smiled as he drank it " god tea is so good in the morning" he said and jack chuckled.

" I prefer coffee" he said moving into the kitchen to make some for himself. Steven shook his head and drank his juice. Moving to the window he listened for a moment and then moved to a chair where he sat down. " Angus do you need a hand with breakfast?" he asked hoping to help best he could.