Marriage is Murder

"I know he means well," Khaat said. "He's just insecure. It will pass once he's been back a bit. He'll be fine."

Robert was finishing a mug of tea when an owl arrived. He struggled a bit with the envelope but he got it.

"I hope thats not important," Khaat sighed.

"They're always important, Dear," he said. "Its from Kieran. I've sent him word that I think we need to consider a fall weekend teamwork training. This team needs to learn to function together again."

"You mean we won't be out in the snow?" she asked.

"In the Colorado mountains you could be--depending on when we might go. But..we can't afford for both of us to go this year. One of us needs to stay behind and run things. But, when we have dinner tonight, I'll discuss it with everyone together. We could always wait til spring too. But no, I dont' want to do snow again. You lot think you'll be okay if Khaat and I take off for a couple hours?"

"Do go and get it overwith," Kate laughed. "I'm sure we can function just fine."

"Then we'll get ready to go," Robert said, and he and Khaat left the table to go get ready to apparate the short distance to the farm for a couple hours.

Khaat and Robert changed to go take a few hours for quiet paperwork at the farm while the kids, who were feeling better, were getting loud and rowdy.

"We'll discuss the training tonight at dinner," Robert said. "Khaat and I do have some work to do. Do try to keep the place from burning down. We'll see you all a bit later, then. Behave." He put his good arm around Khaat's waist as she picked up the bag and they apparated out.

"Actually, its rather nice seeing her spend an afternoon back home," Kate said. "She and Robert work very well together really but giving them a little alone time is not a bad thing." As she spoke Dakota began to wallop baby Michael with a toy, and Michael began to cry. "I wonder if she's still going to be doing that when we put her on the train to Hogwarts," Kate sighed.

It felt strange to Khaat to be in the farmhouse. Not much remained of the place where she and Brian had grown up but her rooms, her father's library and his potions lab. The rest had had to be totally reconstructed. The layout was much more organized. She knew that the enlargements to the original house had been a bit hodgepodged out of necessity. She liked that bit, actually. This was much more reflective of her father's very logical and organized mind, combined with her mother's artistic sense. This was, most likely, their version of a dream house. She was glad they had it. Still, it felt largely like she was in someone else's home. It didn't feel the same.

"I know how you feel," he smiled, watching her look around. "I felt the same way for awhile. I miss the old place too. But your mother decided if we were doing it again, we should bloody well do it right. And I can honestly say I thought she was wrong because she wasn't. Shall we work in more familiar surroundings perhaps? The library?"

"Please?" she asked. It wasn't that she didn't like the new place. it was just that the new surroundings were distracting. He smiled, making a pot of tea.

"Lets' go get set up while the tea brews," he said.


Back home, Kate was glad for Jess's quick thinking with Dakota. "Mis has a quick temper but she's not violent. Not unless she's in werewolf form. And we honestly never did know much about Dakota's biological father. I am presuming she's just not weathering the terrible two's as well as Abbey is."

"Abbey is just very gentle by nature," a new voice said. Edward arrived, almost right in front of Abbey. He looked down to see the tot at his feet and smiled and picked her up. She was delighted to see Edward. He took out a chocolate from his pocket and gave it to her.

"What brings you?" Kate asked.

"I thought you should know. There's been a break in at Khaat and Brian's Tuscan home. Fortunately it wasn't furnished yet so there was nothing to take. I have some specialists combing the house and the grounds for hexes or locations markers. So far, it looks like all we're out is some broken windows. And that's really no loss," Edward replied.

"I'm afraid I have no answers yet for you there," Edward said. "Seems to be more of making a statement than any real ability to harm. Unless they were hoping that there was some sort of a portal to one of the other Lupin homes. Unlikely as it is that we would have any portals of any sort. The most obvious seems to me that they merely wanted to announce that they could go anywhere the Lupins go. I don't know."

"If all they did was break windows," Kate said. "My own thought is that we let Edward's men continue their work and not interfere. Its a building. Its not even furnished. I say we leave it go and let Khaat and Robert work. If we need to do anything, Brian can go and one or two of you can go with him."

"We dont' want to leave you without protection, though, in case its merely diversion," Edward said. "I think one of the things we don't want to do is to draw off any of you who might be used against the Lupins or to leave them shorthanded with staff so that they can strike when you might be unprepared here."

"I am never unprepared," Kate said in a stern tone.

"If you need to go, I'll send for you," Edward said. "I suggest you stay behind and stay on your guard for now. We don't want anyone to infiltrate here because your defenses are lessened here right now. My own thought is that dividing yourselves might be the worst thing you can do for now."

"Robert and Khaat are at our farm," Kate said. "We're already divided."

"I thought he said that the farm has not been penetrated."

"It hasn't. Not ever."

"Then I should think they would be safe enough. Will they be gone long?"

"No," Kate said. "I would expect two or three hours. Or til dinner at best."

"Then they should be fine. Is that a marinara you're making?" Edward asked Angus.

"It is," Angus said.

"Needs more basil," Edward said, sniffing the air.

"I'm a bit shy of basil today, I'm afraid," Angus shrugged.

"Then why are you making it?" Edward scowled. "I'll go get you some. It has to be right or there's no point." He quickly ported out. Angus rolled his eyes. His grandfather was very particular when it came to making Tuscan food right.

"I thought it smelled lovely," Kate said, agreeing with the others.

"My grandfather knows when its just not right," Angus said, with a smile. "You watch. He'll be inspecting my herb beds when he gets back to be sure we're growing enough."