Marriage is Murder

"It looks great, "Angus said. "Nice work, Jack. I'll teach you how to make the custard tomorrow and we'll use it in a different dessert. And I'll teach you how to make the espresso. We'll serve espresso with the tiramisu for dessert."

When Khaat could cry no more, Michael took her to a jewelry store he loved back in Venice. They had a marvelous way of displaying their jewelry so that it glistened and sparkled and shined. He took her by the hand and led her through the shop, just admiring the amazing one of a kind designs in the cases. She paused by a case of little gold chains.

"Those are ankle bracelets,"he told her. "You have good taste. See any you like?"

"They're too expensive," she said.

"And that is not what I asked you. What do you like?" She hesitated and then pointed to a delicate little chain that had a small heart dangling from it. The heart was a truly feminine design with a unique little swirl to it that looked like it had been hand drawn in gold. The inside of the heart was nothing but a sheet of teeny tiny diamonds. And from the bottom point of the heart dangled a singular tiny emerald. Michael laughed gently. He pointed to the bracelet and the clerk got it out. Michael inspected it, smiling.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Not funny, Ironic," he said. "I know a young man who came here with the woman of his dreams and fell head over heels in love with her by the lights and the song of the gondolas. He married her and they had a bushel full of kids in no time. He bought the bracelet the same weekend that he first fell in love with her, but the bracelet that he bought to remember their first weekend together was lost before he could give it to her. And he hasn't found another." She looked up at him.

"Brian? Really?" she asked.

"Brian," Michael nodded. "Really. It is handmade. One of a kind. So far, they haven't made another. Do you know how much it would warm his heart to know that we found another? And that, of all the pieces they have in this shop, the one piece you chose is absolutely identical to the one he first chose that magical weekend you spent?" He put the bracelet around her delicate ankle where it glistened like it was made for her. "We'll take it," Michael said, absolutely sure that it belonged around her ankle, and absolutely sure that it would mean the world to both Brian and Khaat.

Jack returned with a single bag and smiled at Angus as he nodded " good, the more I know the more I can help while shes not feeling to good. " he said and smiled as he looked at his pudding, He placed the bag down and moved to the pudding in the fridge to chill. " I wonder how Khaat and Michael are getting along?" he asked gently. Jim stood up and walked in placing his cup in the sink.

" don't worry about Khaat I'm guessing she'll be alright when she comes back with Michael" he said smiling as he looked at the pudding Jack held " ow well done looks good , not as good as yours Angus but hes not bad , hay" he said grinning " make a house husband of you yet" he chuckled.

Michael talked to Khaat about letting Brian take her out alone in another day or so when she felt better to a candlelight dinner for two. He firmly believed that she could be alone for a 5 star dinner with him. She didn't know if he would even want to be with her now. Michael understood that her thoughts were coming from her shame at her feelings about not wanting to come back form the veil. Feelings that, if Brian had known, he had not appeared to be bothered by them. By everything that Michael could see, Brian could not possibly love her less.

Michael took her to a fashion designer's showroom. He knew the designer and the designer immediately wanted to hire Khaat as a fashion model. Khaat didn't take him seriously. He wanted to prove it. He showed them a number of evening gowns and encouraged Khaat to try a couple on. He chose the ones that he'd had difficulty finding anyone to wear and create the look he wanted. He had her try them on, and he stood, stunned. He got permission to just take a couple of photos to demonstrate that she did look as good as he believed she did.

Michael was duly impressed with the two dresses she tried on, and he bought the two designer originals for her. They needed no fittings, and already fit her perfectly as if they'd been made for her, and the colors in their printed fabrics complimented her perfectly. The designer paired her dresses for solid colored, beaded and sequined shawls for evening wear. The assistants boxed them for Michael to take for her, and Michael paid for them.

He managed to eventually find a place to shrink the boxes and tuck them into his pocket as they walked slowly home. She was tiring very quickly. Michael promised to bring her the perfect jewelry to go with the dresses. Khaat was concerned about the photographs, and Michael promised her thatthe designer would do nothing more than to call her when they were ready.

By the time they got back to the hotel, she was so tired, he had his arm wrapped around her waist and she was leaning very heavily on him, more and more heavily with each step they seemed to take. He had offered repeatedly to apparate them back. She had wanted to walk.

When they got back to the hotel, Robert saw that the only thing holding her on her feet was Michael, he instantly went to her.

"Okay, you've way overdone it. Come sit," he said very gently. He and Michael took her to the sofa as Brian came out from the bedroom where he had been unpacking what Irena and Tobias had sent for Abbey. When he saw how weak she had become, he became frightened and hurried to her. "Calm," Robert said steadily to Brian. "I have it. She's merely fatigued. Its alright." He and Michael helped her find a place on the sofa. Brian sat next to her and let her lean on him. She felt like a lead weight against him and fell asleep instantly.

"Michael?" Robert turned and asked.

"She needed it, Robert. She needed to get rid of a lot of negativity. Brian, is there the slightest chance that you would refuse to take her for a romantic dinner, just the two of you?"

"Me? Refuse her?" Brian frowned. "Did I ever refuse her?"

"No, just asking. Would you hesitate?"

"If she were stronger, and providing that it didn't risk her life because of some nut chasing her, no. Virtually no chance I would hesitate or ever refuse her. Why?"

"Good. I'll make the reservations. You get your tux cleaned. We'll give her a couple of days to recover, and then...wait...where'd we get another dog?" Michael frowned.

"And when could you not tell a dog from an animagus?" Robert scowled. "You need glasses, Michael?"

"A what? Really? Oh. I guess it is an animagus."

"And it's a she, not an 'it', thank you," Robert said.

"A labrador puppy? She? Oh surely you don't mean that's Abbey with Enzo," Michael looked at Robert.

"Oh, surely I do mean. Ended up in Kate's bag and became a stowaway," Robert said.

"And Khaat was too tired to notice," Michael sighed.

"She won't sleep long," Robert said. "Give her a few minutes, and have some good coffee ready. She'll be alright."

Jim saw Khaat and Michael return and he stood up walking over should his hep be needed but he saw Robert and Brian had it all under control as Khaat lay on the couch he moved to Abby and picked her up placing her with Khaat on the couch knowing she would know who it was one she woke and he knew she would want to be next to her as would Abby want to be next to her mother. Taking the shawl he lay it over both of them and moved back to his chair as he watched the others talking. " A mother needs her child and Abby needs her mother" was all he said.

Michael went into the kitchen and made a very fresh pot of extra strong french roast. He brought Brian a cup and set it beside him. "Is she okay?" Brian asked Michael.

"She will be," Michael said. "She's truly trying to deal with her emotions. It isn't easy for her. Brian, so you know, she has never been able to get Steven's words out of her head or her heart. She feels that she is nothing more than a burden to all of us and that we would all be safer and happier without her. Brian--she wanted to go that night. She wanted to cross. And she didnt want to come back."

"She was just escaping a lot of hurt," Robert said.

"Yes. Hers and what she thought we were feeling. She felt we all must feel like Steven does, like none of us honestly want to be putting up with her and that being here is beneath every one of us." Brian sighed heavily at hearing Michael's words.

"I'm gonna bea the shit ot of him," Brian said. "Again."

"Will that fix it?" Robert asked quietly.

"I don't know but it might make me feel better," Brian replied.

Jim walked into the kitchen and heard them talking " Stevens thought and feelings are not mine nor Jacks I know I would and do not think of caring for Khaat like it was menial, I see it as caring for my own daughter " he said poring some juice for himself " Stevens feelings are his own and Jack and I will not let anything nor any one hurt her again, If need be I will hold that jack ass down for you Brian" he said and looked at him , blowing across his cup he waited and watched them. Jack heard talking and moved to them he nodded.

"What, was my beating not enough, then go ahead " he said and chuckled " Jim's right Khaat is so not a burden to us in fact I'm enjoying it , I get to see new places and meet new people and I would not be as I am if not for Robert and Khaat, I owe them mine and Jess life in away" he said and smiled.

"She is concerned with what you think, but far more is she concerned about you think, Brian," Michael said. "She believes you're going into this completely blind."

"Hardly," Brian said, angry. "I choose to be with her no matter what. I choose to father our children. I choose to love her like no one else I've ever had in my entire life."

"And that's why I suggested you take her out. Just the two of you," Michael said.

"I will do that," Brian said firmly.

When Khaat began to wake a little later, Robert touched Abbey's forehead and changed her back from her animagus into her human form. Khaat woke, still leaning on Brian, not entirely rememberiing how she had gotten back.

"You're alright," Brian kissed her forehead. "You were just really tired." She thought a minute and then nodded. He was right. She looked down and saw Abbey.

"Abbey?" she frowned.

"She accidently went all animagus and ended up in your mother's bag," Brian laughed. "I'm glad she's here though. I missed her."

"Me too," Khaat said. She brushed Abbey's long blond hair out of her face, and it woke her. Abbey was so delighted to see Khaat that she stood up on her lap and wrapped her arms around Khaat's neck. Khaat held her close while Abbey talked to her about how Mama was gone too long.

Jim and jack nodded to Robert glancing back at where Brian and Khaat now sat they both smiled seeing her wake and Abby wrapping her arms around her mothers neck " who would not want to see that? " Jack said as Jim smiled and nodded he agreed. Jim moved to sit by the chess board Jack chuckled " ok new game" he asked and Jim nodded knowing they needed time alone as a family.

"Sure since you lost the last one" he said and jack looked hurt at him.

" I did not, I was distracted " he said and this made Jim laugh out loud " besides isn't losing just another form of learning, I learned not to make that move again" he said and smiled.

Brian heard them moving back to another chess game so they could sharpen their skills.

"Khaat," he said very softly, brushing her hair behind her ear so he could see her face. "I want you to really hear me. You are not a burden to me. You're not a burden to anyone. I don't even know if Steven was in his right mind when he said what he did. But, Babe, I could be anywhere else on the planet, but I dont' want to be. There is no other place I'd rather be than right here with you."

"But if you didnt love me..." she began to protest.

"If I didnt love you, I'd be alone and miserable again. Khaat, everything good in my life has always been--from start to finish--because of you. Stop listening to that memory of Steven's words. It just doesn't apply to all of us. I don't know how you'll work things out with him, or if you will. You can choose not to. But you don't need to think for one more second that we'd be better off without us. Do you truly think you're better without us? Honestly?"

"No," she said softly. "I know better."

"Well? Stop believing all the lies he said that day. None of them are true."

"Dont stay because you think you have to."

"I dont think there is one person here that thinks that way. Not one."

Jim made his moved and Jack followed this time thinking more about his moves and Jim could see it as he struggled this time to find an opening. " hah almost got me that time but...there check I think" Jack said smiling as Jim nodded and moved his king to face Jacks queen.

"almost but not quite , check mate" he said and watched as Jack looked down at the board and groaned as he realized he'd been so focused on one side of the board he'd completely ignored the other. " you need to focus on the whole thing Jack not just one small piece, same for when your out in the field" he glanced over at Khaat and Brian smiling seeing them together " perfect picture that" he said and Jack face palmed himself.

" Picture I almost forgot " he said and dove to the kitchen and then his room with the bag he'd walked in with earlier.