Marriage is Murder

"If you're going to send us to a muggle hospital, then give us a box of bandaids and let us both go," Michael said, irked.

"Right," Robert said, largely going along with Michael's mood to appease him, and continuing to work. "I'll make a note of that. Can you tell me what happened?"

"Not entirely," Michael said. "We were drugged somehow. Must have been one of the room service meals. The next I knew, I was waking up in a cell in that damned cave. Bastards."

"Did you recognize any of them?"

"How about all of them?" he said. "Its the usual crew."

"What did they want?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Information...opportunities to find our weaknesses or our strengths, chances to turn us. I don't rightly know."

"Were you and Khaat held together?"

"No," Michael said. "Not at all. I only knew she was there too when I saw them take her past my cell at one point and then back again. I never heard her make a sound."

"I'm not surprised," Robert sighed. "Its how she survived that business before. How did you get out?"

"Made a bomb. Pretty simple really. I am never held anywhere I don't want to be. Not for long," Michael said. "I just needed time to get what I needed and to find her. You were bloody late, you know."

"I'll try to come sooner next time," Robert said. "Jess, I think we can avoid more surgery--at least for now. I've set spells in place. Perhaps you can help him get cleaned up and get comfortable. Find Lee and get him to send food for him. I need to see how Brian has done with Khaat."

"If there's no firewhiskey in there, you can forget it," Michael said.

"Alright. But I don't know if the Americans even have firewhiskey on this base. I'll do my best. A shot of firewhiskey won't hurt a thing. Jess, see to it if they have it. He deserves it after all he's been through. I'm going to see Khaat," Robert said.

Jess nodded " of course" she said and began cleaning Michael up changing his ragged clothes into decent pajamas . she looked at Cassidy who ported away returning a moment later with a bottle in her hand taking it Jess sat Michael up and let the firewhisky run down his mouth " I'll leave the bottle beside your bed " she said knowing full well one glass would not appease him in any way. she finished cleaning the last cut and pulled the sheet over him gently " please get some sleep , you'll feel better for it" she told him again not expecting him to sleep until he knew how Khaat was. Jess moved now to Khaat's bed and stood beside Robert as she had done with Michael and touched Khaat's wrist she looked at him.

Robert and Brian had been working for some time. Brian hadn't said much. He was busy, after an initial assessment, tending to her bleeding. Robert made his own assessment, and frowned slightly.

"Brian, did you check her carefully?" Robert asked.

"Yes," Brian said unemotionally.

"Then you know?"

"Yes," Brian said, continuing to work. "And there's not one damned thing I can do."

"You give up too easily," Robert said. He laid his hand on her forehead and cast a strong calming spell. "Lets see if that reassures her a bit. If not, we'll go to Plan B."

"You have a plan B for this?"

"Do you think this is the first time I've dealt with this? We both know where she is."

"No, we don't both know," Brian said.

"She knows how to channel her energies out of her body when she gets into this so that she doesn't have to experience torture. Her mental energies aren't here right now. She's let herself mentally go to someplace safe."

"You mean you think..." he began and didn't finish.

"That's exactly what I think. I think whatever they did, it was too much for her and I think she used her skills to go to Remus. And I think that's exactly where she is. When she fells sae again, she'll come back."

Jess listened as Cassidy walked over to them as well listening to every word they said. " you want me to cross the veil and tell her shes safe and to come back ?" Cassidy asked softly so no other would hear her Jess looked at Robert as she finished cleaning Khaat Jack watched every one passing by them both. Cassidy watched both of them closely for her answer. Jess let some of her energy slip into Khaat's body to keep it going she pushed the now clean hair from her face and sighed.

" we have to try something sir. " she said to Robert and glanced to Brian.

"You need to remember something about my brother," Robert said. "He loved--and still loves--Khaat more than anyone else in this world. And every time something like this happens to her, if she goes to him for protection, he hides her. And he'll hide her deeper every time. If you go to try to find her, you need to know you most likely will fiind him but I honestly don't think you'll find her. You'll have to talk to him. He'll have her well hidden--wherever that is over there. If you want to talk with him, then be my guest. So long as you aren't too disappointed if she doesn't just magically appear. Are we clear?"

Brian took a breath and looked at Cassidy. "Cassidy, I'm good with her not coming back if she chooses not to. Honest."

"That won't kill her, Brian," Robert said. "You'd let her be like that for the rest of her life?"

"If thats what she chooses, then, yes," Brian said bravely. "Yes. I won't put her through anymore."

"You and I really do need to talk," Robert said, not believing Brian was honestly putting her through anything.

Cassidy looked at Robert and nodded then at Brian " if I can talk openly , I miss her" she said and sat down she closed her eyes and felt her self drift over the veil " Remus?" she called moving slowly around where she was " Remus we need to talk to you" she called again. Jess staid beside cassidy watching her closely . Turning to Brian she looked at Robert.

" I'm sorry Robert but I have to say something, her kids and her family need her back " she told him softly" she is the glue that holds us all together, she is sister to Jack, mother to Abby and Dakota, and close friend to Cassidy and myself." she said her upset sounding clearly in her voice Jack placed his hand on her shoulder as he looked at Robert but said nothing .

It took a moment for Remus to respond. He walked out from the trees to perch himself on the boulder where he usually sat when someone came to look for him.

"I know what you want," he told her. "She's safe with me. You lot should know that by now. How long have you had her out of hell this time? An hour? Two? Its not been long. I know that much. Right now, she doesn't want to go back. She'd rather vegetate than come back at the moment. And every time something like this happens, she gets better and better at separating her mind from her body just to survive. It happens more quickly and deeply. And that means it may take her more to get back to you in the way you're used to her. Tonight, I'll have to convince her. And, so you know, she's not talking to me either. Not yet.

"But I can tell you this much. They wanted the stone. They haven't figured out that it won't come off. But they tried. And they wanted its secrets out of her, but she doesn't know them, so she can't give them what they want. And so they thought they'd torture her to get it. Its a powerful weapon against them, and it concerns them. They will, very likely, want to kill her now to get to the stone. You all and the stone may be all that stands between her and death.

"Here's what I expect. I expect to be able to convince her to come back to you. But--I don't expect her to be willing to talk to you about any details of what happened. Not even if it would help you catch them. So--when she comes back, she may be somewhat withdrawn. Or, she may not speak. Unless you're willing to be patient with her silence, you'd best leave her with me awhile longer."

Cassidy stood watching as she saw Remus walk out and sit on his boulder and she listened most of it made her want to scream and shout at him that what of her children was she not going to think of them motherless and alone but she kept quiet. Once he had finished she spoke to him her head hung slightly " I will tell them, but tell her we all miss her , her family and her children and..." she paused " if it wasn't for her I would be still on the streets, she's...well, she's like the big sister I never had. " she turned her back to him before she left him Opening her eyes she looked at Robert retelling all he had told her and she sighed standing " I'm scared , what if she won't come back?" she asked Robert glancing down at Khaat on the bed. Cassidy turned and left the room for a moment Steven following

"She will come back," Robert said. "My guess is that Remus isn't having an easy time convincing her to come back. He'll get her there before any of us will. He's always gotten through to her before even her mother or I did. You're acting as if she's been this way for days. We barely got her into a safe place. Why are you panicking? I know you all care about her. I do too. I am related to her, after all. Just a little. But if Brian and I are willing to give her just a bit of time, why are you lot so scared and panicky?"

Brian wasn't afraid. He knew that Remus would not give up talking to her. He walked away, down the hallway, out of the sickbay, drawing his cigarettes and his lighter out of his pocket.

"Looking for a place to smoke?" he asked.

"Please," Brian said.

"This way," Lee said. He led him around the corner to the right to a room of vending machines, tables and chairs, etc. "You can smoke in here. I have to warn you, though, the vending machine coffee really is awful."

"That's okay. Thank you," Brian said, lighting one up.

Jack looked at Robert and patted Cassidy on the shoulder " we're not, its just cassidy who's panicking" he told Robert Jess moved to Cassidy and lead her to a sitting area and gave her some coffee while steven and Jack stood over Michael and Khaat.

"If she needs time then so be it Robert" Jess said walking back to her bed and looking down at Khaat sleeping she knew all the time in the world would not bring her back as she had to do that all on her own.