Marriage is Murder

(skipping til morning)

Michael had never slept that long or that hard. He'd fallen asleep in the afternoon, and the next thing he knew, the sun was coming up the next morning. The stiffness and soreness was now setting in thoroughly. He got up slowly, feeling old. He managed to shower and shave and dress. It did help him feel a slight bit more human but not much.

Brian had managed to keep the house quiet during the night. Khaat had jolted him awake so many times, despite the potion he'd given her, that he had only managed a light doze. He was starting to feel very sleep deprived, and she looked worse than he felt. It was taking a toll on both of them. Nevertheless, they both got up and showered and dressed. He skipped his workout today. He was just too tired.

Robert was nursing his second cup of Earl Grey when the three of them came downstairs. First, Michael, looking about ten years older than usual, and then Khaat and Brian, looking like hell. Michael didn't even speak at first. He went out to the kitchen and poured himself a mug of Earl Grey and went in and sat down beside Robert.

"Feeling better?" Robert asked.

"I'm an old man, Robert," Michael sighed, smelling the tea in the mug.

"No," Robert said with a gentle, supportive smile, "you're stoved up. I'll send an owl to St. Mungos spa. You need a long, deep massage to loosen up those muscles again. You'll start to feel like yourself after that."

"I'll manage," Michael said.

"Just do it. You want me to go with you?"

"I think I still know the way," Michael said dryly. Michael watched Khaat and Brian comes downstairs. He could see she hadn't been able to stop the nightmares yet.

"It'll take some time," Robert told him, seeing it too. "My guess is that Brian knows what to do with it."

"I figured you did," Michael frowned.

"Well, I do, but its Brian's call this time," Robert said.

"Certainly can," Angus called. "I was considering making a large kettle of homemade minestrone for lunch today and my aunt sent me a recipe for a lovely dish of chicken and sweet potatoes in a spiced white wine sauce I was considering for tonight. Bring them through to the kitchen, please. Breakfast is almost ready. Dont laugh, you lot, but Miss Abbey made a special request. She wanted pink oatmeal."

"You hexed my oatmeal?" Robert scowled.

"Hexed? No, no," Angus laughed. "I made a coulee of berries--you know how she likes berries--and I added it with and cooked some berries into it. It should be sweet and delicious and bright pink. But completely healthy. And, there are enough other things to eat that even those who are too wimpy to try Abbey's pink oatmeal won't go hungry." He filled two mugs with French Roast and took them to Khaat and Brian. "I didn't know whether you'd be sleeping in or not so I didn't send your tray. My apologies."

"No apologies needed," Brian said, taking the mugs and handing one to Khaat.

"I missed you in the gym today," Robert said to Brian.

"I skipped it."

"I expect you to go," Robert said. "Go for a run after breakfast. It would do you good. Khaat, would yo be so good as to escort Michael today to the spa for a massage, please? Make sure he doesn't skip out on it? He's very stoved up." Khaat looked at her father and at Michael. She could see that he was hurting. But she was as stoved up as he was. And she hadnt told a soul but she was thoroughly bruised now. The tortures had left bruises that had now come to full color--and she was more black than not. She suspected Michael wasn't any better. She remembered clearly, hearing his screams. For her, screaming was not an option. She had become mute quickly and could not make any noise.

"You really dont' have to go with me, my dear," Michael said to her softly.

"I am not trusting either of you to go by yourselves," Robert said. "I expect that Jim and Jack will go with you and make sure you go and come back in one piece. Brian has work to do. He skipped his workout. I expect him to follow up on that while you're gone."

"I had intended to go," Brian said, frowning.

"I And I intend that you should not," Robert said calmly.

Angus began serving breakfast as Robert and Kate went and brought down all five of Khaat's children. Abbey raced into the kitchen looking to see if Angus really did make pink oatmeal for her. Angus laughed and gave her a hug and a little kiss and sent her to the table saying she would just have to wait and see. He sent out bowls of oatmeal and he'd cut the toast for the kids in animal shapes. Abbey was delighted.

"Come and get yourselves some food before you go," Robert told Khaat and Michael. "Let's go." Michael just got up and followed Robert. Michael didn't honestly think a thing about the pink cereal. The berry flavor was a nice touch. Khaat managed to eat more than either Robert or Brian had expected she would. It wasn't as much as she ideally should have eaten, they thought, but they also knew it could well be worse.

"And what color cereal are we eating next time?" Robert asked Abbey.

"Pink!" she said.

"No, we just did pink. Pick another color."

"Blue!"

"Okay. Blue it is," Robert laughed.

"Blue. Great," Angus laughed. "Just great. Thanks a lot, Papa."

"Papa," Abbey looked at him. "We swim?" She pointed to the pool outsie that had been drained because of the cooler weather.

"It's too cold, my darling," he said. "But, if you want to swim, I bet somebody would go with you to swim in the pool downstairs."

"I want big water," she told him, scowling.

"Isn't the pool at the spa considerably bigger?" Kate asked.

"Oh, definitely," Robert said.

"Then, Jack, how about you take our little labrador with you and swim a bit with her?"

"He'll look like he fits in that way, at least," Robert laughed. "Unless he can't handle a 2 year old."

"I'm not worried about the two year old but if she goes all animagus, can he get a puppy out of the hospital pool before they go ballistic on him?"

"That puppy happens to be my puppy," Robert said. "If they give you a hard time, let me know. I'll deal with it. What do you say, Jack? Can you handle it?"

Khaat remembered that Abbey had outgrown her swimsuit towards the end of the season. She nonverbally accio'd a swimsuit that was in her own closet. She handed it to Brian.

"You can do this," he said softly. "Just give it to her." He handed it back to her. Khaat handed Abbey the white paper bag and let her open it. Abbey drew out a pink one piece swimsuit printed with dark pink berries.

"Berries!" Abbey was delighted. "Mama! Berries!"

"If you're going with Mama and Uncle Jack and Uncle Michael to Mam's work and the big pool, you need a suit that fits," Brian told her. Abbey nodded excitedly.

"I go put it on," she said.

"No, let me pack it for you," Brian said. "We'll use one of Mama's bags. You want to come help me pack?" She nodded, and when he headed upstairs to pack a bag to take with them she bounced along behind him upstairs.

"She's never been in the St. Mungo's pool," Robert said. "You sure you can handle bodyguarding Khaat and watching Abbey at the same time?"

"I will definitely be within earshot, "Michael said with iron firmness. "He's not going to have to be that divided in focus."

"And with Jim going too, she'll have more than enough protection," Brian said. "The rest of us will stay here and make sure things don't get crazy here for the couple of hours you're gone."

"That was my plan, actually," Robert said.