Marriage is Murder

"There are some things no parent feels secure in until they're past it," Robert said.

"And some things you never feel entirely secure about," Kate admitted. "You learn to move forward. Its just how it is."

"Unless somehow as a parent you just don't give a damn," Angus shrugged, heading out to the kitchen to serve lunch.

"And that does not apply to any of the parents here," Robert said. Angus served a very simple vegetable lasagna in an alfredo sauce and a lovely caesar salad, with garlic toast. Simple but hearty and comforting. "Lunch is ready, if you're all hungry," Angus said, floating the filled plates to the table.

Jack nodded at Roberts words knowing he would do anything for his kids and the others he turned to Jess who also nodded she agreed then lent closer to him. He watched as Angus said lunch was ready He stood up helping Jess up to her feet then over to the table as several of the children ran out chuckling as they waited to be seated which Jack did smiling as he gave each one a kiss in the forehead before he sat down himself and smiled at Jess.

Lunch was delicious as always. Brian wished Khaat had gone out with Michael and the others but he knew she wasn't going to leave the house. He was hoping something would relax her enough that she could sleep a bit. Michael seemed to be bouncing back a bit. It had taken him a day or so of being home before he was able to get his thoughts anchored. Brian noticed that Khaat wasn't hungry. He didn't pick at her. He let her eat what she wanted. He wanted her to feel safe at home--free of any stressors, including being free from nagging.

During lunch, Abbey looked at Khaat. "Mama? Read nappy story?" she asked. It was a simple request. She wanted Khaat to read the story before the kids took their afternoon nap. And Khaat wasn't capable of saying a word.

"Abbey," Kate said, "Let's get Papa to do it. He can add magic to the story. It'll be fun to watch."

"Papa?" Abbey looked at Robert.

"I'll do it if you give me a kiss before I start reading," Robert told Abbey. Abbey nodded, excited.

Jack and Jess looked at Khaat as both ate once done they all let the kids out to play in the nursery Cassidy and Jess both headed up to make sure all were settled for their nap while Jack, Jim and Steven sat down stairs they all smiled at Abby as she nodded at Robert. Jack smiled and sat down with his drink waiting for Jess and Cassidy to return but Jim headed up to help out feeling they should not do all the work and he knew he could help out.

" Khaat should do something with the children " Jack said softly " might make her feel a bit more at home." he looked at Robert" I know Brian can do it too as I do, but maybe we should let her do something too"

"I think I'm going to take her to someplace safe for dinner tonight, maybe with the kids," Brian said. "Maybe just to Sparks."

"Excellent idea," Robert said. "It will get her out, and she'll feel as if she's just as safe as she is at home."

That night, Brian took Khaat and the kids and they went to Sparks for quiet dinner. The next thing he knew, Sparks was ablaze and everyone was screaming. It was a huge fiendfyre dragon. And it was coming for Khaat. Customers were racing out of the bistro, except for Lizzie and some of their most loyal regulars. Seasoned witches and wizards. They each scooped up a child as Brian scooped up Abbey. Khaat took off her denim jacket and wrapped it around Abbey to protect her from the flames. It bothered her she didnt' have something to wrap them all in. She pursueded Brian to go and to get the kids to her father.
The others who scooped up the other kids all side apparated with Brian to the safety of the farm.

Brian burst in with Lizzie and three restaurant patrons.

"Go!" Brian shouted. "Sparks is on fire! Its a huge fiendfyre. Khaat's there alone--its after her. Go, go, go!" Robert leaped to his feet and apparated out instantly. But by the time he got there, she was gone.

Steven woke with dread all around him he looked at Cassidy still sleeping and slipped from his bed dressing he quickly grabbed his long black wind breaker and went to speak to a guard " be on your guard I'm going to diagon alley " he told him and ported out . Appearing in the alley at first he thought nothing was wrong until he rounded a corner and a fire dragon was above them he ran to the men that battled it and fired a fire freezing charm at it to slow it down he could see sparks not nothing but smoldering rubble and chard wood and he looked around for Brian, Khaat and the children he paused leaving the others to tackle the now weak dragon as he searched the ruins even though his hands we being burnt he found so sigh of any one and breathed out heavily. He hoped all of them had got out before the cafe had burnt down.

Looking around again he shook his head the alley was in disarray his mind went to reporting back to Robert and he fired one last bolt before he ported back to the main house walking up to Roberts room and knocked " Robert I need to talk to you It's important and urgent " he said his voice a little croaky and his face black from the soot.

(ooc: wait..robert apparated out in my last post. he's already at diagon alley. i'll adjust in my post)

Robert had summoned every available auror and then had gone to be with the others in battling the fiendfyre. The corpses that filled the once pleasant street was overwhelming. Robert had his suspicions, but he didn't know much of anything for certain. Sparks was fully engulfed and, he was sure, would be a total loss. He had dispatched whoever he could find to go look for Khaat. So far, her body had not been found. No one had found any remainders of a body in Sparks, so he was starting to think she'd been taken. The aurors were already swiftly coming to the same conclusion. And there were rumors that the Death Eaters had been in the area at the time of the fire but they weren't here now.

When Steven came up to him, Robert just entirely missed that Steven said he wanted to talk. It wasnt' intentional. Robert was preoccupied. "Steven," Robert said. "Good. Khaat was in Sparks, but she's not there now--not that we've found. Start combing through the bodies. So far, the aurors haven't found her among them. If she's not there, then our buest guess is that she's been taken hostage by the Death Eaters. Steven--this is one time when I honestly don't want you to find her." The last thing Robert wanted was for Steven to find his daughter's corpse among all the others that had been victims of the killing curse and who were lying dead in the street. If she wasn't there, then there was a possibility that she was still alive.

(I'll skip time in my next post so he, or whoever you choose, can find her.)

Steven listened and nodded " I understand " he said simply and moved to start searching. After several hours of the gory task, he finally breathed out, he had found no sign of her and this he was glad of returning to Robert he wiped his hands on some rags his clothes and face dirty from searching " Robert no sigh of Khaat alive or ...dead" he said as he walked over to him several men continued to douse the fires around the alley he at one point fired a water jet spell to take out one that had started in a nearby roof and threatened the men working below it. Stevens eyes watched every dark corner and shadow hoping it would be Khaat but so far it had been every one but her.

Hours had gone by. The sun was coming up. The alley was still smoldering. It might be hours yet before Robert could formally declare that the fire was out. Several businesses were damaged, but Sparks was a total loss. Robert and Brian had already decided that they would rebuild the bistro. If nothing else than just in utter defiance of whoever had struck against them. But they'd heard nothing about Khaat. And what made him more concerned was that it was starting to snow.

Combing through the bodies had been grizly, but there was still no sign of Khaat much to Robert's relief. The cold November dawn saw the bodies mostly removed now to St. Mungos for autopsy. That was going to be a hellacious job and would require help from every healer he knew that was capable of it. Not every healer knew how to do an autopsy or wanted to. And it was more work than he could handle. He had already sent to Lee and Daniella for assistance.

He was developing a headache from the smoke, from the stench of those bodies that were burned, and just from sheer stress. He had fought alongside the aurors all night in battling the blaze and in trying to coordinate relief efforts. A ministry staff member finally, graciously, brought him a cup of extra strong Earl Grey. The first comfort he'd had against the bitter cold.

Khaat sat on the brick street in Knockturn Alley now where she'd been left. They'd left her well hidden behind crates and boxes where she was not going to be easily visible. The memories of the evening replayed in her head. The countless unforgiveables they'd used on her. She was in a great deal of pain from them, and there was so many of them that it caused her body to have severe tremors. She'd read of that, that it could happen under severe circumstances but even with all her experience, she had never seen it. And she had no idea how to stop it. Her voice and her words felt so far gone she wasn't sure if it would ever return. And on top of that, it was cold. Bitterly cold. Her jeans and her white lace camisole were not keeping her warm. She heard them calling for her. Looking for her, but she couldn't move. She wasn't sure why. she wanted to get up and come out. If she didn't, they most likely wouldn't find her, she figured. But she couldn't make her body obey her and get up. It just wouldnt move.

Steven stepped back from the group of men he saw Robert and sighed he walked over to him but stopped as he heard a rat chunter to himself about a woman blocking his hole. Steven knelt by him " excuse me but where is this woman and what does she look like?" he asked the rat spoke in length about the hole blocking woman and Steven eyes went wide as he turned to Robert . "ROBERT! I think I know where Khaat is" he said and stood up moving to an alley at first he saw nothing but the rat insisted and ran on ahead Steven move with him forward soon he saw it a foot poking out from behind a dumpster and he ran forward then knelt " Khaat, its Steven" he said softly and took off his coat and wrapped it around her as slowly he picked her up in his arms , pausing he thanked the rat who still complaining dove down his hole.Steven walked out and across to Robert.