Marriage is Murder

"Thank you, Steven," Kate said. Khaat watched the larger man sneak a cookie. What was his name again? And then she heard them call him by name--Jack. She had to work harder to remember. His name was Jack, and he liked cookies. That was about all she knew.

Angus plated his cookies and brought them in. Robert got up and laid his paperwork aside and picked up one of the warm cookies. He crouched in front of Khaat and broke the cookie in half.

"Here," he said softly. "I want you to try just a bite. Nothing big. Just a tiny bite." He broke one little tiny bite off one half of the cookie and handed it to her. He broke off another bite and ate it himself. "I love warm cookies," he smiled. She took the cookie bite and slowly ate it. She didn't remember eating food. Not just in a long time. She didn't remember eating ever. She was sure she had to have eaten at some point. The frustration brought tears to her eyes.

"Don't think about it," he said. "You're not ready to try to remember. Let your head heal, Sweetheart. How was the cookie? Did you like it?" She nodded. "Then try one more little piece." He handed her another. She ate it, but when she did her stomach churned. He reacted instantly and laid his hand on her forehead, stopping the nausea. "Gently," he soothed her. "Gone now?" She frowned and nodded. "Good," he said. "Now we know where our limits are. I'll stay on top of it. I promise." He laid the piece of cookie on the end table beside them. "Take your time. No hurry. Go back to the cider if that was easier."

She was tired. She laid her head back on Brian's chest, and he began to brush her hair softly to comfort her. Her father stood to his feet.

"Well done, Khaat," he said affectionately. "Its going far better than I thought it might. You're definitely ahead of schedule. Well done indeed." He took the untouched half of the cookie and went back to his chair and picked up his paperwork, eating the cookie as he worked.

"They're lovely," Kate said. "Thank you. They're just what I had in mind."

"What's your worry, Jess?" Robert asked. "They've barely been gone for 12 hours. And it would be their naptime now. Edward's family would be working on keeping them on their regular schedule. As you recall, we were busy this morning and only got home at lunchtime." He was trying to avoid blatantly saying, in front of Khaat, that they had all seriously considered that they might not survive the morning's events. To Robert, he was still cleaning up paperwork and things from the morning's events. It wasn't over for him even yet. "I suppose if you're overly anxious, though, Angus can go get them when he gets a chance to catch up a bit."

"We're adults here, most of us," Robert said. "I don't think somehow there was anything left to the imagination. I think we all figured it out."

"Robert," Kate scowled.

"You four take the rest of the day if you like," Robert said. "I think The rest of us can manage for the rest of the afternoon and evening. You all did a good job this morning. You deserve to have a bit of paid time. Get out of here. GO get some adult time, the four of you. We'll still have Angus, Michael, Brian, and Kate and I . I think we can take care of one person between the five of us."

Robert just waved them away. He had given the Donohues charge of the kids, and he had had Cassidy there to reassure them. He had more on his mind than whether or not Cassidy had followed through with staying with the kids until he had actually given her the option of leaving. Steven had at least asked. Robert decided to try to let her misstep about orders slid this time. He wouldn't do it every time, but since, this time, he would have allowed Steven to go get her anyway, he decided that the fact that she had disobeyed orders was a technicality.

He could see Brian's deliberate blank face. He had not expressed his displeasure of Cassidy's choice.

"Mind back on your own issues, Son," Robert redirected him. "If it needs dealing with, I'll do it. Your priority is right there in your lap, literally."

"I know." Brian said, kissing Khaat's head. She yawned and soon began to slip into a light sleep. "Robert, is she going to do this very long?"

"I expect her to respond fairly quickly," Robert replied. "Her body chemistry has already significantly improved since yesterday. And I've also infused some megavitamin and megamineral suppliments into her potions mixture. She is getting not only all the daily nutrition she needs in her potions but she's getting that nutrition every time she gets a dose of potion. So its multiple times a day. It will rebuild her quickly.

"What we do have to do slowly is helping her regain her weight," Robert said. "If she regains it too fast, when she is so dangerously thin, we risk overstressing her heart and causing her a massive heart atttack. For right now, I want to rebuild her nutrition panel and her bloodwork. I want her to heal her injuries. I want her to rest. Her weight--well, I'm going to be taking that very slowly. She does seem to be accepting you well, and I'm glad for that. She needs someone to feel safe with."

"She seems to feel safe with you. And with Michael," Brian said.

"Not like she is feeling with you," Michael said, bringing in a refill of cider.

"Agreed," Robert said.

By morning, Robert's words came back in Brian's ears. It had gotten cold in the bedroom during the night. Brian had been shivering under his blanket, half asleep. To his surprise, she had nudged him, deliberately waking him. He had awakened immediately, jumping to conclusions that something was wrong. Instead, she had tugged on the bedcovers that he was sleeping on top of. She had felt safe enough for him to get under the blankets in the same bed so he could get warm.

Her gesture to care about him enough to let him under the blankets with her was not something he had taken lightly. He had been a perfect gentleman and had kept his distance. But when he woke up in the morning, she had shifted in her sleep. She was curled up tight to him, her head resting on his chest. Her usual sleeping position. He was more than a little surprised. And, as he was waking, the morning coffee tray arrived. No tea. Robert was letting her have her beloved french roast if she could tolerate it. Her mug was very clearly labeled because of the potion in it.

Maybe life woud start to get back to normal. Maybe.

Kate came downstairs by herself and got a cup of tea. She bid good morning to them, and then looked at Angus. "You don't need to set a place for Robert, I dont think," she said.

"Oh?" Angus asked.

"It was well after midnight when he went to sleep, and I do think his fatigue has bested him," she said. "He's finally actually getting some good rest. I think we need to let him sleep. He hasn't slept really well since Grindlewald was a problem."

"That's been over a year ago," Angus said.

"Almost two," she sighed.

"I'l send him up a tray when he wakes," Angus said. "Any word on Khaat yet?"

"No," Kate said, "but when I passed the bedroom, I could smell her lily perfume. I dont think Brian is wearing it. I would guess that he's helping her wash up since she can't shower because of her incisions."

"Should I count on them for breakfast?"

"Yes and no. I'd rather include them than not, but I don't know if she'll be able to sit up at the table yet."

"Not a problem," Angus said. "I'll handle it. Cassidy left entirely too soon--before I could tell her that my famiy will be bringing back the kids sometime after breakfast today."

"That's alright. She can just come with them, then."