Marriage is Murder

"Forget Edward's," Robert said. "She wouldn't remember how to port to get there. She has to still be in England. If she ends up at Edward's, he'll find her immediately and protect her. Thats one of the safeest places she could go."

Michael got up, still hurting and had gone upstairs and saw what happened and saw them
debating on where she might have accidently apparated herself."

"You lot aren't thinking," he said, leaning on the doorway for balance, his face bruising. "She has amnesia. She's very limited on what she remembers. She remembers the hotel, she can't get to Edward, and she knows this house. The only other face on the planet she knows is the space behind the dumpster in the park in London where I found her. Accidental magic works on impulse. Check the hotel, by all means. Check the house thoroughly. Forget the grounds for now. But check that damned dumpster. Lets check the obvious first."

Jack nodded " of course " he said and aperated out to the hotel he checked the room but found nothing then he moved out side and around the side of the hotel and over to the dumpster. " Khaat?" he called softly " you here?" he walked softly as he looked round soon he found her and knelt in front of her and sighed deeply. " I know you think that your nothing but trouble to us, but your not, we care about you , we're your friends and your like family to all of us." he smiled warmly to her offering his hand to her to help her up.

She hadn't intended to end up back here, out in the cold, in the snow, sitting on the ground behind a dumpster, wrapped in a blanket and wearing just a nightgown. She shivered. The net she knew someone was there, talking to her. Jack, was it? She looked up at him, confused about how she got here. She hadn't meant to make trouble, and now they were all hunting for her again. She shivered hard.

She heard him say that they were family, and she belonged with them. She had mixed feelings about it. But here she was again. She remembered Michael's first words to her. They were practical. Not emotional. Without them, she was out in the snow, penniless, with a blanket and a nightgown. And nothing more.

She had no choice. She surrendered and reached her hand up to Jack's. She didn't know how she got here, but she had to find a way to be far less trouble. She just didn't know how.

Jack smiled when she took his hand slipping off his jacket he wrapped it around her as he sent word back that he'd found her. " ok I'll take it slow I need to take you home the same way you got here but its controlled by me, ok" he looked at her hoping she would be ok " you can hold tight to me if you want its ok" his voice he kept soft and gentle, Once she was holding him he aperated back to the main house pausing so she could get her feet before he moved back a little but still holding her until he was sure she could stand on her own. " just sit if you need to" he told her.

Brian cae over to her quickly. "i'm glad you're back," he said softly. She shook her head, upset for a hundred different reasons. He put his arms under her to support her. "Listen to me," He said steadily. "I will answer every question you have. I swear." She narrowed her eyes at him, not believing they would tell her the truth. He knew that look, and he smiled.

"And what's in it for me to lie? Is it all those millions you have in your nightgown pocket?" he asked. She felt the sides of her nightgown. There was one little shallow pocket on the left side, but when she turned it out, it was empty. "Exactly my point," he said. "There was nothing in your pockets when Michael found you. What is there in it for me to lie?" She shrugged.

"Well," he said, "when you get an answer that makes some sense, if it holds water and you want to go, then we'll discuss it. Until them, you're covered in snow and you're shivering. You want to warm up at least? Cider? Tea? Something? Just to warm up with?" She shook her head no. But she did allow him to put her back in bed. He covered her and looked back at Jack. "Thank you." He was still hoping to get something into her stomach. "When someone gets a chance, I believe I'd like something hot to drink. Would you send something up, please?" He was hoping that if he had something to drink, he could persuade her to take a few sips from his mug. It would at least be a start.

Jack smiled " you'd do the same for me " he simply said and nodded as Brian asked for some food to be sent up " I'll have Cassidy get on it Angus is some what preoccupied " he said and turned to leave heading down to the kitchen he made up a tray with cider and tea and some of the soup Robert and marked for Khaat in case she was hungry as it was packed with vitamins and things she would need, Jess smiled and finished with Angus. " anything else I could add Angus?" he asked looking over at him.

"Why don't you add a couple bottles of just plain lemon lime soda and a couple glasses with ice?" he asked. "If her stomach is off, he might be able to talk her into trying a couple of sips to ease her stomach. Particularly if you leave the caps on the bottles. I don't know if she'll drink much of anything right now. She obviously was pretty upset. He might have to work at it. My guess is that he'll be trying to get her to tell him whats on her mind first.

Robert knew Jess would finish with Angus so that gave him time to deal with Michael. "Its a good thing you have a hard head," he said, finishing. He reduced the injury there and the pain. "Better?" he asked.

"Much," Michael said. "Thank you. Can I help you with Khaat or Brian?"

"When I want time to talk to Brian, if you would find a positive reason to spend some time with time her? Something she'd enjoy?" Robert asked.

"That would be my pleasure," Michael said. As he spoke Robert felt tugging on his pantleg. He looked down to see Abbey there. And he could see the same look in her eyes that he'd seen countless times in Khaat's. He picked Abbey up.

"And what is the matter with you?" he kissed her.

"I mad," she said in a determined tone with him.

"Why?" he asked.

"You no bring Mama home. You lie. I no like you," she said.

"I didn't lie to you," he said.

"You no bring Mama. You lie. Mama dead?" she asked.

"No. No, no, no," Robert said. "You remember when you hurt your knee?" She thought and then nodded.

"It a boo boo," she said.

"Yes. It was. Mama has a boo boo. She hit her head. She forgets a lot right now until the boo boo goes away," Robert said.

"Where my mama?" she demanded now.

"If you go draw her a picture, I'll see if I can't find a way for you to see her. Okay?"

"You better!" she scowled.

"Yes, Ma'am," he said, putting her on the floor. she headed for the playroom.

"Are you really going to do that?" Kate asked.

"I might have to," Robert said.

"Is Khaat ready for that?"

"Of course not," Robert admitted.

Jess finished with Angus and began tidying up the kitchen placing things back in the right place soon it was back to normal. Jack took two bottles of plain lemon lime soda and two glasses walking up he knocked on the door and walked in " Angus sends this for you " he said and smiled as he placed it on a small table next to Brian before he stood up and left to leave them alone returning back downstairs to help with the clean up he placed the shield back on the wall and picked up several figurines back where they stood noting some were chipped.

"Thank you," Brian said. He took a few sips of the cider. "Its really good. Michael really does make the best cider. "Here. Try it." He fed her a few sips from his own mug. She didn't even consider that he was just wanting her to get something in her stomach. He approached it as just tasting. He managed to work at it by getting her to have several sips of several different things. It didn't take much to fill her, and before long, she was getting sleepy. She wasn't used to the sensation of her stomach being satisfied, and it made her almost immediately sleepy. It was an uncomfortable feeling when she realized she was getting sleepy.

He pulled the blankets closer around her. He knew that finally being warm and not hungry was making her give in to her own weakness. "It really is okay to just close your eyes. I"m not going anywhere. I promise," he said softly. He looked at her, and she had already fallen asleep uncontrollably. He set the tray aside and sat down, considering whether or not there was anything he wanted to take when he left her, and trying to figure out how to walk away from the only life he ever wanted with the only woman he'd ever loved and away from his own children. A thing he swore he'd never ever do.

"Robert," Kate said softly. "I think you and Michael should do that now. His thoughts are heavy and dark again. She must be sleeping."

Jack looked at Kate as she spoke about Brian and he sighed " want us to help I mean Jess and I?" he asked not sure what they could do except watch Khaat even though he knew Jess was tuned to her anyway. Jim walked in from the garden and brushed off leaves.

" wow its windy out there just had the garden furniture hiding in the green house I told them they could stay there for now " he said and slipped off his coat and hung it up or rather the coat rack took it from him then staid quiet Jim chuckled and moved to sit down accioing a cup of cider to warm himself back up.