Marriage is Murder

By morning, Khaat and Brian hd resolved a lot. She didn't know for sure, but she felt like she was falling in love already with this man she barely knew. She didn't understand it but she didn't want him out of her sight, and he wasn't in any hurry to go. He'd given her the riings he had said were hers. How he got them, she didn't know. But they were stunning. And he had resized them for her thin, tiny finger.

He had helped her up and had helped her wash. She didn't find herself insecure with that today. He helped her dress. He found clothes for her. Old soft jeans that he resized to be just very slightly baggy to be comfortable. And he had found a plain pink flannel shirt for her and plain pink slipper socks. He had helped her wash her hair and he'd combed it out and let it just air dry.

He helped her with breakfast. Just plain scrambled eggs and a few bites of toast, and a bit of coffee, along with her potions. He thought she was stronger today. He had been able to get her on her feet for a few seconds at a time. Now, today, he was able to get her on her feet for a bit longer at one time, and as long as he totally supported her, she could take a couple of shaky steps.

Downstairs, Robert had already been out and had returned. He had gone to St. Mungos and had brought back with him a wheelchair for Khaat to use for a few days until she got her strength back. Angus frowned, seeing it arrive.

"Is she well enough for that?" Angus asked.

"I think we need to try, don't you?" Robert asked. "And we can't keep her closed up in her room forever. I will reintroduce the children to her today. she has more color and she's not so dehydrated. She's gotten some color back, thanks to Brian's taking her out. I think she looks vastly better than when we found her. I think they'll accept their mother in any shape they can get her, rather than no mother at all. I don't plan on overwhelming them or her but we do have to move forward."

"You're the healer," Angus shrugged. "I sent her breakfast up already. Ours is ready now."

"Excellent," Robert said. "I'm hungry. Any word from Khaat or Brian either one?"

"Not yet," Angus said. "But it is a bit early for them."

"I'd like to see if she's up to it. We'll have to talk to the children to prepare them. A strongly negative reaction will set her back, I fear. We do need to try soon to reconnect them but this won't be easy. She doesn't know them except throgh photographs Brian's shown her. I have to prepare her, and we have to prepare them. This must be carefully done." Robert watched Cassidy go outside. "She's going to miss breakfast. It is on the table, and she just wlaked right past it. None of my business, though." He and kate went and got Khaat's other four children and brought them to the table. Abbey loved Angus's eggs and the crispy bacon he made. She picked up a piece of bacon and while she was crunching on it, she looked at Robert.

"You promise, Papa," she demanded.

"I did indeed," he smiled. It delighted him to have such a bright two year old granddaughter. "And I mean to keep my promise."

"Now?" she asked.

"Maybe today. I will try." He watched Angus bring a large serving bowl of berries to the table. Abbey's eyes lit up when she saw them.

"Berries!" she was excited.

"Would you like some?" he asked. She nodded. He served her a small bowl of them. She immediately scowled at him. "What?" he asked.

"More!"

"You eat those first, and you can have more," he laughed.

Angus went up to collect the breakfast tray from Khaat and Brian. He was pleased to see her dressed. "Now there's the Khaat we all know and love. You look beautiful. By the way, your father has brought a wheelchair for a couple days until you can stand and at least take a couple steps. He has a plan for you to be able to meet the kids today so that you do not have to be shut away up here. I'm going to take some pillows and blankets downstairs to make the chair more comfortable."

"Thank you," Brian said. "She and I have already talked about this. She's ready whenever they are."

"Oh. I'll tell him. Thats good," Angus said, collecting pillows, blankets, her shawl, and the tray and floating it all downstairs.

At the breakfast table, Robert broke the news to the kids that Mama was home. Once they had absorbed that, he told them that she had been very sick and needed to eat some good food and get better. They seemed to understand that.

"Where Mama?" Abbey demanded, impatient now.

"Upstairs with Daddy," Robert said. Abbey bounced up from the table to go dash off to see her, and Robert swept one arm around her. "Let's make sure she's awake first, okay?"

"She no mind. She love me," Abbey protested.

"Yes. She does. But she wants to look pretty for you."

"Mama always pretty," Abbey said.

"Indeed she is. But finish your breakfast first, okay? For me. Then I'll get Mama for you." She stuck out her bottom lip, pouting, but climbed back in her chair barely able to eat because of her excitement.

When breakfast was over, Robert went upstairs. He was surprised to find Brian had her up. "Well, now! If that isn't a welcome sight!" he smiled and kissed her. "You feeling alright?" he checked her. "Much, much better. Now, if I might..." He cast a powerful gamour spell to hide as much of the illness and distress as was magically possible. Khaat looked at Brian and saw that he definitely approved. "Are you ready to meet the kids?" he asked. She was doing her best to try to be what they needed. It was making her very nervous, though.

"We'll do our best to cue you so that you don't get them confused and so that they don't notice that you don't recognize them," Brian said. "Don't worry. It'll be okay." He gently picked her up. Robert went ahead of them to make sure that the chair was ready for her. Brian brought her downstairs, and the kids went crazy, jumping up and down and all shouting for her at the same time, wanting their mother's attention.

"Patience," Robert laughed.

"You'll each get a turn, I promise," Brian said. He put Khaat in the chair and before Brian could even begin to make her comfortable, Abbey was up on her lap, throwing her arms around her neck and giving her a hug. Khaat could only hug back with the arm that wasn't in a cast. "Abbey," Brian laughed. "Give Mama a chance, would you?"

"Mine," Abbey said possessively.

The two year old on her lap began talking rapidly and incessantly to her. Khaat did her best to just listen. The child didn't even notice Khaat wasn't entirely herself. Brian tried several times to get Abbey to get down, but she didnt hear him. He finally went to the kitchen and brought out a small dish of chocolates.

"Abbey," he said. "Look. Its filled with berry."

"Berry?" she asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Come get one before they're all gone," he said. She climbed down and went and got a chocolate. In the space of a couple seconds, Dakota climbed up in Abbey's place. Khaat recognized the only redhaired child from the photos.

One by one she met the kids. She was exhausted. She had done well. Brian was proud of her. He diverted the kids away to color pictures for her. By the time he got back, she was uncontrollably falling asleep in the chair.

"You've been up a bit too long," he said to her quietly. He put her on the sofa and she immediately went back to sleep.

"That went far better than I expected," Robert said.