Marriage is Murder

Robert and Brian went oer and looked at the maps. "Well, I daresay the muggles that live on those farms would be more than a bit upset if they invaded there. I think I'd like to see them try. It gives me just more charges to add to his arrest warrant, actually."

"You have an arrest warrant?" Khaat looked at him dryly.

"Did you think I would not?" Her father whirled on her, anger in his eyes. "He assaulted the Chief Warlock with all intent to kill. That is an offense punishable by execution. Yes, I issued a warrant. The day you were assaulted. I will have him. Dead or alive--it makes no difference to me because either way, I shall have him, and his nonsense shall be very very shortlived. But you are right. He will have to take more time to regroup than before. unhappy as I am with you, you did buy us some very valuable time."

Jim nodded and packed them up as evidence " I'm sure they will object " Jim said slipping the now shrunk maps in his pockets. Jack stood up but then sat back down as his head spun a little. Steven shook his head and stood him back up holding Jack.

" I'll take the wounded wear back home and get Jess to patch him up." He said looking at Brian, Robert and Khaat " um..you are coming back right?" he asked Khaat hoping she wasn't going to go after the wear giant herself again.

"Yes, she's coming home," her father said, taking her arm firmly to prevent her from apparating out to parts unknown. He looked over and saw a glimmer of smug satisfaction in her face. "Feeling a bit cheeky, are we?" he asked.

"A touch, yes," she said, feeling a certain degree of satisfaction at causing damage to her assailant.

"It is not flattering," he said, trying to be straightfaced. To be honest, he was trying to keep a bit of a laugh off his own face. It wasn't the deaths that amused him. It was that she had actually gone, herself, and taken a bit of her own back and had gone from being reclusive and refusing to come out of her room to taking on a full pack of werewolves enough to feel proud of herself. His remark about it not being flattering on her was pure bluff, and he was hoping she wouldn't see through him.

"Liar," she charged. "And a boldfaced one at that."

"Sounds like things are starting to get back to normal," Brian shook his head, with a slight smile.

Steven was glad about that and breathed out he held Jack and looked at the others " we'll meet back at the ranch I have to get Jack looked at " he said Jim walked over and chuckled as Brian spoke of Khaat being her normal self again. Jack looked at Steven and he nodded and ported to the ranch.

Jess looked up and shook her head as Jack sat down walking over she wiped away blood that ran down his forehead placing her hand on it the wound healed and she shook her head again " trust you, hows Khaat?" she asked and Jack chuckled.

"Back being herself " he said and Jess smiled and nodded she approved.

" Good its about time" she said and Steven chuckled behind her. "Did you did get him at least? she asked and saw Jack shake his head.

" He ported away before we could finish him." Jack told her and she held him close "I should have done it."

"If it wasn't men to be then it wasn't meant" she told him softly

"Take Khaat home," Brian sighed, looking at Robert.

"I don't dare," Robert said. "We're entirely too short handed here now. We have ten dead bodies to dispose of and a mess to clean up. We can't do it without help."

"I don't intend to." He summoned a number of other organization members who responded immediately to Brian's call. They immediately saw the carnage and stepped in to help clean up the bodies and the blood. It was obvious they could not leave a masscre out in the open for just anyone to find.

"I really could have taken care of it," Khaat said.

"And it would have taken you all night. If we'd had six or seven people here now to help clean up, we could have managed," Robert said. "But its not nearly enough for three people."

"I have a crew now," Brian said. "You're the minister. You're the last one who should be here. Go. Get out of here and take her with you."

"Indeed. Make it fast and get out of here," Robert said.

"I will," Brian said. Robert took Khaat home and returned her directly to her bedroom. He decided they needed to talk. He accio'd mugs of tea and sat down with her in the bedroom's sitting room to try to discourage her from doing a repeat of this solo mission to kill werewolves.

Jess looked up and sighed " Robert and Khaat are back " she said and stopped Steven from going up " hes talking with her wait a bit" she said and steven nodded he would wait . Jim took out the maps and spread them on the dinning room table studying them closely. Jack stood up and ported back to Brian.

" need any help?" he asked " jess patched me up but I see you have it under control" he watched the others cleaning up the bodies as he looked around the room he paused at the spot where his nephew had laid and sighed picking up a small bottle of wolfbane. " seems he dropped something." Jack said showing Brian.

"Much as I like my job, I hate carnage like this," he sighed. "Ten bodies, all the blood....And I had to send Robert with Khaat. Its not something I want her to do, to clean up things like this. Nor does the Minister need to do this either. That left us too short. It left Jim and me to clean up way too big of a mess. I just called the organization in so we can get out of here quickly. I know why she did it, and I know if I'd been her, I'd have done the same thing. But somehow I just don't like it and I probably am never going to. But I can't blame her for wanting to strike back, not with the damage they did to her."

"Brian," Owens said, "We've just about got this. Go ahead and go. Take care of your family, Mate. Do you want us to hunt the remainders of the pack?"

"No!" Brian said firmly. "You have no clue what you're up against."

"Then perhaps a briefiing is in order?" Owens asked, not liking that the organization was being kept out of the loop when they were willing to help.

"You're right, of course," Brian said. "Finish up and go back to the nearest headquarters. I'll have Robert come and brief you as soon as he can get free."

"That's more like it," Owens said. "Now, go home."

"Very well. I think we will. Jack, lets go," Brian said. "Bring that wolfsbane. That is a ridiculously useless sized bottle of wolfsbane. Someone his size wouldn't even be affected by that small of a dose. Lets see what Robert says."

Jack pocketed the wolfsbane and nodded " Might not have been for him, maybe a convert ?" he asked but he had to agree Robert was the best man to check it out since to Jack it smelt wrong. with Brian he ported back to the ranch Jess glanced over at him while she held Alex on her knee looking at a picture book and smiling at each picture he saw.

" got the clean up done?" Jess asked as Cassidy walked in with James who was pretending to fly his toy plane Jaylen was toddling beside her holding her hand seeing some crayons she dove over to them and began drawing quietly. Jack nodded to Jess and headed to find Robert. Finding him he knocked on the door waiting for him to say he could enter.

"This time," Brian replied to Jess. Cleaning up blood and gore was not something he liked. In fact he hated it.

"You look tired," Angus told Brian. He brought him a mug of tea. "Here. Tea helps almos anything."

"No explosions from upstairs?" Brian asked.

"No," Angus said. "I almost didn't know they were back until Robert accio'd coffee for themselves. Haven't heard a syllable from up there."

"And neither of them have come out?"

"No. Not yet."

When Robert heard the knock on Khaat's bedroom door, it made him wonder what had gone wrong now. He wasn't accustomed to someone interrupting him when he was having a private meeting. He looked at Khaat to silently tell her he wasn't done with her yet.

"Come in," he said.

Jack heard Robert from inside the room and he opened the door " Brian asked me to show you this we both agree its too small for..." he paused and held out the necklace and small vial of wolfsbane. He placed it in Roberts hands " I think it was meant for someone else someone smaller " he said moving to stand facing him. Jess gave Alex a sippy cup filled with juice and sighed.

"Is that a good thing tat there quiet or a bad thing ?" she asked looking at Brian and Jim who still stood with the maps.