Marriage is Murder

"You are really, really late for that," Michael said. "You lot decide to dress up too? Trying your Christmas clothes? Perhaps you ought to take the kids out today to theChristmas festival at the London zoo. It supposedly looks very Victorian. Very Dickens-like. And at the restaurant at the zoo, they do a holiday feast based on Dicken's Christmas Carol. Its a fundraiser for the zoo. As long as you're all dressed up, you ought to go. Angus is being hammered right now in the kitchen by a dozen kids who were very glad to see him." Michael added place settings for the children. "And yes, the Donohues spoiled the daylights out of them. They've got their Christmas outfits on a few days early too."

Kate came downstairs and saw everyone dressed up. She felt a bit out of place in her jeans with a simple red v necked cashmere pullover.

"Good morning," Kate said. "What's the occasion? Oh, Michael, Robert said he'll be a bit late. He went to stop in at the ministry to clear up the rest of the paperwork about last night. He'll be home in just a few minutes, I think. Please set a place for him at the table. He needs to eat today."

"Will do, Kate. Was he any better?"

"Yes, I think so. He was all business. It gives him something to concentrate on. He's going to be fine."

Robert hadn't simply gone to the ministry. He'd also gone to Venice. He'd stopped in to see Brian while Khaat was still asleep. Robert had felt a need to tell Brian in person. Brian took it very well, and was completely supportive of the decision they'd made. Brian told hiim that their first night in Venice was remarkably good. For Robert, it was the brightest spot he'd had in the last few days.

When he got home, he was feeliing much better. Kate noticed the difference immediately.

"Did they give you a raise?" she asked him, bringing him a cup of tea.

"Kate, when have I ever been motivated by money?" Robert asked. At that moment, the kids burst out of the kitchen with their cookies in cellophane bags that were tied up with bright holiday ribbons. They seemed to go everywhere all at once, all shouting and laughing and glad to be home.

Steven chuckled seeing Alex in his outfit though Andrew was tugging at his while Catlin was all about twirling and showing off her nice pretty dress and the things she had. Jess looked at Jack who chuckled " guess hes like his dad hates the top button" he said and knelt in front of Andrew and undid it who then smiled and hugged Jack before running to play with his toys. Catlin sat and showed Jess her small bag then only then did she jump down and run to play with Andrew. James and Jaylen walked in hand in hand as twins did and Steven chuckled.

"That's a first." he said and Catlin slapped him one on his arm and smiled.

" I think its how they should me means there acting as they should" she told him and smiled as they both held their arms up to her. Cassidy picked them both up and smiled hugging them both.

" moma it mismus?" Jaylen asked and Cassidy looked at Steven " no not yet soon though its just a special day " she said smiling " um Robert can I talk to you after breakfast its kinda important" she asked a twinkle in her eye as she spoke.

"Certainly," Robert said, as Angus and Michael set the breakfast plates on the table. Abbey went over to Robert and reached up to him. He picked her up and put her on his lap. She hugged him and curled into him. "Aren't you hungry?" he asked her softly.

"Papa?" she asked.

"Yes, Angel," he said softly.

"You sad?" she asked.

"No," he laughed softly. "Not anymore. Not when I have you here to cheer me up."

"Then I stay with you all day," she nodded.

"I would like that very, very much," he said softly. "Don't you want to go to the zoo today with the other kids if they go?" She shook her head.

"I stay with you, Papa," she said. Michael moved her plate to sit beside Robert's plate.

"You'd better eat your breakfast before Uncle Jack eats it," he told her.

Jack looked up and chuckled " yummy breakfast Abby, but no, I eat mine and never yours. " he said and chuckled as he placed Alex and Catlin in their high chairs and gave them their breakfast he helped Cassidy with the twins and Steven looked confused at her but she patted his arm as she spoke.

"Stop frowning you'll get wrinkles" she said and smiled at him he could do little but smile back at her as he sat next to her. Jack helped the others into the chairs and placed there food in front of them before he sat down and began to eat his own. Jess did the same and smiled to Cassidy who nodded to her and smiled as if a silent secret was shared between the two of them. Soon Jack was finished and sat back in his chair patting his stomach.

"That was wonderful " he said smiling then looked over at Abby and chuckled softly but a knock from Alex made him look and see him holding an empty plate " nice going " he said and Alex puffed up his chest smiling.

Robert talked Abbey into eating. It soon became a game with Robert feeding Abbey and Abbey insisting on feeding her papa the finger foods on his plate. It was a new game that they both seemed to enjoy.

After breakfast, Kate lured the kids to the playroom with the promise of Christmas coloring pages. Michael and Angus cleared the table of the breakfast dishes, and Robert refilled his tea mug.

In Tuscany, Brian had gotten Khaat up to a bit of chilly but sunny weather. He helped her dress and was going to call the consierge for room service but then he changed his mind. He took her instead to a bistro a very short walk just across the bridge from the hotel. She felt embarressed by the wheelchair, so he decided to take an enormous chance and leave it in the hotel suite. He had to support her entirely, but he managed to help her walk to the elevator, out of the hotel and across the bridge to the bistro. She was exhausted and sweating but he was elated. He helped her sit in the open air cafe and ordered breakfast for both of them.

"You," he kissed her, "are amazing. If your father could have seen this, he would have been so proud of you. You're so far ahead of schedule. I think, maybe, if we could find you a cane that you might do a bit better between that and my help. Its worth a try. I'll send to Tobias for one after we eat. You feel okay?" She nodded. She was fine. Just tired. She saw the people walking up and down both sides of the canal, carrying Christmas packages. She remembered. She hadn't any gifts to give. She didn't know if they expected it. She looked at him. "What is it?" he asked.

"Do I have money?" she asked.

"I told you. We have more than we can ever spend. Yes. You can afford whatever you want. What is it?"

"Do I need to buy Christmas gifts?" she signed.

"I've taken care of all of that--unless there's something you want."

"Then there's nothing for you."

"For me? You're sweet, but I have everything I want. I have you. I have our kids. I dont need anything else," he smiled.

Jack, Jess cassidy and Steven all followed once they had eaten and smiled seeing them all happy and playing on the floor every one sat happily watching as fathers and mothers should . Cassidy looked at Robert and moved out of the living room to his office and stood waiting a big yellow envelope in her hand that she'd accioed from her room as she had moved.

Cassidy waited for Robert to arrive and then close the door behind him she took a long slow deep breath in and held out the envelope that contained official documents. " I'm filling for the adoption of James and Jaylen, since there biological mother has had no contact with them since they were born, I'm doing this because I want to Steven doesn't know I'd like it to be a surprise for him, I want to be recognized officially as their mother" she said looking at his face.

"Its an appropriate thought, I think," Robert said. "You do realize that this situation is a bit different since there are two living parents involved. Steven needs to file for her rights to be severed on the grounds of abandonment. Otherwise, the mother still has rights to them and your petition cannot be considered. Then, when you file, Steven has to sign that he agrees to it. It has to be cleanly done.

"The reason the law works this way is because in other similar cases years ago, the father would die and the stepmother would be actively caring for the kids when the biological mother would come back with her rights not completely severed. Steven also has to be willing to give you just as much right to make legal choices for the children as he has. I don't see either of those issues being a problem in your particular situation, but it has been huge for some other couples.

"Since you do need his consent and involvement, perhaps the fact that you want to be that involved in his life is a treasure in itself. I know we believed that when Brian adopted Abbey. And its clearly what Khaat has always believed. Perhaps what you need is a very creative, loving way to give Steven the forms. We can complete them all but his signature and mine and then if he agrees, I'll sign them and we can get them filed. I don't think it will take long to legalize, but we want the process to be cleanly done so that you and Steven dont have some ugly custody mess down the road. Does that make sense?"

Cassidy listened to Robert and nodded not realizing Steven, who had left the living room to find her now stood in the doorway behind Robert as he had spoken to Cassidy. he walked around him and stood facing her. " I will gladly do that Robert. " he said moving to where Cassidy stood, taking the envelope he took out the forms and read them . Finding where he was to sign he did so and looked at Cassidy and Robert. "Please file the necessary paper work , I'll sign anything that needs to be, Cecilla has had no contact with them and Cassidy in my eyes is their mother and treats them so and I'm deeply touched she wants to make it legal too." he said and kissed her gently as he smiled.

Cassidy looked at Robert and smiled " well there goes my Christmas gift to him" she said and he chuckled as he held her.

"Best one yet Cassidy , best one yet, our children legally having you as their mother id the best gift you could give them" he said softly.

Cassidy looked at Robert and smiled " Please

"Alright," Robert said. "I'll take care of filing this the next time I go into the office. I don't expect trouble with it. But it will take a little time. Cassidy, the only thing that keeps you from buying a gift for him, if you want one, is the fact that you haven't apparated to London to do it. Its not like it takes a long time for a wizard to apparate to a shop, make a purchase and apparate back. But that choice is yours."

In Venice, Brian left Khaat in the bistro long enough to go to Tobias's to get her a cane. It was beautiful and had a large crystal sculpture of a cat as the handle of the cane itself. The body of it was handcarved wood. It was beautiful and very feminine and elegant. He was pleased to see that it stabilized her a bit and made it a little easier for her to walk.

He could see she was determined to go shopping for something for him, so he handed her one of his credit cards and took her, in one of the boats, several streets away to the better shops. The boat ride let her rest. That was his primary motive for taking her so far from the hotel. He let her browse a couple of shops until she basically signed for him to get lost. He promised her he wasnt' going far. He promised he was only going to give her just a couple of minutes but that he was only going around the corner.

She made her purchase. But when he didn't come back, she didn't worry--not at first. And then it got longer, and he still didnt' come. Her first thought was that he had simply run out on her and didnt' want her anymore. But a part of her heart argued--didnt' believe he would do that. She managed to walk around to the other half of the store and found a blood splatter on the floor between the racks of women's sweaters. And there was no sight of Brian anywhere. She suddenly realized how alone she was. She was on the other side of Venice, didn't remember if she ever could speak Italian, couldn't get home, and actually could not speak at all.

She pointed out the blood splatter to a clerk and showed him her wedding rings. The clerk soon got the idea that she believed the blood belonged to her husband who had disappeared. He phoned the local police.

It took a couple hours for them to determine who was missing and to determine what hotel she was staying at and to return her there. They returned her there alone and posted a police guard outside her door. She had no idea who to contact or what to do next. She picked up his large oversized bathrobe and wrapped herself up in it over her clothes because it smelled like him. She curled up in a chair, her knees tight to her chest, feeling stupid and clueless and very frightened and alone.

Cassidy nodded to Robert then smiled as did Steven at his words " good Im glad about that " Cassidy moved to face Steven as she spoke softly to him.

" I'll go this afternoon and get you something" she said and moved from the room leaving Steven in with Robert to talk. Jess frowned and looked at Kate a cold feeling ran over her how or why she had it. she looked to Kate to see if she felt it too and then stood up.

"Excuse me please." she said and walked to the office where Robert was stood " sorry to interrupt but... I have this bad feeling around Khaat " she told Robert " I'm gonna go and find out if there ok I won't interfere if nothing is wrong, just quell my own feelings." she told them and aperated to Venice and the hotel she moved up the corridors and floors until she found the suit Khaat and Brian had taken. There out side stood two police she could tell they were muggles and sighed thinking of how to get around them seeing a cart with fresh sheets and towels on she transfigured her clothes to that of a maid and pushed the care down the corridor untill she stopped by the men one asked her what she was doing that much she understood and she replied" solo pulizia signore " she looked at the door with out saying a word she unlocked the door as if she had a key and open it quickly stepping in she locking again.

"Hello any one here?" she asked her voice gentle as she moved leaving the cart behind her in the main living area.

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