Marriage is Murder

Jess smiled and took his arm " then it would be my pleasure " she said and looked at Khaat " I really should find a good book on vampires and stop watching all those muggle's vampire movies hes not at all how I pictured them" she said and looked at Escobar " those Muggle's really don't do you justice painting you in such bad light." she said glad Jack had left before she had left for work , taking James on a camping trip with him. On hearing Khaat say he had enough blood on him Jess nodded " that's good " she said holding his arm as she felt the pull of aperating then she stood at the front door " thank you Escobar that was very smoothly done" she said stepping back " I'll leave you two to talk while I check on the children " she said and nodded to him again " again thank you" she moved inside and up to the nursery.

"Goodnight," he said to Jess as she went inside. He looked at Khaat. "They do not trust me."

"No, they don't," she said.

"Good. It is as it should be," he said, staring out to the grounds.

"Why do you say that?" she asked.

"Because in another place and time, I would likely still want you for my collection," he said.

"And in another place and time, perhaps I might have willingly stayed once," she said.

"Under false pretenses," he said, admitting that she had stayed becaues of his spell on her. He looked at her. "They need to keep the circle around them close and tight with your government falling apart. The danger will be from ore than rogue werewolves, and very soon."

"I know," she said. "But it is good advice."

"Go inside. Its cold out here for you," he kissed the top of her head. "Goodnight, Querida." He transfigured and flew out of sight in the darkness. She went inside and shut the door.

Jess stood just in the doorway listening as she had walked down from the nursery she breathed out when he left the area or so she hoped and Khaat walked back in. " I don't mean any disrespect but I don't trust him fully" she said walking to the living room and over to the couch she knew Khaat would let Robert know about the incident in the hospital in her own good time she just hoped she had done a good job in healing the scratches on her neck. " do you think they will make their move any time soon or they are testing the stone again?" she asked .

"Don't worry," Khaat said. "You don't have to trust him. I don't expect you to. I do expect you to trust me."

"You're home early," her father said, walking in with a glass of scotch.

"So are you," she said.

"I finished early today, and I have an early day tomorrow," he said. "And you're dodging my question. As for your question, Jess, I don't know. I have no idea if the beast wants blood or if he wants to test the stone."

"Don't be idiots," Edward said, following Robert in with a glass of his own, not sure who had asked the question. "If he has bloodlust, he wants to kill. He's an animal. You're giving him too much credit. He doesn't have the humanity to reason that out. He only wants blood."

"I am not afraid, Edward," Khaat said coldly.

"So long as it doesn't make you so insensitive that it dulls your awareness. Not living in fear can be a good thing," he said.

Robert cleared his throat loudly. "Again you dodge me. What didn't you say?" he demanded.

"Nothing unusual," she shrugged. "Female werewolf went berzerk in the ob-gyn unit. It happens."

"Not typically," he said. "Not in broad daylight, and not in my hospital, and not with there's no moon at all. This isn't time for a full moon. That's not so typical."

"Indeed not," Edward agreed. "Was anyone bitten?"

"No," she said, kicking off her shoes. "All is well."

Jess coughed and looked at Robert then at Khaat " you going to tell him the rest ?" she asked but didn't say any more she wanted Khaat to do that as she felt it was her place to say she was the one who was attacked. JESS LOOKED AT KHAAT " SORRY kHAAT , SHE WAS THE ONE ATTACKED , THE WOMAN HAD HER AROUND HER THROAT" SHE SAID " THE STONE MADE HER LET HER GO AND SHE LEFT QUICKLY" Jess sighed and looked to Khaat again " I couldn't let you not say anything as Edward said its unusual for that to happen "

Robert listened to Jess and looked at Khaat. Khaat was now angry with Jess. It wasn't that she hadn't intended to tell her father. She had wanted the ability to tell him at her own pace. She was furious with Jess.

"And since I was alone with my patient, how the hell did you know all that?" Khaat demanded, outraged. "How did you know, step by step, what happened? You might be a seer but you have no right."

"Khaat..." Brian began.

"You leave me alone. All of you. Leave me alone," she exploded. She went back outside and stormed across the grounds, knowing Escobar would find her. And he did--within seconds.

"Querida..." he began, frowning.

"Can we get out of here for a bit?" she asked.

"Any place in particular?" he asked.

"Do you know occlumency?" she asked.

"Of course," he said.

"Then you decide," she said, taking his arm. He apparated them both out.

Jess looked at Robert and sighed as she left " it was not my intentions to make her angry" she said looking at Robert some what hurt Khaat had been angry at her. Jess moved to sit down hoping she would not be gone too long knowing she would have gone to Escobar. Steven looked out the window and shook his head .

" shes with him" he said looking back at Robert and Edward knowing her being with escobar was not right but at least she would be safe for the moment with him.

Robert knew why Khaat was angry, and he also understood how her guards sometimes blurred the lines between merely keeping Khaat out of trouble and using their concern for her safety to make judgement calls about how she should live her life and the choices they did or did not approve of. This had been one of those times, and Khaat had rebelled against it. He didn't say much. He was hoping it stopped with Jess.

And then Steven spoke up and clearly disapproved of Khaat being with Escobar.

"Of course she's with him," Brian said quietly. "If it should bother anyone, it should bother me. But it doesn't. You're all acting like she has betrayed me for another man. What's the issue here? Can't you figure out for yourselves why she went with him? It had nothing to do with romance, if that gives you a clue."

Cassidy looked at Brian and Steven and shook her head a she then turned to the chess board in front of her. She had been trying to win at least one game against Jim who at this time was slowly beating her once again. " I for one know its nothing to do with romance " she said taking Jim's pawn and sitting back. She glanced over at Brian with a smile knowing that Khaat was using Escobar as a go between for information even a little amount on the creature and its where about.

Brian felt like he needed to defend Khaat against the people who were her friends, her family.

"She did not choose to go alone," he said trying to restrain his anger. "She asked him to go along because he would protect her. She clearly was tired of being caged in by feeling some of us were judging her. Judging whether or not she was telling her father about the werewolf in the hospital fast enough to suit us. Judging whether or not she was being faithful to me...judging everything she does, trying to anticipate her every move and her every thought. She's sick of it."

"Escobar is clearly skiled at occlumency," Edward said. "If he weren't, I would seriously question how he survived so long. BUt right now, that presents an advantage to her. If she can empty her mind or focus on other things, she can allow him to decide where they go for now, at least enough to have a little space to cool off. And sometimes that is a very good thing for all of us."

"Indeed," Robert finally spoke. "I appreciate your concern for her, all of you. But you don't need to be so tight to her. She feels smothered, like she cannot move without one of you not only being there with her but criticising every breath she takes. And now she's angry. Do not forget my own bond with my daughter. If she were in some sort of danger I would know. I would clearly know. She is in no danger at the moment. You know your jobs, but you're doing them a bit too well right now."