Marriage is Murder

"Then, let's go," Robert said. He summoned organization fighters to protect the kids and to wait as backup if it were needed, and he left Lee on standby. "Wands at the ready," he ordered. "We won't have much time for warning."

"I'll go in first," Edward said. "Robert, I need Khaat with me. We need that stone."

"Its okay," Khaat said. "I want them off my property. Let's just do this."

"If you get overwhelmed, form a circle with your backs to each other, facing outward. You can't be taken from behind that way," Robert said. "You'll cover each other. Don't get separated. And no heroics. Understood?"

"Clearly," Brian replied, as Edward took Khaat's hand, and Robert took Kate's.

"Come on, Honey," Angus gave a smirk to Michael

"After you, Sweetheart," Michael replied sarcastically.

"On three. Apparate to the caves and we'll all move in. One...Two...Three," Edward said, apparating out with Khaat, and the others following on his command.

Jim followed with Jess and Jack , Steven and Cassidy all ported and appeared all at the same time . Jack took a deep smell and he stopped frowning at a sent that reached him he turned to see several men running at Jess and he swiped them away sending them against the wall of the cave. Jess frowned and looked at him " Robert said no heroics" she said as she fired to down another at her feet . Jim also fired but staid his ground beside Steven and Cassidy. so far all stayed in formation a circle around Khaat and her stone.

" hows the stone?" Steven asked glancing back at Robert " is it ready?" he asked then quickly turned back to fire once again.

"Yes," Khaat answered Steven's question to her father. She had an unemotional tone to her voice. She was too trained to feel much of anything right now. She simply pushed through the opening in the guards and walked into the cave. Edward didn't have time to stop her, so he simply ran a couple of steps to catch up to her. The green light of the stone shone so brightly now that it lit up the cave with an eerie green glow.

"Wake up and die or sleep through it!" She bellowed, firing at a rocky ledge over two of them, causing it to crumble and fall on them. "Your choice!"

"Oh, nice," Edward sighed, as they all began to wake up. "So much for that advantage." Khaat spun and began firing at some of them. Robert and Brian raced into the cave, followed by Kate and Michael and Angus.

"Damnit, did you have to teach her to be so much like you, you git?" Michael snarled at Robert.

"Ah, well, Remus couldn't train some of her DNA out of her, I guess," Robert said with a wry smile, firing at one of them near him.

Jim fired at the weak point above the cave and sent more rock falling on the occupants inside several ran at him but he fired staying with Steven back to back to stop any sneaking up on them Cassidy was to his left as Jess to his right Jack stood with Robert and Michael firing at any and keeping Khaat relatively free from attack. Steven watched as Jack moved out of formation to attack another but saw him stop in his tracks as he looked at an older woman. Steven watched as two snuck passed him " WATCH OUT!!"Steven called out as he fired at another hoping some one would take care of them.

Things became hot and chaotic almost from the outset. Edward made sure he pasted himself to Khaat to keep her covered, and to try to direct the power of the stone while he was doing his own fighting. Brian had taken on a number of younger males who thought that Brian would be easy prey.

Robert was taking on an older but strong and formidible male who seemed to get more and more aggravated by Robert's strength. He saw the older female werewolf come out of the shadowsand she had a wand in her hand, an ancient looking black wand. Robert's own internal alarms went up about this woman immediately. Jack was standing between the woman and Kate, and that made Robert breathe a bit easier.

But then he saw the old female draw on Kate. And he saw Jack hesitate as the woman fired at the ceiling above Kate's head. Robert could only watch in utter horror as the rock ceiling of the tunnel caved in on his beloved wife before he could stop it.

"No!" Khaat cried out desperately, unable to get to her mother in time either. She saw Jack standing in place, just looking stunned. "Who's side are you on!" she shouted bitterly. She abandoned her place beside Edward and flew to the debris and began throwing off rocks. Angus joined her at once.

"Calm, Khaat," he said softly. "We'll get her out. It'll be alright."

Steven and Jim moved to Kate pushing Jack out of the way as the started to move the rocks off Kate carefully Jack still stood watching the woman as she quickly disappeared laughing Khaats words rang in his ears as he looked at her then Robert his face saying and showing the confusion.

"GET BACK TO THE HOUSE IF YOUR NOT GOING TO HELP HERE !!"Brant shouted as he too moved to take off a large boulder by levitating it and moving it to one side as Jim fired on the men trying to stop them . Jack moved grabbing one man he snapped his neck and ported back to the house. Jess frowned and shook her head very disappointed in Jack.

Robert felt helpless. He couldn't abandon the fighting, not even for his own wife. Not while the others were preoccupied with unburying her from the debris. Brian sided with him and Michael.

"Focus, Mate," Michael said in a strong tone to Robert. "You don't know anything. Just focus."

"We haven't lost anything," Brian said, continuing to fight. Robert said nothing, but he regretted allowing Kate to start back up into active combat again. She shouldn't have had to do this at her age. She shouldn't still have to be fighting for the greater good. These were the years they had planned to be quietly living on the farm. A wandshot zinged past him and grazed his arm, cutting it deeply. It bled freely.

"Robert. Mind on the game," Edward said sharply. He was not about to lose the Minister of Magic to this. Robert was better than this.

Khaat keep throwing rocks and working to dig out her mother with her bare hands. She was so furious at Jack at that moment, she was glad he had gone back to the house. And then she uncovered her mother's left hand--the hand that wore her wedding rings. Khaat checked quickly for a pulse.

"Khaat..." Brian called urgently. "Do you have anything?"

"A...pulse. I have a pulse..." she said, deeply relieved.

That was precious little consolation to Robert, but it was a start. "Dont give up, Khaat," he told his daughter. They were empty words to Khaat. She was so driven she barely heard them.

Steven and Jim kept digging while Brant kept the wears off them all Steven uncovered Kate's face as Jim cleared off her torso " I'll take her back to the house , Jess?" he asked as she moved to Kate and placed her hand on Kate stabilizing her and starting the healing process on her injuries while Steven gently lifted her. " Robert Jess and I will take her back to the house"Steven said looking at him " she'll be okay" he ported with Jess back to the house . Jim turned and fired his wand and hit a wear straight in the chest. Cassidy appeared and fired at a wear sneaking towards them .

" how many are there in here ? " she asked looking at Khaat as she took down one about to pounce on her " behind you Khaat " she turned and slapped a man throwing him across the cave to land out cold.

"Thanks," Khaat said to Cassidy, grateful for the help. "I'll go back, Daddy."

"No!" Edward said. "You, I need. Robert--you go back. You, we cannot afford to lose."

"Do NOT lose my daughter too," Robert said in a tone so foreboding that it made Khaat look up for a moment.

"Go back to the house," Michael told Robert. "We've got this."

"I'm not losing anybody," Edward said. Robert apparated back to the house, straight up to the bedroom to Kate. "Khaat, I need you here with me. I need that damned stone. Let's finish this up. Move." Khaat wasn't used to hearing Edward commanding in so stern a tone. It snapped her out of her own thoughts and made her obey automatically. She went back to the battle itself.

"If one of the rest of you doesnt' kill that old woman, I will," Khaat vowed.

Steven looked looked over at the woman " be my pleasure" he said and ran at her firing the woman cried out and pounced at him he took out his pistol and shot her through her forehead then took off her head kicking it to one side " now you will leave Jack alone " he said and looked at Cassidy who smiled and took down a second using a leather whip a she flung him against a sharp rock that pierced the back of his head and he slid down to the ground both standing side by side as they looked at Brant and Jim each stood beside Michael and Robert. " lets do this" Brant said and together they formed a line of ailing spells as they moved in unison forward hitting everything they could in their way until nothing remind but a few stranglers.