Marriage is Murder

"I'd have left him in there, myself," Robert shrugged.

"And that is why he rescued him," Kate said. "If he hadn't, I would have. You're right, Brant. Khaat would prefer him normal sized. But so would I."

Abbey shrugged, not feeling much loss of the potential toy when there was a pink cookie available. She took the cookie and went down the hall to the playroom.

Khaat woke, feeling her shoulder and her arm starting to cramp and spasm. It was not just painful but very uncomfortable. And it felt additionally stiff from being immobilized. She put the footrest down on the recliner and tossed off the blanket.

"Going somewhere?" her father asked her.

"Not really," she said. "I just have to get up. I'm stiff. Sore...."

"Getting up isn't going to help that like you think it will," her father said.

"I don't want any more pain potion," she sighed.

"Its whats best at this point," he said gently.

"It might be, if it worked," she complained. She got up, and he went over to be sure she didn't fall. He knew this wasn't going to work for her. And it didn't. It only caused her more pain. Sharp enough it made her groan.

"Told you," he said, taking hold of her. "Let me help."

"Nothing helps," she was short tempered now.

"Patience. Another few days and...."

"YOU deal with this another few days!" she was edgy now. He was seeing that even the gold potion wasn't touching this. And he still needed her to be able to eat, but no one in this kind of pain could eat anyway.

"Sit," he told her very quietly, understanding she just wasn't feeling able to cope with any more. "Let me deal with it. Just sit."

"There's nothing you can do, and we both know it!" she said. And she was right. Not by normal means, anyway. But he wasn't going to allow her to continue like this.

"That's not exactly true," he said, lowering her back to the recliner. He laid his hand on her shoulder and deliberately transferred part of her pain to himself. It wasn't anything he'd would ever recommend or allow anyone else to do. But for her--for her, he would do anything. Brian saw exactly what Robert was doing, and he hated it. They needed Robert at full strength. And this wasn't the way. Kate didn't say a word, knowing that Robert wasnt going to change his mind. Khaat hadn't noticed how he was reducing her pain a bit for her. Her mind wasn't able to absorb anything more than what she was already dealing with.

Steven looked at Jess as he saw Robert leaning over Khaat he saw on her face a sigh and a small shake her eyes looked towards Kate but he staid quiet he was after all not a healer. Jess knew exactly what he was doing and knew she would go to Robert later and draw off some of the pain from him just so he was comfortable as well. Brant nodded to Kate and her words.

" yep my thoughts exactly " he said and moved to the kitchen door trying to get a glimpse of what Michael was coking " want a hand?" he offered as he tried to see in.

"Robert," Brian said quietly. "Enough. Stop it."

"I'll determine when its enough," Robert said, still working. Brian allowed it for only another moment and then purposely removed his hands from Khaat.

"And I said its enough," Brian said sternly. Brian glanced at Khaat. The pain had exhausted her. He saw the relief on her face. She had tried to hide her pain altogether, so the difference in her face was slight, but Brian knew that it had been a great deal of relief. He looked at Robert. Robert's face was almost set as unemotionally as stone. Almost as if this were all nothing whatsoever.

"You worry too much," Robert told Brian. "I'm just an old man, Brian."

"No. You're not. You're the most valuable person on this estate. We need you to not do this nonsense, and you know it."

"I'm going to choose to ignore that, inasmuch as I'm still functioning," Robert scowled.

Edward wanted to check one of his potions books. He headed upstairs to his room. "You didn't jinx my room, did you?" he called back to Robert.

"Not yet," Robert replied.

"Good," Edward said. Edward seemed to remember a potion that might help--if he could find the formula for it.

"Nope," Michael said to Brant as he noticed the younger Donohue poking his head in the door. Michael was being decidedly vague. "I've got it under control. Give me just a few more minutes. I presume I should not count on Abbey being hungry since she's been eating cookies all morning."

"Abbey is always hungry," Angus said.

Jess stood up and walked over to Robert. " He's right there are other healers " she said and touched his arm drawing some of the pain she could tolerate out of him threw her and down out her feet then looked at him for a moment before she smiled " you taught me that remember " she looked at Robert " I drew off as much as I could wasn't much though" she told him and sat back down looking at Kate. Brant sighed and nodded he agreed.

" yep she sure likes her cookies" he said " though I'm sure what ever you have planed she'll eat, as will the rest of us" he added feeling and hearing his tummy grumble loudly.

"Robert," Edward called, walking down towards the potions lab. "Do you have any flea wing?"

"Eels don't have wings," Robert called back.

"Not eel wings," Edward repeated. "Flea wings."

"Flea wings? Who the devil uses flea wings anymore?"

"I take it thats a 'no', then," Edward said.

"Um..yeah. That's a no. Not here anyway. I've got some old flea wing at home, but I haven't used it in probably 30 years."

"Then you have flea wing dust," Edward said, unimpressed. "Brant, make yourself useful and go to the chemist I use back home in Tuscany. Go in the back door. I need fresh flea wing. Get the premium grade. Don't let him charge you double for that discount crap he tries to peddle."

"

Brant turned and looked at Edward he rolled his eyes " you do know he hates me " he said and sighed " the good stuff no rubbish" he said half heartily. Steven chuckled and looked at Brant .

"Want I should come with you, as your body guard?" he said and chuckled seeing him stick his tongue out like a small boy being teased would do. Steven grabbed his coat and threw Brant his. " come on kid , Edward needs those...flea wings was it?" he asked and glanced at Robert.

"Apparently," Robert shrugged. "Damned antiquated ingredient if you ask me, though."

"I didn't ask you,' Edward said. "Premium grade flea wing, standard size. Put it on my account. He doesn't like you, Brant, because he said you made advances on his wife's portrait."

"What?" Robert frowned.

"His first wife. She's passed. He says Brant made unsavory advances towards her portrait."

"And...did he?" Robert asked.

"I highly doubt it. She had a head full of gray hair when that was painted and didn't have any teeth. I can't see a young lad in his twenties, as he was then, being attracted to her. And besides that, she screeched like a harpy."

"Well, now that we know what sort of a date to fix you up with, Brant," Angus teased.

Brant looked at Edward " I would not make advances towards any woman " he gave a shiver " especially not his first wife, she was a harpy, I swear it." he said and slipped on his jacket as he looked at them both " what? she screeched at me and all I said was good morning" he added " on my honor" he said and looked to Steven. " you ready?" he asked and Steven nodded.

" yep, won't be long. " he said and walked over to Brant who took Stevens sleeve and ported them to the chemist's back door where he knocked. A brash voice called out and a large man opened the door his eyes fixed on Brant.

" you" he said and Steven stepped in between the two of them.

" Edward sent us for Flea wings, the good stuff no cheap and nasty" he said one hand resting on the mans chest. " besides quicker you give us what we need the sooner we're gone" he added seeing the anger in the chemists eyes. The man moved inside but stopped turning to face them.

" your welcome , he's not he stays in the alley" he told them Brant moved to rest against the wall as Steven walked in. the man moved to behind the counter and touched a spot a door opened and he walked in.

" there expensive, I'm assuming I'm to put it on Edwards tab?" he asked and saw Steven nod his head " hum, fine, tell him their a good fresh batch, should do the trick" he added and handed Steven a small gold jar with a label on that read Flea wings. Stev en took them and walked back to Brant.

" okay lets go" he said and chuckled but he cringed as he heard a screech from inside and the man ran for Brant just as they ported back to the main house. " wow she can screech" Steven said.

"Told you," Edward said. "Sounds just like a harpy in one of my wizarding school textbooks. Only she's far more shrill."

"Is that even possible?" Brian frowned.

"Yep," Michael said, bringing out plates from the kitchen and setting the table for lunch. "I've met a couple of them. And they usually got rude when I told them so."

"Michael!" Kate said unhappily. "You surely did not tell any woman she was worse than a harpy..."

"Actually, I have. Got some rather nice Royal Doulton that way."

"After they shied it at you?" she scowled.

"Yep. And one woman had such a nice collection, I had a rather good time egging her on until I got the whole set."

"Nice," Robert laughed.

"Don't you encourage him or you'll be sleeping down here on the sofa, Robert Thomas Lupin," Kate said.

"He doesn't need encouraging," Robert said.

"That's right, Kate," Michael said. "I am rather self sufficient at the art of being a prat all on my own, thank you very much."

"You and Robert are entirely too much alike for your own good," she said.

"We rather like it that way," Michael replied.

Steven breathed out a breath of relief and handed Edward the jar " here,he said their fresh and will do f " or what ever potion your brewing" he said and slipped off his jacket " you do know he made Brant stay out in the alley" he said and chuckled as he watched Michael egg each other on " I think your both as bad as each other" he said Brant just chuckled.

" nothing has changed there then " he said and hung up his jacket " I remember they were always like this when I was younger, the duels and egging each other on" he added and sat down on the arm of a chair but seeing the looks Jess gave him he stood back up.