Marriage is Murder

"Good," Edward said. "So, then, go make yourself useful in the kitchen and help your cousin. Its time we eat so that you lot can go down to the gym and work. We have a huge crew to feed tonight, and Angus is going to need all the help he can get. Angus isnt going to let any of our backup people go hungry. He's feeding a very large army tonight. Get some other warm bodies to help you. Oh, and do send to my compound for a full kitchen crew. Those are too many people for one person to be responsible for."

"Angus is very capable," Robert said.

"And he's worth more to me as a fighter than he is to you as a cook," Edward said. "He's been with me quite a lot. I'm not leaving him in the blooming kitchen."

"Fair enough," Robert said, agreeing to Edward's need to have people he trusted with him. He wanted both Angus and Brant because he knew they would be an asset. Robert wanted to go check on Michael. It wasn't like Michael to go without even saying anything to him. He wanted to be sure Michael really was up to a fight.

Brant looked at Edward and looked puzzled at him. "Me, you want me in the kitchen with Angus, you do remember the last time I was in a kitchen, you sure that's wise uncle." he asked as he cleaned up the work station he had used replacing all the bottles back in there respective shelves, " now potions I can mix but coking , nope no way" he said. Finishing he turned to look at Robert then back to Edward as he listened he knew Angus has studied longer under Edward even after he'd left to travel but he still had his tricks and didn't let Edwards words of praise to Angus get to him.He would prove to Edward he was just as good as Angus in fighting and magic, thought cooking Angus could have in his eyes.

"Did I not speak English, Brant?" Edward scowled. "Are you too good to give your cousin a hand? I didn't say you had to cook. I said you should give him a hand. Never mind. I'll send for reinforcements myself." He left the potions lab abruptly. Robert didnt say a word. He had a feeling the Donohue family generally knew better than to give Edward sass and lip. Edward just didnt tolerate it.

"Excuse me, Brant," Robert said quietly after Edward had stormed out. "I need to go see Michael."

Brian and Kieran had instead gone to the kitchen, seeing Lee and his men arrive and also men from the organization. Kieran had taken to duplicating dinnerware, flatware, glassware and serving bowls. Brian had taken to setting a spell in place to create a buffet table out of the dining room sideboard, and then he had begun working on the salad.

Kieran sent Owens to put charms on the guest rooms and the bathrooms to magically expand them to be able to house everyone that had arrived to help so they had a place to sleep for the night. There was no way it was safe to let anyone sleep outside tonight.

Brant simply watched his Uncle leave and then walked to the kitchen " I'm here to help, not sure in what though," he said " uncle seems tetchy today" he said looking at Angus as he started to clear up with out thinking if he would need what he was putting away or not. Pausing he looked at Angus " you didn't kneed these did you?" he asked feeling he'd been the one that had upset Edward , how and why he was oblivious, he fought with him many times before but this felt different. " Angus I'm going to go out side for a moment , I feel I need the air" he moved to the back door and stepped out breathing in the cool air as he walked to a spot and sat down.

"He has a lot on his mind, Brant," Angus said. "The stakes are getting a lot higher, and we're down on our numbers. The beast took three out in our skirmish two days ago. Jack didn't deal with it. Kate and Khaat were both nearly killed. And he has to try to pull a woman who is barely alive and try to force her into battle one more time against odds we've never faced before as a group. There's an outstanding chance that just the physical strain of being on her feet will kill her before the beast even gets to her. The chances of Khaat surviving this are almost non-existant, and he knows it. So does Robert and Khaat. Yeah, he's touchy. He's very touchy.

"And no, I didn't need those," he said

"Khaat is going to survive," Brian said firmly. "If I have to give my last breath to make sure she does survive."


Robert went out to the living room and saw Michael sitting with Khaat,. who was asleep.

"Its a beautiful shawl," Robert said softly to him. "You went to see Tobias, didn't you?

"Yeah. I went to Venice," Michael said. "I needed to clear my head."

"You can't let this all get to you. I need you, Mikey," Robert said softly, sitting beside him.

"I won't let her die, Robert. I swear," Michael said.

"I know," Robert said. "But we need the stone. We have to use it."

"Even if she faints altogether. You're prepared to keep that damned stone in the fight."

"I have to. I have to count on that enchantment to protect her or anyone with her, whether she's conscious or not."

"Knowing that damned thing, if she goes unconscious and the beast goes after her, it'll just piss off that stone something fierce."

"I did consider that as a possibility," Robert said.

Steven had over heard and now spoke up " then we'll stand with her and guard her " he told them both " not as guard but as her friends and family we'l be her last defense to stop that beast before it gets to her " he told them both. Steven folded his arms across his chest as foot steps came from behind him crossing to where he stood.

" as will I " came Jacks voice from behind Steven. " my mistake was forgetting who I was. not what. " he said and held out an envelope to Robert " that's all in order now and I'm ready to fight this beast thing, no hesitations, this time or ever again, I'm at your orders, sir " he said looking to Steven who looked back some what unbelieving.

" and how did you get in?" he asked stepping to one side to face him, Jack smiled and chuckled .

" I walked to the guard house and informed them who I was " he told them all " of course they were throughout very thorough with their surch of my pockets and me, one reason I'm late sorry. "

Robert stood and turned to see Jack had returned. He took the reports from Jack and scanned them briefly. He saw what he needed to see and put the reports in his pocket.

"If Khaat is correct," he told Jack, "we got to war tomorrow. We have no choice. She says she's seen that they've made more beasts. Younger beasts. She says the first beast isn't apparently recovering like they'd like this time. I don't know if we can survive an attack of multiple beasts." He glanced back briefly at Khaat. He knew he had no choice, and he knew she knew it too. Michael accio'd a cup of tea for her. When it arrived, he fed her a few sips. She was grateful.

"No more potions, Michael," she ordered softly.

"We're only doing what's needed," he reassured her.

"I shall need my wits about me," she said. "The pain potions and the sleep spells only dull my brain."

"Its not your brain we need," he smiled. "Its your stone."

"Then behead me and take it," she sighed.

"And ruin this beautiful shawl? Tobias would kill me," he laughed.

"Michael isn't in charge of your potions," Robert told her. "Nor of this war."

"No, but you need me," she said. "And its me they want."

"Yes. So I trust you will trust me since I'm not taking any potions and this isn't my first war," he said. She sighed, restless, hating being used as bait to get to her father.

"Timing is everything," Michael said to her. "If you pace yourself, and use your timing wisely, this just might be something you can survive." She didn't respond. She did not believe for a moment that even if she did survive, it would be worth surviving for if her shoulder were going to cause her this sort of pain for the rest of her life.

Jack stood and listened it seemed his timing was right to return. " that's going to make things difficult , young have speed and agility " he said and looked at Khaat " our first priority is keeping Khaat safe" he said Brant moved back and stood watching this rather large man as he spoke to Robert. Jack glanced at the man and acknowledged his presence before looking to Khaat who had spoken to Michael who sat with her. Jack noted the some what drugged state she was in and took it to be the potions Robert had given her. He walked over and looked at him as he spoke. " that's not going to happen" he said softly but firmly he knew Khaat would not accept him back fully and he accepted that it was his pause that caused her to be as she was. " I have to find Kate" he said and moved from Michael.

He moved through the where he knew he would find Kate and stopped at the door. " good to see you up " he said standing and facing her " Jeffery sends his regards and wishes he could be here for the fight but he has his clinic and patients" he said watching her move. Jess rounded a corner and saw Jack pausing she heard him talk to Kate.

Khaat saw Jack hesitate around her, and chalked it up to his feeling awkward around her. She knew that anyone could choke in a fight. She'd done it in training herself. Adrenalin usually kept her moving forward when it counted, but that was largely due to how hard Remus and her father had drilled her and Brian from the time they were old enough to hold a twig in their hands. She and Brian had known a great deal about dueling before they ever got to Hogwarts. She had tried to 'dumb herself down' at school so she looked on par with the others. Brian hadn't ever seemed to much care what anyone else thought of him back then. He had been angry and defiant, and liked dueling.

Before she could reply to him, Jack had moved on to go find her mother. Khaat didn't know why, but it wasn't any of her business. Upstairs, Kate saw Jack was back. She caught sight of him when he appeared in the doorway.

"Thank you," she said. "And, yes, I didn't expect Jeffrey to come. He's not the best duelist anyway. He's better off patching the wounded than trying to be on the front lines."

Brant watched as the man left and he sighed softly to himself. “He's right, but we'll get through all this.“ he added and sighed his mind working on trying to find some spell he'd found or seen that could help but he came up blank. Jack looked at Kate he could not help smile and nod to her words “ yeap he told me about that while I was there” he said and sighed relaxing himself a little as he watched Jess stood of a ways from her “ okay, I'll be in the spare room if I'm needed, looks like I'll be toasted if I go near Jess yet” he said and walked over to the room next to theirs. Steven walked in and looked at Khaat.

“I take it she's still sleeping, no sigh yet of any movement outside”he said as he slipped off his long wind breaker jacket and hung it up before he sat down. ” hows the potions coming?” he asked Robert but it was Brant who answered.

“Ow its done, here” he handed a small bottle to him “ when the attack happens carry it with you always its for Khaat “ he paused and looked at Robert “ okay I'll not say any more