Marriage is Murder

Robert frowned slightly, listening to Jack's advice. He paused at the somewhat flawed logic. He couldn't help himself. He turned to Jack and said, "You know, there are very few things that can function without a head--polterguists and insects, pretty much. Mammals, not so much."

"Yeah, well, they don't function with a killing curse or with a strike to the heart either," Brian said, determined. "Do not open this door. Apparate. Don't give them a chance to penetrate. I need some of you to remain behind, just in case they get through us."

"Khaat," Robert said, "You and your mother remain behind. Let us stand, this time, between them and you. Let's go, Brian."

"On three," Brian said. "One....Two...Three!" He and Robert and Angus all apparated outside. Michael remained behind with Kate and Khaat. The instant Robert and Angus and Brian apparated to the back porch, they were fully engaged in battle.

Brant looked at Khaat and Kate he staid with them while Steven and Jack apperated out with Brian and Robert . No sooner they appeared the were attacked and both started to fire at men and woman who were running at them. Jack grasped a man and threw him back snapping his back as he hit a tree, Jack picked up another and did the same soon a pile was forming as he continued Steven fired keeping Jim to his left and Brian to his right as he soon took down several " are we making any head way?" he shouted to Robert as he ducked as Jack threw another to the trees. Jim fired as one pounced.

" eyes on the ball Steven that one almost got you" he said as one pounced behind him steven fired and she dropped dead.

" even" he siad grinning " but whose counting" he added and fired again.

Brian saw Edward leading a straight marching line right into the offense. He wasn't backing down, wasn't breaking stride. He was merely slashing his wand with a sweeping back and forth motion and mowing down the enemy like grass.

"Damn," Lee said softly, seeing the legendary werewolf slayer at work. The old man didn't look so old at the moment. He was in his stride.

"He likes this entirely too much," one of Lee's men said.

"No. He's just that good," Lee said.

Brian was going toe to toe with the beast when He felt a sharp pain in the back of his left shoulder. He cried out sharply, surprised. Inside the house, Khaat heard him and apparated outside, disobeying her father. She positioned herself at the dead center of the fight.

"Come on!" she shouted to the beast. "I'm the one you're hungry for! Come and get me!"

"What are you doing!" Brian's voice rose to a squeaky panic. The beast recognized her voice and immediately turned from Brian and went for her. The stone burst into a bright green light and began to scream, starting to fire at the beast. She was also already firing with her own wand directly at him.

"Damn," Edward sighed, thinking he'd have to go side with her.

"Stand your ground!" Robert shouted at Edward. "Jack! Go!"

Jack heard the scream of the stone although he felt the pain of it he turned and at Edwards command ran for the beast his anger growing with each stride " no you don't" he called out as he ran as fast as he could to stand in front of her his claws at the ready as he felt the beast lunged for him Jack felt the cutting of the beasts claws in his arms as he grasped him his heart beat fast as he wrestled with the giant wear but he had the upper hand quickly he reached under and grasped the beasts throat ripping it from him and sending him to the gurgling in a pool of his own blood but not before he'd slashed across Jacks chest making him stumble back as he held up the bodied remnant of the beasts throat and roared as loud as he could making the ground shake under him as he stood . "YOUR LEADER IS DEAD, NOW LEAVE !!! "he called out.

The werewolves were utterly stunned to see the failure of the beast after so many successes.

"Its not done," Khaat said quietly. She could sense one of the werewolves. She scanned them but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Just fighting. But she knew one thing. The beast was not the leader.

She stood frozen behind Jack, watching as many of them as she could. Those who lived were starting to slip off into the woods, retreating. She wanted to follow to kill.

"No," Brian said quickly to her. "Let them run. Let them go."

Robert wanted to send a clear message. "With me!" he shouted to Lee.

"My pleasure," Lee replied. He and his men stacked the bodies of the werewolves and then Lee and Robert and Edward fired massive fireballs at the stack and set them ablaze. The remaining, surviving werewolves ran in terror. Robert watched for a moment and then checked his watch.

"Seven o' clock," he said, satisfied. "Not a bad morning's work. Anyone want a second cup of coffee?"

Jack kept Khaat behind him until he saw them run then he fell to his knees and looked to Robert " permission... to pass out?" he asked before the world went black. Steven and Jim ran over and checked him.

" its okay hes just passed out" he said and breathed out a sigh of relief. Jim stood with Edward and Jim as he watched the stragglers disappear into the forest. " how long until they regroup?" he asked knowing all Jack did was buy them some time. Jim and Brant apperated Jack back into the house and to his room levitating him to lay on the bed while Jess tended to his arms and chest.

" any one else hurt?" Jess asked Steven looked at her as he spoke.

"Brian I think" he said " but i'm not sure" he said and apperated back out.

Khaat knew she was struggling to even stay on her feet any longer. She felt her entire body shaking because she was tiring.

"Enough," Robert said to her. He picked her up and then looked at Brian. "Go inside, Son, and get yourself a bandaid or twelve."

"Duly noted," Brian replied, out of breath. He looked up at the others.

"I do still know how to clean up my mess, Boy," Edward said, "Let's move it. Leave nothing behind that you don't want the two year olds to find, you lot!"

Robert apparated back into the house with Khaat and laid her on the sofa. Brian apparated inside. Michael sent Kate into the living room out of the kitchen. She saw Brian was bleeding.

"Brian," she began.

"I'll get it, Kate," Robert said. "Khaat is fine. She just needs to rest. I'll tend to Brian in a moment. You get off your feet."

Jess left Jack wrapped in bandages and asleep as she moved to Brian's room " would you like some help?" she asked walking over and reheating some water in a bowl. Taking a towel she walked back to stand with Robert. " and before you ask he's sleeping " she said not batting an eye lid as she placed the bowl down beside Brian. Jess looked at Robert " how do you want to do this?" she asked " tied down or willingly she joked to Brian.

Outside Jim and Steven now returned from helping Jack walked around cleaning up the grounds with lees men. Soon nothing remained not a single blood drop in the grass that they could see. Brant and two men doubled checked then Brant went to find Robert .

" okay were clean , nothing for the kids to find, we went over the grounds twice" he told him and looked at Brian " will he be okay?" he asked.

"Either way," Brian shrugged. At this point, he had no clue as to whether he'd been clawed or bitten, but it wasn't painless. Robert merely took the edges of his shirt, at the wound site and tore them away. He examined the wound. "Its a clawing," he reassured Brian. Deep, but its not a bite. Jess, I think you can do this. If you don't mind. It isn't like you haven't handled claw wounds before. I really do need to be sure that I check to see how the hell they got in."

"I know how they got in," Khaat said very softly.

"Well, then, do tell," Robert said.

"Indirectly, I think I let them in."

"What?" he frowned.

"The wound. There's tissue missing, isn't there?"

"In your shoulder? Yes, but I'm regenerating it," he reassured her.

"Not the concern. I think they used it. I think they created a spell to use it like a magical homing signal. It undid the unplottable spell. I think its a mute point now, though since the beast is dead," her eyes fluttered shut, but he knew she had overdone it. He could see the pain on her face. He went over to her and drew it off for her. She faded quickly into sleep from the relief.

Jess nodded and chuckled " second man today in fact, possibly not the last," she said and moved to start cleaning the wound once she was happy it was clean and free from dirt and anything else that contaminate it she started it healing closing each cut. Soon she was happy they were healing evenly she placed a dressing over it just to keep it clean. " Clean and healing " she said and looked out the door " okay I got Jack to tend to , hes awake" she said and gathered all the bloodied things and making the room clean again as she left. Brant stood and watched his arms folded across his chest.feeling and seeing them all working together he knew he would stay here with his family.