Marriage is Murder

Angus frowned as Brant struggled finding a way to get out of the car and ended up on his knees and then appeared to blame the car.

"No keys for you until you figure out how to get into and out of a car," Angus said, getting out smoothly. "Sportscars are low to the ground for a reason. Go. Get your haircut and some clothes. I'm going down the street." He went down the street to the cycle shop and browsed at the cycles. He found a sexy, speedy cycle that was powerful and had a boatload of accessories and trim on it. He gave it a test ride, and, satisfied, he passed the dealer his credit card and paid for it and arranged for it to be delivered to the compound later that day.

He actually hadn't even thought that Brant needed someone to help him buy clothes. The men he knew seemed to know what they wanted and usually preferred to just go buy what they needed. He wasn't being intentionally rude to Brant. He just hadn't ever been needed to help another guy pick out clothes. The idea that Brant wanted more that someone to go into town with him and eventually join him at the shop just never crossed his mind.

Once he'd made that purchase, he made his way down to the shop. He found a black leather hat that he liked immediately. He tried it on, and set it aside to buy later. He saw Brant seeming to struggle with his purchases.

"A jacket and a shirt. Its a start but you'd better add some pants to that, or no one will be seen with you at all," Angus said. "It honestly cant be that long since you bought clothes."

Brant saw Angus enter the shop and breathed out he picked up a coat he liked and a shirt but looked back at him when he asked how long it had been since he bought new clothes. “Well when you travel you tend to by one set of clothes and do running repairs, as and when you need them.” he admitted “ so yeah, its been a while. “ he said and sighed seeing a pair of dark trousers. He took everything to the counter. “ I spent most of my days with dead people and in the dirt, so al this is kinda out of my comfort zone, but hey that's good this time” he added and smiled he glanced back at a waist coat he had seen but decided not to buy it feeling it was too much like his old style. Paying for the clothes he ran his hand through his hair, or lack of and shook his head. “ this short hair is going to take getting use to” he said and watched several woman as they passed the shop door glance back “ Hum..I wonder who their looking at, you or me?” he said and smiled as he picked up his bag.

Moving back to the car he got in easier than he got out , buckling in he slipped the bag down between his legs and sat back knowing the ride back would not take too long. He looked at Angus then back out the window. Brant shifted in his seat waiting for Angus to start the car. “ has working for Robert always been so...eventful?” he asked watching the road as Angus drove back to the family house. “ I find myself thinking, and wondering if Khaat and Brian are okay, even for Robert himself” he turned to face him “ is that okay, I mean to think of others well being, I always thought of myself before, you know being out there, now things have changed, I mean, I've changed” he chuckled “ being in a house having a hair cut, being back in social circles after being out of it so long.”

"Dead people?" Angus asked. "Definitely not my preference. What is the draw to dead people? Seems weird to me." He bought the black hat and a tan one like it. He paid for them and walked back with Brant to the car. When Brant noticed women looking, he said. "I don't know. Could be either. I was too busy looking at them to notice if they were looking at us. I always at least look."

He got in the car and headed home, listening to Brant talk about the shift in his thinking. "You're just becoming human again, that's all. None of us were designed to be entirely alone. I've had trips where I've thought about Brian or Khaat. But what I have learned is that he is always, always dedicated to taking care of her. I'm sure they're fine. And Robert is probably doing all the things with the kids that Khaat won't let him do any other time.

"Being concerned about others first is sometimes a very good thing," Angus said. "I think its at the core of what makes a good fighter--the fact that you're willing to lay down your own life for someone else. You'll learn it in due time if you simply sit back and watch. Most of the people back in England we live with are Gryffindors. And Gryffindors always put others first.

Brant chuckled and nodded as he listened to Angus. “Being human again sounds good to me right now. “ he said and smiled. “and you mean like Edward and us when we were smaller, those kids will be in heaven.” he said and chuckled softly. Hearing him talk again he smiled and nodded thoughtfully.” I remember that from school” he looked back at Angus the sighed.” I have so much to relearn” he said moving the bag down by his feet.“ buying clothes, keeping clean, sleeping inside and not in a tent” he said “ but times change and its time I changed and came home.” he admitted feeling things had come full circle and he really was home. He gave a chuckle as they drove.

“ I met a young girl in Hogsmead before I came to Robert, she was nice but still in school, were in touch, I said I'd write, as a pen pal nothing more.” he smiled “ I guess you could say thanks to her I decided to change my ways.” he rolled down the window and felt the cool air against his face and he sighed feeling that things were looking up. “ I'm staying Angus , no more travelling, I learned all I can from the dead now I want to learn from the living and maybe live myself” he added. His eyes moved as the car did watching the landscape pass by. “Nope, here is where I feel myself and here is where I'll stay,” he chuckled “ apart from helping grandfather out of course , if he needs me.” he shifted in his seat.

As they pulled in he grasped the bag and pulled it up to his lap this time he got out easier and with out falling over. Standing beside the labagini he looked at the phantom and smiled. “ that's still the car for me” he said “ but I'd have to learn muggle driving first” he admitted “ so what you planning for later?” he asked “ and don't say cooking your off the clock now” he reminded him.

"I'm considering doing some things I used to do and haven't done for a long time. Oh, that reminds me. Just a minute." He went into the house and wrote a quick note to Jess that Abbey's third birthday was coming up the day they were to return and asked her for ideas. Pink and kitties. That was about all Angus had to go on, really. He wanted it to be special for not just Abbey but for her parents. And that reminded him that Dakota would be three in June. And the triplets would be two in August. But that was a ways off. he sent the note to Jess about Abbey's birthday via owl to Jess.

Then he looked at Brant. "You ever been bungie jumping?" he grinned.

"Oh, here we go," Edward said, coming in, wearing the straw fedora, dirt on his hands. He went to the sink to wash his hands. "Angus, you really do need to use your skills more often. You get these needs for adrenalin when you don't get to use your skills. The last time you did this, you broke your arm in three places. I would prefer you not repeat it. Bungie jumping?"

"Its not that dangerous," Angus shrugged.

"If you remember how to apparate out if it goes wonky for you," Edward agreed.

"And thats the fun of it," Angus grinned.

"He's just like you, Father, and you know it," one of Edward's daughter's said, coming into the kitchen with a basket of fresh picked tomatoes.

"Do not take Brant with you," Edward scowled. "He's still trying to catch up from the 1500's. If you do something, take the cigarette boat out. He should be relatively safe there." He washed his hands and dried them on a paper towel. His daughter handed him a tall glass of iced tea loaded with ice.

Brant listened and shook his head “ nope sounds way too dangerous for me.” he said as he smiled seeing Edward walk in. But tried not to laugh at Edwards words as he spoke of how past tense he was. “ okay, okay I get it, I got the hair cut and new clothes my old ones can be burnt” he added. He smiled seeing the young girl. He moved to take the basket and set it on the table “ I do hope chivalry is not dead yet” he said and looked to Edward then sat down at the table. “Cigarette boat, what's one of those?” he stopped and rubbed his nose” there I go again” he said and chuckled softly.

Jess was laid beside the pool while Jack swum with the children each wanting to cling to his back. Something caught Jess's eye then she realized what it was and smiled. “ We have an owl Jack” she said as the owl dropped the letter and landed close by a young woman fed the owl a treat while Jess opened the letter. “ its from Angus, he's reminding us its Abby's birthday soon and the theme is Pink and kitties “ she said as he climbed out of showed the water walking over his chest showed little than thin red lines where he had been clawed several days earlier.

“ we can do that” he said and smiled “ not like we don't have girls of our own.” he glanced back at Robert and Catline who played in the paddling pool. Jess smiled and nodded knowing they would have to go shopping.

“ okay tomorrow we shop” she said and kissed him as he moved her to the pool only to drop back into it. Jess rose and smiled at him.

“ let me reply to Angus and I'll join you” she said swimming to the side and climbing back out.

The old Japanese wizard who had helped Khaat and Brian enter the village had apparated them into the back of a shop. Brian helped Khaat take a few steps into the shop to find it was a simple tea shop. There were a few pillows on the floor with low tea tables. He helped her to a thick, soft silk pillow and lowered her there where she leaned up against a wall. She was hurting and sweating.

The old wizard touched her. "It is a foul thing, isn't it?" he asked, picking up a staff with an odd shimmering stone set in the top. He touched her forehead and then her shoulder with the staff. The pain was instantly almost entirely gone. She collapsed into an exhausted sleep.

"What did you do?" Brian frowned.

"Its a simple charm," he said. "She's merely momentarily forgotten about the pain. She will only sleep a moment or two. I presume you are looking for a few supplies. You will find a farmers' market in the next block. Go shop while she sleeps. She is safe here. I will brew a tea to help her pain while she sleeps." Brian hesitated but he did remember the medallion the wizard wore. He reluctantly left her to shop while she slept.

"Alright," Angus said, "No bungie jumping today."

"Take the keelboat out," Edward suggested. "Its a beautiful day for it. The winds are perfect, the temperatures are mild. It's perfect." He flicked his wand at a wicker picnic basket. "Pack!" he told the basket, and it began to pack a very traditional Tuscan picnic into the basket for Angus to take. "I am presuming you remember how to swim or at least remember your fore from your aft. Pay attention to Angus, and I trust he'll bring you both back alive and perhaps with a bit of a tan. If you're going to look for a woman, you might consider a bit of a tan."

Brant watched the basket pack its self and he knew it would be a day of it out on the water. “ yes, I also know my port from starboard too". He heard the young girl chuckle behind him when Edward suggested that he get some sun as he looked pale. “ow, am I that pale?”he asked but catching his reflection in the glass of a cabinet door, he was surprised to see how pale he actually was. “Okay, a milk bottle has more color than I do, so, sun bathing, swimming and fishing, lots of fishing.” he said as he glanced at Angus hoping he would agree. “You up for that?” he asked as he'd not done any fishing since he was a small boy and he did missed it, he missed the relaxation of waiting for the bite, then the thrill of reeling in a possible large fish.

Jess moved inside the villa and sat at a desk , taking a piece of paper she started to write a letter to Angus letting him know she had it all in hand. Jess had found the perfect cake and decorations for her party and told him they would be ready on the day. She also told him to stop worrying about it and enjoy the R&R, she hoped he was getting with Brant. Finishing it she walked over to the owl and gave it to him. Once she saw the owl take off back to the Donahue home she moved back to the pool and dove in surfacing close to Jack who with two kids hanging off his shoulders was smiling at her.

As the sun set Jack put the children to bed as Jess sat quiet by the pool watching the sun set. Both just sat for a moment. “we needed this Jack” she said and he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her to him.

“ yes, WE did need it” he said “ after that last battle its nice to have some sort of normality.

(the woman in the room is not a young girl. its one of edward's daughters, so she would be an aunt to Angus and to Brant. old enough to be their mother. just clarifying)

"Alright," Angus said. "So, sailing it is. I would presume you want us to be back by dinner tonight."

"Only if you're hungry," Edward sighed. "You're old enough to make your own choices on that."

"Then, let's get going, and we'll just take it as it comes," Angus said to Brant, motioning to him and heading out the kitchen door.

When Khaat woke, the old Japanese wizard brought her a cup of tea and put it in front of her. She didn't see Brian anywhere.

"He will be back. he just went to the farmer's market behind the tea shop to get a few staples for you. I don't see him as bein willing to leave you very long."

"No," she agreed. "He won't."

"Then, enjoy your tea," he told her, putting a little plate of almond cookies and a small porcelain pot of tea down on the low table with the cup of tea he had delivered.

Brant smiled and nodded leaving his bag of new clothes beside the table.“Maybe, if we catch enough we could cook them on a beach some place.” he said as he picked up the basket and followed Angus. “ do we have to go in the car again?” he asked looking down at the garage and the red Lamborghini that sat in it. He was actually looking forward to the trip and the relaxing day they would have. Brant followed and transfigured his clothes to those of a more casual state. His trousers became shorts and his shirt became a light white cotton shirt his boots changed to sandals, with out socks and he smiled.

“ this better, sorry for the lack of tan, but Edward did say for me to get one” he said and smiled as he placed the basket into the back of the climbed in himself. “ hay I must be getting better at this I didn't fall out” he said and chuckled as he strapped himself in. He glanced back at Angus and shook his head “ relax everything will still be there when you come back” he said softly “ think of this as re-educating me in social areas” he said running his hands through his now short hair. “ and boy do I need it according to you and Edward” he said his eyes looking once more the around the inside of the car. “ hum have to say now I look at it this isn't a bad car” he smiled at him.