Marriage is Murder

Brant looked at Robert and smiled " I had it , I had it" he said " Steven was just moral support " he said and Steven chuckled and nodded as he sat down .

" ow he was almost out when I went through why do you think he still had some on him and lost and eyebrow" he added patting Brant on the shoulder. Cassidy sat next to Steven and pored a coffee for her self and a tea for Robert which she then carried to him smiling as she handed him his favorite cup filled with his favorite tea.

Angus finished his touches on the cake and then set it aside carefully, hidden out of sight of the little ones.

"Thank you, Cassidy," Robert said. "Looks like we're as ready as we're going to get. Did you get the packages out of the bags?"

"I knew I forgot something," Angus said. "Um, one of you, get into the blue leather bag. That will have Abbey's gifts from her parents and her grandparents. Resize them, would you, and set them with the other gifts? I have lunch to prepare. I figured they'd want to eat first before we have cake and gifts."

"What are we eating?"

"Something I promised I'd make her a long time ago and I've never done," Angus laughed.

"Oh, Lord," Michael said. "That could be anything. Abbey's not a picky eater. She'd eat just about anything you put in front of her."

"Have I ever made anything inedible?" Angus asked.

"There's a first time for everything," Michael said.

"My brave catburglar friend," Robert laughed.

Jack chuckled and stood up seeing the blue bag he re sized the packages and moved through to the dinning room to place them with gift. " I am sure what ever it is I'm sure it will taste wonderful" Jess said seeing Jack return now empty handed .

"Done Angus, I put them with the others " he said as he sat with Jess as he sat watching Brant. He was happy to have another pair of hands but he hoped Brant would not leave his potions laying all around for the children to get hold of and play with.

An hour later, Brian and Kate brought the kids. Brian frowned when they got there, looking around. "Kate," he said quietly. Khaat had been with them when they apparated out. Kate frowned for a moment.

"She's here," Kate said softly. "Something got her attention at the instant she cast her spell."

"She was redirected, then," Robert said, "by her own change of focus."

"She certainly was. She's someplace on the grounds but I have no idea where. I...just feel curiosity," Kate said. "Nothing more."

"Then let us not worry," Robert said. "Khaat can defend herself. And the grounds have been secure."

"Pink!" Abbey was immediately directed by the lovely pink decorations. "Papa! It pink! Lots of pink!"

"It is, isn't it?" Robert laughed. He scooped up his granddaughter and kissed her. "They're for you. Happy birthday, Sweetheart. How old are you today?"

"This many!" she showed him two little fingers.

"No," he said, lifting one more little finger. "This many."

"I big now!" she was delighted.

"You certainly are," he kissed her. "You're Papa's big girl, aren't you?" She nodded.

Brant smiled seeing Abby's little face light up with all the pink. Jess smiled as she heard all the excitement in Abby's voice " do you think Khaat will join us?" she asked Robert hoping she would not miss her own daughters birthday. Brant moved to pick up a balloon that had fallen and pinned it back up. Once done he moved to the garden and walked out and around the house checking the grounds and area, he also was looking for Khaat just so some one was close to her . Finding her he found a quiet soft spot to sit and he began to meditate quietly while listening for Khaat as he did so. Jess looked at Brant left and smiled turning to Robert.

" hes not bad that one" she said handing Jack a pin to put back up a letter that had fallen from the banner.

Khaat hadn't gone far. She had been distracted with the scent of Turkish cologne at the very instant she had attempted to apparate. She was standing near the creek on their grounds at home. She wasn't sure why she was here. It wasnt' where she had intended to go. She started to walk slowly towards the creek. Her seers' powers were alerted. She started to see a vision of Remus.

She stood in silence, just watching the vision. In her vision, he leveled his wand at her and fired directly at her, with flawless accuracy. It flooded her senses with a million fragments of visions. It so overpowered her that she fainted. Collapsed completely on the ground, everything going black.

Kate felt a sudden surge of seers energies. It caused sharp pain to her experienced senses. She put her hands to her temples, her senses overloaded instantly.

"Kate? What is it?" Robert asked.

"Seers' senses," she said softly. "I'm being blocked from seeing, but its powerful."

"Must be a targeted message," Robert said. He knew sometimes someone managed to be able to send a specific message but it took advanced magic to make sure only one seer could see the intended information. But he wasnt' sure who would have that sort of magic and want to use it.

Brant had watched Khaat , now he saw her crumple to the ground he stood up and walked over running his hand on her neck he felt she was still alive and picked her up porting into the main house he lay her on the couch " any one around , could use some help here" he called out placing a blanket over her " she just collapsed out in the woods Jess moved into the living room and over to Brant she glanced at Kate as she spoke.

"her seers ability's on overdrive" she said her hand placed on Khaat's head she hoped Kate could slow it down so she could come round.

"Allow me," Robert said quietly and calmly. He went over to Khaat and laid his hand on her forehead. Her energies were running like they were completely out of control. He frowned. Even though she was unconscious, he could feel a massive magical charge still racing through her system. He didn't know if she was still, somehow, getting information or not. Nor whether or not he should interrupt it.

"Calm," he said gently, casting a spell to slow the charge. He wasn't sure he wanted to stop it, but it did need to slow down a bit. It resisted him, and that momentarily perplexed him. There weren't many wizards who could cast a spell that could resist him. It reminded him of the hexes Remus used to play on him just because Robert was more dedicated to his studies in school. And when Robert would cast a counterspell, it had an almost identical signature...Signature...Wait. Was that it? Could it be that Remus had cast the spell in some sort of vision?

"Let go, Remus," Robert commanded. "Stop it." He felt like that was about as useful as talking to the rug, but it was worth a try. He waited a few moments. Then he felt the magical energies slowing and stopping.

"Brant," he said. "go to the potions lab. There is a locked cabinet." He tossed Brant the key. "Bring me the tall, thin Venetian glass bottle. The one with the diamond etching. Don't spill it. Its very expensive and damned hard to get. Jess, please make me a pot of double strength seers tea quickly."

Brant caught the key and left for the lab finding the cabinet he unlocked it and saw immediately the bottle Robert had meant. reaching in he took it out and carefully then headed back to the living room . Jess dove to the kitchen and made the seer's tea returning with a pot and an empty cup waiting for Robert.She saw Brant and nodded as she lifted the lid off the pot.

"Double strength as requested." She said some what worried that Khaat would not be okay. But she knew that with Roberts help she would be she sat next to them both.

"Don't add the potion to the tea," Robert said. "Its a rather fragile potion. It can't stand up to the heat of the tea. That's why I rarely use it. But its worth a try this time. Thank you, Brant." He woke Khaat gently, using magic, and raised her head and fed her a dose of the thin, clear potion that had what looked like magical strings of light spinning through the potion. It was a very odd looking concoction.

The potion was sweet, like watery honey. Khaat didn't recognize the potion, but at least this one wasn't unpleasant. She felt the serious energy depletion start to lift. She had a severe headache.

"I didn't mean to go out," she said softly.

"I know," he said. "Sometimes my brother isn't very subtle. What did he want?"

"I don't remember," she said. "Its...foggy."

"Hm...happens sometimes. Too much information too fast. Causes horrid pain, and that erases any information that was being sent," he said. "Jess has made some tea. It will help. Give yourself a moment for the potion to work a bit more. That will let your tea cool a bit. Then I want you to make sure you get two full cups as quickly as you can get it. That will cut that nasty fatigue and the pain as much as its going to get without rest."

"I'm not missing 'lunch,'" Khaat said, meaning she wasn't missing Abbey's party.

"No, and I don't intend for you to. Get the tea, and you'll be able to last until lunch is over. Then a bit of sleep would do you some good," her father said. He poured her a mug of tea and set it beside her. "Let that cool a bit and then get two full cups. Kate, are you going to need any?"

"No," Kate said. "I'm fine. It just felt like he was bellowing or something."

"Odd. That's not like him," Robert frowned. "I wonder what the devil he wanted."