Marriage is Murder

Brant sat and nodded he was about to say something when Edward spoke and he lightly hit Angus on his shoulder. " hey " he said and gave a playful pout " I've been around women, dead ones but still women, they just don't answer back or walk over you" he looked into his glass then up at Angus " he got you there Angus" he laughed but he knew Edward was right dead people were his past now he had to find the living. " Okay Rome it is tomorrow I think I know a sweet little bar there" he smiled drinking down his wine and looking at Angus.

He looked at Edward and nodded " problem with that is Girls aren't forth coming to a potioneer, they run as soon as I tell them " he said as he looked skyward to see the stars twinkling above him. he felt he did need some one now in his life but knew things were complicated and she would have to be some woman to understand him.

"A bar wench," Edward sighed. "That's your solution for meeting a decent woman, huh? Well, good luck with that." He checked the time. "I really do have things I need to do. We'll be going back in a couple of days, and I have some things to do on Robert's behalf. So, I'll say goodnight to you all now." He stood up. "Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning." He headed off to the suite of rooms he kept in the central tower--his bedroom on the second floor and his library and lab on the third floor, with windows all the way around, and a balcony so that he had a full 360 degree view of the compound and all the lands around it. It was, besides the garden, his favorite place in the compound.

"If you stop hunting corpses and muggles, you'll find the potioneer job isn't a problem," Angus told him. "Do stop going to muggle bars. Or any bars for that matter. Try going in to the wizard section of Rome. Into the shops. Perhaps the apothecary. Or the bookstore. Or into the ministry. Edward would like to see you not set your sights on a bar fly."

Brian treated Khaat to finest meal available in the finest restaurant in Tokyo. After that, he took her to a theater--to an opera. It was lovely. They didn't get much of a chance to go to operas anymore. It wasn't exactly something that their friends enjoyed very much, and it wasn't something that they had time for much anymore. After the opera, Brian found an exclusive litle restaurant where they could get an incredible dessert and a bottle of perfectly chilled champagne. Khaat never ceased to be amazed at Brian's desire to make her happy, to treat her like royalty. But sometimes she missed the simple fun they used to have time for.

"Khaat," he asked her as they sipped on the last of the champagne in the bottle. "If there were something that you wanted to do yet on this holiday, what would it be?"

"You really want to know?" she asked, a slight smile on her face.

"Yeah, is it that weird?"

"No, not really. I really want to get back to what we used to do. Some sort of sports outdoors."

"Like what?" he frowned.

"I don't know. Lets go hiking or golfing."

"You're going to golf with one hand?" he laughed. "Look, I get it. But lets do something you can actually do. How about a sightseeing cruise. Or an authentic Japanese tea ceremony outside someplace?" She sighed. Her shoulder. It was becoming very real to her that she might not ever ride a horse again, or swim, or do most of the fun things she enjoyed--ever again. She wasn't going to let him see that she waas seeing that she saw herself becoming more limited, for good.

"You choose," she smiled. "Surprise me."

"Its temporary, you know," he reminded her. But she saw through that. The truth was that the odds were much higher that while the open wound was temporary, the disability from it would be permanent.

Brant looked at them and shook his head but looked at Angus “ I already have given them up, I'm staying put now aren't I.” he said and smiled” and if your right, I won't go to that or any bar after all.“ Brant chuckled and nodded “ sure, and the same for you I'm guessing right” he placed his half glass down and stretched out his arms. “ besides I have to report in soon anyway, Book stores hum “ he sat and thought coming to the conclusion Angus was right. Bran looked at Angus and spoke again.

“ okay tomorrow I'll check out the apothecary in Rome , might have lunch their too, they do have cafe's, hum and Gelato?” he said and chuckled softly but eventually stopped as he thought about his books that sat in his room beside his bed. “ could do with updating the books I have” he said softly as if to himself.

The next day brought heavy rains not only to Tuscany but also in Japan. Brian woke to the sound of thunder and heavy rains. He had left the rice paper doors open. He and Khaat loved that they could leave the house completely open and not have to worry about intruders. They slept soundly, and this morning Khaat was still asleep. Brian found the sound of the rains and the thunder, for some reason, to be soothing and relaxing. He thought a moment and remembered the kitten. He got up and found it huddling in a corner under a table, shivering with fright. He fetched it out and wrapped it up in the t shirt he'd worn yesterday so that it had his scent on it. He flicked his wand towards the stove to start some coffee brewing, and then he sat down in a wooden rocking chair that looked out over the garden and simply held the kitten to stop its shivering.

Edward had fallen asleep in his lab, seated in an overstuffed leather chair, a potions book on his lap. He had opened the windows all the way around the lab to let in the stars and the night air. Angus saw the lights in the lab still burning when he got up just before dawn. Either his grandfather was working uncommonly late, or he had fallen asleep in the lab. The latter was more likely since the view was so enticing there.

Angus went up and saw Edward still sleeping quite soundly, and the rain from the storm was pouring into the round room that was open all the way around. Angus flicked his wand at the windows to close them, cast a spell to dry out the room, and then draped his grandfather's favorite blanket across him and he left him to sleep.

He went downstairs to find his aunts busy making breakfast. "Don't count on Grandfather," he told them, pouring coffee.

"What'd he do? Go to sleep upstairs again?" one of his aunts asked.

"Yup," Angus said.

"He really should just sleep up there permanently," another aunt said. "He gets better rest up there than in his room."

"That's because he can't sleep in his room without missing Grandmother," Angus said.

"He has a right," one replied. "They were married over 50 years. He's allowed to miss her."

Brant had woke suddenly when he had heard the thunder clash out side walking over to his window he closed it. Sighing and fighting the urge to reopen it again he tried to get back to sleep finally deciding on reading his books by the light of the lamp by his bed. Hearing the sounds of life he dressed and headed down to the kitchen for breakfast. Seeing Angus already up he chuckled and picked up an apple taking a bite he sat down at the table " morning every one, Angus, you need anything from Rome?" he asked taking a second bite of the apple. " hoping this storm blows out soon so I can port there , no rush though" he said and smiled again. " might clear the air a little, makes things smell clean and fresh, I like that"

"I can't think of a thing, " Angus said. "As long as the wind doesnt kick up, you should be able to port just fine. The thunder and lighting is moving more to the west, and Rome is directly south. And as it moves out to sea, it should lose power. I pulled the fishing boats off this morning, though, because there were too many signs of dangerous waters this morning."

"You called off the boats?" His aunts stopped cooking and looked at him, astounded. The times over the years when the boats hadn't run were few and far between. People depended on the fresh seafood the Donohue's supplied. This was a very expensive and costly decision. "Did you talk to Edward?"

"No," Angus said, standing firm in his position. "Its my choice. I'm the captain..."

"No!" His aunt was bitter. "You're not here anymore to sail them. Evan and Tyler should be captaining their own ships! You're too busy serving as a butler for that werewolf family! And you know what we Donohues do to werewolves! You've turned your back on everything this family stands for. You are a pure disgrace to the Donohue name! We were never made to..."

Angus wasn't listening to one more second of her rampage. He didn't know what had gotten into her, but he wasn't listening to it.

"Enough!" he shouted, his rare rage coming out. His aunt couldn't remember of the last time Angus was angry, and never that angry. She was thunderstruck. He pointed her finger in her face. "Dont you ever--ever--question my judgement about the ships again. And don't you ever pass judgement on what I do for a living. You are not my mother. If you think all we are is indiscriminate killers, then you have no clue the work Grandfather has done for all these decades."

Edward had felt the sudden surge of utter rage from his grandson and it had uprooted him from a dead sleep. He went quickly down to the kitchen, hearing Angus shouting. The last Edward could remember that happening was years ago when Angus was a teen. Angus had grown to a fine young man. He didnt know what the shouting was about, but Edward was sure Angus was within his rights. He laid his hand on Angus's shoulder.

"I'll deal with it, Son," Edward said quietly. Angus stood, unmoving, seething. "It's alright," Edward reassured him in a quiet, gentle voice. "Go enjoy your coffee. Go on." Angus slammed his mug down on the counter.

"I don't want any," he said. He stormed out of the kitchen. Edward stood in silence, looking at his daughters.

"What did you do to him?" Edward demanded.

Brant listened and nodded "yes, but I prefer not to port during storms its a personal preference" he said he was about to take another bite when he heard his great aunt speak and he frowned at her knowing Angus out burst was just from what he had read and seen about the Lupin's, he stood up leaving the apple on the table as he moved to stand with Angus he would have spoken but he saw Edward walk in and calm him. Turning he followed Angus out .

" she had no right to say those things" he told him " your captain of those ships and a damn good one" he said feeling his own anger rising. Taking a deep breath he quelled it knowing two men angry would be of little help.

"She's an idiot," Angus said. "My mother has always hated her. My father just ignores her. He says she's always been like that, but he never let me stand up to her. He just wanted me to ignore her. I just didn't have it in me today to ignore her one more time."

He wasn't sure how his parents were going to react to his outburst when they got home. They were on their own holiday. They had decided to go see if there were in fact, real cowboys in the American west. His mother still grew herbs for the little potions shop that his father ran in the wizard section of the village, and they lived very quietly now in the compound in their rooms which they had enchanted to be a comfy little apartment for themselves. They rarely got mixed up with Angus's snarky aunt. But Angus thought there was a good chance that he would be asked not to return to the compound unless Edward intervened.

Brant nodded and sat on a low wall" I remember she was like that with me a few times as we were growing up, never liked her myself , and they will understand" he said hoping Edward would truly understand . "Don't let her get to you she's not worth it, if that's how she thinks then so be it we all know differently" he added now moving to him and placing his hand on Angus's shoulder " if there's anything I have learned its not to let people get the better of me, I might not have social skill's as such but I guess that's why everything is a question, ya just got to let it go, she's a cranky old woman who see's you doing well and her life went no where" he added " say come with me to Rome, that book store sounds interesting we could pick up some Italian wine and cheese for after dinner?" he paused and looked at him " what ya say?" he asked smiling " I'll even port in a storm , might frizz the hair but hay small price to pay."he noted as his hair stuck up slightly.

"Rome, huh?" Angus said. "Its been a few months since I've been there, but it might be good to get away from that miserable old bat. Before I turn her into the winged variety of bat. And I won't turn her back. We won't have issues porting. When you work for Robert, he forces you to learn how to port in just about any weather. It'll be fine." He accio'd his jacket and was about to leave when Edward walked back out of the kitchen and stopped them.

"What did she say to you?" Edward asked quietly.

"Not important. But I will transfigure her if she ever speaks to me that way again," Angus said. "Its not a threat. Its a promise."

"Understood," Edward said. "Don't lose your head over it, Son."

"No, I'm not," Angus said. "But she's been allowed, my whole life, to be a rude, self centered old biddie, and if she does it again, I'm going to put her in a position where all she has to think about is herself and not making the rest of us pay for the fact that she's a spoiled brat.

"Well, okay, then," Edward said, hiding a very slight smile. He wasn't about to deprive Angus from venting a bit. "Going with Brant, are you, then? Might do you good."

"Might as well, since I'm apparantly not understanding what it means to be a Donohue," he said.

"Stop it. You know very well what it means. Go have a good time. I'll settle this while you're gone."