Marriage is Murder

Jack and Steven came running out " how the hell ?" Steven asked running over to Angus on the ground " what happened?" he asked trying to keep Angus dry. Jack walked over and picked Angus up.

" no time for checks we need to get him inside" Jack said and moved with him into the living room , placing him down on the couch Jess moved forward but staid her ground as she knew Robert would be better at gauging his wounds. She hoped it would not be too bad but she also knew Angus was an accomplished wizard and it would have taken a lot to knock him out.

Marcus watched to be sure that they got the cook into the house. He wanted to know how the hell someone just dropped out of the sky. He had an idea, but it didn't entirely make sense. He went to the barn and took a large brown stallion, put reigns on it and took off on horseback to ride the perimeter to check the protection spells.

Brian followed the other inside and closed the door. "Robert, I don't know what this is!" Brian was upset.

"Angus!" Khaat was upset. Edward seemed to be there out of nowhere. Robert pushed through everyone.

"Calm yourselves," Robert said, his voice unwaiveringly steady. "Move out of my way and let me work." He laid his hand on Angus's forehead for a long minute. He frowned. It didn't make sense. "Michael--I need a knife," he said. "Now."

Michael bright a knife from the kitchen, and Robert proceeded to cut open the sleeves on Angus's denim jacket.

"There," Michael pointed to Angus's wrists. Angus's wrists were red.

"So I see," Robert said quietly. They were very clear marks from shackles and chains. "But that's not what I'm looking for." He began checking Angus's forearms and found the what he was looking for on the inside of his elbows.

"What's that?" Edward asked.

"Those are the clear evidence of mugle medicines. Or illegal muggle drugs. Muggles call those needle tracks. He's been repeatedly drugged with muggle drugs."

"What?" Edward frowned. "What was he doing with muggles?"

"I'm not certain he was," Robert said. "But he's liable to not be conscious for hours. Jack, help me get him to his room. There's not much we can do for him right now but wait. I'll make sure he's stable and then we wait."

Jack nodded and gently picked him up in his arms and carried him to his room. " who would do such a thing?" he said softly as he lay Angus down finally in his bed. Jess followed behind them all " I'll watch him Robert" he said

" Me to, you need some one to watch his vitals threw the night." she said softly and moved to cover Angus with his bedding while she checked his vitals as she covered him over. She to wondered just why muggle's would do such a thing and to Angus of all people. He was a nice guy and would not harm any one unless provoked

Edward followed them upstairs. He appreciated how much everyone loved his grandson but Edward fully intended not to wander far from Angus's room either.

"I don't believe it was muggles," Marcus said from the doorway of Angus's room. He had partway around and saw the outside crew had the grounds check in hand. They had taken charge of the horse and allowed Marcus to apparate back to the house.

Robert turned and looked at Belby. "So speak up. What's your theory?"

"How does a man just drop out of the sky when he's unconscious?" Belby asked.

"He doesn't," Robert said. "Not on his own doing. The most obvious is that someone was porting him and deliberately dropped him."

"Exactly my thinking. That eliminates muggles pretty effectively unless you found a way for them to port."

"Not so much," Robert said. "That does mean, though, that it was not one of our friends and it is also someone who knows where we live."

"And there are very few of our enemies that have breeched those spells," Brian said. "Except perhaps the werewolf pack."

"And Khaat and I did run into them yesterday morning--in downtown London," Belby said.

"If all this is true," Edward said, "I may go werewolf killing." He looked at Jack. "No offense."

Jack looked up at edward and nodded "None taken." he said as he stood up moving to jess. Jess moved to Jack as they watched Angus knowing Edward would want to stay " Jack can take second shift , you need sleep Edward " she said softly to him hoping he would warm to the idea of Jack garding Angus for the rest of the night.

Steven worked out side double checking the area and sending men here and there. " check the south side , double check the north , you two west, I'll take the barn and east side nothing gets threw those lines got it any holes fix them" he said " or I'll have your butt on a plate." this sent men scattering to each side of the grounds. Once done Steven walked back in to find Robert. "Grounds secure I had the en re strengthen the boundry spells and fix any holes." he reported

"Minister," Belby said, "Do you know what he was given?"

"More or less," Robert said, "but they're so prevalent it won't help. He was given quite a mix of things. It should have killed him before he landed."

"Thank you for that," Edward said to Belby.

"My pleasure," Marcus said. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go check things downstairs." He headed back downstairs to make sure things were alright there.

When Steven arrived, Robert listened to his report. "Thank you. We do need to consider, though, why they didn't infiltrate and attack."

"Indeed," Edward said.

Marcus went downstairs and saw Khaat grabbing her trench coat out of the closet.

"How the hell do you intend to get to London from this far north if you don't have any magic?" He couldn't help but cast a smile at her, amused.

Jess sighed knowing that was a question she should have asked but Marcus asked it first " sorry this is new to me " she said softly to Robert as she stood with Jack . Steven looked at Robert and nodded his head.

"I know but it was to be safe we did find a hole in the west barrior that had been missed" he said " its patched now" he said and folded his arms " can't be too careful" he said and headed back down frowing as he saw Khaat ready to leave and Marcus stood with ehr " hes right youd not get one mile before you'd have to stop" he pulled back the curtan to show her the torenshial rain and lighting that was not full blown outside the house.

"Its a long walk anyway," Marcus laughed. "Its hundreds of miles to London from here."

"I figured you'd take me," she said.

Look, if you think you're going werewolf hunting, you have three disadvantages tonight," Marcus said. "One--there's a thunderstorm in between them and you. Two, you have no magic. And three, if you have no magic, then you'd damned well better have a gun, and you don't have that either."

"Yeah, but I have you," she said hopefully.

"Nice try," he laughed, taking her coat. He put the coat away. "If you want to be useful, make yourself useful and make some tea or brew some coffee or something. Its going to be a long night."

She sighed heavily, and headed for the kitchen. "I'm a squib," she muttered. He laughed out loud.

"Prettiest squib I've ever seen," he kidded her. She picked up a throw pillow off a chair and threw it at him and then went to the kitchen.

"She'll be fine," Marcus grinned at Steven.

Steven breathed out when Marcus talked her out of leaving ," yeah shes strong willed but yes she will" he smiled as he folded his arms across her chest " good job" he said to Marcus " whats your secret , what ever it is bottle it you'd make a fortune " he said and chukled as he sat down.

Jess moved from Jack and headed down to the living room where Marcus and Steven stood. Then she smiled at them feeling Khaat calmer and in the kitchen where cassidy was cooking up some apricot scones and ginger bread cookies.

"I don't have any tricks," Marcus said. "I think she's just cutting me a break or something. She's probably going to start giving me the same trouble she gives everyone else when my newness wears off. Or when her magic comes back. She's pretty captive right now, but that won't last forever. And I'm not taking it for granted that she might well be a bit like either her father or her uncle, one or the other."

Kate came downstairs and went into the kitchen.

"I know he's family," Kate said to Khaat. "But what is it you think you know that merits going out tonight without telling your father what you think?"

"I'm...not sure," she said, putting on the tea and the coffee. "Just...a feeling."

"Well, you have a kitchen full of seers, we certainly understand that feeling," Kate said. "I'm sure Jess and I don't mind looking at that with you. I didn't get any particular feelings about this. Did you, Jess?"