Marriage is Murder

Jess had noticed Marcus sniff the potion and knew he was just doing something she would in his place. " its Okay Im actualy glad to see you did that." she said taking back the potion from Khaat " I grew to know having some on my person is vital in my profession"she smiled at them both.

Both Jack and Jess stopped and looked as Robert apeared in the house each glanced at each other but relaxed when Robert told them they were not in trouble and to continue loking after Khaat as they had and would continue to do. Jack and Jess both nodded when he told them to continue " yes sir" Jack said " they know already, we'd not put her in any form of danger sir" he said Jess nodded and sent more flowers to the upstairs rooms.

"I know," Robert told Jack. "If I didn't trust you, you wouldn't be here. Now, Khaat, let me check that shoulder first and then I'd like to see my kids. Where are they?"

"They're upstairs someplace," Khaat said. "They've either found some toys or they're getting into trouble."

"You can see them at lunch," Michael told Robert. "You've got just enough time to check her shoulder before we eat."

"I hadn't expected to get lunch today," Robert said. "Thank you. Khaat, let's go check your shoulder." She got up and went down the hall into Eli's library so they would have a bit of privacy.

"What was in the bag?" Michael asked Marcus. "What was the paperwork?"

"You expect me to betray her confidence?" Marcus asked.

"She showed it to you, didn't she?" Michael asked.

"No," Marcus said.

"Then you don't have it by ethical means either. So spill it," Michael said.

"She has completed paperwork to file for custody of her children," Marcus said.

"Meh," Michael waved that away. "That's not ever going to come to that. That boy will come to his senses before then unless he's brain damaged."

"Well, that's what I'm presuming as well," Marcus said. He pointed to the kitchen. "Your alfredo sauce is threatening to boil over." Michael turned and headed quickly back to the kitchen.

Jack nodded and watched as Jess left for the nursary to keep an eye on the children when Robert asked he spoke " there upstairs in the nursary Jess just went to check on them I belive Abby has taken a shine to a stuffed Lamb." He said smiling as Marcus told Michael about his sauce he chose not to hear what Marcus had said as he felt Brian would never let her or the kids go and he truly hoped he would come to his sense sooner rather than later.

Jess headed up the the nursary and smiled as they all played with the toys boys with the cars and with the girls togther. Jess saw a rocking chair and moved to sit down at it James brought her a book to read and she picked him up placing him on her knee as she opened it begining to read aloud. " One day Brer Fox thought of how Brer Rabbit had been cutting up his capers and bouncing around until he'd come to believe that he was the boss of the whole gang. Brer Fox thought of a way to lay some bait for that uppity Brer Rabbit.

He went to work and got some tar and mixed it with some turpentine. He fixed up a contraption that he called a Tar-Baby. When he finished making her, he put a straw hat on her head and sat the little thing in the middle of the road. Brer Fox, he lay off in the bushes to see what would happen. Well, he didn't have to wait long either, 'cause by and by Brer Rabbit came pacing down the road - lippity-clippity, clippity-lippity - just as sassy as a jay-bird. Brer Fox, he lay low. Brer Rabbit came prancing along until he saw the Tar-Baby and then he sat back on his hind legs like he was astonished. The Tar-Baby just sat there, she did, and Brer Fox, he lay low.


"Good morning!" says Brer Rabbit. "Nice weather we're having this morning." Tar-Baby didn't say a word, and Brer Fox, he lay low.


"How are you feeling this morning?" says Brer Rabbit.
Brer Fox, he winked his eye real slow and lay low and the Tar-Baby didn't say a thing.

"What is the matter with you then? Are you deaf?" says Brer Rabbit. "Cause if you are, I can holler louder," says he.

The Tar-Baby stayed still and Brer Fox, he lay low.
"You're stuck-up, that's what's wrong with you. You think you're too good to talk to me," says Brer Rabbit. "And I'm going to cure you, that's what I'm going to do."

Brer Fox started to chuckle in his stomach, he did, but Tar-Baby didn't say a word.

"I'm going to teach you how to talk to respectable folks if it's my last act," says Brer Rabbit. "If you don't take off that hat and say howdy, I'm going to bust you wide open," says he." she read as she noticed the others gather around to listen.

Robert checked Khaat's shoulder, changed her dressing and then helped her replace the sling to immobilize it. So far, he was pleased with her healing.

By then, Michael had put lunch on the table and called everyone for lunch.

Marcus was about to go help bring the kids to the table when Robert came out of the library with Khaat.

"I think Jack and Jess can manage to bring the kids for lunch," Robert said. "We might need to transfigure a couple of chairs into high chairs, though."

"Yes, Sir," Marcus said, accompanying Robert and Khaat to the dining room where Michael had a lovely lunch all set up for everyone. Marcus found Khaat a place at the table, and Michael helped fix a plate for her because it was too difficult for her to do one handed.

"Sit, Marcus," Michael said. "I can't imagine any of the others will miss food."

"Indeed not," Robert said, knowing the glad reception his grandkids were going to give him, and choosing not to sit down yet.

Jess heard Michael and smiled closing the book she looke down at the kids "Okay more after dinner, come on" she stood up and lead the children down the stairs Khaats ran to Robert and Jess smiled. Jack saw her and moved to help taking two by the hand and one in his arms. Jess as they drew close to the table changed some chairs to highchair for the kids. Jack lifted them in as did Jess who watched Robert with his grand kids. "Okay we're all ready." She said smiling a plate as she sent each a cup of juice and a plate of food each. Jack sat down as did Jess beside the kids making sure each ate what was given to them.

Jack watched Robert and Khaat enter the living room glad to see her relaxed again he put that down to the pain potion she ahd taken and smiled to her.

"Fettucini," Robert approved. "Not your usual recipe, though, Michael."

"Lizzie has us supplied with enough to last us through Christmas, I think," Michael laughed.

"Good," Robert said. "I'll go see her and make sure the account are all paid up."

"Daddy," Khaat said, "I need to pay my own way."

"You will," he said. "Just not now. Let me do this for a couple of days. I'm always going to be your father and their grandfather. Let me do this. Please." She glanced up at Michael who merely nodded at her slightly. "Is there anything else you're going to need?"

"I...um...I don't have any work clothes," she said.

"You aren't medically able to work for at least the rest of the week. Today is Wednesday. Take the rest of the week. If you get a list together of what clothes you like, Jess or Cassidy can pack them for you. Or, just go get yourself some new clothes. Brian has a charge at all your favorite shops. I think its fine to put a minor pinch in his wallet."

"Belby will be bored," Khaat made a rather feeble excuse.

"Hardly," Robert answered before Marcus could speak. Robert had noticed Marcus's designer suits with the perfect tailoring. "I think you might be surprised at his fashion sense. Just don't tire yourself if you go."

"Do you think you could handle five kids at once, Jack?" Michael asked, knowing Jess would want to go. Michael definitely did not see himself as a babysitter.

Jess looked up and smiled at Robert nodding "Of course I'll send a note to Cassidy to send them over." she said and looked from Khaat to Robert then food and she show the at one of the kids who was about to throw his food im at hand she shook her head glared at him as he ate it and Jess just smiled as she ate her own. "Its wonderful Michael" she said "Yours and Angus's ushualy are wonderful." Jack chuckled and agreed with her.

Jack pored some juice for every one and then drank his own while watching the kids as they ate quietly.

"Perhaps you should make a list of which items you'd like," Marcus suggested.  Khaat thought a moment quietly.  It was a hard decision.  

"I...need to make an impact," she said.  "I need to send a message to Brian. He needs to know what life is like without us."

"What are you saying?" Robert asked.

"Would you please have all my things and my children's things packed and sent here? And Mo and Max?" she asked softly.  

"That," her father said slowly, "is a very, very powerful message. Are you sure that's the one you want to send?"  

She didn't respond for a moment, staring down at the table.  Marcus felt for her.  It wasn't an easy choice for her. He knew she loved her husband, and Marcus understood what it was like to feel like a marriage was over, his own having been more or less over for years. This was an enormous gamble--one that would, when Brian came back to his senses, either make or break her marriage. It was, he was sure, a frightening moment for her.

He reached over and laid his hand on hers. He was, as always, a professional, but he found there was something appealing in the fearless little blond he had been assigned to protect. Something that he liked, something that made her feel like a friend to him, and, for a loner like Marcus, that did seem to say a great deal. 

She finally looked up at her father. "Yes," she said softly.  

Robert sighed heavily.  "So be it," he said.  "You sure you don't want to come to the farm, you and the kids?"

"I'm not sure I don't want to buy my own Hyde Park flat, actually," she said. Robert waved that thought aside.

"He doesn't use this place, and you know it," he said. "He ports back and forth into thee hinterlands of northern Scotland to some godforsaken place he's got.  This was never more for him than a way to avoid a hotel when he was here in London.  He doesn't use it anymore.  Don't overkill the message you want to send. It might be a stronger message if Eli is providing for you when Brian believes he should be doing it himself."  

Robert looked at Jess. "Can you and Jack go back this afternoon while the kids are napping and pack her things and the kids', please? He'll be sleeping after lunch, so I'd start with her room first.  You can add a wee bit of a sleep spell to him if you need to, to keep him from stressing and overreacting. The message will mean little to him for the next few days anyway.  We only spare him more trauma he won't handle at the moment."

He looked at Michael and Belby, "If you don't think you can keep her safe here for the afternoon by yourselves, you could always...."

"With all due respect, Sir," Marcus said, "I'd like the chance to let my teammates know they can count on me to do my job so that they can do theirs. I know the speed that the four of them will be able to work, so I feel more than confident that the rest of us will be fine for that long, Sir."

"Can you manage to get it all done in an afternoon?" Robert asked Jess and Jack.  He felt sure a few pack spells and a lot of shrink spells would do it, but it would definitely take a bit of doing.  And Jess would have to insure Brian would not wake. Robert himself was fully prepared to deal with Brian's anger later, whenever it did come.

Jack and Jess looked at Robert and nodded "Easly " Jack said and saw Jess nod her head too. " we'll go as you said when the kids are napping " he said Jess took out her sm all bottle and showed it to Robert.

" Would you mind if I topped it up while there?" Jess asked seeing the bottle half empty. Jack his food and helped two of the kids down from there high chairs to run back up to the nursary to play again. Jess chuckled and shook her head seeing Jack shrug his shoulders as he moved up to watch them while they played to make sure they didn't hurt themselves.

Robert put the other kids down on the floor when they finished eating.

"Khaat," he asked, "I miss them already. Might I tuck them in for their afternoon naps?"

"If you like," she said, "Certainly. Do you need help with that?"

"No," he said. "I really want to do this myself, if you don't mind."

"By all means," she said. He took the rest of the kids upstairs and found a bedroom for little boys, joined to a bedroom for little girls. He found the kids across the hall, playing.

"Would you like Papa to read the story today before naptime?" he asked them. Abbey and Julia jumped up to go run to Robert. Little Michael looked at him and shook his head.

"No nap," he said, determined.

"Oh, alright, then," Robert said. "You could come for the story if you want."

"Okay," he agreed readily scampering across the hall, with little Robert following. Robert found them places on the soft rug with pillows and blankets. They happily stretched out on the floor while Robert found a storybook. Robert sat down in a rocking chair and read the story to them, and before he was finished, all the children were asleep. Robert closed the book and got up and made sure they were all covered with blankets and had a stuffed toy beside them before he left the children's bedroom and headed back downstairs.