Marriage is Murder

Jess smiled and nodded as she moved in to bathe Dakota and Abby leaving Marcus with Khaat. "yes she is stubborn and its fine Marcus." she said and turned to see Robert in the doorway asshe lifed Abby out and wrapped her in a towel to dry her off making the PJ float to her she dressed Abby and knew she wanted Robert to read her a story let her go to him while she delt with Dakota in much the same manner. Now with both done she let the water out the tub smiled at Khaat.

"The others are sleeping." she said and smiled knowing Abby and Dakota will enjoy being with Khaat and Robert while they were comfortable and in Pj' " ow abby" she said accioing a cookie to her hand , a red berry cokkie and she gave her it along with one for Dakota " have to treat them equaly" she said smiling.

"Thank you, Jess," Robert said, watching Abbey and Dakota taking their cookies. Robert took them to their bedroom and read them their favorite storybook about a tea party for mice. Dakota settled in and went to sleep quickly and easily. Abbey was still awake at the end of the story--something that never happened.

"Alright," Robert said to her softly, "Tell Papa. What's the matter?" Abbey sat up and curled into his chest tightly.

"I wanna go home," she said, starting to cry. "I miss Daddy. And Mama is sad. I wanna go home, Papa." He held her and kissed her head.

"I know, Sweetheart," he said softly.

"Daddy sad too?"

"He misses you," Robert said, not wanting to tell her any more than necessary.

"I go with you, Papa," she said, clinging tightly to him. "But then Mam be sad...."

"You stay with Mama," he said softly, "and Gram and I will come every single day. You won't be gone from your home or Daddy very long. I promise." He held her and finally rocked her to sleep. Then he tucked her into her bed and cast a small calming spell on her to help her sleep.

When he was done there, he spent a few minutes with Khaat. She was sipping on firewhiskey. He checked her drink and checked her. He added a bit of potion to her firewhiskey and told her to drink it. He looked at Marcus. Robert expected the drink to make her sleep soon. Marcus's only response was some acknowledgement in his eyes.

He went downstairs and found the others there, while Kate went upstairs to see Khaat and to check on the kids.

"I know you all have a great many questions," Robert said. "So let me try to answer them if I can. Brian has noticed the kids are quieter and haven't been into the bedroom to see him but he hasn't made a connection yet. He's resting. Sleeping most of the time.

"What I see next for him is that he's going to be awake more and having to deal with the emotions of laying underneath the weight of a car and believing he wasn't going to get out alive, and believing Khaat was already dead. When he gets to that, he's not going to be thinking about much else for a bit. He just is going to need a little time. I can make it a bit easier for him but he does have to do the work himself, essentially.

"And, in the meantime, she's going to take him at his word and believe he's done with her and done with his kids. When he comes around, I doubt he's going to remember even saying it to her.

"But in the meantime, she's going to be hurting, and I can't protect her from that. Nor can any of you. I'm more concerned about the kids. They're confused.

"There isn't much I can do to help Khaat right now. But--I can ask you to take very, very good care of my grandkids. Do whatever you need to do to keep them happy. If you need more toys, we'll buy toys. If you need to take them out, so be it. Leave her with Marcus and go. Whatever you need to do. Create an adventure for them if it helps. If you need more help, we'll get it.

"Now--what questions do you have for me? Or what do you need me to help you get? You tell me what you need, and we'll do it."

Jess nodded to Robert but sigh Abby became clingy to him she ahd a feeling this would happen and followed them into the nursary hearing what was going on betwen them both. Jess and Jack moved down to the living room to wait for Robert knowing he had something to say to them. Once she was settled against Jack, jess saw Robert enter and breathed out.

Jack and Jess sat listening to robert and nodded " we'll keep doing what we were doing for the kids , Khaat and Brian " Jack said " gym almost done waiting on one last peice" he said and chuckled as jess rolled her eyes.

" therapy pool" she said smiling to Robert " he thinks of everything it'll help with Khaats reabilitation" she said smiling hoping Robert would agree with Jack's decishion.

Kate came downstairs as Robert and the others were talking.

"The therapy pool is a good idea," Robert said. "It will take a couple more days before the incision is healed enough that she can use the pool, but even then, she's going to have to keep her shoulder still because of the bone and tissue damage. Still, the moist heat would do her good." He saw Kate come back. "Well? What do you think?"

"I think she's really determined to get on with her life," Kate said. "I honestly don't feel like this is performance. This is, I think, her way of dealing with something that feels impossible to her. You know she nearly just came apart at the seams when Rob left her. I don't think she's got the foggiest idea how to deal with even the slightest thought that Brian might not want her."

"Alright, but we all know he does want her," Michael said.

"Yes," Robert said. "We do. But he hasn't been entirely responsible for what he's said. At least in the first couple days after we found them. He's not saying much of anything right now, but that doesn't mean he's even begun to connect that his wife has gone and taken his kids. And I can guarantee you that if he did realize that much, he wouldn't have the least idea why. When he's able to think again and walk again, we all know this is the first place he'll come. He's going to want his family back."

Jack nodded he understood " well the sauna will help her loads then" he sid smiling " its a small two person one but its what Im waiting on too" he added " its being specialy made" he said and Jess nodded she liked the idea.

"Hot dry air will do her shoulder wonders Robert." she said looking at both Kate and Robert. " we do have a suna at the hospital every one says it does them good." she added as Jack accioed some juice for the two of them and gave Jess hers. Jess was listening to the sounds from upstairs knowing the kids were sleeping she just took her drink and smiled.

"Well," Kate said, "there's also a sauna at the estate but its not used very much. Not that I've ever seen. You know, Robert, you would do well to take her out yourself. Perhaps for lunch. Get her out of here a bit. If she thinks she wants to get back to live, then let her try. She's not up to working, not that I noticed."

"No. She's not," Robert agreed. "But I hadn't thought about lunch."

"You are a wizard. You could take her anywhere."

"Its a good idea," Michael said. "You could go, just the two of you. When was the last time you did that?"

"We do get business lunches together often," he said.

"Thats' not what I mean. I mean a father-daughter lunch in someplace special. Just because you're her father."

"I don't remember," Robert said. He looked at the rest of them. "What do you think? I think she'll be afraid to leave the kids."

"I think Jess and Jack can deal with the kids for an hour or so. You could always go for a later lunch, right after the kids go to sleep for their afternoon naps. That would give Jess and Jack a bit of an easier time, fi that's what you're worried about. Personally, I think they could deal without Khaat for an hour or so without having a meltdown. Can't you?" he looked at Jack and Jess.

Jack and jess listened and nodded at the sugestion. "Of course we could, take her out, be a father, the kids are sleeping what..." Jess paused rembering who she was minding and she chuckled "ah we'll be okay Robert" she said softly as she smiled at them both. Jack nodded he agreed with Jess.


" I need to be here anyway to put the sauna and therapy pool togther when it arrives" he said and looked to Robert. " its long over due Robert." he said glancing at Michael for a moment then he looked at Kate too.

"Alright," Robert said. "If you lot are sure, I'll ask her."

"Robert," Kate frowned, "Its just lunch, not a week long holiday, for goodness' sakes."

"You're right, of course," he said. "Jack, you're doing great work with the gym, but you don't have to meet her deadlines. You do realize that's far more about the pressure she's putting herself under than you, right?"

"What does she want a bloody gym for if she can't use it?" Kate frowned.

"Haven't the foggiest," Robert shrugged. "When she's ready, we'll all know. If I take her when the kids take their naps, that should be around 1 o clock tomorrow. Will that work out for all of you? Or do you need us to go at a different time?"

Jack looked at Jess and then back at Kate " its okay I know but it will be good for the others to have aplace to take out frustrations with out venting on any furniture of things when they come here " he said just as a large box appeared in the coartyard behind Robert " sorry I have to sort this" he said and stood up leaving Jess with Michael, Kate and Robert in the living room as he left.

Jess looked at Robert and sighed " maybe she wants it to regain her strength " she said and loked out as Jack moved with the box to the shed and closed the door behind him. " okay Robert well be fine not like we haven't coped before" she said as she gathered all the glasses and cups and took them into the kitchen " ow, Michael any objections to me making some soda bread?" she asked knowing it would be nice to have fresh bread for the morning breakfast.

"Alright," Robert said. "You lot deal with it, then. I'll go ask her to lunch." He got up and went back upstairs.

"Yes," Michael said. "Soda bread is fine. Its a good idea. I made a breakfast casserole, but I didn't get far enough to deal with any sort of bread or pastry."

Robert went upstairs and talked to Khaat for a few minutes. He came back downstairs. Kate wasn't sure what the look on his face meant.

"Was that a good thing or a bad thing?" she asked.

"Oh," he said, with a slight frown. "It was a good thing but she really wanted to meet at the hospital to go over the final details of the next fiscal year's budget."

"And that surprises you?" Michael laughed.

"No, not entirely, I suppose," Robert said. "Just keep your eyes open. She sounds like she's going to start pushing harder."

"That's a given," Michael said, believing he was already seeing that start to happen.