Marriage is Murder

Jess finally had them both sleeping and they both left the room and headed down passing Khaats room she smiled and nodded to Marcus seing him place th drops of sleeping potion in her drink. Then she headed down and took a look at the bread which was perfect. " nicely done Jack" she said and smiled as she tipped them out onto a cooling wire to cool ready for the next morning.

As the storm grew Jess watched it out the window Jack moved and held her close. " what you thinking?" he asked. Jess just smiled and held his arms close.

"It reminds me of the day I went missing, it was dark and raining back then too" she said but felt Jack hold her tighter.

"Don't, don't think of it, it was years ago and your now with our children." he said holding her close to him as if she would disapear on him just for mentioning it.

Jess smiled and nodded to him. " and very happy" she said leaning back against his chest. She could sense Khaat drifting off to sleep and she too relaxed.

Khaat slept soundly through the night, but Marcus knew it wouldn't happen any other way. He had added the potion to the glass that had the pain potion that was already added to the firewhiskey. He hadn't added enough to hurt her of any of it, but he also knew she was definitely going to sleep til morning.

He had showered and changed in the wee hours of the morning but when he went back, her bed was empty and so was her bed. He flew into action, immediately checking the bathroom and her closet. He drew his wand and raced down the hallway, taking a superficial glance in the rooms upstairs, and then raced down the stairs, his black leather shoes noiseless on the deep carpets.

He saw no one downstairs, and ran into the kitchen where Michael was working.

"Put that thing away before you hurt yourself," Michael said drolly. He pointed the towards the new gym. Marcus dashed outside and out to the shed.

There she was. She had abandoned her sling and was attempting to use the equipment to try to make her arm move. He saw that already she was sweating from the pain and could see the tears stinging her eyes.

"Stop," he went over to her. He understood her desperateness to try to make herself completely fit. But he also knew this wasn't the way. He didn't get any response from her for a few seconds. And then he saw them--the tears. The ones that had been so many days in coming. The ones she had tried to put off forever.

He was her bodyguard. Her job was to take care of her. And right now, she needed someone to take care of her heart. He wrapped his arms around her and let her cry into his shoulder. He only had one thought now about all those tears.

It was about time.

Jess woke with a sudden wash of emotions and slipped from the bed she dressed and headed down seeing Michael she stopped " Khaat?" she asked noting he looked out into the court yard. Jack delt with the kids as each woke in the morning light. Jess moved to the kitchen and dished up her bread slicing the larger of the loaves and placing it on a large platter and placing that on the table with the butter. Jack walked down and looked out smiling.

"About time too" he said and smiled at Jess who nodded and placed the last bread roll on the table infront of her. Jess then moved to the gym

"Breakfast will be ready soon, come in when your ready." she said softly to both Marcus and Khaat knowing this was part of Khaat's own healing.

"Don't hold breakfast for us," Marcus told Jess quietly. "We'll catch up." He handed Khaat his handkerchief. He felt her try to straighten herself and try to pull herself together.

He accio'd her sling and went to help her put it back, but it immediately caused her so much pain that she stopped him.

"I..." she began and then cut herself short. He knew she had deliberately stopped herself from telling him she couldn't. Instead she was lost for words for a moment and then said, "Don't. Just don't."

He moved the v neck of her t shirt to see the bandage that covered the incision on her shoulder and lifted the tape and the dressing. The incision was hot and angry and red.

"You've strained it," he said quietly. "Its really aggravated. Let's get some ice and try to take out some of the pain and swelling, but you really do need it tended. Especially if you're going out with your father."

"I need it to move," she said, frustrated, more tears on her face now.

"I know," he said, "But this isn't going to do it. This isn't going to be the way it happens. You're not going to be able to force it to work and tough your way through it. You need to let someone tend it because this sort of pain is just pointless."

Jess nodded but didn't move far from them she ahd felt the heat pain Khaat was in and sighed. Writing a note she sent it to robert telling him if he could what she had felt and that if he could return to deal with Khaats issue. Moving to the floo she sent it then went to start laying the breakfast table for Michaels food.

Jack walked down soon after with the kids following happily chatting amonst themselves each moved to a high chair and Jack lifted them while Jess helped moving anticlockwise around to him poring drinks as she went. "Hows the food?" he asked Michael hoping it would not be long.

" Khaat dosn't want us to wait Michael" she said softly as she picked up her bread and rolls to set them down on the table.

"That's because she's given up," Michael said, setting plates on the table. "She doesn't think her shoulder or her arm will ever work again, and she's struggling to cope with what she believes is going to be a permanent disability. Her father is far from giving up, but she doesn't believe there is any more he can do. She Thinks he's just fooling himself. And since I'm not a healer, I don't know if either one of them are right.

"But I do know she's grieving. She's grieving the loss of her arm, her magic, and the loss of her marriage, the loss of her home--and feeling like she belonged somewhere. Everything that made her happy feels completely gone. Let's eat. If she feels like eating a bit later, I'll ix her something."

They were eating breakfast when Robert arrived.

"Where is she?" he asked, dressed in his black suit for work.

"The new gym," Michael said. Robert rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Why didn't I see that coming?" he sighed. "Alright. I'll go handle it. God, I hope she didn't bugger it entirely." He went out to the shed.

"I don't know about you all, but I intend to leave whatever happens out there completely alone," Michael said.

Jess sighed and shook her head still not understanding Khaats emotions " shes being completly silly." She said out loud as she gave little Robert some juice. "Thats why I sent for Robert, he gets threw to her." She said and was relived when she saw him arrive. Watching Robert head out she turned to looked at Michael. " I for one agree with you Michael" she said and continued to feed the children each loving the food as did Jack. Soon she managed to eat for herself but she could not help worry about Khaat and only ate half of what she ahd onher plate. Jack sighed and shook his head.

"Stop worring your going to be of no use if you become ill worying about Khaatholding her cl leave her to Robert, hes her father and can get threw to her better."he told her holding her close.

" I know Jack but she is the closest thing to a sister I have yet I can do nothing to help her pain and it feels wrong ,all wong." she told him

Robert went out to the gym, and saw the hot tears of pain on her face that Marcus was soothing away as best he could.

"Alright," Robert said, "Daddy's turn."

"Yes, Sir," Marcus said. He stepped away. Robert took Khaat's t shirt from her so he could look at her shoulder.

"You buggered it," Robert said, starting to tend it.

"Leave it alone," she said, "dont' touch it."

"I know. It hurts. Clearly. But I'm not leaving it like this. It can be better...."

"No, its never going to be better! It is what it is! My magic is gone, and I'm nothing but a bloody squib!"

"Is that what this is about?" he frowned.

"Its over! Everything is over!"

"Hold that thought," he said. He needed to tend her shoulder but he also needed to get her away and seriously talk to her. "Sit." He opened his bag and decided he had to tend this properly. This was going to take awhile.

Jess heard Khaat and stood up Jack grasped her am to stop her from walking out as he could see she was angry. Jack shook his head but Jess pulled her arm from his grip and walked out to the gym. " Robert, would you like my help." she asked her voice holding a nutral tone as she moved to his side and held his bag looking at Khaat. she was more annoyed at Khaat for calling her self a squib as she knew she wasn't and never would be. Jess watched as he worked her eyes fixed on Khaats. Jack stood in the doorway so he could tend the kids as well as keep an eye on Jess knowing sooner or later she would speak her mind in a big way.

"Women are so emotional " He siad and looked back to the table seeing Catlin about to throw some bread he walked over and took it off her giving her some berries as he did Abby some strawberries. " I'll help clean up" he said as catlin gigled squashing a berry in her hand then eating it.

Khaat's anger boiled when she realized that Jess had been using her seer's energies to try to keep an eye on her from a distance and was overhearing her conversation. She had no privacy whatsoever. She guessed now everyone in the house knew about her deepest thoughts and emotions. She didn't even look up. She stared at the floor.

Marcus knew she wanted to hide. He removed the glamour spell that gave her the short pixie cut so that her long blond hair returned and fell over her face, to let her have even a bit of her own, even if it was simply hair over her face. Khaat was silent, but immensely grateful to him.

She hated it. Utterly hated it. There had been boundaries when she had grown up in a seer family. Everyone had been allowed their own feelings. No one reacted to anyone's moods unless words were actually spoken, or unless safety made boundaries impractical. She hated that Jess intruded regularly into her thoughts and into her feelings.

"I need to reduce the inflammation and pain for her and add more healing spells for the tissue and nerves, and the cartilage and the bones. And it needs some serious pain reduction," Robert said. He was hoping to keep Jess's mind on her work and to keep a catfight from erupting here in the gym.

Marcus could feel Khaat's rage, but what he saw more of was the driving emotion underneath it. Jess's apparent lack of boundaries--whether intention or accidental--as a seer had made Khaat feel completely violated and totally humiliated. Marcus wanted them to tend her shoulder, but he was hoping on perhaps getting her out of the house sooner. A bit of distance would be very helpful right now.