Marriage is Murder

Jess saw Khaats reaction and chose to ignor it focusing on Robert and fixing the damage Khaat had done to her shoulder. "Yes sir, Would it be alright if Cassidy came this afternoon, I have to work at the hospital, my sift is a long one today one of the healers called in sick" she asked knowing distance right now would be better for both of them as she glanced at Marcus.

Jack moved to help the kids back to teh nursary choosing to stay out of what was going on in the gym. Now he wondered if it was a good  idea or weather he should have left it an ordinary garden shed. Quietly he moved Once the children were settled into play he quietly moved back down to the kichen for a well earned coffee and cookie. He sat watching the back doors but he never stepped out side.

"Yes, of course," Robert said. He finished wrapping up Khaat's shoulder again and helped her put her t shirt on and put the sling back. He knew it had been extremely painful for her but she hadn't made a peep, hadn't so much as winced. Not that he could see under the hair. He drew off the pain for now, as much as he could possibly draw off. It was so drastic of a change, she became seriously lightheaded and dizzy. He steadied her.

"You shouldn't let it get that bad," he told her. "Its full of broken bones, torn tendons and damaged cartilage. Its about as messed up as I've ever seen a shoulder be. You need to stay ahead of the pain and not try to get it to stop once its out of control. Understand me?"

She merely nodded.

"Marcus," Robert said. "Take her to rest. I'd get her something cold to drink with some ice. Maybe Michael would make her one of those citrus smoothies she likes. It would do her good. I'll ask him.

"Yes, Sir," Marcus said.

"Khaat, the gym is a good thing. Working out is a good thing. Working out your shoulder this soon--not so much," her father said. "We'll start that, but not yet. Okay?"

She nodded and reached for Marcus, who helped her to her feet. She was still seriously dizzy from the strong pain relief spell.

"That will wear off in a few moments," Robert said. "She's not used to that much pain relief that fast. Try not to let her fall on her face, would you?"

"I'll do my best, Sir," Marcus smiled. He looked at her. "To your room?" he asked. She nodded. "Excuse us," he said to Jess and Robert and took Khaat up to her room.

Jess finished and stepped back not saying a word as he spoke to Khaat. Making sure everything was back in his bag she closed it and handed it to him. " I'll get read for work" she said and nodded to Marcus as he passed with Khaat to take her up to her room. Jess looked at Robert as she spoke " you know whay Im going in early right?" she asked some what saddened" her thoughts screamed at me, " she told him " Jeffery taught me to control what I read, but they were so loud I couldn't ignor it." She told him.

Jack saw Marcus with Khaat head up to her room and walked out to the gym and listened to and shook his head as he walked over to them both. " Theres hot fresh coffee in the kitchen" he said looking from Jess to Robert and back. He wished he could tell Jess to just drop it and get on with things but he knew how Khaat felt being unable to do what she normaly did and feeling like every one was against her but he said nothing knowing it would eventualy work its self out, he hoped.

"So, let me get this straight," Robert said quietly. "Its her fault? She wasn't sending any intentional messages to anyone. She wasn't even in the house. She was out here in the gym.

"Jess," he said gently. "No one, not even a seer, likes the idea of other people in their heads, intruding into their own private thoughts. When others react to someone else's thoughts that haven't even been shared, well, that feels very violating. Trust me, I've been there. When that happens to me, I feel like, well, very much like I've been raped mentally.

"Its not something other people handle well. I really do need you to get some better boundaries on it. I can start to try to teach Khaat some occlumency, I suppose. But my only other choice to try to help her feel not so violated is to try to find out how far she has to be from you in order to not have you picking up on her private thoughts. And neither of you want that."

Marcus took Khaat to her room and came downstairs.

"Michael, can you make Khaat a citrus smoothie, please?" he asked.

"Certainly," Michael said. "Is there a problem out there? I noticed she was working awfully hard to try to hide herself when you brought her in."

Marcus wasn't sure he wanted to say anything in front of Jack. He didn't want to upset anyone.

"She's...feeling a bit humiliated," Marcus said quietly. "I'm going to try to get Robert to get her out of England for lunch. Perhaps I can go with her so that we can linger a bit if Robert has to get back."

Jess stood frowning at Robert as then she spoke " Thats why im going into work, also because its my shift." she told " shes not usless or a squib and Jeffery taught me to block them but not when there screaming louder than a jack hammer." she said and turned to head inside to get ready for her shift leaving Jack and Robert out side.

" Wow she is angry," he said and folded his arms. " Don't worry I'll talk to her," he said" I think she feels as helpless as Khaat does, after all she is like her sister and she can't help her like she wants" he said.

"Get her under control, Jack, unless you prefer me to do it," Robert said quietly, reeling in his anger with Jess's rudeness towards him. "If she thinks she can use a smart mouth with me and have me tolerate it, she's wrong. I'm still her boss, unless she wants to do that again, in which case, she'll be looking for another post. Flat out, Jess is in the wrong. Much as I appreciate your trying to explain her behaviors, I need her to change them. And that's the bottom line here.

"As for Khaat, Khaat never opened her mouth. If Jess refuses to learn how to filter, then I can't have her working with Khaat. Its just very simple. Jess has other places she lives--the estate, her own home, lots of choices-- and she has lots of other assignments she can do. Khaat doesn't have much of a choice right now. This is her home for the moment. She doesn't have the options Jess has."

He started to walk towards the house and looked back at Jack. "On second thought, I don't want her returning here when her shift is over, Jack. She needs to go home. Send Cassidy here instead. I don't want Jess here if she can't handle it. Cassidy gets along well with her and the kids and doesn't have the trouble Jess has. You can either stay and work here or send Steven. Your choice. If Steven can't come, then I'll bring Jim. If Cassidy can't come, then I'll bring Fi.

"But this with Jess ends here and now. She can go to the estate and work there and at the hospital and at the shops. She doesn't need to be around Khaat. Its not good for either of them. I want Cassidy or Fi here before lunchtime. Understood?"

Jack listened to Robert and nodded "WE will be out within the hour." he siad and walked back inside and up to Jess who was sat on the bed watching as Jack wrote two notes and sent one to steven and Cassidy the other went to Jeffery. Once done Jack looked to Jess. "This has gone on too long, i sent for Jeffery, your going to learn how to control being a seer and not piss every one off." he said moving to the nursary he took Little Robert, Catlin and returned as he held Jess and them tight as he ported back to the main house where he knew Jeffery was waiting.

Steven got Jacks note and accioed several packed bags "Cassidy we got to go, NOW!" he called and Cassidy came with the kids Steven gathered them up and portted them to an alley out side a house. Gathering up th bag s he walked over as if nothing was wrong and opened the door. "Cassidy..." he said her raise her hand to stop him talking and smile to him. she then headed up to the nursary.  Steven moved to the living room and found Michael.

"Hey micheal, too late for breakfast?" he asked and looked at Robert. Steven walked out to face him. " so whats the situation?" he asked.

"I haven't had a chance to put it away," he said, pouring the citrus smoothie into two glasses and putting them on a tray. "Its been a tough morning already. I hope you both have your best game on because here we run twice as fast because as far as staff goes? We're it. Us three. Marcus has a full time job taking care of Khaat. The rest of it is all us."

He floated the tray upstairs. He glanced outside to see Robert apparated out to work.

Upstairs, Steven and Cassidy's kids were making themselves at home with the others, having found the playroom.

It didn't take five minutes for the boys to start fighting over some little tin aurors and wizards and dragons. They started throwing them and then started actually fighting.

Ever gentlehearted, it frightened Abbey to see the boys actually hitting each other and biting and pulling each other's hair and just getting into some hard brawling--for whatever boys at that age could do. Dakota wasn't the least bit afraid to get right into the middle of it.

Abbey picked up a stuffed kitty that was bigger than she was and wanted to take it downstairs-quickly. She dragged it--running as fast as she could go, and before she knew it, she had tripped over the kitty's oversized tail and was falling over and over down the marble stairs. She screamed such a bloodcurdling scream that it echoed through the house.

Khaat's blood ran cold, and Marcus dashed out of the room like he'd been set on fire, his wand drawn. Khaat tried to follow but Marcus was ridiculously faster.

"Oh, God!" he whispered, seeing Khaat's precious child lying at the foot of the sweeping marble staircase.

Steven chuckled and nodded he was about to talk again when he heard the scream and dove to the stairs moving the kitty he checked Abby and gently picked her up. " Cassidy, kitty plasters and send for Kate too" he glanced up at Marcus" just to be safe." he said then looked down at Abby " what made you leave the nursary?" he asked softly as he gently checked her over "If any where hurts just tell me okay" he spoke softly to her as his hand touched her head then shoulders hoping she wasn't badly hurt. Cassidy walked down holding the plasters " go stay with the others I think ours could go back Im sure Jack could mind them." he sugested Cassidy nodded.


" I agree, its too small here for them I found two of the boys fighting, I'll sort that." She left to head back up and seperate the boys who were fighting still. Taking James, Jaylens and Fallon's hand she ported them back to the main house explained and return quickly now only having Khaats children and feeling they could cope. Steven still sat with Abby in the living room.

Abbey was crying too hard to answer Steven, but when he touched her shoulder, Abbey's cry rose into a scream, followed by sobbing. Khaat recognized the cry. Her child was hurt. No mother could hear their child cry in pain and not know it. Michael came running out of the kitchen and over to them all.

She went downstairs, and Marcus ran up the stairs to steady her. He'd seen many a rattled mother not be as coordinated as they usually were.

"Slow down," he told her steadily. "We're right here." He walked her down to the bottom of the stairs.

"Michael, call my father back please," Khaat said, trying to keep her voice quiet and calm. She saw the cuts that Steven had seen that would indeed need the kitty plasters. But that wasn't probably what hurt--not like that.

Michael went over and opened the floo. "Robert! Blue Halfpint! Robert!..." Before he could speak again, he saw a flash of a wand flare come back through the floo. Robert had gotten the message. He was as good as on his way.

"Mama!!!" Abbey's little cry rose into a loud pained wail when she saw Khaat. Khaat knelt beside her daughter. She saw how Abbey had reacted to Steven.

"Steven, your knife," Khaat said softly, "Cut her shirt very carefully. This way..." she motioned for Steven to make a horizontal cut to cut the little girl's shirt away from her collarbone.