Marriage is Murder

Jack and steven watched from the kitchen doorway the heard Kate talking to ecobar and looked at each other " okay not one word" Jack said to steven who agreed as they both saw him walk toward them and they moved back to the table watching him walk in Jack gave a low growl but steven kicked him under the table " ouch" he said and looked to Steven then at Edward. "Well glad I won't last that long" he said scowling " but I know hes here for the right reason and thats what matters" Steven nodded as Jack finished.

" yes, for Jess and Khaats sake" he said and Jack sat back in his chair and nodded.

"Especially if one cannot die, Donohue," Escobar said as he went up the stairs, hearing him. He knew the others did not like him, and he didn't honestly care.

He went back upstairs, and went into the bedroom. He saw something wasn't exactly as it had been when he had been in ere a short while ago. He could feel her stress. He knew her too well. He felt her mother's presence behind him.

Kate followed him into the bedroom. Marcus stood, ready to draw. Kate raised her hand to stop him.

"He's here because I called for him," Kate said. "With Brian away for a bit, we need more help if we're to have her at home."

"I can manage on my own," Khaat said.

"Oh certainly you can," Escobar said, with gentle sarcasm. He went over to her. He laid his hand on her. "Whatever it was, it was costly for you. And where is the stalwart man who said he would be by your side forever? How is it that he can't muster up to this now?"

"I did not bring you here to taunt her!" Kate was fiercely protective. "Do your job or I will remove you."

Escobar turned around, amused. "Oh, do try," he laughed, unafraid. He walked over to her and gripped her face in his hand. "You are but one old, very mortal woman. If I wanted you dead, you would be, and before you knew what hit you."

A hand was on his shoulder and yanked him around to face the other way. It was Robert. He was not going to allow anyone to touch his wife. Escobar looked at Robert and laughed.

"And you do not fear passing your curse onto me, even though you need me to help your daughter," Escobar said, amused. "Fortunately, the curse cannot be passed to me because I am not human anymore."

"Emilio," Khaat called softly. "Let them be. They don't understand your humor."

"We understand that the undead get their jollies by looking down on those who are mortal," Kate said, speaking for herself and Robert. "If this is how he amuses himself, then so be it."

Escobar turned and went back over to Khaat. Marcus had watched this little bit of sarcasm play out, and he watched how easily Khaat drew him back with just a word. He decided that no matter what venomous words the vampire used, he would not hurt the people Khaat cared about--if but for her sake alone. He let Escobar pass and watched the vampire sit on the bed and tend her.

Robert turned and left, going back to his room. Marcus looked at Kate to tell him that he believed he had this under control. She nodded and left.

Jack walked up the stairs and heard escobar talking to Kate then Robert he let a low growl leave his lips having hated the man as soon as he walked in the door. He staid his ground and listened further the door was open so he decided to watch and asaw him sit on the bed with Khaat. " I heard shouting so came to investigate" he told Kate "you want I should stay here?" he asked loking and nevr taking his eyes off Escobar watching him like a hawk. Jess walked out of her room and into Khaats seeing Ecobar she looked at him and blinked.

"Escobar" she said simply and stood watching him work facinated as to how he could do it even being undead " I can help if you need it" she said refilling Khaat's water for fresh cool water.

"Hold your canine nature," Escobar said to the werewolf when Escobar heard him growl. "You do realize most human men do not growl, correct? Might want to work on that if you intend to polish your human nature."

"He's merely finding it a bit hard to interact with humans again," Kate said.

"Particularly when it comes to a woman that he has fallen in love with," Marcus said. Escobar glanced up at Belby and scowled. He did not like anyone accusing him of falling in love with Khaat. He attempted to ignore him. "Perhaps her husband did not want you here because he knew that you have designs for her," Marcus said. "Looks like you've always had designs for her."

"Its old history," Khaat said. "There is no threat now."

"No," Marcus said, "Not if he respects the boundaries you've set for him."

Khaat laid her hand on Escobar's. "I'm glad you're here," she said, deliberately to ease what she knew was his discomfort being here. She looked at Jess. "You can't stay up forever. We'll be fine. Get some rest. Take the afternoon and the night off. He will have more energy tonight after dark. You can relieve him in the morning if you feel up to it. Jack, would you be up to relieving Belby tonight on the overnight shift?"

Jess sighed and nodded to Khaat then looked at Escobar " you harm her and that were will tear you a new hole " she told him then moved to stand in front of jack " ow and that were as you calledhim is my husband" she kissed his cheek and headed back to her room to lay down and rest a bit. Jack stayed and loked at Kate and nodded.

"I will Kate" he said " any time " he folded his arms across his chest as he looked at Ecoban from the doorway. He would not take his eyes of him while he was there with Khaat

"Lewd words are not the hallmarks of a true lady," Escobar glanced at Jess, disgusted. "If you intend to be filthy, then do so elsewhere and not in this room.

"But just so we're clear," he said, "I said nothing insulting. The fact that he is a werewolf is reality. If you see it as an insult, then that's your issue and one you should have considered before you married him. And the fact remains that most human men do not growl like a canine when they do not get their own way. If your mate intends to act like a human and be fully accepted as such, he must stop willfully acting like a canine. It is merely fact.

"Oh, and you do appear to be behind on things. This is the last time I'm going to repeat myself. I kill who I wish, when I wish. If I had wanted anyone dead, it would not ever be her."

"Like him or not," Kate said to them all. "We need him. We will treat him well. Understood? Jack, you may go. Relieve Belby at midnight, please."

Jack nodded to Kate and took Jess with him as he saw she was imidiatly taking a disliking to Escobar. " Yes Kate and see you at midnight Marcus." he said and took her out of the room back to their room. Steven loked at Kate and then to Escobar and shrugged his shoulders Cassidy brought Steven some coffee and stood with him.

"Would you like something Escobar?" she asked with out a second thought as she too sipped her tea as she watched and waitied. Steven left once he had finished his coffee and patroled the area thearound the house. Cassidy put the kids down for their nap then returned to Khaats room. " Im no healer and I don't care what you are so if you need any help i'd be happy to." she told him.

Escobar watched them all leave but Cassidy and Steven who seemed to not have the bias against him. He was used to it after all these centuries. He did appreciate Cassidy's offer, though. That was unexpected.

"You will need food," Khaat told Escobar. "I know it isn't your preferred diet, but let me provide you with what you need from the stores we keep to feed vampires at St. Mungos. It will ward off a feeding frenzy."

"I do not ever allow myself to get to the point of a feeding frenzy," he narrowed his eyes at her. "After all these centuries, do you not think I have mastered that?"

"You can only manage so much when you're hungry," she told him frankly. "Marcus, paper please." He held a note pad in front of her and she wrote a note and signed it.

"Steven," she said, "would you take the note to St. Mungos, please, and get this supply for him. Ask Angus or Michael to refrigerate it for him. That should reduce everyone's anxieties about having him here." She looked at Escobar. "Is the treehouse to your likings?"

"Definitely rustic," he said. "The entire estate is rather rustic for my tastes, but there is only one thing I need to change. The window shades in the treehouse--they need to be room darkening. I do need some time without daylight in order to be at my best."

"Cassidy," she said, "please buy some well fitting new shades or drapes for the windows for him. Whatever it takes so that he has a lightless space."

Steven stood up and moved to Kate taking the note he nodded and ported out Cassidy stood and listened " I know just th thing black out blinds they block all sunlight " she turned to look at escobar " will that be okay?" she asked a slight smile on her lips a she looked at him hoping her sugestion would be aceptable.

Leaving she headed out to the tree house and waving her hand she changed the blinds to thick black blinds the curtains became heavy red velvet to add to the lack of light for him she added a heavy chandalier to the center of the room to give artifishial light if he needed it.

Escobar nodded. That would be acceptable. He watched them both leave, and then he proceeded to his energy work for Khaat.

He saw the potion on the dresser and picked up the bottle and opened it, and tasted a bit of it on the tip of his finger. "Not bad," he said. "Could use a bit of tweaking."

"Tweaking?" Khaat asked. She had never heard anyone mention that one of her father's potions needed tweaking.

"The maternity vitamin complex he seems to have put in here needs to be stronger if it is to do your child much good. It will help you well enough, but it is not powerful enough to benefit the child very much at all. He has not touched you, has he? If he had, he might well know this for himself." He picked up the paper and the pen she had just had and began making some notes to ask Robert to adjust the formula a bit.

"Are you sure about that? He doesn't ever need to tweak his potions," she said.

"Not if he's been able to make the assessments, I'm sure," Escobar said. "The formula is sophisticated. Shows an experienced, deft hand. One accustomed to meticulousness to a fault. But he's missed the mark because he has not assessed you for himself. There's no fault in that. He's protecting you from himself. If he adjusts his work, all should be well." He looked at her. "Unless he doesn't take well to constructive criticism."

"He manages constructive criticism very well," Marcus said.

"Then I see nothing to worry about, do you?" he asked.