Marriage is Murder

Abbey was interested in the book when Cassidy opened it, and she soon settled in with her. Storytime was one of her favorite times of her day--always had been.

"Thank you," Marcus said to Jack. Marcus knew she wouldn't likely stay in bed either. He knew he'd have to be on top of her need to try to stop James in the only way she knew how.

"She does," Remus said. "And her thinking isn't entirely skewed. As heavily as she's been bleeding, the smell of her blood would definitely attract him. He's already got a taste for her. He's proven that by how easily he tracks her. The only flaw with her thinking, and its one she's well aware of, is that she would not survive her own plan. Its suicidal, and that's the Gryffindor in her. She's perfectly willing to offer herself up if it saves all those others he's going to try to kill now because he's a nut. Fortunately for her, Marcus appears to understand the Gryffindor brain enough to be on the same page with her fast enough to put a crimp in her planning."

"And you're willing to let all those people die?" she looked accusingly at Marcus, who was pouring a dose of her potion, knowing her pain was out of control for her now.

"No," he said calmly, handing it to her. "Drink that. Of course I'm not willing to let that happen, but that's not my assignment. You, however, are. And, secondly, its not the only plan at our disposal. And thirdly, he hasn't struck outside of your family. Not yet. Let's not panic. Quit playing with that potion and drink it. Your pain is out of control. Drink it." She complied, and he took the glass from her, knowing it would make her sleepy and it would calm her in a moment. He did understand her, so he added. "Look, if I think you can help, I'll wake you. Deal?" She nodded, becoming sleepy. He waited until he knew she was asleep before he took the glass back to the bathroom and rinsed it out and then returned to her.

"What exactly are you controlling?" Marcus asked. "The reaction to the smell of blood?"

"Relax," Remus told Marcus. "To the best of my knowledge, Jack has never tasted her blood. He doesn't have the potential for bloodlust for her in the same way James has. The smell can be a bother if its not controlled, but then again, that does help to determine the measure of the man as opposed to the brutishness of the beast."

"Spoken like a man who loathes the beast," Marcus said to the portrait.

"I loathed that beast more than any demon in Hell," Remus said. "And Khaat knows that very well."

"Did she ever see you as the beast when she was small?"

"Oh, indeed she did," Remus said. "She almost got too confident that I would not hurt her in that form, but I had no control whatsoever under the moon without wolfsbane. I'd have died before I let that beast hurt her."

"The reason for the stone. You were protecting her from yourself, weren't you?"

"Yes," he said. "I knew she would grow up to never leave me, even if I was transformed, because that's how her parents are. I hadn't dreamed I would ever have a family of my own. She was my family for all but the last year or two of my life." He paused and then spoke to both of them. "She will become driven to stop James. She is as dedicated to her father as he is to her. She will try to step into his shoes in the ministry, unofficially, and try to do his job to protect the wizarding world. And if it takes offering herself up as a sacrifice to James, she will definitely do it."

"No," Marcus said with complete firmness. "She won't. She'll have to get past me, and she doesn't know how to do that. I will not allow it."

"Can you be on your toes forever?" Remus looked amused. "Because that's what it will take. Her father's curse and how it binds him makes her feel driven to take up the slack for both of them."

"Whatever it takes, then," Marcus said.

"I strongly suggest you all remain in a defensive posture and not to try to be offensive enough to go after him. Simply try to keep everyone safe. Right now, its more than enough of a job," Remus said. "Jack, ask Kate to make sure that the small copy of my portrait is in Robert's room. I know my brother. Perhaps I can find a way to help if I have access to him. All I can see in that portrait right now is some sort of fabric covering it. Its not helpful like that. I honestly don't know where the devil that portrait is because I can't see anything but fabric covering it."

Robert frowned, not understanding why Remus would need to be out. Nevertheless, he allowed Jack to set out the portrait. He looked at the portrait.

"We need to talk, Brother," Remus said. "I've told Jack and Marcus that they will have to be on their guard." Robert didn't understand why. "We've taught her entirely too well, Robert. She knows. She understands James has now a bloodlust specifically for her. And Abbey's blood runs in her veins. Its how he's found her and Abbey both. She wants to use that and offer herself up as bait while her wounds make the scent overpowering for him."

Robert pounded his fist on the arm of his chair. He looked at Jack and shook his head. He was forbidding it. It was out of the question. He knew Khaat would very likely not survive getting up and trying to even dress, much less trying to get into London to offer herself up to James. And there wasn't a breath of a chance that she could begin to defend herself. He understood her need to try to find a way to stop James before the killings began, the need to protect lives. But even as much of a Gryffindor as he himself was, he was not ever going to let her offer herself up.

He turned to the portrait and made a few gestures to Remus. Remus looked at Robert with a look of painful understanding. He slowly looked at Jack and spoke.

"He's reminding me of a pact we made when Kate got pregnant. He's reminding me that if it ever came to it, I was to take him instead. I was to make sure he took her place and kept her safe, no matter what. And now, with the curse he carries, he would far rather, if it ever comes, if you need to offer anyone up for bait, you use him. With his job as the Minister, he would be quite a catch for James. James' ego would be attracted to Robert for that. And, right now, he does not believe he has much value while he is cursed.

"He's understandably upset about Khaat's injury ad James's attempts to take Abbey and how frightened she is," Remus said. "And he feels of no use. For now, simply take the instruction for what he intends. He wants an assurance from you that you won't let her go after James under any circumstances."

Robert shook the pink blanket at Remus.

"Abbey," Remus said. "We won't let anything happen to Abbey either. Jack, if you dont' mind a suggestion, she's taken a shine to Lee. You might have your hands full in dealing with James. You might want to seek out Lee for an extra hand in looking out specifically for Abbey. Unless you have a better suggestion."

"He will try, you know," Remus said to Jack. "And she's very sharply aware of that. This won't be easy. Father and daughter will be working to protect each other, at the expense of their own lives if need be. I would prefer not to lose either of them. The triplets might well be alright in the house, for now at least. I don't know if James even knows they exist. If you need to, though, perhaps you could send them to Edward's compound in Tuscany. There are enough other children there for the triplets to blend in and for their attentions to be occupied. Or perhaps Kieran and Fi would take them to Colorado so they could be with family. Either is a good option."

Robert gestured with the blanket that he wanted the blanket to remain.

"He doesn't want Abbey to be sent with the triplets. Robert," Remus asked, "are you concerned that after two encounters with James so close together that she needs to be closer to you and her parents and the people she knows as her family as much as possible?" Robert nodded. Abbey was traumatized.

"I think if Lee comes again, Robert will outline his plan for Abbey to Lee himself," Remus said. Robert suddenly straightened in his chair. He had an idea. It was risky, but he was considering that perhaps it had merit.

He gestured to Jack with a couple of hand motions, trying to ask him if he was up to an encounter with either James.

Robert got up and went to the window. He saw the bat making circles around the estate. He pointed to the bat. He needed Escobar for this task.

"What the hell could you possibly need a vampire for?" Remus frowned. Robert opened the drawer of his desk and drew out a short jeweled knife. One he rarely used. It had been a gift long ago. He cut the palm of his hand. He drained the blood in a small cup. He showed Remus the cup.

"What are you planning?" Remus frowned. "Bait of some sort?" Robert nodded. "Yours?" Remus asked. Robert shook his head. He pointed to Khaat's room. "No," Remus said. "Absolutely not. Any further bloodloss from her, and...." Robert scowled at Remus. He was already considering a way to make it work.

"He's considering collecting an amount of her blood and planting it," Remus said. "Probably will need to soak it in a piece of meat. He'll use that to draw James out instead of using Khaat directly. It will draw James out, surely, but what then, Robert? What then? Even if you kill him, that doesn't kill the pack. Doesn't even tell you where the pack is."

Robert sighed and shrugged. He didn't know.

"Look," Remus said. "Its a way to get his attention. To get him to come to you. But that's all it does. You need to know what to do with him when you get him, and right now, as much as you'd like him dead, you need him alive.