Marriage is Murder

"She had to give enough of herself that the scent would be strong enough to attract James. He has developed a blood fixation for her. Her scent attracts him, but there needed to be a strong enough of a scent to draw him from a larger area. That meant a larger sample was needed, and she didn't have that much to begin with after how seriously she was injured.

"We all discussed it when it came up," he said. "She wanted to help you get your kids, and knew this was the best chance to draw James out. She made her choice, and we all supported her. Brian and Escobar need to medically support her for now and give her body the time it needs to rebuild what she gave and to stabilize. No one expects her to be conscious again for awhile."

Remus's image did not reply to her. He had supported her choice as well. It had been a very calculated decision.

"If they need you, I'll have them call you," Marcus said gently. He was trying, gently to steer her away from wanting to go inside because he knew she wasn't going to like what she saw. "Enjoy your children. That's what this was all for," Marcus told her.

Michael took a tray of tea and coffee upstairs. He hated what he was seeing in the bedroom. Robert looked up, as Michael poured him a cup of Earl Grey. Robert saw the silent frustration in Michael's eyes. He frowned at him, questioningly.

"Oh, Jack is just being Jack," Michael sighed. Robert rolled his eyes. It wore on his patience, and the curse he carried didn't help. It made him have no tolerance for Jack's typical stuck thinking. He got up.

"Robert," Kate called, cautioning. He waved her away. He went downstairs and found Jack working on doing chin ups. He snatched Jack by his shirt and slammed him against the wall.

He headslapped Jack and then slapped his butt to tell him to get his head out of his arse. Then he headslapped him a second time, and pointed to the floor. He wanted Jack to get his thoughts into the present and be of some use rather than continuing to feel sorry for himself.

"Robert," Michael called quietly. "Let him go. You're needed elsewhere, and you know it. Come on. If he doesn't get the point, that's his issue." Robert glared angrily at Jack for a moment. "Come on," Michael coaxed Robert again quietly. Robert turned and left with Michael, who was only hoping that the curse didn't get the better of Robert.

Robert was on his way out of the room when Jack spoke. Robert whirled on him in utter rage. Michael latched onto him with lightning speed.

"No," Michael said. "Don't do this. He's not thinking, for one thing, and he doesn't know." He acciod the best bottle of vintage firewhiskey in the cellar. "Go open it. Come on. I'll split it with you." Robert snatched the bottle and went upstairs.

"Now let me make this clear," Michael hissed at Jack. "You have no clue whatsoever. You aren't remembering how many times James has struck right at his family because of him. You aren't thinking about how many times he's been in your shoes or worse with this. Nor are you thinking that all of England expects him to stop James and right now Robert can't help himself. Nor do you realize that he willingly agreed to give James his own child--to free yours. His child is comatose so that yours could come home. So if you ever--ever--even make the slightest reference that he might not get it, I'll rip you apart myself. Are we clear?"

Robert had opened the bottle but then set the bottle aside. When Michael found him, he picked up the bottle and poured two drinks and handed one to Robert.

"Thank you, Cassidy," Michael said. The note to Lee would bring another welcome face for Robert, whether Lee took the children with him or not. Michael took a sip of the firewhiskey. He savored it before swallowing. "Damn. That's good. We really need to find more of this. Drink up, Robert. Its well worth it," Michael said. Robert took the large double shot and drank it in one gulp. "You'll miss the best part if you waste the bottle that way," Michael grinned. He poured Robert another drink. Robert was slower at the second glass.

"You're not liable to see Robert drunk either," Michael said. "And most of the time, it honestly doesn't look much different. I'm not sure he's ever been completely blasted more than once in his life." Robert held up two fingers. "Twice?" Robert nodded. "I don't remember," Michael frowned. "There was your birthday when you came of age,...and then....I don't remember," Michael said.

Robert tapped his wedding band. "Oh, yes," Michael nodded. "Your bachelor party. I forgot." Robert nodded tiredly.

"Robert refuses to let himself get really drunk," Michael said. "There's always someone depending on him. He never has the luxury of being able to just throw that all away entirely."

"And that is one of the hazards of the work he and I do," Lee said, walking in. "Humanity seems to be less important than living up to everyone else's expectations of godliness. Enjoy what humanity you see, Cassidy. He doesn't get to show it often. What are we drowning, Gentlemen? Hold on packing the kids, Cassidy. I had another thought. Let me talk it out first with Robert."

Lee picked up another glass and poured himself a drink. He sniffed it. "Oh, very nice," Lee said, sitting with them. "So what are we discussing? Kids, vampires, or werewolves?"

"Yes," Michael said.

"Oh, this is grim then," Lee said, "if we have all three on the agenda."

Michael filled Lee in on the events while Lee savored the exquisite firewhiskey. Lee listened intensely. Lee easily saw the strain in Robert tonight. He didn't say much until he had listened entirely to Michael and had taken a moment to think.

"So," Lee said, "What I'm hearing is that you're all stretched here really thin tonight. You're down almost to nothing in terms of protection, and what resources you have is tired and emotionally not really duty fit."

Robert nodded.

"What was your plan?" Lee asked Robert. Robert patted the wand in his pocket. "Taking it on yourself, were you?" Robert nodded. It was about all he had left. "Let's not do this that way," Lee said. "Let me bring in two squads. One for outside, and one for inside. That gives your team time to rest. You'll need a couple of healers for the night shift by the sounds of it."

"Brian won't leave her, and I doubt the vampire will either," Michael said.

"Still, you do need to have one on standby, at the very least. And, you still need to deal with handling the kids. Jess and Jack can deal with their own, as they need to, but Khaat and Brian will need some help. I'll add an agent inside that's good with kids."

Lee looked at Robert and saw a bit of relief, but also some regret on his part that he didn't have it covered by his own resources.

"Stop," he said to Robert. "Its what friends do. Let me do this. I wish I could resolve all those nuisances you've got right now, but I can do this much tonight. Did we miss anything?"