Marriage is Murder

Robert sat beside Abbey and picked at some food. Lee joined them.

"Robert," Angus said. "Might we consider adding a couple of staffers, please?" Robert looked up at him, never opposed to suggestions, but he wasn't sure what Angus had in mind.

"We need at least two cooks, and we could honestly use two housekeepers, as large as the house is, and, then of course, there are the guest houses to consider and the tree house," Angus said. "Perhaps some house elves?"

Robert looked at the rest of them, interested in their feedback.

"The flat out truth of it is," Edward said, coming into the kitchen, "that most of today's wizarding society has decided that using house elves is out of style and is cruel. However, a great many of the elves actually need to work. Like all of us, they need to have purpose. And, I have no doubt that they would be well treated with kindness here, which is all a house elf has ever looked for in life. It is worth considering. It isn't as if loyalty from a house elf is ever an issue. They're loyal to the families they serve to their dying breaths. It might answer a lot of issues."

"Are they good with small children?" Angus asked.

"Unfailingly so," Edward said. "Your father grew up with house elves around. And there were house elves when you were small, but I doubt you remember."

"I don't," Angus said.

"Perhaps, if you decide the idea has merit, you should ask Brian," Lee suggested.

"Perhaps we should at least ask Brian since it is his house?" Edward asked. Robert nodded.

"I can help you with that after breakfast, Robert," Michael said. Robert nodded. Michael fixed a breakfast tray for the people still upstairs in Khaat's room and sent it upstairs. Robert decided there was little to do right now but to finish his breakfast.

Abbey finished her breakfast and jumped down from her chair and ran out of the dining room to the living room. She had no more than entered the living room when a pink paper bird flew in through the floo. The bird flew right to her. She grabbed it and opened it and became panicky. She opened the living room door and dashed outside, frightened.

The minute she entered the yard. dark forms began to apparated into the yard. She froze, terrified. She knew they were 'doggies' but she didn't see the big doggie. Even so, she knew this was bad. Really bad.

"Lee!" one of the men outside shouted. Lee had seen Abbey leave the table but knew nothing more. When his own fighter shouted, Lee immediately drew his wand and apparated outside. Robert, Edward, and Michael drew and headed towards the yard on the run.

Lee saw a young female werewolf heading right for Abbey. Lee apparated in and picked up Abbey, just as the female made contact, taking a huge swipe with her claws at his neck and shoulder. He had no intention of letting go of Abbey. "Hide, Abs!" he shouted. "Don't let go!"

"I no like them!" she said, frightened, hiding tearfully in Lee's neck.

"Its okay, Sweetheart," Lee said softly, knowing he was bleeding. He honestly didn't know how badly he was hurt, but he trusted Jess to take care of it. "We're not going to let them hurt you. How did you know they were out there?"

"The birdie," she said.

"What birdie?" he asked. She drew a wadded up piece of paper out of her pocket. He opened up the note and saw a large wad of fur tucked into the paper.

"Fur?" he asked.

"It smell really bad," she said.

"I dont' smell anything," he frowned.

"I do," she insisted. "It doggie fur. They smell bad. They no smell like my fur."

"You know what he's doing," Edward said. "He's using her. He's counting on her being easily lured away from us by her own fears. And he plans on using that to his advantage."

"He take me away," Abbey said.

"If he can get you alone, he might try," Edward said. "You need to stay with a grownup. Its really important that you don't go outside by yourself anymore. If you stay with a grownup, he's not going to be able to get to you. Lee, why don't you let Jess take care of your neck and your shoulder and get some clean clothes? I'm sure any of us would hold Abbey for a bit."

Abbey immediately curled into Robert, who held her close and kissed her. He felt her little fingers claw gently into him as she clutched tight to him, and he felt her tears on his neck.  When Jess asked for the note, Robert took it from Abbey, examined the hair very briefly and then handed it to Jess.  

"Thank you, Jess," Lee said. "Yeah, I need to shower for the day anyway.  I'll be careful." He headed upstairs.

"Papa," Abbey said very softly, "I want my daddy."  Robert nodded.  He needed to go upstairs himself. He took her upstairs.  He simply opened the bedroom door.

Marcus was not in the room, Robert noticed. Neither was Kate or Escobar. It was merely Brian now with Khaat, and Khaat appeared to be either unconscious or sleeping. Brian was writing something in a book, and drinking coffee when the door opened.  He looked up, but when he saw Abbey's tears, he got up immediately.

"Daddy," Abbey reached for him.  

"What's the matter?" he took her from Robert. He felt her trembling when he took her.  

"Doggies want to take me away," she told him very softly, hiding in his neck.

"Doggies? What doggies? Were they here?" he asked. Robert nodded. Brian frowned deeply.  Robert gestured to Abbey, and that was all Brian needed to know for the moment.  "I promise you," Brian whispered into her ear, "I promise you, Abbey.  No one is ever going to take you from me. Nobody."

"I want doggies dead," she said to him.

"Me too, honey," Brian agreed.

"They kill my mama," she said.

"Your mama? No. They didn't. She's not dead. Look," Brian said. "She's here.  Come with me." He took her over to the bed and showed her. "See? Remember her boo boos? Its going to take her some time to get better. But she's not dead."  

Abbey looked at Khaat and then at Remus's portrait.

"She not with you, Unca ReRe?"

"No, Sweetie," the portrait said. "She's only sleeping. Your daddy wouldn't lie to you. Not about that...."  Remus was cut off by Khaat's trying to move. It was painful for her, and it made her groan a bit in her sleep. For Abbey, though, it was relief. She'd seen dead people. They didn't move or make noise. She hung onto her daddy with all she had. Brian picked up the empty coffee pot and was going to try to send it downstairs for a refill, but it was hard to do onehanded. Robert sent the coffee pot and the tea pot back downstairs for refills.

Robert looked at Brian and pointed to Khaat, wanting a report.

"She came conscious in the middle of the night," Brian said. "And she went right to sleep. Her vitals are stronger than they were. We've been trying to replace her blood a little at a time, but it takes a lot of energy because she's lost so much."

Robert pointed to the tray and then to Khaat. She wasn't going to recover unless they soon started to make sure she got food and fluids. All the magic in the world wasn't going to change her very human needs.

"I was going to wait til she woke," Brian said. Robert shook his head and pointed again to the tray. He preferred Brian wake her and make sure she ate. "You sure?" Brian asked. Robert nodded. Brian scribbled a note and sent it, in a paper bird, down to the kitchen asking for something very easy for her to eat.

Angus intercepted the paper bird and made a smoothie for her out of orange juice and a number of nutrition potions and powders to have all the nutrients she needed.

"Jess," Angus said. "If you're up to it, why don't you take this up for Khaat and offer to spare Brian long enough to get a shower and some fresh clothes? I'm sure he won't ask you to stay if you're not up to it, but since Robert can't touch her, Brian might appreciate a chance to shower and maybe get some food himself."