Marriage is Murder

Jack watched Robert and was some what frustrated that he could do nothing about his brothr but he understood clear enough the house and ocupants came first and so nodded "Okay focus on the etsate, house elves, four of, I got that. " he said then watched again as Robert indicated to him what he wanted him to do. Jack wanted to make a move on James but he knew Robert was in control and he had to put his personal feelings to one side. " I'll get on this right away" he said and took the menu just so he would not forget. Porting to Sparks he found Lizzy and told her what he needed then once he ahd it he walked to the bank.

Jess had felt Jck go and was glad feeling his frustrations at James move and the information they now about the Wears. Jess went abck to tending to Khaat and shook her head even she didn't know if what abby had drawn and said was true, if it was she was the youngest seer she ever knew.

The tellers at Gringotts were all goblins, and all business. When Jack asked for the vault teller, a stern looking goblin appeared from behind his high desk and the tall stool that he sat on during the day. He sized Jack up and smelled the stew.

"You don't want into a vault," the goblin said. "Who sent you, and what is it you want?"

Upstairs, Khaat woke, feeling still chilled and uncomfortable, unaware that her father had sent to Tobias for warmer gowns and shawls for her. "Jess," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "Jack's need for revenge is so loud in my head I cant hear anything else. You need to find a way to get him under control before he does something stupid. James will be counting on it."

Jack looked at the goblin and huffed " Robert Lupin sent me with the stew he would like to employe four house elves " he said not adding too much detail f or he felt too much was dangerouse for any one to know with james still on the loose. He handed the note and stew over to him and stood waiting for a reply. Jess sighed and listendd to Khaat as she spoke of Jacks need for revenge.

"I know Khaat and I'll speack to him when he returns I promise but don't worry about it right now hes off the property I presum doing something for Robert" she told her checking her vitals once again for the third time that day and marking it in her chart.

The goblin, by nature, was ill tempered, just like every other goblin. He saw Jack huff and interpreted it as arrogance on Jack's part. He took the pot of stew and the note. He put the pot aside and opened the note and read it.

"If you worked for anyone else, I'd toss you out," the goblin said tersely, "but your employer knows respect and knows how to show it. Four house elves, it is then. I'll need 24 hours at least to pick well for the Minister, but given the fact that the Minister is in hiding, I'd suggest that you send someone to pick them up, perhaps around 5 am? The bank is not open then, and the bar crowd has gone home. Its empty. Brush up on your manners with house elves or you'll run them off before noon," the goblin said. "And I presume he knows he needs to provide for them in better form than your human ancestors used to. I presume he knows that or he will lose them before the day is out. I presume that's it, then?"

"I'm not worried," Khaat said to Jess. "Not really. I just know that he's one aggravation from being out of control, and I don't think he knows he's that close."

"Are you afraid he's not battle ready?" Marcus asked her gently.

"I'm not afraid. I know he's not. He'll go over the top if we let him fight. And if we don't, he'll take it personally and that will be almost as bad."

"Understood," Marcus said. "I'll relay it to your father so he is aware. I presume he's dealt with Jack's temper before."

"Many times," Khaat said.

"Alright. You really do need to rest. And you need some fluids. I'll go see what I can find. Any requests?"

"Surprise me," she said. "Something to fix how stiff and sore I'm getting?"

"I'll see what I can do about that," he laughed. "I'll be right back." He went downstairs to the kitchen.

Jack watched the goblin and folded his arms across his chest as the small man spoke " yes we do and yes its being delt with " he said not realizing he snapped at him when he spoke " I won't be coming some one else will be but I'll pass on your instructions. " he said his eyes flashed yellow as he spoke knowing he should leave before he said or did something he would deeply regret. It was then Brant walked up behind him and smiled.

"Jack home.. now!!" he said "and take your potion" Jack turned and left, leaving Brant stood with the goblin " I'm sorry about my freind hes up tight, we have acomidations allready each has there own set of rooms bedroom and bathroom, if they need anything else they only need to ask and again my apologys for Jacks attitude." he spoke softly but calmly and respecfully to him. Jess listened to Marcus and nodded as he left she just stayed sat quiet next to her.

Robert had gone downstairs to get one of the financial ledgers from Brian's office when Jack came back home. Michael looked up and felt Jack's anger. Michael put his cleaver down from cutting chicken. Robert came out of Brian's office. Robert went right up to Jack, toe to toe with him, unafraid, and stared him right in the eye.

"What is your problem, Jack?" Michael asked, joining Robert. "I thought Robert made himself abundantly clear yesterday. Did he not? If there is an issue, you need to spill it right now."

Robert was concerned that perhaps Jack had done something to buggar up getting the house elves, or perhaps beggared up Robert's alliance with the goblin at Gringotts. And if Jack was feeling sorry for himself again, Robert was not sure he had the temper himself to deal with Jack one more time.

Jack saw Robert walk over to him he took out his potion and placed it in his hand " check it...please" he looked at Michael as he spoke " I...I don't know, I realy have no idea" he said " Im.. Im strugaling" he admited " its like the potions ben tampered with and isn't working as it should." he hung his head at Robert "Brant took over in the bank he sent me home , how he knew I have no idea" he said just as  Brant appeared and looked at them. He saw the bottle and took it from Robert opening it he smiled to Roebert.

"Sneaky but...it's...yes ... its been weakened, mixed" he scoffed " pufft some one didn't know what they were doing" he told Robert " Amature's, don't worry you have fresh in the lab Robert." he said to Robert and left with out another word. Leaving Jack to look at Robert and Michael. He bearly had time ro respond when Brant walked back with a small stool. Placing it down he stepped up on it " open" he said and Jack did as he was told to the smirks of Steven. Brant placed two tea spoons in his mouth and Jack swollowed thn staggered back. "That should sort it,how do you feel Jack" he looked to Robert and chuckled. " its your original potion, un tampered with." he looked at Jack who smiled and nodded.

"Thats much better" he said and looked at them all "I could feel  it was wrong like the wear was sipping out more, they must have pick pocked it when I went to get the kids then replaced it with a bottle containing a weaker potion."  he took a deep breath and shook his body down " okay back to the job in hand" he said now relaxed.

Robert turned around and left, furious. Michael understood, and he simply walked away and walked back to the kitchen. He said nothing.

Lee had been with Abbey in the nursery, and he had merely gone to get a warm up in his coffee mug but when he turned back to glance at Abbey, she was no longer sitting on the floor in front of the doll house. She was gone. Just gone. He put the cup down and immediately checked the play room. He didn't find her anywhere.

She had dashed upstairs when Jack had come home. She had hid under Papa's bed in his room. Lee hadn't see her go. He began a frantic search of the house immediately.

Brian saw Lee's desperateness. "What's wrong?" he asked Lee.

"She was right with me. She's gone," Lee said, urgently searching.

"Abbey?" Brian asked. Lee nodded. Brian whistled for Archangel. "Don't panic. Not yet," Brian said. The bird flew to his shoulder. "Find Abbey," Brian told the bird. The bird took a moment and then flew straight upstairs. Brian and Lee ran, full speed, after the bird. Archangel went straight to Robert's room and started to strut on the floor alongside the bed, squawking.

Robert saw the bird fly in and start to march around on the bedroom floor. He frowned. He was about to look under the bed when Brian and Lee raced and peered under the bed.

"Abbey," Brian called. "Its just me. Come out. Its okay." He reached under the bed and drew her out. "What happened?"

"I no stay!" she was frantic. "There doggies here. I go! I want to go!..."

Robert went over to Abbey and picked her up. She clung to Robert, hiding in his neck. He felt her shaking like a leaf.

"What happened, Abbey?" Brian frowned. Robert brushed Brian's concerns aside. He knew. He wasn't happy about it either.

"What arent' you telling me?" Brian said.

"There should be no reason why a werewolf in broad daylight should be having control issues," Remus's portrait said. "He shouldn't be out of control until nighttime. Tampered potion or not. He's out of control, and now Abbey doesn't want to be in the same house as an out of control werewolf. And she has a right to be frightened."

Steven held jack back and shook his head " go patrol " he told him Jack nodded and paused by the portrait as he spoke softly.

" I know thats whats confusing me too, I'll stay out of the house, I hate to see her upset. " he said and headed out of the house. Steven headed up to where he heard Abby and the others.

" its okay Abby hes gone," he looked at Michael and Brian " hes doing patrol out side, hes as confused as we are over all this" he said Brant walked back in with the small bottle in his hand looking from one to the other but moved to Roberts room he knocked and entered.

" um, Robert I checked the potion heres the report," he said " it was weakened but I think the rest of it was Jack, my sugestion untill this is over, keep him out side or reassign him to another palce for now, I have been watching him and I think this is getting to him more than even he knows or wants to admit." He said placing the report down beside Robert. "Ow and I have to return at 5pm for the hosue elves, everything is in order with accomidation. " he told him.

"Of course its Jack," Remus's image said. "Just watch him for a few minutes and how he deals with anger. He doesn't even try to deal with it in a human manner. He growls, as his first kneejerk reaction, and he needs to go to the gym and burn it off.

"How do you think he's going to react when he has to deal with a bigger, more powerful werewolf if he deals with humans this way? He's going to try to make himself a bigger more powerful werewolf to deal with it. Sending him outside doesn't fix a lot. Robert has the same concerns that I do. If Jack wants to live as a human, then he needs to start dealing with his anger in a human manner and not as a werewolf. The angrier he gets, the less control he has, and the more of this we see. The wolfsbane doesn't do anything for him in the daylight but give him a false sense of security that he's got it all together.

"You lot better keep an eye on him or sometime when night time comes, you really will have a problem," Remus said. "And that's what Robert is already aware of. Its why he's already trying to get Jack to wake up to the fact that he's doing this himself." It wasn't new ground for Robert. He'd dealt with Jack before about this. But in the past, Jack wanted to change. Robert didn't believe Jack honestly wanted to change this time. He believed he wanted to be powerful enough to stop James himself, and that meant being more werewolf than human.