Marriage is Murder

"Leave it alone, Cassidy," Angus said. "Not our fight."

Brian tucked his kids into bed and went to the bedroom to check on Khaat and found it empty. He was sharply tempted to panic. Instead he started to check the bedrooms and found Khaat in Marcus's room watching muggle movies. He went in and simply made himself at home. He accio'd a bag of popcorn and a bottle of soda.

"If you're going to have movies, then you really do need popcorn and soda," Brian said, settled in to join them.

"You're not going to share?" Marcus laughed.

"Not a chance," Brian said. Marcus accio'd more popcorn and soda from the kitchen for him and Khaat.

"If she kills him, it'll be because he was just stupid," Angus said. "Not because she tried to off him. Alright. Kitchen is closed for the night. House elves come in the morning, so I'm going to have to go to bed early. It seems I'm training elves in the morning."

Before the first movie was over, Kate and Robert had made their way into the bedroom. Kate merely sat down on the floor to join them. Robert sat down on a large ottoman in the room. Kate accio'd more popcorn and soda. Marcus enchanted the screen to be bigger and have better sound.

"Don't you have a home theater?" Marcus asked them.

"Not legally," Brian admitted.

"So that's a yes," Marcus laughed.

"Yes, but not officially. Officially, on the blueprints for the house, its a billiards room."

"Sometimes its a billiards room," Kate said. "How many movies do you have, Marcus?"

"Endless," he grinned.

"Nice," she smiled.

"Well, they'll survive," Kate said. "You're welcome to watch, but you're not missing anything. Typical muggle car chase tomfoolery. Its amazing what they believe they're capable of."

"You have no idea what this bunch is capable of when it gets to see a movie," Brian said. "This is liable to be an all night affair."

"If we decide we're doing that, we're either going to have to make the room bigger or apparate downstairs."

"To the non-existant movie theater?" Marcus asked.

"Billiards room," Brian said.

"Oh, right. I forgot. Its a billiards room," Marcus said.

"Shall I presume you're still bringing the four new elves at 5 am?" Brian asked Brant.

At the end of the first movie they decided to move downstairs. Kate and Robert went down first and made sure the room was changed to the movie theater, with the refrigerator and snacks and recliners. Kate made sure there was a fire in the fireplace and that there were plenty of pillows and blankets.

Marcus brought all sorts of movies downstairs in a briefcase full of flashdrives. Brian brought Khaat down and made her comfortable in a duel recliner and sat in the other place beside her, with pillows and blanket for them to share.

It didn't take long for Khaat to fall into a weakened sleep during the second movie, a Western. Brian noticed that Khaat slept for a bit and then would wake a bit startled. He knew what was on her mind--Abbey. And he didn't blame her. He wasn't happy she wasn't home either. He believed she was in good hands, but it still wasn't home. And she was only three. Brian also felt that she hadn't had her potion for hours and hours, and he knew that her pain had to be out of control.

He accio'd the potion from downstairs, and he finally talked her into taking some near midnight. He was relieved when she fell asleep more comfortably, now curled tight to him. He had missed having her that close, and there had been a time when he didn't feel that he was ever going to have a chance to be that close again.

Brian heard some slight movements behind him and saw Edward and Michael joining them. Even Escobar wandered downstairs, frowning, not sure about the whole muggle movie business. Still, he sat down to merely observe. Brian smiled. He hoped Lee's night staff was on duty upstairs with the kids. It seemed that everyone needed a bit of a break after all.

"Marcus's," Brian said.  He glanced over at Robert.  "Are these legal movies?"  Robert simply put his hand over his eyes.

"Let me translate that," Michael said, laughing "And I quote: 'What movies?'" They laughed.  

"Is this honestly what muggles consider good entertainment nowdays?" Escobar asked.

"It is," Kate said. "What did you consider entertainment?"

"When I was mortal?" he asked.

"Yes," Kate replied.

"Sex," he answered bluntly.  She looked at him for a moment. "It was the 14th century," he shrugged. "What else was there to do?"

"Riding, swordfighting, swimming, dueling, feasting, theater,...." Kate said.

"How very British of you," he laughed. "I'm Latin.  We had other very romantic and passionate interests."

"Oh, brother," Marcus rolled his eyes.

"This from a man who sees seduction as sport," Escobar said.  "I know your type.  I prefer to see it as art."  

"As in the art of survival?" he asked.

"Partly.  But art nonetheless,..." he said.  He frowned, looking at the screen, trying to turn his head upside down.  "How is he getting his leg over that....wait a minute.  Do they really think vampires can do that?"  

They all burst into laughter, and Kate nodded.

"Oh, you have no idea what they think you can do," Kate teased.  She was considering resurrecting an old 1970's disco comedy about vampires she'd seen once just to see what Escobar would think about disco dancing.