Marriage is Murder

Guenivere nodded as she looked back to Brant, " my honer" she said. It wasn't Brant who did as requested but Guenivere she took his hand and dragged him to the middle of the floor "LOOK FIRST KISS UNDER THE MISTLE TOE!!" she said and waited for him to make his move. Taking a deep breath he made it and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Okay just a distraction " he said softly and she smiled and nodded. Leaning down he bent her backwards and kissed her to a mirriad of Ooow and ahh's from all around them, he was suprised to find it wasn't all that bad and he stood her up slowly. " hum...beautiful" he said smiling to her. Guenivere laughed as she took his hand leading a some what dreamy eyed Brant back to the stairs.

" okay go, I'll get in contact with you" she said then stopped " um.. how though?" she asked Brant took out a pen and handed it to her.

" write and it will get to me, the pen is enchanted so the letter will find its way." he said and kissed her one last time.

"No disapearing on me now?" she called after him and pocketing the pen, Brant chuckled as he ran down to the bottom of the stairs to where he could see Khaat and Marcus were waiting.

The instant they got back into the basement store room, Khaat's senses seemed to explode. She shivered, suddenly chilled. Her mind flashed back to the nightmares she'd been having. Was this going to be a part of what she'd been dreaming? She was starting to feel fear rising inside, and she wasn't sure why. She automatically shied tight to Marcus.

"What's the matter?" he asked, looking around and seeing nothing.

"We're not alone," she said very softly.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Very," she said. He drew his wand.

"Stay close," he said, "and walk with me. Don't let go. Can you keep up?"

"Yes," she said, not feeling sure at all she was telling him the truth. When Marcus saw Brant join them, he motioned Brant to come with them. He said nothing.

They walked a few steps and, the next thing Khaat knew, she was yanked free of Marcus. She felt her heart beating almost out of her chest as she got the familiar foul odor of a dirty werewolf.

"Merry Christmas," he hissed in her ear. "Now give me the stone." Her eyes were glued on Marcus, who was leveling his wand back at James. James didn't know she couldnt' take it off, and she wasn't about to tell him. If she did, it would seal her death. Marcus glanced at Brant. Getting her out alive wasn't going to be quite so easy. Not like this.

Brant walked just behind them his wand held in his pocket as they moved he could smell something like a soggy dog right with them. He saw Khaat janked out of Marcus's arms and was about to go to help when he felt a hairy arm with sharp nails grasp him across his chest he winced feeling it cut him and he spun around only to see the chest of the wear burst into flames and Guenivere standing holding her wand. " slow poke" she said and gasped seeing his chest. " lets help the others then I'll tend to those" she told him bringing him back to the sounds behind him turning he fired at James just above his head.

"LET HER GO!" he shouted frowning as he saw James go for her neklace but the sting from his chest made him wince.

James glanced up and laughed at Brant. "You're new, aren't you? Well, let me catch you up. I'm the bad guy. And as the bad guy, I make my own rules. So, let her go? Nah. Not feeling it today. Sorry 'bout that."

He sniffed her hair. "You never change, do you?" He asked. "Honey shampoo, lily perfume...Oh, wait....there is something different...." He sniffed her hair closer. He clutched at her bad hand, and she winced. "Thicker hair, thicker nails, and you've been drinking herbals. I can smell them. So, I'm going to get a two for one sale today, am I? How nice!" He whispered in her ear, wanting her to feel his breath on her face. "You're pregnant!"

Khaat didn't move. She froze. Marcus made a very slight movement, twisting his ring around on his finger to the inside of his palm and then using his thumb to trip the silent alarm in the ring's set to summon more of Khaat's guards. He was hoping he and Brant and Guenivere could hold James off long enough for more back up to arrive.

Guenivere watched and listened her eyes went wide " HEY STUPID MUTT!!" she called out to her and she fired to hit just above his left ear "Don't you know nothing bite worse than a mother?" she said and lowered her eyes her hand quickly shot out puntching a weear about to pounce on her from behind turning she threww it against a coat hanger that periced itwas s heart and it shreaked out loud. impressed but he had his own problems a male was lundging for him and he had no place to go taking aim he fired and sent it into a pile of ash on the floor infront of him.

" not bad now what about her" Guenivere said pointing to behind him he swung around blew dust into her eyes then slicing off its head and it rolled along the floor. " Sir, get her back and out, we'll hold the others off you" Guenivere said to Marcus. Just as she finished Jack and Steven ported in Jack sneared at his brother as he saw and smelt him.

" Brother you should try soap we could smell you a mile away" he taughted him as Steven fired at a young wear. Jack saw Brant and the new woman and shook his head. " I asumb formalitys have been done?" he asked then lundged for James prising his arm from around Khaat and moving her quickly to Marcus " GET HER OUT!" he shouted as he bite into James hand tearing off James pinky and spittting it across the floor where Brtant collected it quickly. His mistake as he reatched down he felt the seering pain from his chest hit him and he wobbled.

"Hey, don't you dare pass out now is not the time nor the place. " Guenivere said pulling him back to his feet. Steven kept firing at the smaller wears while Jack sort of held off James his shirt was torn with the claw marks from his brother.

Marcus wrapped himself tightly around Khaat. He felt her clutch the back of his jacket by grabbing a huge fistful of fabric, and he was glad. It let him know she had a good strong hold on him. She tucked her face into his chest.

"I've got you," he said softly.

James, who was regrouping from Jack's strike, looked at Khaat and then at Marcus. "I will kill her, you know. I'm not sure why you fight so hard. It really is a waste of time."

Marcus was infuriated. He felt bitter. "I like honey and lilies," he said sarcastically.

"Do you think she's worth dying for?"

"She must be, or you wouldn't be here," Marcus said. "Kill him if you get the chance, Jack."

Brant looked at Guenivere and nodded holding his chest to stop the flow. They both turned and looked at Marcus then at Jack " with pleasure " he said and lundged for his brother but this time James was ready and sent him against the stone wall of the cellar where he lay for a moment then pushed up on his arms shaking his head as he looked to James only to see him disapear out of the back door and he cursed loudly.

" Okay that was intresting but I realy think you should get, one her to safty and two Brant to a healer, though hold on" moved his hand and placed hers on his cuts stopping the bleeding and making the cuts start to heal. " you'll be woosie for a...oops there you go" she said feeling Brant's legs give."My mother taught me healing, its not much but enough to get by" she said " now um.. we should go" she looked at Marcus. " you want I should shut my eyes so not to see where your staying coz he aint gonna make it on his own for a while?"

Steven walked over and looked at brant chukaling " hes looking like hes drunk" he told Marcus " what do you think?" he asked Jack dusted himself off and grumbled that his new shirt was shredded and Jess was going to have his hide.

Marcus didn't know Guenivere other than just in the last few minutes. He didn't know if she was trust worthy to take into the unplottable estate that was such a tightly guarded secret from the wizarding world. The Lupins were fiercely protective of their fortress and of who came into it and out of it.

"I'm taking her home," Marcus said to Jack and Steven. "I'm sure you two can take it from here. You're both experienced enough to make the decisions from here."

He wasn't going to say Guenivere couldn't come, but he wasn't comfortable with it either. And he didn't have the ability to keep an eye on her, so he didn't feel he had the right to make that choice.

Guenivere looked at Marcus " I'll stay where ever we go" she said taking a hold of Jacks arm as he glared back down at her " hey cool it Im on your side" she loekd to the other mand and spoke " is he always this hot headed?" she asked and heard hi chuckle.

" only when his brother escapes" he said and she loked suprised at both of them.

"Remind me not get on his bad side" she said moving to hold the other mans hand instead. She looked down at Brant who just smiled all goofy at her. " okay this is a first, Im guessing he dosn't see much combat?" she asked and saw the man shake his head. " take me to his room...so I can tend those cuts better nothing more." she told him seeing the look on his face. " that and I think that big guy would skin me alive if I saw any more than I had to, security and all, I know shes the ministers daughter."

"He sees no combat," Marcus said. He spoke to Khaat. "Can you hold on? We need to go."

"Do you think I'm ever letting go of you again?" she asked.

"Good," he said. He looked at them. "We'll see you later. Do not break that one of a kind piece of art glass, Brant. Or I'll have your head. We are not breaking something that important." He ported her back home.

When they ported into the living room, and she heard the fire in the fireplace and smelled the smells of Christmas spices all around her, she was overwhelmed. Her fatigue bested her, and her knees gave way. Marcus picked her up. He didn't know if she was alright or not. He presumed so, but then again, she hadn't been well to begin with. But the healers would be needed for the others. He decided to take her upstairs and tend to her himself until someone had time to get to her.

"Hold on," he said softly. "We're home. We're going upstairs right now." He took her up to her room.