Marriage is Murder

Cassidy sat on the table and watched all three cooking glad the kitchen was big enough for them to all work in. "that smells wonderful Michael" she said smiling at him " can I be your guinea pig when the time comes, I love hot coco" she told him with a smile as she bit her lip smelling ginger bread and coco, two of her favorate things waft in the air. It was then she saw Abby walk in covered in Kates jewlery and smiled she motioned her over and picked her up to sit with her.

" seems we have an audiance" Jess said and smiled. Jack nodded to Kate and sighed knowing how she must feel about all that had gone on with Khaat.

" he dosn't even stop for the holidays, I wish I could tear his threoat out but thats not the right way" he said folding his arms across his chest. " he even gave Brant new scars on his chest, first ones for him and he didn't take to the healing spell ether, weird reaction, it was like he was drunk, funny but weird" he said walking with her down to the main doors. Walking across the grounds he pulled his jacket tight around him feeling the snow lash at his face like tiny daggers poking his cheeks. " burr I hate the cold" he said as they reached the kitchen door and he opened it for her .

Kate noticed everyone cooking. That was a good sign. She saw Abbey with her jewelry and laughed.

"Are you having a good time?" she asked.

"I like shinys, Gam," she nodded.

"I know you do. Maybe Santa will have to bring you some shinys of your own for Christmas," she laughed.

"I like yours," she said. "Papa no letted me wear Mama's big shoes."

"Your mama's big shoes are not a good thing for you to wear," Kate said, not liking the thought of her 3 year old granddaughter in Khaat's tall 6 or 7 inch stilettos. "We can find you a better pair to dress up in if you want."

"And one of Mama's fairy dresses?" she asked.

"You'll have to show me," Kate said, not sure what she meant by a fairy dress. Abbey nodded.

"Abs," Angus said, "I bought some fresh berries. A lot of different kinds. Some that you have never tasted. Would you like to be my official berry taster?"

"Oh! Berries!" she said, excited, running over to Angus, Kate's jewelry clinking together as she ran.

"I don't have any idea what Brant's issue is," Kate said, hearing of the odd reaction to healing spells. "Do leave him at home next time, if we don't get it resolved. We can't have him out in a fight if he's going to react that way to a spell. It could put him or the rest of the team in danger. I'm going upstairs to check on Khaat. Has anyone seen Brian?"

"Not since he went to his office, but that was hours ago," Edward said. Kate frowned.

She went down the hallway to Brian's office and let herself in, without invitation. She paused, sighed, and went in and closed the door.

Jess looked over at Kate and chuckled at Abby as she moved clinking as she did. " I think it was because it was his first taste of a healing spell I don't think it will happen again, hasn't in the others at the hospital" she told kate " but I'll keep an eye on him" she placed her cookies in the oven and stepped back. Cassid watched as Kate went into Brians office and shook her head.

" watch for sparks" she said and set Abby in her high chair " okay shes ready for the taaste test Angus" she chuckled as she sat down next to Abby accioing a drink for herself while Jack hung up his wet snow covered Jacket on the rack beside the door.

" its going to be a white out soon." he said and moved to warm up beside the ovens that were hot." oow thats so much better" he said as Jess chuckled.

"Be better if you went for a shower to warm up. " she said and motioned to the kitchen door that elad to the living room." go" she said and he left.

Kate didn't stay long in Brian's office. She came out, closed the door again and went upstairs to Khaat's bedroom. She found Marcus there keeping guard.

"Is she alright?" she asked him. She went over to her daughter and moved the ice pack. "You know Robert isn't likely to check this. He wont risk coming within reach of her."

"Yes," Marcus said. "I know."

"If she has some serious issues, let him know," Kate said.

"You have my word," Marcus said. She wet into the bathroom and started rifling through the medicine cabinet. He went to the doorway. "Something I can help you with?"

"The potion Robert made for Brian for his migraines. Its always in here. I don't even see the bottle right now."

"What did it look like?" Marcus asked.

"Its a rather ordinary looking bottle. But there is a lightning bolt embossed on the neck of the bottle."

"That isn't a standard pain potion, then, is it?" Marcus frowned.

"No," Kate said. "Have you seen it?"

"No," Marcus said. "There's pain potion in there, though." She took the bottle of pain potion. "Does he get them often?"

"No," Kate said. "But when he gets them, they are usually quite severe. And if Robert doesn't intervene, it can cripple Brian for days."

"Well, perhaps we need to ask Robert or Edward to make more for him," Marcus said. He knew Brant wasn't up to it. "Is there a special formula for it?"

"Yes," Kate said. "Robert developed it for Brian when Brian was a boy. I presume the formula is in Robert's journal of potions that he considers standard ones. And I'm guessing that one is in the lab."

Brant woke slowly and groaned but he knew where he was and sighed. sitting up he moved to take a shower and change his clothes. He finished and walked back out to see gewn still sat in his room " ow boy um.." he said. Unlocking his door he stepped out then relocked it and walked down to the kitchen " Jack could you take the lady in my room home" he said and Jack chuckled and nodded. Brant held up his hand " I don't want to know" he said and sat down still drying his hair off.

Jess looked at him and shook her head as Jack passed by and up to Brants room. Un dooing the locking spell he opend the door and walked in. " okay time you went home " he said and she moved to him.

"Just take is easy big boy." she told him and he ported away with her. Brant looked at Angus and sighed.

"What did I do?" he asked " feels like I have a hangover but I know I didn't drink" he said.

"I have no idea what you did," Angus said honestly. "I was out at the market, remember? Maybe it was that woman you had in your room. I don't know."

Kate went down to the potions lab and got the thick book with the leather cover. It was the book Robert had developed for his own use for the potions he used most often. Robert had several different potions journals, and they all served different purposes. But Kate knew that Brian's potion was in this one.

She remembered when, as a boy, Brian had had a rough time in Hogwarts because of days of endless migraines. Unable to stop them by conventional means, they had sent Brian home for a rest. Robert had developed the potion that finally had brought him relief.

Kate sat down at the potions work table and began looking through the book, looking for the formula. She didn't know if she could make it or not, but she knew she had to try.

Brant just breathed out slowly and stood back up " back to the potions" he said " and no women" he said firmly " besides she will probably never ever want to see me again" he stood up and walked to the potions lab door hearing some one inside he pushed it open. " kate why you in here?" he asked and moved to see what she was doing.

Jess chuckled when he left and looked at Angus as she explained about how he had acted while under the healing spell and his hands all over Gwen. " it was laughable Angus" she told him trying not to laugh herself but Cassidy could not help herself and did just that. Jack ported back and sat down.

"Shes back as close as I could get to the place she came from, she can find her own way from there" he said and looked at Cassidy who was giggeling softly he shook his head.

"I could tell you I was doing some light reading, but I'd be lying. I was looking to see if Robert had written down a particular potion in here," she said, flipping the pages slowly.

"Apparently, my son in law has not been so forthcoming with me--or anyone else for that matter," she said. She drew the potions bottle out of her pocket and showed Brant the empty bottle with the lightning bolt etched into the neck. "This should have kept him for months. He's used it in the last few weeks.

"He rarely gets migraines, but when he does get them, they're severe. Hard to manage, and they're almost always aggravated by stress. When he's got about all he can stand, that can start the headaches, and then it just stays aggravated until Robert intervenes.

"So, he's apparently been having almost continuous migraine pain since Khaat was attacked, and he hasn't said a word. He's gone through all his potion, and Robert can't touch him to help him. I don't know that making more potion is a long term resolve, but it at least takes the edge off for him.

"There's no more of the potion on the shelves in here either. I was hoping to find a way to get him some more and then go talk to Robert to see if he has any other ideas. I know Robert isn't going to touch him. He won't risk that. But maybe he's got some other idea that might help."

Brant looked at the book and the recipy " might take an hour or so but I could mix some up" he said softly " it is complicated but simplicaty too" he added and gathered the ingrediants. "Strange this happens to him maybe he should see a healer about it" he said " could be somethings not right or hes sesatitive to stress" he said heating the cauldren over the fire. He slowly added the first ingrediant then a second just as the recipy written by Robert had stated.

Soon after an hour he lifted of the cauldren and sset it on the stand on the table. Letting it cool he took the empty bottle and cleaned it thouraly. "Tell you something Robert knows his stuff" Brant said now feeling better himself. He pored the liquid into the bottle and corked it. " here its per the instructions," he said " but like you said it is only a temprarery solution." Picking up the bottle he walked over to her as he cleaned it and placed a lable on lightning it even though it had the lightning bolt on the bottle its self. " I'll keep the rest close at hand." He told her placing the now full bottle in her hand.

"Thank you," Kate said, taking the potion. "Its been a long time since I was in potions class. I appreciate you mixing that for me.

"Kieran told me that there is a genetic portion to his headaches. He said that their mother used to get migraines so badly that the pain was completely intolerable. And apparently both his maternal grandparents got excruciating migraines.

"As I said, Brian doesn't get them often, but when he does, they are ruthless. He started getting them shortly after his parents died, and it made him very sick. Personally, I always have seen them as something that, every so often, Robert has to wrestle control over.

"I am presuming that for Brian, it was almost more than he could stand to see her nearly killed and to not have Robert's help any more than he did. And for him to know that it happened when she was pregnant--a pregnancy no one had seen coming? Well, I think he's feeling some extreme pressure.

"I'll take this to him and then I'll go see Robert to see if there's something more we can do."