Marriage is Murder

Cassidy nodded and smiled to Marcus as he spoke " sorry but I thought they would be betetr in their own beds so not to hurt her if they kicked out"she told him softly. She watched Marcus go for his shower and she sat back and looked at Khaat " sorry, about moving the kids " she said and sighed deeply she chuckled as Khaat told her about the book they wanted to be read and she nodded " I haven't heard that one but I have seen Abby and Dakota with the book some times I think they make it all up to amuse them selves" she said softly and tucked one little ones hand under the covers to keep warm.

Jess walked up and lightly knocked before she opened the door " ah I see there asleep you do know this means they wil be up early tomorrow" she said and chuckled " and I see Marcus final went for that shower, good" she said smiling to Khaat. " you should rest too Im sure these little ones are glad to be close to you I can see Abby is" she chuckled seeing how Abby lay with her arm gently laid over Khaat.

"It certainly is your choice," Khaat said. "Don't worry. Marcus doesn't have to understand everything. You'd all like him if you got to know him a bit. Underneath all that playboy stuff is the heart of a good dad. He's got four kids--three boys and a girl. Two 15 year old twins, a 12 year old daughter, and an 11 year old son. They've been living with his parents since he started to work here. Their mother isn't worth much, according to Marcus.

"I suppose its my fault that you all haven't gotten to know him better. He's been trapped up here with me."

Jess came upstairs. "They're up early anyway," Khaat answered her. "If they get up much earlier, they'll be up in the middle of the night."

She was about to say something else, when Suki sent up the dinner tray for the evening meal--plates of roast chicken and potatoes and vegetables, tall glasses of iced tea, and slices of black forest torte.

"Marcus will be glad to see that. I'm sure he's hungry," Khaat said. "You two should go eat while things are quiet."

Cassidy smiled but stayed where she was " I'll wait untill Marcus comes back " she said " I didn't know he had kids" she said smiling " at least I know now he can handel them better, yeah but its okay" she told her as Jess just smiled and moved to the door.

"Remember eat your self Khaat" she tol her and headed down to the dinning room. She saw Brant , Jack and Steven already sitting and eating and she shook her head grabbing a plate and sitting herself it was only now she realised how hungry she actualy was and smiled. Cassidy sat flipped threw the book smiling at the pictures she found as she waited for Marcus to return from his shower.

Marcus returned from his shower. He saw the food tray there and immediately apologized for not being there when it had arrived.

"It just got here," she said. "Are you always this conscientious?"

"No," he admitted, grinning at her.

"You've been around VIP's too long, then," she said.

"Nah. I didn't like them, for the most part," he said. "This is different. "

"You mean working for normal people?"

"Oh, your lot is hardly a normal one," He laughed. "No, I meant a VIP I actually liked."

"I was telling Cassidy about your kids. Don't you want to see them at Christmas?"

"I have a day off coming around then," he said. "They know I'm usually working on Christmas. We just move our celebration to a different day. They're good with it."

"You're welcome to bring them, you know," she said.

"In a mansion this size? They'd have no idea how to behave themselves."

"Like kids, I'd hope," she said.

"Thank you, but no thank you," he said, laughing. "Perhaps another time. Thank you, Cassidy. I'll take it from here. Go to dinner while they're still serving."

Cassidy smiled as she saw Marcus return she felt her stomach grumble but knew being with Khaat was something more important " yeah sounds like you make one hell of a dad" she said and smiled at him as she walked past " make sure she eats" she said and headed down to the dinning room to eat her own dinner. She sat next to Steven and ate smiling as she saw Jess with the kids as was Jack he was play James who was laughing at him but eating all the food. " good food Angus" she said.

"Will have to get out and check that green house again" he said as he ate his dinner then sat with a can of soda. " seems to be getting heavier but I want to check the structure is holding" he added Steven loooked at him as if he was mad.

"Not tonight," Edward said. "I just looked at the sky a bit ago, and I checked the forecast again. I don't see that its going to ease up anytime in the near future. If anyone apparates out to that, it needs to e someone..."

"Someone like me," Escobar said. "No offense, but I have at least 550 years of apparating experience on all of you."

"Or more," Michael mumbled, teasing him.

"Watch it, Human," Escobar shot him a dirty look. "If you want the greenhouse checked, I'll go do it."

Dottie brought him gold goblet with his nightly "meal" in it. He took it from the elf, nodding slightly to her before she disappeared again.

"Where are Khaat's children?" he asked, frowning. It wasn't like them to ever have a meal without anyone missing from the table.

Steven and Jack looked up at Escvobar " would apreciate it if you would and there sleeping up stairs, James attacked when they were shopping " Jack told him and Steven nodded.

" I just came from her room and she is indeed safe Marcus is with her as well the children are sleeping with her" Cassidy told him a she placed yet another mouthful of food in her mouth and ate it. Jess just shook her head as she fed Jaylen and smiled. Jack stood up and moved to a window loking out at the blanket of snow that now was out infront of him.

"Did the weather men say just how long this will go on for?" he asked turning back to face Edward knowing sooer or later one of the would have to bring in suplies from the green house " you know maybe it would help to have an underground entrance incase of days like this or like a back door?" he said wondering why he had not thought of it before.

"Yes," Escobar said. "I saw the bruises on her neck when she returned." He listened and figured quickly that her husband did not know. And that wasn't what Escobar had judged him to be like. Something was odd.

"You do not need another passage at the moment," Escobar said. "You have me." Robert pointed at himself and pointed to Escobar. He wanted to go with him. He wanted to check on the animals in the bar for the night. "Are you feeling up to apparating through that, Minister?" he asked. Robert nodded. He needed to feel like he could still be of use to his family.

"I trust you won't let him get splinched," Michael told Escobar. Robert shot Michael an impatient glare. Robert had never been splinched in his entire life, and he wasn't about to start now.

"Finish your dinner," Escobar told him. "I will make a check of the house while you eat." He turned and went down the hallway.

He found Brian in his office. Brian was trying to stand up, but the migraine had his balance all off. He started to fall. Escobar caught him, and when he did, he felt the pain resonating off Brian in waves. It made the vampire wince.

"How long have you been tolerating this?" Escobar asked, sitting him back on the sofa.

"I have had it...awhile," Brian said, grateful for Escobar's help. "But I'm not tolerating it worth shit."

"Breathe," Escobar said. He placed his strong hands on either side of Brian's head and drew the pain off. Brian felt things start to go black but then it all came back.

"Thank you," Brian was relieved and drained.

"I did it for your children and your wife," he said. "Regain yourself. James bruised her today."
Brian perked up, frowning. Escobar steadied him. "She is well. She's bruised. That's all. But your family needs you well. Sit. I will have the elves send you food. You need to eat."

He sent a message to the elves and proceeded on his check of the house.

Steven nodded and chuckled as he guessed Escobar was right they didn't need any more tunnels. " your right" he said and moved to sit down next to the warm fire. Jess looked as Escobar walked to the room where Brain was and enter. Jess focused on what she felt from the room and breathed out feeling the pain level drop.

"Be intresting to see the grounds once this storm passes might need to do some good old manual shoveling" Jack said walking over to the window and pulling the curtain closed once more. Cassidy finished and stretched before she heade up to her room to wash up. Jack headed down to the gym for his work out and Steven sat Reading. Jess saw the note go to the kitchen and saw suki making a tray up.

"I'll take it to him Suki I'd like to see how good Escobar is in healing" she told her and smiled as she picked it up. Walking to the door she knocked and pushed it open. " I brought the lunch tray for Brian" she said and smiled.

"He needs to eat," Escobar said. "He hasn't had food in awhile. Blood chemistry is sadly off. From where he was the list time I happened to touch him, he's lost almost ten pounds. He's carried this pain for awhile without taking care of himself."

"I wasn't ignoring it," Brian said tiredly. He felt the dull pain of the rebound headache starting. He leaned back and closed his eyes, sighing heavily. Escobar laid his hand back on Brian and drew most of that off as well.

"If I remove it all, you will sleep," Escobar said. "And you need to eat. Eat and then go to bed."

"I need to work."

"In the morning. Khaat has a standard sleeping potion in her room. Take some and go to sleep. As you are, you hinder the work the rest of us need to do tonight. Go to bed, and relieve your wife's overprotective bodyguard so he sleep. He's been up for two nights. Sleep now, and go back to work in the morning. Or would you prefer your family have no gifts for Christmas this year? Tomorrow is Christmas eve, in case you forgot."

"Oh," Brian said, remembering. "I didn't forget. I just..."

"Didn't remember," Escobar finished, a bit sarcastically. He looked at Jess. "If he eats, he'll be able to get upstairs to bed, but he won't be able to work tonight."