Marriage is Murder

"Let's go," Michael said, putting on his coat. When Jim was ready, Michael apparated them to Robert's farm, into the kitchen. The farm had been closed indefinitely months ago. It was cold inside. But Michael immediately felt like they were not alone. He drew his wand. He wasn't sure why he felt eerie, but his gut didn't usually steer him wrong about things like that.

He motioned to Jim silently and crept noiselessly through the house, pointing out any creaky spots on the floor for them to avoid.

Then he saw a light from under Robert's library door. There was no way he'd left a light on for months. He crept to the door and motioned to Hiss. The rope slithered down from Michael's pack and, just slightly, under the door.

The rope seemed to snap back immediately, almost alarmed and pointed to the door. Michael threw open the door and saw Robert lying on the sofa in the library, not moving. On the coffee table were all sorts of empty, partly empty, or full potions glasses.

Michael rushed to Robert and checked him for a pulse.

"He's alive," Michael sighed, relieved. He hadn't seen Robert cause such a spread of potions and glasses in decades and decades. And when he'd seen it before, he had been desperate to find a potion to help a friend who had been poisoned. This, this on the coffee table, was the sign of a desperate man who wanted, more than anything to find a cure for himself.

"He's tried most of these," Michael sighed. "Fool. He could have killed himself with this much junk in his system. As it is, he seems to just be sleeping it off. He was damned lucky."

He looked at Jim. "Can we get a wee bit of heat in here? And then perhaps a pot of coffee from the kitchen please? He's going to need French Roast. Regular coffee isn't going to have enough guts to deal with this. Then we'll try to get him awake."

"I'm not letting him sleep anything off," Michael said. "He needs some extra strong coffee. Did you, by chance put that pot on while you starting the heat? I'd like to start giving him some as soon as we get him awake."

He got a blanket and covered Robert to help warm him up.

"I'll be right back," he said, going down into Robert's potions lab. He returned a moment later, carrying a powder in a small dish.

"I'm not a potions person, but I do remember bezoars," he said. He had crushed the bezoar, and he mixed it in a glass of water. He sat on the edge of the sofa and tapped Robert's cheek gently.

Robert was startled at being touched, but he woke slowly, heavily.

"You're an idiot," Michael said to him gently, sighing. "Here. Drink." He gave it to him before Robert had had a chance to give it any thought. "Now, sit up," Michael said, standing up and helping Robert right himself. Michael covered him again. He knew he'd need to give Robert a moment before he could ask him much of anything.

"Slughorn always said it would reverse the effect of most poisons," Michael said. "And whatever weirdness he kept taking last night certainly could not be healthy." He took one of the cups of coffee.

"Robert," Michael said, "here. Coffee. Drink it." He saw how unsteady Robert yet was. "Both hands. Its hot. Drink."

Robert never even looked up. He merely drank the coffee slowly.

"Robert," Michael said, sitting on the coffee table. "lets get something straight. You do not owe it to anyone to run out of your home...."

Robert looked up, angry, eyes now clear and focused, the drapes starting to ripple ever so slightly.

"Now just hear me out," Michael said, unafraid. "Your daughter's home is your home. Damnit, she needs you. That crazy-assed werewolf is still trying to kill her at every turn. She feels like the worst wife and mother in the world. She can't do any of the things she wants to do for Brian and for her kids. You, above all people, knows exactly how she feels.

"She doesn't need you cured. She just needs her father. Much as Jack and Jess and Cassidy and Steven are family, you're still in charge. You're the one those little ones want to see tonight before they go to sleep, dreaming of Santa. You're the one they are already missing this morning. You're not going to do this to your family. Not on Christmas.

"Jim has taken care of the others for now. They've got a lot of growing up to do. Don't you let them reinforce how negative you already feel about your own situation. Drink the damned coffee. A pot or two should do it, I should think."

Robert sighed, shivering. Michael knew he'd caught a chill from being in his basement potions lab all night without any heat.

"You're going to need a shower and some fresh clothes to warm up. Coffee first," Michael said.

Robert nodded. He finished one cup of coffee and was starting to feel a bit better. Michael refilled the cup. Robert listened to Jim's commitment to keep the others in line. He did trust it. He just wasn't in the mood to hear any more negativity.

"Look," Michael said, "Let's backburner this for now. You need to get rid of that chill before we go back outside. You still have clothes in your room?" Robert nodded. "Then go shower and shave and change. The hot water will ward off that chill."

Robert sighed and got up, setting the coffee cup aside.

"Oh, no. Take that with you. I take it that none of these potions are worth keeping?" Robert shook his head. "We'll get rid of them, then." Robert took the coffee and headed for the shower.

"Well," Michael said to Jim. "He's better than I thought he'd be. Once he's warmed up, I think we need to get him back and get him some food. I don't know when he ate last. He needs to eat. I don't see any coat for him. I don't think he took one when he left yesterday. I'll clean up the potions mess. How about you checking the hall closet to see if he has another winter coat of any kind in there?"

"It looks fine," Michael said, wanting to try to get Robert to eat a bit. "He's gotten thin since this happened. The last time I saw him get this thin was when Remus died and Khaat fell apart. He just simply devoted himself to her and nothing else. This time, its this curse, pure and simple. We send him up food trays or coax him to the table, but he just isn't interested in food whatsoever."

When Robert was showered and changed, Michael saw his clothes from home needed resized. He flicked his wand at Robert's clothes and resized them for him.

"Come eat," Michael said. Robert tried to wave him off. "No,now, come eat. It'll do you good. You know you wouldn't let us get away with that. Come eat and then we'll go home."

Robert sat down to the plate of food, but when Michael mentioned going home, Robert shook his head.

Michael scowled. "You tell me what I'm supposed to tell Abbey and the kids about why Papa isn't coming for Christmas then," he said, irritated. "If you don't want to come for Christmas, you come tell the kids yourself. Then if you want to hide away, that's your own business."

Robert glared at him.