Marriage is Murder

Jess and Steven smiled and nodded " have fun kids" she said and smiled at them watching as they left Jess moved up to Brian's room then to Roberts she knocked and opened the door poking her head around the door as she looked over at him sleeping still " hows he doing Escobar?" she asked as she staid some distance away from him. " I wish I could have helped, Thank you for being close by." she told him and stood quiet still she admired him for his loyalty and honesty even after all those centuries he still helped Robert. " Robert and you must be good friends." she said hoping to make him at ease with her so he would know she respected him and everything about him, She brushed her hair away from her face seeing Robert breathing lightly.Moving she took the water jug and refreshed it.

"He woke earlier and went to sleep," Escobar said. "He'll be alright. He seems to have limited memories of the last couple hours. He remembers being angry, but little else. I presume that is because of the curse."

He listened to Jess speak of his loyalty to Robert.

"No, no," he said, sighing. "I have no loyalty whatsoever to him. He's not at all the reason I'm here. I'm here, and I will be, as long as his daughter needs me.

"She's the reason I'm here. Someone like me--well, most vampires forget loyalty to anyone but themselves a long time ago. Certainly if they survive to my age.

"I'm not certain I remember what loyalty is anymore or what it feels like. But I do know it is important for her to be safe and happy. She asked me to come, and I came. And I will kill the werewolf who threatens her. He will not live after hurting her like he has."

Jess looked at Robert and nodded as she saw him sleeping silently she looked to Escobar and listened to what he had to say about why he was there Jess smiled " its why were here , we see them as family and as a family we defend and protect" she told him as she placed down the clean glass for the water if Robert needed it when he woke. She gave a sigh and nodded " yes we all feel the same about James " she told him her voice changing pitch as she spoke his name. She hated that he was blood to Jack and wished he was not.

" as much as I hate the fact he is blood to Jack I'm sure jack feels the same and wants all this over with as soon as possible" she spoke openly to him and sighed deeply " I also wish this curse of Roberts would lift."

Escobar had no family. Not anymore. It had been hundreds of years. Their love of family was admirable but largely lost on him. He was here for her. No one else. He wasn't ready to admit that he loved her. Vampires didn't love. Not really.

He had once considered himself merely a collector of things. But when he had decided to collect her, something changed. She couldn't be collected. He couldn't hold her like he could hold everything else. And whatever the reason was that he had been unable to hold her kept bringing him back to her.

Too bad she was married to a man who did not seem to fully appreciate her.

"The curse is more dangerous than you all realize," Escobar said. "Its true danger is in what it will do to his mind over time. In my days, I"ve seen curses go wrong, and when it does, wizards go insane. Even the toughest of them. What you saw today can and will, eventually, get worse."

Jess looked at Escobar and sighed " yes I have seen it at St Mungos much to my dismay" she told him and looked back to Robert " but still we would not have any harm done to him. Jess shook her head it was becoming obvious that Khaat was getting quiet a male following even though she was married. " if you need anything let me know and I'll send it up" she told him " I have a chess match to get back to" she said and chuckled as she headed back down to the living room.

Cassidy was back down and sat looking at it thinking up her next move. "I didn't touch it " she said as she saw Jess but the patter of tiny feet told her some one was awake and moving about up stairs and she stood up.

Michael was working on repairing Kate's bedroom window and once he finished that, he decided much of the furniture was a total loss. He salvaged their personal bellongings and moved them to another room until their room could be refurbished. New furniture would have to be purchased.

They would have to replace many of their personal posessions--again. Michael sighed. They'd lost so much through the fire at the farm as it was that he hated to see them have to deal with it again.

Kate hadn't even seemed to notice, though. He had loaned her some pens and some parchment to go sketch to clear her head. He presumed she had gone out to her art studio.

Satisfied that Robert was in rather capable hands with Escobar, he saw Khaat's room was empty. He frowned slightly. No sign of her or Marcus either one. That was unusual. She had become a fixture in this room. He peeked into the guest room where Brian was and saw him dressing.

"Where is your wife?" he asked.

"Gone out, apparently" Brian said quietly.

"Out," Michael repeated, skeptical.

"Yes," Brian said. "On a date with her bodyguard."

"A...date," Michael said. "You sound irked."

"Not at all. Belby flirts. Constantly. Its innocent flirting, but its just part of his nature. Part of his sense of humor with her, I suppose. She doesnt' notice. And so long as she doesn't notice, then I don't need to either."

"Marcus Belby isn't necessarily flirting with your wife," Michael said. "He's worked in the highest diplomatic circles for decades. He knows very well how to be charming. He's never off the job, never unprofessional. That charming business is part of his job, and he knows it. So does she."

"As I said, its nothing I need to worry about."

"Am I wrong in thinking you two were in a very different mindset a few hours ago?"

"Yes," Brian said. "You're wrong. There's nothing wrong with us. Nothing that won't be cured by April. Its part of the third trimester stuff."

"I certainly hope you're right," Michael said. He went downstairs, frustrated. He wrote an owl to send to Paris for Angus to return. Then he said to Jess and Cassidy, "Kate and Robert's room is going to have to be completely redone. Furniture will all need to be replaced, and most of their things that was in there. I've sent for Angus because he manages most of the household accounts. What else am I missing?"

Jess and Cassidy looked at michael and thought both looking at each other " nothing that I can think or I'm sure some of the things can be salvaged and repaired, Jack can look at that " she said moving her queen to take Cassidy's king. Cassidy sighed and stood up.

"Okay I'll take a look and send owls to the right departments for replacements and equipment for them both" she added and headed up to the room. Jess looked at Michael and shook her head.

" She has no idea how bad it is , I'm sure some things can be salvaged" she said softly " the rest like memories can't be salvaged" she added and saw Abby peeking from the banister she motioned to Michael " seems it woke some one" she said softly.

"You know," Michael said, "I don't know whether she hasn't noticed or whether she's at her limit. His condition is a monstrous strain on her too. I'm concerned she's just acting like there's nothing wrong. I think she probably thinks it just wouldn't do if they both fell apart. And, to some extent, she's probably right--unfortunately."

He turned and saw Abbey on the stairs. He was about to speak to the toddler when they heard the sound of someone apparating into the kitchen. Abbey took off on the run to see who it was.

She saw it was Angus, and she ran to him, wrapping herself around his legs.

"Unca Aggie!" she was delighted. He laughed and scooped her up.

"Did you miss me?" he asked, as she fingered the snow on his black coat.

"Snow," she said.

"Uh huh," he said. "Why are you up? Aren't you supposed to be napping?"

"Papa and Daddy made a mess," she shrugged.

"They what?" he frowned. "Where are they?"

"Up there," she pointed upstairs.

"Oh," he said.

"I'm hungry," she said.

"Oh. Okay. Here," he said. He picked a bunch of grapes from the bunch in the fruit bowl and put them in a small bowl for her. "How's that?" She nodded and took them off to eat them.

Jess smiled seeing and hearing Abby with Angus she was glad to see him back. " did you have fun?" she asked and looked to him as Abby ran to the couch and sat down eating the grapes one by one. " good choice " she told Abby smiling. Jess stood up and looked at Michael " I take it hes filled in or would you I do that" she asked moving to pore some earl gray tea to re warm her self up as she felt a chill in the air. Once she had it she moved to sit with Abby helping her take a suborn grape off the vine for her. She looked over at Angus and hoped Michael had filled him in on what he was coming back to.

Jack walked in and sat down next to Jess and took a sip of her tea. He pulled a face and sighed " thats what I get for not asking what you were drinking " he said handing her back the cup as she chuckled and took it from him.

"yes, yes it is" she told him smiling.

"I was working, Jess," Angus said. "I suppose whether it was fun depends on your definition of fun. But, no. I don't know what's going on. I just got Michael's message that I was needed back here, so I packed and came home. I figured it was important or I'd have had more notice. So--Abbey says they made a mess? Should I presume that either we were breeched or there was a squabble upstairs of some sort. So--which was it, and who's hurt? It had to be significant if you lot sent for me."

"They breaked things," Abbey said, looking at her grapes.

"They did? Did they break a lot?"

"Yup," Abbey said, in a matter of fact tone, eating a grape and kicking her feet as they dangled off the sofa. Angus knew it wasn't a funny thing, but her reaction to it struck him funny and he laughed.

"Is that why I'm back?"

"Yup," Abbey said. "This not a cookie." She was frustrated.

"Its not time for cookies," Angus said. She scowled at him. He had to laugh because it was so rare for her to be unhappy. "And now she looks like a three year old," he said.