Marriage is Murder

Jess heard Brian and sighed " I already did his shoulders dislocated and he tore the ligaments , hes also got bruising around his ribs but nothing I can heal his shoulder on the other hand will need rest so the ligaments can heal" she reported and looked at Marcus " you'll have that shoulder in a sling for about a week." she told him " other than that hes fine." she moved back to Jack who stood up.

" it was simple opportunity I feel he was as surprised to see you as you were to see him" Jack said trying not to sound too annoyed at his brother.

"Thank you, Jess," Brian said. "You're entitled to recuperation time, Belby."

"No, Sir," Marcus said. "No thank you. With all due respect, I know my job."

"Okay, but Jack? Steven? Angus? I expect you three to find a way to be ready to back Marcus up immediately, around the clock, if we find out that we've honestly been breeched. We still have the greenhouse breech to deal with. You three ought to be able to work out a schedule to make sure that while Marcus is, more or less, missing a limb, that he isn't without help."

"I'm not going anywhere," Khaat said, deciding she wasn't leaving the house. And right now, she didn't think she'd ever want to go out again.

"And that's fine," Brian said. "But we're still going to have a plan until we know the estate is safe. You three think you can do that?"

Jack and Steven both nodded though Jack said nothing. “ We can, we'll be his right hand, no pun intended Marcus” Steven said and looked at Angus knowing he too would be the same then he looked to Jack . He folded his arms and Jack nodded before he too spoke.

“Same here, as much as I'd like a shot at James home and family come first” he said and looked to jess then to Marcus “ you need anything just call” he told him. Jess moved to Marcus and took his right arm gently in her hand once manipulated she pressed it against his chest and then placed it in a sling, accioing some pain potion in a small glass she held it out to him.

“ Here, drink this, it will take the pain away, for once I move away it will hit.” she told him keeping her hands on his shoulder and not moving them until he drank it and she was sure he had.

"I can't afford to have my judgement or reflexes slowed down by pain potion," he said. "Half a dose would help. A whole one, for me, would be too much while I'm on duty."

"Take the potion. We'll keep your duties covered," Brian reassured him. "If you would be so kind as to just stay with her, Jack and Steven and Angus can cover you. Your reflexes are going to be slowed down whether its by pain or potion. And I can't afford that. But she's, understandably, rattled, and she can't afford that. I will not endanger her or the baby. That's your job right now.  Jack, you and Steven and Angus decide who has the night shift and then take Marcus's duty."

Marcus hesitated. He wasn't used to releasing control easily.

"Its my call," Brian reminded him.  Marcus sighed and took the potion.  "I'm leaving them to you, Jess.  Make sure they're okay and they stay that way.  And, who's watching the kids? I don't need them to find some way of causing mischief right now. There's a dozen of them, and they're entirely too quiet."

Jess was happier when Marcus took the potion she took the empty glass and lifted her hand off his shoulder. She waited seeing he was okay she headed to the kitchen. Jack heard Brian and looked at Cassidy.

“ I'll go” she said and moved up the stairs to the nursery finding them all quiet and playing happily with crayons and toys she sat in the rocking chair and saw Catlin walk over holding a book. Lifting her she sat had read a story to them all. Jess sat back on the couch and sighed deeply letting the pain she had drawn off Marcus wash out of her body making her feel better too she was more so when Jack handed her a hot cup of apricot tea.

The pain potion was immediately making Marcus feel a bit slow, but he was definitely more comfortable. He watched Brian come over to them. Brian laid his hand on her stomach and paused. He seemed satisfied for the moment. He laid his hand on her forehead and cast a calming spell to ease her.

"We are not going to lose our heads over some big dumb ox," he said quietly to her. "Now--are you done with the boots for today?" She nodded. He took them off and set them aside. "Marcus is going to stay with you. I need to go see if there is someone here who shouldn't be."

"No," she said. "Don't go out...."

"I won't go by myself..."

"I'll go with you," Edward said. "Escobar, would you mind helping to make a check as well?"

"If there's someone here who doesn't belong," Michael said, "Feel free to eat them."

"I'm a vampire," Escobar said. "Not a cannibal. Nevertheless, I haven't eaten in quite some time. I'd be glad to dispatch any intruders." He apparated out quickly.

Jack looked at Edward as Escobar left the room knowing he had to keep quiet about what Brian had said about James. “ you know he's no big Ox” he said softly to him. “ some how he knew she was there , he wanted to scare her and us re-enforce the fact he can get to us where and when he wants” he said and looked at them both. Steven stood up and walked over placing his hand on Jacks shoulder.

“ let check the spells and charms” he said and Jack nodded walking with Steven out of the living room and around the house from the attic down to the kitchen all seemed fine. Steven found an open window in the attic and closed it locking it tight. Satisfied it was he headed down to the nursery where Cassidy sat with James and Jaylen on her knee the others coloured and played happily. Jack moved down checking each window as he went finding all locked Steven walked in and smiled to Cassidy.

“ all quiet?” he asked and Cassidy nodded “ good , just making the checks “ he told her and she shifted James on her knee.

“About time” she said glancing at Jack “ what's up with him?” She asked then looked back at Steven who just shrugged.

"Be careful with your words, Jack," Edward said. "That sounds an awful lot like you're defending James. I suppose you can, if you like, but its liable to create some hard feelings if that's what you intend.

"The trip to Sparks was unplanned. Impromptu. Its almost impossible that he could have known before hand that she was going to go there today. And the more determined James becomes to hurt her, the more angry Brian is likely to feel."

"I don't want to think about him anymore," Khaat said to Marcus. "Can we go someplace else, please?"

"Yes," Marcus said, agreeing that she didn't need to stress herself about the monster that wanted her dead. Not for one more moment. "I think that's an excellent idea. Come on. We'll go upstairs. They have work to do down here. Let's get out of their way for awhile." He got her to her feet, and, without a word, he took her up to her room.

Jack looked at Edward and shrugged he shoulders. “I am not defending him, I just think he looks more like a baboon than an ox, “ he said “ He jumps in feet first without thinking about things, he practically said I was his stupid ignorant little brother and he threatened the kids, our kids, all of them. ” Jack huffed as he crossed his arms across his chest. Steven shook his head and stood up walking over to Jack as he saw Khaat and Marcus leave for her room he was glad they had gone as he started to talk to Jack.

“ Jack, he's messing with ya,” he said “ if he could get to them as he put is when and where ever he wanted, what's stopping him, trust me he can't he's messing with ya head. “ He told him Jack let his shoulders drop as he realized Steven was right and he felt Steven pat his shoulder. “ ya got to stop letting him get under ya skin, your doing just what he wants not focusing on the job and that's when you'll make mistakes that he can use.” he looked at Edward hoping he hadn't over stepped his mark and had actually said something right for once. “ The house is secure, Cassidy is telling the kids a story but all spells and locks secure” he told Edward.

"He 's not so dumb, Jack. He didn't jump in feet first about anything," Brian said.  "He's been watching every place my wife goes for a couple of years now, and he's getting better and better at it.  This is very premeditated, very calculated. And it seems to be working very well for him. 

"I am surprised, though, that as a seasoned auror you let that juvenile sort of ribbing twist you all sideways. For heaven's sake, you're not 8. You're really going to get all worked up because he called you a childish name? Then he tossed out a few threats because you were already worked up. And you bought all of it.  I'm having a hard time believing you got that worked up over him calling you his stupid little brother after he almost killed Marcus, one of our own. You got your priorities in the wrong order.

"Steven's right. James messed with you, and you fell for it.  Wise up, Jack. James is bigger than you, period. Its fact. It's also fact that he's taller, he's more muscular, and he's far more vicious.  Stop trying to prove you're bigger and badder and meaner.  You can't prove that, and you don't need to. All you need to prove is that you're more human. If you don't stop trying to beat him at his own game, you're going to get your ass handed to you on a platter. And if you're going to lose your edge around him this badly over something that small, then perhaps you need to not be around him anymore."