Marriage is Murder

Jess chuckled and nodded " I agree Angus" she said " it not good for him or the kids even if I have to get some one to turn him into a toad to stop his addiction to the blasted pipe," she said and chuckled " I'll talk to him alone when we get back I might be able to persuade him to give it up" she watched the view pass by as he drove them back she looked over as he spoke of the market and smiled. for there " I can imagine they all want the best for there food" she said " thats a good thing " she smiled seeing the villa appear in front of them both. She was glad to be back home.

" I'll help unpack" she said " ow I'll get Jack to help as well he can bring in the heavy things" she said hoping he had behaved with the children.

"Good luck with that," Angus said to her, deciding to leave it alone unless he continued to hang around Khaat or the kids with his pipe or his smoke scented clothing. "I'm going to get back to my duties. But I'm glad you got a chance to go along this morning."

While they were gone, Marcus had had a chance to shower and shave and change. He was quietly worried about Khaat and Brian being gone off by themselves for the day, but he was trying to presume that all was well. He had decided to go run an errand, had gotten Robert's permission, and had gone by himself, promising to not be long.

Michael had been baking and getting them caught up on bread, scones, cookies, and some desserts. Kate ha taken some fruits and vegetables and had made some homemade, edible finger paints and she had the kids out in the yard, with the paints and with paper, letting them finger paint and get as messy as they liked.

After giving Marcus permission to go, Robert had disappeared down into the basement of he house, and no one had seen him for hours. But that, in itself, wasn't unusual.

Edward, in the meantime, had settled in on the sofa with the Daily Prophet and a cup of tea. He enjoyed that the house was open to the sea and that the fragrant trade winds blew freely through the house. It was giving him ideas for perhaps some remodeling to one of the rooms in his compound so that it might be open to the fragrant Mediterranean air.

Jess smiled at Angus " Im glad too got me out the house and I saw good food in its rawest form" she said grabbing the fabric out the back of the SUV. She headed into the living room placing the fabric down she went to find Jack who was out side painting with Kate and the kids.

" hey your back" he said smiling as he kissed her cheek " look what the kids did?" he showed her their paintings.

" wow, there good, I'm guessing they have a good teacher , hey Kate" she said and chuckled at Jack pout " ow and you too jack" she smiled to Kate then saw Jim off with his pipe. " Excuse me a moment" she said and walked over to him. " um can I have a word Jim?" she asked and he looked at her putting away his pipe. " can I see that a moment" she asked.

" sure " he said and handed it to her he was n ot expecting what she did next.

" thank you" she said and turned it into glass then smashed it " I'm sorry but I won't have it around the kids, I know you have stopped before and I'm asking you as a friend and a mother to stop" she looked sternly at him " I'm sure Margaret doesn't like it ether"

Jim looked at her stunned for a moment then he nodded " if you can put up with the crankiness then I will stop" he told her and saw her accio some boiled sweets.

" here use these instead as long as you brush you'll be fine and were here to help" she added smiling as he took them. " you know Angus doesn't think you'll do it" she said and saw the look on Jim's face.

" ow really?" he asked and she nodded " well he is about to be proven wrong" he said and popped a sweet into his mouth smiling as he watched Jess walk back to where Kate and Jack sat with the kids knowing she had made her point and she was right.

Angus had overheard part of the discussion but he said nothing. It was none of his business so long as it didn't endanger Khaat or the kids. He silently set about sorting out the groceries and putting things away. He poured himself a cup of coffee and added a bit of Irish whiskey to his mug.

"Its a bit early in the day for Irish coffee, isn't it, Mate?" Michael asked very quietly.

"Don't make something out of it, Michael," Angus said. "I'm on holiday too, you know. Handle the vegetable and fruit prep for a while, and I'll go see to setting some of the house cleaning spells in the rest of the house. Looks like I need to get clean clothes out for the kids too. They're covered from head to toe in Kate's fingerpaints."

Jess smiled as she watched the kids playing even Jack was more colorful with reds and greens and blues on his face and head with tiny finger prints. "They thought I would be happier with colors" he said and chuckled as he wiped one from the end of his nose.

" well it does making you colorful" she said and wiped a bit he missed. " ow Kate I took care of Jim's problem" she told her " he won't be smoking around the kids" she told her " hes promised to quite for good this time.

"Good for him," Kate said.  "Not entirely sure what he gets out of it, but that's none of my business. I think its time to get the kids cleaned up.  We're just about out of fingerpaints."

The next thing they knew, Khaat was porting in from nowhere, falling.  Michael heard the sound of someone porting in, and then he heard the sound of a woman screaming.  He leveled his wand in time to see her port in, saw her falling, and he fired.

"Arresto Momentum!" He caught her, slowly lowering her to the floor.  The scream had brought Marcus immediately. He knew the scream.  He knew the sound.  He reached her the instant she hit the floor.

"Khaat," Marcus sat her up and leaned her back into him, looking quickly for wounds. He didn't see any.  "Are you hurt? Where's Brian?"  

She pressed Brian's portkey into Marcus's hand.

"He can't get back," she said. "He gave me his key. He can't get home...."

"Where is he?"

"We went to Venice. He had an errand he wanted to run. Then we went to London to finish it up.  I thought it was James. I thought he found us. But Brian's last word to me was, 'No.' I don't know who it was, but he pressed the portkey into my hand and activated it as he fired his wand to cover me."

"Where were you?" Michael asked. "Be specific."

"We had just gone through the back entrance of the Leaky into Diagon Alley...." she said, upset.

"I'll bring him back," Michael said, drawing his wand. "Robert!" Michael shouted.  "Heads up!"

Jess heard the scream and dove out to where Khaat was Jim ran out as well now changed into fresh clothes his wand out and drawn ready for a fight. " Jim put that away and help us" she said watching him walk over to her and help Michael.

" I'm coming too you might need me"Jack said returning now clean " Cassidy take the kids inside and clean them up please " he said and she nodded leading them inside pausing she looked at Kate.

"Don't worry stay with Khaat they will fine " she told her and lead them to the nursery to play a bit more once they were cleaned up. Brant had heard the commotion and grabbed his bag heading out he took out some calming potion and put a few drops into a cup of fruit juice.

"here drink this" he said and held it out to her " its a calming potion it won't harm the babies in fact it might help them" he said smiling to her " the others will fetch Brian try not to worrry"

Robert came bounding up the stairs and saw Khaat back without Brian. Marcus was grateful that Brant had brought her a calming potion. He took the glass from Brant.

"Here," he said to her quietly. "Drink...." She wanted to protest but he simply said very gently, "The quicker we get your information, the quicker we find Brian." He gave it to her a few sips at a time until it was gone."

Robert looked at Jess and pointed to the babies. He wanted to know if they were alright.

"Brian sent her home and didn't come with her," Marcus reported. "Diagon Alley. Should I go after him, Sir?"

Robert shook his head no. He pointed to Khaat. Marcus had gotten so close to her that he could almost anticipate her every thought and movement. Robert didn't want Marcus away from her.

"What did you see, exactly?" Edward said to her.

"I was sure it was James. I was positive," she said, afraid for Brian. "I thought I heard someone else, so I drew. I wanted to fire, but I didn't get a chance. He put the portkey in my hand, closed my hand around it. I knew what he was doing. He was drawing them off so I could get away, and now he can't get home...."

"What made you so sure it was James?"

"He was big, and I could smell him....That putrid wet dog smell he has...."

"That could be any werewolf," Edward said.

Jess saw Robert and nodded placing her hands on Khaat tummy she breathed out and smiled back to him. " little stressed but fine" she said softly to him as she then checked Khaat glad the calming potion was working she felt her blood pressure dropping returning to a normal state and breathed out. Jack listened and nodded to Edwards comment.

"Hes right they all smell bad." he sad and looked at Jess and shrugged "They do because its like a scent to them, right Edward?" he asked taking some of his personal experience and letting it out.

"The ones who are more animalistic feel no need for the frequent bathing that humans do. It is unnecessary. The odor doesn't bother them like it does us," Edward said.

"However, it can be a dandy tracking mechanism for us. Khaat, if it really had been James, he would not have taken the time to formulate a lie in that short a time. He wasn't concerned with that. He was looking to protect you, and that was all he was thinking about. With your permission, Robert." Edward was considering that he would the one of the likely ones to respond, and he was considering who he would take with him.

Robert nodded. He pointed to Jack. Jack would be helpful in tracking. He began signing, though.

"He says he's not sending you to combat, Jack," Michael said. "He wants it clear. He just wants Brian back. Not a war. If its not James...what's that, Robert? Again, please?" Robert repeated the sign. "Ah. Thank you. Subtle. Quiet. More in the espionage frame of mind. If its not James, let's not stir him up if we don't have to." Robert signed some more.

"And, you should go back to the estate and take Escobar with you. Between you and Escobar and Edward, you three should be able to track whoever this was. Steven, are you interested in going with them?"