Marriage is Murder

"She's beat me," Marcus confessed, "but she's not gone entirely undefeated."

"You beat me once," she said.

"And most of our games are a draw," he laughed. "Shall we try again?"

"No toys until after dinner," Robert told them. "We are going to have at least one family dinner on this trip. The only one excused from actually sitting at the table is Brian. Now--come and eat."

"I presume I can sit with Brian," Jeffrey laughed. "Or am I grounded too?"

Robert waved Jeffrey away. Jeffrey laughed. When the staff brought the plates, Jeffrey took Brian's and his own and made sure they had a place to eat where Brian was situated on the chaise.

It really was a lovely dinner, with the fresh seafood and all the fresh fruit and vegetables. It was light and filling and delicious.

Brian only ate a few bites. He got simply too tired to eat any more. He fell asleep before Jeffrey was actually ready for him to stop eating. Robert had noticed.

"Let him be," Robert said gently. "He's not rested today as I'd like him to. He's just too weak to be up all day like this. We need to get him to his room soon."

"I just hate to wake him," Jeffrey said.

"I don't plan on it," Robert said. He got up from the table and cast a deeper sleep spell on Brian. "Jess, after dinner, how about you and Jack help Jeffrey levitate Brian back to bed and make sure he's settled and stable for the night, please?"

Jess looked over at the now sleeping Brian and nodded " of course" she said to Robert they listened to Marcus and chuckled " only once, your lucky." She said and chuckled shes beat Jack every time.

"Hey, I let her " he said then chuckled "Okay I'm not that good a player" he said and chuckled as he finished his food. Once bot he had Jess were done they moved to where Jeffery and Brian were.

"you ready Jeffery?" He asked Jeffery quietly so not to wake Brian. Jess moved to Brian and checked on him deepening his sleep slightly so he would not be disturbed when moved. Jack moved Brian down to his room and to the bed where Jess covered him over and made sure he was settled for the night she accioed some water to sit at the bed side enchanting the glass so it would stay cold for him.

" Jeffery, are you taking this shift or shall I?" she asked as Jack moved back to the door and waitied.

"I told Robert I would stay," Jeffrey said, "but he had different ideas. He said I was up last night, and he wanted me to sleep tonight. He said he'd stay tonight. But he was there with me for part of the night last night. He did nap awhile on deck during the afternoon, but I suppose who stays tonight is between you and Robert.

"It should be a quiet night. Brian is exhausted and weak. He'd sleep even if he didn't have a sleep spell. I can't think there'd be trouble. Should be a lot of time for reading a really good book, actually. He's been stable enough that he doesn't need life support anymore, as surprising as that is.

"If I know Robert, he'll renew and reinforce the healing spells that he's got in place and then its between the two of you who stays with Brian. But if you've got Brian for right now, then I suppose I am free to go across the hall to my cabin and shower and read for awhile before I'm ready to go to bed. Unless you need me for something?"

Jess sat and listened to Jeffery nodding " quiet is good for him now" she said and then looked back at Jeffery " I have him, please go get some dinner before its all gone, its exceptional tonight" she told him an settled in with a book she had in her pocket. Jack looked at them both and nodded.

"Yeah I'll stay with her until Robert wants to relive her, which I hope will be once hes well rested" he said and pulled a chair over next to Jess who looked at Jack and smiled. " besides gives us time to work through stuff." he added as Jess opened the book and quietly read.

"We'll be fine" she told Jeffery" and thank you for all you did for me." she smiled at him.

"I've been nibbling on whatever the crew feeds us all bloody day," Jeffrey said. "If you lot eat nonstop like this all the time, I'd weigh 400 pounds in a week. I don't need any more food any time soon. Since things are in hand here, I'll go to my cabin. I should go to the work out room in the bottom deck, but,...nah...my book is calling. I'll be right across the hall. Call me if you need anything. Goodnight."

He went to his room.

Up on deck, while everyone else broke up from the dinner table to sit around the deck and talk quietly and watch the stars, Marcus had taken advantage of the bar on board and made a flaming drink for himself and one for Khaat.

He took it to her. "Here," he said, offering her a sip with the straw. "Try this."

"It looks like fruit punch."

"Well, don't drink it like that. This is not Kate's fruit punch. This was something I had one time that the bartender called the Golden Snitch." She took a sip. It was delicious. It had firewhiskey, and a mix of fruit juices--lemon, orange, apricot, along with just a bit of soda for effervescence.

"That is amazing," she said. "How many of these can I drink?"

"Before you get silly or before you go unconscious?" he laughed.

"I don't ever find those are very far apart," she said dryly. He laughed.

Jess smiled and chuckled at Jeffery's words " well explains Jacks expanding waist" she said and Jack chuckled " we'll be fine" she said and watched him leave. Jack pulled his chair closer to her and wrapped his arm around her as she lent against him while she watched Brian.

Cassidy watched Marcus and the drink he was making she chuckled hearing Khaat but smile hearing her at least relax a little. "Might let her relax for one night." she said as Steven went and fetched her a glass of rum and cola his own a whiskey and returned to sit next to her again looking at the stars above them all.

Robert soon went down to check on Brian. He made his check without saying a word. Then he spoke to Jess.

"The healing spells are going well," Robert said. "I would think we will soon start to see some more improvement, if its going to happen. I don't know how this is going to happen. Hopefully, it will be peaceful and comfortable, but if he gets uncomfortable, do let me know straight away. He could well develop complications at this point just as easily. If you're alright, I'll go to my room tonight, but if anything happens, you send Jack immediately. Understood?"

Khaat and Marcus sat on deck, neither saying a word. They just sat watching the stars and watching the lights from the little villages on the shore. It was breathtaking. And for Khaat, it was a change in seeing lights of other people. She was used to being on the estate, miles away from another house or family, with no other lights around. There was something pleasant in the little yellow glow that dotted the shores around them. If there was anything she missed tonight, it was her children. She was wondering how they were doing at Edwards, if they were having a good time, if they missed her or Brian, and how soon she'd be able to have them home.

Jess nodded and looked to Jack " Understood Robert." she said softly " sleep well" she added and listened further to him and nodded as he left the room both sat quiet. Jess watching and adjusting very little to his healing spells as she lent against Jack a little.

On Deck Brant stood looking out over the sea thinking and feeling this would be perfect for the honeymoon, or family holiday. Which ever she wished was fine with him, the ship had plenty of bed rooms for her family. Cassidy nudged Steven to make him look at Brant. " shes going no where Brant, its safe to think or other thing" she said and Brant chuckled.

" sorry, just feeling nervous and want things to be perfect for her, shes had so much go wrong now I hope I can help things go right. " Steven chuckled and shook his head.

"Best you can do is not push things, let it come natural" he said as Cassidy nodded " its how I got Cassidy" he said kissing her cheek.

"Well that and his cowboy charm" she said this made her laugh as she saw his cheeks turn red

Khaat finished her drink, and Marcus set the glass aside. He saw her yawn.

"Ready to go downstairs?" he asked. "Before you all asleep up here?"

"Yeah," she said softly. "I guess I'm tired."

"You have a right," he said. "Come on. We'll just say goodnight and go downstairs." He helped her to stand up and he said goodnight for both of them and headed down below deck to her cabin.

He helped her change and found she was tense. Her shoulder muscles were rock hard.

"Sit," he told her. He massaged her shoulders. "Now--besides the obvious, what else has you so tense and frustrated?"

"I like Brant. I do," she said very softly, quietly enough so that no one out in the hallway could possibly hear. "But he doesn't get it. Marriage can suck. And if he goes through one more day with all of his thoughts elsewhere instead of on the job, I'm going to send him home to just freaking elope with her and get it overwith."

"Now, now," Marcus laughed softly. "Vent all you want down here. Let's not take all that anger upstairs, shall we? Your marriage doesn't feel like a fairy tale right now, I know. And it feels like he's rubbing that fantasy in your face. I get it. It feels like extra pain for you. He doesn't realize it. Look, I'll try to keep you and I busy. That should help-okay?"

"Thank you," she said softly. "I can't listen to him talking about that anymore. I somehow just don't think there is anymore fairy tale for Brian and me. Not ever again."

"You don't know that," he said.

"The Brian I knew just isn't in there anymore."

"No, he wasn't in there today. It doesn't mean he won't be back. The Brian you knew wouldn't let anything stop him from being with you. Give it time."

Steven saw Khaat and Marcus leave and both said good night as did Brant who kicked himself Kate had asked him not to mention Amelia and he could tell he had upset Khaat. He sighed and headed down to his room.

Steven and Cassidy both stayed on deck feeling a need to stay on guard for a bit that night. Jack after a while left to find some cold juice for Jess. It wasn't long before Cassidy and Steven retired for the night.

Jess saw threw the window of the cabin the sun rising again and smiled Brian had slept all night with out a single complication and she was pleased that Robert had slept as well or she hoped he did.