Marriage is Murder

"He'll be okay," Brian said. "He's dealt with far worse. There's no greater prison than being trapped inside oneself, though. That's a lot to come back from, and he's been trapped inside himself alone with the madness of that curse for a long time."

"Precisely my point," Jeffrey said.

"He's not going to stand for you analyzing him," Brian said. "Not a chance. You're damned lucky he's been relatively patient with you about what you're trying to do medically for him. I wouldn't push the other too far. The people he trusts with how his mind truly works? You can count those people on one hand and have space leftover."

Down in the salon, Michael poured two firewhiskeys and handed one to Robert.

"Breathe," he said to Robert.

"What if there are traces of it still there, Michael?" Robert asked, staring into his firewhiskey.

"What? Because you wanted to fry Jeffrey?" he laughed. "Pfft. I knew that was coming. You haven't liked anyone parenting you--ever. You looked pretty normal to me."

"You think so?"

"I know so," Michael laughed. "Do I need to count all the times that you blew up at someone for doing that?"

"Nah. Too long a story," Robert said, taking a swig of his drink.

"Exactly," Michael said.

Jack looked at Brian and nodded " he's right, best cool it with the phsyco babble or next time he won't be stopped." Jack told Jeffery as he moved down to his room. Jess stayed up top to be with Khaat and Brian to make sure some one could assist if needed. Cassidy went back to weaving her table cloth and chuckled.

"He has a point, but I think Michael is the right person to make Robert relax." she said softly to Kate as she continued. Jim just shook his head and headed below to the dinning room. Opening the door he looked in and saw Robert and Michael.

"Don't mind me, just going to grab a drink before I retire to my room" he said and crossed to the bar. "So you still going to blow him up?" He asked as he pored a whiskey for himself but stayed at the bar so not to intrude too much on there time alone.

"No," Robert said quietly, staring into his firewhiskey. He glanced up at Michael. "Get this cruise overwith. I want it done."

"If Jeffrey is stressing you, he can go home," Michael said. "If the boat is getting too small for you, we can port out to someplace where you can go for a walk. Stretch your legs. You need to burn off some of this frustration."

"Nah," he dismissed the idea. "I'm the bloody Minister, remember? I'm too important apparently to risk doing anything for myself."

"Ok, Jeffrey has really gotten under your skin. Finish your drink. We need to go ashore for awhile. Jim, can you lot handle things for a couple of hours? And do me a favor. Have Jess ask Jeffrey nicely to leave while we're gone. Let's not offend him, but Brian is stable now, and I think we've got the rest under control. If we need him we'll call."

Jim stood and listened and frowned at Roberts tone he stepped forward and spoke sharply " thats bull, your a man and as a man you need to let off steam" he said and then looked to Michael. " of course I can, Just get him to a gym,a boxing ring or a strip club, if you do the last don't tell Kate,but just do something to get rid of the tension." he said. Moving back to his seat he sat down and Downed his drink.

"Don't worry about Jeffery, he'll be long gone when you get back" he said smirking as he hoped the gleam in Michaels eyes said where ever he was taking him would be good for him. " now go, don't if and but , just do it" He finished his drink and waited to have a quiet word with Jess once they had gone.

"Gladly," Robert said, drinking the rest of his firewhiskey in one gulp.

"I'd say we could just stay here and get drunk, but I know how much it takes for you to get drunk. It could take us a couple of days," Michael laughed. "Let's go." He drew his wand.

"Where are we going?"

"No clue. Whichever portkey I grab first," he shrugged. He clutched onto Robert's shoulder, grabbed a portkey and they ported out.

Up on deck, Khaat and Kate both were sharply aware that Robert's presence was no longer on the ship.

"You okay?" Brian asked.

"Daddy's left the ship," she said quietly.

"Good," Brian said. "Hopefully Michael knows where he's gone, but I wouldn't worry."

"Marcus, if you'd just take this cast off my arm, when Daddy gets back, I could...." she began.

"No," Marcus said quietly. "It should be ready to come off sometime tomorrow. But not before. And even then, you'll probably have to tape it for a couple days. A twist takes longer to heal."

"Yeah, well, sorry about that," Brian sighed.

"She'd have done the same to save you, and we all know it," Marcus said.

"What was your idea?" Brian asked. "What did you want the cast off for?"

"I could spar with him," she said.

"Oh, no, no, no," Brian shook his head firmly. "Absolutely not. Not a chance. Your father hasn't sparred since the curse lifted. We don't know if part of his anger is a lingering trace that has to wear off in time, or whether its just from having months in his own head while his mind was cursed almost to insanity. The point is that he's unpredictable in dueling. The last time he dueled, when he helped free you from James, he was just uncontrollably lethal. I haven't seen him duel with a wand in each hand until then, but I don't know what he'll be like in a sparring match." He changed his tone to address everyone. "Now, listen up. NOBODY--and I do mean nobody--spars with Robert until I have a chance to take him on myself. Am I making myself very clear?"

Brant , Steven, Cassidy and Jack all looked at Brian and smiled and nodded "Seems our Brian is back." Jack said and nodded " yes sir" he said as did every one else "Besides I don't think any one of us would survive a round with him if hes in a mood." Jack added and Cassidy chuckled " okay some of us already tangled with him" he said as Jess chuckled and smiled to him.

Jim watched as they left and downed his next drink before walking up on deck he looked to Jess who sighed and nodded she had got his thoughts about Jeffery. " Jeffery could we talk below?" she asked standing and moving down to Brian's room where she set the be to changing the sheets and making its self as she waited for him to appear.

Brian was tempted to merely blurt out to Jeffrey that he was making Robert nuts, but he rethought it and decided to let Jess handle him. Jeffrey merely followed her below deck.

"Maybe I shouldn't have asked him to come out of retirement to work at St. Mungos with me," Khaat said.

"Now, wait," Brian said. "That was his choice, and he certainly could have left it at that, but he chose to take on all the rest of it. And, personally, I think England is better for it. There aren't many wizards anymore like him. Lets not try to get stuck in what we think maybe we should have done. It isn't going to help."

"What would help is if I had some idea how my kids are," Khaat said quietly. She was missing her kids, and she worried--especially for her newborns.

"Its only been a few days," Brian said gently. "But if it would help, we could have Evan or Angus go see Edward and check on them."

"It was only supposed to be an overnight. I really am running out of clothes," she sighed. "I didn't pack for more than a couple of days."

"Well, that's easy enough. You can either go shopping, or we can make a list and send a couple of folks into Venice to Tobias's to equip us all, including more for the kids if we need to. Unless not everyone needs more. I didn't pack for more than a couple days either."

Jim stood and listened and nodded " Steven and I would be honored to go get anything you need and get word on the children, I'm sure Steven and Cassidy are just as worried" He said and saw the look they gave each other and nod. Jess looked up as Jeffery entered the room.

"I thank you for all you have done for me Jeffery, I am going to stay here, I'm not leaving again but...I feel that now is the time you should head back." she said to him placing a pillow on Brian's bed then standing to look at him. She hoped he would understand what she had said and why she had asked. "You are a good friend and have helped me to cope and understand more than I should have, I don't want to see you or Robert hurt."

"Just tell Tobias to equip us for a weeks worth. Have him put it on my tab. He has all our sizes," Brian said. "Then, if you'd stop at Edward's on the way back, that would be great. Thank you."

Jeffrey listened to Jess. "I get the message," he said. "The bottom line is that Robert isn't going to do anything any differently. That's crystal clear. I don't have his permission to share my medical findings of him with you, but if he doesn't start listening to me, you're going to be calling me back. I'll be gone in a few minutes." He abruptly turned and headed for his quarters.

Kate glanced at Cassidy's weaving. "Um...you missed a stitch five rows back. You'll find it will run and unravel if you don't rip it out now and redo it," she said gently. "I hate when I do that," she smiled. "It happens to all of us."

Steven and Jim both nodded "of course and we'll make a special stop " they said and smiled to her as they both disappeared off the ship. Cassidy looked at her weaving and sighed " drat, thanks Kate" she said and began to undo the rows to get back to the one she had dropped on. Soon she picked up the dropped stitch and continued on.

Jess stood and listened to Jeffery and nodded " we both know that to be true for him and its fine,"She said and nodded when he said he would be gone with in a few minuets. "Thank you again Jeffery, for everything." she said softly.