Marriage is Murder

Brian went upstairs and went into the bedroom and closed the door. He went over and saw her sitting with her the picture from her wedding day to Rob.

"Feels like that was a long time ago," Brian said quietly, sitting with her.

"It was," she said. "I was another person."

"Khaat," he said, "let me show you another picture." He picked up a different album and showed her the picture from their own wedding.

"That was a lifetime ago too," she sighed.

"Not so much," he smiled.

"This is nothing like what you signed on for, though."

"I wouldn't change it, though. I like what we have."

"You can't tell me that you'd still marry me knowing it would turn out like this."

He frowned. "I love our life. I love our kids. I love all of it...."

"Including this?" she was bitter, removing the veil off her face. "How about this?" she used her good hand to move her paralyzed arm. "Or..."

"Stop," he said a bit sharply. "I didn't marry your body. I married you. Look, I'm sorry about the potions girls. But that had nothing to do with you. Werewolves kill. That's what they do. I am sorry that it takes you down this whole memory road, but your life isn't there. Its here with me. Lorcan D'Eath owns that lab now. Those women are his problem."

"I want to do something for them. I can't just walk away. I will kill James....."

"We will do something but Lorcan neither needs nor wants your money in this. Wait. We'll do something in the proper time. Alright?" She looked at him and finally nodded. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her. "I'm sorry it happened, and I"m sorry it was so grisly, but it really had nothing to do with you. Next time you get some sort of feeling about James, tell me, huh?"

"I'll try," she said.

"Pot roast is a wonderful idea," Angus said. "Care to do a salad and perhaps a dessert too for us tonight?"

Jess smiled and nodded knowing a salad would be nice with the roast. she gathered all she needed and began to make it. "Hum..desert?" she said and rubbed her chin not quite sure what would go well with a pot roast. Jack looked at the others as Brian went upstairs. Brant just made his move and watched as Cassidy took his king.

"Ow dear, one more move and I have your queen" she said softly Steven looked and nodded.

" shes right" he said and chuckled as he then moved to sit facing them both a news paper in his hands. He opened it and looked at the news even though it was a day old.

Marcus's potion took a stronger hold on Khaat, and she dozed off. Brian sighed deeply. He felt like he had resolved nothing with her. He draped a very light throw over her and decided to let her sleep. He took the teacup and rinsed it out to rinse out the calming potion, in case she wanted more potion when she woke.

He went downstairs. He looked at Robert angrily. Robert looked up from his book.

"What?" he frowned. "You look like this is my fault."

"No, but I'm about to change your priorities."

"You can try, but I doubt I'll actually do it."

"I want James dead," Brian said.

"Welcome to the club. So do we all. But, as important as that is, its not our first priority."

"Well, it just became mine!" Brian exploded. "Enough! Enough of all of it! Enough of him hunting her, enough of him in her thoughts, in her nightmares, making her afraid of her own shadow. Enough of him stealing away her life from her one piece at a time. If you won't make a priority on this, then I'll do it on my own!" He headed for his office to go get a backup wand.

"Jack," Kate suggested gently. "You might try to talk to him--gently. You understand this curse first hand, but I think you also understand how much he wants him gone. I'd like to not see Brian try to go take James on. Thats' just a suicide mission. He's not going to listen to Robert right now, but Robert's right. Going after James right now is not where we need to be."

Jack on hearing Brian's request stood up but he didn't move towards him Jess placed her hand on his arm making him look down at her. He saw her shake her head and he placed his hand on hers as he looked at her then back to Brian and Robert. He was not expecting Kate to speak but he looked at her and nodded.

" if he wants me to, but your right James for all his miss doings is stranger than any were and seems doom driven " he said " that makes him more dangerous than any I have seen other than Fenrir Greyback himself." he said and glanced to Brian "until he weakens or we find something to make him weak theres no chance of us killing him." if hes joined Greybacks company of were's hes most likely preoccupied with proving himself to them and him and you don't want to get bit,trust me its not pleasant the change, I know and wish I could forget it."

Jess stood and walked over to him " But the longer he is out of the scene the more it is that hes found a new bone to chew."

"No," Robert said. "Fenrir wasn't this much of a loose canon. Fenrir was brutal, but he was invested in enlarging his pack and in impressing Voldemort. And he never got obsessed with anyone. Nor with random killing. James is far more unpredictable."

"And that makes him more dangerous!" Brian said. "All the more reason to kill him!"

"Were you listening at all?" Robert sighed. "Jack's point is well taken. He's just too dangerous for you to take on right now. And--he's also right that he's going to have to behave just a wee bit unless he wants himself and his pack to be out on the streets. He has probably been laying low in order to please Fenrir. James is used to being his own pack leader. Now he has to defer to Fenrir. And if any of Fenrir's many children are there, then he also has to sort where he fits within that structure. He's going to want his pack to see him as still having power. So, yeah, I think we need to enjoy the quiet while we have it."

"But it isn't quiet! He murdered three women this morning!"

"And I feel bad for that, but we cannot, in ourselves, be the police force for the wizarding world. The ministry has an auror department. You should know that, you're in it. At this point, those murders are Mr. Pierce's problem. Not yours. Keep your mind on our mission--which is not James. Its Mr Pierce. Do yourself a favor--go outside and do something. Don't overdo it. You're still recovering. But go burn off some of that frustration and anger."

"And you're still not hearing me," he said angrily. "She blames me!" He stormed out of the house.

"No, she doesn't," Kate sighed. "She blames herself. She feels like he deserves better than what she's become."

"And that's temporary. I need her to wear those scars and deal with that arm awhile longer. I'm the only one who can heal that now, and if I do that, then everyone will know I"m no longer incapacitated. I can't risk that yet or we'll never catch Gideon Pierce," Robert said. "Perhaps, she'd be best if she went back to work. Took Marcus with her, and returned to her duties as best she can. Even part time."

Jack listened and stood his arms crossed as he heard Robert talk to Brian but he could not disagree with him and stood silent. Jess moved back to sit down looking to Kate as she spoke after Brian stormed out. " I'll get him on the obstacle coarse, that should wear him out." he said and turned to leave. Jess stopped Jack as she lightly grasped his arm and looked at him as he moved his hand to hold hers that rested on his arm. "Don't worry, I won't work him too hard." He said and she smiled gently letting him go.

She sighed listening to Kate knowing both were right. Robert, so she knew how to cope with what ever happened when Robert wasn't around. But she could understand Khaats feelings, more to the point of the other way around as she felt she didn't deserve to be back for what she had done. But she was grateful.

Brian had gone outside, needing some fresh air. He felt frustrated when he felt like Robert's decisions weren't the ones he himself would have made. He sometimes found it hard to wrap his mind around the fact that he would and did often ask Khaat to suffer for so long for the common greater good. Brian, for his part, was getting fed up with it all, fed up with England, was ready to simply give it all up and move to Antartica or some godforsaken place where they didn't have to worry about James.

He decided to go for a run, not realizing Jack was coming along. It wasn't that it was a problem. He just hadn't been privy to Jack's telling Robert he'd go along. Brian hadn't run more than part of a mile when he was forced to quit. His lungs weren't ready for it. His chest ached. He was frustrated with himself. He was normally capable of a great deal more than this. For anyone else, he'd have been urging patience. For himself, he was frustrated.

Jack ran behind Brian until he stopped, Jack just chuckled and stood watching him. " you done?" he asked " so soon" he looked at him with a smirk deliberately goating him into running on more to make him tired. " ow well if you can't then I guess I am running alone" he said and began to slowly run ahead. He did how ever glance back to make sure Brian was following him.


Pausing he lent against a tree hardly braking a sweat as he waited for Brian to catch him up. " first obstacle around the bend, its the rope ladder." He said now he smirked " want a hand old man?" he said and chuckled knowing he and Brian were about the same age.

"Sorry," Brian said, sinking to the ground, exhausted. He had intended to run, and hadn't considered that the near drowning would have such a harsh effect on his lungs. He just couldn't breathe like he wanted to.

"Sorry, Jack," he said, out of breath. "I can't keep up today. Give me a couple of days and I'll beat you fair and square. But thanks for getting me out of the house.

"Nothing against you, but your brother is the biggest prick I know. No offense," he said. "I am tired of him terrorizing my family. Wouldn't you think Fenrir would be sick and tired of James giving werewolves a worse name than they already have? Fenrir has always wanted werewolves to appear to be the dominant species, but not this way. Not out of this sort of senseless brutality. I can't think this is part of pack life."

Jack stood and listened to Brian and smiled he nodded in agreement with Brian. "Okay, but you owe me a work out" he said and walked over to him on hearing his words about James he laughed out loud "Now why would I take offense, when I agree with you a hundred percent." He said offering him his hand to help him stand up.

"Well, from what I know, which I have to admit is very little, it worked like a wolf pack and no what James has been doing wouldn't work for a pack, I'm guessing Fenrir knows this, could be why hes been quiet." He said as he stepped back and sighed " Some times...no every day, I feel ashamed to know hes my brother, I don't blame Khaat for the way she thinks and wish I could giver her his head on a platter, to prove I am loyal to her, you, the organization and every one back at the house" he said his eyes flashing yellow for only a second.