Marriage is Murder

(ooc: i know why you did it but the triple post confused me.)

Angus finished making dinner for them, and the house elves set the table outside. When it was all set, Robert and Kate led the kids out to the table. Edward brought out Benjamin, and Brian took Daniel out. There were high chairs there for the twins, and the house elves had prepared foods for the babies.

Brian wanted the babies put on either side of him so he could feed them. Robert and Kate sat on either side of that so they could help either feed the twins or help with some of the other kids.

Abbey and Dakota were four year olds that had wider tastes of foods than most four year olds, and they were happy to eat whatever was on the menu already. There was very little they didn't like. The triplets were a bit pickier, and the boys tended to jabber at the table. Julia was shy, a bit reclusive, and easily picked upon by the boys. Brian was trying to pay more attention to her so that he was sure she got all she wanted at the table.

Khaat enjoyed having her children at the table. They rarely were safe enough to eat outside. She was a bit nervous about having them all outside, exposed. She glanced at Marcus. Marcus was alert. He merely smiled reassuringly at her to silently let her know that they were all still on top of things, even if it were dinnertime.

Marcus poured her a glass of red wine and put it in front of her. "You eat," he said softly in her ear. "And let me do my job. It's alright. You need me to cut a piece of steak for you?"

"No thanks," she said. "I'm going to have the grilled salmon, I think. It looks lovely."

"You sure?" Angus asked her. "I know how you like steak."

"Yes, but you did something different with the fish."

"I did," he laughed. "Grilled and then glazed with a fresh tropical fruit chutney."

"As I said, I'll have the fish," she said. Angus put a plate in front of her. Abbey craned her neck up, looking across the table at the fish that had the beautiful fruit on it. "What's the matter, Abbey?" Khaat asked.

"What's you gots?" Abbey asked, interested.

"Fish," she replied.

"Can I have a bite?" she asked. "It gots fruit."

"Sure," Khaat said. Khaat took her fork and pulled a bite of the tender fish off the filet for Abbey. Marcus put it on Khaat's saucer from her teacup, made sure there was some fruit on top of the bite of fish, and he gave it to Abbey. Abbey simply picked it up with her fingers and ate it. Her eyes grew wide. "Do you like it?" Khaat asked. Abbey nodded, excited.

"You want meat or fish?" Angus asked her.

"Can I have fruit on my meat?" Abbey asked. Angus wrinkled his nose.

"You wont like that," he laughed. How about if bit of each?" She nodded.

"Khaat, I'm afraid you're going to miss one of the great joys of parenthood," Edward said.

"Which one?" Robert asked.

"The one where your kid will only eat hot dogs and nothing else," Edward laughed.

"Oh, that's one 'joy' I can do without," Khaat replied.

"I am impressed with the kids here," Edward said. "They'll all eat pretty much anything. You've all done a beautiful job with them. You all have a right to be proud."

Brant stood out on the veranda he lent on the railings a small scrap of paper held tight in his fist as he looked out over the grounds just peeking out was a seal from the ministry. He could not help but sigh and look at the assault course that lay spread out in front of him his heart beat in his chest as his breath floated out his mouth and up into the cold air in front of him as it had now turned cold even the leaves on the trees had turned a brown and orange color around him showing fall was truly in the air.

After all he had done it had finally dawned on him, he was free again. He heard movement inside and knew it was Angus readying everything for breakfast, even though he'd not slept at all that night, but drunk a tone of coffee. He needed to think things through in his mind.

Walking back in he looked at the kitchen " want a hand?" he asked softly his hair all a tussle with the constant running of his fingers through it.

"If you like," Angus said, putting a large sheet pan of his gigantic cinnamon rolls in the oven. "I'm short of house elves this morning. I've got Zodey and Jobey out repairing some sort of water pipe break in the greenhouse. And Dottie and Suki are up with the twins. Apparently Khaat's boys are teething, and they're both bloody miserable. Dottie and Suki were hoping they could soothe the babies so that the others could sleep. They thought it was better than to have a dozen cranky toddlers this morning at breakfast. So I'm on my own for cooking breakfast.

"Michael will be along shortly, I presume," Angus said. "But maybe not until after breakfast. Can you cut fruit for fruit salad? The champagne dressing is already made up and in the fridge. You could, perhaps, make up the fruit salad and add the champagne dressing. I keep saying I'm not going to make it anymore, but this house eats lots and lots of fruit salad. And when I don't make it, I get tons of complaints."

He glanced up and looked out the kitchen window and saw Marcus apparate in to the yard. He was wearing jeans and a white and taupe plaid shirt. The shirt wasn't tucked in. He was wearing sneakers, and he was carrying a leather jacket.

"Hm. I didn't know Marcus was off last night," Angus said. "But it looks like he was out during the night. He's just getting back." It wasn't like Marcus to be gone from Khaat overnight. Not that it wasn't impossible, but it certainly wasn't typical.

Brant sat at the table and began to cut up the fruit in silence he glanced out the window as he to saw Marcus return from god know where he'd been. Brant continued cutting them until the bowl was full. " yes interesting and sounds like it will be a hectic day today, for every one." He said just as an owl reached him this time it was more pleasant news and he smiled as he saw the return address on it.

He paused and wiped his hands as he opened it and sat back reading the words written on it. " hum interesting" he said allowed then tucked it into his waistcoat pocket before returning to the task of cutting grapes in half and de-seeding them and popping them into the bowl with the rest of the fruit.

Once done he placed the bowl next to Angus " there thats done" he said catching his reflection in the toaster all he did though was shrug his shoulders noting the five o'clock shadow across his face now. He felt not shaving for one day would not hurt any one or anything.

Marcus came in, as unshaven as Brant was. He was tired, but he felt oddly comforted by being back 'home.' He dropped his jacket on the sofa as he came in.

"Good morning," he said quietly. "Everything okay during the night?"

"Fine," Angus said. "And you?"

"Is there tea?" he asked, coming into the kitchen.

"Of course," Angus said. "Shall I..."

"No, I'll get it," he said. He poured himself a cup. "Is she up yet?"

"Presumably," Angus said. "I sent their tray and Robert's up almost an hour ago. They both sent for them early."

"Good," Marcus said, taking a sip.

"You okay, Mate?" he asked.

"Better," he said. He was about to speak when Khaat came downstairs. She saw him and was glad he was back safe and sound. She went over to Marcus and wrapped her good arm around him in a solid hug. He found himself feeling some relief as he felt himself getting back into some sort of normal routine with the people he had come to accept as friends.

"Did it go okay?" she asked.

"Yes," he said gently. "I'm glad to be home, though. I presume they all know?"

"No," she said. "Just Daddy and me. Is everyone alright? Were you hurt?"

"Nothing a bandaid won't handle," he smiled.

Khaat looked at Brant and Angus. "Marcus was on a mission yesterday and last night. He's got some news he wants to tell everyone once everybody comes down for breakfast. I think he'd rather just tell us all at one time."

Brant sat and watched as Khaat walked down and Marcus walked in from out side. " I thought I saw him leave. " Brant said poring a cup of coffee for himself , he knew he should shower and change himself but he was interested in what they both had to say.

He moved to sit at the table , well rather sit on it as he cupped the mug with his coffee in and watched both Khaat and Marcus. " Hum, must be serious " He said softly as he slowly took a sip out of the cup. He felt the warm liquid run down his throat and sighed as he closed his eyes for a moment.

As he sat he could hear the others start to come down the stairs It was Jack that walked in first and looked at Brant and Marcus. Brant just shook his head and sipped the coffee again finding it to stimulate his mind and wake him a little more but not quiet enough as Jacks voice made him jump a little where he sat.

"Go clean up you smell like a wet dog" He told him and wrinkled his nose at the smell to show him.

"I'm not that bad, its just your heightened sense of smell " He told him and tried to calm his heart from racing in his chest.

"Really?" Jack said and chuckled softly " I'm not the one who smells like an old blanket left outside all night. Brant just chuckled softly.

"Marcus has something to tell us." Brant aid trying to change the subject. Jack looked to Marcus.

" okay spill what is it?" he asked taking some juice out of the fridge just to be swiped right out of his hand by Jess leaving him empty handed and Brant smirking.

"I'm sorry that I left yesterday without saying much," Marcus said. "I...was contacted by an old flame pretty suddenly. I hadn't seen her for more than a few minutes at a time in the last 12 years. We were both married back then--and miserable. We went our separate ways for the sake of the families we would have been breaking up if we'd stayed together. Or so I thought.

"When she contacted me yesterday, she needed help getting her daughter back--her eleven year old daughter," Marcus continued. "It appeared that James took her. The child just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. I was about to steer her to the aurors--until she told me that the real reason she broke it off between us 12 years ago was that she was pregnant--with my child.

"She had hoped she could simply pass it off to her husband as his. And it worked for all these years--until James took her daughter. My daughter. So--I guess what I'm saying is that while I thought I had three sons and a daughter, I apparently have three sons and two daughters."

"Is she alright, Marcus?" Khaat asked.

"She will be," Marcus said quietly. "James found her in Knockturn Alley after she'd run away from home because of her stepfather. He took her along with him to the illegal potions lab and then cuffed her in the head to knock her out before he killed the potioneers there. Then he took my daughter with him with all intentions of turning her.

"Her mother and I got some help from Robert, and we managed to negotiate her release from Fenrir, who apparently has decided James has gone too far.

"I know I'm still married, and so is my daughter's mother. She's married to a pompous, drunken git. But I care about my new daughter--and her mother.

"And--what you need to know is that Gideon Pierce has done a bloody good job of making her look guilty. But I swear, he's set her up. I will try to prove it.

"My new daughter's name is Poppy. And her mother is Ana Levski. We met years and years ago when we both were serving in Bulgaria. It was a lonely time for both of us for a million reasons. I guess what I'm saying is that they're both going to be part of my life--for the long term. Not sure what that means yet, exactly. But I don't intend to lose Ana again, and I have a wonderful child that I need to get to know. I know its not maybe so ethical to have a child outside of our marriages...but, well, this was different. It was different then, and its really different now."

Brant sat and listened to Marcus and smiled " Nice one mate," He said when Marcus mentioned getting his daughter back. He was glad but a little angry at the murder of the potioneers. "It seems potioneers are becoming a scarce commodity." He said sipping more of the coffee he held. " Khaat, is Robert in his study, theres something I need to discus with him, its kinda a personal problem." He slipped off the table and placed the sink he glanced at Angus and spoke softly "I'll explain later brother".

Jack looked at Marcus and raised an eye brow. "Wow another kid, Hey we have 4 kids too, cool you got her back and found out" he said as Jess slapped his arm.

"Hey Marcus, we all know any woman that can make you talk like that, ow and give you that twinkle in your eye must be worth it." she smiled at him. "She has a pretty name Marcus."

"Either there or still in his room upstairs," Khaat said to Brant.

"Actually," Marcus said to Jack. "It gives me five. I have twin boys--Zane and Kai. They're 15. A daughter--Brooke--she's 12. Another son, Ezra, he's eleven. And now there's Poppy. She's technically ten, but she's turning eleven tomorrow. She started Hogwarts early by special permission.

"Her stepfather convinced Ana that Poppy was a juvenile delinquent because Poppy was having some behavior problems. So they arranged for her to start Hogwarts a bit early because her birthday was so close to the start of the school year. But--what we found out was that Ana's husband would wait until Ana left for work at the Ministry. He'd call his friends over, they'd get drunk, and then he would make her dress up in her mother's clothes and parade her in front of his friends. Some sick attempt to prove to his friends what a lovely child he was capable of creating.

"The fact was that Poppy was acting up because she grossly hated her stepfather and what he was doing. It seems she's been looking, her whole life, for a father who would simply be a good dad."

"She's got that now," Khaat said quietly. "She's got you."

"She doesn't know me," he sighed. "She knows my face. And she knows I came for her. She knows her mother and I were willing to face Fenrir for her. And--she knows I went to Hogwarts when James and his pack wrecked the train and showed up there wanting to kill students. She knows I promised I would always, always come for her if she needs me....But that's all she knows."

"Marcus," Angus said. "That's everything, Mate. That sounds like it was exactly what she was fighting for. You're a good father. She'll be alright--she has you now. So what about you and Ana?"

"Ana kicked out her husband because of what he was doing to Poppy. My wife hasn't been around for years, and my kids all hate her. I see no reason why I need to lose Ana again. I don't think either of us have thought seriously about divorce, but we're not willing to wait another twelve years to be together. I'll...probably get an apartment where we can at least spend some time together on my days off. I know its probably not the most moral thing, but..."

"None of us are saints," Khaat said. "IF it makes you all happy, then I'm all for it. So long as you aren't planning on quitting here."

"Not a chance," he said with a slight smile. "I like it here."

Brant nodded to Khaat then listened to Marcus, he really listened to him and sighed hearing at his daughter had to go through with out him him not there. "Sounds like that guys a real scum bag." He said under his breath but loud enough they could here his detest for the man. He moved out of the room and headed to Roberts study and knocked on the door.

Jack looked confused at Marcus then chuckled and smiled. "Another one to add to the family hey," He said and Jess " but I agree with Khaat you are a fantastic dad and by the sounds of it she takes after you, but no kid should have it that rough."

Jess nodded as Cassidy walked down that stairs and into the room. She stopped dead in her tracks on hearing Marcus talk of Poppy as he did. " ow nice Marcus, I didn't know you had kids, thats so wonderful you found her, what you gonna do about her father, um..I mean the guy who did all that to her, she can't stay with him...please say shes not?" on hearing the mention of Hogwarts she breathed out and smiled "Good , if she takes after you she'll do great."