Dinner: Interrupted

Khaat was finishing dressing when Marcus came back, but he frowned at her.  


"What?" she looked at back at his reflection in her mirror.  

"You never get the hair spell right, do you?" he sighed.


"Not with that hand, no," she said, agreeing. He flicked the wand at her hair and fixed the underpowered hair styling spell.  "Marcus, what happened? Who did this?"  

He explained the facts as they knew them to her.  He knew she'd want to go find Swan herself. He expected to have to talk her out of going. Instead, she merely nodded once silently, and headed downstairs.  


"What aren't you saying?" he stopped her, wondering if the portrait had perhaps been right.

"I can't fall apart every time something happens to him.  He expects better," she said.  "Now, back to business."


"You," he pointed to her, "are not right. You should be ballistic by now."


"No point," she said, shrugging.  He decided the less she reacted, the more he needed to stay close to her.  What he was learning was that when she was this different, it was almost always some hinky seers' thing he didn't understand.

Brant walked out the Lab holding the portait in his left hand as he walked up the stairs to Khaats room. Knocking he let the door open sightly. "um some one left this in the lab" he said and looked to Marcus with a smirk as he placed it back on the mantel place. " if your going to hid this please not in the lab the incessant noise was driving me mad" he said softly " Khaat you look lovely today." he said and headed back out the door and back down to the lab.

Jess sat watching Robert sleeping , every so often she would touch him to check his vitals or wake him so he could take his potion. Jack brought some juice for her and checked she didn't need anything , wish she didn't but was glad of the company for the short time he was there.

"Thank you," she replied to Brant. She eyed him with Remus's portrait.  She looked at Marcus. "Did you get into it with him or something?"

"Or something," Marcus shrugged. He heard the pitter patter of little feet down the hallway and a child breathing hard. It was the sound of fear. Marcus knew it well. He stepped out into the hallway, and caught Abbey as she flew, for all she was worth, towards her papa's room.

"Where are you going?" he asked her softly, picking her up.


"Papa! Ree Ree took my papa," she wept.  He cuddled her.


"No," Marcus said, softly, consoling her. "No, Ree Ree wouldn't do that. Papa is still here.  I promise.  Were you dreaming?" She nodded.  So that was what Khaat had seen in her sleep. She'd seen Remus, and somehow Abbey had seen what her mother had seen.  "It was just a dream. Papa's sleeping."

Marcus was a good father, but he wasn't necessarily a pro at soothing toddlers with accidental magic.  And not ones with seers' stuff anyway.  He walked across the hall and tapped lightly on the frame of the open door.  


"This may be more your thing than mine," he said to Jess, as he held a tearful Abbey.  "She thinks Remus tried to take her papa.  Um...do you mind?"

Brant watched as Marcus caught an out of breath Abby in his arms and tried to sooth her out of her panic. " hes right Abby, your papa is fine and sleeping." he watched as Marcus too Abby to Roberts bedroom door and knocked. Turning away he walked to fireplace and placed the portrait on it. "now please behave." he said more in a request as he didn't want to have to hunt for it again.

Jess looked up from her knitting and smiled seeing Marcus and Abby at the door. " shush, he's sleeping" she said softly as she placed down her needles and stood up. Walking over she held out her arms to the frantic child for her to take. Once safely in her arms she walked over to his bed placing her down gently on it next to the sleeping Robert. "There, see, hes still with us." she said softly " but he needs rest, just like you do." she smiled warmly at her. " but...if you don't tell your mummy or daddy I'll let you stay right where you are for an hour or two, but that's between you and I" she said with a chuckle.

Marcus saw Jess take Abbey and put her on the bed with Robert. Abbey cuddled tight to Robert, and even in his sleep, he knew her and moved his arm to draw her closer.  It made her cry, this time out of relief.  The sound of his crying grandchild rooted him from sleep.


He opened his eyes only long enough to get his bearings of where he was. Lord, every time he opened his eyes he'd been moved again, it seemed. But, realizing he was now in his room, he figured they not roust him around again for awhile. Maybe. More asleep than awake, he soothed Abbey for a moment.


"Ree Ree took you!" she said, clinging to him.


"No, no, no," he said, yawning. "Oh, that's the last thing he wants. I'd just annoy him. You see him?"  He felt her nod against his chest.  "Its okay," he yawned. "I'll explain it later. What time is it?"


"Night," Abbey said. "Dark."


"Oh. Okay.  Go back to sleep then," he told her.  He felt her try to settle.  "Michael?" he called, remembering Michael was the one he'd been with last.

Jess heard Robert and was about to move Abby when she saw him hold her close and so just smiled. When he called out for Michael she moved to his side and lightly touched his arm mostly so she could check his vitals and found to her satisfaction he was steady. "He's in the kitchen, I'll fetch him for you, but first here, sip this," she said holding a small glass, it was one of the potions she had been informed when and how much to give him and right now was the time. "It will taste foul but you'll feel better, I promise." she told him as she lifted his head gently to let the liquid enter his mouth and leave the glass empty.

Looking at Abby she smiled as she explained " its medicine, good medicine, like if you have a cold but for adults." She hoped she was bright enough to understand what she was saying to her even half asleep as she could see Abby was. Once the glass was empty she lay Roberts head back down and walked to the sink washing away any remnants that Abby could get curious about and placed it back among the bottles beside where she sat. "You know what, I think you being there has helped him a lot already."

Robert didn't necessarily enjoy the taste of some potions, but he did understand it was necessary.  When he tasted this one, some of the foggier memories began to come back. The few critical moments in D'Eath's hands had been fuzzy at best, but now he remembered. He remembered the Death Eater leader deliberately spiriting him away and forcing him to drink that potion earlier tonight.


The potion was an antidote for poison. He recognized its smell and taste.  But he wasn't sure how he'd been poisoned.  Not exactly. He knew he and Michael had gone for dinner. And then Lorcan had rescued him.  Hm.  Had to be fish, or the chips or the beer. But there'd been so much conversation and so many people wanting his attention, he just really wasn't too clear.


The only thing he was figuring out was that it must have been a close thing because he felt like hell.  


"I'll get Michael for you," Marcus told Jess quietly. "And I'll let the others know he's at least been awake."

Jess looked at Marcus and nodded "Thank you Marcus, I really don't want to leave his side right now, I can feel the confusion inside him as his mind clears." she looked down at him and lent slightly over him " it was the beer and they have a sample, Brant's got it locked away in the potions lab for when your up to looking into it, but for now Robert, rest. " she told him and smiled.

"Please bring back some tea, I think Jack forgot I asked him." she chuckled as she picked up her knitting once again. She sat down and began knitting but watching the two of them together. Brant stood at Khaats door and chuckled softly.

"It seems Abby is helping with Robert too." He told Khaat as he dug his hands deep into his pockets as he stood. He knew it was a bad habit he had but he wanted to keep his hands out of the way. " Would you like some coffee?" he asked seeing the tray untouched beside her chair. Walking over he pored her a cup reheating it as he did so it would be hot and not luke warm.

"The pint," Robert sighed. He tried to think about that pint. Oh, yeah.  It had been his second. And Audriana Swan, a fellow Order member had taken the trouble to deliver it herself.  Well, it wasn't likely they'd find who did it. It wasn't like Robert took many safety precautions. He had always intended to live like everyone else.


Marcus went downstairs, updated them, ordered another tea tray for Jess, and told Michael that Robert was asking for him.  Suki sent up a tea tray to Jess.


"Thank you, Brant," Khaat said, as he handed her heated coffee. "I'm not surprised Abbey is with him. All I can say is he'd better decide he's living forever because she'd come completely unraveled if anything ever really did happen to him."


Michael went upstairs to Robert's room.  Abbey was settling into a doze beside Robert, who was very groggy.


"Why don't you just sleep, Mate?" Michael asked.


"Why did D'Eath do it?"


"Rescue you?"


"Yeah."


"I was hoping you could tell me."


"Did he poison my pint?"


"No," Michael said. "Definitely not. It was Swan. We're sure."  


"Swan?" his frown was deep. "But she's in the Order."


"Not a very good Order member, is she?"


"Did we get her?"


"Not yet. There was the small matter of saving your behind that we thought we'd put first."

"I suppose you would think that way," Robert offered a half hearted tease.


"I'll rethink it next time," Michael grinned. "You gonna live now?"


"Unfortunately for Swan, yes," he said. "If D'Eath's potions are top notch, I should be out of bed at least in a few hours."


"Don't push it," Michael said.  "That was entirely too close. We nearly lost you."


"Yes, but this is not muggle medicine. This is wizard medicine.  If it works like it should, I should be able to be up."


Michael didn't say anything but if Robert intended to dress and go into the Ministry, he had another thing coming.

Brant chuckled and nodded " yes, I feel we'll all fall apart with out him around." he glanced back at the room door. " and your welcome" he said as he walked to the doorway "I'll be with in earshot.." he said but another voice finished it for him.

"That means he'll be in the lab " came Jacks voice as he walked up the stairs. " brought some cake for those who want some, sponge I think." He placed two slices on a side plate next to Khaat and smiled " Suki made it."

Jess was glad of the tea and pored out a cup setting her knitting aside for a moment. She sat and listened while she gently stirred the sugar and milk into it. Small circles drifted out to the sides of the cup as she stirred. It reminded her of life and that each ripple has an effect on what was to come.

"It's night time, take the time and rest Robert." Jess said softly as she glanced at Michael.