Dinner: Interrupted

"Thank you, Brant," she said.


"Keelhaul you all," Marcus replied to their question. "I was telling her I was sure she didn't have to start checking estate security because of Robert. I told her if you lot didn't have it in hand by now, she could keelhaul you all when she gets home, preferably before dinner rather than during it. Besides, unless Brian's mounting a man hunt today, I'm guessing he'll be here."


"Womanhunt," Khaat said. "And if he's going, I'm going with him."


Marcus frowned. "Do you really have some sort of twisted sense of humor?"


"What do you mean?" she asked blankly.


"Look, you go chasing a felon, and I have to chase you. Here's how this always goes. You go off halfcocked, and you somehow always find someone we don't want to find, and then I have to keep you and me alive and out of trouble--and help you catch the felon.  Must we do this today? Can't we just go to work like we belong and do boring hospital administrator stuff just once?"


"If I'm too much for you, Marcus, I'm sure Brant is up for the task," she said, baiting Marcus.


Marcus looked at Brant, and after seeing how much toning he still had yet to do, Marcus looked dryly at Jack.


"Seriously?" he asked sarcastically. "No offense, Brant. You're in good shape for potions labs and for backup security, but I don't know that you're in Brian's definition of fighting shape for first string.  Not yet anyway. I think the muscle work is best left to Steven and Jack."

Brant looked at Jack and nodded " agreed here " he said Jack laughed and looked to Marcus with a grin.

"yeah, hes more a back room boy" He said and chuckled " and we got the security down alls tight and secure here." he said as he watched Brant move to his room. " Steven does the afternoon patrols, I do the night time ones, since I don't sleep very well, I always take a few men with me to show them how its done, that and I can sniff them out, if you pardon the pun." he said and rubbed his nose as it itched.

"we both double check the boundaries and spells" he added "Not sure where the old guy is , guess hes around some place." he said as he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"The old guy as you put it is right here, the ..woman hunt is on all operatives are on high alert she will be found." Jim said smiling to Marcus and Khaat. " I do how ever agree with Jack on one point, you look beautiful this morning but I agree with Marcus, talk to Robert today."

"Alright?" Marcus asked her.  "We're good now?"


"Yes, I think. Jim, you might want to just sort of keep a little bit of an eye on Michael. He was with Daddy. If I know Michael, he's going to be fine on the outside but on the inside he'll be more than ready to go find Swan. He's not an auror.  Its not his forte. Just don't let him do anything stupid, okay?"


"He was mentioning getting a catnap after breakfast, actually," Marcus said. "Maybe he'll lay low today."


"You need to stop worrying," Brian said, coming upon them. "Go to work and get out of our hair. We've got this." He kissed her.  "We're not going to let anything happen." He took the pink veil and draped it around her. "You able to keep up with her, Belby?"


"Yes, Sir," Marcus laughed. 


"Oh, and I did order you some warm weather suits," Brian told him. "If you insist on wearing suits, you really need to get another color besides black...."


"Sir, I...."


"Jack, can you find someone to pick those up for him?" Brian asked, not giving Marcus any leverage. Marcus didn't work for the government now, and he didn't need to be in black suits all the time. So far, Brian hadn't been very successful in getting him to lighten up.  Now, he was just going to take matters into his own hands and insist. He caught Marcus's look of dislike of someone else buying his suits.


"Its not a request, Belby," Brian said firmly.


"Yes, Sir," he replied, taking Khaat's elbow and porting her out quickly.  Brian noticed how quickly Marcus had decided it was time for them to go to work. He looked at Jim and Jack. "Its his usual Saville Row tailor. I presume one of you know the way. The suits'll fit exactly like he wants them to. Honestly--byy the look on his face, you'd have thought I'd have bought them in the discount bin at B&M."

Jim chuckled at Brian's words but stood listening then when Micheal was mentioned Jim stood a bit more straighter than normal."Of course." he said then looked to Jack and back to Brian as he heard Marcus port Khaat away. " I know him very well, I'll fetch them this afternoon while Jack watches Michael." he told Brian.

Jack looked at Jim with a raised eye brow. "So I get some of my suits from him as well, so sue me." he said and chuckled " now foods on the table Brian, if you want to eat best get down before its all gone." He could not help but smile as he walked down to the dining room that bustled with activity of all the children sat around the table.

"Oh, yeah. Got busy and lost track of the time. I guess I did almost miss breakfast," he said. "You two can decide who goes to Saville Row."  He went downstairs and joined everyone else at breakfast. Kate came down and joined them. Who Brian didn't see was Michael.


"Is Michael not coming, Kate?" he asked.


"No, he sent for a tea tray, though. He had the newspaper and said he had work to do."


"He's checking the headlines, then," Brian said. "Looking for leads. Its worth a look, but I don't think he's going to find much. It'll help him feel a bit less stressed, though, perhaps. Although, I can't say I understand why the Order would strike out at one of its founding members.  It doesn't make sense."


"You don't know its the whole Order," Kate said.  "We've had friends who have betrayed us before. Take Peter Pettigrew, for example. We all trusted him, and it turns out we shouldn't have. I have to ask, though. Does Swan know how to find the estate? Does she know Robert enough to know how to get here?"

"No," Brian said. "Definitely not. She's a freelance tracker of sorts. I don't know that she and Robert have honestly ever connected."


"Then he might be safe today," she said.


"He will be safe," Brian said, determined. "So will everyone else...." Just as he was speaking, he heard the sound of someone apparating in. He started to stand up.


"Unca Lee," Abbey said, with a mouthful of berries, kicking her feet under her chair rather contentedly.


Lee Shepherd walked in, hearing Abbey talking about him. "Good morning to you, too," he leaned down from behind her and kissed her cheek. "How do you do that?"


"Dunno," she said in a singsong voice. 


"That makes two of us," he laughed. "Am I too late for breakfast, then?"

Cassidy was pleased to see Kate and Brian as she fed what seem to be an army of children each except Abby wanting something. "ow am I glad to see you guys" she handed Brain two bowls " one Michael and one Robert." she instructed him she than handed one to Kate " okay now we might get some where." she chuckled and sat down feeding the two next to her.

She watched as all the men stood up ready to fight at the sound of aperating into the house. But she could not help chuckle at Abby's announcement of lee's arrival. " would you like some breakfast Lee, plenty of it to go around?" she offered showing him the platters of bacon, eggs scrambled, fried and poached, toast by the loaf and fresh made rolls. There next to Abby was a bowl of fresh fruit.

"ah, one thing, don't take the fruit, its her fruit, right Abby?" Cassidy said smiling.

"I don't like berries anyway," he stroked Abbey's hair.


"Yes you do," she corrected him as he went to get a plate. They all laughed. "You always gots berries at your house."


"That child gets smarter every day," he said, starting to fill his plate.  "So, how's Robert?"


"You've heard, then?" Kate asked.


"Of course," he said. "Its my job to know these things."


"He's going to be alright," Brian said, nodding to Cassidy about the bowls of fruit.


"Nasty business, that poison," Lee said. "Where are we on the search for Ms. Swan?"


"About the same place we were last night, apparently," Brian replied.


"Is Robert conscious?"


"Yes. And sarcastic," Kate said, pouring Lee a cup of French Roast.


"Well, since its your house, Brian,..." Lee said, taking a seat beside Abbey.  "Thank you, Kate. Anyway, as I was saying, I want to put a couple men on surveillance around Robert. He's not going to accept a bodyguard and we all know it. And, he could put a couple of his own men to watch him from a distance but he won't.  But--if they're my men, he can gripe all he wants but he'll have no command over them."


"He'll spot them in hot minute," Brian sighed.


"Of course he will. He's not the one I'm concerned about knowing. Lordy, who makes those cinnamon rolls? They're big enough to cover a dinner plate. Is that Angus's doing?"

"Yes," Brian said, "And no, you can't hire him."


"No? Well, you might just have to invite me daily for breakfast, then."


"If Robert doesn't want to be found, he won't be," Brian said. "I've played that game with him before. But, its fine by me. I don't care if you try it."


"Any objection to a couple of my men starting to shadow during each shift? I'd like them to get the routine in their heads."


"Jack? Jim? Any thoughts about any of this?" Brian asked.

Cassidy chuckled and started on her own her own breakfast she just sat and listened as did Brant who sat two child down from her. Jack and Jim both listened to Lee and looked at each other before looking back at Brian. "Nothing from me." Jack said and bit into a cinnamon roll and made a yum sound into it. " Deelish, Angus you did it again." he called out so he would hear him even in the kitchen.

Jim looked at Lee and then to Brian. "These men, they will have done body guard duty before?" he asked curious to know who was coming in and would be looking after Robert.

"Well, yes, but not to the extent that you lot have," Lee said. "The operatives I have in mind will have a pretty large mix of skills--intelligence, counterintelligence, protections....Lets face it.  He's been shaping you all into a highly specialized team for a long, long time. He's trained you hard. I'm not trying to compete with that. I'm only trying to perhaps add another layer of protection just until we know whether or not Robert is safe to walk the streets alone. I mean, its not like this is the first time this sort of attack has happened."


"Lee," Kate said. "I think you might be on the right track.  Its not that our team is incapable. That's not at all a concern. The problem is that he has the power to order you all away from him. He can and would put everyone else's safety before his own. At least with Lee's men, it buys you all a bit more time to get to him. Brian, can we equip them with our distress signals so that our men can join them if needed?"


"Of course," Brian said. "Good idea."


"I've already done that," Lee said.  "I have one of your signals, as you all know. I had more made for this team--to use with your approval of course."


"Well, it sounds like its worth a try to me," Brian said. "At this point, Robert's on his own because he won't let us help him. It doesn't sound to me like we're out much,and it might buy us more time. As we all know, sometimes even a few seconds means the difference between life and,..." He didn't want to finish his words because of the kids. Some of them were old enough to start to understand some of the discussion and didn't need to be disturbed with this.


"What do you think?" Kate asked them all.

Jim sat back in his chair and thought about it then nodded "Agreed , Kate's right, it adds that extra layer that he can't order off, some times I want to just want to shake that man and yell at him its for his own good but what can we do, maybe your guys can do that." Jim said sipping on a cup of tea he'd pored as he had spoken. Jack looked up at them and nodded.

"sure, why not new faces and all might do him some good to have some one he can't tell to go away." Jack said as he gave little Robert a piece of toast to eat than ate a second cinnamon roll. Steven sat quiet with one of the twins on his knee eating or rather sucking on an orange segment.