Dinner: Interrupted

"Well? That settles that, I guess," Marcus laughed. 


"For now, anyway," Khaat said.


After Khaat left for work, Robert dozed off and on for most of the morning. By shortly after lunch, while the kids were napping, Robert felt like he needed to try to be up. They'd left him alone for just a few minutes but he was feeling restless.


He managed to get to his feet and transformed his pajamas to jeans and a lightweight cashmere pullover v necked sweater.  Being dressed made him feel like he was more alive.  He did realize that whoever came back to his room was probably not going to be happy. On the other hand, though, if they thought they were going to keep him in bed all day, then they really didn't know him very well, did they?

Jess walked up to Roberts bed room once she had settled the last child down for his nap and stood with her arms folded " okay where do you think your going?" she asked seeing him now dressed " you should have waited for one of us to help" she moved to his side and breathed out in relief "if you want to go down stairs I can have Jack take you, I know sitting up here isn't your thing and maybe down stairs you'll relax." She sent a note to jack asking him to come up stairs and it wasn't long before he arrived.

"Wow, should he be up?" he asked and Jess chuckled " feeling better Robert?" he asked as he moved to give jess a kiss on her cheek. " so what did you need me for? I was busy with Brant." he said and chuckled as he looked at Robert. "I have him running the assault course for the third time." he said "he had this silly notion that removing memories makes things better" Jess gasped at the thought. " yeah I know, so I set him running."

"I didn't really strain myself," Robert said. "These were my pajamas a moment ago. I know what you're thinking, but I am in relatively good health. So I feel fairly secure in not lazing around up here in bed."

He saw Jack arrive. "I think she's afraid I'll fall on my arse down the stairs or something," he told Jack. The truth was, he did know better. He knew that it was not so unreasonable, and it would be more likely from anyone else but the folks on Robert's team who worked so hard to keep fit. 


"I think if you just make sure I stay upright on the way downstairs, she'd feel better.  If you're done with Brant, that is. And, yes, I'm glad no one removed his thoughts. I'm also glad he's on the obstacle course. He needs to burn off the steam.  You know, if he really wants to work through it, he could go train at the ranch in Colorado. That's become a lot more of an aggressive training center since you lot were there last.  Maybe he'd gain a muscle or two."

Jack laughed at Roberts words and nodded " sure thing , yeah that might be better for him, I'll tell him when he comes in." he said and moved to Roberts side " well I'm ready when you are." he saw the look on Jess's face and he chuckled " don't worry hes not going to go on his ass so drop that look." he saw her smile and smiled back.

"More like I'd be on mine before yours hit the floor" he said and chuckled seeing a nod from Jess. He slipped his arm around Roberts waist and helped him stand. Slowly together they walked out of the room and down the stairs, Jack found part way he had all his weight and sighed.

"almost there" he said looking at him wondering if he knew he was carrying him to a point.

"Thank you," Robert said to Jack, trying not to betray how weak he really was but knowing Jack knew better. He was feeling, however, that the distance between his room and the living room was miles longer than it had been yesterday at this time.

He was more glad than he wanted to know to reach the wing chair by the fireplace that he favored.  He sat down and sighed, deeply fatigued.


"You're pushing it a wee bit, aren't you?" Suki came in and scowled at him.


"Could I have a cup of tea, please?" he asked, slightly out of breath.  "And,..."


"Your newspaper," she sighed, deciding she wasn't going to win with him. "I'll get it."  She shook her head and went to get a cup of Earl Grey for him and his daily newspaper. "12 hours back from death and he wants a newspaper," she mumbled.

Jack chuckled and nodded as he let Robert sit in the chair by the fire. " its fine" he said and sat in the chair opasite as he saw Suki walk over he could do little but chuckle at her remark "Hey, thats Robert for ya never can be kept down for long." Jack said " though you should just relax" he added looking at him. " we're here and so are the elves if you need anything" he had just finished when a rather red faced and sweaty Brant walked in from out side.

"Done already?" Jack asked and saw him nod," okay go shower Robert made a suggestion, you want to do it right go to the ranch in Colorado and use the aggressive training center." Brant looked at Robert before he spoke.

"can that be arranged?" he asked him towel in hand as he wiped his brow dry.

"I'll ask Brian's supervisor," Robert said dryly. The Colorado ranch was Brian's property, but the organization was still Robert's. He still could determine who came and went.  "You've met Kieran, right? Brian's brother? He and Fi--Brian's sister--run the place now. They'll hold you to high standards, so if you go there, be prepared that you'll be in a very strict bootcamp. You won't just be training but you'll be tossed onto the ranch's work crew too. There are a lot of fun things to do in your downtime, but for awhile you might not be so interested in them.


"I do know they're doubling the size of their garden plot for potions herbs, so you might be able to be of some help in designing and planting it. We use some of those herbs here during the year, so that might give you an idea what they'll find most useful.  And, there's a potions lab in the staff building that's west of the barn.  I do know that lab is pretty small and inadequate. The room itself is large enough but no one has ever taken the time to stock it or develop a store of commonly used potions. Its one of those things I've been meaning to get around to doing. Does any of that interest you?"

Brant heard and saw the look on Roberts face but he knew to get himself back on track and be useful member of the team he needed this, he needed to feel himself and not a broken numb man that he felt at this moment in time.

" Thank you" he said softly then nodded " yes we spoke a while back." He told him as he stood and listened again to him talk of the potions garden and nodded he thought that he could use it as a reflection garden a place he could go to and mediate and hopefully regain his mind and body again.

" I'll leave this after noon, if its that bad I'll need all the time I have to make it right." he said making his excuses as he turned to head to his room and pack.

"He looked at me like he thought I'd grounded him," Robert cast Jack a slightly amused smile.  "I think a change of scenery and a change of duties can be good for any of us from time to time.  And, in his case, it might help him decide what he wants to put more of a priority on--potions or protections like you all do.  I'm not saying he can't do both because you know I let almost all of you do more than one task."


That was true. Brian had worked as an auror and a healer while he was doing protections.  Jess worked as a healer and protections. Cassidy was a huge help with the kids while she was doing protections.  Jack and Steven also worked as aurors while doing protections.  Robert believed Brant could do the same thing, but Robert wasn't sure that Brant knew for himself what he wanted.


"Jack," he said, "I heard that Michael got a wee bit distance when Brant brought up Amelia Cooper.  There are reasons for that. Not that its necessarily something Michael wants as public information or anything, but, Michael's wife left him without a word just a couple days before Christmas. 


"Maddie was due any day with their first child, and Michael came home to find all of Maddie's things and all the baby things just simply gone. No word, nothing.  He has never found out if the baby is alive or not, if Maddie is alright, whether he has a son or a daughter...he knows nothing.  He's trying to simply move on as if none of it had ever happened, but I know it haunts him to know he has a child that he knows nothing about and doesn't know why Maddie left or where she went. So, not that its on the table for discussion, but I thought you should know.


"And, not that Brant particularly needs to know, but Cooper's husband, Robert Cooper, is indeed alive. Since you're a ministry employee I can tell you, but this definitely is not for public knowledge. Long story short, he's been out of the country all these years, and it came to light a week or so ago.  When we knew where he was, I had to send in an extraction team to get him out very quickly.  That was well after Brant and Amelia broke up, but Michael led the extraction team, on my orders, and was responsible for saving Cooper's life. Robert Cooper hasn't been back for more than a few days, so that certainly wasn't part of Amelia Cooper's decision. But I'm guessing its part of the reason that Michael is so closed around Brant. Michael was only doing the assignment I gave him, but I'm sure he feels awkward around Brant. So far as I know, there are no decisions about Amelia and Robert Cooper.  Its got to be confusing for them.


"I didn't have him rescued to make Brant hurt more. I rescued him so he wouldn't be killed by our enemies. But its certainly possible that you might run into him in the Ministry from time to time at some point in the future. Robert Cooper is an Unspeakable, and has been for almost 20 years.  Apparently previous Ministers of Magic just flat out lost track of him. Unforgiveable in my book, so we owe it to him to help him get some sort of a life again. I'm not trying to wound Brant, but Cooper's been presumed dead for almost 15 years. That sort of a mistake means that England owes him something.

Jack stood and listened to Robert he knew how it felt to lose some one but he'd been just as lucky as Robert Cooper to get Jessica back. "Hey your preaching to the choir here mate, I went threw it with Jessica when she disapeared for three years remember, took us a few months to find her and well just to feel like we had before took longer."

He stood in silance as Robert continued explaining and he nodded then chuckled."He'll like it or I'll make him have lumps in places he didn't know he had, I know inside that man theres a good heart and a good man, he'll one day realize its not all love, kids and marrage that living his own life is and can be rewarding enough some times."

Jack smiled and nodded at Roberts final words " Agreed and he must be one tough son of a...." He stopped in what he was about to say seeing a small head pop around from behind the chair. With a giggle little robbert ran awy to play. "Some times I feel there are too many kids around here." He said and chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck. " Anyway, Brants got to get over it and move on..again, you know, he realy doesn't have much luck with women, Amilia left him and so did the other woman." Jack chuckled " maybe he should just stay a bacholer."