And Marriage is Still Murder

Over the last month, Robert had taken Khaat away repeatedly. Sometimes it was for an overnight, sometimes it was for a few days at a time. It wasn't anything they talked about when they got home. The last stretch, though, they were gone without much of an explanation for a couple of weeks. Neither Khaat nor Robert had bothered to tell anyone about this either. The only word they had sent was in an owl that Robert had sent saying they were going to be gone on business for several days, encouraging those at the estate to not worry.

Brian had had confidence in them, whatever they were doing. He had encouraged others not to overthink it and not to worry. He had allowed Marcus to take a holiday and go spend some time with his family. But now, the December snow was starting to fall, and there was still no word. Brian wanted to interpret that no news was certainly still good news. And if anyone could defend himself, it was surely Robert.

Brian had stalled on putting up Christmas decorations, hadn't done any shopping. If Khaat wasn't home, Brian wasn't sure he wanted to celebrate Christmas.

Kate finally took things into her own hands. She steered Brian off, deliberately, on a bit of a wild goose chase. She made up some irregularity in the financial accounts in the organization headquarters in Paris and sent him off to fix it. Then she gathered everyone together.

"Now," she told everyone firmly. "Enough wondering where Robert and Khaat are and if they're coming home. Of course they're coming home. Wherever they are, they've got good reason, and, yes, they'll be coming home. Get over it, and find the Christmas decorations. We have an army of kids that still deserve to have a decent holiday. Let's get to work!"

Li sat near the fire and listened to Kate Jim sat facing him as together they were battling it out on the chess board. He glanced up at Jim and nodded " she is right it is not right children should lose out for the worry of adults." he said Jim nodded and took Li's pawn. "that was a...Nice move." He said and leaned closer as if to see any potential attacks he had planed.

Once finished by him taking Jims queen he stood up " we should help with the decorating, but I do not know your way of decorating." he said Jim chuckled and stood with him.

"stick with us you'll know soon enough, right Kate." he said as Jack walked in carrying a large tree under his arm this made Li raise his eye brows in surprise. " traditional Christmas tree, though most aren't that big." Jim looked at a grinning Jack

"Big houses need big trees," Kate agreed with Jim. She went upstairs to go unlock the storage room to get the Christmas ornaments. She found that there were actually more boxes than she remembered. The more she looked, the more she found all sorts of ornaments. Some hadn't been used since Khaat and Brian had married. Some were brand new ones that Khaat had bought on their travels and just had never used. There were boxes and boxes. Enough to decorate every room in the house, if they wanted.

She was sharply alerted by a slithering sound. She spun around quickly, drawing her wand, just in time to see a long piece of garland being dragged very quickly out the door. She frowned, and looked out the door, in time to see the tail end of a Labrador pup with what looked like an endlessly long strand of golden Christmas garland in her mouth.

Kate sighed. The kids had been good just about long enough, and nothing made a toddler--or a puppy--happier than something forbidden to play with.

Li chuckled at the size of the tree but followed Kate up to the loft space. " oh!" he exclaimed as a golden tinsel snake slithered across the hall way. "That one of ours?" He asked confused as he turned to watch it disappear into the nursery. " I can get the boxes if you wish to retrieve the...decoration, Jim said they were reds and golds and greens in color and in boxes that sat...." He paused as he walked in and looked around. " oh my, that's...a lot of boxes." he knew he could shrink them and carry them all down but decided it would be best to just send them to each room.

He sent several to the dinning room and several to the living room. As he did he heard Jack curse and made note to apologize but he had no need as Jess laughing told Jack it was his own fault for not looking where he was going. Li as he picked up the last of the boxes suddenly saw some craft paper with delicate flowers on.

"Um..Kate, would I be aloud to use some of that paper please?" He asked" I would like to make something for the tree." he added smiling at the thought he now had.

"I can try to get it back, but Abbey's puppy form is a lot more stubborn than her human form," Kate said. "Robert usually has more luck when she's gone all Labrador. One moment." She walked across the hall. "Abigail, you give that back." She was met with puppy growling and a lot of barking. Kate made a really decent effort to get the golden tinsel garland back, but Abbey made a mad dash, still carrying the garland in her teeth, still growling at her grandmother, and raced downstairs to the living room.

Kate sighed and went downstairs. She saw them struggling with the boxes of ornaments and the tree.

"Look out for the dog," Kate told them. Then Li asked about using some of the paper.

"That? Oh, of course. There's a whole file cabinet of different craft papers out in the art studio," she said, "I think Steven can probably show you where the file is, if you like."

Li stood looking confused as she spoke then saw the dog rush past " she..is one of the children?" he asked as Steven laughed and walked over to him.

"yes that is Abby she is an animangus, basically she can change into an animal just as I can talk to them." He told Li as he lead him out of the main house and around to the Art Studio. " there you go, we have all types." he opened a draw and Li smiled.

"Thanks you those will be fine." he said and he took several sheets and headed back following behind Steven back to the living room. Once there as they others hung baubles and the tinsel he sat on his knees in front of a low table and began slowly folding small sections into fans each being held together by a small gold clasp.

the Fans

Kate decided to ignore Abbey, after she didn't have any luck getting back the garland. Instead, she set about helping with the decorating.

It didn't take long for the kids to figure out that there was something special going on in the living room, and they went to find out and to try to be a part of it. And that meant it didn't take long for the army of kids in the house to find the puppy with the tinsel.

Abbey wasn't about to let anyone have it, and then next thing Kate knew, there was a platoon of little ones, racing after a puppy, all wanting to catch the tinsel. The puppy could easily outrace them all. All Kate heard was laughing, shouting, screeching and the patter of an army of little feet.

"I'd do something about this," Kate said. "but...it does seem to keep them out of our hair. And--this is just the sort of balderdash that their father allows them to completely get away with." Brian did let them run through the house, and color on the walls. "He spoils them completely."

She looked over at Li's work and saw the delicate little fans. "Those are lovely. The lights on the tree will really make them shine. Very nice.'

Li heard the children and smiled he turned and looked at Kate bowing slightly as he continued " I thank you and children should be happy, the sound of a child's laugh is like a breeze on a summers day." He said softly as he then spoke again to Kate. "The monks taught us origami and every year we would make decorations for the tree, then once it was over we'd give one to every monk as our way of saying thank you for that year." he said with a soft smile.

Cassidy walked over and sat facing him " can you teach me to do that?"she asked as he looked at her then to Steven who shrugged.

"of course, it would be my honer" he said and handed her a piece of paper. He slowly started to show her how to make it and soon they had enough to decorate two trees.

"Those fans remind me of the paper snowflakes I used to make," Kate said. "I spent hours on each one. We had charmed them so that they wouldn't rip, and we used to hang them on the tree when Khaat was small. Khaat liked them because they were so detailed. But, alas, those were some of the things we lost when the farmhouse burned. I haven't thought about those for years. Oh, well. Maybe I'll make some more this winter...."

She was interrupted by a frigid winter breeze that started to whip through the house. She turned and saw two cloaked figures who had apparated in. The one she clearly knew. It was Robert, and he had his left arm wrapped around the person with him. On his right shoulder, he had slung an oversized leather duffel bag that seemed to be packed full to the brim. His wand was in his right hand. He pushed back the hood off his head, the snow falling off the cloak to the floor.

"Its about time you two got home," Kate smiled. She went over and kissed him. "Where on earth have you been?" She reached up and caressed the cheek of the other person. "Has he been...Oh my." She stopped short. "But why was it such a secret?" She pushed the hood on the cloak back. It was Khaat, but now there wasn't a trace of a scar left on her face anymore. It was as if James' mauling had never happened.

"Frankly," Robert said. "It was more extensive than I've ever done or than I've ever seen done. I didn't know if I could do it." He took off his cloak and took his and Khaat's cloak. "Oh. The tree. Good. I was hoping you'd all gone on with that. Any tea? It was bloody cold porting home."

Sensing some one powerful returning home, Li placed down his paper fans ans stood up walking to the kitchen he heard the minister talking and prepared some hot tea. Placing the cups on a tray along with a tea pot he walked in and over to the the tray held in his hands. "Welcome home minister, Mrs Quinn.” He smiled as he placed down the tray and pored two cups of tea for them. “ I believe it is a special blend of Angus's” he said carefully poring it out, then turning the cups one by one as if he was preforming some ceremony for them both.

Once done he picked up both cups and walked over to them both. “It is good to see and have you both home safe.” He said placing Khaat's cup in her hand then backing away before he placed one in Roberts. Steven walked over to them, tinsel now wrapped around his neck like a boa as he smiled in obvious relievement that she was no longer in pain.

“He's right its good to see you, does Brian know about all this?” he asked “ coz he's gonna be so blown away.” Jess smiled and shook her head as she walked over sticking a bow on Stevens head “hey.” she just chuckled as did Cassidy who wrapped her arms around Steven from behind.