Hunting the Hunter

"I've beaten him three times. Four isn't a problem," Kate said. She filled a big basket with vegetables, and Michael picked up a prep bin with meat, wine, onions, garlic, fruit, flour, eggs, and pretty much everything else. Kate admired how strong Michael still was, even after all these years.

"Kate," he said quietly as they worked. "I appreciate all the help with the boys, but, would they be upset if I..I hired someone? To help, I mean? I want them to know what its like to have a home--their home. And a dad--as much as I can figure out how to be one."

"Michael," Kate looked up at him. "I think that makes you a wonderful dad already. I think its great that you want to hire someone. It certainly sounds like its for all the right reasons. And it doesn't mean that the kids are any less welcome here. You know that. I think its a fine choice. Nobody's going to take offense at that. Besides, at our age, who the hell worries about offense anymore? And, besides, I'm three potatoes ahead of you."

"Not for long," he laughed. "Besides, see there? You missed a spot."

"Where?" she frowned, picking up the potato. He showed her a spot on the potato while he was dumping four carrots in her basket while she wasn't looking. She was busy wiping off the smudge that he had said was the spot she missed.

Marcus picked up the last of the dishes and put them back on the tray. He'd added a couple towels around her leg in case the incisions bled more while she was sleeping. Then he'd added a bit more of the potion to Khaat's drink than what Robert had recommended, but Marcus was no stranger to pain potion. He knew it would do no more than to help her sleep. She was sleeping, finally. He sent the tray back downstairs and sat down finally, the first in what felt like hours. His own head was pounding, and everything was spinning. He had been half tempted to take some of the pain potion himself, but it had taken forever to get her this far. He wasn't going off duty now. He wasn't leaving her. It was important.

Kate saw the tray come back downstairs, sufficiently empty. Evidently he'd gotten her to eat. Good for him.
"Maybe we're on the mend," she said to Michael.

"I think so," Michael said, dumping two more potatoes in her basket. He glanced over and frowned. Why did it look like there were a lot more freaking berries in his bin than there had been? When had that happened?

Jess had seen what Michael had done and hid her smirk as she placed her plate in the sink. She gave him a knowing look as she watched the tray return now empty of food. She heard Michael comment on the berries and looked back at the bowl. "Did some one enchant the bowl to keep it full?" she asked it was now Li walked in and saw them looking at the bowl.

"um..I took the liberty of gathering more early this morning." He said " I am a light sleeper and prefer to be up at dawns first light, that and Miss Abby would be disappointed if there was no Berries for her." He pored some juice and placed the carton back in the fridge.

"Not paying attention, Michael?" Kate was amused by Li's making sure there were plenty of berries. "Oh, and by the way, if you want to back out of the challenge or you can't handle it..."

"Who said I can't handle it?" he frowned.

"I thought you needed help with your potatoes and your carrots since kept tossing them to me," she said. Then she got a new smell in her nose, and it wasn't at all pleasant. She whirled around to see Brian and Robert coming up from the gym, and they looked and smelled like they'd been at it for all they were worth.

"Oh, for pity's sake, you cannot be in here like this," she frowned. "Neither of you."

"Like what?" Brian frowned, picking up a handful of strawberries from Michael's bin.

"You're both in sorry need of a shower," Michael said bluntly. "You're more than a bit aromatic. I think she wants that smell out of the kitchen."

"I most certainly do," Kate scowled. "And don't you wake up Khaat if she's sleeping, Brian, or I'll have your hide!" Brian looked at her, scowling deeper, tempting to ask her who's house it was and who exactly Khaat was married to.

"Don't go there," Michael said, seeing clearly where Brian's thoughts were. "Just zip it and go shower. Now."

"Bloody locker room stench," Kate complained as Brian and Robert headed upstairs. "Nothing smells worse than a sweaty man after a workout."

Jess wrinkled her nose then held it " oh that's worse than Jacks shoes after his mile run." she said holding her nose now as they spoke. Jack walked in and chuckled seeing Jess with her nose held .

"Hey, its the scent of a hard working man." He said and Jess threw a tea towel at him that his him square in his face. "Eww Jess, its wet." he said walking over to lace it back on the sink

"Yeah might be the case but we do nit want that smell, which I might add is worse than Remus's Cologne, in this kitchen." Jack laughed and headed out of it but Li had already disappeared out side for some fresh air. Jess listened to Michael and Brian talk glad Khaat was finally sleeping as it was something she needed with her blood lose.

Brian and Robert went up to shower. Kate sighed with relief thinking all was good. She and Michael went back to work in the kitchen. Kate was busy mincing garlic for Michael when all of a sudden, the sound of music filled the air. Gramophone music. Jazz. An old, old record from days gone by. Kate and Michael froze in their tracks.

Upstairs, Brian and Robert heard the music, and they both came racing down the stairs. Robert was dressed but barefoot, and Brian had jeans but no shirt. Their eyes were as wide as saucers, and as they both hit the bottom of the stairs, the smell of Turkish cologne was thick in the house.

"Dear God," Kate said softly. "I haven't heard that song in since..."

"The war," Michael finished, stunned. "What does it mean, Kate?"

"Something has to be wrong," she said. "Is Khaat alright?"

"I just left there," Brian said. "Marcus is wide awake, and they're fine."

"Check the kids. Do a headcount. Do it now. Something's wrong," Robert said, drawing his wand. He looked at the others. "Remus loved jazz. He had a gramophone, and he played that bloody record til he wore it out. He's never done this. Something's very wrong."

Meanwhile, outside, Abbey was on her hands and knees, crawling through the bushes, hunting. So far, all she'd found was mud and lots of it.

Jess and Jack looked at each other , Jack dove up the stairs taking two at a time to the nursery. Opening the door he saw heads and walked down them until he came to one and he stopped rubbing his chin and looked down at the empty bed kneeling down he checked under it , nothing now he stood up and headed back down. "Okay one of our children is missing, one guess who." He said glancing over at the back door. "You don't think?" he said Jess gasped and shook her head.

"No check the house first , anyplace she could hide Jack" he nodded and left to look from the attic down to the basement. Li had been out side his eyes focused on movement out in the bushes. slowly and quietly he walked towards the bush his feet hardly making a sound as he moved one step at a time. As he knelt lower to see what was making the noise he saw two small legs crawling around his face frowned as he sat on the ground.

" um..miss Abby, what are you doing out here, mud is good for worms, not so much for little children, it does look fun though?" He said softly waiting for her to come to him as he sat watching her.

Abbey looked up, slightly startled when someone came through the bushes. "Shh!' she put her finger to her lips. "They might hear you. I gots to find them." She started to crawl again, still hunting. "You see any doggies or you smell them, you tell me. We got to hide from them. They're not nice. I know they're here."

"Abbey!" Brian was like a panicked, possessed father. He raced back up the stairs, and Marcus met him in the hall.

"What is it?" Marcus asked.

"I don't know, but it isn't good. And Abbey's missing," Brian said. Marcus snatched up Brian's shirt and a pair of Brian's deck shoes.

"Slow down enough to dress," he said. "You might need it...The music and the cologne." It dawned on him. It was a warning, one he couldn't decipher. "Wake her up, Brian," he said.

"If she knew,..," Brian began, dreading what she'd do.

"Trust me! I've got her. Wake her up!" Marcus said. Brian went over to the bed and laid his hand on her forehead and drew off as much as he could. He slipped on his shoes and his shirt and took off on the run.

Khaat woke with a start. It took her a moment, but when she heard the music and smelled the cologne, she was wide awake. "He's here," she said quickly, tossing back the covers.

"I know. I just don't know what he wants."

"No, not him. James. That's what he's upset about. James is here," Khaat said.

"Okay," Marcus said, understanding. "Stay with me." James was here and Abbey was missing. It added up. He wasn't about to tell Khaat that Abbey was gone.

Li looked at her and tipped his head as he slowly crawled up beside her hardly disturbing any of the branches on the bush as he did. "Okay but what do these...Doggies look like?" He asked expecting her to describe some four legged dogs she had seen get into the grounds. He used his arms and lay on his stomach waiting for her to answer him as he heard several foot steps he thought were coming from the house but the longer he listened the more he realized they were off and wrong,

Jess moved quickly releasing her wand as she felt Khaat's energy raise inside the house. " Jack, check the grounds and for Khaat's sake find Abby, I'm going to the nursery." she said heading up to the room once there she cast wards on the windows and doors to stop any one from entering the room that shouldn't.

"They gots big teeth, and they smell bad, and they breathe fire, and everything! And they're this big!" She spread her arms as wide as they would go. "And their eyes glow in the dark!" She reached into the pocket of her little red sweater and then pulled out her hand and showed him a little pebble that was just big enough for her to close her hand around. "I'll get them this time. I gots a rock!"

"Damnit, Remus," Robert muttered, as he slipped on a pair of shoes. "Talk to me just once. What the hell am I up against?" It was one of the few times he regretted not being a seer.

Khaat accio'd one of her father's decorative walking sticks. She had to find a way to draw James off her children. Marcus swept his arm around her waist. "Where do we need to go?"

"Downstairs," she said. "Maybe outside. I don't know." Marcus knew she couldn't walk on her injured leg, so he apparated her downstairs. She saw her father, Brian, and everyone else all trying to gear up.

"What is he warning us of?" Michael called to her. "What does he want?"

"James," she shouted. "He's here."

"Jack!" Michael shouted. "Look for James!" Brian seemed to come from nowhere and found Khaat.

"Stay inside," he said to her. "We'll deal with him. Stay inside or I swear..."

"He's not going to get her," Marcus promised. Robert and Kate apparated outside, their wands drawn.

"Well, well!" James voice came echoing from all around them, clearly using a sonorus spell. "Its another Lupin female. Tell you what, Old Man! You give me my female, and I'll let yours live!"

"Oh, horseshit," Kate muttered angrily. "I've got no patience for his cheek." Robert reached for her hand quickly.

"Stay with me," he said. "We need to stay together."

Abbey cowered in the bushes at the sound of James' voice. She knew his voice, his smell, and she knew what he looked like. He'd taken her once, and now he terrified her. Her little hand was white knuckling the rock she held. She stared wide eyed towards the woods, not feeling very brave at all now.

Li watched and listened to her he smelled a rotten horrible stink and knew what she meant. " Abby, is that the Doggie your talking about?" He asked her softly but he didn't have to wait for her answer as he saw her hands her knuckles white as she held the rock tight. " Miss Abby, I won't let him hurt you, but we must get back inside." he told her softly as he then held out his hand to her. "Will you let me get you away from here and back to your home?" He asked knowing he had to aperate back inside the house. He saw Jack walking over to Robert and the others.

Jack growled at James as he drew closer to him. " Get out of here James." He said his voice growling as he spoke " your not getting any one so leave."