A New Reason to Hate Paris

"Jack can't misplace a cookie," Angus said. "I think he pretty much always stops at the cookie jar first when he comes in the kitchen.

"But I think you'll like the chicken salad. It's made from fresh yogurt and has herbs, shallots, celery, and a lot of other things. There's some lovely butter lettuce and some tomatoes that are nice and sweet. I made fresh croissants earlier, so you can make sandwiches with that if you like. And, there is fresh fruit salad in the fridge too if you want."

He watched Brant pour French roast. "You might develop a taste for it after all. Haven't tried it with honey, but it might work. Khaat and Brian drink it black.

"If you don't see what you want, though," he added, "just ask. Looks like I might be up tonight too. Marcus says Khaat wants me to open up that old townhouse of Eli's that she uses periodically. Don't know why she wants it, but she's asked me to open it up again, get it refreshed, and get it stocked again. Doesn't make sense to me, but who am I to question it?"

Jess looked up as he mentioned the town house and frowned her mind now going a mile a minuet hoping she wasn't going to do a runner with the children leaving Brian in their care. But she soon brushed that thought from her mind and with her mug in hand she walked silently out of the kitchen and up to find Robert wondering if he knew her plans.

“Robert, did you know Khaat has asked for Eli's town house to be opened and readied?” She asked as she walked over to him. “ I'm worried they'll find her there.” She told him honestly her hands gripped her cup slightly harder than they should her long nails slightly taking off some of the decal that sat on it as she moved her fingers back and forth.

"Did she, now?" Robert frowned, looking up from his book. "She's not talking to me or anyone else, not that I can see. I don't think she's talking to Marcus either, except for what she has to do."

"She's not in the best place," Kate said, fresh from a dip in the pool, coming in, toweling off her wet hair. "I took a few minutes in the pool to try to distract myself from the energies. There's so much negativity, understandably, but her energies are just empty."

"What do you mean they're 'empty'?" Robert frowned. "Nobody's energies are just empty."

"Hers are," Kate said. "I trust Marcus to do what we've hired him to do, but I don't see it as a good thing. I don't think she's avoiding talking to us. I honestly think she just doesn't feel much of anything right now."

"Why is she opening up the townhouse again, then?" Robert asked.

"I don't know," Kate shrugged. "Badgering her won't help, though."

"Who's badgering? I'm reading my book."

"For now, you are. Maybe Marcus will learn something--maybe. If she were going to run and hide, though, she wouldn't be so open about it as to ask Angus to open it up."

Jess looked over at Kate as she walked back in from the pool and sighed. “So your saying we shouldn't worry?” She asked glancing from Robert to Kate and back. Hearing Robert say leave it to Marcus she nodded knowing if any one could figure out what was going on with Khaat he could, even though she had been Khaat's longest friend since leaving Hogwarts and starting work for Robert.

Brant chuckled at the sound of the food and rubbed his tummy. “Sounds delicious Angus as always” he told him now wishing he could sample some of that food.” so how long till we can eat?” he asked “And before you say it I'm not greedy, I just know how to appreciate finely cooked food.” He told him then rubbed the back of his neck “ well I do now.” He sipped his coffee again and smiled “ you know technically I'm a Crawford Donahue or should that be Donahue Crawford?” he mused as he took another sip of the coffee.

Marcus found her in the last place he expected to find her. She was wrapped in a blanket, curled up on the floor in front of the window in his room so she could look outside and work on paperwork. She didn't want to talk, nor did she really want to be bothered by anyone. That was more than painfully obvious. It was fine that she was in his room with him. It made his work easier. He showered and changed into a pair of jeans and a shirt. He thought about it for a long moment and then reluctantly decided to give talking to her a try.

"You know, you don't have to sit on the floor," he said softly, sitting down on the floor beside her.

"I know," she said quietly.

"Khaat, this is a direct response somehow to Brian, and I know it is. I just don't understand it."

"What is there to understand?" she asked. "He's in very capable hands, and right now, I would be of no use to him."

"That's not exactly true," Marcus said. "What's going on between you and Brian?"

"I found a letter from Brian," she said softly. "It was in my briefcase. It was a goodbye letter, Marcus..."

"No. I find that more than a little hard to believe, Khaat," he frowned. "He would never leave you."

"That's what I thought too, but that was all a lie apparently--just like Rob. Brian said I should take the kids and the staff and move into a safer place than here. He said I deserved something more stable than what he could offer. He included a copy of the paperwork on the estate and the bank accounts, but he said he didn't feel i should stay here.

"He said that he chose not to tell my father the problems that were in this mission, but he knew he would not survive it. He chose the mission over us. Whatever made him make that choice, I don't know and I don't care. This was the one thing, the only thing I made him promise he would never do. He might be a Gryffindor but we have eight children now. That makes it entirely different--for at least eight reasons. I thought I would be enough, or that surely his children would be enough but I was wrong.

"At any rate, there is a copy of his will and a copy of the deeds to all our properties and assets, so I think he's made his choice. However it happened, he chose to leave me a goodbye letter and to pursue some assignment that he knew he would not come back from. He threw us away--me, our children, our marriage. He willingly tossed us all away. He's walked out on our children and on me. It's done with us. He chose it himself." She opened a parchment envelope, opened the letter and showed Marcus Brian's wedding ring that he had taken off and given to her.

"See?" she looked at him. "It's over. I have to give plans to give him what he wants. I had one man walk away, and now here is my second. I'm not interested in his backstories now and his defenses. He didn't think it was a good idea for me to stay here. He suggested I make a new start." She handed him the note. "Read it for yourself."

Marcus took the ring and examined it. He looked at the plain gold band with the tiny inscription inside, and he had no doubt it was Brian's ring. He took the letter and looked at the handwriting, and again he had little doubt it was Brian's. He read the letter over for himself. Well, this was a buggared up mess if Marcus had ever seen one, and he had to admit that if he'd received this letter himself he'd likely have been as put off by it as she was.

Back in Robert's room, he looked up at Jess from his book. "I don't think she's doing anything in a normal pattern, but then again, Brian isn't operating according to Hoyle either. I don't have any information except that this started when Brian decided to go on this mission. And if thats the case,nothing is going to get better until Brian is well enough and alert enough to repair his marriage himself."

Downstairs, Angus put together the chicken salad sandwich filling quickly and sliced croissants in half and rebagged them so they wouldn't get try.  "Chicken salad is ready," Angus told them. "Croissants are sliced. Tomatoes are sliced and in the red bowl with the cling wrap.  The lettuce is clean and ready to use. It's in the crisper drawer of the fridge.  Just help yourself and make yourself a sandwich if you like."

Jess looked at Robert as he spoke her heart was heavy around Khaat and she didn't know why but she nodded knowing tending to her patient was important right now. “ your right , I should focus on Brian , but she's so hard to ignore.” Jess told him “ Brian and her have been together just as long as Jack and I and our kids love playing with Abby and the others.” She paused and took a deep breath in not wanting to even think of them not being together.

Brant heard Angus say food was ready and smiled as he prepared several sandwiches and quickly left the kitchen to eat in the lab as he usually did when at home. Jess heard Angus and sighed “ I'll let it be for now as you suggest, but I get an uneasy feeling things are going to have to get worse before they get better.” she said as she turned towards the door study and left for the kitchen, she smiled seeing several of her own children headed down to the kitchen all laughing and joking between themselves as she fixed each ate a sandwich.

“Delicious as always Angus.” Jess said eating finally her own.

"They've been together longer than that," Robert said. "They grew up together. They met when they were eight years old, and Kate and I were Brian's guardians when his parents were killed. Brian spent part of his childhood growing up in my house."

"That may well be," Kate said, "but he certainly sounds like he's got things all buggared up for some reason. One of you might have to wake him to see if he can't fill in the blanks."

"That would be an extraordinarily bad decision," Robert said. "We're not, any of us, stupid. We should be able to deal with this. I would hope we could eventually figure this all out."

"You'd better do that fairly soon, Robert," Kate said. "She hasn't even been to see him since they brought him back, and that's not like her either."

"I think you're right, Jess," Robert said. "It isn't going to get better yet."

Marcus folded up the letter and replaced it and Brian's ring back in the envelope and put the envelope in his pocket.

"You know it will take a day or so to get the house and the kids ready," Marcus said. "And I'm sure I won't sleep tonight, so you know you can stay in here as long as you like. Can I trust you to stay while I go get us some tea? You'll feel better with a decent cup." He waited but she didn't respond. "I'll be right back."

He went downstairs and found them all making sandwiches in the kitchen. It made him smile slightly. This family could eat just about anytime. He got a couple of mugs out and poured tea.

"Khaat's in my room," Marcus told them, "so you lot don't panic and run off looking for her."

"She's alright?" Angus asked.

"Not really," Marcus said.

"Is that why she asked me to open the London house?"

"No," Marcus said. "Brian asked her to go. I've got the letter he left her, and he gave her back his wedding ring. she's looking at going because he told her himself to go."

Jess looked up as Marcus walked into the living room concern written all over her face but at his words she relaxed a little still wondering why Brian would leave on his own, usually he'd take Jack with him but this time, it worried her more. Once the kids were fed and headed back to their rooms she sighed and collected all the plates for washing.

“ I should relive Jack so he can come and eat too.” She said to Angus as she placed the plates in the dishwasher and set it going. Entering Brian and Khaat's room she saw Jack reading a book or trying since it was one of her books on energy manipulation.

“Bah, how can you read this, I barely got past the first page before my eyes started to close.” He said as she walked over to him as he stood in front of her. Jack wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him as she looked down at Brian.

“Im worried about Brian and Khaat” she told him but he just chuckled as he kissed her shoulder gently.

“Their like bricks and mortar, stuck together until the end of time, they'll be fine, given they'll need some time and space but they'll be okay.” He told her as Jess turned and looked at him now with a soft smile on her face.

“Thanks Jack, you always know what to say to make me feel better.” She told him as he gently kissed her before stepping back. “You'd better get some food before its all gone.”

“I made a promise to myself when you disappeared that I would always be there to make you happy when your down.” He told her “ and I'm gonna keep it.” with another gentle kiss he smiled and left for the kitchen. “ Hey Angus, food smell great, any coffee left got a feeling its gonna be a long night.” He said as he sat on a stool close by.

"Smells like a fresh pot here beside the tea," Marcus said to Jack.

"It is," Angus said. "You lot went through the last one. Belby, even if what you say is true, how can you be sure she won't apparate out and simply disappear while you're down here? She hasn't managed to get past you before, but, it doesn't mean that there isn't a first time."

"She certainly could," Marcus shrugged, "but, I don't think she's thinking right now. I think she's just numb. I don't think she's going anywhere--not tonight anyway."

"There's sleeping potion down here if she has trouble sleeping," Angus suggested.

"I'll remember that. Thank you," Marcus said. "I'll be lucky if she even notices a cup of tea, I think." He took the tea back upstairs and put one of the mugs beside her. She hadn't moved. Paperwork on her lap, and she wasn't even looking at it. He didn't bother her. She was safe, and that was the job, to keep her safe.

He also always had had the feeling she was one of those who could be a runner--trying actively to outwit a bodyguard to evade them. She hadn't tried it with him, but he suspected it was because he didn't box her in anywhere. Tonight, it was she who came looking for a bit of a box to hide in, and after reading Brian's letter, Marcus decided she was entitled to hide for one night.

Around four am, she fell asleep in the same spot on the floor in his room that she'd chosen hours before. She hadn't moved, and he made no move to disturb her. He opened the door of his room silently and saw Robert's door still ajar and his light still on. That wasn't surprising. Robert wouldn't sleep tonight either, Marcus knew.

He went down the hall and found Robert pouring over some thick old potions tome. How could he stay awake and read potions formulas and not doze off himself? Marcus loved to read, but, even he could not manage this. Robert heard the noise, looked up and saw Kate in bed sleeping, and turned to see Marcus who had the envelope in his hand.

"I might be violating a confidence, but you should see this," Marcus said softly, handing the envelope to Robert. "He left it for her in her briefcase." Robert frowned and opened the envelope, the ring falling into Robert's lap. Robert picked up the ring and looked at it and then read the letter. He thought for a moment before looking up at Marcus.

"I think you're all correct," he said. "Someone's gotten to him, and it was surely someone he trusted."

"Perhaps completely," Marcus agreed.

"Thank you," Robert said. "Well, this might give us more to go on. I'll pass it around to Jack and Angus and Michael and we'll give it thought to see if there's anything in it that rings a bell. It's doubtful, but I'll try."

"Maybe Kate, since she was roaming around his thoughts earlier?"

"Perhaps," Robert agreed. "How's Khaat taking it?"

"Hard to tell. She hasn't said anything for hours, dozed off a short while ago."

"Where is she?"

"My room, actually. Came in and sat down on the floor and hasn't moved since." Robert sighed.

"That's not good," he told Marcus. "Stay close. I don't want history repeating itself."

"What do you mean?"

"I only know of her doing that once before, when she was a child. It was quite ugly. Just stay close to her, won't you?"

"Certainly," he said.

"I'll give this back to you once I've talked to the others," Robert told him.

It was jack now holding a hot cup of coffee that spoke first thought he looked into the cup more than at them as he did “ so..we watch her tomorrow when her heads cleared more for running.” He said as he quickly looked up at them both. He listened more and nodded his agreement. “ there's only those in this house who are that close to him, and I for one would never force them apart nor would Jess, so gotta be some one new, some one we would never suspect.” He sighed and shook his head. Even just thinking about it all made his head hurt and he took another drink of coffee.

“Sleep is good for Khaat” Brant walked in with an empty cup for a refill. “It will help her sort her mind and give us time to see if we can figure out why Brian did what he did.” He reached for the pot and pored out the dark liquid before sitting down on a stool and looking at them all “Well there were no drugs involved that I or Jess could detect, thought even Robert would have picked up on that, possible a new mind control spell." He said softly