Cockney Accents and Motherly Advice

Rob walked cautiously over to the bed and knelt down beside Khaat. He reached up and pushed some hair out of her eyes before smiling a little at her. He rose up and sat down on the edge of the bed. He took her hands in his own and gently brushed her skin with his thumbs.

“What have you done to yourself, love?” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I should have been here; I know that. But I’m here now and I’m going to look after you two. Your dad is pissed off to the max but I’ll see what I can do about it. I know there is only so much time before I have to go back outside but I want you to know that I didn’t cheat on you, Khaat. I’ve always loved you; even from the moment I saw you. It’s corny but true. It was literal love at first sight that others can only dream about. Everything might seem grim right now but it’ll get better, I promise you that.

Now I know I’ve broken enough promises already but this is one I’m most definitely doing to keep. I’m going to make you better, Khaat. Okay? Then once you are you can chase me around with a plank of wood or something. I love you. Don’t you ever forget that. I would go to the ends of the earth to see you and abbey healthy and well again. I don’t care whether you hex me into oblivion when you do but she is scared and … I don’t know.

You need to start to trust me. That’s what married couples do, they trust each other. I know I haven’t given you reason to trust me but you’ve got to let me in. Let me share your pain and let me take the burden of carrying it alone, away. I want to help you Khaat and so does your father. At the end of the day he is still a prick but he is a damn useful one. We want to help you, okay?

I want my girl’s well again. It’s totally a father thing. Abbey relies on you, babe. She needs to know her mum is there for her. I’m always going to be here. From now on, okay? I know I’ve said it time and time again but I mean it this time. I’ve probably said that as well but I want to scrap it all and start again, okay? These days… they didn’t happen. I know you aren’t going to be well for a while but if that means you’re going to be okay then you’ve got to endure it – we’ve got to endure it; together. Just trust me and the prick okay? He’s a good prick; he means well but … yeah I should stop insulting your dad here.

You can hit me for it later. Do whatever; break a few bones because I’ll heal. Just… be well again, Khaat. For us? For our family and your parents, alright? Jen is freaking out because she thinks she’s mucked everything up. She’s going to give you a whopper of a hug when she sees you next. She’ll probably never let you out of her sight if I’m not watching you.” Rob laughed and kissed Khaat’s forehead. “I love you darlin’.” he murmured, with a small sigh.

"He wins, Rob," Khaat said softly curling into him, exhausted beyond anything that even felt human anymore,and still numb from all the repeated dosings of potion, "He always wins. Do you get it? Do you really get how powerful he is? Nobody can honestly mess with him. In all these years, I've never seen more than a mere spark of what I know he can do. I have no choice. " She had heard his heartfelt apology, but a part of her was working on some weird frantic overdrive to not let it get to where the pain was so raw, where she had mixed losing Remus and losing Rob all together in one painful pit of darkness. She didnt' dare open it because if she did, she would find it was bottomless. And that was too terrifying even for a Lupin to think about.

She could take Rob back. It was really what she wanted, after all. She wanted that bloody potion too, but she couldn't fight them both. They won. Part of her was really glad, part of her was confused, and the other part didn't know whether it was just numb or dead.

"Don't let him put me to sleep," she said softly, "I don't want those nightmares to come back. Just don't make me sleep. You don't know how awful it is when I close my eyes. Promise me."

“Baby shh…” Rob crooned, kissing Khaat softly. “He’s going to help you, okay? I’m going to be here for you. I’m going to be here. It won’t be a bad dream. There will be love here again – I promise. Everything…” He sucked in a breath. He was being over emotional now. “Everything is going to be alright. It has to be because I can’t live another day without you. I know it’s a cliché but I don’t care; it’s true. I don’t care if you don’t want me here because you’re now stuck with me, okay? You’ve got me for life because I’m not leaving your side again. I don’t need a job; I’ll follow you around like a lovesick puppy. It’s just, damnit, I love you! I don’t know how many times I’ll have to say it before it gets through to your brain, Khaat. I love you more than life itself. I would happily go to my death if I knew you’d be saved because of my sacrifice. I love everything about you. Sure, it bothers me that you are too Gryffindor for your own good but that’s part of the appeal. I love you, I love you, I love you Khaat Karina Lupin and I am overjoyed that for some reason you chose become my wife. Now I know I’ve F*** things up spectacularly and I know some things are irreparable but are relationship doesn’t fall into the category. Please Khaat… I can’t see you like this.”

It was by that point that tears were actually streaming down his cheeks. Rob wasn’t sure how to handle himself anymore. He was truly in one god-awful mess and Khaat was worse. He somehow managed to gather her up into his arms and hug her close to him. He was feeling slightly better, just being properly around her again. But he gathered that his health depended on hers. He loved her too much to see her as ill and lifeless as she was. It was killing him.

"Rob," Robert said from the doorway, returning, his voice soft now, feeling Rob's pain all too well. He hated to have to drag Rob down this ugly piece of road Khaat had chosen. But Robert was downright proud of how he had stepped up when it mattered. He had known Rob had had it in him all the while. Rob had just needed to find it in himself. Now Rob needed some kindness too, not a kick in the behind. First things first, though. Robert needed his help to save Khaat.

Robert spoke quietly and gently to Rob. "It's her exhaustion talking. And that asinine potion. She'll make a lot more sense maybe even by tonight. She won't be on her feet, but she may be starting to talk some sense. I just checked at St. Mungos. She's been literally working nonstop at her desk since the two of you broke up, living on nothing but coffee and that damned potion. She's exhausted. And Abbey is starving. She's taking her nutrition directly from Khaat's bodily systems now because Khaat hasn't eaten in order to feed her. Khaat wasn't able to think about that. We have to fix that immediately. Can you manage to go to Katherine and get some of that wine broth Khaat loves? I have to get her to eat something--for Abbey's sake. We need to start light with clear fluids. How soon can you get there and back and perhaps heat it up in a mug for her? How fast can you be?"

Was the man testing how fast he could Apparate? Rob was gone at the word fast and he appeared in the Kitchen of the farm with a deafening crack. He moved to the fridge and pulled it open. What was broth anyway? He figured that it was some kind of soup but he wasn’t sure. He was a pretty rubbish vegetarian if it was a veggie meal. But he was the first to admit that he cheated anyway. He might not have liked the taste of meat but he nothing could beat a steak.
Rob opened the fridge and pulled the broth out. He was confused but chose not to say anything. With a crack, he Apparated back into the kitchen of their house and bit his lip. He didn’t even know what broth was so how could he cook it? He bit his lip and put it down on the counter before running into the living room. He threw a handful of Floo Powder into the fireplace and called out for his grandmother. Instantly her face appeared and for once he was happy to see her.

“My how you’ve grown, boy!” she smiled.
“Thanks grandma.” He almost, almost blushed.
“What do you need, then? Money?” she asked.
“Err, no. How do you cook broth, Grandma?” Rob asked.
“You’re not a squib are you?” she asked harshly.
“Bugger off!” Rob said defensively.
“Then heat it up for goodness sake! Bloody squib..”

Her face disappeared from the fire and Rob ran back into the kitchen. He heated the broth with a wave of his wand and Apparated back upstairs. He landed on the bed and grinned at Robert. “Here.”

Robert had transfigured Khaat's clothes into a nightgown and simply put her into bed. He felt he had no time to lose. He was not taking any chances on losing her or Abbey either one.

"Excellent," Robert said, taking the mug from Rob on his return. He took a large bottle from his bag and poured it into the mug, and then something else from a second vial and swirled the mug. "Vitamins for Abbey and Khaat. And, antidote for that damned swill she's been living on. Get her to drink that--all of it. She might not have an appetite, but Abbey will love you for it. I'm sure she's very tired of getting nothing but her mother's french roast."

Khaat wasn't fighting anymore. She'd do anything Rob asked of her--just as long as he stayed. Except one thing--she was more afraid of sleeping than she could begin to describe. She wasn't willing to do that. Not ever again. She knew that somehow didn't make sense, but she was committed to never having a single dream again.

Rob took the broth from Khaat’s father and put them down on the bedside table. He settled himself beside her and put a hesitant hand on her stomach. His girl was starving in there. He glanced up at Khaat’s face and put his lip. He leaned back over to get the mug and held it out for her. “Khaat, you’ve got to drink this for me. I’m not going anywhere, just drink it all up and you’ll be alright.” He brought her hand up to cover one side of the mug and did the same with the other before covering both of her hands with his own. He kissed her forehead and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “Drink it, Khaat and I’ll make it worth your while.” He trailed kisses along her jaw and smiled to himself. He couldn’t believe he was using seduction to persuade his wife to drink something. Then again, it was all for a good cause. Abbey was more important than anything right now. Khaat could get him back for it later.

Khaat knew that if she didn't drink it voluntarily, her father would get quite ugly. She wasn't going to admit that to Rob. He didn't need to know her father's forceful side. She just surrendered, and drank it. Slowly because the antidote upset her stomach violently. But she never complained, never showed one emotion that it bothered her at all. She laid against Rob, starting to really feel the intense fatigue now. And she was getting angry a bit at Rob now too. As much as she could feel anything. He had made her stop moving and slow down, and things were going to catch up with her fast now. She could feel it. As long as she 'd kept moving she'd been fine. But Rob had made her stop. Forced her to stop running from herself. It frustrated her. But she said nothing. She felt herself growing heavier against him quickly and she hated it, and hated him. If she could have just kept going, then maybe she wouldn't have to be afraid. And she hated him for ratting her out to her father. But she did notice that she wasn't letting go of him either. She sighed deeply. She still wasn't right.

He sighed and leaned back against the headboard of the bed. He pulled Khaat closer and wrapped his arms around her. He sent the mug over to the stand and rested his head against hers. She was shattered but she wouldn’t accept it. He would have to stay up for goodness knows how long but he didn’t care how long it took. He’d get her back to normal whether it killed him in the process. Rob clicked his fingers and made the blanket that he had gotten earlier, come over to them. He draped it over Khaat and a little over himself before beginning to run his fingers though her hair. He needed her to relax. He was going to be there when she went to sleep and he was going to be there when she woke up. In the event that he needed anything he’d get Jenifer. She’d be more than happy to be there and help out. “Sleep, Khaat.” He murmured, kissing her hair. “I’m here so just sleep.”

Robert felt Khaat's utter terror as clearly as if it were his own. And it was completely out of character for Khaat. Khaat was, by nature, almost completely fearless. Almost. That was what had always driven him crazy about her. The girl just had no fear. Had truly never known utter terror--until now. He couldn't let her try to battle that--not alone, and not now. She was already battling enough. He simply walked up to her, completely silently, and brushed her hair softly a few strokes before pausing his hand on her forehead. "Enough," he said softly. She fell limp against Rob instantly, instantly deep under his powerful sleep spell.

"She isn't going to dream," Robert told Rob quietly. "She isn't going to wake for hours. The sleep spell is heavy enough to hold her through the worst of the withdrawal of the drug. I don't want to stress Abbey any further. They'll both weather it better if she's sleeping. You should get some sleep while you can, Son. Rob, there is good news and bad news in this. And you said you wanted to know it all.

"The good news is that Abbey is alright for now. She's really dangerously distressed, though, and if we had let it go even a few more hours, Khaat would have been in real jeopardy of miscarrying with her. But you got to her in time. That's another reason I had to stop her. Khaat isn't bleeding or any other sign that would tell me she is in immediate danger, but I want her on absolute and complete bedrest until I say otherwise--until I am absolutely sure that little girl is not in trouble. No exceptions. I don't think Khaat 'll fight it. She already has figured out how angry I am with her, even as drugged as she is. The other piece of good news is that I can sense Abbey is a lot more relaxed and satisfied right at the moment and is finally settling. That broth really helped. That and the fact her mother isn't going to run her ragged for a bit.

"Here's the real concern. Khaat lived on coffee and that poison for days. She's lost some weight. If she were not pregnant, I would not be concerned. But here's as close as I can figure. She's lost between 2 or 3 pounds from where she should be with her baby weight. That's almost all of it for where she should be. Abbey, naturally, works to protect herself and robs that back from Khaat. She takes what she needs. The baby weight now appears to be about 5-7 pounds. And Khaat lost weight of her own. This is going to appear to be about a 10 pound weight loss for her, between what Abbey took to keep herself safe, and what Khaat lost additionally. And Khaat was not that overweight. That means it will come off in muscle. Strength. Bottom line--she's going to need time to feel at full strength again. She may be on her feet again in a couple days. But we wil have to watch her fatigue levels, make sure she has an exceptionally nutritious diet, and start her exercising and rebuilding her strength when she stops being sick. And that should set in, in a few hours or sooner.

"I hope you can understand this, but I have been down this road with her before. She's the only child I've got. I cannot leave her while she and Abbey are in this kind of danger. I'm staying. I will give you your space, but I have to be within earshot at least until she's out of danger. Sleep while you can. Khaat and Abbey and I both may well need you sooner than you think." He plucked three or four of Khaat's strands of hair before he stepped out of the room quietly, but chose not to go far. He went next door into Abbey's nursery, and transfigured the rocking chair into a deep comfortable chair. He took a vial out of his bagn and put one of the new hairs inside it and swirled it. The pale green thread was so thin and so pale and dim, it looked pitiful. It was unsettling for Robert. He had not seen that in her for a very long time. He had prayed he would never see her signature look like that ever, ever again. But here it was--the past repeating itself. He sighed heavily and put the vial in his bag. He was desperately hoping that Rob would not see nor would sense how fragile Khaat and Abbey really were right now. This was not Rob's fault. It was nobody's fault, really, except Khaat's own for how she reacted to her disagreement with Rob. It had all been her own doing.

He took out a rolled up copy of the Daily Prophet, along with his glasses, and sat down and positioned himself to read the newspaper. He tuned his senses acutely on Khaat and Abbey so he would instantly sense the slightest change. Robert was well trained at staying awake and hypervigilant for as long as it took. And when it came to his family, he could make that endurance go longer--much longer.