Marriage is Murder

Cassidy sighed and nodded " I agree Angus shes safe where she is" she walked over to the window and looked out as Angus called Steven back in. " I will don't you worry" she said and as he walked threw the door she caught his ear " with me..now" she said and dragged him up the stairs.

Several minets later they both walked down with steven behind her she looked at Angus and nodded " we talked " she said " and hes calmed down" she said Steven moved to hold Cassidy.

"Sorry Angus, I just hate that were here and can't do anything" cassidy nudged him as she heard the frustration in his voice return." but I guess looking after the kids is as important so Robert, Kate, Brian and Khaat won't have to worry about them."

"Looking after the kids is our first priority," Angus said. "How many times have they told us to forget about them and protect the kids? Seems to me I hear it every battle we fight. There's time to go chase James. And, honestly, when this hits the press, every fighter in England will be hunting him and the pack.

"James has turned this into an outright war," Angus said. "And if its a war he wants, England will give it to him. James is an idiot, but he's big enough to intimidate anyone that doesn't go along with him. As I see it, the only way this can end for him is either a long stay in Azkaban or a grave. I don't see it any other way.

"Why don't you find something for the kids to do? You're both really good at that. Cassidy, why don't you get the girls and perhaps do a tea party with them? You can use fruit juice and cookies in their little toy tea set in the girls' playroom.

"Steven, you ought to be able to come up with something similar for the boys. Maybe a campfire with bluebell flames and let them have a bit of a snack around a play campfire? Maybe you could both tell them a story. If not, Kate bought some new storybooks she was going to give them--a big stack of them about happy little pumpkins. They're in her room, on the top shelf of her closet. I know she won't care."

Angus saw Lee's men arriving. "Reinforcements are here. Let's let them handle the outside as much as we can and do what we do best--take care of the people. We'll have to make sure that we're also taking good care of Robert and Brian and Kate too because they're going to be really focused on Khaat.

"Hopefully Jess and Jack and Jim already know to take are of themselves because we're going to need them. I haven't heard a syllable from Michael or Edward. I'm hoping they're okay. The last I knew, they'd responded to Marcus's signal in the alley early this morning. If you hear from them or if they come back, let me know, would you?"

Cassidy nodded at Angus's idea and headed to gather things for the tea party while Steven listened to Angus too " those kids are my life and I would not let anything hurt or harm them, and I like tht idea " he said " I can teach them some tricks , no no knife tricks " he said and chuckled as he took went to set up the small camping area for the boys then gathered them all togther and sat them down.

Cassidy gathered the girs and made th tea party plcing dolls and teddys around a small low table for them with all pink food on it as with pink lemonade. Cassidy sat down feling alittle out of place since she naver played tea party as a small girl but as the girls played she was pulled into it glad they were happy to play and take their minds off everything.

In Kensington, two of Lee's female agents arrived with multiple sacks. They came into his flat, and saw him rocking the tiny girl who was now just quiet and cuddling.

"Oh, Lee! She's adorable! Why don't you..." one of the women began.

"She's not an orphan," Lee said. "I've got this."

"What do you know about taking care of kids?" the woman frowned. "And what's with all the fruits and veggies? Obviously you have no idea what to feed a kid."

"I know what to feed this one," Lee said. "Abs, cookies or berries?"

"Berries," she said into his sweater. One of the women frowned.

"Hot dogs or fish?"

"Fish," Abbey said.

"Ice cream or salad?"

"Salad," Abbey replied.

"You taught her to do that, didn't you?" one of the women frowned. "That's just not right."

"I didn't teach her anything," Lee said. "Just tell me you got what I asked."

"Yes. We did," they said.

"Then go. Put it away, please. Leave the stuffed toy here and the blanket."

One of the women drew out a pink blanket and a stuffed teddy and left them with Lee.

"Do you want me to stay and cook for you?" one of the women asked. "You don't cook."

"I don't what? Of course I can cook. We'll manage. Abbey is good help in the kitchen. We'll be fine."

"This is a guarding assignment, isn't it?"

"Yes," Lee said. "Do some snooping around. See what you can find on werewolves. Be careful. He's extremely dangerous. Do not provoke him."

"How will we know him?"

"Oh, you'll recognize this one," Lee said.

Brant sat mixing potions curing when some didn't work and smiling when some did and labeling them to put on a shelf with others. Soon he rubbed his eyes realzing he had not slept with restocking the potions. Looking around the room he stood up and stretched his body out then headed to the main door needing a shower and some food. He brushed his hand over his tubble and headed up to the spare room , washing and shaving he felt a whole lot better and he headed down to the kitchen " Hey Angus, got anything good to eat" he asked feeling the tenshion and knowing or at least trying to lighten the mood a little.


" Im alomst done restocking your potions half of them were out of date, the rest I haven't even heard of so left them alone" he said and picked up an apple and bit into it he felt his stomach complain at the light snack knowing he real should get mor than an apple to eat.

"You missed lunch a couple hours ago," Angus said. "We did call everyone. There might be some leftover chicken and noodles in the fridge. Or we'll be doing dinner in a couple hours. Whatever you think works. I'm making something special. I'm trying to give Kate a bit of comfort. She's not getting much comfort today, I'm sure. The least we can do is to let her know that we're thinking of her and we love her."

Edward ported back in. He'd been gone since Marcus had set off the emergency alarms. He was aching and tired.

Angus looked up sharply, glad to see his grandfather back in one piece.

"Are you alright?" he asked his grandfather.

"Coffee," Edward ordered quietly. Angus got it and brought it to him.

"Is there any news at all?" Angus asked.

"Besides the fact that James got away? No. None. I think his pack is camping in London someplace now, but I don't know where," Edward said. "We tracked him for hours. How's Khaat and Marcus?"

"I was hoping you knew. Marcus is alright. Khaat--well, we don't know yet. The last we knew, she was in surgery and not expected to live."

Edward nodded. He had seen the wounds for himself. He knew how serious they were. He hadn't expected her to live either. He took a sip of coffee, not saying much. He wasn't exactly sure where Michael had disappeared to, but he figured he'd turn up sooner or later at St. Mungos.

Brant looked at Angus and moved to the fridge he had his head in it when Edward arived and didn't even look at him " Hey Uncle and Angus was kinda waist deep in potions so sorry didn't hear the call." he said knowing he was his great uncle but choose to leave the great out of it so Edward would not feel too old. Brant took out some soup and closed the fridge moving to heat it on the stove.

Brant moved to sit on the table as he listened to them talking. Brant had heard them talking and knew it was bad. " some one should catch that guy, turn him into a pussy cat and nuter him." He said as the soup began to steam. Poring it into a bowl he sat down and ate. "Good soup Angus. "he said and took another spoon full.

"He's done a great deal of damage, that one," Edward said, hearing Brant's comment. "And it just keeps coming. His plan has changed. He wants to make any human either a werewolf or a meal. One or the other."

"The world is a mighty big place," Angus sighed. "You do know there isn't a ghost of a chance he can carry this off. Right?"

"Well, statistically, it should be impossible. But, the fact that he's a wizard, that he's a werewolf---and a damned big one at that, along with the fact that he's developing some selectivity at it, and well, the odds look just a wee bit skewed from the normal one-madman-against-the-world sort of notion," Edward said.

"Are you saying he can do this?" Angus frowned.

"No," Edward said. "I am saying that I expect a lot of people to die before we catch or kill the bastard."

Brant turned his head slightly and listened. " Damn, he's definatly in the mad man catagory, wear or not." he said taking another spoon of soup then he finished it and placed the bowl in the sink "That was good, thanks Angus." He said and turned to look at Edward. " Sometimes best place to hide is in plain sight and hes a hunter, so Im guessing he'd stay close to his pray and in a crowded place, London maybe, the slumbs would be my guess if he is as plenty of willing converts?" He said softly not sure if he was helping or just voicing his idea. Brant ran his fingers threw his hair and lent back against the counter.

He hated that Khaat was hurt but he had to make sure potions were there when they needed it. He looked at Edward then at Angus he wasn't part of the organisation but yet since trainning in paris he felt he was an unoffical member of it now. With a sigh he headed to the door. " um... mind if I use the gym , being in that darkish room all day made some muscles I didn't think I had stiffen up."

"Its possible, Brant," Edward said. "Or perhaps near the pubs. Drunks are generally easy pickings. Not so much to sign up for being turned, but they pose little resistance and end up as food for monsters like him."

"You really do have a twisted part of your brain, you know that?" Angus frowned.

"That's not news. Do what I do for more than a year or two, and your brain will go a bit sideways too," Edward said.

"Speaking of sideways, Michael didn't keep going after James without you, did he?"

"No," Edward said. "I was with him when we lost James. And Michael was beyond pissed. He was focused on protecting the woman that was helping is distract James from Khaat. He was fond of her for some reason. Or seemed to be. You know what Michael's like about people that he cares for. He'll want to make sure she's safe. Then we'll hear from him."

"Michael is fine," Angus said. "Wherever he is. I'd better get back to the kitchen. What I'm fixing is a bit labor intensive."