Rain

Robert and Kate spent the evening just enjoying their granddaughters and took it upon themselves to feed them when it got to be their bedtimes. They took the girls upstairs together and changed them and put them into their cribs. They came back down and just sat watching the game.

Finally, Khaat and Michael groaned both at the same time. It was a stalemate and they knew it.

"Damn," Michael said. "There's no way we can win--either of us."

"I know. And I was so looking forward to beating you," Khaat sighed.

"Draw, then?" he sighed.

"I suppose so," she said sadly.

"Never mind, Dear," he pinched her cheek affectionately, "I shall be happy to skunk you tomorrow."

"We are going to teach Jess how to beat you tomorrow," Khaat yawned.

"Khaat," Brian said gently. "You really do need some sleep. A good nights rest would do you good. You've had a long couple of days."

"So have you," she said.

"You two go ahead. We'll handle it," Robert said.

"You sure?" Khaat asked.

"Positive. You both look almost as old as we are," Robert said. Kate elbowed him hard.

"Alright," Brian said, rising. "If you'll excuse us then, goodnight, all." He led Khaat up to bed. Robert and Kate rose and went over the the chess board.

"So, how shall we divide the partners, then?" Kate asked.

"Chess is a game of strategy, Jess," Robert said. "What one gets out of it is equal to what one puts into it. Children can be taught to play chess and their games are shorter because they are immensely less complicated. The more concerned about strategy one becomes and the more seriously one plays, the more involved it all gets. And the longer it takes. The reason we enjoy it when we take it seriously is because we enjoy the challenge. We enjoy having to think. To try to outwit the other opponent. It requires a certain amount of thinking ahead--about what the most likely outcome will be in the long run."

"And strategy is, above all else, Robert's strongest asset," Michael said seriously. "Its why he's Minister and the rest of us merely play chess. Robert is one of those rare men who can do it on a greater scale and usually keep the damage to a minimum for all of us. Chess teaches us many valuable real life lessons. Thats why we wanted Khaat and Brian to know how to play chess from the time they could figure out one piece from another. Come sit. Let's teach you the pieces and show you the basics of how its done."

"The goal of the game is to protect your king," Robert said, pulling up a chair beside Michael. He intended to enjoy this battle of women against the men. He and Kate often spent long winter nights in chess battles. Kate kept her chess playing abilities a secret. He looked at her and she had a perfectly straight face with only a ladylike smile. "Consider all the other pieces to be military pieces geared for the sole purpose of shielding the king. If you use it that way, it will teach you a great deal about body guarding and the other things we do. The difference for us in real life is that I have determined that, for your purposes, the King you are protecting is Khaat and my granddaughters. Once you make that analogy, you will find a lot to be more clear."

"In a very real life sense, we all have something or someone that we would protect like that, to the degree that we would sacrifice all else," Michael said, watching the board reset itself. "For some, it is some material possession or money itself. For others it is their families and loved ones, and still for others, they are the king in their own game of life. Where we start is with a move that minimizes damage. Does very little harm but advances our own directives. If we can take out a member from the other side in the process, sometimes that is very desirable It depends on how quickly we want to win."

"Ladies first," Robert said, looking directly eye to eye with Kate. Kate and Robert and Michael all explained the different pieces and the various directions and limitations they had in moving and how it impacted the game itself. Kate was reserving the opening move for herself. She enjoyed that beyond all other portions of the game. She thought her move over carefully and decided to use one she hadn't used with Robert before

"Alright, Jess," Kate said. "Let's show them what we're made of, shall we?" And with her opening move she managed to capture a piece from the men's pieces. She looked at Jess and smiled. "Let's see how they like that."

Michael was about to make a move, and Robert stopped him. "No," Robert said, making MIchael replace the piece. Robert's eyes had never left Kate's face. "Wait."

"What for?" Michael frowned, looking at Robert. Robert looked at Kate.

"You've been boning up," he said to her.

"I have," she replied, smiling demurely at him. Robert chose a different piece and a totally different move altogether. Kate looked at the move and the white piece Robert had managed to obliterate in the process. She looked at Jess. "We're not out yet, Jess. We plan on loosing the pawns, and that's all he got in that. They're expendable." She studied the board carefully and she found an opening he had not seen whatsoever. She studied the board a moment longer, double checking what would happen if she made such a move. "Always double check what the consequences of your actions will be before you make them, Jess," Kate said quietly.

"Make your move if you're brave enough," Robert said to Kate quietly, challenging her. She picked up her piece and took out very successfully, with one of her pawns, his queen. His eyes grew wide with surprise, being blindsided entirely to the vulnerability he had left her in. Michael and Robert both groaned loudly.

"You idiot!" Michael snapped at Robert.

"I know, I know," Robert sighed. "Well done, Ladies. Well done. The game is not yet over, though."

"Well," Robert said, studying the board, "For now, I shall do nothing."

"What?" Michael said.

"Patience, Young Warrior," Robert teased, making a rather small move with a rook.

Kate frowned. She had anticipated retaliation. This made her rethink things. Robert's attack had not come. She knew it would come, but this would have been a handy place to do it, and he had not taken advantage of it on purpose.

"You're a sly man, Robert Lupin," she said.

"Thank you. I've worked hard to develop that," he laughed. She studied the board carefully, and she worked on sending Jess messages about why certain movements either were worthwhile viable possibilities or why they would later prove to be rather unhealthy for them. A seer teaching a seer against two non-seers was a rather stacked deck, but it was all in fun after all. She deliberately sacrificed a pawn in order to force him to move his knight. She watched him study the board, sigh heavily and reluctantly move his knight. That move allowed her to put them directly in line to capture their king. She made her move.

"Check," she said, warning them that their king was in danger.

"What? Where!" Michael demanded. He began examining the board closely. He groaned loudly. "Ozzy! What's the matter with you? Abbey can play better!"

"You think?" Robert looked at him, laughing. Kate looked at Jess with a smile.

"That, Jess, is the sound of two grown men in a panic," Kate smiled.