Marriage is Murder

"Nice drawing," Robert remarked to Cassiy on his way back inside. "You should frame that. Wait...That's Khaat's necklace. It looks just like it. That's the one I just cleaned. Do me a favor. Take it to Kate, would you? For now, don't say anything to Khaat about it. I have some strong suspicions that its prior owner left some residual energies in it, perhaps. Khaat's not quite herself now that she's found that thing. Let's keep our eyes open, shall we?"

Brian sat with Khaat on the sand. "That really is quite beautiful on you," he remarked.

"Thats because there's so much love in it. And now all it means to me is how much I love you. I don't think I'll ever take it off," she smiled, kissing him. "How about you take me out to dinner and dancing tonight? I feel like I want to go out with my wonderful new husband."

"Dinner and dancing? You're in a good mood," he laughed.

"And why shouldn't I be? I have everything I could ever want? I think we should celebrate. Not let one moment of life pass us by."

"If Angus hasnt specifically planned dinner around us, then yes. Fine. We'll go out," he said.

"Good. I'm going to go pick out a dress," she said, getting up and heading for the house. He laughed and followed her inside to go see Angus.

Cassidy looked at the drawing then at Robert then back to the drawing " sure but I didn't know she had one " she said picking it up and heading to the bedroom and Kate " um Robert asked me to bring you this " she said and showed her the sketch " its just a sketch I did " she said holding it up for her to see the image on the paper.

Jess shivered as she stood by the fire strange for her, she looked back at the girls and smiled as Jack wrapped his arms and a woolen wrap around her " your cold " he said softly holding her close to him.

" I know strange in this tropical place " she said softly pulling the wrap around her " I feel as if something extra has followed us back here " she looked at him " does that sound wrong , its as if ..." she paused " I can't describe it, its intense feelings, emotions I shut them out but they seep through slowly " she said looking up at him her eyes showing the fear she felt but his deep inside her now.

Cassidy handed the sketch to Kate, and Kate's powers seemed to explode in her head like never before. She felt all of her energies going to her seers' powers. She knew she had read of rare episodes where this happened to seers, but it was not usually experienced except by powerful seers and even then it was quite rare. She had never expected it to happen to herself, and it surprised her, even as her strength left her body and she felt herself falling and striking the floor.

"Kate!" Robert's voice sounded surprised. Kate heard him from far away. She was confused, wasn't sure why he was surprised. She felt him kneel by her almost instantly and begin checking her. "Jess! Seer's tea! Double strength! Right now!" Robert ordered. "Kate," Robert said to her calmly, "Come back. Pull back. You're too deep. Pull back." He cradled her in his arms against his chest, wrapping his arms around her. Until the vision finished, there was little more he could do. He had only seen this once before. He'd seen it happen one time to Sybil Trelawney. The only thing it told him was that something had changed since Khaat had found that necklace.

Jess heard Robert and looked at Jack and she moved to the kitchen brewing the tea , double strength just as he had asked still in her shawl she walked with the cup in her hand down to Roberts room. She saw Robert with Kate on the floor and knelt beside her as she handed him the tea. " I...I felt it too Robert " she said " something...something strong is around us trying to get at our fears I can feel it " she said looking at him.

Cassidy moved to the door frame and looked at them all Steven moved behind Cassidy and held her close watching them all. Cassidy held him back " we feeling to Robert " she said leaning back " I don't know how I drew that I'm not an artist " Cassidy pulled Stevens arms around her just as Andrew ran in and hugged Jess he looked at Robert crying.

"Calm yourselves," Robert said to them all, gently and very parentally."I refuse to let anything harm us. Give me one moment. Kate?" he called. "Kate? Can you hear me?" There was a long moment and finally, as she lay limp in Robert's chest, she sighed deeply and nodded slowly, weakly. Robert felt how terribly weak this vision had made her. "Here, Sweetheart," he said softly to her. "This might take awhile to recover from. Drink." He fed her slowly several sips of the seers' tea in silence. Then he said to her very gently. "Can you tell me what you saw, Honey?"

"Her name..." she coughed on the tea, and he steadied her. "Her name was Eileen. Standers. Her husband...Brian or Ryan...not sure..."

"That's okay. Take it easy," he told her. "take your time. What did you see?"

"She had nearly lost him in some sort of a wizarding dueling skirmish...Several wizards all dueling against each other. She believed she was pregnant with their first child. She hadn' told him. She had been so frightened at almost losing him that he took her on the ship. They were going to travel to help her relieve her stress. She was planning on telling him that night at the late dinner seating on the ship that he was going to be a father. She never got the chance. They were changing for dinner when she noticed the carpet was wet. The ship was taking on water...." She began to feel faint again, and Robert stopped her and fed her more tea.

"is there more?" he asked. She nodded.

"Things got chaotic for her. Someone shoved her into a lifeboat. She was wearing her evening gown...dressed for dinner...He was in his dinner jacket....they insisted on getting women and children off the ship first. There weren't enough dinghies for the men too. He was not permitted to get in the dinghy with her. He promised her he would never leave her. That he would find her....They found his body 4 days later on the shore.

"She nearly went mad with grief. She kept reaching for the necklace because he gave it to her on their wedding day. She never saw him alive again, and never found the necklace. She wore black for the rest of her life and isolated herself. She died at age 34 out her own grief, begging for the necklace in her final breaths. They said it was natural causes, but it was grief.

"Robert, her love for her husband is in that necklace. She believes it is that necklace that binds her to him."

"Kate," he kissed her cheek, "It was her love that bound her to him. Not some gold necklace."

"I know. But its the symbol of her undying love for him. She's not resting, Robert. She's not harmful, but she's restless. Looking for her husband. Desperate to find him and the necklace. That's what we're feeling. Her tremendous grief and her restlessness, and her completely unrelenting search for her husband."

Jess looked at Kate as she held Andrew " its Brian, her husband was called Brian and I hope I'm wrong but, I feel she's fixated on our Brian." she said looking at them both Jess touched Kate placing some of her own energy into her slowly . Cassidy just stood with Steven holding him but she heard Fallon crying then followed buy the others she moved form Steven and picked Fallon up changing her she then sat and fed her.

Jess looked at Robert " you don't think she'd harm any one do you ?" she asked softly as Jack stood close by all of them. Andrew moved and touched Robert's arm gently with one finger and sighed. " You make better?" he said softly looking up at him.

Robert looked directly into Andrew's eyes. "Remember one thing," he told Andrew. "This is a ghost. A ghost can look scary, but no matter what they say, they cannot hurt you. There's nothing to worry about. I will not let anyone hurt you. I promise. I am not afraid of any ghost. Ever. You leave her to me."

Brian came out of the kitchen after talking to Angus, having missed all of this. When he saw Kate on the floor with Robert, he became concerned. "Kate?" he asked, worried.

"She's alright, Son," Robert said. "She just had a very powerful vision. She needs to rest, but I have it. Not to worry."

"Then, I presume its alright if I take Khaat out for dinner tonight," he said.

"You're..taking her out?" Robert frowned. "Tonight?"

"Is there a problem?" Brian asked.

"Kate?" Robert looked at her.

"Its alright," Kate said softly into Robert's chest. "She'd never hurt him. She's not harmful. And we dont know how much of a hold she has yet if any."

"What are you two talking about?" Brian said, as Khaat breezed through, blissfully happy, stroking Brian's cheek affectionately on her way to the bedroom to dress for dinner. It made Brian smile.

"Sit down, Son," Robert said. "We need to talk before you go out. Now." Brian frowned and sat down. Robert told him what they knew. Brian thought it was ridiculous at first and then it began to make more sense with what he'd seen.

"We're going out," Brian finally said firmly, after a moment of careful thought. "If that isn't Khaat, I need to find out what she wants."

"Be very careful. I'll send some backup to be nearby but out of her sight. Make sure she wears an outfit where she is forced to leave her wand behind because there's no place in her dress for it. Make her depend on you rather than giving her more power. Understand?"

"I'll be fine. Robert, even if you are right, Khaat is still in there somewhere. I trust her with my life. I'll be fine," Brian insisted.

"Still, I'll send someone to stay out of sight and keep watch," Robert insisted.

Andrew looked at Robert and nodded " Ghost not scary, Andrew a brave boy" he said and smiled at Robert . This made Jess smile also " he takes after his father" she said Andrew smiled at her " I protect you mummy " he said this made her smile " I know Andrew " she looked at Jack who nodded then turned to face Brian as he walked in.

Cassidy moved forward " we'll go, Steven owes me a dinner any way " she looked at him as he nodded and took her hand in his own.
" yes I do , now go and get ready if you see Khaat just act as if nothing is wrong" he told her with a quick kiss Cassidy moved off to her room to change " don't worry I will keep a close eye on both of them " he said looking at Robert.

Jess was looking at Robert puzzled at why he was letting this go on, she felt the longer it did the harder it would be to separate Khaat from the ghost who had possessed her.

"That's fine," Robert told Steven and Cassidy, "but don't crowd them. I don't think she has dinner for four on her mind. You'll know if Brian needs you. Otherwise, let him handle it."

Meanwhile, Khaat had chosen a beautiful shimmering red glitter cocktail dress and tall shiny red heels. She wore ruby earrings, and pulled up her hair in a way she had never done before. She didn't know where she got the idea from, but she liked it a lot. She pawed her way through her perfumes, through all her usual scents, and for some reason felt dissatisfied. It felt like she was missing one. Like she was missing an important one. It confused her. She knew all her favorite bottles were right here, but it wasn't what she wanted.

"What the matter?" Brian asked, fastening his cufflinks.

"I feel like I've lost something," Khaat said, frowning.

"Like what?"

"Like my favorite perfume."

"Its right here," he handed her the perfume she used the most.

"Thats not what I keep smelling. It's more...heady...more floral than that," she said.

"I like this one--a lot," he said gently. feeling like this perfume she was hunting for was not her own. He handed her a bottle of perfume that was expensive and spicy. "Try this one tonight. Wear it just for me." She looked at him, and for a moment, Brian felt like he was looking into the eyes of another woman. Like it wasn't Khaat who looked at him. It was very creepy. He was becoming firmly convinced there were moments when Khaat was sharing her body with another person. And that was unsettling for him.

"I need a shawl," Khaat said, thinking.

"Here," he drew a soft white one out of the drawer for her and handed it to her as she conjured a glamour spell. He looked at her face in the mirror, knowing that wasn't her usual makeup job. It was different. It was pretty but not her style. He put on his jacket, feeling like he was betraying her, like he was going out with another woman. It made him incredibly uncomfortable. He knew he had to somehow get the necklace from her or try.

Jess watched and said nothing as Cassidy left with Steven to change Andrew sat watching Kate he reached out and touched her cheek gently " she will be ok?" he asked and Jess held him close to her " yes Andrew she will be" she said and stood up to walk over to Jack holding Andrew in her arms " take him jack I'll help Robert " she said and returned to Roberts side " we should get her some place comfortable " she looked at Kate and smiled.

Cassidy took Steven's arm and was lead to a car he had borrowed , siting in the passager seat she smiled feeling some what spoiled but yet she had to focus. She watched Steven thinking he was a very hansom man her heart melted a little more for him she looked down at the ring she wore on her second finger not the third as he would have wished but now she moved it over. She felt him start the car and wait for Brian and Khaat he would follow them to which ever restaurant they went to.