Marriage is Murder

"Andrew," Kate said, "watch this. You've seen your mother do this a thousand times at least." She pointed her wand at a small rock on the ground and levitated it up into the air. You're used to seeing this, right? Magic. There are many many different sorts of magic. Abbey got a special form of magic when she was born that allows her to change her shape into looking like a dog. You are going to have magic too, but yours might well be different rom hers. And that's alright. That's what makes you you. Your mother has different magic altogether from your father...."

Khaat watched the conversation. "Like this. Andrew," Khaat said. She accio'd her wand and used an incision spell to make a cut on her forearm. It started to bleed instantly. Then she looked at Andrew. "Now, watch the differences. We'll ask your father to try to heal this first. And then we'll ask your mother to try and watch the differences. Jack, if you would please, try to heal this cut." Kate watched, smiling at Khaat, understanding exactly what Khaat was doing and approving.

Andrew moved to Khaat gasping a little when he saw her cut her self . He looked over at Jack who smiled walking over he placed his hand on Khaat then moved it to show it was still there . Jess walked over showing her hands she placed it on and slowly it faded Andrew moved closer and touched Khaats arm " Gone?" he said "Mommy got booboo gone power" he smiled as he looked at Jack " what daddy got?" he asked and jack chuckled .

" wow, all the questions" he said not sure how to explain to him he was a wear " well I..I "

"That's right," Khaat said. "Your mom is a healer like me. Let me show you a couple of pictures." She accio'd her photo album. Brian watched carefully, seeing her photo album come out. He was just a bit anxious about what he knew she was about to do. "Let me show you a picture of my uncle. He died a long, long time ago, but I loved him with all my heart. He was a very famous wizard." She opened the book to a wizarding photograph of Remus with Brian and Khaat when they were about eight years old. Shortly after she met Brian. They had been playing tag and Remus had caught both Khaat and Brian and had one in each arm, holding them tight to him, while Khaat and Brian pretended to struggle against him and all three of them were laughing and blissfully happy. "That's my uncle Remus. And that's me, and that's Brian," she said. "My uncle was a good man, a strong man, a fighter, and very, very smart. And he had magic powers too. He could change shape, sort of like Abbey, but he changed into a magical creature. Your daddy has the same power as my uncle did. Your daddy can change, sometimes, into a magical creature. The creature they turn into is very, very strong, and very brave. But you mustn't go near one of these creatures--ever. They cannot be tamed. They are wild and more powerful than you are. We would not want one to hurt you. Not ever. I will show you a picture of him when he was the magical creature, and he does look a bit scary. But remember, he's dead now, so he can't hurt you." She turned the page where there was a smaller picture of Remus in werewolf form, and at a distance, so he looked far more wolf like than werewolf like. She had chosen that picture deliberately.

"This is not a dog, Andrew," Khaat said. "This is a creature called a werewolf. My uncle and your daddy can turn into werewolves. Your daddy drinks a potion so that he does not change into the werewolf because he does not like the werewolf. Sometimes a werewol can make bad choices and your daddy would much rather always make the right choices. So he chooses not to ever be a werewolf again. Understand?"

Jack smiled as he saw Andrew move to sit with Khaat and look at the pictures. Andrew pointed to it " Good man, you look like sacks of potatoes " he said chuckling as he listened more to her. Jack watched him look from the picture to his dad and back to the picture of Remus in his wear form. " So..so daddy wolf, but not wolf " he said trying to work it out "Daddy have bad wolf but good daddy " he looked at Khaat " I like good daddy, bad wolf scarey " he said jack chuckled and nodded.

" that's why I won't ever show him to you or any one , hes locked deep inside and I threw the key away " he said kneeling in front of Andrew as he smiled and held him around his neck.

" Good " he said an looked at Khaat. " Mommy and auntie katty the same they make boo boo's gone, grandpop bobbert big man, " he said and grinned at them all.

"Grandpa Bobbert heals booboos and makes medicines," Khaat said. "He is also a fighter. Your Grandma Kate talks to animals. She can talk to them and they can talk to her. And she can see things other people cannot see. Like what might happen in the future or things in the past that other people have forgotten. I have that power because she had it. And I can heal because Grandpa can heal. Does that make sense?"

"Like Brian is a good fighter because his daddy was a fighter. He can heal because his mother used to heal. Most of the time we get our magic from our parents. So, nobody knows exactly what magic you will have until you are old enough to have it. Abbey is very unusual. Her daddy could turn into a dog, so thats why Abbey can. Nobody knows why she turns into a dog so early in her life. It doesn't normally happen until you're much older. She does it by accident, we think. Just like we dont' know what Dakota will have for her magic either. Nor any of the other children. So, finding out what your magic is, is like a big happy surprise package that you just wait on until it comes. Understand?"

Jack stood with Jess and held her close as Andrew looked up at them then at Khaat " dose that mean I will be like daddy with a bad wolf ?" he asked as he bit his bottom lip " Your like you mommy and grandpop bobby like his daddy...I don't wanna be a bad wolf " he said and pouted . Jess walked over to him and sighed as she looked at him.

"Andrew dear, you may not, you might take after me but with your fathers strength, your already curios and asking so many questions " she said softly " there are a lot of possibility's we won't truly know till your older" she tried to make him feel better but he pulled a face at her.

" No... I won't have bad a bad wolf" he said pushing Jess and ran inside kicking a toy out of the way, Jess looked at Jack and Khaat from where she sat. Jack moved to help her stand again and held her.

" I'm afraid that's going to be the first of many" he said softly looking at Robert hoping he might apeze the boys anger.

"Jess," Kate said, watching Andrew run into the house and down the hall. "He had to know sooner or later. As does all four of Khaat's children. And as do your twins. We had to talked to Khaat about it as well. And Teddy had to be told as well. We're well used to this. Its a very normal reaction. He'll struggle with it like Jack has, like Remus did, like Khaat has, like Robert did, like Miseria did, and countless others. If you ask me, what he needs right now is his father." She looked at Jack. "You need to show him the bottle of potion that keeps you from transforming. You need to be honest with him. Tell him it doesn't make him the monster that he's envisioning. In Remus's time, it did make him a part time monster. He lived with that hell. Andrew doesn't have to these days. Just go spend some time with him. If he wants to see a transfigured werewolf at some point, Robert can arrange to do that safely for him. But I certainly would do it before he ever boards the train to Hogwarts, but not now. Even if he doesn't inherit it from Jack, he really does deserve to be prepared to defend himself against the things in our world that can hurt him. That really is your job as a parent--to help him be prepared to deal with the things that really do exist in our world--the good and the bad."

Abbey went to follow Andrew, curious at his bad mood. She found him in the nursery, hurling toys in every direction. She took a couple steps towards him as he turned and hurled a wooden figurine of an angel, handcarved from native Koa wood, and struck Abbey in the forehead with it. Abbey fell unconscious instantly, her forehead bleeding and the angel hitting the wall and breaking in half.

Jack made a move to head inside but Jess stopped him looking at him. Andrew saw Abby falling out cold and stopped throwing things for moment he just stood then walked over to her " mabby? " he said softly then he screamed loud "MABBY!!!!!" diving for a small cupboard. Jess heard and Jack dove inside he could not see Andrew but just the unconscious Abby " Robert its Abby " he picked her up and carried her out to them. Handing her to Khaat Jack moved back into the play room "Andrew?" he said softly as he drew close to the toy cupboard he head faint sobbing and he smiled opening it " there you are" he said Andrew looked up at him with a tear streaked face " I..I hu...hurt Ma..mabby" he said Jack moved to pick him up.

" its ok she's with auntie Khaat " he walked with him back out side but Andrew buried his head in Jacks chest tight so he wouldn't have to look.

Khaat heard Andrew scream for Abbey and she and Brian both leaped to their feet. Robert and Kate were already moving. Jack carried a limp Abbey out and put her in Khaat's arms. Khaat saw Abbey's tiny forehead covered in blood and a huge goosegg and a bruise there already.

"Let me," Robert insisted, not giving Khaat time to protest or object. He took Abbey from Khaat and took Abbey to his own bedroom and put her on the bed, with Kate, Khaat and Brian following close behind.. He checked her carefully and calmly. He laid his hand on the cut, making it disappear. "She'll be alright," Robert said. "Its just a good old fashioned konk on the head. I'll cast a spell to stop her headache and then I'll wake her. I don't see a concussion but we really should keep an eye on her for any signs or symptoms of it in case they develop. I need to know what she was hit with so I know how much to watch for."

"I'll go check," Brian said, leaving to go to the nursery. He found Jack there with Andrew and almost immediately saw the broken angel through the disarray of all the other thrown things in the room. He silently accio'd the pieces of the angel to his hand. "Robert says he thinks she'll be just fine, Jack," Brian said quietly. He wished he had time to talk to Andrew but Robert needed the angel first. He hesitated for a moment, looked at Jack, hoping Jack understood, and then went back to Robert and put the pieces of the wooden angel in his hands.

"Koa wood is hard stuff," Robert sighed. "We do need to watch. I still think she'll be alright, but we do need to be mindful that she might be testy and grouchy if she has a headache."

"Abbey is never testy and grouchy," Khaat said.

"No, I agree," Kate said. "She's just going to want her mama. She'll be clingy."

"That's alright," Brian said. "We can deal with that. It looks like Andrew had a whale of a temper tantrum and hit her accidently."

"Its part of life," Robert shrugged, "Accidents happen. Let's see how his parents deal with him and then we can talk to him if need be when they get done doing what they feel is best." The rest of them agreed.

Jack sat down with Andrew holding him " Andrew she will be all right Roberts with her" he said and made Andrew look at him. " Andrew look" he took out the small bottle he kept with him " see this its a potion made by Robert it keeps the wolf at bay if there is a call for it and only if you do become like me then Robert will give you this to but right now your still too young yet and throwing a temper like that as you saw only hurt others, if your annoyed or upset come to me or mummy " he said looking down at him" I'll take you to see Abby so you'll know she is all right" he placed him down and walked him to Roberts door.

Andrew let go of Jack's hand " Some one has something he'd like to say " Jack said as Andrew walked over to the bed and hung his head " I's sorry I hurt Mabby" he said then looked at Robert " I didn't mean to, she...she came in and...and I hit her with the toy"