Marriage is Murder

Inside, Robert laid his hand on her forehad and gave her some of his own energies to revive her. Kate came over and as Khaat started to pull herself together, Kate sat with her. "You saw Remus, didn't you?" Kate asked.

"It was more than that. I...I'm not sure I understand....He was so close,..so close...it was like we were one...."

"Are you saying he posessed you?" Robert asked.

"I'm not sure what happened. I've never felt anything like that..."

"I saw that power from that wand. I saw how you stood when you held that wand," Robert said. "No one but Remus could have done that. I think he saw you were up against something more than you could handle, and he came to help. I am glad he was there for you, but it makes me wonder what we're up against, besides a werewolf."

"I have no idea," Khaat said, getting up. Robert steadied her. He helped her slowly back outside with the others. Brian took her from Robert.

"You okay?" he asked her. She nodded, deciding to sit back down on the sand.

"She's going to need just a bit to get her strength back. I'll send her out some tea with a potion in it to help her," Robert said. He turned and went back inside to prepare the tea.

Jack paced back and forth out on the sand he moved to the spot the man had been in and smelt a familiar yet unfamiliar scent and it annoyed him. Moving back away he headed indoors and paced again. Jess shook her head and continued to read her magazine trying to ignore jack obvious annoyance. Steven held Cassidy close and smiled.

"Now this is perfect" he said and felt Cassidy relax against him her hand resting on his leg as she sunbathed.

" That is an understatement my dear" she said smiling as she saw Khaat walking back out " welcome back suns lovely and warm and my loungers comfy " she said chuckling as she smiled.

"Good," Khaat said. Brian sat behind her and wrapped himself around her. "Did you see him at all, Cassidy?" she needed to know.

"You feel okay?" he asked softly.

"Just a bit weird. He..he's never taken control. Why now?" she asked.

"I dont know. But clearly he thought we were over our heads. What bothers me is that this guy walked right through our unplottable spellls and our protection grid and in his freaking trunks. How the hell did he do that? And how is it that your necklace lets Jack not only near you, but he can touch you and that thing doesn't freak out. But this guy? That thing is all over him. That necklace doesn't want him within even a few feet of you. I dont' get any of it."

"And Remus fired on him? He's never done that before either. Not through me."

"But you have to admit, he had style. He made that look good," Brian laughed.

Cassidy looked at Khaat and smiled " Khaat, I did see him and what he did" she said softly holding Steven's hand tight " I think your necklace goes by whats truly in a persons heart , jack is a good man and a father so his instincts are to protect, that man who ever he was had nothing but hate in his " she gave a shiver even in the warm sun this made Steven hold her closer to him. Jess head them talking and walked down to where they sat.

" she's right I think that's exactly what he did, he didn't want to stop contact with other wears but prevent those who would do you harm from getting close and because jack won't hurt any one..well not now" she said accioing a large beach cloth and sat down as she saw Andrew slowly walk down to sit with her." bad man gone?" he asked and motioned to Abby and Dakota.

Abbey walked down the beach, with Dakota following. Abbey huddled close to Khaat.

"Mama," she called.

"Yes, Dear," Khaat, brushed her hair.

"How you boy and girl both?" she frowned, looking up at her mother.

"What?" Khaat asked. "What did you see, Abbey?"

"I see you, and you boy and girl both."

"Accio!" Brian flicked his wand, pulling forth Khaat's photo album again. He opened the book to some old Lupin family photos. "Abbey, is he in any of these? Did he look like any of these people?"

"This," she pointed to a picture of Remus. "Mama this man."

"She is already a seer, Khaat," Brian said firmly. "This is not accidental baby magic. Her seers powers are starting to show already."

"Its too soon," Khaat frowned.

"Then I guess we'd better gear up, because she's going to be a powerful seer, and our world is going to need it by then. Because she's right on the money."

Cassidy looked at Abby " so we now have 3 seers, one wear wolf , a man who talks to animals and me some one who can see the dead " she said and looked at them " interesting bunch" she sighed. Jess chuckled and looked at Abby " some one will have to teach her now to block others from reading and controlling her " she said then she looked at Andrew playing next to her and she shook her head " you don't think Andrew's out burst could be..." she stopped her words as Jack walked out and up the beach grabbing his board he dove into the water with out a word.

"whats on his nerves" cassidy said a she enjoyed the feeling of Steven behind her. Steven looked at Brian and shook his head.

" let him be he's blowing off steam" he said watching Jack closely.

Khaat sighed. She knew what Jack was thinking. She had been through it with every one of her kids--the wondering, the pain, the fear. And then she heard more footsteps in the sand. She turned and saw her parents coming outside.

"This is the most dismal damned crew I've ever seen," Robert scowled at them. "What the devil is wrong with you all? You should be celebrating."

"Celebrating?" She asked. "Over what?"

"We have a new bag of stones from Nicolas Flamel that we didnt even know existed, a journal of letters from Remus, and he's made himself clear that he will always, always protect the ones he loves, no matter what side of the veil he's on. Harry used to say he saw Remus repeatedly after Remus passed. Now we know he was right. Those we loose are never truly gone. They always remain. Sirius told that to Harry when Harry was a boy, but at that point, Harry didn't get it. He just thought it was merely a nice sentimental thought. There is power in those words. And, our kids are starting to show their powers about a decade before they should. I wouldn't be surprised if we have to train them before they board the train for the first time. We'll have to teach them how to hide what they know or we'll all be in trouble," he laughed. "Cheer up, you lot. We're all alright. When you can all pull yourselves away, we'll try to all cast the protection grid spell and the unplottable spell again simultaneously and see if we can't make it a hell of a lot more difficult for this wizard to return."

Jess looked at Robert " trained for what that's what worry's me " she said as Andrew stood up moving to sit with Abby he picked up a shell and held it out to her in a sort of apology to her " mabby ok?" he asked softly. Jess again looked at Robert "Is there anyway to tell ?" she asked softly to him worry in her eyes " maybe Khaats necklace.. n that would only work if he had evil in his heart and hes too young for that" she said as she finished Andrew dug in the sand then cried out turning to Jess he showed her a cut in the palm of his hand from a small piece of glass Jess moved to him and took his hand slowly healing it picking up the glass she sent it to a bin close by.

Robert thought a moment. "Accio," he called, and Remus's journal sprang forth from the house to his hand. He opened it to the last pages and read it. On one of the very last pages, he found a letter that brought a smile to his face.

"Khaat," he said, "he wrote this letter to your children. And he would have written it to Teddy if he had known about him then. Read this--to everyone." He handed the book to her.

She looked at the page. "I haven't gotten this far," she said.

"Just read it."

"My Dear Child," she began. "As I sit here by the campfire light tonight and look up at the stars, I think of your children. I can only hope that I get to see them and hold them and help raise them up to be fine young men and women who understand what is important in life and what is not. But if that doesn't happen, I know that you and Brian do know. You will tell them. Khaat, I know the fear of your genetics that run in your vein. I am responsible for that and I do apologize with all my heart.

But know this--Without pain, you will never know pleasure. Without grief, you will never truly know joy. Within every man lays a monster, whether he grows fur and fangs or not. Do not let your children dread. Teach them how to enjoy ever moment they live. The monster inside me has no conscience, He is purely animalistic and he is truly dangerous and murderous. But--my dear darling child, that is not my sum total, and you know that. The potion keeps him buried. If your children inherit my curse, teach them well. Teach them that it does not make them any less human or any less loved. Teach them to merely take their wolfsbane just as if its is a part of their life that is as natural as breathing. Then they shall live a normal life without fear of the moonlight. They can hold their children under a campfire, looking at the moon and the stars like I did with you and Brian. Oh, Khaat, don't grieve or fear for the curse. With the potion, it is such a small worry, that, as a parent, you need to be putting your attentions elsewhere. In loving them, and in teachin them what's important and teaching them how to love. Let them know how truly human they are."

She continued to read, and he had written a section to his "grandchildren." Khaat's unborn children. He explained the curse to them in simple terms, and it was filled with so much love and so much normaliziing, that it so moved Khaat that she could not finish reading because of the tears running down her cheeks. Brian took the book and finished reading it out loud.

"I dont think anyone will ever write that in any way that woould improve upon it," Robert said softly. "I will get that reprinted and framed for every one of the kids. They need to have that to cling to."

"Do it for their parents as well," Kate said. "I will make a stained glass frame for them."

"Thank you, Kate," Robert smiled.

Cassidy smiled and held Steven close she looked at Jess who now held Andrew in her arms she now knew she had to show Andrew that being like his father was not bad. Jack had walked over having burned off his anger , heard Khaat reading and nodded he agreed " I might not have known him, but it is true what he says " he said and sat with Jess " if Jess hadn't have seen the man rather than the wear, we might not have been together " he wrapped his arm around both Jess and Andrew where he then tickled him making him laugh out loud before slipping from Jess and pouncing jack from behind making jack now laugh Jess smiled seeing them playing together.