Marriage is Murder

Abbey nodded sleepily, going back to sleep on Robert's lap, cuddled tight against him.

"I have to say I don't remember this sort of thing happening until I was much older," Brian said. "How normal is this, really?"

"Every child is different," Robert said. "Most start to show their skills by the time they're 8 or 9, but surely by 11. And a few start by 5 or 6, and then there are a few that seem to start showing skills as soon as they have thoughts of their own. I don't have any evidence but I do think that some skills can start earlier. For example potions masters can't really tinker with spells at 2. Seers however can dream and experience all sorts of things. It just differs."

Angus walked in, ready to go start chores in the barn and stopped short seeing people up. He didn't knwo why they were up, but he decided it must have been none of his business. He took a moment, started tea and started dough to rise and then went out to the barn to feed the animals before coming back to fix breakfast.

Jess stood up and took Cassidy hand " come on we'll set the table " she told them and lead Cassidy to the kitchen. Jack sat back in his seat and watched Jim as he looked out the window watching the woods around the ranch. But he soon moved to sit down close by Jack as he accioed a cup of coffee and sighed deeply hoping the Vampire would get the message and leave them alone long enough for things to get back to some sort of normality.

ooc: your word count is short, fyi.

Angus came back in a short while later and began to fix breakfast, working on some fresh bread and some scones and an egg casserole. Khaat could feel the tension in the house in the others. It seemed like it had started when her father had brought her home. She said nothing. She decided that it was best to say nothing and let life move along as normal.

"You want to go swim with me or go for a walk?" Brian asked her.

"Um..no thank you," she said very softly. "You go ahead."

"You sure?" he asked. She nodded. He brushed her cheek.

"I wont' be gone long," he said. "I promise." Brian trusted the others would stay, and with Abbey on Robert's lap, he wasn't likely to go anywhere either.

"We'll be fine, and I presume Kate will be along shortly to find out what has happened with her daughter," Robert said. Brian nodded and went downstairs to the pool. Robert flicked his fingers and sent his cup and Khaat's back out to the kitchen for a warm up on their coffee, casting a spell for the cups to refill themselves and then return.

Jess stood up and moved to a book shelf taking down a large book on vampires moving to her seat she opened it and began reading it while Cassidy looked at Brian. " Ow swimming, can I join you?" she asked him and stood up to move down to the gym and pool. Jim chuckled and went back to watching the forest out side Jack moved with Cassidy.

“ I'm going to do a work out before breakfast, work off some of those amaretto biscuits and cookies “ he said and patted his stomach. Jess chuckled and nodded her head.

“ yes I think you should your gaining a bit of a spare tyre” she said and turned a page in her book” good book this Robert where did you get it?” she asked holding it up to show him the dark leather cover with a ruby red stone in the centre of it.

"Certainly," Brian said as he headed downstairs. When Jess brought the book in, Robert said, "That? Oh, Arthur Weasley gave that to me years ago. Charlie sent him a great lot of old books that were left in the dragon reserve when he took it over, and Arthur sent most of them to me. Arthur was a brilliant man, but there were some things that just were not his interest. And vampires was one of them. Its a good book. Written in Eastern Europe by a British wizard who did a sabbatical from the Ministry maybe a hundred years ago and spent it in Eastern Europe where much of our knowledge of vampires comes from...."

"Robert Thomas Lupin..." the air was interrupted by Kate's irritated voice from the floo. "I am about to lock you out of this house if you do not..."

"Calm yourself, Kate," Robert said, repressing a need to laugh. "All is well. Come see for yourself."

She apparated in a moment later with great spiraling flourishes of white smoke. She didnt' normally do that unless she was irked with him greatly. He judged by the curls and spirals that he was seriously on her 'naughty list.'

"Get a cup of tea," he said. "You'll feel better." She glared at him. What she wanted to make her 'feel better' was simply being told if Khaat was alright or not, and he had not responded.

Jess listened and nodded as he told her or started to tell her of the books origin and of why it had ended up in book shelf. “ hum well its interesting enough, mind if I borrow it “ she looked at Kate as she appeared in a flurry of white smoke. Quickly she moved back from her noting the change in tone “ Kate Khaat is fine as you can see” she said softly and motioned to where Khaat sat not far from her. “ Abby got a little scared buy the dragon toy but that's all , Jack scared it away and made sure there were no more” she spoke soft as she glanced down at the book she saw the amulet Cassidy had told her about and read all the information on the page about it. Now she was glad Michael had made a copy as she found out the amulet being powerful could give a vampire unlimited magical strength.

"You git!" Kate hissed softly at Robert. "You get up and leave in the middle of the night and dont tell me a word? How do you expect me to react while you sit here drinking tea?"

"Coffee," he corrected calmly. "Jess is right. Khaat is fine. Escobar has shown himself on English soil tonight, but all is well. Turn around. Look for yourself. And don't wake up Abbey." Kate turned around and saw that Khaat did look different to her somehow.

"Look at me," she said to Khaat. Khaat looked up and Kate studied her for a moment. "Whatever it was is gone, isn't it?" Kate asked. Khaat nodded slightly, picking up her coffee cup again. Kate paused and then said with finality, "Good." She turned and went upstairs without a word. Robert watched until she was out of sight and then he laughed.

"She went to get the kids up for the day," Robert said. "She's fine now. And, yes, Jess. Feel free to borrow the book. Its fine."

Jess smiled and sat back down looking at Khaat then at Robert “ thank you Robert it has some...interesting things in it to say the least” she said turning yet another page showing the image of a vampire standing over a young woman. Jess studied it seeing a resemblance to Escobar that she had seen earlier. She read the information and sighed and sat back accioing some juice for her self. Jack moved to a weight machine and lay down taking it he began his set lifting and repeating it.

“ Brian why did Escobar come back, Khaat wasn't his any more?” he asked him as he continued his set again. Slowly he stopped and sat up to face him as he made his way to the pool transfiguring his clothes into swim trunks he dove into the pool and swum to lean against the side of the pool.

"He came back because she was his," Brian said quietly. "One of the most powerful spells a vampire can cast is an attraction spell. It feels so subtle to the victim that they dont realize they are bewitched. Once the spell is cast, the only way it can be completely broken is either with the killing of the vampire who cast it or if a vampire releases her from it. St. Mungos has had many patients through its history who lived and died in the psychiatric unit and died of, basically, unrequietted love for the vampire who cast the spell. Escobar came back because Khaat was bewitched. He hadnt' turned her into a vampire, but in every other sense that matters to a vampire, she was already his."

Brian said very little more, taking time to sit on the side of the pool to catch his breath a bit.

Jack listened and looked up at him “ so we kill Escobar and free Khaat for good then” he said moving to swim several lengths before stopping once again and looking at Brian “ she is back isn't she?” he asked hoping he would not see her go into hospital over Escobar and not being with Brian and her children. “ He did release her fully didn't he ?” he looked at Cassidy who was still swimming back and forth the length of the pool behind him. Cassidy stopped for a moment and sighed.

“ Jack the strongest thing a woman can feel is love Brian and Khaat have a love that no spell could ever copy, not even Escobar, he has fake love, they have real, old fashioned, honest to goodness, through the ages forever after love.” she swum up to jack who held onto her to steady her. “ that's something even I haven't found yet so he's one lucky guy and she's one very lucky woman.” she said.