Marriage is Murder

Khaat knew her father's fatigue was affecting him, so she didn't speak. She let him go on his own to his study and shut himself off to work on the cure for the plague. She decided to try what her father suggested. She managed to bake a dessert. It was a cake roll made with a cinnamon orange chiffon cake and with a french vanilla filling that was lighter than air. Kate couldnt believe that Khaat had that much skill in the kitchen.

"How did you learn that?" Kate frowned.

"I don't know," Khaat said.

"Where'd you get the recipe?"

"In my head. I made it up as I went along," she said.

"Very, very nice. Now, go get some rest. You aren't up to being on your feet all afternoon."

"Okay," Khaat said. She went to her room and fell asleep. She wasn't asleep long when she saw Sparks blown to splinters and ash. Brian, the kids, Michael, all dead. All her fault. And she saw herself surrounded by nothing but endless blackness on every side. Alive and trapped. No one left. She woke up sharply, her heart pounding. She leaped to her feet, panicking. She apparated out and went home quickly.

The instant she apparated back into the house, Brian felt her energies. He was sitting in the livng room, playing with the kids when he felt her presence. He got up and hurried down the hall to his office.

"Khaat?" he asked, seeing her there. She started to spill things to him in such a hurried jumble that he didn't understand 90% of it. He folded her into his chest, holding her close. "You're still mostly asleep. You've been dreaming," he said gently. "Stop. Calm down. I'm right here. Its just a dream."

Jess felt Khaat return and walked into the living room " I'll get the seers tea "she said and moved to the kitchen returning with a cup of the tea" here Khaat " she said taking her hand and placing the cup in it. She sat next to Khaat and sighed " another vision I'm guessing" she said and looked at Brian as she slipped some of her own energy into Khaat " Khaat talk slower we not catching all your saying" she said but she knew what was going on and sighed " she saw you and the kids and something to do with sparks blowing up" Jess looked at Brian " the kids are sleeping safely I just checked on them" she told her.

"She's right," Brian said softly. "The kids are with me. They're fine. Sparks is fine...." She was insistant that trouble was coming and it was all going to be gone. All of it. Everyone, everything. "Now, listen," he said in a soft, steady tone. "We're all going to be fine. I promise. And if something happens to Sparks, we'll rebuild. We are not going to panic. You understand me?" She didn't respond at first, and he kissed the top of her head, over top of the veil and bandages. He was silent for a moment and he felt her start to settle just a wee bit.

"I have to warn Michael," she said, fearful for him.

"I will," he promised. "Does your father even know you're gone?" She shook her head. "I didn't think so. Come sit down." He took her over to sit down on the sofa in the office and handed her the seers tea Jess had made. "Here. Drink," he told her. "It'll help."

Jess looked at Khaat as cassidy walked in " ok I'll send word to ate and Robert to tel them she's back here " cassidy told them and started to write a note then sent it. Jess looked at Khaat .

" you of all people know what we see isn't written yet its part of something that could happen" she said to her " so it might not happen or part of it could " she said softly as she watched Brian kiss Khaat and smiled seeing the exchange of affection between them. Jess felt that was what Khaat needed , she needed to know people still saw her as the strong woman she had been and still was. Jack had finished his food when he saw the note arrive and he gave it to kate.

"Seems Khaat's with brian and Jess," he said and sighed " Seems she snuck out after having some sort of vision" He took the plates to the kitchen and washed them up

Robert read the note and sighed. "Thank you, Jack. Such is life with a seer," he said dryly.

"She's with Brian," Kate said. "She's at home. She'll be fine."

"At least she didn't do something entirely stupid," Robert said. "Not yet anyway."

"If she went to Brian, that's a good thing," Kate said.

"Unless its about him. That might not be so good. Khaat's dreams have a way of being at least somewhat accurate, particularly if she finds them upsetting," Robert said. "Like her mother."

"She'll learn how to not react to them, Robert," Kate said. "Give her time. Her dreams and visions tend to be more vivid and they draw her in. Some seers have the gift of seeing them from a removed vantage point. Dumbledore was a bit like that. I've always thought those seers who were that gifted were perhaps a bit more fortunate. It isn't such a gift to have them seem so real and bothersome. To be able to be removed--that seems to be quite the state of the art. Shall I go talk with her?"

"No," Robert said. "Brian can bring her back if she chooses to come back. Lets see how they resolve it before we intefere."

Jack and Jim stood and listened not sure what they could say Jack knew from Jess's vishions how real they could be. Jim sat quietly reading he glanced up to look at robert and Kate " I'm sure they will be fine " he said softly and turned his page as he continued to read the book on his knee. Jack finished cleaning and put the plates away before walking in and sitting down with robert and Kate.

Jess looked at Brian as cassidy sat not far from them her hands around her cup as she drank her coffee.

Brian distracted Khaat from going to see Michael and instead, once he had had a chance to spend some time with her, he was able to give her enough reassurances to bring her home to the farm.

Robert saw Brian apparate in with her. "Better?" he asked.

"For the moment," Brian said. "We've decided to give it no more of our energies today. There is nothing we can do to prevent it or stop it if it happens. So, we'll just do what we always do. We'll be careful and move forward with our lives."

"And this was about?"

"A fire, supposedly, at Sparks," Brian said.

"Well," Robert said, "thats not out of the realm of possibility. But we can only do so much even if it happens. You're right. We shall keep our eyes open, do what we always do to stay safe, and continue forward."

Jack nodded as did sjim both knowing that was all they could ever do " when your happy we'll head back to Brian's " Jac said and looked to Jim.

" I'm happy to stay " he said and turned his book to the next page and continued to read it knowing if anything was to happen being right where they were would be helpful and not back at Brians. Jack sighed and sat down.

"ok I'll stay to " he said softly and stayed right where he was.

"Its best to keep your mind busy, Khaat," Robert told her. "Go help your mother in the kitchen, Dear. It will be good for you." Khaat looked at Brian.

"It's alright," he said softly to her, kissing her.

"If you ever allow her to release that whore repellant in her bedroom, I'll do worse than turn you into a hat," Remus's image complained to Brian from the picnic landscape.

"What?" Brian frowned. "What are you doing in there? What whore repellant?"

"Apparently Khaat had an old bottle of turkish cologne left from when Remus actually owned it," Robert stifled a laugh. "And Remus's portrait is less than pleased with its scent now. Some of us didnt like it when it was fresh."

"I love that scent," Khaat said very softly, heading for the kitchen.

"And so thats what he's calling whore repellant," Brian said. "And I'm not to open any turkish cologne in my bedroom, then."

"Not of that vintage!" Remus's image ordered.

"Yes, Sir!" Brian gave him a phony salute. He looked at the others and shook his head, laughing. "Has he gotten more impatient as he's gotten older?"

"He never was patient," Robert said. "He just enjoyed spoiling the two of you."

"I didn't know I was spoiled," Brian frowned.

"Incredibly," Robert said, scanning his newspaper.

Jack stood up and headed outside to patrol the grounds not really knowing what to do right at this point Jim stayed inside and read his book quietly as he listened and chuckled as Robert told Brian he was spoilt. Jack walked around the house and into the barn checking on the puffs and the horses in fact any animal to keep himself busy while he was there. He knew Khaat would look after Arch. Jack placed some hay in the feeders and added water for every one.