Marriage is Murder

Khaat hadn't even thought about a coat, but Steven had brought one, and she was grateful for it. She walked for awhile. And a short while later, Brian came out looking for her. He simply came up and took her hand. He didn't say anything. He decided to just meet her frustration, at first, with quietness and just by letting her know he was there. The talking could come in a bit.

Once Michael got to the spa at St. Mungos, he found one of Khaat's assistants, Hannah, there. Abbey recognized her easily. Hannah took Abbey to change her into her bathing suit while Michael went for his massage. Hannah brought Abbey back out in her little pink suit with the berries and handed her to Jack.

"I won't be far," Hannah said. "When you're done in the pool, I'll be happy to dry her off and change her back before you take her back out in the cold."

Brian walked with Khaat for a bit and then talked wit her about their difference of opinion. they were able to resolve their differences. Brian decided that Khaat had largely been right. Khaat understood he wanted Abbey to learn to accept Brian's choices, in case the danger to them someday escalated to the point where he neede her to follow him without question. But Khaat believed their kids would learn, just in the same way that she and Brian had both learned.

Meanwhile, while Michael was getting some benefit out of the massage, and getting his muscles to unwind and stop giving him so much pain, Abbey was utterly taken with the huge pool. She hadn't been in the pool long when she changed, without intending to, into the little yellow lab puppy form and swam out of the pink berry swimsuit. Soome of the other swimmers were not pleased to see a dog in the pool. Some of the others wo had seen her transform were amused that the tiny girl had changed into her animagus form simply out of her love for the water.

When Abbey tired of the pool, she leaped out of the pool and began running in puppy form, around the spa. The witches and wizards were, largely not amused, except for those who had seen her transform to begin with.

Michael heard the confusion and he leaped off the massage table, wrapping a towel around himself and went to the door. He opened it and saw the little tan puppy running as hard as she could go around the spa.

"Abigail!" he called her firmly. She ran excitedly over to him, stopped at his feet, wagging her tail, and barked at him and then, before he could grab her, she ran off again. That did seem to bring a great deal of laughter from even those who had not been amused before.

"I think Hannah ought to be able to manage it," Michael said. "I'll have the staff get her. I presume you're done swimming?" He took Abey from Jack and asked his masseuse to go get Hannah.

It didnt take Hannah more than about 3 minutes to turn up once they sent for her.

"Miss Abbey," Hannah sighed. "I should have known. Your mama would really prefer you not be a puppy." She wrapped her a bit more securely in her towel and then Hannah flicked her wand at Abbey to change her back. Abbey was giggling and was completely delighted. She wanted to wiggle away from Michael to go running about the spa--without her suit.

"Not happening," Michael said firmly.

"Let me," Hannah laughed. "I think she still has a bit of lingering puppy energy. That should wear off in a few minutes." She took Abbey from Michael and disappeared to help her dry off and change back.

"I think we ought to change while Hannah still has her under control," Michael said.

"I didn't realize I was quite so stiff and sore," Michael said. "I don't normally get that way. I try to keep in shape enough that it isn't an issue for me. Robert keeps telling me I'm very fortunate that I don't get more stiffness than I do but I just don't get much of it. I was far more concerned about Khaat because when we were in that cave, I knew they were hurting her and yet I never heard a peep from her. I heard them getting angry and being very determine to make her scream, and it just never happened. And every time it didn't happen, they became more and more determined. I just knew I couldn't wait anymore to get her out. If I had, they'd have killed her." He hadn't counted on talking about it, but he had--a bit.

Abbey came dashing back out at that moment and reached up to Michael to pick her up. She wanted cake. Chocolate cake. Michael was going to pick her up when the masseuse called Michael back.

"Jack? Do you mind?" Michael asked, gesturing to Abbey. "It seems I must have forgotten something."