Marriage is Murder

Brian had a remedy for it. He simply levitated the plates of those who were throwing food high above their heads. the kids got instantly upset and started to cry.

"You can have your breakfast back if you dont' throw it," Brian said. "If you do it again, I'll take it again." He set the plates back down in front of them. The 2 year old got the message. He had to repeat himself a second time before they got the message and stopped. Khaat merely watched.

A snowstorm. She wasn't sure how they would manage with a houseful of hooligans. And would her father come back? Or would he be stuck someplace? And where had he put the talking painting?

"You look a bit frustrated," Michael said to Khaat. "Feeling a bit caged in, perhaps?" She shook her head no. To be truthful, she wasn't sure what she was feeling. "Perhaps we should start teaching you how to wield that wand that Remus tempted you to." She looked at him, stunned, blank faced.

"You already knew how to use it," Brian said. "Consider it a frefresher if you like. If you're going to use it, you truly ought to use it wisely rather than on impulse." She wasnt' sure she wanted to use it at all. "You already have agical abilities. The wand does not make the wizard. It is merely a tool. I think its an excellent idea. So long as you follow our directions, you should be safe enough."

Jack and Steven chuckled at the levitating plates Jess just frowned but saw the well meaning behind it and smiled softly to him. Jim shook his head but continued to eat his food. "Nice trick Brian" he said softly " didn't have to do that with my kids they just seem to know once it was gone and they were still hungry not to do it again" he chuckled " they eat it all now " he smiled at Michael " what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger" he said softly.

"Indeed," Michael agreed. "It certainly does. And if Khaat feels vulnerable, then the way to undo that is to prepare he. She might not remember what she used to do, but we can retrain her. And as for the kids, they are learning. Did you notice that Dakota did not even attempt to throw food until she saw the others getting away with it?"

"I did notice that," Angus said. "She's now generally fairly well behaved."

"I wasn't sure she'd ever get over that," Brian laughed.

They were just finishing when Robert and Kate apparated back in, covered with snow. "Its horrendous out there," Robert said. "I think we should consider ourselves quite snowbound. Reports at the Ministry from France say that they are still in the midst of it and expect it for hours yet. That means we well could be involved in this snowstorm for a couple of days. Or better. If there is anything to be anchored outside, go now. And don't be more than a few minutes or you likely won't get back in. Its already started outside."

Steven and Jack both nodded as Jack grabbed the last piece of toast they dove to the door and grabbed their jackets disappearing out the door. Jess chuckled and cleared up the empty plates and taking them to the kitchen for washing. Cassidy helped the kids with the last of their food she smiled hearing them talk about Dakota " yeah, shes becoming quite the young lady" she said smiling as she took Dakotas plate from her.

Khaat wanted to see the snow. She wanted to get up. she tapped Brian's hand and he looked at her.

"Hm?" he asked.

"I want to see," she signed, pointing outside.

"Oh well done," Robert said, seeing her sign. "How did you go from not knowing it last night to knowing it today?"

"We studied," Brian laughed.

"You must have studied all night to learn it," Robert said.

"We had nothing better to do," Brian shrugged.

"Not even sleeping?"

"Learning appeared to be better last night," Brian said.

"If you want to see," Robert said, "then so be it." He took Khaat's chair to the large floor to ceiling windows to look outside. There was nnothing but white outside. So much snow she could see nothing else. No yard, no trees, no buildings...Nothing but white. She was fearful for the men who had gone outside. "Non't worry. They are wizards. They do have some time. Not long but they know it," Robert said. "They'll be back. They can apparate. If it gets too ba for them to apparate I will bring them back."

Jess smiled as Khaat signed to them as she walked back in letting each child out his or her seat as they finished their food and went to play. Cassidy stood up and helped clear the table as well.

" well can't let Angus do it all can we and if were stuck here might as well help out" she said smiling as she took the dirty bowls though to the kitchen as well " want a hand with anything?" she asked Angus knowing Jess had things in hand out in the main area with the children and the men out side were battening down for a bad cold spell.

"There is bread dough in there to shape into loaves and put out for the second rise," Angus said. "And pasta dough to cut into fettucini for lunch. And salad fixings. Oh, and peaches to make a peach tart. Take your pick." He laughed. He had enough chores to keep most of them busy all day, and he appreciated the help. He still had laundry to do and cleaning spells to set in place to clean the house, beds to make, dishes to do, and a host of other things on his list.

"Can I ask again why you were both studying last night?" Robert asked Brian.

"My wife was polishing her apparating prowess with her wand. I didn't want her splinching herself, so learning how to sign seemed like a better alternative than continuing to bring her back from the dumpster," Brian said.

"Khaat," Robert went over to her and pulled a chair up to sit beside her. "You know, I do know what it feels like to be overwhelmed. And living with no past with people you don't know in a world you don't remember gives you the right to be overwhelmed. But--trust me, you'd be even more frustrated out behind that dumpster again. I think you keep going there because its the oldest memory you have. When the weather clears, would you like to see where you grew up? Some of your favorite places? We could make that happen, you know. And if there is anything you think you need, even if its just a breath of fresh air, all you need to do is to let us know." He brushed her cheek and kissed her forehead softly.

In that instant, she saw him, standing in that dark evil room. He was speaking to her. She could feel his love. She remembered of not being able to touch him, but she heard his words. "Its a choice, Khaat. You have to choose," he had said, lovingly, deliberately.

"Khaat," her mother said, sighing. "I remember that moment. You chose us. You chose life. I'm glad you're remembering a little, but all you really need to know is that you could have made another choice and you chose us." Khaat looked at her father. That memory was stil painful for him, she could see.

For Robert it made sense that she was filling in pieces of that awful day with Barker. It was the first thing she had remembered, after all, but he was going to be glad when the memories began to broaden to better things.

Cassidy nodded and moved to start molding the dough into the shape into loaves then stepped back moving to cut pasta dough into fettucini for lunch she worked quick but soon had it all laid out and she placed them next to Angus. " Hows that ?" she asked before moving to make up the salad for lunch. Once done she started to clean up and put things away setting the table ready for lunch. Jess helped with the kids playing and drawing with them on the floor trying to keep them occupied while the storm was blowing out side the house.

Steven and Jack walked back in covered in snow standing on the porch they shook off the snow and walked in " do not go out side " Steven said as he hung up his jacket to dry out Jack did the same and walked into the kitchen to get some coffee for him and Steven to warm back up.

"Very nice," Angus said, "Thank you. I appreciate the help."

Robert saw Jack and Steven come back in. "Consider the house in lockdown. No one goes out now. Not until its safe. Not unless we have no other choice," he ordered.

He had moved Khaat away from the windows because he didn't want the slight draft from the windows due to the high winds making her sick. In her weakness she had dozed off in her chair near the fire. Knowing she was safe inside, he went to Brian's office to work. Brian got led off temporarily by Abbey wanting him to play for a moment.

While the work for lunch went on in the kitchen, she slept. Until she had such a violent clash of memories that it seemed like every horrible thing that could exist in one's imagination and beyond all came flooding forth together in a tangled up blurr. And she clearly remembered being separated from her own body and wanting desperately to stay for a dark haired young man who was chained to a stone wall beside where her body also hung.

She woke with such violent pain in her head that she woke with a hard jolt, clutching both sides of her head with her hands. It doubled her over in her chair.

Jess looked up and saw Khaat moving she placed her hands on her temples drawing of the pain " its ok " she said softly " Jack get Robert" she said softly and Jack stood up moving to where Robert had gone to. "better?" she asked feeling she'd drawn off enough pain that she could handle. Jess moved back and sit facing her watching her again. Cassidy brought in some tea and placed the cup next to Khaat on the small table.

"Here Khaat, this should help." she said hoping Robert or Kate would come and talk to her but Jess spoke again smiling.

"Those memories again huh? don't worry things will make sense in time, bad memories are just that bad memories the good ones as Kate said will show in time, like the wedding you and Brian had on the beach in Hawaii, the sun was warm and the flowers were in bloom" she chuckled as she smiled at hr hoping to make her a bit more comfortable and take her mind of the ones she'd just had .