Marriage is Murder

Jess walked over and watched " you know how to do it already you just have to focus draw it in then let it out so it doesn't stay with you, you taught me that " she said with a smile " you trained me to be a healer that's what you just did " she said Jack walked over and showed her a small scar on the back of his hand , Jess placed her hand on his and made it slowly disappear so she could watch it. " you focus and feel the energy of the cut or wound, then refocus it into healing, feeling it pull the skin back or heal the wound" Robert is teaching me in being a better healer" she said and looked at him " I work in a hospital for magical wounds as you do your head of the hospital." Jack smiled holding Jess's hand now in his own.

What? She barely knew her name. This was beyond her. She turned to her father and began signing at lightning speed at him, feeling panic. He clutched her hands in his.

"You're starting to sign nonsense and gibberish," he said calmly. "Did I say anything about your returning to work? Did you hear me say I was tossing you back into doing surgery? No. I merely said it was time for you to start some training. I know you're afraid. I understand that. But there are seers here and healers here to helpyou learn. Now--wash your hands and, Brian, lets get a crew up here to clean up the mess. Angus, you get cleaned up and changed and get back to work. I presume the rest of you need to actually get some breakfast."

Jess looked at Khaat and then at Robert worried she'd said something wrong but Jack held her. "Sorry that's not what I meant " she said and pulled close to Jack nodding as Robert spoke of breakfast and looked at Jack.

"go eat" he told her and let her go down to the dining room " sorry shes feeling a bit out of sorts today guess she feels all the tension and unsettling with John and Steven she'll be okay later" he said and moved back down himself to let them clean up he passed several men heading up to clean the room.

Robert followed Jack into the hall. "Tell Jess this wasnt about her, I've been telling Brian to start preparing her for a return to her life. Frankly, as severe as her head injury was, there is no way for me to know if she will ever get her memory back. It could come back at any given moment or...never at all. I can't let her stagnate and do nothing just waiting for it. And I can't let her wait to see if her injury will heal enough to get her voice back. It is what it is. She's got a great deal of her magic back and thats a good sign. I need her to move forward with her life. She's got a marriage, children, and responsibilities. Its time she learned how to find a way to deal with them. She'll get over her panic and she'll be just fine. She's going to need us to support her in learning how to use her magic and her seers abilities and her healing skills all over again. And I want Brian to start her strength training again, and I've already talked to Michael and Angus about getting her diet tightened up. I want her back in shape. That ought to give us all something to do, don't you think?"

Jack smiled as Robert spoke " of course and yes it will , its good shes able to do these things again " he said and nodded " don't worry about Jess she'll be okay. " he said " ow I'll send some tea up for Khaat it might calm her nerves a little." he said " but it is time she trained again might help her regain her memory too" he said and headed down to the kitchen making up a fresh ray he carried it back up to the room placing it down next to Khaat. " thought you could use some tea" he said and moved to check out the cleaning witch was already finished " hum they should do the kids room, see you down stairs. " he said an chuckled as he moved down to the dinning room again.

Khaat was glad for the fresh coffee tray. It seemed like she'd been trying for hours to get a simple cup of coffee. It hadn't been as long as it felt like. Brian caught up with her a few moments later. He smelled the fresh french roast and poured a mug of it for himself.

"I've been waiting since 4 for this," he laughed.

"Why were you up?"

"Tai chi," he laughed.

"You tied what?" she signed.

"No, no," he laughed. "Tai chi. You used to enjoy it. Its a good way to destress."

"No."

"No what?"

"I'm not doing it today," she signed.

"Didn't ask you to," he said.

"What does he want? Seriously?" she signed.

"Seriously? You wanna know?" he asked quietly. She nodded. He sat down with her. "He wants you to stop losing weight. He wants you to start eating better, and he's right. He wants you to start toning up again. You used to enjoy sports."

"Sports suck," she signed. He laughed out loud.

"Do not," he said. "You'll enjoy it once we get started."

"And what about all this magic jazz?"

"The magic jazz, as you called it, is a part of you like that blond hair and those brown eyes. You might as well learn to manage it," he said. "Now--I'm starving, and we missed breakfast. Shall we send for something?"

Jack smiled and handed him a cup before he left them alone walking back down he told Jess what he'd been told and she smiled nodding she understood " now stop worrying " he said and pored her some tea which she drank and sat back against him just watching the fire and staying warm that was until James ran up holding a drawing of a green blob and wanted to sit with them both.

" ok up you come" Jack said and sat him on his knee while he told Jack about the picture which was about a dragon and a boy, the boy was looking after the dragon. Andrew ran in shouting chasing Jaylen who was crying Cassidy picked her up and asked why he was chasing her he shrugged his shoulders at her.

Khaat declined on breakfast and decided on her coffee instead. Brian went down to get some breakfast. He found the crew cleaning up the leftovers in the dining room and managed to get some fruit and a scone.

"Let me guess. She's not eating, is she?" Michael asked.

"No, she's stubborn," Brian said.

"She's scared. It makes her feel over her head. Let her walk it out to find out you're not just tossing her in to the deep end of the pool," MIchael laughed. "She'll come around."

One of the regular staff came in looking for Brian and went up to him.

"Mr. Quinn, I..um...." she began timidly.

"Just say it," Brian said.

"It's Abbey, Sir. We can't seem to find her. We've done a check of the house. She's not inside." He set his scone down instantly and stood up. He looked at Jack and the others.

"Get every person you can spare," Brian ordered. "Let's move." A two year old alone in the Colorado mountains in winter was potentially deadly and very quickly.


Abbey had been watching the animals from the window in the playroom. She had been distracted and had gone out, not knowing she should not. She had been drawn to something unusual. She wandered out through the trees where she'd seen the black bird go. She caught up with it as it hung upside down from one of the branches, peering at her. She looked up at it.

"Who are you?" she asked innocently.

Jess . Cassidy and Jack all dropped what they were doing Jess let a nursery woman take James and Andrew and Jaylen back to the nursery while they went to look every where Jack headed out side to look Jack looked around and saw nothing but his nose caught the subtle scent of some thing extra he moved back to Brian " out side somethings not right its...its a scent I can't put my finger on the east side" he said just as Steven returned and summoned shadow who headed out at a fair pace to search.

" I leave you for five minuets and you lose a kid" she said jokingly as shadow returned and he frowned " strange even shadow can't pick up on her scent he says something stronger is masking it." he said looking at Brian.

Michael had summoned Kate, Robert, Angus, and Michael. Khaat had insisted on joining them at the sound of her daughter being missing. Michael insisted Khaat stay immediately with him and no further. They went outside quickly and saw the staff breaking up in all directions to go search, but Robert saw that the first stringers were going to concentrate on the east. He pointed them in that direction.

In the woods, Abbey watched as the black bird hesistated a moment and then left the branch. She thought it was going to fly away. Instead, it changed forms to a tall, tanned skinned man with dark hair and dark eyes.

"Who are you?" she repeated.

"I am Emilio," he smiled. "And you must be Abbey." Abbey nodded. "You look very much like your mother."

"You know Mama?" she asked.

"Oh, very well," he smiled. "She told me all about you, and she was right. You are very, very beautiful. Why are you out here, Little One?"

"Why you upside down?" she asked.

"I was resting."

"Birds no hang upside down," she frowned.

"I'm not a bird. I'm a bat," he said. "Its how I sleep. "

"You live here?"

"No. Oh no. I live very far away. Where its warm. Do you like it warm?" She shrugged. She liked the warm, but she liked snow too. "Is your mother here?" he asked.

"In there," she pointed to the house.

"Ah," he smiled.

"You wanna see?" she asked.

"Maybe some other time," he smiled.