Marriage is Murder

"Certainly," Brian said, "but do be aware that the only one of ours that swims is Abbey. The rest of them are good waders and splashers, and they're utterly fearless. They don't know when they're about to get themselves in trouble. I know I should have been teaching them all, but I've been preoccupied. I'd just like to keep their mother from going crazy."

"Brian," Robert said, "Dakota hasn't been exactly excited about learning, and the triplets aren't even three yet. You have time. You're trying too hard, Son. I'll keep Abbey with me. She gets away quickly once she transforms."

"I'm no help," Khaat said quietly to Marcus.

"Look," he said, "Even if you could move your arm, you just had twins. No one expects you to wrangle toddlers. Just wait. They do have it under control. You're reacting to how excited the kids are. You've just about got one adult for every kid. We're good."

"Can I go out to the water with the kids?"

"Certainly," he said. "If you're up to it." She nodded. He helped her to her feet, and they went down to the water.

Abbey tugged on Robert's hand and he went out into the water with her, and sure enough, she transfigured into a Labrador. He was determined to keep up with her.

Brant looked back at Khaat and chuckled "Hey we got this Khaat relax" he said as he grabbed one about to go further into the surf " ah not on my watch, Jack behind you" he said and jack caught another and chuckled.

Cassidy held the hand of two of the younger children as they splashed in the water but she soon lead them back up the beach to the towels and gave the the buckets and spades she had brought with her. " here let Jack show you how to make a sand castle" she said and she saw him walk up the beach one tired boy in his arms and a young girl walking with him both sat down and began making and destroying sand castles.

Dakota came over to Khaat and Marcus, all excited about being in the water. The water was crystal clear at that shallow depth, and Dakota was chattering away to Khaat about the whole business as she splashed and stomped in the water. She saw a little fish swim by her and she raced to catch it. When she did, though, she dove under the water to try to see the fish more clearly.

Khaat panicked. Marcus reached down quickly and grabbed Dakota by her arm and stood her to her feet. It wasn't overly graceful but her face was out of the water. She looked surprised and completely confused.

"Leave the fish alone," Marcus told Dakota quietly. He looked at Khaat. "Breathe." He looked up at Cassidy. "Can you come and get this one? She's getting herself in trouble out here trying to catch minnows."

Cassidy looked at Michael and nodded walking over she took Dakota by the hand and waked her to sit with the others on the sand she watched her while Steven watched the others with Jack Brant returned with his two and sat down close buy watching them both play he would place a shell on top of one castle but they would knock it off.

Jack looked at Khaat then at Brian as he watched Khaat and Marcus out in the surf " she looks a little more relaxed today" Jack said helping form a small door in one sand castle before James smashed it and laughed as he then began to rebuild it all over again.

"She is, somewhat," Brian said. "But she's not secure anymore going out of the house, not for any reason, and I can't say that I blame her much. Every time she does go out, she feels like she loses something important to her or comes close to it. You know that part of the reason Marcus has worked out so well for us is because without him, we're spread really thin at times. And I think she feels a bit more secure that no matter how thin things get, he has only one task--her. Not the kids, not Robert, not anything else. And that leaves the rest of us free to take care of the kids, the estate, Robert, and al the rest of it that is so important."

Robert brought Abbey out of the water, tucking the puppy under one arm and carrying it up the beach to the towels. He set her down on the sand with the other kids and used wandless magic to change her back.

Marcus felt that Khaat had had enough of the water and he simply nudged her to ask if she wanted to go back to the sand. She nodded, and he walked with her out of the water and sat down with her again on the towels on the sand.

Cassidy sat and listened to Brian as he spoke she sighed. "Well, we'll all have to work to change that." she said and smiled to Khaat as she saw Robert with Abby " will she ever grow out of that?" she asked chuckling at a grown man walking with a lab puppy under his arm. " I will say this its good to have Robert talking again, it was too quiet with out him" she looked at Khaat and Brian.

Steven looked up from the towel and smiled " yeah we all will help, Jack over theres like a giant watch dog, he could sniff out another were at a hundred paces." Jack turned and looked down at Steven.

"Better that than sunning on a beach under a stetson" he said and Steven laughed.

"Hey, I lost that hat years ago, besides Cassy said she'd burn it if I wore it again" he said seeing the nod Cassidy gave him. He oofed as James jumped on top of him and giggled.

"Build castle, build castle" he said happily, Steven chuckled and sat up moving to start building a sand castle with James.

"Just relax Khaat, things will be okay" she noticed Brant and shook her head gently " Hey books down were here to relax not work" she called to him. Brant looked up and smiled slipping his note book into the bag that sat next to him.

"As an animagus, she'll have to develop control," Edward said. "This is still just baby magic. As I understand it from Robert, she inherited the animagus from her biological father and the seer's abilities from her mother."

"She did," Kate said. "She's really too little to be taught how to control her animagus."

"Most animagi don't develop the ability or the control until sometime in their stay in Hogwarts," Brian said. "We'll be 'unsticking' her for a long time, I'm afraid."

"I haven't been able to go outside, not even into my own yard for over a year," Khaat said. "James has always been around. I guess I just figured that being in the house was pretty much all my life was ever going to be."

"We need to talk," Robert said to Khaat, sitting behind her on the sand and wrapping his arms around her and drawing her back to lay on his chest.

"There isn't anything to say," she said to him.

"Oh, yes there is. There is a good deal to say. For starters, like, how very much I've missed you even though I didn't go anywhere. You do know I had to protect you, didn't you?"

"I know," she sighed.

"And do you know how very proud I am of you for the wonderful job you're doing not just with your kids but also with stepping, somewhat, into my shoes, doing some of my job, and representing the family to the wizarding world?"

"Was it enough?"

"More than enough. You do realize, though, that we must keep it secret awhile longer that the curse is gone. If we don't, we'll never find out who is behind all this. And that means I need you to continue doing your job and mine too."

"I know," she said.

"But I think I can be more of a help than I have been. Or at least I'll try to be."

Cassidy smiled seeing and hearing Robert with Khaat hoping once and for all he could make her relax even a little while they all looked after the kids who at this moment were using Jack as a horse to ride on the soft warm sand. Cassidy chuckled as he fell into the sand face first. Brant stood up and walked down to the waters edge, she saw him dive in and swim around a little before climbing out she also noticed several women down the beach look in his direction Cassidy just shook her head at seeing him not even notice them again.

"Seems our Brant's attracting his own type of attention" Jack said and chuckled as Brant walked up and sat down looking at them all.

"What?" he asked as he dried himself off then he spotted them " I'm not interested, I am here to focus on work, as nice as they look, now its family time." he said and did look back at them.

"So," Robert said, knowing how much they wanted her to relax, "what's it going to take?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"For you to let me take charge again," he said.

"I've never interfered with your choices," she said. He laughed out loud.

"Liar," he said. "You interfere on a regular basis. Any time you think you should protect me. And you've also thought, a time of two, that I was willing to let you die."

"It was for the greater good," she said.

"Now you listen," he said. "I never sacrificed you, even if it looked like it. I counted on Brian and Jess to make sure you didn't die when James attacked you. I depended on Marcus to protect you from him at the attack on the school. I depended on him to find you a few days ago when James took you and you had the twins. I hired the staff we have because they're able. I merely trusted them to do their job. But I did let you continue to have the paralyzed arm and the scars on your face before I was willing to pass the curse on to you. We can and we will protect you."

"No," she said. "Protect my kids first. Make sure he never gets my kids."

"Brian," Robert called.

"Yeah?"

"I think you ought to consider taking her out to a lunch for two someplace," Robert said. He looked at Marcus. "And I do mean for two. Not two and a half."

"Well, its nice to know I'm a half," Marcus laughed, not taking any offense.

"I think that's a marvelous idea," Brian said.

"And if you were to manage to go to Venice," Angus said, "you could pick up a small package at Tobias's for tomorrow." He had not forgotten birthday preparations for Abbey's fourth birthday the next day. He had sketched out a very special birthday cake design, but he needed a couple of special pieces from Tobias.

Brant looked at them both " one of us could go for it Khaat."He said as he wrapped the towel around his shoulders as he sunning himself.

"He's right Jim's not doing anything send him for it " Cassidy said glancing back at where Jim stood at the house having decided not to  go with them down to the beach.

" I'm sure he will be more than willing" Steven said as the left tower on the castle he was building collapsed onto his arm with giggles from the children who helped build it. Steven didn't mind though and chuckled as he started to rebuild it.