Marriage is Murder

"Jack hasn't entirely dealt with the real issues that are standing between Jess and everyone else," Jeffrey said to Brant. "She really did betray him too. She left him and their kids without a word, no explanation, no idea of where she was going or why, or if she had any intention of ever coming back. That's hard for any husband to forgive his wife for. And that's in addition to how everyone else feels."

Kate listened to Cassidy ask whether she needed to talk to him. "I would leave it alone for now. Jack needs to be able to talk to her. She needs to work out at least some truce with someone. And, really, it should be him, if possible, at least at first."

Angus got the paper bird and hurried down to the salon. He saw by Khaat's face she was serious. He sat down in front of her.

"Khaat," he said. "I know how scared you were yesterday at just the thought of going. Honey, nothing's different. You cannot swim, not unless we do it for you. And now you can't move either arm. Honey, I can't recommend you going down again...."

"I have to go. We missed something."

"I got that part from the note. Tell me what it is. I'll go get it."

"No. I have to do this myself. I'm not sure what I"m looking for. I just know how it feels, magically."

"Everyone we know is going to kill all three of us," Angus sighed heavily.

"Its my responsibility," Marcus said. "Get the gear. Please." Angus sighed and went to get his own gear on and to get gear for Marcus and her.

Cassidy sat and listened then nodded " she did at that" she said and continued weaving and she smiled " love to be a fly on the wall though" she chuckled and glanced out at the pontoon " I wonder whose winning, my bets with Jeffery" she smiled. Brant felt a tug on his line and stood up.

" wow I got a bite " he said and Steven placed down his reel.

" gently reel it in " he told him and moved to help him" thats it its big but I'm guessing there are bigger down there " he said and looked over at Jeffery " any luck? " he asked.

"Yeah," Jeffrey said, "I've got one playing with my bait, but I don't want to rush him....And there he goes..." he said, seeing the line start to race off. He stood up and let the line out a bit more and then jerked back on the rod to make sure the fish was hooked well. He felt the strong pull on the line of a decent sized fish.

This fish was going to put up a fight. That was fine with Jeffrey. He wasn't going to break the line for it. He much preferred to tire the fish out before he reeled it in. He smiled, ready to just take his time.

Changed into diving gear, he took gear for Khaat and Marcus down below. He helped Khaat suit up while Marcus did the same.

"What are we looking for?" he asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," she said. "I'll know it when I find it. But I can't leave it down there."

"Are you sure you can do your part?" Angus asked Marcus. Marcus scowled.

"I know my job," he said. "Just let me do it." He looked at Khaat. "Let's go," he said. He wasn't going to make a big deal out of this. He saw no need to get Robert and Brian totally unhinged. He took her up on deck, made sure that she had her mask on, and then the three of them went over the side, back down to the dive site of yesterday morning.

Kate glanced up from her work and saw them slipping very quietly overboard. She sighed, trying not to say a word, hoping they knew what the hell they were doing. She was hoping that Robert had no idea whatsoever.

Brant and Steven watched secretly hoping Jeffery's would be bigger than theres. Cassidy looked at Kate as she too saw them slip over board quietly " I hope those two know what there doing with Khaat " she said softly but continued with her weaving. Below Jack still paced in front of Jess.

"we can't trust you Jess, the kids and every one here, including me" he told her and saw her nod her head.

" Jack I am aware of that and expected no less" she told him " I didn't expect to return and have it all the same I...I let Khaat down as a friend and you as a husband and father to our children and am willing to work on that...together." She told him her voice at a normal level. Jack stopped and looked at her.

"You have a long way to go Jess with Khaat, with me and certainly with Robert. " we can share the cabin but ..sharing our lives again will take time" he folded his arms and heard the audible sigh she gave.

"Thats fare" she said softly.

Jeffrey took his time in reeling in his fish. It turned out to be a very nice sized tilapia. "Nice," he smiled. "Looks like perhaps 15 or 16 pounds. Not the biggest I've ever seen, but a respectable size, nonetheless. Should feed us for a meal if our cooks are up to snuff."

"I have no doubt that Marcus and Angus knows what they're doing. But Khaat? As afraid she is of diving right now, and now with both of her arms immobilized? She has to have a damned good reason why she's going back. She certainly could have sent someone else, at least in most cases. At any rate, Robert's going to kill her. He's going to be livid."

"Alright, Gentlemen," Jeffrey said, "I'm satisfied. And I'm hungry. I'm going to head back and see if they've fixed us anything for lunch. It is noon, after all. And I want to make sure they have time to deal with the fish for tonight while its fresh."

Cassidy sighed and nodded " yeah he really will if he finds out " she said and saw Jeffery out on the pontoon reeling in a large fish. " wow thats a big fish" she said and chuckled. Steven and Brant looked at each other and laughed.

"Sure we're hungry too" Brant said as Steven nodded " and looks like you won." he said as Steven held up the tiddler he had just caught and let it go back in the water. Moving they ported back to the ship knowing nobody was around. Steen moved to sit with Cassidy.

"Those are pretty Kate , your's too Cassidy" he said and Cassidy chuckled and shook her head.

"Hes a smooth talker " she said and looked at the fish he had then looked at Jeffery's " wow, now thats a big fish " she said

Jeffrey needed to take the boats back after the others ported and left him there. He tied the boats to his own and rowed them back to the ship. He had thought that they were trying to avoid magic while on a sandbar with no trees and no cover, but nonetheless, he couldn't leave the boats there.

The crew met him and helped him tie up the extra row boats and to get Jeffrey on board and got his fishing gear for him, including the nice sized tilapia.

"Where is Angus?" Jeffrey asked Evan.

"He went diving," Evan said.

"What? What captain goes pleasure diving?" Jeffrey frowned.

"He didn't," Evan said. "He went with Khaat and Marcus."

"Oh, no," Jeffrey frowned. "What the hell got into them?"

"I've got no clue," Evan shrugged.

Underwater, Khaat retuned to the spot where Brian had been trapped. She wanted to go further, beyond the trap. Marcus wasnt' keen on letting her do that. He did his best to use "Reveal" spells to try to uncover any more traps. To his surprise, the farther they went, the more they found more traps. This was a dark defense system. But what was it guarding?

Steven back handed Brant across the back of his head " we were both supposed to not use our magic " he said and looked around the area seeing nobody had sen them he sighed bit looked to Brant " next time write it down in your note book so we both don't forget" he said and Brant still rubbing the back of his head nodded.

" yes right, I forgot that point, sorry but I'm not use to doing things the muggle way" he said as he moved to sit down close to Kate. He saw Cassidy weaving and smiled " looking good Kate" he said " looks warm."

"Most of you are aurors," Kate scowled. "You're supposed to be professionals. You're entrusted to help keep the secrets of this family and the wizarding world.  What part of 'use-the-boat' did you find difficult to remember? Are you certain you wouldn't be better sweeping floors or something less classified?"  She heard the compliment on her wall hanging. "I don't know about warm," she said. "But hopefully it will look at least interesting."

Khaat had a bad feeling creeping over her, but her anger and frustration over Brian was driving her.  She wanted to move ahead.  She looked at Marcus and nodded.  He didn't like it. His every instinct said it was loaded with traps.

She saw a bit of glitter at her foot, just a few inches ahead of her, tangled in an underwater plant. It was an odd place for a trinket. She kicked at the shimmering bit of gold and glitter, and then suddenly a large snake-like vine rushed out of a cleft in the rocks and wrapped around her like a boa constrictor, swiftly tightening in coils around her and working to try to kill her in seconds.

Marcus and Angus weren't about to let that happen. They fired at the vine, determined to sever it or disable it before it could harm her.

"They're in trouble!" Evan pointed off the side of the ship, to the waters, where flashes of wandfire could be seen lighting up in the deep.

Brant Steven and Jack all looked over the side Jack did not waste a breath he grabbed his knife and dove over the side into the water. swimming over he saw what was happening and swum over to them taking the knife he began to cut at it. Steven donned a wet suit and jumped in Brant stayed on board while Steven swum over his wand drawn as he saw what was attacking Khaat too slipped his wand away and took out his knife for fear of hurting Khaat.

Steven moved to her chest and started to cut the vine away Jack went lower to where he hoped to find its roots, grasping them he began to pull as hard as he could. Slowly he felt the sand giving and he planted his feet against a stone and pulled hard he motioned to Marcus to help while Steven cut the vine keeping its attention until it would be too late, that was something both me saw as unacceptable for them both to fail.