Marriage is Murder

"You're working too hard on it," Khaat said casually to Michael and Edward. Michael was tempted to blow her off, but Edward looked at her, frowning slightly.

"Why shouldn't we look?" Edward asked.

"Because we just need more time," she said. "We're on the right track."

"God, I hate when seers do this spooky shit," Michael sighed.

"I didn't think much of anything scared a thief besides jail," Edward teased.

"I didn't say I was scared," Michael said. "Its not scary. Its just...creepy. Not as in scary, more just...ewww."

"Well, on behalf of all seers everywhere, we are more than pleased to provide you with some periodic spine jarring," Edward laughed.

"Why can't you just find a map, like other normal wizards?" Michael asked.

"Well, we have, sort of," Edward said.

"No, we've been trail blazing underwater. I have yet to see a map," Michael said.

"Its in her head," Edward said.

"Again--eww," Michael said.

Jess looked at Michael and Edward as she heard them talking and chuckled " I never thought we were spooky ?" she asked and glanced over at Jack who chuckled him self.

" Yep, sorry but you are." He told her and she shook her head as she went back to sun bathing with a smile on her face as she peeked over at him. Cassidy chuckled as well.

" Well I wonder what they think of me then seeing as I can speak to the dead" she said and Jack chuckled again.

"Now thats creepy but expected " he said moving to apply sun screen to Jess's back as she lay and h had sen her turn slightly red.

"Meh," Michael said. "Khaat's been talking to Remus for years. Sometimes that's reassuring. Sometimes, not so much. That one doesn't bother me. Although I am a bit weirded out by a three year old that seems to be able to do it."

"Perfectly normal in my mother's family, or so she tells me," Khaat said. "She tells me that all the women in her family are seers, and that most of them started to show their skills when they were small. Though, I'm not sure they were quite that small. I still wonder if its not just coincidence and she'll grow out of it and favor Rob's animagus more."

"Two different things," Edward said, taking a slide ruler and doing some calculations for the map of the dive site he was making. "An animagus is just more of a shape determination. Its not generally inherited, although, it appears she's gotten that somehow from her father. Being a seer, though? Always inherited. Your maternal line has much too strong a track record of it for you to discount. If she's encouraged from early on and then trained well, she might well be a very successful seer."

"I just want her to be safe and happy and to not have to have such a struggle to survive as I've had," Khaat said.

Jess listened and nodded " I agree as long as she is happy and grows up love thats all that counts" she said from where she sat. " some seers go mad not knowing how to use or accept there gift, I guess I was lucky to have great teachers " she said and looked at Kate and Khaat.

Jack finished rubbing the lotion on and nodded " yes and good friends" he added Jess looked at them both and nodded. Cassidy looked at them both and turned her self onto her tummy.

"yes, that is difficult for some one her age." She said as Steven walked up. He sat were Jack had sat leaving Jack t sit behind Jess still.

"Well, you have a point," Edward said, drawing a line on his map with the slide rule. "A lot of seers are often hard pressed to find friends in school because their skills are so far out of the norm of others. That's part of what traps them inside themselves.

"Abbey isn't going to have that problem," Michael said. "She already comes from a whole platoon of kids."

"Having family and having friends are sometimes two different things to a kid," Brian said. "Sometimes a kid takes it for granted that they have family, but when they get into school, family suddenly can become not so cool, and they look for friends."

"You're forgetting the one of the advantages of a large family is that the kids learn, by and large to be sociable. We'll have to try to take them to a park or a beach or something in order to meet some other kids. Getting them out and letting them meet other kids and learning how to make friends is a skill well worth having. Michael, I think I know where we have to go next."

"Yes," Michael said. "Right there. But, as I recall, there was a whole forest full of those damned plants right there. We're gonna need a machete or four or five."

"Won't be necessary," Khaat said, moving a man on the backgammon board.

Jess looked at Edward she knew exactly what he meant and looked to Jack. "I agree, before I met Jack and you guys, I knew nobody and had no friends, so I know how that feels." She said Jack took her hand in his holding it. Jess smiled at him then to the others " yes Abby will not have that problem I know ours think of her as a sister and will not let anything happen to her."she said Cassidy sat up and nodded.

"Nor will ours, James is protective of her already" she said and Steven chuckled nodding.

" I noticed he follows her around" Steven said and chuckled " might need to keep an eye on him though."

"The newspaper says there is a new family restaurant in Diagon Alley called Babbity Rabbity's," Marcus said. "Supposed to be loaded with magical games and activities for kids, and its menu has kid friendly food. Might be a good outing for them where they can at least meet some other wee folk their own ages."

"A kids' restaurant? Good idea," Brian said.

"And a new wizarding park in Hogsmeade geared for kids and families," Michael said. "That has been looking like a lot of fun for little ones. What the hell are you doing, Edward?"

"Looking for where else I'd put a trap, if I put one there," Edward said.

Khaat stopped playing and frowned, a new realization hitting her.

"Did one of you keep that blossom I picked this morning from the vine down there?"

"Yes," Marcus said.

"I need that and the plant sample in the jar," she said.

"Um...okay. I'll get them," he said, not sure what he wanted them both for.

Jess sat lent against Jack as she watched Khaat puzzled at what she was thinking of. " what you thinking Khaat?" she asked looking to Khaat. She heard the creature before she saw it and curled into Jack " god that thing is noisy, don't you hear it Khaat?" She asked as she felt Jack wrap his arm around her shoulders.

Cassidy looked over to Jim and watched as he just turned the page of his book. She wondered how he could be so calm but she guessed he was no seer so didn't hear it. Jack rubbed Jess's shoulders to take away her pain from the creature.

Khaat heard the plant very clearly. So did Edward. Edward was curious when Khaat asked for the blossom and the plant sample.

"Khaat and I hear it too," Edward said quietly. "Khaat, do humor an old man. What are you doing?"

"We need the key," she said.

"What key?" Michael frowned. "There's a key?"

"Yes," she said, "And we need it now." Marcus brought the jar and the blossom up to the deck. She tried to open the jar with one hand, but the enchantment on the lid kept her from opening it easily.

"Edward, help me with the lid please?"

"Certainly," Edward said, getting up to go over to her.

"Marcus, it needs another few drops of blood. Your knife please? This should be the last time we need to feed it," she said. Marcus drew his blade, not saying a word. He made a small incision in her index finger of her good hand.

Edward opened the jar, and Khaat took the blossom and put it in the jar with the plant sample. She watched for a moment as the sample and the blossom seemed to entwine around each other. Then both the vine and the blossom seemed to reach, like baby birds, for food.

She dropped some drops from her index finger into each one, the vine and the blossom.

"Close the jar, please," she said to Edward.

"Gladly," Edward said, putting the lid back. The plants seemed to be continuing to entwine around each other, but the sound changed from screaming to an odd sort of music that, to Khaat, sounded slow and soothing. Edward was fascinated by what he was seeing. "What are they doing?"

"Creating the key," she said. "We'll have it either tonight or in the morning."

"What does this key look like?"

"I have no idea," she said.

Jess looked at Edward and Khaat watching what they did she breathed out when the tone changed to a soothing one. She relaxed against Jack again. " Cassidy do you still want that swim?" she asked and Cassidy stood up smiling along with Jack. " you joining us?" she asked and he nodded.

" some one has to keep you out of trouble" he said and Jess gave a small smile and walked with Cassidy to the power platform and dove off into the water.

" well come on then " she challenged him, watching him from the upper deck he stood up on a railing and dove in close to her Cassidy laughed and saw him surface by Jess.

"This will be so much fun." she said and jumped in herself next to them.