Marriage is Murder

"Better," Khaat said. "Thanks." It was reduced for awhile, but she knew it would come back. She sat down and Marcus put a tea mug in front of her. It wasn't more than a few minutes when Abbey dashed downstairs and climbed up onto Khaat's lap.

"I thought you were playing," she said to her.

"Where's Papa?" she asked, looking up at her mother.

"He's working, Sweetheart," she said. She looked into Abbey's eyes. "Why?"

"He's mad," she said. "I just...know."

"I believe you," she said. "I know Papa's not very happy, but he's alright. Uncle Michael and Daddy are with him. Its okay if Papa isn't always happy."

"There's a bad man, isn't there?"

"Yes," she said.

"He's coming here?"

"No," Khaat said. "Absolutely not. Papa doesn't want him to do anything else bad. Not ever."

"Okay," she shrugged. She jumped off and dashed into the kitchen, seeming satisfied. She looked at Suki. "Can I have a cookie?"

"Just one," Suki laughed, giving her a peanut butter cookie. Abbey ran off again.

"That is so weird," Marcus shook his head. "It does take some getting used to."

"What?" Khaat asked.

"Four year olds with accidental magic," he said.

"It happens," Khaat shrugged. "Wait til they all start to do it. Should be fun."

Brant stood by a window listening to what had just happened he smiled seeing Abby with Khaat , a flash of Chocola and himself in that position made him snap back he had not even told her how he truly felt and here he was daydreaming of a family with her. Now he looked at Khaat hoping she'd not picked up his thoughts knowing how easily she could. He really needed to get his head in the game and back into protection.

"I was told it was rare for a child of Abby's age to have accidental magic, wouldn't that make her, when she grows up, some what on the same magic scale as Robert?" He asked folding his arms as he walked across the floor to where stood close by them. Jess looked up from her book and looked to Khaat and chuckled knowing it was typical for Abby.

"She's always been bright that way." Jess said smiling.

"The women in my mother's family have all inherited strong seer's abilities. Blessing or curse, sometimes I'm not sure," Khaat said. "Didn't you start early with accidental magic?" she asked her mother.

"So I'm told," Kate said. "From what I understand it was very much like Abbey. And, because its been in our family for generations, I just grew up learning how to use it. Its why I never discouraged you from learning. You had those abilities early too, but you were far more interested, back then, in tagging along after Remus and whatever horseplay he was doing. You didn't pay very much attention to your accidental magic. Not if there was some adventure to be had."

"It was more fun," Khaat shrugged. "If there's something I'm not used to now, its Abbey's accidental animagus abilities."

"Now that is a concern," Marcus said. "She doesn't have much control over when she changes and she doesn't know how to change back."

"Rob used to get stuck sometimes too," Khaat shrugged. "One more piece of his personality she inherited. Abbey tends to get more Labrador around water. Swimming."

"Maybe that's because that's what Labradors do. They love water," Marcus said. "But her puppy form is getting to be a faster swimmer. We're going to have to train more on speed and endurance with our swimming, I fear."

Brant stood and listened he had no special ability's so didn't know how it felt to have it. He looked to Steven who chuckled. " John has that problem, He...he can change to a wolf when he gets mad." He told them " he's learning though, from what I'm told." he stood up and stretched his back and arms out.

"Sounds like its a curse more than a blessing" Brant said and moved back to the window. Steven shook his head and looked from Khaat to Brant.

"Its not Brant, John sees it as a blessing, its made him understand the need to focus and have control with his emotions." He told him.

"Well, then, if it helps him be a bit more mature, that will certainly help him adjust from being a kid to a young man," Kate said.

"Why didn't Brian ever have that issue?" Khaat asked.

"Pfft," Kate looked at her sarcastically. "You've got to be kidding, right? When he came to our house, he was nothing but a big ball of rage. Don't you remember that?"

"Yeah, I know he was mad."

"You don't remember all the work your father had to do to reel him in? That was days and days of pure hell."

"I remember some of it. Not as much as you do."

"That's because Remus redirected you to other things. But, perhaps not so unlike John, Brian learned to control his anger. He can still have a violent temper if he's given reason, but now he's got something to channel all that into."

"Fighting," she said.

"Well, that, and being a wee bit of a taskmaster in the gym."

Marcus snorted. Brian wasn't anything of a "wee taskmaster." Brian could be driving and brutal at times in the gym, particularly on himself. Marcus enjoyed the challenge, but it wasn't always easy to meet.

Steven nodded and chuckled at Kate's words about John. " yes he is and hes....kinda got himself a girlfriend to, she's his control, his reason to not get mad or in fights at school, hes actually following the rules too." He added he listened to Kate talk of Brian and chuckled.

"Hes not a wee bit of a taskmaster?" He said "He is a hard taskmaster, but for a good reason." Brant and Jack both nodded in agreement. Steven sat and listened he wondered if when John graduated Brian would let him return and join them in the fight. He hoped he would part of him would be proud to fight along side his son.

"Well, so long as he learns to do it for himself," Kate said. "Having someone to be an inspiration is a good thing, so long as we learn the lesson for ourselves. In our particular world, witches and wizards have to learn to be in control for themselves because of how very quickly a life can be taken. Not that you all don't know that already, though."

Khaat was still silently giving thought to going and finding her father to try to take some of the load off his shoulders. But as she was considering it, she heard the sharp, almost electrical sound of a loud burst of lightening. She jumped.

Marcus spun, wand drawn, and looked out into the back yard. There stood that darned Latin vampire who couldn't seem to be done crushing on her. The vampire was still caught in the current of his own quick porting spell, his long Victorian duster coat blowing all about him. This didn't look like a social call.

"What's he doing here?" Marcus asked. "And what's he showing off for?"

"Who?" Khaat asked.

"Your vampire boyfriend."

"Escobar?" she frowned. "And he's not my boyfriend." She got up and looked out the door. She opened the large glass door to go out and, with a flick of his wand, Escobar slammed it shut on her before she could go out. Khaat was shocked. Marcus watched the vampire's movements. He started walking towards the woods, carefully.

"He's hunting," Marcus said. "That can't be good. Especially if he wants you to stay inside."

Jim, Jack, Brant and Steven all stood quickly up their wands drawn and at the ready. They watched as Khaat moved to the doors then as then they slammed closed in front of her.

" He must be, thats not like him." Jim said and looked to Jack who moved to the back door and locked it. Jess headed up to check on the kids with Cassidy each moved to their posts and stayed there.

" I wonder who or what hes hunting?" Brant asked watching Escobar through the window as he moved around the grounds. He wished he was out there as well.

Marcus watched Escobar disappear deep into the trees. Then he saw something that sent chills through him.

"There," he pointed off to the northwest corner of the woods, in the distance. Dark smoke rose from the distance, and under the smoke, bright light lit the sky. "The woods are on fire. And its a big one."

"God!" Khaat panicked. The estate was in flames. She went to the doors to fling them open, but the doors wouldn't open to her. "Damnit! I can't just stand here!"

Before Marcus could speak, a horrid sound arose. It was the rising howl of a whole pack of werewolves. The howl of a pack ready to attack and kill. A pack at war.

He touched one of the little tie tacks on his lapel. He looked at her, looking straight into her face. "Now, listen. I know how much you want to go out there. But if that's James, you'll be giving him just what he wants. No matter what, you need to stay in the house."

"We need Brian and Angus back here," she said. "Sounds like there are a lot of them."

"Already sounded the alarm that goes straight to Brian," Marcus said. He laid his hand on the door and tried it. It opened to him. It was clearly a spell designed to not open the door to her. He looked at Jack and Steven. "Looks like we can go out but not her."

The house elves dashed into the living room, wands drawn. "We'll get 'em!" Jobey said, ready to fight, loving a chance to go fire a wand at something.

Brant watched the smoke in the distance, " I'll stay with Khaat." He said as Steven and Jack moved to the doors and to beside Marcus both with their wands drawn at the read. Jim walked out casually and looked at the smoke, he didn't flinch even at the noise that came echoing around them.

"Hum..sound's like Escobar's found what he was hunting." He said Steven and Jack looked at each other. " I hope they get back here quickly." He added noting the birds that flew up into the sky away from the flames of the forest fire.

"agreed" Jack said sneezing from the smoke in the air.