A Birth day

Ruby nodded watching him leave with the girls then return and she watched as Marcus took Angus outside for a smoke and she moved to the kitchen to continue the bolognaise that was just needing putting together. As she stood stirring the sauce she smiled hearing Marcus as they walked back in " thank Angus all I did was put it together." she said looking up from the pot as she added some seasoning.

Aria chuckled as she made the pastry for the Cherry & almond frangipane galette. Once done she wrapped it in baking parchment and chilled it for half an hour. While it was chilling she make the frangipane, She blitz the almonds in a food processor until finely chopped, then add the butter, flour, vanilla extract and sugar, and blitz again until combined. Once done she added the egg, and blitz again to make the paste. Once the pastry was chilled she took it out and cut it into cercles covered them with the frangipane, then press half the cherries into it. She then folded over the pastry edges to encase the edges of the cherries, pressing down the creases so it held together. Now done she Brushed with the beaten egg and scatter some granulated sugar over the cherries and pastry. With the oven heated she slipped it in to cook.

The boys came in, starving of course, and they went upstairs to shower and change after a particularly messy day. As they were upstairs, there was a knock on the door. Marcus opened the door, and he called Angus to the door. Angus got up and went to the door to see Dennis there.

"I hate to intrude, but could I see my girls?" Dennis asked Angus.

"Of course. You can see them any time you want. Come in," Angus said. "Ginger! Anise! Come upstairs please. You have company." The girls came upstairs, and they were delighted to see Dennis there. They hugged him, and Dennis got out the newspaper pictures that Angus had taken over that morning. "Your mother would be so proud," Dennis told them, showing them the pictures. "Angus was kind enough to bring these up to share them with the pack this morning. I just wanted to tell you I am so proud of the gorgeous women you've become."

"Dennis, we're about to eat supper. Its not fancy. Its just spaghetti," Angus said, "but would you like to join us so you can eat with your girls?"

"I haven't had spaghetti in over ten years," Dennis said. "Are you sure I'm not intruding?"

"You're family. Of course you're welcome," Angus said.

"I'd like that. Thanks," Dennis said.

"Come see our room," Ginger said, excited, wanting to show Dennis their lives now. "And we're going to school now. Come see." Anise and Ginger took him downstairs, both chattering at him at the same time."

"I'm glad he still wants to be part of their lives," Angus told Marcus quietly.

"Me too," Marcus smiled.

"You're good with setting an extra place, aren't you?" Angus asked Ruby.

Ruby looked up as the boys came in " Boys after you clean up could you move that dresser into the kitchen please" she said to them then heard the knock and watched as Marcus went to opening. She smiled seeing Dennis and hearing him ask to see the kids.

Hearing Angus she chuckled " no trouble at all, you made enough to feed an army" then she paused as she rethought about her words " scratch that , two very hungry teens." she said and chuckled again as she let Aria remove the desert to cool while they put the dresser just where Angus had suggested. Ruby set the table with an extra place for Dennis.

"You're right. I guess I did start a big batch. It's hard for me to cook in smaller quantities after so many years of cooking for so many, and we almost always have extra people at our table anyway," Angus agreed with Ruby.

"How soon are we eating?" Sam asked. "We're starving to death here."

"Poor neglected little waifs," Marcus teased. "Bone thin, aren't you? Both of you. Why don't you take Finn out and then feed him while you're waiting?

"Speaking of waifs," Victor said. "You might want to feed the babies. I just took Caprice's socks from her. She had taken one off and was trying to eat it."

"Thank you for taking it from her," Angus said. "I'll go get both of them."

"I'll go with you. I'll get one, you get the other," Marcus told him.

"Who eats socks, anyway?"

"Ask Michael about sock eaters," Angus said, heading upstairs.

Ruby chuckled and nodded hearing Sam she chuckled again " ten minuets , you can wait that long" she said then nodded to Angus as he said he'd fetch the babies " thank you I'll make some bottles and get their food ready" she added taking out two plastic bowls and placing in it some spaghetti and then placing the sauce over it before cutting it as she mixed it for them then set it to cool.

Aria made some home made custard to go over the desert she had made before moving on to make a bowl of salad to go with the bolognaise. She set it down on the table a she waited for Marcus and Angus to return with the babies .

Marcus and Angus found that Caprice had had a blowout. Angus was going to take her for a bath, but Marcus took her off to the bathroom first, leaving Diamond with Angus. Angus changed her diaper and brought her downstairs.

"Your child is getting hosed off," Angus told Aria, bringing Diamond downstairs. "Massive diaper failure. If one of you take her, I'll go clean and disinfect her crib and change the bedding. Wall is going to need scrubbed, carpet's going to need steamed, and, well, you lot eat without me. Evidently she has decided diaper contents should be used for artwork because she has it everywhere up there." He went to the pantry to get a bucket to get some hot water, soap, and sponges to start cleaning.

Ruby saw them return with the babies and chuckled as he took Caprice from Angus " okay, I'll keep your food hot while you do that" she said then looked at Marcus " why I she my child when she's naughty?" she asked with a chuckle Aria chuckled too as she set Dimond on the floor in the pen and placed the cut up and cooled food in front of her. Ruby set Caprice in her high chair and placed the food with a plastic fork in front of her too then dished up every ones food but remembering to set aside some for Angus.

Aria watched Dimond as she picked up the spaghetti and pushed it into her mouth looking up with a smile as she liked the feel and flavours giving a giggle as she took another hand full. " well she loves Angus's  spaghetti sauce" she said with a chuckle as she knew she'd have to clean her up once she was done eating, but for now Dimond was happy to eat with her hands.

Angus took the bucket upstairs to start cleaning. Sam called the girls up for supper, and they came up and brought Dennis with them, and they sat him between the two of them at the table. Marcus brought Caprice down and handed her over to Aria.

"Do you mind?" Marcus asked her quietly. "I'm going to go back and give Angus a hand. He's got a real mess up there." He got another bucket out and filled it with hot water and soap and grabbed a couple more sponges and went upstairs.

Marcus helped Angus clean the nursery, and he put a fresh sheet on the crib mattress. As an additional precaution, he set a cleaning spell in place to make sure they didn't miss anything.

"Come on. Let's eat," Marcus said.

"You go ahead. I have to shower now," Angus sighed, knowing that even the cleaning job had been messy.

"Go shower," Marcus said. "I'll bring you fresh clothes." Angus got into the shower, and Marcus took him fresh jeans and a sweatshirt. He took the buckets and Angus's dirty clothes downstairs. "Angus will be down in a minute," Marcus said. "He's just finishing up." He put Angus's clothes in the laundry, threw out the dirty sponges, disposed of the dirty scrub water and cleaned the buckets.

Marcus joined the others at the table, and a few minutes later, Angus finally joined them.

"This is a wonderful supper," Dennis said. "Thank you. The last time I had spaghetti was on my wedding anniversary before we went to live with the pack. There was a new Italian place that I had promised to take her to, and so we found a babysitter, and we went out. This is definitely better spaghetti than I had that night. And to eat with my girls? That's the best supper of all. Thank you. And, as I understand it, these young men are the ones who have planned to be my son in laws?"

"That's the plan," Sam nodded.

"Do I get a chance to know you first?" Dennis asked.

"Sure," Victor said. "If you want to, that is."

"Of course I want to, but since you're sons of Ruby's and Angus's, I don't see how I could go wrong. Still, yes. I'd like that," Dennis said. "Any bad habits I should know about now?"

"They're both hollow down to their toes," Marcus said. "It takes a lot to feed them."

"Good," Dennis said. "Don't think for one moment that werewolves are any easier to feed."

Aria looked to Marcus and nodded as she took Caprice from him placing her in her high chair " go we have this" she said watching him head to help Angus. Ruby gave Caprice a bowl and plastic fork to use then dished up for every one keeping two plates back one for Marcus and one for Angus and set a warming charm on the plate to keep the food warm for them. Sitting down she smiled as Dennis said he enjoyed the meal. " thank Angus I just put it together he did the prep work" she smiled seeing both Angus and Marcus return " there's two plates ready for you both" she motioned to the sideboard and smiled. " its already paying it way" she added.

Aria watched Caprice and Dimond as they ate and finished her food she chuckled as he heard Dennis talk to Sam and Victor about who they were and what they were like. " they are decent hard working men." she added then chuckled as Marcus said they were empty down to their toes " um, yeah " she teased the two boys with a chuckle.

"Don't let them fool you," Marcus told Dennis. "Ruby and Aria are good cooks in their own right. There has never been a bad meal served in this house."

"That, I can believe," Dennis said. "And to learn the girls are attending Beauxbatons? I never expected to hear that."

"They've worked very hard to earn that," Angus said. "I'm proud of them."

"So am I. I hate to change the subject, but did you know there's a spirit in this house?" Dennis asked.

"We've had a few occasional visitors," Angus acknowledged.

"It's a short little blonde woman. Shoulder length blonde hair. She was here when I got here, and she's been pacing the entire time I've been here," Dennis said.

"My gran," Angus said. "She's just been hanging about lately. I'm surprised you could see her."

"Ah, well, with Anise being a seer herself, everyone just presumed it was her mother who was the seer, and I allowed people to believe it. After all, even with werewolves, a seer is not always accepted as legitimate magic. Its too artsy fartsy for most witches and wizards."

"So it wasn't your wife. It was you all along," Angus was surprised.

"Guilty as charged," Dennis said. "Came from my father, who did use it from time to time as a cursebreaker for the ministry. Found it helpful, he did, but he couldn't disclose to anyone how he got his effectiveness. Your gran isn't just hanging about. She looks like a woman on a mission of some sort."

"Angus is brand new at his abilities," Anise told Dennis. "He doesn't see them all the time. Not like I do."

"You knew she was here too?" Angus asked.

"Sure," Anise shrugged. "She wants her presence known, I think. Don't know what she's after, but she's more intent about it tonight."

"Give her a bit, maybe she'll speak up," Angus said.

"You can't hear her anyway. She always has to play charades with you," Anise laughed. "I think she could shout right in your ear, and you wouldn't hear a syllable."

"If he's new at it, he needs time to grow," Dennis looked at Anise. "Like you did. He'll get it in time."