LONDON CALLING

Jack listened and nodded when he mentioned the endurance was his idea " I agree, Abby is very special in more ways that just that Robert." he said laying down yet another floor of clean hay. " I'll take a look when she's ready and yeah, i'll help her out, you rest" he told him " I agree we should be ready if he comes again, but you and I both know its not if, but when, hes a persitant bastard." Jack said brushing some dry straw from his trousers.

Jess took the buscuits out of the oven and placed them on a cooling wire. " Im not sure what else ther eis so any help would be aprechiated Michael " she said looking around for eggs and bacon to make a coked breakfast for those who want it. Taking the eggs she scrammbled some and sunnyside up others.

"Too right, Jack," Robert replied. "He is definitely persistent. He has not forgotten that I was the one who killed his father, self defense as it was. A nutter like him doesn't consider that. He has been vowing revenge for years and years. I've been keeping my tracks fairly well covered, or I thought I had, but I guess when years turned into decades, I got lax, and that was just exactly what Gelding must have been counting on. Clearly, I need to consider this a wakeup call. We need to be ready for whatever he has up his slimy sleeve next." He saw Jack had the livestock fed, and he decided Kate's menagerie could wait a little. "Let's go get some coffee and some breakfast, shall we?" he asked Jack, motioning him to follow him to the house.

"I have some ideas," Michael said. He put some finely sliced potatoes and onion in a large skillet and fried them. While they were frying up, he took several pieces of fruit and made a fresh fruit salad, and then he took some of Kate's berries and made a very quick mixed berry jam. It didn't take long, but he believed it would be tasty on Jess's biscuits.

"I think they should have enough for breakfast that they might hold well until dinner. I would expect Robert probably would like to talk to us and get our thoughts for what needs to happen next, so a big breakfast will surely be useful," Michael said. "And, then, as a special treat, I've put on a several entire slabs of beef ribs to slow cook outside in an American style smoker. We'll have enough food tonight to feel a rather large, rather hungry army."

Jack chuckled and nodded at Roberts words " agreed, we should be more vigelant." he said " but not too vigalent" on hearing the F word he stood up and followed Robert to the house " wow something smells good." Jack said Jess smiled.

"thank Michael, I just made breakfast buscuits" she said placing the buscuits on the table " I think that should hold every one Michael and those ribs sound devine" she told him " they should be nice and tender by lunch we could add a ceser salad to them for those with out big tummys." she said looking at Jack who just shrugged and smirked.

"I can't help it" he said as he moved to the dinning room to eat.

"We could certainly add a salad to the ribs. I've got chips ready to fry up, and some ears of corn to roast over a fire outside, and I've got the ingredients to make a proper cole slaw. I think it'll be a nice change. However, I think your breakfast looks wonderful, and I'm hungry," Michael told her. "Let's go eat it before Jack gets it all."

He couldn't help teasing Jack just a wee bit. Kate came into the kitchen and saw Robert had returned. Kate grabbed Robert by his good arm, pulling him out of the kitchen and away from listening ears, and Michael could hear her already giving him what for.

"I think he's about to get his ears boxed," Michael couldn't help a bit of laughter. "He really does deserve what comeuppance he gets from her every now and again. He, above all people, knows he shouldn't have been doing farm chores this soon after a major surgery, and she's going to let him have it. He is probably going to wish he were at St. Mungo's sweeping up broken glass. I won't be surprised if she tries to ground him to his room."

"Come and eat, All, before the rest of us get to it before you!" he called everyone to the dining room

Jess smiled and nodded " I agree that all sounds lovly, we can start on the caleslaw once we've eaten." she said to micheal then chuckled at the dig he made at Jack, Seeing Kate walk Robert right back out teh door she shook her head. " agreed, its rest he needs not feeding animals, Jack can do that hes done it before so knows whats what." she said sighing and shaking her head. " hes just as stuborn as they day I met him." she said softly and smiled at the memory she had.

Jack looked around the room and saw no Robert. " wheres robert?" he asked " he was just here." Jess motioned to the back door, as he was about to go check on Robert Jess caught his arm.

"Leave it Jack, Kates out there giving him a dressing down." she said simply and Jack sat back down.

"oh I said I'd help Kate with the outher building when she's ready." Jack told Jess as she dished up the food to every one and handed out the plates. " looks wonderful, thanks Michael and Jess." Jack said with a smile as he began to eat.

"I'll save a plate for Robert and Kate " she said setting two aside for them both. sitting down she looked worried at Michael " you think he'll listen to her this time?" she asked eating one of her buscuits with the jam michael had made.

Gabe, Abbey, and Mira joined them at the table for breakfast, and Gabe fixed a little plate for Abbey, being sure to include some fresh fruit for her. Michael sat down, deciding to tuck in to his plate and let Kate and Robert work out their own differences. When Jess asked if he believed Robert would listen, Michael simply looked at her.

"Nope," Michael replied. "He's got something on his mind, and whatever it is, it's driving him. He can't put it down. I've got to have a word with him today and find out what's going on in his head..." He was interrupted by an almost deafening crackling sound and a bright flash of light that shined in the windows. Michael saw several people at the table jump. Michael sighed heavily.

"Well, that's that, then," Michael said.

"What on earth was it?" Mira asked, never having heard any sort of sound like that before.

"That, my dear, was a wizard having a temper tantrum," Michael said. "Robert has just done a bit of excessive showing off and he's apparated out."

"Cheeky buggar," Kate muttered, coming inside. "All huff and puff and no room for compromise."

"Come get a plate, Kate," Michael said in a bit of a soothing tone. "I'll have a word with him."

"Well, I don't know how. I don't know where he's gone."

"Oh, I do," Michael said, knowing Robert entirely too well. He understood already where he'd gone.

Jess sighed and shook her head knowing Michaels responce was the only one she expected. When the flash happened she turned her ehad burying it into Jack's chest. " thats not good" she said and felt Jack shake his head. Peeking out she saw Kate now angry at Robert. Quickly Jess stood up and got Kates plate placing down on the table. " I just hope hes carful where ever hes gone." she said sitting back down at the table.

"So...where has he gone?" Jack asked munching on a buscuit as he asked. Jess tapped his arm.

"manners" she said and he looked sheepish as he finished the biscuit.

"oops, sorry" he said whiping crumbs from his mouth as he finished "As I asked where has he gone, one of us should be with him incase you know who finds him." Jess looked at Michaelas she spoke.

"potions lab at St Mungos?" she asked " I don't think the repairs are finished yet." but she knew that was too obvious a place that he would go. " or a fish and chip ship?" she chuckled at the last one but hoped it would lighten the room a little.

"Oh, he's gone straight to St. Mungos," Michael said. "There's no other place he's thinking about, if he's not thinking about here."

"Well, maybe I'll ship him a pillow and a cot and he can just stay there," Kate snapped. Then she sighed heavily. "Sorry, Everyone. Sometimes he frustrates me when he gets like this."

"Kate," Michael said, hoping Kate had more insight than perhaps she knew, "he didn't happen to talk about what's bugging him, did he?"

"No. He didn't. All he said was that I didn't understand. I can't bloody understand when he doesn't talk," she said.

"I'll go in to the lab and talk to him," Michael said. They had pieces of what he had on his mind, but it didn't seem to Michael that it was enough to possess the power to put Robert into such a mindset. Michael could see him wrestling with something but he wasn't sure what. "I'll suggest the obvious, though, in the meantime," Michael added. "Robert isn't one given to flights of fancy or of being overly cautious. He's been telling us to not take chances, so keep your guards up, won't you? I'll go straight after lunch so I'm back in time to get the rest of the dishes put together for tonight's dinner. I'll try to bring him back with me." He looked at Kate. "Let's not spat about it when I get back, right?"

"Oh, I know," she said, knowing full well that the reason she was so angry with him was how concerned she was. "Breakfast is lovely, Jess. Thank you. Jack, Robert mentioned he hadn't gotten to the outbuilding. He suggested I have you help me so that, if at any point, we need someone to feel all the magical creatures in there, someone will know how to do it. You don't mind, do you?"

Jess sighed with Kate as her first guess was right. she ehard Kate snap and knew it was a bad fight between them. In all the time she ahd known Kate and Robert she'd nevr known them to fight this bad. "Don't worry about that, I'll get everything ready" Jess said " besides thats about the time Jessie comes on for his shift so he can help too ".

Jack looked up at Kate and nodded to her "Yeah, I'll help you with the outhouse and Michael your right I think the guard needs to be doubled and wands at the ready, our pysical trainning needs stepping up too and that new assault course Robert planed would do just the job." he said Jess and Jack both listened to Michael with Kate and agreed they all needed to be on the same page as to what was wrong with Robert. They all knew it wasn't anything to do with his age as he was an akomplished wizard and potions master.

"yeah, I thought you were getting too soft" Jess said tapping Jacks still hard stomach.

"If anything comes up, you lot signal me straight off, then, right?" Michael asked.

"Of course," Kate replied. Michael got up and took a couple of Jess's biscuits, split them open and spread them with some of the fresh jam he'd made. Then he folded them into a cloth napkin.

"See you lot in a bit. Do not let Abbey out of your sights, will you?" Michael cautioned. Then he drew his wand and apparated out.

"Robert has the first section of the endurance course laid out,' Kate said. "I've only seen the first section of it, but I don't advise you try it without him. It looks exceptionally dangerous to me. It's heavily enchanted, and I really don't like it. Just stay away from it for now, alright? It's in the far northeast corner of the farmland. He has it fenced in, so I don't know if the charms would even let you in yet. If curiosity gets the better of you, whatever you do, don't go alone."