LONDON CALLING

"Thank you," he told her. "Yeah, I know Jack's preference for meat, and I guess I can tell you. It does sometimes put me in a bind as the cook here. If I fix as much as Jack would prefer, the rest of the family would have me strung up by sunrise. I realize that he does need a certain amount of meat, and I don't neglect that, but for the non-werewolves here, too much meat makes people very sick, increases their chances of all sorts of very serious illnesses. Humans need a much higher ratio of fruits and vegetables to stay healthy, and, by comparison, very little meat actually. They need other protein sources too, and, frankly, so does Jack's human side. But if he doesn't see beef on the table at just about every meal, he really does seem to get irked. So it really is difficult to keep any sort of peace, and that frustrates me immensely."

"Sounds like Robert needs to formulate a nutrition supplement for Jack so that the gets the nutrients that he needs and doesn't have to always depend on beef three times a day," Edward said. "I know they have blood substitutes for vampires to keep them from needing to feed, so why can't they make a nutrition for werewolves that would let them eat a much more normal diet?"

"I hadn't even considered that," Angus said. "If anybody could formulate one, it would be Robert. But whether Jack would even take it, that might be another entire thing. He might be happy just living on beef."

"Yes, well, if I were Jess, I would certainly want my spouse to have a much more balanced diet. I'd want him to be around for decades and decades to come, and you're right. Jack's human form certainly can't stay healthy on that sort of red meat heavy diet. Maybe you should put a bug in Robert's ear and see what he tells you. But--for now, you'd better order some groceries or you'll have a whole household of unhappy, hungry people."

"True," Angus said. "Alright. Going to my office now to get the order ready." He went into the office, leaving the door open in case someone needed something.

Ruby smiled and nodded " I agree too much meat is bad for you." she said then listened to Edward talk just as Jess walked in and heard as well.

"oh I agree, he is getting too much meat and not enough veg for my liking too" she said watching as she saw Angus head to his office. " I'll speack to Robert about that substatute as its not good for him at his age." she said. Ruby looked at Jess and nodded her head in agreement.

"a balanced diet as Angus said is what he needs " she said Jess chuckled and nodded " if Robert can't help angus and I could make a nutrition plan for him." she said and looked towards where Angus had gone.

"I would think it would be a relatively simple matter," Edward said. "Here's the thing. With potions for magical creatures and beings, unfortunately, those things don't come about until the humans see how it affects them. For example, let's look at the vampires. The reason that the blood donation program at St Mungo's that provides blood and blood substitutes to vampires free of charge is simply to keep them from going out and killing people to feed.

"Werewolves can and do get by on other forms of red meat other than killing people--which is their preferred food source. So, there hasn't been the drive to make a nutrition supplement for them. I think it's decades overdue, though. If Robert needs help, I suppose I could work with him, but I can't imagine him not being able to handle it."

Kate apparated back in carrying four large food delivery totes. Edward got up quickly to go help her with them.

"Lunch is, as they say, in the bag," Kate told them. She had treated them to something she didn't often do for lunch. She brought fish and chips for everyone, and for dessert, she brought individual warm chocolate lava cakes, one for each person. The fish and chips were piping hot from the fryer, with bottles of malt vinegar, and there was a carton of french vanilla ice cream to put on the lava cakes. She had brought some growlers of beer, and some ice cold sodas for those who didn't want beer.

"Robert is going to love you forever," Edward laughed out loud. "He's been talking about needing a fish and chips fix."

"He's overdue," Kate said. "I don't give into him often on this, but I see no harm every once in awhile."

"I think I can help you set out takeaway containers," Edward smiled.

"Thanks," she said. She went to the door and walked outside and gave a loud whistle. The crew that worked outdoors would recognize her whistle, that there was some sort of a meal being served. Hopefully they would all appreciate something a bit out of the norm.

Jess listened and nodded " agreed it is over due they were made " she told him " they would be a great help for men like Jack to get back into nutrisional shape again" she said Ruby moved to Kate and took the second bag and placed it on the counter.

"smells deivine" she said tking out several large dishes to set it all out on. She set the growlers into the dining room. hearing her whistle she chuckled as she saw Jack and Jessie walk in soon after.

"humm smells wonderful in here" Jack said " fish and chips from sparks? nice" Jess chuckled at Jack and shook her head as the food went to the dinning room and did every one else.

Robert came in from the barn where he had reequipped the emergency vet bag and had replaced it on the hook. he cast a magical seal on the jar with the creature in it and he had brought it up to the house and set it on the porch near the kitchen door, not wanting to leave it on the kitchen countertop.

He came in, and he smelled fish and malt vinegar.

"That can't possibly be what I think it is," Robert said. He went into the dining room and saw the fish and chips laid out for lunch. "It is! Yes!" Edward looked at Robert and for a moment, he could almost see the little boy within that apparently could still get excited about a treat. "Bless you, Kate," Robert smiled.

"You're very welcome, my dear," she laughed. She went to the office door. "Angus, come eat while the food is hot. Is that the supply order?"

"It is. I really need to get it sent to the supplier," he said.

"I'll bring yours into you, and you can have a working lunch," she said.

"Would you? Thanks. I'd really appreciate that," he replied.

"Come eat, Ruby," Kate called. "Where is Abbey? She loves fish and chips. I guess I'll go look upstairs." She went upstairs and found Abbey looking for something under the bed.

"What are you looking for?" Kate asked her.

"Tiny lady," Abbey said.

"What tiny lady."

"Found her in a jar. She cried. She wanted out. So I opened the jar, and now I no find her."

"In a jar? Where was the jar?" Kate was almost afraid to ask.

"Downstairs in Papa's room," Abbey said.

"In this house?"

"No...your house," Abbey said.

"Where's the jar now?" Kate asked.

"Over there," Abbey pointed at the top of her dresser. Kate went over and got the jar and looked at it. The label was clear. "Sorceress." and it was dated the day Robert had shrunken her and captured her.

"Oh, no," Kate said quietly, dreading what Abbey had unwittingly unleashed. "Come with me, Abbey. Its time for lunch." She took Abbey downstairs. "Will one of you please feed Abbey? Robert, this might have something to do with our new problems. Look what I found in Abbey's room." She handed me the empty sorceress jar. Robert looked up, his face very serious now indeed.

"That's not good," Robert said. He looked at the others. "Guess what evil witch been let loose out of jar, Boys and Girls."

Ruby looekd at Angus in his office then made a plate for him leaving it so Kate could take it to him as she ehaded to the dinning room. As she sat down she saw Kate returning looking a bit agitated then she spoke of the Sorceress Jack and Jess both stood up.

"I knew we should have squashed her" Jess said looking at the jar. " but where could a tiny Sorceress be?" she asked then looked at Abby and smiled " don't worry Abby, it wasn't your fault." she said softly to her. She looked at Kate " how'd she get the jar wasn't it on a high shelf in Robert potions lab." she asked Jack stood up and headed up to Abbys room.

Jack moved into the room and started to look around it to try and find the tiny Sorceress if she was hiding in the room some place.

"Well, do remember, you lot. She is a sorceress. Now, what would you do if you were in her shoes?" Robert asked them. "First of all, I wouldn't want to be an inch and a half tall. I'd fix that straight off. And then next, I'd get the hell out of this house. And then, third, I'd make sure you lot were 110% miserable. I think that what's happened to Edward with the dark creatures that invaded him and the bizarre little pet that I just extracted from our hippogriff is maybe some evidence that she's back on the job. I'm wondering if she is here somewhere or over at my place somewhere.

"If she is, we'll have to find her and deal with her," Edward said.

"She was nasty enough the first time. And I want to know how Abbey got to her, too. I left her on the shelves in my potions lab at the farm. So, I presume Abbey somehow got in there when she wasn't supposed to be, found the jar, and maybe the sorceress talked her into taking the jar and releasing her later. Either way, we have an enemy on the loose, and I'll bet you she's here or over at my place."

"So, we're going to be out on a witch hunt. Literally," Edward sighed.

'I think so," Robert said.

Jess shook her head and stood up " alright, how do we capture a Sorceress on the lamb" she said then noticed Jack was upstairs in Abbys room searching ro something. " I'll go to and check Roberts place" she said and ported out. Jack came down from Abbys room and shook his head.

"no sight or smell of her in Abbys room now" he said and sat back down he noticed Jess was gone and knew where she'd gone to " I hope to hello shes not at your place,." He ate his food and sighed he realy had hoped to catch her again. Now he sat wondering where and how they could catch her again but came up empty " I realy don't think shes around here any more, might have gone to gelding or James or whoever hired her." he said

"I could be wrong, but, if that had been me, I might be motivated to hang around for one or two reasons," Robert said. "If I were her and somebody shrank me and put me in a bug jar, I'd be livid. And if someone accidently opened the jar, I'd be out for revenge on the bastard that put me in that damned jar. Second, if I were working for someone and I were promised some exorbitant reward, I'd be centered on finishing the task so I could get that reward--especially if I knew they lived in an unplottable location and it was bloody hard to get back to."

"I hate it when you have a point--especially a dark one," Michael replied. "Your brain has some very dark bits, you know that?"

"I do," Robert said. "That's why I'm good at defense strategizing. I can understand my dark arts enemies. It's a distinct advantage." He turned to Abbey. "How did you get the jar down off the shelf?"

"I asked it to come down pweeze," she said.

"Show me," he said, putting the jar up on the dining room fireplace mantel. Abbey made a grabbing motion with her hand, opening and closing her fist and called out to the jar.

"Come 'ere, Jar. Pweeeze? I no reach you!" she said. It took a moment but the jar shakily levitated and floated over towards her, landing on the floor partway across the room.

"She's not supposed to be able to do that yet," Michael remarked.

"Um, yeah. I know," Robert replied. "That's one spell I do see every so often in a young one, though. I think its more about wishing than witchery. There is a thing called wishcraft that is generally a precursor to one's own magical abilities actually kicking in. A little one sees something they want, and they unintentionally levitate it to them, and they think the object they moved is an enchanted object--much the same way as 'someone' here believes the crayons are magical. This little one, though, I have to watch her all the time, because with her? I just never know." He looked at Abbey. "Now, Abbey, I know we haven't talked about this yet, but if you ever want to open a jar that's in one of my rooms, you come ask me first, alright? Some jars are okay to open, and some jars have really pretty things in them that could really hurt you. So, don't just open my jars. Come and ask, and if its alright to open the jar, you and I will open them together. Fair enough?"

"But she cried, Papa," Abbey said.

"And I'm glad you have such a good heart. If you find something crying in one of my jars, you come tell me. I'll try to make them feel better. Deal?" She looked at him and nodded.

"So what should we do, sit around and wait for her to rain hellfire down on the house again?" Kate asked.

"No. I think not. I might have to try to come up with some sort of bait that would be too attractive for even her to resist."

"I think I might be able to help you there," Gabe said. "I have an idea. Jack, I'll need the pieces of her staff if you still have them."

Jack looked at Robert and then at teh jar as it moved to Abby his eyesbrows raising as it moved to her. He then listened to Robert ask him about the staff peices and he nodded " yeah I have them." he accioed them into his hand and placed them on the table in front of Robert. He glanced at Jess and Kate then to Abby and back.

"so now what?" he asked his hands resting on the table as he watched every ones face. Jess sat back in her chair and thought while Jessie paced back and forth behind her.

"your going to mend the staff and offer it as bait." she said to him " is that wise concidering once she gets it she'll use it against all of us." she hoped Robert had a sly plan formulating in his mind to not let her do that to them.