LONDON CALLING

Ruby looked at Michael " its not that , i know she's here for a reason and I know shes not here to take Angus, I just feel useless right now" she told him taking down yet another book " I want to help but there isn't anything for me to do but look on the posative side, its why im catching up on the books I should have been reading and my stammina excersises, the swiming" she added " I don't want to be useless i want to be useful, but his needs are taken care of buy the people Robert brought in for the mean time at least."she hoped he would understand she was not jelouse just feeling like a spare part.

She sat down and sighed " edwards dealing with teh law suit, roberts getting Angus back to good health and I'm well im sat her reading books and swimming as if everything is fine, i need something a mission anything to do, even the gardens taking care of its self, Abbys with Khaat ." then she thought of something and stood up. " I'll help Jack in the barn." she said

"Get yourself together, Ruby," Michael told her in a quiet but somewhat firm tone. "Lily's not staying. Andrew might be staying but his duties will be limited, I'm sure. He's here to give Angus a hand with showering, the loo, and some of those things. Things that, honestly, most people would be humiliated at needing help for. Clearly, you don't have any idea yet what you will be needed for. Do you realize that he isn't going to be able to do anything for himself yet? Just think a minute of every single little thing you've done since you opened your eyes. Cleaning yourself up, dressing, brushing your teeth, walking over from Edward's, fixing a plate, eating, getting a book for yourself, putting one back, filling your tea mug. Think of every single thing. Angus could do every one of those things yesterday and now he can't do a bloody one of them today. Stop feeling sorry for yourself because you're not up there with him at the moment. My guess is that Andrew might well be helping him with a bath, and Angus will do better with that with a professional that he doesn't have any relationship with. It isn't a slight to you in any way. This is a medical situation. If St. Mungo's had had their way, that's where he would be, and you still wouldn't be involved in his care because the hospital staff would be doing that. We'd all like to do something to turn Angus's situation around, but we're not medical people, are we? We need to do what we can do and then take care of ourselves, keep up on our training, like we always do. He isn't going to be going on missions, and those can turn up at any time. So, we do what we're hired to do. We're hired to be fighters, and we keep up with our conditioning and our training so that we're always at the ready. If you can't find anything else, go find Jack and get him to do some dueling practice with you. Keep up with it."

Ruby lookd at Michael and ws perplexed at how he thought she thought that way " um..I know all that, thats why im down here letting them do their job and not getting in the way." she said calmly to him " also I am going to help Jack in the barn and then duel most likely, I know they are the proffessionals in this sort of thing, Im going to keep up my trainning thats what I've been doing , retraining my mind to not think negtivly abut things or people, as you taught me to do." she said with a smile " yes I feel like a spare part but I know Im not, im like you and every one else, I have a role which I will keep doing." she showed him the book on beasts part three and smiled. " thank you Michael, I kneeded that little pep talk." she turned and headed out of the library to the barn where she found Jack and together they mucked out teh stalls.

"okay duel time" he said and took her away from the house to teach her. " you know the fundimentals so , show me" he said and motioned to a tree " hit it." she cast a spell and it hit leaving a mark "okay your stance is slightly off." he moved to position her a little to her left bringing her left foot forward and turning her alittle to the side " this gives you less chance of being knocked off guard." he said and Ruby ahhed she understood.

Andrew had helped Angus wash up, shave, brush his teeth, and freshen up and helped him with fresh pajama bottoms and a tee shirt. It was frustrating for Angus because he could do so very little. Andrew had a way, though, of minimizing the whole process, keeping it moving, and not letting Angus focus in on his own frustration.

When Andrew helped settle Angus into bed, he sat with him for a moment.

"You know," Andrew said, "in my time working for Lee, I've seen a lot of agents who have had a lot of close shaves, and I've known a lot of agents that never made it home. In all honesty, I've never seen an agent go through what you have and live. It just doesn't happen. It tells me a lot about your character and the people you have around you. You don't surrender easily, do you?"

"No, I don't," Angus said.

"Then I think we'll get along just fine," Andrew smiled. "You're going to be alright, Angus. You be straight up with me about what you want, what you like, what you don't, and I'll be straight up with you. Deal?"

"Deal," Angus said.

"Good," Andrew said. "Ready for a bit of a rest now?

"Yeah. That was work, and I didn't do anything," Angus said. Andrew laughed.

"You did really well for no farther along than you are. I'm impressed you did that well. I suppose we should let them in. Where do I put the dirty laundry?"

"There's a hamper in the closet," Angus pointed. Andrew put the dirty laundry in the hamper, straightened up the bed and the room, and then opened the door to let Robert and Nigel back in.

Ruby and Jack stayed outside for two hours before Jack thought they had done enough for the night. Ruby put her wand away and thought about the lesson relarging her book she started to read it as she moved to the dinning room. Taking a cup of coffee she sat and read. Jess aperated abck in and sat down on the couch. " bad day?" Ruby asked Jess shook her head.

"nope just so much paper work" she said " and all of it to do with Redfern, his dimissal papers came and I gladly signed them but they need Roberts co signature to be legal." she took off her shoes and walked bear foot with teh large manilla envalope up to the stairs. Passing her door she dropped her shoes off and slipped on her slippers to be comfortable.

Kate and Michael and Simone set out fish and chips and a very nice Ploughmans for everyone. They sent up a note asking what people wanted for lunch. Kate knew Robert would go for fish and chips. Angus, though, wanted a ploughman. Kate fixed a plate for each of them and sent it upstairs.

Andrew had never had a ploughmans and hadn't ever heard of it, but he did like the idea. It was what he chose for himself, and he decided that even thought it was his first trip to England, he was going to like it here.

"So, what's your opinion on Angus?" Michael asked.

"I like him," Andrew smiled. "He's a tough customer. He is used to being the helper, not the helped. It's a bit like pulling hen's teeth trying to get him to tell me what he likes or wants or doesn't like or want. But we'll get there. He's going to need some sort of a challenge. Something to keep his brain busy."

"Is he up to chess or backgammon or mancala?" Brian asked.

"Sure. I don't see why not. Might have to break up the game a little into some short intervals, but that might be the ticket. Is he competitive?"

"Nah--not at all," they laughed sarcastically.

"Good. I like a good game," Andrew said.

"Any idea when he might be able to go to his own place?"

"I'll have to be able to see the place first and see what we can do to make it accessible for him," Andrew replied.

"Well, Ruby can help you there," Edward replied. "Whatever he needs, you let me know. I'll get it for him, no questions asked."

Ruby entered and heard her name looking at Andrew then back to Michael. " sure , I could show you the duplex, we have a spare room too , it in the future will be the nursary but right now its just a spare" she sai smiling " she moved to the table " I'll show you the duplex after dinner" Jack followed her in and looked at the man then moved to get his own food and sit with Jess.

"oh I should get those papers to Robert" Jess said but Ruby smiled.

"I can take them" she said scopping the envalope off the table and heading to the stairs. She paused for a moment in thought and then continued up them. Knocking on the door she pushed it open " Robert you here Jess brought some papers for you so look over and sign." she said smiling as she glanced at Angus " hey, you feeling better after your wash up?" she asked her voice in a soft tone as she spoke.

"Thanks, Ruby," Robert said. "I'll get to it right after I wash my hands and get it straight back to Jess."

"Hi,' Angus said, pushing away his partly eaten ploughman's. He had actually just gotten too tied to finish. "I do feel better," he replied to her. "He said he'd change the sheets this afternoon. He said he can change the sheets without getting me up. Says he does it all the time. He's a good sort, Ruby. If Lee has cleared him, he's trustworthy. I guess I'm supposed to meet with that woman--whatever her name is. I forget."

"Lily," Robert said.


"Yeah. Does she know I'm a cook?"

"Dunno,' Robert said. "That'll be interesting. Except you won't be cooking, remember?"

"We still eat well, no matter who's in the kitchen," Angus said. "Ruby, Andrew asked where we would be staying and if there would be room for him to stay wherever I'm staying. He figures it will be easier for him to help with the things that might be more difficult for you if he is closer."

"Yeah, and you followed that thought of his by saying you intended to do it yourself, didn't you?" Robert teased.

"Well, actually, yes, I did," Angus said. Robert burst into laughter.

"Even after all that talking we did this morning about how limited you were going to be, and you still told him you were going to do it yourself. You really are a pistol, you know that?"

"Well, that's about what he said too," Angus replied.

Ruby smiled as she heard Angus "yeah I just ofered to take him around the duplex and he could stay in the spare room we have." she said the  listened more chukaling and smiling as robert and Angus spoke to each other. " well if he can change the sheets without you gtting out then he'd have to teach me how to do it to." she said smiling at him " but I agree, there will be somethings I can't do so it makes sense he stay close, as for lilly you can judge her cooking" she said smiling. 

"Jack had me practicing my wand this afternoon, and Im on to book three of the beasts" she told him " also managed an extra length in swiming too, I think my staminas getting better." she felt relaxed when she was with Angus but she knew she ahd to return down stairs to show Andrew around the duplex.

"She isn't going to be cooking," Angus smiled. "That's not how a nutritionist works. She'll be gathering information from Robert and Nigel about why they think I need changes to my diet. Then she'll talk to me about what foods I like and what I don't. And then she'll put together some ideas about sample menu plans, maybe supplements. Sometimes they'll change how many meals a person might eat per day or what time a person's meals should be, but I've never known of them to cook." He yawned. "I might need coffee."

"You might need a rest," Robert corrected. "You've been awake all morning. I think you've had enough."

"Good," Angus said when she said she was on book three of the beasts. "And you still have Edward's book to read, then? If you finish with them, there are several books on survival techniques. I know I have those too, but I know there's a full set of those downstairs in Brian's office on the shelves behind the desk. You could try those if you can't find anything else to read."