LONDON CALLING

"No, it isn't," Michael replied. "It was necessary, though. Sometimes duty calls."

Robert got up and looked at the fencing. "It's definitely been cut," Robert said. "I'm going to go out and do a check of that paddock myself."

"You want me to go with you?" Michael asked.

"No, I want you to hit the sack," Robert smiled, appreciating Michael's offer, but he was getting concerned now for him. "Jack can come with me, I'm sure." Robert had some suspicions, but he wanted to check the area for himself. He headed straight out the back door to go check it.

Angus watched Ruby go upstairs to rest, and he just let her go. He couldn't go upstairs here anyway.

"I think, if you all will excuse me, I'm going to head back to the house."

"You want me to come with you?" Andrew asked.

"Nope. I've got it. As long as you can help me down the back steps to the patio, I've got the rest."

"I can do that," Andrew said. He apparated Angus down to the patio, and Angus made his way to the duplex and inside. Every so often, he did appreciate just a little time by himself, and that was rare these days. He decided he could manage the shower by himself since Andrew had placed a shower bench in there. He managed to get upstairs and into the shower by himself, and he actually did well, until he tried to stand up to get back to his chair. He was tiring, and his footing wasn't stable. He slipped and hit his head, stumbling back onto the shower bench. He sat there for a few minutes til he regained himself, and then he made it to his chair and then to the bedroom where he dried off and changed into just some lounge trousers. He had a headache from hitting his head, but other than a bit of a goose egg on the back of his head, he was fine.

He had been trying to push himself to be able to stand, and he worked at it often, not telling anyone he was doing it. He was trying to take a few steps, and sometimes it worked, if he had something closeby to sit down quickly if he needed it. It wasn't coming quickly enough for him, but he had to try. He wasn't going to live in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Simone got up and cleaned up the dining room and the kitchen and decided to do some breakfast prep. She knew the recipe for an eggy bread casserole, and she decided it would be a quick and easy breakfast entree. She started by cutting up some loaves of brioche and whisking up a big batch of eggs to soak the bread cubes in, adding some cinnamon and sugar and some cream to the eggs. She was debating on making a casserole of scalloped ham and potatoes with some leeks and some onions added to round out the meal, and maybe some fruit of some sort. It would be a simple, make ahead breakfast that simply needed to be baked in the morning.

Rowan stood watching and heard Michael say he would go too, then he heard Robert say he should go to sleep " I'll make sure he does" he said placing his hand on Michaels's shoulder " no use arguing with the boss" he said smiling as he looked to the main house. then back to Michael. " I can meet you there once Michaels back to the main house" he said and saw Jack nod his head. 

Jack loked at Robert and sighd " I checked that paddock last night and all was well then I find this, seems some one tried to get back onto the gounds, maybe." he said walking back to the padock t show him a part of the fence he's already replaced, the ground was soft and there were no prints but his own or so he thought.

"I'm going," Michael said to Rowan, knowing he had done enough for one day. Well, for three days. "I'm gong to hit the shower and then I'm going to bed. And he'd better have that boggart shoved up his...well, never mind."

Robert walked out to the paddock, looked at the damaged fence.

"Let's get this fixed immediately," he told Jack quietly. "I know its dark, but we need to get this fixed. I'm tired of this intrusion by James and by Gelding's people. I'm going to play dirty, I think, but you lot will have to be on your toes if I do." He walked the field casting a reveal spell, wanting to be sure he had covered the entire field with a reveal spell. he wanted to search it carefully. And then, on the far side of the field, there was a glow. "Jack, here. There's been a fresh marker put here. For now, I say we leave it, and I'll tell you why. I think we need to get an espionage team on this field, and let's stake it out. Head it yourself if you like. We'll need at least a four man team so we can cover all sides. Leave the marker. I want to see who's apparating in. But, once the fence is up, I'll tell you what Im going to do, I'm going to tie together a dark arts charm and a sticking charm. Anyone who is a dark arts user and touches this fence, they're going to get the jolt of their lives, and they're going to stick to it. It'll just keep jolting the crap out of them until you turn them loose. It shouldn't affect any of our guys--unless they're practicing the dark arts. What do you think? Is it worth a try?"

Rowan nodded his head hearing Michael say he was going to shower then sleep " okay" he said simply then watched as Jack and Robert walked off towards the paddock where the fence had been cut. Jack showed Robert and heard him talk, nodding he agreed " ha would love to see that" he said grinning " was thinking teh very same thing but more muggle" he said " yours sounds fun to watch and the espionage team are on their way" he pointed where four men were running over to them all stood stock still as Jack told them what was needed, now go watch this feild but so not disterb the marker..for now" he said all the men nodded and ran to the four cournes of the feild and lay low waiting. " now you see them now you don't" he said seeing his men cast a cloaking spell to hide themselves from view.

Rowan walked with Michael to the main house " I should do the same " he said and smelt himeslf " wow ripe" he said softly " please don't say hes pranking me with that boggart" he said in hushed tones. He saw simone preping some breakfast food and smiled " evening Simone" he said and lent on the counter " after my shower would you like some help ?" he asked trying to keep himself from wandering around the grounds as he was fond of soing to just make sure everything was in its right place.

"I think you're done with me for now," Robert said, "I'm going back to the house. I've got some work to do before bed." He told them. "Thanks, Everyone. Goodnight." He walked back to the house to shower and then get some paperwork done.

Simone heard Rowan offer to help with breakfast prep.

"That would be nice. Thank you. I thought I'd do a couple big breakfast casseroles and then all we'll have to do in the morning is to stick them in the oven," she told him. "I might add a big fruit salad too because this crew likes healthy eating."

Angus made his way back downstairs because he'd left his book there. Well, he thought he had, but it wasn't there. Well, that was frustrating. It was gone. He was trying to search for it when Sam and Victor got back.

"Whatcha doin'?" Victor asked.

"Looking for my book that I was reading," Angus said. "It's gone."

"Well?" Sam looked at Victor. "Tell him."

"Tell me what?" Angus frowned.

"Well," Victor said, getting a little sheepish, "one of my housemates told me about a clean up spell, and I tried it but something must have gone wrong. Any sort of clutter didn't just sort itself. It's just gone. I don't know if it's gone gone or just misplaced gone. And your book probably went with it. Along with some necklace of Ruby's that I saw lying on the vanity in the bathroom. It's gone now too. Hope it wasn't important."

"Hm," Angus said. "Well, I appreciate the effort, fellas, but maybe you should write that spell down for me so I can look it it. Let's not try saying it in case it casts it. Just write it down." Victor wrote it down and handed it to Angus. "Thanks. Now don't worry about it. You've both had a busy day, so why don't you both hit the hay?"

"Thanks," Sam said. "And Angus, thanks for all of this. Really. It's still sinking in, but it's really nice being wanted and feeling like we have a home with people that really do want us. We know Ruby cares but we also know sometimes she took care of us because there wasn't anybody else to do it. This is entirely different not just for us but for her too. It's nice."

"You're very welcome. Believe me, it's my very great honor to have a couple guys like you in my household. Sleep well. Goodnight." They went upstairs, and Angus went back to the bookcase, this time to find a new book.

Rowan moved to slip on an apron to Help Simone with teh breakfast casseroles , but instead he chose to make the fruit salads " okay so oranges, apples and grapes.." anything Im forgetting?" he asked taking down the fruit he knew was in a fruit salad and began peeling the oranges and washing and decoreing the apples before slicing tehm and dicing them before placing them into  large bowl reasy to cover and leave till morning to eat. He took the oranges and peeled them then took out the stones before cuting them and adding them to the mix.

Jack heard Robert and nodded "Yes sir, anything happens we'll let you know" he said as he watched him head back to the main house. Now he took up his position in a tre line beside the house to watch he was fed up of Gelding sending men to ruin the fencing of Roberts home, he wanted it all to stop so they could live in peace. 

Jess aperated in from the hospital and sighed as she sat down on the couch , she smiled seeing Robert " all good at the hospital , kitchens finished , if tomorrow you want to go and give the final okay." she told him." and thank god no further incidents ether." she told him. " oh looked into that icident , it was an intern who sent out the wrong letter, retrainning and a flea in his ear and he was good to go." Jess sat back on the couch her shoes lay on the floor close by.

"Berries," Simone smiled. "Always berries of some sort. Little Miss Abbey can't live without berries."

"Thank you, Jess," Robert said, listening to her report. "I apologize. Khaat and I both intended to get there today, but apparently Suzanne did actually marry Tom Gelding, and she and Gelding sued Angus for custody of the boys. So, I sent Michael quickly to Paris to gather information on Tom and Suzanne, and then Khaat and I took Angus to the wizengamot. She and I pulled some strings and not only did we get Suzanne's parental rights permanently severed, but Angus and Ruby took not only permanent custody but the actually went ahead and managed to get all the timeframe rules waved under the circumstances about how dangerous Tom is, and Angus and Ruby adopted both boys. They are now, legally, Sam and Victor Donohue. It took us all bloody day to do it, but Tom and Suzanne can't legally touch them now. I do full expect that Tom will try to strike back hard, but Angus already expects it, so he won't sleep easily until we know Tom's next move. Hopefully, I can get back to my job in the morning. Stay on your toes, though. I really don't think Tom is going to let this go easily. He's going to be really pissed at Angus for this."

Angus found a different book and settled in to his recliner to read. Andrew came home after going for a very short run. Angus released him for the evening, and Andrew went up to bed, grateful. It had been a very, very long day.

Angus started to read his book but his head pounded, and he was tired. He fell asleep, exhausted.

Jess listened to Robert and smiled " sounds a realy busy day, but Im glad you did that for them and that they took to it , how did the boys take it?" she said softly " and don't worry about the hospital its tiking over like clockwork" she told him seeing how lte it was she stood up and picked up her shoes. " don't stay up too late, goodnight Robert." she told him and chuckled as she headed to her room to shower change and rest for the night.

Next morning Rowan was awake early he headed to teh kitchen and got the caseroles on the go and lifted out his fruit salad that he'd added berries into for Abby and any one who wanted it. Placing it on teh table he set it ready for those who got up early he could already see Jessie and Jack finishing a run. He wondered who else was awake at this hour.

"The boy are absolutely over the moon," Robert smiled. "The minute the judge declared them adopted Donohues, Sam just flung himself around Angus and said he finally had a real dad. Victor was every bit as happy. I think all those boys have ever wanted was a real home with parents that loved them. They know that Ruby loves them but for her to love them enough to want to adopt them sends them a much bigger message. They're finally starting to feel like they are loved and that they belong somewhere, and i think that means everything to them. Anyway, I know everyone's tired tonight. so get some sleep, and I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight, Jess."

Angus had slipped into a completely exhausted sleep, and when Andrew came downstairs in the morning to make coffee, he found Angus still in his recliner, dead to the world. From the position Angus was in, Andrew knew Angus was going to have one heck of a crick in his neck when he woke. Andrew brewed coffee, and while the coffee brewed, he opened the windows to let the morning air in. Then he sat down and wrote his resignation letter to Lee. He had decided. He loved everything about this place, this huge estate and all the people here, so far from the New York rat race. These people were warm, and New York was empty and cold. The more he had thought about returning to New York the more griefstricken he had become, and that had made the choice for him. He wanted this and all the quirkiness that went with it. He wanted all of it. He made up his mind he would accept Angus' offer today if it was still open.

Ruby woke and stretched finding the other side of the bed empty and she sighed shaking her head while she smiled knowing he'd fallen asleep down stairs . Dressing in jeans and a tee she walked down the stairs " morning Andrew, you sleep well?" she asked as she moved to put the kettle on for fresh coffee and tea.

Setting up the table she made breakfast for every one of Breakfast Quesadillas for every one with fresh squeesed juice and french toast. Setting it out she smiled as she looked at Angus "How long has he been asleep?" she asked softly not wanting to disterb Angus.