LONDON CALLING

"I need to know I can," Angus said to her quietly as the dancing started, "and there's no one I'd rather do it for than Edward and no one I'd rather do it with than you. Hopefully we'll have lots of years to dance, so maybe we can do a raincheck for the rest of this dance and pick up next time where this one leaves off." She kissed him, and he returned the kiss softly as Jessie tapped his shoulder.

"Thanks, Jessie," Angus said, tired now. He put Ruby's hand in Jessie's, and when he did, Andrew was right there with his chair and helped Angus to sit. He didn't say anything but he took Angus back to the table. Robert came over with a mug of coffee and set it in front of Angus.

"Drink," Robert said. "It'll help. Now, listen. No more gymnastics. You've done well, but you don't have any more need to be on your feet."

"The best man's toast," Angus said.

"Well, you can do it from your chair. It isn't the first time the best man stayed seated. I could stick your jeans to the chair if you prefer," Robert said.

"Alright, alright. I get your point," Angus said, unable to stop slightly amused grin.

"Good, because as the host, I need to go dance with my wife," Robert told him. He collected Kate and entered the dance floor with her, hoping that Jack and Jess and some of the others would take the hint and join the dancing. Edward's siblings were getting the hint and they were getting up to join the dancing. That would let Ruby off the hook if she did not want to continue dancing, but Angus was hoping she would feel comfortable enough to have a good time.  When that song ended, Sam took a breath, got up his nerve and walked out on the dance floor as the third song began and walked up to Ruby.

"I suck at dancing  but...maybe...if you want...you could dance with me?" he asked Ruby awkwardly. Angus saw exactly what was going on, and he watched the young man that was taller than Ruby but clearly was feeling a lot more like a little boy, trying to work up the courage to ask someone to dance with him--even if it was his sister. And in that moment, Angus was able to see Sam was honestly trying to take a page from what he had seen Angus do and he was trying to be a man tonight. Victor couldn't dance tonight, but Angus was proud of these boys and how quickly they were taking to a little positive encouragement.

Ruby watched as Robert gave Angus a drink and she danced alittle with Jessie that was until Sam walked over and cut in " well..of course " she said and smiled to Jessie as he stepped back. " just go slow and follow my steps" she said smiling as she looked at Angus then back to Sam. They moved together as she saw Robert and Kate dancing " I have to say Sam the girl that get you is one lucky girl, your dancing is not shabby" she said smiling as they continued to move. He only stepped on her toes once and she laughed it off.

Now with her feet aching she broke from Sam " thank you Sam I enjoyed the dance but my feet are complaining so I think I'll sit down next to Angus." she said and walked to the table where Angus sat and sat down " hes a good dancer" she said smiling as she saw a young girl walk over to him and they started to dance together. " but my feet hurt from dancing."

"Thanks," Sam smiled. "I...I watched Angus. I just wanted...I just needed to see if I could do it. You know what I wish? Vic and I both wish it hadn't taken so long for life to get good. I know we're gonna be 18 in less than a year, but...what if we didn't want to move out right away? What if we both just wanted to have a family for awhile first? Would that bother you guys? We're kinda thinking we'd like to stay awhile."

When Ruby came over and sat down, Angus could understand how she felt.

"Yeah, I can understand that," Angus said when she said her feet hurt. "Be glad you're not wearing heels. I don't know how Khaat does it. I've seen her put on a 5" stiletto heel, wear it all day, go out to supper in the same shoes, get into a skirmish with James and then run for her life in the same stupid shoes. It just doesn't seem to bother her. I would think it would take a lot of practice to walk at all in a five inch spiked heel like that, but she acts like it's nothing. I think I'll stick to my sneakers." He smiled when she talked about Sam.

"I'm proud of those boys, Ru. They could have gotten bitter and angry and acted out and gotten into trouble and into booze or drugs but they didn't. They're knowledge hungry and attention hungry. I know Victor is soon going to get his cast off, and they'll go back to school, but I really want to have a word with the headmaster to see if we can't get them home on every one of their breaks, at least for now. I think they need to be able to adjust to their family every chance they get, and I think they may struggle, for the first time, with some real homesickness. I want to make sure we're doing our best to help them through that." He smiled when the girl asked Sam to dance. "That's one of my cousin's daughters. She's sixteen, so they're not a bad match."

Ruby heard sam and smiled "You are family, stay for as long as you want," she told him " I'm sure Angus would agree with me, but you can ask him too." she said before she had moved to sit with Angus. She heard him mention heels and she chuckled " I'm glad that's one thing I don't wear all that often and yeah I don't know how she does it either, the heels I wore today were enough." she reached over and took his hand in hers.

"You know Sam said both of them just wanted to have a family for a while, I told him he was family and they could stay as long as they wanted, not like we're going to kick them out once they turn eighteen." she told him " I also told them they could ask you too." she looked at him " seems fare since you are their adoptive dad." she smiled at him

"Of course they can stay," Angus said. "Well, maybe I should clarify. They can stay for awhile. If they're still living with us when they're 40, we might have a problem." He laughed. "They better be on their own, giving us grandkids by then. I know your parents didn't do much to help those boys understand how to be men. They know how to be children, but they need to be taught how to be men. And by the time we get done growing them up, they're hopefully going to be decent, solid, strong men. That's my hope anyway."

Angus glanced over to see Victor was on his feet on his crutches and talking to the sister of the cousin that Sam was dancing with. And a moment later, Victor and the girl were on the dance floor, and they were sorta dancing, as well as Victor could dance on crutches.

"Look," Angus told Ruby quietly. "That takes a little guts. Not sure what got into him, but I'm glad he's willing to try. Looks like they're both coming out of their shells a little. That's nice to see, actually." As he was watching the boys, Natalie turned on the lights, and it made the whole area look like a magical garden as the sun was setting and the stars were just starting to come out, with just the smallest sliver of a crescent moon. No full moon--no James tonight. That was a relief. "Wonder if those boys realize they're gonna have to learn to change a diaper and that some of those diapers can be real poop bombs. That might be a bit of a shock to them."

Ruby chuckled and nodded " oh yeah , I don't think they want to stay with is that long " she said " well I don't , I want to spend my golden years with you and only you..well maybe Robert, Kate, Simone, Edward Brian and Khaat but thats it" she glanced over to see Victor with a girl and smiled " I know what you mean" she said softly then looked up at th stars above them " its going to be a clear night we might see the milkyway tonight." she said and looked over at him then laughed " oh I know they arn't ready for that, but then who is" she said "From what I have been told , you learn on the go, no two children aer a like, I know that from Sam and Victor, but this one" she palced her hands on her tummy then looked at him " she or he will be totaly diffferent becuse he or she is ours, with a mix of our personalitys." she paused then chukled " I do hope just the good bits" she added.

"I think with Robert, Edward, Brian and you as role models they will be come strong indipendant men just as you said, of that I have no dought." she leaned lighty on his shoulder watching the boys dance then glancing up at the sky above them. " Its been perfect today" she said softly.

"Well, as someone from an enormous family, I can testify that no two are alike," Angus said. "As long as the baby is healthy, then the rest doesn't matter. We'll deal." He put his arm around her as she leaned on him. "The moon is perfect tonight. James can't transform tonight, so he has no reason to try to crash this thing. And besides, it isn't dark enough yet. anyway. You're right. It has been perfect." He noticed Edward and Simone coming towards them.

"I think we should cut that magnificent cake," Edward said.

"No toasts?"

"Why don't you combine the toast with the introduction to the cake cutting?" Edward suggested. Angus looked at Ruby.

"Kick your shoes off and go barefoot if your shoes hurt. Come with me to the cake table," he suggested to her. He glanced up and saw Sam fairly bounding over to them.

"Come take your dad's chair over to the cake table for him, Sam," Edward said.

"Okay," Sam said. "It's about time we got to eat that thing." Edward and Angus both laughed. Sam pushed the chair over to the cake table as Ian's crew passed out glasses of alcoholic and non alcoholic champagne.

"I'll keep this short," Angus said, "because there are some who are desperate for cake. But, I can't think of anyone who deserves to have a second chance at love and happiness and companionship than Edward and Simone. One of my favorite memories of Edward, and one of my earliest, was of him trying to cook eggs one morning and catching two pot holders on fire. He tossed the pot holders towards the sink, hit the kitchen curtains and caught the cabinets on fire. By the time the cook and my grandmother ran in, the whole kitchen was ablaze." People laughed. "Maybe that's why I cook now, and Edward, not so much. Simone, you might not want to trust him with pot holders." She laughed. "At any rate, congratulations to both of you, we love you both deeply, and we hope to still be celebrating this wonderful union fifty years from now. Congratulations."

People toasted them, and then Edward and Simone showed off the cake and gave credit to Angus, Ruby, Sam and Victor, and they cut the cake and fed each other a bit, with just a little bit of a purposeful mess in the process for fun. Ian took over to cut the cake and serve it. Angus sat back, and reached now for Ruby.

"I think all my official duties are done now for the night," he told her quietly. "I hope the cake is tasty."

"The cupcakes are good," Sam said.

"Did you sneak a cupcake?" Angus asked.

"We might have sneaked two," Sam admitted. "One of each flavor. They were great." Angus looked at Ruby and laughed. "Maybe we don't want the little boy parts to grow out of them altogether."

Ruby did just that she slippedoff her shoes and pushed them back under the seat shewas sat on then stood up and walked with Angus to the cake table. Standing she chukled at his memory of Edward burning the kitchen and joking as to that was why he cooked and not Edward. She looked at Angus and knew she had a long time to have memories like that with Simone and Edward. Besides she ahd so many already and she would make more with Angus.

Ruby heard him say his offical duties were over  and she smiled at him " oh realy " she said smirking " I think its going to be delishious" she said sipping her non alcoholic champage "so if all your offical duties are done does that mean your free?" she asked softly in a teasing tone to him. Hearing Sam say he'd snuck two cup cakes she chuckled " well there you go, its offical they were great, and probably won't last long, but thats okay I know they won't leave you hanging." she said and stood up to grab two cup cakes one fore her and one for Angus " here, the last two by the looks of things" she chukled a she handed one to him " Im not sure what the flavours are."

"It does mean I'm free," he said laughing. "Until someone comes up with a better suggestion." He tossed the teasing right back at her, and from behind him he heard a groan.

"Go get a room someplace," Sam said, teasing both Angus and Ruby, "someplace far, far away." Angus burst out laughing, and he looked at Sam.

"We haven't even gotten a good start," Angus teased. Sam scrunched up his nose.

"Ew," he said. "Particularly when you consider that you're her fiance, baby daddy, and stepfather."

"Stepfather?" Angus frowned.

"If we're now your sons, and she's our sister, that makes you her stepfather, doesn't it?" Sam asked. And I suppose that makes you the baby's grandfather/father.

"Well, not exactly," Angus laughed. "God, Ruby, have Robert check him, would you? I think his brain's on fire." He took the paper liner off his cupcake and bit into it. "I've got lemon. Not sure what yours is."

"Ian tried to mix them up," Sam said. "He tried to put a chocolate mocha beside a lemon and then another chocolate, another lemon, and so on. So if you got lemon, Ruby probably got mocha, but who knows? Anything is possible."

Ruby smiled at Angus then burst out laughing at Sams words then could not help but blush at Angus's reply to him." he's right though" she said softly to sam. "no, no way, hes my fiance and father to this baby nothing else." she said softly as she pulled a face then looked at Angus and chuckled " I think so too, and mines mocha, your right you should speack to Robert." she said and looked smiling at Sam. Ruby sat back in the chair and looked back up at the stars she saw the north star and the big dipper along with cassipoia. Then she saw a shooting star steak across the sky " Angus make a wish" she said softly to him as she motioned to the star streaking across the sky above them.

Closing her eyes she made her wish and smiled looking at Angus leaning over she kissed his cheek lightly.