LONDON CALLING

"It wasn't made by the same man," Sam said, frustrated. "He bought the stuff in Diagon Alley yesterday at a potions shop. He deliberately sent us to get tea so he could nip off to the potions shop without us. Ruby, we've been living here, remember? We know all that. We know all about how he got that way. We know it takes his energies. We've been living with that. That's not news...."

"I'm going out," Robert said, not getting the feeling that Ruby was getting anywhere. He went outside and joined them. "Boys," he said, "So I hear that you have an issue with Angus taking an energy potion. I won't deny that sometimes people can become psychologically addicted to certain potions, but I want you to hear me. No one gets addicted to an energy potion after just one dose, and that's all he's had. I helped him buy the potion, so I know exactly what he's taking, how much, and I know why. I am completely aware of why he feels so pressured and stressed, and I'm working on hiring more people to take some of the pressure off. He and I talked yesterday while you ere having tea, and he told me what he feels pressed into doing. I promised him I was going to help him by hiring some reliable people so that he doesn't have so much on his plate. You're just going to have to trust me when I tell you I've got this and I've got him. He's not going to be overloaded much longer, and I'll find some temporary help until I have permanent people in place. I'm not going to let anything happen to your dad. I know it's nerve wracking to see him in distress when you're not going to be here, but You're going to have to take my word that I've got him covered."

"If we were here, though, we could help him..."

"True, and you're great helpers when you're here. But I can hire some full time people to handle the extra things that he isn't up to doing. He wants you to finish school. Right now, that's your full time job. If you do that, I'll add some adults that aren't in school to pitch in and take some of the pressure off his shoulders."

"How do we know you've hired somebody? How do we know when its better?" Sam seemed to be open to some sort of compromise at least.

"Write me. Ask me. Write Ruby or Angus. Ask your questions. You'll get honest answers. Ruby and Angus are not the kind to lie to you, and I won't lie either."

"Maybe," Victor said, "but if it doesn't work, we're coming home. We'll go awol and come home."

"Well, don't do that until you've given me a fair chance. Fair enough?"

"For now," Sam said, only giving Robert a very short time to make things better. "but not for long. You need to fix it--fast, or we're coming back to take care of our dad, and that's just all there is to it."

"Fair enough," Robert nodded. He looked at Ruby. "Satisfied for now? Does that work for you?"

Ruby was about to say something more when she heard Robert talk from beside her as he walked over so now she stood and let him talk to them. Yu kept his hand on her back for support. Hearing Rober say about hiring people he nodded "That's why I'm here and Andrew, to help" he said softly.

After Robert had spoken Ruby nodded " yep, it works for me." she said and smiled at the two of them " Please Angus is nothing like our dad, I wouldn't have fallen for him if he was , infact I would have castrated and quatered him and Im sure Robert would not have given him as much as he has if he was like our father." she said lastly before she headed back inside to Angu and sat down. Yu let her go and looked to Robert.

" there are herbs ready to be picked in Edwards garden I will send some to your lab for potions, if you need me hat is where I will be." he said then looked at the boys " enjoy your time at school, make freinds, for it dosn't last." he said with a smile and headed to the garden leaving Sam and Victor with Robert.

"Alright," Robert said, looking at the boys, "go doublecheck your packing. Make sure you have everything. I'm sure you'll be leaving shortly." The boys gave Yulong a bit of a smile, a little more reassured, but still having some doubts, and they headed to the duplex to do what Robert had asked. Robert listened to Yulong talking about going to tend the garden. "Thank you. I'm sure there are herbs that need to be taken off before the frost gets them. Thanks for your help." He turned and went back into the house.

"I'll get them going so they get back into their routine," Angus told Ruby quietly. "I'm sorry, but I'll be gone probably into mid afternoon. Train time, you know. I'm sure Lizzie will take care of fixing lunch while they're doing the pumpkin processing. So you can do whatever you need to do today, I'm sure."

"Shall I go hurry them along?" Marcus asked.

"Yes, please," Angus said. Marcus headed over to the duplex to make sure they had everything, and Andrew went to the barn and got the boys' owls from the small animal section so that they wouldn't forget and leave them behind. He also got the boys' costumes and made sure they were packed in the boys' trunks. "Do you still need to say goodbye to them, or are you good?" Angus asked Ruby.

Ruby listened to Angus and lent forward to kiss him , once she was done she left her forhead resting against his " I'll miss you till your back" she told him " and we'll be fine, don't worry I've got our garden to tend and lunch to make." she told him softly with a last kiss she pulled back from him as he spoke " I'll say good by when your ready to leave" she told him.

Yu looked to Robert and bowed " its what I am here for and yes the delecate herbs need covering." he said " I will proceed to Angus and Rubys garden once I am done before my patrol." he said and turned to leave seeing the boys smile he returned it as he walked to the garden.

"Ru," Angus said, feeling that she was perhaps only half listening." Lizzie has the kitchen in a bit of a mess. She'll fix lunch and supper today since they're doing the pumpkins. She normally does a lovely creamy pumpkin soup for lunch with some toasted cheese sandwiches. It's pure comfort. And I'm betting supper will be fresh pumpkin gnocci with a brown butter sauce, with pumpkin pasties for dessert. She's almost literally got pumpkins out her ears, so I'm sure you'll have pumpkin everything today, but it will be top quality, and it will be fresh. Maybe you need to take up knitting or crocheting or something creative. Kate's a firm believer that it reduces anxiety and generates lots of positive energy. What are you out to try it? Jessie seems to believe now that it works. I'd better go get them on the train before they change their minds."

Angus started to push his way back to the duplex, and Robert went over to give him a hand.

"Sorry," Angus apologized. "The boys..."

"Don't apologize," Robert said. "In their own, inept way, they're starting to love you. They already love Jessie and Ruby, of course. But, they've gotten to know you, and what they're articulating--and doing not such a tactful way of it--is that you are they dad they've always wanted and they're starting to trust you when you say you're still going to be here for them. Just stand back and let them find their way now. You can't hover over them at school anyway. Have a good time with them on the trip, and then, have Marcus and Andrew take you home when you get back. We'll send over some supper if you want it."

"Thank you," Angus said. Marcus and Andrew helped Angus and the boys apparate with all their things to Kings Cross Station. They had to take a series of shorter trains to reach Hogsmeade since the express wasn't running. Once the luggage was loaded, Marcus took them to the couchette compartment that he had arranged, so that all five of them could sit in the same compartment. Along the way, they had to switch trains twice more to get to Hogsmeade station. Once there, Andrew was going to hire a driver, but Angus and Marcus saw, clearly, a thestral carriage waiting for them. The boys only saw a carriage without any horse, which was all Andrew saw. Marcus and Angus reassured them and once the boys' things were loaded up, Marcus and Andrew helped Angus into the carriage and put his chair in the carriage. The boys felt like the carriage was moving on its own without a driver. Angus tried to explain what the thestrals looked like, but they simply looked at him as if he had gone mad entirely.

It was just twelve noon when the carriage arrived at the school gates, and Angus was surprised to see the Deputy Headmaster there waiting.

"Right on time," she said, chipper. "Good to see you, Boys. And Victor, you look much better than when we saw you last. You've certainly both been missed."

"And, as much as we want to see them succeed, we are sad to see them go," Angus said. "We've loved helping them integrate into the Donohue family."

"Oh, that's right, you lads are proper Donohues now, aren't you?" she asked.

"And proud of it," Sam told her.

"That's the spirit. Well, all the paperwork and such has been changed, so I think you'll find that probably everyone knows now, and I bet you'll get a warm reception."

"Is it alright that we brought some Halloween cookies and some caramel apples for everyone?"

"Only if I get one of each," she laughed, teasing them. Another carriage was there, and the groundskeeper helped the boys and Andrew load their things into the new carriage. "Thank you for bringing them back safely and in such vibrant health, Mr. Donohue," she said. "They'll be fine."

"Oh, their permission slip for Halloween weekend," Angus said, taking the slip from his pocket and handing it to her. "I presume that they can walk the carnival with us that night if they like?"

"Absolutely," she said. "They know the rules for behavior, but they can socialize at the carnival with whoever they like."

"Thank you. We'll see you in just a few days, Guys," Angus told them.

"Yep," Victor said. "What about the stuffed animals for my costume?"

"We'll bring them to you at the carnival first thing when we arrive," Angus promised. Victor nodded. "Keep the letters coming, right?" They nodded, and then they went inside the gate and got into the carriage. The deputy headmaster gave a command to the thestral to take Angus's carriage back to Hogsmeade station so they could start their journey back home.

Ruby looked at Angus and groaned then spoke" I forgot and that's not a bad idea, I could make a blanket for the baby" she said and listened to him talk more "good think I like pumpkins then" she said then nodded when he spoke of getting the boys to the train before they changed their minds. " All right, I'll see them at Christmas soon enough." she said according to some knitting needles and yarn to start the blanket. She watched as Angus went out to the boys standing she went with him " I'll see you both when you get back" she said and hugged both of them before stepping back and letting Angus and Marcus take them away to the train. Turning back to the house she walked in and sat down to continue her knitting.

Yu moved to Edwards's garden, clipped back some herbs, and then covered them in a thin cloth to protect the delicate leaves from the frost they all knew was coming. Once that was done in the first garden he moved around to Ruby and Angus's side and repeated the action. Now with a basket of herbs he saw Jessie walking over. " you been working in the garden?" he asked and Yu nodded.

"They needed tending and covering for winter," he said showing him the basket and smiling. " there are flowers to cut back and dead head if you wish to join me?" he asked and Jessie nodded.

"sure, as long as that's the only bud your picking" he said and chuckled but Yu looked puzzled at him then smiled as theymoved too the flower bed.

Marcus made sure they got on the train back and got a compartment that he secured for them. Angus was tired. The boys were safely back at school, and Ruby was safe at home. For now, Lizzie had the kitchen, Yulong had the garden, and Jack had the outdoors under his control. The duplex was as ready for Edward and Simone as it was going to get. Angus leaned back in the seat, closing his eyes, feeling like he did not have to have the world on is shoulders for just three or four hours, until he got back.

"God, I wish I had a firewhiskey about now," Angus said quietly.

"Here," Marcus said. Angus opened his eyes to see Marcus passing him a silver flask.

"God bless you," Angus said, more relieved than Marcus would probably know. He took a couple large gulps from the flask and then passed it back.

"God bless Robert, actually," Marcus said. "He sent it with me, saying he believed you would find it most welcome on the way back. Seems he was right."

"He was indeed," Angus said, closing his eyes again. Andrew and Marcus didn't say anything and it wasn't long before the rhythm of the train had soon lulled Angus into an exhausted sleep.

He slept off and on, most of the trip home, and he was starting to feel just a little better when they arrived at Kings Cross. The next step was apparating back home, and he was not looking forward to having to step back into all his job duties and his stress about how he was going to make it work. Marcus apparated them all safely back to the duplex, and Angus went over to his recliner, kicked off his shoes, and sat down. Marcus made him a cup of coffee and poured a little firewhiskey into it and then brought it to him.

"You look a little better, but a day or two off would do you good," Marcus told him.

"I need to go help Lizzie with the pumpkin harvest," Angus sighed. "I doubt anyone else stepped in, in my place to help for even a moment while I was gone."

"Let it go," Marcus said gently. "Lizzie's a hard worker. She'll just crack on with it. She gets paid very well for it, so she'll be alright." Angus nodded, feeling a personal struggle with the fact that nobody did seem to care enough to step up anymore to help with the things he could not do.

"So much for family," Angus sighed, taking a drink of his coffee.

"I've got it," Andrew told Marcus quietly.

"Then I'll go tell them we're back," Marcus said, leaving and going to the main house. He reported in to Robert and told him that everything had gone smoothly and they were back safe and sound.

Ruby watched Lizzie working in the kitchen with several other people, placing down the knitting she moved to her " want a hand?" she asked "knittings okay but I love cooking" she added and joined her in preping the pumkins and copying how the others made the food. She chuckled and smiled as she worked with Lizzie as she waited for Angus to return knowing and trusting him to get the boys to where they needed to be. It was now Yu and Jessie walked in laughing with a full basket of herbs. " thank you Yu, these will come in very handy" she said Yu nodded as they headed to the back door again with Jessie .

Yu moved to the other side of the duplex and replaced the flowers from that morning with fresh flowers and turned down the bed for Edward and simone when they returned. He moved to the fire and lit it so the warmth would take the chill out of the house ready for them to return.

Lizzie certainly welcomed Ruby's help in the kitchen, and she appreciated Ruby's understanding of Angus's kitchen philosophies and his recipes. They had canned and frozen most of the pumpkin but she had also made pumpkin butter, a sweet pumpkin syrup, pumpkin jam and a truly lovely savory pumpkin pasta sauce that she canned, along with some other things. Lizzie fixed a lovely supper of pumpkin gnocchi with a brown butter and sage sauce and she had her crew serve it in the dining room, but not before inviting Ruby to sit with her and her crew because she said she and Angus had a tradition of a special treat for the crew for all their hard work. This year, she made, as a trial recipe, a pumpkin chicken curry over brown rice, and she had had Jonathan Belby make each crew member and anyone who helped a little box of handmade, assorted chocolates. She put a baby spinach salad on the side, and then for dessert. For dessert for the family and the crew both, she served a dark chocolate pumpkin tart for dessert. She was getting to the last of the pumpkins to be processed. After everyone in the dining was served. she fixed a supper tray for Angus and Andrew and sent it over to them.

An hour or so later, the sound of apparating in Edward's side of the duplex was the sound in the honeymooners coming home.

"Perhaps I should have carried you across the threshold this time," Edward said, stealing a kiss from Simone. She laughed.

"At our age? I don't think that's necessary."

"You know it's supposed to be good luck, warding off demons."

"You are my good luck charm," she said, caressing his cheek. "Thank you. I don't know when I had a nicer trip, but it feels so good to be home. I've missed this little place."

"Me too, and I've missed Angus," Edward said. "I've gotten to like being close to him and his little family. Look, though. The damage is completely repaired, and it looks like the place has been deep cleaned."

"And a fire in the fireplace, and fresh flowers," she said. "How sweet. Did you do all that?"

"I hadn't even thought of it, to be fair," Edward laughed. "All I could think of was you and every moment we've had."

"You're forgiven, then," she said with a smile. "I'll put on some tea for us."

"Sounds splendid. I'll take our bag upstairs," he said. She went to the teapot and found it was all ready to brew. She looked in the fridge and saw it was loaded with all fresh groceries, and that made her check the pantry and the freezer.

"I don't think you'll find the tea in the freezer," Edward laughed, coming downstairs.

"No, but look. We're completely restocked, and someone left is a plate of Halloween cookies and a couple of enormous candy apples on the counter."

"Those look delicious," he said. "We ought to go away more often if this is how we get welcomed back."

"No, because then they'll quit doing it,' she laughed.

"Shall we see if there's any supper left over for us at the main house?" he asked.

"No," she said, "I'll fix us something simple. Go get comfortable, and by then I'll have it ready." She resorted to a quick Welsh Rarebit, with a lovely rocket salad that had some crumbled crispy bacon and some shredded carrots, some diced tomatoes and a little cucumber, and she dressed the salad very simply with her own red wine vinaigrette recipe that she made. Edward opened a bottle of chianti from the family vineyard, and they decided to take their plates and their wine and eat in front of the fire, deciding they would go see how Angus was after they'd eaten.

Ruby joined them and sat down to help with the pumpkin processing , she was enjoying it and the banter the crew made. Hearing the aperating she knew it was Simone and Edward and she relaxed knowing they were back safe from there honeymoon. It was now that Ruby was invited to sit and eat with the crew " thankyou" she said sitting next to Lizzie as she ate some of the food " this is delishious" she said as she ate and finished the plate happily as she listened to the chatter around her.

Yu walked around the grounds and saw movment in the duplex on Andrew and Simones side , walking over he knocked on the door to check who was there as he had been told the newly weds would return that night.