LONDON CALLING

Ruby chuckled and nodded " of course she's not going to be called Ralph, "she said chuckling as she continued to place things on the tree Jessie looked at Edward and nodded.

"I'd be there with you on that," he said and smiled " oh and I like hanging decorations, it's more personal," he said hanging another but found it to be slightly crooked.

"um it's crooked," Yu said and Jessie smiled looking at him and making him shake his head. "the decoration Jessie, the decoration" he motioned to it and Jessie saw it. This made Ruby chuckle at the pair of them as she placed a reindeer bauble on the tree before taking a cup of the tea and sipping it.

"Wow this is wonderful," she said smiling as she drank " the baby likes it too," she said smiling.

Zoe came back downstairs, with her unpacking completed. She had some other things to bring from the states, but they would be coming later, when she had a more permanent living arrangement. She found Simone putting the finishing touches on getting supper ready. and she offered to help.

Simone showed her where things were stored in the dining room for the sideboard, and Zoe set up the sideboard, even taking the extra step to get some fall flowers and to put small flower arrangements on the table and one on the sideboard. She helped Simone put the lasagnas, the salad, and the garlic breadsticks on the table, along with some pitchers of water, a pitcher of iced tea, and a couple open bottles of chianti for those who wanted wine. She added a sprinkle container of extra grated parmesan cheese, and she cut the lasagnas into slices and put out spatulas to help people get the squares out of the casserole dishes. Then she went back and sliced the Victoria sponge cake and put on a pot of tea and a pot of coffee for those who would want tea or coffee with dessert.

While all of that was going on, Kate and Andrew and Angus went over to the cabin and greeted Nicky and Shannon and their children. They were excited about their new jobs and they were just as excited to get started. Angus promised someone would show them around the house and help them orient to things. They invited Nicky and his family over to the main house for supper, and Abbey seemed to connect straight away with Molly. Nicky was more than ready to take over for the supper shift, and that would include the breakfast prep. On Nicky's and Zoe's days off, Angus would take the reigns back himself, with some help from some of the others when they felt like chipping in.

Nicky and Shannon brought the kids and came over to the main house just as Zoe and Simone finished laying out supper. Andrew went over to the duplex and found everyone decorating for the holidays.

"Hey," Andrew called them, "you lot might want to take a break. Supper's on in the dining room. It's starting to look like Christmas in here. You might get me inspired to do a little decorating in our place."

Jessie and Yulong smiled at Angus and glanced to the other side of the duplex. It was Yulong who spoke first "I think Rubys taken care of that on your side," he said smiling as he saw Jessie wobble on the small step ladder quickly he moved and placed his hands on Jessie's waist to steady him without a second thought. " come on supper," he told him softly and Jessie placed the last roof decoration up then slowly stepped down. " we'll head over right away.

Ruby finished placing the last bauble on the tree and now stood holding the topper. " I think I'll let Angus put this on the tree," she said smiling as she heard voices from the other side. "Angus I left the topper for you to do," she said waiting to see if he'd come to their side and put the topper on to finish the decorations. Looking at edward she smiled " supper sounds good I'll bring my tea with me." she added

Angus got up to his feet, and Andrew went with him, just in case Angus needed steadying as he put the topper on the tree. He was rather tall, so he did not need a ladder. He had gotten his height from his grandfather. Edward was tall, and Angus was only an inch or two shorter than he was. Angus took the topper and put it on the very top of the tree, making sure it was straight. Andrew flicked his fingers at it to make the topper light and sparkle.

"Perfect," Angus said. "Thanks, Andrew. It looks great."

"You guys have a great looking tree," Andrew said.

"The other chef is here, by the way, and he and his wife and their kids are going to be joining us for supper. Their daughter is just about Abbey's age, and they've already met. I think they're going to be great friends," Angus said, "But, quite honestly, the lasagnas smell amazing, and I'm starving. Let's go eat."

"I'll second that, Andrew said. "Angus and I can help you finish with whatever decorating is left to be done after we eat."

Andrew took Angus back to the main building, and they saw that Robert and Khaat and Brian and Marcus had arrived home for the day and were busy meeting Zoe, Nicky, and Shannon.

"Come fix your plates, Everyone," Robert called. "We'll do some introductions over supper." He picked up Abbey and set her in a booster seat as Nicky put Molly in a booster seat right beside Abbey. Shannon put Lucas in a high chair, and she use a warming spell to warm some pureed fruits and vegetables and some pureed chicken for Lucas. Nicky fixed a plate for Molly and one for Shannon and then went back and fixed his own plate. Kate fixed a plate for Abbey and one for herself.

Molly looked at the lasagna on her plate, never having seen it before. She looked at Abbey, who was digging into her pasta.

"Is NooNoo's," Abbey told her. "Flat basketti."

"Yeah?" Molly asked. Abbey nodded. Molly took a bite of her lasagna and found out that Abbey's description of flat spaghetti was pretty on point. Molly smiled, liking it.

Ruby smiled seeing Angus put the finishing touch to the tree then chuckled seeing Andrew make it sparkle "thats perfect "she said then heard about supper and nodded when they mentioned finishing the decorations after they had eaten "Great, lets eat" she said and Jessie walked in with Yulong beside him and together they headed to the main house once more .

Entering they saw the new comers sat at the table and took some lesanga and salad and sat down to eat. Jessie and Yulong ate sat side by side. Ruby smiled hearing Abby getting along with Molly "I have a feeling Abby will be okay going to school, having a freind to go with will help tons" she said to Khaat.

"I think so too," Khaat said. "I can't say I don't have some anxiety about her going, but she's taking to Molly just fine. So I can relax about her getting along with some of the kids." Her anxieties weren't about the teachers or the kids. Khaat' anxieties were more about James. She did not put it past James, not for a moment, that he would take Abbey if he could get to her. He had tried it before, and with Abbey out from under the bodyguards and the security that kept them safe, it was a frightening thought that Abbey might be so vulnerable. She had talked with Brian about it at length, and Brian was not blind to the risk either. He didn't want Abbey to have to live in a sort of a box all her life. He wanted his daughter to learn as early as possible to defend herself. Abbey was going to have to learn to be a fierce fighter, and he was certainly going to talk to the school to be sure that they knew that safety could be a huge risk so they could help protect her.

"God, that's good," Brian laughed.

"Did you miss lunch?" Robert asked, laughing.

"Breakfast and lunch both," Brian replied. "My stomach was starting to wonder if my throat had been cut." Angus laughed.

"Some of us better grab our portions quick, then," Angus said.

"I'll try to restrain myself," Brian said. "So, Nicky and Zoe, do you think you can handle the demands of this big crew?"

"Absolutely," Zoe said. "I've already had a request for breakfast. Someone has already ordered pancakes tomorrow."

"Pancakes!" Molly said, delighted.

"Oh, that could be trouble," Shannon laughed. "That girl can just about eat her weight in pancakes."

"So can Abbey," Robert said, "especially if they have any berries in them."

Ruby smiled as she watched Abby and Molly eat and talk together. Jack walked in and sat down next to Jess and Jessie. he could not help but chuckle at Brian not eating and how hungry he was " hey couldn't eat more than me" he said as he put some lasagna in his mouth and eat. as did the others. " this is good" Jack said and finished his first plat heading for a second while Jess ate and finished her first and placed her plate in the washer ready to be set going.

Jack finished his food then heded out to patrol , Jessie and Yu headed back to Edwards duplex and continued to finish decorating then moved to the main house to set up the trees and roof decorations all the while talking between each other and laughing as they did Jess smiled as did Ruby who sat with her hands resting on her stomach lightly rubbing circles on it.

Angus finished eating and was going to have Andrew take him over to help decorate, and Edward stopped him.

"Get your new staff acquainted with each other and their new jobs so you can go to bed tonight feeling that you're in capable hands," Edward said. "We'll have plenty of help."

"Are you sure?" Angus asked.

"Positive," Edward said. Angus met briefly with Nicky and Zoe to answer any questions, to make sure they could find their way around the kitchen, and to give them a free hand with what they cooked. Nicky and Zoe seemed to work well together right from the start, and they talked about sharing menu planning so that all the food was used to its maximum potential and that they had reduced waste as much as possible. They made about five days' worth of menus and that would get them to their days' off. They believed they would do more menu planning before their first days' off. Then they stepped up to clean up the supper dishes and the dining room after everyone was done eating. Andrew took Shannon on a tour of the house, and Abbey and Molly did what they could to help.

Simone and Edward headed back to the duplex to finish decorating. They had their own tree to decorate yet, and they found Angus had gotten a lot of decorations for them too.

When Angus got free from his duties at the main house, Andrew took him home, and Angus made a big pot of his own secret recipe hot chocolate. It was a recipe he didn't make very often, but it was a favorite here at the estate because it was extra thick and creamy and topped with fresh made whipped cream.

Jessie and Yulong saw Edward enter the duplex and smiled " hope the roof decorations are in the right place" Jessie said " we left the tree for you and Simone to do, thought it would be nice" he said smiling "well Yu and I will leave you alone, good night Edward" he said and the pair of them walked out the door and over to their cabin.

Ruby sat and smiled as she saw Angus walk in with Andrew " hey did they get orientated okay" she asked standing to move where he was making hot chocolate for everyone with the whipped cream on top. "that smells wonderful, its realy begining to feel like christmas " she said looking at the tree and th decorations around the room " and you realy chose well with the decorations there beautiful" she added looking back at him and smiling lovingly at him.

"They are," Edward smiled. "They look great. Thank you. I'm sure, if I had had the job of putting those up, they'd have only gotten up there by magic because, I'm quite positive, that Simone would not have been overjoyed by seeing me up on a ladder trying to put them up the old fashioned way. Thank you. Have a good evening, Gentlemen."

"I'm glad you like the decorations," Angus told Ruby. "They're not just rustic buffalo plaid, and they're not over the top fru fru things either. I guess, if they're elegantly rustic, if that's a thing?"

"Elegantly rustic sounds like bohemian to me," Edward laughed.

"And that's probably more correct," Angus said.

"Simone and I have a small gift for you," Edward said. "I'll be right back." He disappeared into his half and returned with a large basket with bundles wrapped in red and green tissue paper. "For your first Christmas as a family."

"I have always had family, Edward," Angus said, looking at him.

"You know what I mean. Your first Christmas with your own family and in your own house. From Simone and I." Angus went over to the basket and took one of the bundles and unwrapped it. There were large pottery mugs, some in bright red, and some in Christmas green, with wintertime designs so they could be used at Christmas or all winter long. "Edward, these are great! I was looking for some sort of a set of Christmas mugs."

"Kate made them so they would work with the rest of your dinnerware," Edward said. "And, yes, they've been washed already."

"Then, let's put the hot chocolate in them," Angus replied. Andrew brought the basket over to the stove, and he helped Angus ladle up the thick and creamy hot chocolate and dollop on the whipped cream. Then Angus added some chocolate shavings to the top as a little bit of a garnish. "So there's the first Secret Recipe Hot Chocolate of the season." Andrew handed out the mugs of hot chocolate, and Edward took a sip.

"Where the hell has this been all my life?" Edward frowned. "And why haven't you made this for me before now?"

"You never asked me to make hot chocolate before," Angus grinned. "Zoe and Nicky and Shannon honestly seem to be in love with not only the jobs but the main house and everyone they've met. They all said they feel like everyone here has gone out of their way to make them feel so welcome and so at home. They're excited to get started in the morning. Kate told Nicky and Shannon she'd look after the kids, in the afternoon while Nicky and Shannon are both working. I think they were hoping to hire an outside sitter, but, of course, that takes time to arrange, and they haven't had time to do that. We have plenty of people here, so, Kate is going to handle it tomorrow, and then we'll take it from there. It isn't going to be long before Abbey and Molly will be in school for half days, so that might help, especially if they can both go in the afternoons while Nicky and Shannon are working. That will only leave Lucas to babysit, at least until Ralph gets here, but I handled Abbey, so I'm sure I can keep Lucas with me in the office. We'll deal with Ralph when Ralph gets here."

"You're not calling her Ralph, are you?" Edward scowled.

"Probably," Angus said purposely, teasing Edward. He wasn't ready to reveal that they were looking at calling her Caprice. He was very purposely saving that for when Edward got to hold the baby for the first time.