A Birth day

Marcus poured coffee for Angus, Robert, Ruby and himself and delivered them.

"Thank you," Angus said, taking the coffee. It smelled heavenly to him, but then again, the first cup of the day always did.

"That's fine," Robert said. "The rest of us will duke it out, then." As they were all getting their first sips of coffee, Andrew arrived.

"Morning, All. I was going to cook breakfast, but Edward was outside weeding the front flowerbeds, and he told me that Simone is already on it," Andrew told them."

"And I've just changed Angus' dressing and checked his vitals and cast a small pain spell to hold him so he can eat some breakfast. I want im to try some solid food today."

"He had solid food last night," Marcus said. "I fed him his steak au poivre last night."

"Really? How'd he do?"

"I thought he did well. He ate about half."

"Oh, well done," Robert looked at Angus. "I didn't expect you to be up to eating solids yet last night. Good job."

"So I can go to my office today, then," Angus said. Robert responded by playfully head slapping Angus.

"Sorry, but I had to knock both of your brain cells together so you can have an actual thought," Robert told him. "No, you can't go to the office today, you dolt."

"I have books..."

"No, you don't. Jess did all your monthly books for you while you slept. Since it all balanced the first time, it didn't take her three days to do it. You have nothing pressing today but recovery," Robert told him. "And that's all you will be doing. You're on leave until I release you. Understand?"

Ruby thanked Marcus as she took her cup of coffee and took a sip feeling somewhat like herself this morning she could not help but chuckle at how fatherly towards Angus Robert was and grateful to Jess for doing the books. Jess looked at Angus and nodded "See, there right there, but for Brian to look at not you, you just rest." she reafirmed Roberts words to him. " I have to say if you were in St Mungos there would be apsolutly no work, just pysio and rest" she told him as she sipped her coffee but unable to stop a jawn leaving her.

Ruby saw this and smiled to her " why don't you go rest thers more than enough people here to look after him , now that Andrew is here too" Ruby sugested as she heard the adjoining door open between the two houses and smelt the most delishious smell waft from inside Edwrads half.

"what and miss out on some of simones cooking, not yet" Jess said chukaling as she drank her coffee again.

"Ruby's right. In fact, you wouldn't even be on physical therapy yet, and you'd still be sucking clear soda through a straw," Robert said, as Simone came over with a platter of crispy bacon and a big bowl of fried potatoes, and Edward was carrying a large cheesy egg casserole.

"I knew you'd all be hungry today, so I cooked just a little something," she said.

"A little something," Robert laughed. "That would feed an army, but yes, I think these people are ready to eat the furniture."

"Well, I'm not sitting on the eggs," she frowned, "so they'd better leave the furniture and eat the ruddy eggs instead. She put the bacon, potatoes and eggs on the table, and Edward got out some cream, butter and jam for the scones and the crumpets from the fridge. Andrew went downstairs, and he got Ginger, who was dressed and ready to come up. Anise followed them upstairs.

"Let me try it," Ginger told Andrew. Andrew walked right beside her, and she walked from the top of the steps over to the kitchen table.

"Walking? You're walking on your own!" Robert was elated. "I can't think of a better surprise. That should have taken another two weeks at least. I am so proud of you." He went over and kissed her on the top of the head.

"I wouldn't even still be alive if it weren't for you," she said to him, grateful.

"I had a lot of help," Robert said. "Now, tuck into that breakfast."

"I'll get you a plate," Andrew told Angus, seeing that Ruby was still tied up with the baby.

"Come get a plate, Everyone," Simone called. "Help yourselves."

Jess smiled smelling the food come threw the door "Smells wonderful" she said moving to the table and placing down her coffee she too was surprised as Ginger walked into the room "Oh, well done" she said smiling at her " Roberts right, most would still be in bed still, you have exceeded your timetable" she walked over and hugged her gently. Ruby smiled at Ginger and nodded as she placed Caprice in her bouncer chair and then moved to dish up several plates sending one to Ginger and Anise and then making one for Jess and Robert.

"Here you go" she said handing Robert a plate. "You will stay for breakfast?" she asked as she saw Marcus take a plate over to Angus and smiled as she accioed some fresh water into his glass so he didn't have to ask if he needed it.

"Absolutely," Robert said. "I'm not done with Angus yet, but we need to eat while it's hot. Thank you. I'm starving."

Andrew helped Angus with his breakfast, but he only ate about half of it, and Andrew had purposely started with a smaller plate. No amount of encouragement was going to influence Angus. Robert got up and went over.

"Let me help," Robert said gently. He laid his hand on Angus and nodded. "You really do need to speak up, Lad. I expect you to need continuous pain meds right now. You haven't seen your shoulder, your arm, your chest or your back." He poured a dose of the daytime pain medication. "Half now, half after breakfast. Drink just half of that." He handed to Angus, and Angus didn't question it. He just drank it.

"Give him a moment, and then try again," Robert told Andrew, and then he went back to his plate. Andrew managed to encourage Angus through some more, but he didn't finish it. Still, Andrew felt better about what Angus could eat. When Andrew took the plate away, Robert nodded. "Oh, much better. That's more than satisfactory."

They let Angus rest for a little, and then Robert helped Andrew move the privacy screen into place and helped Andrew to get Angus washed up and into clean pajama bottoms. Robert believed the tee shirt wasn't so necessary since he was home. Then they helped Angus out to the chaise on the deck. Robert didn't want him outside for long, but still, a change of scenery could be a good thing. Andrew brought pillows, some to put behind him and some to put under his arm and gave him the rest of his pain potion. It made Angus doze off and on, but not consistently.

"No more than an hour," Robert told Andrew, "unless he sleeps a little. But either way, I'd like him back inside and back in bed by lunch time."

"Understood," Andrew said. Robert came back in.

"Alright, well, I have things to do, so I'm going to leave you all to it. Nigel will be here probably between two and three. If you need something before then, let me know His pain potion should hold til lunch, I should think. If it doesn't, call me.

Ruby and Jess ate breakfast as they saw Robert do the same. Soon Jess finished and moved to leave to head back to the main house to sleep ready for the night shift. Ruby watched as Angus ate and was proud of how much he ate "He did well " she said to Robert " and we saw the bruising " she admitted to him " Jess called it extensive" she said softly as the girls ate. Then watched as Robert left "Okay bye" she said smiling as she looked across at Angus.

Now full she picked up her plate and moved to the kitchen setting everything to wash clean placing some of the breakfast food in the fridge for if anyone wanted a snack. " Marcus I have to head to Paris so I leave you and th girls, won't be too long," she said and walked over to the sleeping Angus and kissed his cheek "Sleep well my prince," she said and smiled. then operated out to Paris where she met with Owens.

She explained how Angus was and he was happy he was getting better and also wasn't surprised he never told anyone how bad his shoulder was.

"It certainly is extensive," Robert told her. "Its probably some of the most extensive bruising I've seen on one of our lads for awhile. The boys do get pretty bruised up, especially the big boys like Jack and Jessie because they try to protect blokes that are smaller than them, like Brian. Angus falls somewhere in between because since he has worked out so much, he carries more muscle. He doesn't have Jack's height or nearly his muscle build, but he's certainly more muscular than most of the other lads here his size. I think that's partly why he just tolerates it and takes it, because he's looking out for people smaller than he is. Still, if I had to choose, I'd rather them bring home bruises than broken bones. Don't worry about your knight, Ruby. He'll survive to fight another day," Robert smiled, and then he left.

After Ruby left, Simone asked Ginger if she could have a little grandma time, and Ginger let her take Caprice with her. Ginger and Anise had time, then, to do their studies. Marcus was the one who observed the rather secret project Simone had up her sleeve. She had a wizarding photographer come, and then down in the tea garden, they posed Caprice on a little pink blanket with a pretty little porcelain toy tea set. She was in a floral dress, with a little ruffled sun hat. In one picture, a butterfly actually flew down and landed on the brim of her little hat. Simone was having the pictures developed and then she was going to choose one to have framed for Angus and Ruby as a gift when it was ready.

Just as the photo session was starting to wind up, Edward got a message, and after he read it, he went out, spoke quickly to Simone, and then he picked up Caprice and hurried inside with her and handed her to Marcus.

"Sorry, but you'll need to take her. We have to go," Edward spoke quietly to Marcus. "There's trouble at the Tuscan house. Someone's set fire to Evan's house, and Evan is hurt, and his three children are missing. Do not tell Angus. Evan is the only sibling he has that talks to him at all."

"Do you think there's foul play?" Marcus asked quietly.

"There was sparkling black smoke rising up from Evan's house. Now what do you think?" Edward scowled.

"Robert is going to want to know. This is exactly what he was trying to stop. She's clearly going through a back door now to try to draw Angus out," Marcus said. "Go. I'll alert Robert."

"I'll go," Anise said quickly. "I'm a fast runner. I can find him."

"Go," Marcus nodded. She dashed out of the house like lightning, and Edward and Simone ported out. As Anise dashed across the yard, she saw Jack, and she ran as fast as her werewolf legs would go.

"Jack! Jack," she called urgently. "We have to find Robert. There's a big fire in Tuscany. Angus's brother-Ohhhh--what the heck is his name.. I forget! The nice one. He's hurt and his three children are missing. Edward says he was told that there was sparkling black smoke coming from the house. He and Simone went to Tuscany....I have to find Robert, and..."

Jack was walking back from finishing his patrol when he saw Anise run towrds him he placed his hand sgently on her arms as she spoke to him " wow, wow slow down" he siad calmly " okay fire , evan hurt, three children missing , and black sparkly smoke, I get that right?" he said and looked to the house. " come with me " he said and ran to the main house " ROBERT!" he called out " We got trouble!!" he moved around trying to find him.

Finding him he spoke clear " Evans hurt, three children missing and something to do with sparkly smoke at the Tuscan house." he said to him tranphigering his clothes to mission wear he turned to Anise " you better get back to the duplex and stay with Ginger and Simone" he placed his hand on her shoulder " thank you for leting us know." he said just as Ruby ported into the main house.

" I heard whats happened and Im going too, owens all ready gave me leave" she told Robert her clothes already changed to mission wear. Just as she finished a letter from Owens appeared threw the floo and landed on his desk.

"No! No, I can find them," Anise said. "I'll be able to hear them! Take me! Take me with you!" Robert was listening to Anise. She had a valid point.

"If you go, Anise," Robert said, "you stay right with me. You go dashing off by yourself, and you won't work for me. Are you ready to deal with that?"

"Yes," she said. Robert flicked his wand at her and transfigured her to mission wear.

"We're going to have to just trust Marcus to do his job," Robert said. "Michael! Kate! I need you. Meet us in Tuscany!" He reached for Anise's hand. "Ruby, go with Jack. You partner with him. We'll meet you there." He and Anise ported out to Tuscany.

When they landed in Tuscany, black sparkling smoke filled the sky above the estate. Evan was lying on the ground, unconscious and Rosaria was trying to sponge his burned face with cool water. Robert stopped and laid his hand on Evan's forehead to assess him. He would be alright. He had some burns and was unconscious from smoke inhalation. Robert cast a couple quick healing spells, and then he kept moving.

Evan's house was completely engulfed in flame. The estate workers were working with water spells trying to put it out.

"He's here! It's not that nutty woman!" Anise told Robert. "Its that guy! The ghost guy. He's here, and he's pissed off that you blocked him from Angus. He did it on purpose to bring Angus here."

"I'll tell you what. We're not going to tell him that Angus isn't coming," Robert said. "Let's see what Kate can do. In the meantime we need to try to find the kids. And we need to see where Evan's wife is. You and I can look for the kids. Let's let Ruby and Jack and the others see if they can find Evan's wife and put out the fire. Focus on the kids. Are they inside?" Anise tried to listen for them, but she was panicky at thinking about the kids maybe being inside. "Anise, look at me. Focus on the kids. Forget the fire. We have others to deal with that. Close your eyes and focus."

"I see...a little boy," Anise said. "He's...hurt.. His knees are bleeding, and it's its dark. He's in a hole. Wait...its the wrong little boy. Its Angus as a little boy. They're in the same hole that Angus fell into as a little boy."

"Good. Good work. Now, lets find Edward and see if he remembers where that was," Robert said.

Ruby looked to Anise and then to Robert "Okay" she said to her softly then heard Robert and smiled taking Jacks's hand he ported her to the Tuscan house where they both ran over to Evan. Jack stayed back with Anise as Ruby knelt beside Evan. She listened to Anise and looked at Robert again as Anise continued.

"that .." she paused angrily but composed remembering her training she looked around the grounds. Jack stayed with Anise as he didn't want her to be hurt he knew the first sign of trouble he would get her out. Ruby moved quickly and headed over to Edward " do you remember where the hole is that Angus fell into as a little boy." she asked looking to both Edward and Simone " Anise senses one of the children is there." she affirmed to him.