A Birth day

Simone served Jessie a mug of cider, and Anise made a s'more for Ginger, one for Angus, and another for herself.

"Thank you," Angus told her. "You think Jessie can beat Ginger?"

"Maybe," Anise said. "So I wanna see what the rabbit does to the frog."

"He uses his back feet and kicks the frog way off the board over to the sidelines," Angus told her in a whisper so that only she could hear him. He didn't want to ruin the surprise for anybody else. She giggled.

"Cool," she said.

"Wanna see something else?" Angus said. "Hey, Ginger, just for fun, try to cheat. Try to move your frog somewhere he shouldn't go."

"Okay," she said. She moved a frog into an 'illegal' position, and the closest rabbit took out a huge sledgehammer and smashed the frog into pieces and then giggled. "Hey!" Ginger said. A moment later, her frog reappeared into its former position. That made Anise laugh hysterically.

"We need one of these at home," Anise said.

Jessie thanked Simone as she handed him a drink of cider and he took a drink smiling as he watched Anise try and cheat but the rabbit smashed the frog and it reapeared back in its proper place " Ha, no cheating , nice" he said and moved his second peice. Ruby heard Angus talk to Ginger asking if Anise would beat Jessie and leaned over " my best on Anise , hes a terrible checkers player" she admited to them both with a chuckle as she sipped her drink.

As they were sitting and watching the game, Caprice apparently decided to have a huge diaper blowout all over herself and her mother.

"Uh oh," Angus said. "You need a hand with that somehow, Ru?"

"And how are you going to be any help with one arm?" Marcus asked. Carlo gave a shout for Rosaria who came in a hurry.

"Posso aiutarla, signora?" she asked Ruby.

The game continued for some time, and it was looking very much to Angus like it was going to end up as a draw. If Ruby was right and Jessie didn't play checkers well, then, Angus didn't know if Ginger was just off her game or if Jessie perhaps was just lucky tonight. Either way, he knew that the game would soon have to end because everyone, especially the girls, were going to have to go to bed early because tomorow was going to be a very long day, starting with an exceptionally early morning for all.

He was starting to ache, so he quietly excused himself and headed upstairs, and Marcus went with him to help him shower and change.

Ruby heard and felt Caprices's blow out and sighed with a chuckle " um thanks, we both ned a change" she said and saw Rosaria walk out " Im sory to ask but would you mind cleaning up Caprice while I change, she's had a bit of a blow out, that would be a great help thank you so much" she said slowly standing up making sure to not get it on any one else as she moved with Rosara inside.

Ruby glanced back at the game and chuckled " two moves" she said and then headed inside to change. Jesie had heard her and blew a rassbery at her.

"it will not be two moves, more like one" he finished with chuckle. " besiee don't we all have an early morning?" he said moving a third peice.

Rosaria took Caprice and bathed her and changed her for bed and fed her some soothing, warm applesauce and a bottle and then took her up to the nursery and rocked her to sleep, humming the same little lullaby she used to sing to Angus when he had been a baby. When the baby was asleep, she put her to bed and turned down the light.

In the meantime, Anise had already headed upstairs to shower and change into her pajamas. Marcus had taken up a mug of cider, had helped Angus with a shower and had put his nighttime potion and some of the third bottle into the cider mug and had given it to Angus. Angus hadn't wanted to take it, not wanting to sleep, in case his family would try to strike tonight. If it were to happen again, it would surely happen tonight. Marcus reassured him that he was going to seal the doors to keep them from any possibility of being opened from the outside. He was also going to make sure he took regular security checks of the bedroom all night, just to be sure they were safe. He made sure Angus was safely in bed and that the doors were securely locked. Then he set to work to cast extra protection spells on the balcony doors.

Ginger won the game outside, almost sad to see it end.

"We'll have to play again," she told Jessie. "Thanks. That was fun. I'll try to talk Angus into getting one of these for the yard back home. I'd better go get ready for bed. I'll have to be up by six to be ready to be at the salon with the rest of the girls by seven. Goodnight, Jessie."

Ruby headed up to shower and change greaful for Rosaria for taking Caprice . While she showered and changed she heard the others return inside and smiled. Jessie looked at Ginger nd chuckled "Any time, I am your uncle after all, night Ginger." he said grinning as he helped put away the peices where they came from then headed inside as he saw Angus make sure all the doors were locked.

Ruby chuckled as she sat brushing her hair then braiding it so she coild keep it looking okay for the next day. " I think Jessie finally has matured." she said to Angus as she finished her braid.

"Has he?" Angus asked. "As long as he's happy with himself and his life. That's all that matters."

"So you know, Ruby," Marcus said. "I have put some extra protections on the balcony doors tonight to make it impossible for them to open. I've actually just temporarily eliminated the doors and made them part of the wall. They aren't going to be able to open the doors because, frankly, the damn doors aren't there tonight at all. And, I will be coming in off and on all night just to make sure you're both still secure. I don't know that there will be any problem tonight, but if I were his screwball relatives, I would be striking tonight to keep him from being able to show up tomorrow. I am going to make it ridiculously hard for them to even think about it, so if you hear someone in the room during the night, its probably just me."

Angus yawned, as Marcus closed the drapes.

"Make sure you finish all your cider, Angus, Sleep well, you two. I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight," Marcus told them. He left, closing the door behind him.

"Do you have everything you need or want for the funeral tomorrow, Ru?" Angus asked. "Is there anything else that we need to get for you and the girls for tomorrow?"

Ruby chuckled as Mrcus spoke " well probably not" she teased then head him talk about the balcony doors and relaxed " thank you Marcus thats a relife" she said seeing Angus yawn and close the drapes. she chuckled at Marcus and smiled " Thank you and all right, you sleep well too and lets hope they don't try anything." she said then looked to marcus " well, I can dream right?" she chuckled again crossing the room to the bed.

Placing her dressing gown on the ottoman at the end of the bed she slipped under the covers as she spoke about if she ahd everything for the funeral " I think so, were getting our hair done in the morning so there will be time to relax and change when we get back , other than that I think we have everything, I'll port Ginger and Caprice home once you guys have left."

"Port them where? Where would they be going without us?" Angus frowned, not understanding. "They're coming with us to the funeral and the reception. And then sometime after that, Jessie and Anise and Edward will port out for Sergio's. I presume that sometime tomorrow night the rest of us will port home."

He finished his cider and turned out the light.

"I hope I can manage to wrestle that hospital bed out of the living room at home tomorrow and bring my recliner back up. I do not want to have to deal with having a hospital bed in my living room tomorrow. I want my life back, Ru," he yawned. "I'll probably use some enchantments, take the bed apart and move it downstairs and bring the recliner up the same way. Well, that's my plan anyway."

Ruby chuckled " of course , sorry " she said and laid down hearing him she chuckled " I can understand that" she said " might have to fight Robert to move that bed though , but Im sure some one could help" she added snuggling close to him as she to yawned and sponed against him untill she fell asleep.

Jessie sat in his room going over his back pack once more finding that he had three first aid kits in his pack , two pairs of socks , a tee shirt , a pair of jeans , a sweater , change of shoes along with MREs and a flask that he will fill with water for drinking and attach to the side of the pack , he also had his tolitries not that he would us them while in teh wilderness and his vila of wolfsbane in a metal vial not his usual one.