A Birth day

Ruby listened to Edward and looked at him " oh poppycock and dander" she said and looked at the sleeping Angus " This is where I belong, this is where I want to be , with him and our daughter, I needed to feel what the mothers of the children we rescue felt and I did. the only ones who hurt me were my mother and father , one is dead and the other is still making a nascence of her self with my family" she told Edward " I am not being defensive or aggressive but know how he thinks and it is nothing to do with him, in fact he , he's the reason I am this far and this strong right now, but yes your right now is not the time to talk about it" she said " I'm going to our room, I need to wash the stink of the geldings off me." she said and then smiled " you want to look after Caprice for a bit, oh those are what they put her in, not her colours or lack of" she said then smiled " you can change her into something much more fitting if you want, I'm sure Simone brought a change."

Aria headed to the kitchen to let Rosaria that Caprice was home she told her and Carlo at the same time then went looking for Marcus hoping to tell him in person.

[marcus was the one who told her what angus was feeling, not edward.]

"Well, I think, for him, his drive to be with the organization started because of the fact that he felt 'disposable' to his own parents, and, in fact, to Benjamin and Eileen, he really was," Edward said. "He knew some of the kids had been actually given to Gelding and paid for it, so those kids felt cast out or cast aside, and he honestly did know how that felt. But--I think it was actually when he stopped living in Paris and started taking care of Abbey full time, that he really understood what it would feel like to be the parent whose child was stolen."

"He told me once about a child he tracked for almost five weeks before he got her back," Marcus said. "She was a little kid, maybe four or five. I forget just which, but he finally tracked her to the northern most regions of Norway in January, which is definitely not the time you want to be in Norway. But he found her, because he refuses to leave any kid behind. I think he told me she's now living at the Colorado facility, and she wants to get a job there when she turns legal age."

"I've met her," Edward said. "I went with Robert at Christmas to take his Christmas presents to the kids and staff there, and I met that girl. She loves Angus to pieces, and she and Angus have exchanged some letters. She asked Robert if she could attend some classes and train to become a healer and return to work full time somehow for the organization afterwards. Robert is certainly open to it. He told her that if she signed a contract to work for the organization for a number of years, he would pay for 100% of her expenses to go to school, including not just her tuition but also her living expenses while she's in school. I think she's going to accept. I think you'd like her. Robert let her do a name change not long ago because she wanted to erase any trace of her biological family. She calls herself Asia. Unfortunately I dont remember her last name, but I doubt that Colorado has very many kids named Asia."

"Certainly not," Marcus agreed. "Well, that'll give her a good paying career, and she'll get the training to be a fighter as well. And, if she chooses, she can be a part of some of the missions to rescue kids."

"She definitely wants a chance to do some of that, she told me," Marcus said. "I think Angus was tempted, at the time, to adopt her, but Robert had already had to assume guardianship to keep her from being sent back to her dark arts family. Robert talked to her parents at the time, and they had eight other kids at home, so they truthfully said to him that they had eight more where she came from, so what was the loss of one?"

"Gits. He should have taken the other eight," Edward said.

"Well, I'm sure he felt that way because Angus has always kept an eye on the kids and that house to make sure they dont do any more dealings with Tom," Marcus replied. "If they did, I have absolutely no doubt, Angus or Robert would yank them all out of that house, every one of them."

"It sounds like Angus is becoming a real thorn in Gelding's side. I am proud of him for that, but he needs to perhaps watch his step a little too," Edward said

"He has me, so that will keep the odds more in his favor. Realistically, I think that's part of what he's debating now. I think he's wondering if his work is becoming too dangerous for him to have a partner and a family. I think he's wondering if there is a piece he needs to give up, or does he need to lose it all and start over somewhere completely alone. He hasn't found a way to make peace with it."

"He needs to not look at that while the shipwreck is still surely in his head. He isn't going to be level headed if he does."

"Yeah. I'm trying to keep him off of that track for another day or two until the muggle meds are out of his system. He does not do well on them at all. I think they mess with him."

(oops sorry)

Ruby listened to Marcus and nodded she understood. " he opens his heart to others then feels he hurt them." she said softly as she looked at Marcus " you think it might help if we brought Asia here , just to see him, so he knows everything is fine and not his fault." she asked unsure of what she could do. Ruby thought for a moment and came to a decision " I'm going to speak to Robert for a moment" she said " I know you'll keep an eye on him" she said smiling a she took back Caprice and headed to change caprice out of the white outfit she was currently in.

Now with Caprice looking like caprice in a new bright outfit  Ruby smiled down at her as she picked her up off the bed and placed her in the sling around her chest. Now she moved to find Robert finding him in the study reading she walked over to him and sat down " I need to ask something and you might think me crazy for it." she said

"I think its probably more accurate to say that his choice to be a fighter puts the people he loves ina really vulnerable position where some of the consequences of his job tends to cause trauma for the people he loves," Marcus told her. "I mean, take Jess and Jack, for example. She was pretty insecure and wounded when she met Jack, but, she's learned to take Jack's job in stride, knowing that broken bones, etc. could well just be an occupational hazard for Jack. She doesnt let it traumatize her. I think if Angus didn't feel you were being traumatized by some of the stuff that happens to him, I think he wouldnt be feeling quite as stressed as he does right now. He just does not believe right now that he can be a fighter and have you and a family. He doesn't think those things go together, so he's trying to decide what's best for you and the kids. Seeing Asia, though? I'm sure he would enjoy seeing her. I think she's still in school yet, so it would need to be a weekend, but that would certainly give him some time to feel better. By then, he'll be out of bed most of the time, I would think."

Robert put his paper aside when Ruby came in.

"So what's on your mind?" Robert asked Ruby.'

Ruby took out Caprice and held her on her knee " I'd like to arrange for Asia to come here and visit Angus, Marcus told me he feels like he can't have a family and be a fighter we know that's poppy cock" she said " also I know what rattled me , it was seeing how she was looking after her daughter knowing she'd done the same thing to us, Jessie, victor and Sam physically seeing it opened a door I thought was closed, oh don't worry it is now, I had Jeffery take some of those memories, the worst ones and lock them away, I'm still me, just not super anxious any more." she paused as Caprice stirred in her arms and she smiled down at her soothing her back to sleep " the potions taking a bit longer to were off" she explained then looked back at him. " but now I feel I need to prove to Angus we're strong together and that his family make him the best fighter I know"

Aria and Jessie both sat in the kitchen as she watched Carlos make for them a Virgin Sangria using apples, oranges, lemons, limes, peaches, and berries and the juices of red grapes, white grapes, oranges, lemons and lime juice. He handed it to them and both took a sip and smiled "grazie Carlos, è fantastico" Aria said and Jessie nodded he agreed even though he only caught a few words Aria had said.

"I think he might enjoy that, and I'm positive she would," Robert said. "Asia will always, always see him as her hero because he never gave up. She was, I think, one of the middle kids in her family, and sometimes middle kids get looked over. She wasn't so much mistreated at home as much as just basically ignored. When her parents had the opportunity to make a significant amount of money from Tom, they took the bait. It was pretty much that simple. Asia has never ever forgotten that not only did Angus not forget her but he chased the family she was placed with across 8 different countries until he found her. Before that, she had no idea anybody could care that much. That has always stuck with her, and, I think, it had a huge impact on her because she seems to need to try to show that same caring to the smaller kids that we take in.

"Incidently, it was that unintended lesson she got from him that sort of inspired her desire to become a healer. On the playground at the Colorado facility, she would see the little kids when they would fall and scrape a knee or an elbow, and she was quick to go and help them up. Then, she had some leftover plasters from one of her own scraped knees, and she stuffed them in her pocket. It didn't take long til the other kids figured out she had plasters, and they started coming to her to get them if they got banged up a little. She learned a couple healing spells, and, well, you can see where it went. Now she wants to get training in it. What we gain from others can matter quite a lot.

"I am glad you're feeling better. Let's be honest, you and Angus are a really young couple. You haven't even known each other quite a full year. I don't care how great the sex might be at first. That isn't what matters anyway. You can have outstanding sex with complete strangers. It happens daily for some folks. Being a great couple, though, that's rare because it's how you grow as a couple and the work you're both willing to do to make it work. And, if you want it to last a lifetime, that work should never stop. That's what builds a great relationship. I think you should tell him what you told me. That will make sense to him, I'm sure."

Ruby smiled and nodded as he said it would be a good idea for Asia to visit Angus " I'll see if Jess could come too, maybe she could give her some tips on becoming a healer, and teach her some simple spells to help her too" she said then heard Robert and nodded " I agree, we still have a long way to go, but we'll do it together, no matter how hard he pushes us away, I'll stand beside him and not let go" she said then heard him say to tell Angus what she had told Robert and nodded " I will, weather he listens is another matter" she said " but I can't change the way he thinks , I can only do as much s I can" she added and stood up holding Caprice close. " if its okay I'll check on Angus and then put this one in her travel crib to sleep off the rest of this potion" she said with a chuckle as Caprice gave a disgruntled groan.

Ruby headed to the room with Angus in and stood beside his bed before she sat down and took hold of his hand in her own and held it as she spoke to him softly " not sure if your awake but I know what rattled me , it was seeing how she was looking after her daughter knowing she'd done the same thing to us, Jessie, victor and Sam, physically seeing it opened a door I thought was closed, oh don't worry it is now permanently, I had Jeffery take some of those memories, the worst ones and lock them away, I'm still me, just not super anxious any more, I still love you as I did that day I saw you with Jessie" she said and smiled " Caprice is here with me, she's safe but as hard as you blame your self, it had nothing to do with you, Jeffery offered to remove the memories when I first went and I said no at the time, mistake on my part, so two days ago I asked him if he still could and he agreed, so there gone."

It was now Caprice woke and cried in her arms Ruby smiled and took her out the sling sitting her on her knee as she let her see Angus from her knee as she sat next to the bed.

"Ruby, why don't you just put her in her crib in the nursery?" Robert asked. "She's got a perfectly lovely nursery two doors down from your bedroom."

"I'm awake," Angus said sleepily. "Sort of." He listened. "I appreciate you telling me," he said. "It makes sense. I know we all have some skeletons in our closets. While you were gone, I asked Edward to talk to my attorneys in London and in Paris on my behalf, and I asked Michael to talk to Daniella again. Michael told her what just happened, and the aurors are probably there at the Geldings house now. I've filed for permanent custody based on their activities, Diamond's health, the pictures we took when we searched the house, their multiple convictions and jail sentences, and a whole host of other reasons. It is not something I want to do--not at all, but if I don't, let's be real, Diamond is going to die in that horrendous house. I don't want any part of having to do this. This only makes my life that much more dangerous, and it puts you and all the kids at extreme risk. Edward and Simone are unmovable--they believe I had no other choice. Evan and Robert agree. But it means they will up the attacks, and I am not going to be safe for anyone to be around. And I haven't decided what to do about that. Robert says part of that is the muggle drugs yet. He says these muggle things can hang on and not completely clear the body for a matter of days. No wonder he says muggle medicine is barbaric.

Ruby heard Robert and nodded "I will " she said then turned hearing Angus and listened to him talk. Ruby nodded her head hearing him talk " I agree and we'll all stand with you threw it, its what family does and if it comes to relocating Diamond then as long as Robert vets the family that's okay we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." she said then heard him talk of the muggle medicine he had been given Ruby smiled and chuckled " yeah I heard they can be a bitch" she said it was now Caprice reached out her hands and giggled before calling out "Dada, dada" Ruby chuckled and looked to Angus.

Leaning down she let Caprice touch Angus's cheek and smiled as she gently touched him then she lifted her back up " okay, Caprice time you should be sleeping" she said and chuckled as Caprice continued to call out to Angus " I'll take her out so you can rest" she lent down and kissed Angus gently " I'll see you later" she said and looked to Robert and then left to put Caprice down for her nap.

"Okay," Angus said, just accepting what she said for now. Caprice's babbling did seem to be starting to take some meaning on lately. As she was leaving, Carlo came in, and he had a couple of Rosaria's homemade mocha cappuccinos, one for Angus and one for Marcus. And he also had a bundle of something in brown paper that he was going to lay on the bed, but Marcus took it from him.

"I know what this is," Marcus said. "I sent to Clive for it. Enjoy your coffee for a moment while I open this."

Marcus opened the bundle. It was a stack of warm, fleece sweatshirts for shoulder surgery patients that snapped at the shoulder and then starting under the wrist and going down under the arm and completely down the side seam in order to make it easy for the shirts to get on and off. Marcus had gotten them in several colors--gray, black, brown, forest green, royal blue, sage green, and a red. Clive had also enclosed matching sweatpants and some warm socks so that he didn't have to either try to have someone bring some of the adaptive tee shirts that Robert had gotten him last year, and then still be chilled, or wrap himself in a blanket. This would keep him warm. The snaps on the shirts were made to look like stylish, rugged rivets so it wouldn't look like some old man's shirt.

"Thank you," Angus said, grateful for not having to be shirtless forever.

"Well, Ruby probably enjoys seeing your muscles, but its chilly in here, Mate," Marcus laughed. "When we get you home, we'll put this bed downstairs in the living room so you can be near the action and near the fire both."

"I'm not going to be in bed. I'll just use my chair."

"You don't seriously think Ruby's going to let you go without any sort of a bed for a week or two, do you? She just isn't going to let that happen, and we both know that."

"I think we should be going home," Angus sighed.

"Well, I understand what you mean, but realistically, you have dual citizenship, and Ruby needs to be thinking of getting it because someday, this house is going to be your responsibility. This is as much your home as the duplex is. You should be getting dual citizenship for Caprice too. The kids can make their own choices, I'm sure. If you adopt Diamond, she probably will need a triple citizenship between England, France and Italy."

"I hadn't thought of all that yet," Angus groaned. "More paperwork."

"That isn't accurate," Edward said, coming in. "I have a response from the French attorneys. You have an excellent case. You don't have dual citizenship, Angus. I just had this discussion with the Paris attorneys. Your grandmother and I held dual citizenships betwee England and Italy, and although you were born in Italy, you did hold dual citizenship too because we obtained that for you. That technically changed for you when you worked in Paris for so many years. Robert had to apply for triple citizenship for you so you could continue to work in Paris. He probably just thought it was a formality, but you hold triple citizenship, as it stands. And that gives you a considerable advantage in this matter with Diamond because I'm sure that Suzanne wasn't smart enough to realize that when she commited that crime, she was commiting it against a citizen of all three countries. She's in deep manure over this one, Boy."

Marcus laughed, amused.

"I have a feeling that Jessie and your boys are going to get a bit of a laugh over it. I don't know about Ruby, though," Marcus said