Bollixed

"Well, your dad sounds a bit more grounded," he smiled, returning her kiss. "At least I won't have to work so hard to try to impress him. That's nice.  If it helps, though, with your mom, my official title is Chief of Staff. I don't generally use it because it makes me sound like the butler, I think, but that's part of what I do, really.  It is a bit more impressive when someone can actually see the size of the estate and then they can put some perspective to it."


He listened as she read the owl from her mother. It made him laugh out loud. 


"I think I've pretty much always been available," he thought the whole owl was amusing. "Oh, let her fish for information, Belle. Its fine. I'd rather get it right out of the way. She needs to know the truth.  But--here's the thing. I'd like it if your parents approved, but so far as I'm concerned, its not a deal breaker. I'm not going anywhere on their say so. That choice is strictly ours."


"Invite them for the weekend and get it overwith," Robert said, heading out to the kitchen to get a second cup of tea.  "Let her find out how formal we really do live.  We'll try to lighten her up."


Angus looked at Belle questioningly and shrugged. "I don't have a problem with it if you don't.  That's up to you."

Bella smiled softly, "I think it's gonna be more along the lines of how we are together. That's what my mother would be looking for I know. My father will like you once he meets you. My mother is a very difficult woman to understand. She's extremely nosy about everything." She shook her head as she turned to look at Rose who was looking at Angus and her. Tilting her head as Rose came over to them, Rose hugged Angus' leg then giggled running back to the children.

She smiled at his words, "Well I'm pretty sure that they will approve you of. I know my dad will like you and my mom we will have to see what happens there." She didn't know how she got to be so lucky to have a guy like him. She of course was counting her lucky stars that she did.

"Trying to get my mother to lighten up will be a struggle. Though I think you all would be able to more so than anyone else." She said smiling thinking that it might get her mother to smile more.

"I don't mind but when is the more important question." Bella said thinking of when it would be a good time to have her mother over for tea.

Angus was accustomed to the kids doing that "checking in" thing they did, dashing up to him, clinging to him for a moment, and dashing off again.  However, it was more familiar from Khaat's kids, who he had known from their births. Rose was getting more attached to him, and he liked it. He petted her hair, reassuringly, and let her dash back to playing with the other kids.


"Anytime you like is fine," Angus said to her. "Ask them for tea, or for lunch, or ask them to spend the weekend. They won't get a chance to see much of the estate at tea, I'm afraid. Although it would be a good way for them to test the waters. You could invite them for tea or lunch and if it goes well, then ask them for a weekend."


Abbey came out and tugged on his pantleg. He looked at her. "What's up, Abs?" he asked.


"Can we go swim?" she asked. 


"I don't see why not," he said. "Its a beautiful day, and the water in the outdoor pool should be warm. You know the rules. You all have to have your swim suits on before you go in the water."


"And grownups," she nodded. 


"Yes. And grownups," he said.  He looked at Bella. "I don't know if you brought suits for you and Rose, but believe me, swimsuits is not something we're short on. I'm sure there's something that will fit Rose, and Khaat's got enough swimsuits to open her own boutique.  I'm sure we can find you something. What do you think? You up for helping me with a big bunch of little ones in a pool?"

"I think tea first would be better," Bella said watching her daughter interact with the kids. "It would be a chance to see how my parents will react with everything. Then maybe after that see about a weekend. I have a feeling though that something good will happen just having my parents come. I don't know what exactly but I just know it will. If that makes any sense at all."

She smiled at his interaction with the kids thinking that he was a amazing man. "I have Rose's bathing suit but I don't have one. I haven't had the chance to buy one yet. I'll have to do that soon, so that I can swim with Rose often." She said trying to think of a good place to buy a swimsuit. "Khaat will probably have to help me find the place she got hers at. For now I might have to borrow one. I would love to help you with the children in the pool. Sounds like lots of fun. I haven't went swimming in a long time, I'm excited now." She grinned like a little kid then laughed knowing what she looked like.

"Tea sounds fine. If you want to do tea at the cottage, or maybe in the flower gardens, whatever you like. If you want my help or the house elves for pastries, whattever you need, just let me know," he said, wanting to let her decide how to host this herself.


"Suki," he called the house elf. Suki and Dottie appeared at the kitchen doorway. "The kids would like to go swimming. Can you lot help them get into their swimsuits, please? Belle has one for Rose, but we're going to go borrow a suit for Belle."


"Straight away," Suki said.


"Come on. Let's go raid Khaat's closet," Angus grinned. "First of all, Khaat's good with letting people borrow things. And second, Khaat's a bit of a clotheshorse, so she's not going to miss anything, believe me."  


He took her up to the master bedroom. It was probably Khaat's favorite room in the house. She spent a lot of time in the sitting area, on the ivory colored sofa.  The bedroom was large and spacious but had the same southwest feel as the rest of the house.  


The bedroom had a large ensuite bathroom, Brian's walk in closet, and Khaat's larger walk in closet. The one thing that was consistent throughout was the warm woods that the rooms were done in. 


Khaat's closet was well organized. Racks for blouses, pants, skirts, dresses, evening gowns, drawers and cabinets for other things. spaces for loads of shoes of all sorts.  It was well appointed with lighting and mirrors, and comfortable seating.  


"Brian buys her whatever she wants, and he knows what he likes to see her in," Angus said. "A lot of these she hasn't even had a chance to wear yet." He went over to one of the cabinets and opened it to show a rack of bathing suits in a variety of sizes--one pieces, two pieces, in all colors, sarongs, coverups, anything she needed for either swimming or sunning. "Khaat's figure goes up and down a bit, sorta like the rest of us, so you'll find a range of sizes.  That, and we've all gotten good at tailoring spells. So pick what you like.


"Most of what she gets, she gets from a wizarding dress shop in Venice. An old family friend. I can connect you if you like. Tobias tends to handle things that have a bit more of a bohemian, romantic sort of look. Very feminine. Silks, laces, that sort of thing. But he also does clothing for men and children and infants. He's very meticulous with his tailoring, and once he gets a client's measurements in his head, he tends to put things back for clients that he thinks will look exceptional on them. He's a good guy."

"The cottage would make a nice place to have tea I would like you to have tea with us. If that's ok with you." Bella said looking at him wondering what he would say. "It would allow my parents to meet you and get to know you a little better. I want them to see what I know already."

"Raid her closet? Really?" She said with wide eyes as she followed Angus upstairs to Khaat's room. "Does she really have that many clothes? I'll return the swimsuit once I have my own though."

Looking at everything in Khaat's room had her looking with awe and envy at a few items. Seeing Khaat's closet had her mouth falling open at the amount and how organized it was. "Wow that's a lot of clothes and it's so well organized." She said as she thought that she needed to organize her closet a little better. Hearing that she didn't get the chance to wear some she gave a small laugh. She opened her mouth and closed it several times not able to think of something to say. "Wow," was all she was able to utter after a while.

Seeing the bathing suits and her eyes went wide yet again. "Holy cow." She said looking at all of them but only one kept her attention. It was a two piece but she began wondering if it would look good on her. She listened to Angus nodding then said, "I think I may have to see him about a few items. He seems like he knows what he's doing considering the look of all these clothes. They are so lovely and pretty." She finally sighed and took the two piece she was eyeing. "I'll be right back." She grabbed a sarong that matched it and walked into the bathroom. She wanted to know what he thought of the bathing suit. She quickly dressed and put the sarong around her waist tying it like it should.

Walking out of the bathroom to get his opinion she looked up at him. "So what do you think? Do I look okay?" She asked feeling a little awkward in it but feeling good about the color.

"Well, if you like what you're seeing, then, chances are pretty good that you're liking a lot of the things Tobias selects for her. Next time we get home to Italy, remind me and we'll take the short hop to Venice."


At this point he wasn't sure he was going to tell her about the hotel that Khaat and Brian were investors in.  They had a suite there that they could reserve whenever they wanted--the suite where Khaat and Brian had fallen so hopelessly in love. And it was the same suite where their triplets had been conceived. So, taking Belle to Venice? Sure. Getting that particular hotel room? Angus wasn't sure. He wanted whatever traditions he and Belle might come up with to be theirs.


When she came out of the bathroom with the two piece on, he smiled. "Lovely," he nodded. "Far better on you that it does on her.  Its your color.  Not her color.  Thats why she hasn't worn it. There's a funny story to that, but Brian would be very, very glad if you got that out of her closet for him," he laughed. "He loves the suit but he really hates it on her."


He went over to her and kissed her.  "I think," he said softly, "you should definitely wait and let me take that suit off for you later."  He gave her a seductive kiss on her neck, behind her ear, just as a soft reminder.  Then he sighed. "I need to go find my suit.  And you'd better find Rose's suit. There's nobody who loves the pool more than Khaat's kids."

"That would be wonderful Angus. I definitely would love to go see him about a few things." Bella said grinning thinking about several items she wanted to get.

When he said that she looked lovely in the bathing suit she grinned big. "Thank you Angus. I loved the color and I kinda wasn't sure it would look good on me." She said looking down at herself. "I'll have to ask her about that story sometime."

Kissing him back and grinning at his words. "You take it off me later as long I get to take yours off too." She said as she gasped softly when he kissed her neck and behind her ear. She kissed his neck before he sighed then giggled. "Don't worry tonight will be a lot of fun." She grinned mischievously at him. "Yes I'll get Rose's suit." She kissed his lips before grabbing her clothes from the bathroom.

She quickly left Khaat's room and headed to the cottage. Seeing Rose on the way she took her hand and lead her to the cottage. They went into the room that was Rose's and grinned at her daughter's reaction.

"Mommy I love it!" Rose squealed as she looked around the room jumping up and down. "Do we get to ive here?"

"Yes baby, we get to live here. Angus showed mommy this today. I'm glad that you like it honey, do you think you'll like it here?" Bella asked her daughter with a smile.

"Yes! I love ggie for this." Rose said with a giggle then looked at her mom. "Are you and ggie togther?"

Bella laughed at her daughter's words but she wasn't going to hide it from her. "Yes baby, Angus and me are dating." Rose's squeal of delight made her smile widely. "Alright honey let's get your suit on." She helped Rose get dressed in her suit then they both put on flip flops heading out of the cottage towards the pool. She had a bottle of sunblock and began putting it on Rose making sure that she covered everything. They waited for everyone on one of the loungers along the pool.

He simply smiled, content at where his relationship was with her.  He went and changed into his swim trunks, knowing that often part of his job was in supervising the kids in the pool. 


When he got out to the pool, he nearly panicked to see Khaat's kids already in the pool--until he saw Brian and Khaat's mother, Kate, were already there and in the pool with them.  


He had to laugh that he saw six kids and a labrador puppy.  Abbey had somehow gotten what looked like either animagus or metamorph powers from her biological father, and when she was around water, the part of her that turned into a labrador got so excited about water that she almost always ended up changing into a labrador puppy in the pool.  Accidental baby magic that had happened from almost the instant she was born.


One thing about it, when Abbey was a labrador, Angus didn't have to worry about her swimming.  And Khaat's kids just continued to call her Abbey and interact with her just as if she hadn't changed at all.  


"Six kids and a dog. Looks about right," he teased.


"Always," Brian laughed.  "But you know we won't get her back out of labrador form until Robert changes her back when he gets home."


"She won't care," Angus laughed.

"Isobella and Rose joining us?" Brian asked, noticing he and Bella were an item.


"Yes. I loaned her one of Khaat's suits."


"That's fine," Brian said, unconcerned.  Angus was family, so whoever he chose in his life was family, so far as Brian was concerned.

Bella and Rose made their way to the pool where all the kids were. Rose squealed loudly as she quickly took off her flip flops then walked over to the side of the pool. "Come on mommy." She said grinning at Bella as she waited for her mom to take off her flip flops and sarong.

Bella laughed at her daughter's way of having to get into the pool. She walked up to the edge and stepped off the side and into the water. Once she was back above water she turned to face Rose. Holding out her arms to her as Rose jumped towards her. Catching her as she daughter giggled as she wiped her face.

"Ggie come on," Rose said grinning as she motioned with her hands for him to come into the water.

Bella grinned as she saw her daughter adoration of Angus which made her heart melt. "Yeah come on Angus." She teased as Rose began doing her usual swimming practice. "Maybe you can help me help improve Rose's swimming. She still needs a lot of practice before she can swim longer and without any assistance." She took Rose's hand as she swam back to her after a few feet from the edge. She looked around at the other children who were also swimming. That's when she noticed the labrador puppy in the pool with them. Turning her head slightly to make sure she wasn't seeing things then smiled softly.