Hunting the Hunter

Angus was entirely too tired and weak to give Jess any issue. The truth was that he'd never really been in love before, let alone to make a spur of the moment choice to elope and then to be gunned down in the middle of the night on his wedding night. He'd nearly died from a severe wound to his chest, much too close to his heart, and causing broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

The fact that Bella had been right beside him and had provided him with such excellent cover was, as best he could remember, the sole reason he hadn't died on the spot. Then, the organization had been so close and moved so quickly was the only reason he hadn't bled out afterwards.

Now he had a brand new wife and a three year old daughter. He wasn't alone anymore. He hadn't even given Bella the elopement they'd wanted. It was getting off to a rocky start. Bella spent most of her time practically glued to him, taking care of him around the clock, or as best he could remember.

He'd gotten away from her loving hands this morning because he'd asked her to use her portkey and go to Paris and had sent her as a courier to deliver key paperwork to the organization. He'd suggested she take Rose and let her get a bite of the luscious pastries from the patisserie across the street from the flat that the organization owned. That had left him to his own devices. He hadn't planned on getting up, but when things had gone so sideways, he went back to his duties to try to help.

"I didn't honestly know it would be so difficult," he said quietly to Jess. "I used to be able to do that without any effort. And I don't usually make my own potions mixes--really."

He had been trying to read, and he'd tucked the clipboard that Robert and all the other healers in the house were using to chart his healing. It had been in his way, so he'd tucked it into the bottom drawer of his nightstand. He hadn't been intentionally hiding it, but at the moment, he was hoping that Jess wouldn't pick it up and see Robert's new notations. Robert had made a notation that since his shooting, Angus had lost a striking 12 pounds, his blood chemistry was off and was showing not only anemia but several vitamin deficiencies, and he was dehydrated. Robert had scribbled a hasty notation that Angus presumed was about a potion he intended to make when he got the time. It was a formula in the types of shorthand Robert always used for potions making. It looked like it used bloody every ingredient in the lab, and looked like it had to be brewed very meticulously b/c the formula was lengthy and complicated. Making his own hasty mix in the kitchen had seemed to suffice Angus well enough, he felt. Perhaps Robert wouldn't need to go to all that trouble after all.

"If you get a chance," he asked her, "would you find me a new book? I've finished this one. Lost my wand in Italy. Broke it right in half when I fell. I need to get to Ollivanders and get a new one really soon. I can't have my family unprotected," he said, still worried for their safety. "Luther Burke is behind bars for now, but Tom Gelding got away. I don't want him going after Bella and Rose because of me."

Jess sighed and nodded "Well some times rest and relying on friends helps" she said " oh and congrats" she said with a smile " don't worry your secrets safe" she chuckled noting his slight deficiencies but she said nothing knowing Robert probably knew about it.

As he spoke about his wand she nodded again " next run I take into Hogsmead I'll get you one, im sure he knows what one would suit you, but if your determined to go your self give me a few days for you to heal and we can go together." she told him. " I have to go finalize some things for the meditation room anyway." she reassured him.

"I heard about that. I'd put it on the south end of the house if I were you. It'll get the best sun there, and the south side has the clearest view of the night sky. The north side is blocked by all the woods. If you're interested, there's a superb glass maker that my grandfather knows that does good etched glass or stained glass for windows. Maybe he could do you a skylight if you ask. My grandfather would know how to reach him. Italy does have some of the best glass works."

He was glad she offered to help with the wand. "I'd appreciate having a wand as soon as possible," he said. "Oh, and keep an eye out for an owl for me, would you? I've sent some things to Gringotts and I should be getting a response. I haven't talked a lot to Bella about this yet. We haven't exactly had time, but I need to know that, if something were to ever happen to me, that she and Rose would always be taken care of. I've sent to Gringotts to make some changes in my accounts. They should be sending back some paperwork and probably some extra vault keys for the different accounts I have."

Jess listened and nodded at his suggestion " that's not a bad idea I'll mention it to Kate, clear skies are good and great idea, sunlight is good to recharge energies." she said she heard him mention about an owl and nodded "Okay, as soon as it arrives I'll bring it to you and well once all this..." She waved her hand around "Settles, take the time and talk to her about things, I'm sure she'll understand." Jess said with a smile.

It was now she looked at a window then smiled " speak of the devil" she said and opened it to let in an Owl with a rather thick ish shrunk envelope attached to its leg. Taking it off she resized it and placed it on Angus's lap "Guess this is what you were expecting, I'll get the Owl fed and settled before it flies back."

"Thanks," he said. "I don't want Bella to have to deal with the fact that part of this is that I've changed my will to include her and Rose. Can I give this to you or Jack later, after I read it and sign it, and have one of you send it back to London?"

"You should send Archangel out to join Jack. Eagles are natural predators for snakes because they're so sharp eyed and they fly so fast. He'd help Jack flush them out, and he always likes a good hunt. I was gonna take him with me if I went out because I knew I was gonna need all the help I could get. But I won't keep you. I know you've got things to do. Thanks, Jess."

Jess smiled and nodded " I;ll do it Jacks out roping some snakes and oh I forgot about him, I'll do that once I'm done here." she said moving her hand ever so slightly before removing it altogether and its okay, this is what I do." she said with a smile " I'm a healer remember." she chuckled but moved back " I will however leave you to your paperwork but please rest I'll come back in two hours." She pleased a fresh glass of water next to him then moved to the door.

Heading to Archangel she looked at him " okay Jack needs your talents, snakes are on the property." un hooking him she lifted him on her arm to the back door. Opening it she moved out side " okay go do what you do best Angel." she said and let him go."

Angus opened the paperwork and started reading it. Archangel was sitting on his perch in the living room, simply watching the daily movements in the house. He perked up when Jess came to set him outside.

The bird did recognize basic commands, such as Jack needing him. He was always happy to fly, so he took off into the skies and it didn't take him more than a moment to get an idea of where Jack had gone and to head in that direction.

"That will make him very happy," Kate said, laughing. "He doesn't care if they're poisonous or not. He just wants to get 'em. I hope Jack doesn't let him bring his catches home to use for presents, though. We really can do without that."

"We'll have to get rid of them before the kids see them if he does," Robert yawned. His sleep deprivation was catching up with him. "I'm just going to sit for a moment and enjoy my tea and then I've got to go make a very complicated potion. It has to be done in layers and each layer has to simmer precisely for the right amount of time. Near as I can figure, it should take me about 8 hours to brew it." He leaned back, trying to ease his headache that he was getting from just plain old fashioned sleep deprivation. He closed his eyes and massaged his temples for a moment. It didn't take more than about 30 seconds after that for him to slip off accidently to sleep.

Jess chuckled and nodded " oh I'm sure Jack will make sure no snakes come home." Jess said and motioned to Kate as she saw Robert now sleeping where he sat. Taking a throw she placed it over him " I'm sure Brant could keep an eye on the potion so he can sleep, he sourly needs it." she said as he walked out of the lab and looked at them both.

"huh?" he asked and Jess shook her head " oh, yeah caught your convo, the potion , yeah I'll take a look at it." he said and walked to where it sat simmering away gently. " should be okay for now."

"Not that potion," Kate said. "He said something to me about some other idea he had. Said he wrote it down but he'd have to copy it into his potions book. So who knows where the heck he wrote it at. He doesn't usually write them elsewhere, so it must have been something that came to him rather quickly. With a little luck, its something that can be just whipped up quickly."

"I think I'll start sketching some ideas for the seer's room and perhaps some for the meditation room," she said. "Its been awhile since I had any time to sketch, so while things are quiet it might be the time to get a start on it. We can do a simple lunch of just sandwiches and salad maybe. Or I'll have the elves fix something." She went to the kitchen and put on a pot of almond tea and then went to get her sketchpad and her pencils.

Brant looked at Kate and frowned as she explained about the potion. "Hum, I'll hunt it down an check it out..if I can decipher his notes, I'm guessing he has his own code that only he knows." He said and chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck. " now to play hunt the notes." he checked the potion and then went looking for Roberts little black potions book.

Jess chuckled as she watched him "He'll be at it for hours and be like a kid with a new toy just to prove something to Robert that he was right in giving him this job." she said watching him start to look for the book.