LONDON CALLING

Kaden and Jess listened and watched Robert work totaly facinated by it all. "Like a light bulb thats given too much electricaty it glows brightly before it burns out, thats when you know when to stop." Kaden said Jess smiled and nodded.

"Thats what I thought too" she said then looked at Brian " and if he does burn you Im right here to heal it." she told him gently.

Ruby looked up at Angus as he spoke " oh no, yours will still be the best I.. I just thought it might help." she said then noticed he wa some what teasing and smiled " yeah me nether, but by the sounds of it thats exactly what is happening, but anyway how are you feeling, any more symptons?" she asked marking the book and closing it. " Im sure we'll know when its over, but best to stay here, out of the way and I like your comfort clothing by the way." she smirked slightly

"That's precisely it, Kaden," Robert said.

"Thanks, Jess. Glad to know some has me covered," Brian smiled.

"It does help," Angus told her. "No new symptoms, thank goodness. The headache isn't getting better or worse, but nothing new either. I think, by the sounds of what Robert and my grandfather said, I might have escaped what could have been the worst of it." He laughed when she talked about his clothes.

"These? Don't tell, but these are trousers that I got in Colorado a few years ago I had been on assignment elsewhere and had to dash rather quickly to get out, leaving my duffel bag behind. So I arrived in Colorado with absolutely nothing but what I was wearing. One of the men on Brian's Colorado estate was muggleborn, and he had been given just a mountain of brand new clothes over the years by his family. So when I got there, he didn't even put a dent in his things and completely outfitted me.

"These are older but I have several pair that I got from him that still had the tags on. Americans call them Zubaz--they're what they call lounging pants--they're usually fleece or French terry. Americans are weird with some things. They call trousers pants. I don't get it, but that's what they do. Anyway, the patterns for some of them can be pretty wild, but they are incredibly comfortable. I usually transfigure the color before anyone else can see them but I just didn't bother today. So, did Robert have any new news when he got back? I can't wait for the day he tells us we got Gelding once and for all, but I don't think there's a chance we'll get him over this little mess. I've seen him do too many things where we really thought we were going to get him, and he's always been one step ahead of our efforts to capture him."

Ruby listened to him talk of his trousers and chuckled " I actually find them very fetching and no they didn't get him, he was long gone when they got there, place was cleaned out." she told him sighing deeply and disapointly that he'd got away. " I think their thinking what happened with Abby at the dentist might be his doing." she told him then balled her fists " god damn it I wish he was caught already too, hes a nucance that needs getting rid of."

She sighed and looked at him again " I like fluffy jumpers to snuggle into, I have one my mom bought for me that I wear some times, I think its good to have one thing that makes this whole world feel like home, right?" she said looking at him as she had spoken.

"Cleaned out? Really? Now that is something very interesting indeed. The Gelding mansion was the family home. Geldings have had it for generations, so to clean it out? What sort of desperation would make you move every stick of furniture out of it overnight and bugger off somewhere else in the dark? Think about that. That speaks of fear. He hasn't been that afraid of Robert, not up to this point. So who or what is he afraid of? That does make me wonder. I wonder of whoever he hired to do his dirty work has turned a bit on him and given him reason to fear them instead. Maybe the running doesn't have everything to do with us. Maybe this time, Tom Gelding has bitten off more than he can chew. Of course, that's only speculation, but I bet that hussy in Robert's bug jar could tell us a thing or three. Did we even tell you about her?"

He listened to her talk about the fluffy jumpers.

"There are a lot of fluffy jumpers around here. None of them mine, you understand. Abbey has several. Kate has two--a nice one she wears for good, and one is worn through, natty and ready for the bin, but its her favorite, and she refuses to toss it out. Khaat has one but she doesn't wear it nearly as often as she snags one of Brian's flannel shirts. Not sure I understand the attraction because they're ridiculously big on her and they smell like his cologne. But at some point every season, I'm going into her closet and hunting for all of Brian's warm shirts--and they're al there in her closet instead."

He listened to her talk of home, and he couldn't agree more. It made perfect sense to him.

"I agree completely. I think home should always be your own personal sanctuary--the place you come because its the one place on the planet where you completely belong, and where you can shut out the entire world if you want to. And isn't it funny how our definition of that sanctuary differs from person to person? My brothers have homes on Edward's property, but one of my brothers owns a time share, and where is this time share, you might ask? In a nudist camp of all places, and he's been after me for years to go spend a week there." He laughed. "Not up for that, I don't think. Naked is one thing, but in front of a camp full of strangers? I think not."

Ruby listened to Angus and smiled " I know, I left mine behind with my mom" she looekd at the shirt, his shirt she wore. " time to find a new home." she said and listened to him talk of his brothers home in the nudist camp " oh my, I agree, naked with a partner is one thing thats private, personal, but in front of others, nope no way." she said shaking her head.

"As for Gelding you might be right, hes hard to scar away, Robert even said there wasn't even a dust bunny left." she chuckled taking a sip of her tea. " but we still don't know who he's been working with big enough to scare him this bad."

"Naked with a partner can be quite lovely," he said, "but that should be either about love and connection, or about fun and sport. One or the other. Both, if they can manage it." He took a drink of his tea and pinched off a piece of the cinnamon roll and ate it. "This is very nice. Good job. Thank you."

"Not even a dust bunny. Now that is a man who is meticulous about not leaving any sort of evidence of any kind behind. Either that or not leaving anything personal that could be used in any sort of spellcasting against him."

"Well, in this last chapter, he hired some really freaky shapeshifting woman--a dark arts sorceress that preferred a big tall wizarding staff as opposed to a much more practical wand. She's been exceptionally naughty--as in Azkaban naughty. Very long story short, we captured the bitch--and that's being kind about her. Everything she could possibly need is provided for her. And we're holding her in what is, actually, rather luxurious surroundings until one of two things happen--she needs to provide us with some helpful information--or she will be collateral until someone is willing to deal with us for her release. It is not for us to punish. We merely don't want her causing anyone any more pain."

He had not mentioned that she was now the size of a cricket and was living in a bug jar that had, of course, been well appointed. But it was still a bug jar, nevertheless.

Downstairs, Robert saw the successful glow of radiant light starting to shine through Abbey's skin.

"I think," he smiled, "we've managed it. Looks promising anyway. I'm going to remove the wand, and Brian, you're going to remove your hand. Before I completely break the thread, Jess, will you check her to see if her energies feel like they're all willy nilly or are they feeling more properly charged and starting to come back into alignment and heal? If we're lucky, they're back to rights now. The glowing is from a bit of excess that will settle shortly, and then the glow will go out, so don't let that fool you."

Brian moved his hand away frm Abbey's forehead.

"Go ahead, Jess. Robert and I are clear," Brian said.

Ruby nodded " I feel it should be more about Love, more than anything else. " she said and watched him take a peice of the cinnimon roll. She heard him change the subjest to the small woman in the bug jar "small compensation while she won't talk" she said " hum.. might need to find a way to get her talking like a song bird." she said still sipping on her tea.

Jess watched as Robert remove the wand and Brian pulled back. She moved to take his hand healing a smal but minor burn on his palm " hes fine, allright " she told him moving to Abby she felt a slight sting but nothing she could not help align " shes a little out but nothing we can't straighten" she told Robert her hand gently moving as she moved the energy lines back in order. " there." she finalised.

"Well, yes, I don't disagree with that," Angus said, "but, if the couple has love already, it can be a lot of fun."

He listened to her saying that there needed to be a way to get her to talk.

"That's easy. I did pass Potions class. Veritaserum. That would take care of it. I just don't think we've had a chance to get to her. We will, though."

'Thank you, Jess," he said. "And thank you, Kate." Robert let the threads fade, put his wand away, and checked her himself. "Oh, you're right, Jess. She's much better. I'll cast a calming spell on her so she doesn't wake up all rattled again, and then I'll wake her."

"Kate," Brian said, "what was this man's name?"

"Brian, I don't think..." Kate began, not wanting Brian to go try to deal with him.

"His name, Kate. Now, please," Brian asked again quietly, not wanting to give into his anger in front of Kate.

"Harrington," Kate sighed. "He took over for Dr. Newton..."

"Yeah, I know where his office is," Brian said, "Thank you." He turned and went up the steps. Brian knew the dental department at St. Mungos and knew that had been where Newton had worked. If Harrington wasn't at St Mungo's, Brian would simply break into the staff records and get Harrington's address. He would find him, that much he was sure of.

"Robert," Kate said, knowing Brian was working too hard at repressing his anger.

"He's a father," Robert said. "Let him settle it his own way."

"If we do that, you'll be bailing him out of the nick," Kate said unhappily.

"And if that happens, I'll go bail him out," Robert shrugged. Brian went up the stairs and went to the kitchen and got his jacket off the hook near the back door.

"Where are you going, Son?" Michael asked, seeing Brian was clearly entirely too angry.

"Out," Brian said, putting on his jacket. Michael looked at Jack and nodded his head in Brian's direction as a silent suggestion that Jack should consider going with him to keep him from doing something stupid.

Ruby smiled and nodded " oh, lots of fun if you know the right moves and places." she said smiling with a teasing look as she sipped her tea. Jack had snuck into the kitchen to try and get another roll. He paused hearing Brian talking and watched him cross the kitchen to grab his coat. Now seeing Roberts silant motion he noded and followed Brian

"We going some place are we?" he asked slipping on his coat " rember Robert did say if we went any where it had to be in pairs." he looked at Brian " besides I've nevr seen the inside of a jail....nope scratch that I have once." he said chuckaling as he quickly grabbed a cinimon roll " one fore the road.

"Well," Angus said, deciding to throw the teasing back at her, "I think there is a lot to be said for the fun of discovering all of the right moves and all the right places. I happen to enjoy opportunities to explore those things, providing there isn't always a trip to the altar tied to it. The first, I could be in for The second--I can't go there. Not right now.

"The prat hurt my daughter," Brian said quietly, trying really hard to hold in his rage. "I don't know if he's a legitimate dentist or not. But I'm going to find out why her, and then make sure he never hurts anyone else's child." He looked briefly at Jack. "I can't promise I won't end up in jail right now, and I won't be sorry if I do."