LONDON CALLING

"Well, you're right. So, let's make it a pool party, and everyone, including us, can go in our bathing suits and then we'll just grill some steaks," he laughed. "Just so long as we decide to tie the knot before the kids graduate from Hogwarts, I suppose."

He really was teasing, but he did like the idea of something very casual, and not necessarily something with tuxedos and crystal goblets and all the tomfoolery that the rich had to have. He wasn't that way, and he knew Ruby wasn't that way either. Still, he hoped whenever they did get married, it was the only wedding either of them would ever have, and so it needed to be whatever they both wanted.

"Agreed," Brian said. He and Jack turned and headed straight back to the farmhouse.

In the kitchen, Michael was working with Kate to fix supper. The leftovers from lunch had been put away, and Michael was fixing a very large kettle of steak and ale soup with crimini mushrooms, and he had had Sparks send them some large loaves of their fresh baked sourdough bread, and some desserts. Lizzie had sent some fresh cranachan, a lovely artic roll, and a nice large pan of spotted dick. That would satisfy even the biggest sweet tooth. Michael had taken the sourdough bread and he had made some coronation chicken sandwiches and some bacon butties so that people had their pick. It was a very simple supper but it was sheer comfort. Michael had had Kate taste his creamy steak and ale soup, and Kate had completely fallen in love with it. She wanted it on the menu at Sparks straight away.

"Well, maybe no one will be hungry for supper," Michael said.

"That's fine," Kate said. "More for us."

"Well, its all ready except for setting out on the sideboard," Michael told her.

"I'll start setting that up for you," she told him.

Angus smiled, glad she was happy. They sat together in the quiet, and then they were interrupted by a knock at the door, followed by someone entering. It was Nigel.

"Just wanted to check and see how you were doing," Nigel said. He came over and checked on the surgical dressings. "Some seeping, which is perfectly normal given the wound it is. It isn't bleeding. It's just serous fluid, and that's actually a good sign. How's the pain?"

"Manageable," Angus said, his stomach growling loudly.

"Excellent. If it increases at all, let me know. I'll probably have to change the dressings before bedtime, but that's fine. So, how's your appetite? Do you feel like you want to try some food for supper tonight?"

"Yes, I think I would," Angus said. "I'd like to go downstairs and join the rest of them."

"That's pretty ambitious for someone who just had major surgery a short while ago. I certainly won't rule it out for tomorrow, but, just for tonight, I think you should be a bit more conservative. I'd much rather see you have a restful supper up here and see what your stomach will and won't allow tonight. If you do well and get a good night's sleep, you might feel up to being out of bed for some time tomorrow." He looked at Ruby. "Do try to keep him at a low roar for tonight, would you? I'll go see if they'll send up a tray. That way I can make sure that you're not getting anything too excessive for your stomach to handle." He left again.

"You know, I can't even remember the last time I was on the disabled list," Angus told her. "It's been ages."

Nigel went downstairs, saw the offerings for supper and believed Angus should be able to handle it, and he asked Kate to fix a tray for Angus and Ruby and to send it up. She readily put it together for them and sent it upstairs.

Outside, Brian and Jack had arrived back at the house, and Brian laughed when Jack changed his mind and decided to eat before going to the barn.

"I'm with you," Brian said. "I don't know what they're fixing but it smells great. I think we should wait until after dinner and then talk to Robert, just the three of us. Let's not alarm everyone unless we have to." He followed Jack inside to see Kate carrying a massive platter of sandwiches to the dining room, and Michael was floating an enormous tureen of soup. He followed them to see that everything else was ready, and Abbey was already in her chair with a little bowl of soup and a half of a sandwich.

"What's for dinner, Abs?" Brian asked.

"Soooop," Abbey said.

"Is it good?" Brian asked. She nodded.

"Yummy," she said.

"I'm glad you like it," Michael smiled.

"It's all gone'd," she said.

"Would you like some more?" Kate asked. Abbey nodded. Kate picked up Abbey's little bowl and put another part of a ladle full in the bowl and gave it back to her.

"Jack, Abbey's eating your share of the soup," Brian called. "She's already having seconds."

"Seconds?" Robert asked, coming in. "She never has seconds."

"She's having seconds tonight," Kate said.

"Well done, Abbey," Edward laughed, coming into the dining room. "I think that's one vote for Michael's cooking tonight."

"Well, so you know, Edward," Nigel said, "Angus is hungry, so I'm sending up a supper tray for him and Ruby. He's really doing well, all things considered."

"That's my boy," Edward smiled. "Told you he was resilient."

Angus heard the quiet tapping on the door, and he used wandless magic to open the door. When he opened the door, the tray that Kate had fixed for them floated in.

"Rescue that, would you, please?" Angus asked Ruby. "I actually owned a tray once that I'd used and sent it upstairs with coffee for Khaat and Brian and the ruddy tray decided it couldn't find a place to land, and it floated right back down to the kitchen. Stupid thing. I would prefer for this one to not get the same idea. Whatever supper is tonight, it smells great. Maybe I need to stop cooking and let them handle it with really great stuff like this on the menu."

"Coronation chicken," Nigel smiled. "I haven't seen that in years. I don't get into muggle London much anymore, but this tastes just as I remember it. Well done, Tremaine."

"You're welcome," Michael smiled.

"Did you find the wolf?" Robert asked.

"Well, no," Brian said. "I was going to talk to you after supper, but, bottom line, it looks like the wolf was removed by someone. Dragged off and apparated out."

"That makes no sense," Robert frowned.

"Jack and I wondered if we've been compromised here again. And if that's true, we're not safe here."

"Well, we were compromised for the wolf to get into our property anyway," Robert said.

"That means we need to move again, doesn't it?" Kate asked.

"The devil I will," Robert frowned defiantly. "Everything is intact, and, so long as we find our protections in in place, then we stay and, if a fight comes, we fight. We're warriors, fighters. Not runners."

"With four people now on our disabled list, though," Kate said, concerned.

"Three of which are more than halfway mended," Robert said. "And that reminds me. How are Michael's vertebrae, Nigel?"

"Healing splendidly," Nigel said. "He's not quite ready for mountain climbing but he's holding up very well for kitchen duties. He should be right as rain again, and ready to climb in a couple weeks, I should say. I boosted the healing spells to try to speed up what little healing he has left. And, Edward is more than halfway back to his old self. As for you, you're in splendid shape, except that your hands need more work. We'll keep on it. I think you'll get full use back, but it will take more time. And, since Angus felt like eating supper, he's actually ahead of schedule for where he should be tonight. You're a good crew here, the lot of you. I had my misgivings when I got here, but you're all proving me wrong."

"Oh," Angus said, taking a bite of soup. "It's a steak and ale soup. Michael can always manage a surprise, I think. It's really very nice. I think he's perhaps used a good Scottish ale in this one. It's given it a very smooth, well rounded taste. So what exactly is your favorite food?"

Robert listened to Jack's plan with the wolves at Brian's place, and he nodded.

"Good. That's a good plan. I don't know if they'd be able to tell you anything from any of the wolf blood you found outside, but you're welcome, of course, to take some with you. I think Brian should go with you. I don't think any of us should go out on the grounds alone under the circumstances."

"And that brings up a valid point," Nigel said. "Since you lot are so determined to get involved in one battle after another, I agree you should travel in pairs. I think, if push came to shove, even those of you on the disabled list could fire your wands to lend a hand if you had to. All of you but this bloke here..." he pointed at Robert. "This one's magic is on the fritz. Doesn't work a lick. He couldn't even levitate a gnat if his life depended on it. It's because his hands are all buggared, of course. So, be aware that he can't join you in a squabble, but, neither can he defend himself one iota if he gets caught somewhere alone."

"He won't be alone," Brian said firmly.

"I'm glad to hear you say so. Robert Lupin is not a man to allow himself to be vulnerable, but right now, he is completely vulnerable. If you do find yourselves infiltrated, he cannot begin to defend himself. Just so you're all aware."

"Me too," Angus smiled. "I don't know that I have a favorite food either. I like the adventure of food--like you, trying new things, cooking new things. That's the fun of it. This is really good, though."

"Thank you, Jack," Robert said. "I don't know that I've ever needed to levitate a gnat anyway." Brian laughed.

"We're a family," Michael said, "all of us. And we take care of each other. It's just what family does. No big deal."

"We brought Marcus back to guard you and then..." Brian began.

"No, no," Robert interrupted. "I know where you're going with that. Leave him with Khaat. She trusts him, and we know that James has zero'd in on her. I have you lot, and you're all the support I need. I might not have my magic, but there are muggle weapons if I had to, and I can still think. We'll be fine."

"BooBoo!" Abbey squealed with delight when Jack gave her BooBoo Kitty, and she hugged the stuffed cat as if she had been reunited with a longlost friend. "Tanks, Unca Jack"

"Aren't happy endings nice every so often?" Robert laughed.

"They are indeed. I'll go get us all some after dinner coffee," Kate said. "I wonder if I should send up some coffee and dessert up to Angus and Ruby."

"I think we should send it, and if they don't want it, they'll just let it sit," Michael said, "and that would be fine too. Michael fixed a dessert plate for Angus and one for Ruby, and on each plate he gave them each just a few bites of each of the three Sparks desserts, so that Angus and Ruby each got a taste of each of the desserts and had a nice after dinner coffee to finish it with. Then he sent it upstairs. The dessert tray simply floated up the stairs and into Angus's bedroom for Angus and Ruby to pluck it out of the air.

"Oh, looks like we get dessert tonight too," Angus told Ruby, seeing the tray float in. "I might pick at it a little." He was starting to feel very full, and he was getting far more tired than he wanted to give in to

Kate, in the meantime, brought in mugs of coffee and put the desserts on the sideboard so people could help themselves. Kate brought Robert a slice of Artic roll with some coffee, and she chose for herself a portion of cranachan.

"Thank you, Michael, for a wonderful dinner," Kate said. "I always love just a really good bowl of soup and a sandwich. And somehow you elevated it and made it elegant."

"Jack, should we go see the wolves tonight, or are we better to do that in the morning?" Brian asked him, trusting Jack to know what was for the best.