LONDON CALLING

Angus did like that Ruby liked adventure as much as he did, and although he was sure she did worry from time to time, she was still able to let him follow his heart. And that was only one more reason he found his dreams of the future were changing. For his entire life, his dreams of the future were solitary ones. Now, he found himself dreaming of a future for two, of spending his life with someone instead of alone. of watching his first child be born and holding it for the first time, of watching his child take its first steps. And, even being able to go into old age without doing it alone.

"Come on," he told her with a smile. "We've got a story to tell, and he loves a good skirmish story. "And then, maybe we can talk Michael into fixing a homemade lasagna with all the fixings for supper tonight. And, if you want to contribute dessert for it, I could talk you through making the very best pistachio ice cream you've ever had in your life."

Marcus arrived with Khaat, and she was on her feet but clearly not 100 percent. They came into the kitchen, and Marcus saw Angus and Ruby there.

"You beat us home," Marcus laughed. "And here we thought we were pretty speedy."

"We didn't stop to turn in our broom like you did," Angus laughed. Marcus laughed out loud and poured Khaat a mug of tea and set out a chocolate frog in front of Khaat.

"Yes, you're right, Jessie," Brian said. "And, I want to spend some time tomorrow redoing our protection shields at both properties and in Paris. We have got to make the shields almost impossible for them to break. We have to be a lot more inaccessible. I think, maybe, if I can get Edward and Michael and Gabe to work together and to consult with Robert that maybe we can make that happen."

Ruby smiled and chuckled " oh that sounds yummy and patashio ice cream, sounds devine" she said following him into the house seeing Marcus and Khaat. " Hows Khaat doing?" Ruby asked " I still wish we'd got James though, his getting away irks me, but I guess not as much as Jack thou" she said bringing out the ice cream maker from the cupboard and smiled to Angus " all right my sexy chef talk me threw it." she said with a chuckle.

Jessie landed and put his broom away then looked at Brain. "agreed, Jack and I will get on that first light tomorrow." he said " for now we'll strengthen the ones around the house." he opened the door to where the brooms were stored and waited for Brain.

"Right as rain," Marcus told Ruby with a smile. "Remus was right. Chocolate fixes everything. I think she wants to try to beat me at backgammon."

"You'll need to get into the pantry and get the bag of pistachios. You'll need to toast a cup of them on a sheet pan. Just turn the oven onto a medium heat, chuck the pistachios onto a dry sheet pan and bung it in the oven for a few minutes. Not long, or they'll burn. The minute you start to smell them, get them out straight away. Take half of them and grind them down fine. You can use the mortar and pestle if you want or just flick a spell at them. Whatever you like. the other half, you're going to chop them so it adds some texture to the ice cream. And then, we're going to make a lovely creamy creme ingles with heavy cream, cream cheese, almond extract, sugar, a bit of golden syrup, a pinch of salt, and a speck of corn flour. We'll add all the pistachios in, sir it to get it completely blended and then we'll freeze the lot. Now, clear as mud?"

Michael and Edward made their way home, and Michael came in the kitchen and saw Khaat and Marcus having tea and chocolate, and Ruby preparing to make something.

"Michael, I have a request," Angus said. "Could you make a ginormous lasagna for supper tonight, with maybe one of your exceptional caesar salads? Ruby has dessert under control already."

"Sounds like a great idea," Michael said. "I'm on it." Michael went over to the fridge and the pantry to check Kate's ingredients."

"Whatcha making, Shorty?" Michael asked, teasing very gently. After all, he as a good eight inches taller than she was.

"Sounds like a good plan, Jessie," Brian said. "Wake me if you have any snags."

Ruby chuckled at his instructions " yep, clear as mud." she said smiling at him she took out the sheet pan and pastashios. Placing half on the tray she lit the oven and slid them in. Taking down the pestle and morter she looked at him smiling and was happy to see him almost like himself again. " sometimes old school makes it taste way better" she said and began prep for the ice cream part.

Jack and Jessie walked around the house sealing and strengthening the protection spells around the house. " okay all done now for the barn" Jesie said Jack huffed and moved to the barn. He took hold of the hypogriff and lead it into its stall gently while Jessie was preparing its food along with the other animals including meat for the wolves.

Michael set in to making two huge pans of lasagna. One was loaded with meat, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, garlic and lots of cheese.The other was his version of a white lasagna--carrots, onions, broccoli, garlic, shredded bites of smoked chicken, all in a beautiful alfredo sauce with ricotta cheese, asiago, and more parmesan. He chucked them in the oven to bake and then put together a mammoth caesar salad. He was sure they'd be hungry. This crew always was.

Nigel came in and saw they were all back--including Angus, whom Nigel was not happy with at all.

"Come with me," Nigel said. "Now. I'm going to have to completely redo that dressing. They can do without you in the kitchen for a few minutes." Angus was not happy, but he really had somewhat expected it, and, a part of him realized he had invited Nigel's temper when he had joined the skirmish back home at Brian's estate.

"I'll give her a hand until you return," Michael told Angus. Angus sighed heavily and got up and went with Nigel.

Ruby frowned as Nigel walked in and all but spoke to Angus like a petulant child " Thank you Michael." she said " best to get it looked at, then leave it and have an infection set in, but he could have chosen a better time to do it." she said looking at Nigel. " like after desert was finished." she heard him say he would give her a hand when he returned and she nodded " love you, now go, sooner you let him check it the sooner you can help." she said softly and smiled at him.

Hearing Micahel say he would help in the mean time she nodded " thankyou Michael." she said " I think Im just waiting on the pastashios to roast and your lazagna's smell delishious." she looked at the oven and nodded " yep not yet."

"Thank you. You're doing fine with your ice cream," Michael said confidently, starting to cut the romaine lettuce to make the salad. "Nigel means well, but his timing sometimes does leave a lot to be desired. I think he also is driven enough to need to make a point when someone acts in direct conflict with what he believes is wise medical treatment. But, you and I know Angus. Nigel isn't going to get more than a couple minutes of his cooperation at best, and then Angus will be back. Look at it this way, when he comes back, you can be certain he's alright because, if he weren't, Nigel would ground him upstairs to his room."

Michael made his salad quickly, and put the caesar dressing together.

Angus did return just a few short minutes later.

"I'm sorry," Angus told her. "But he says I'm fine to help you with supper, so long as I don't overdo it. How's it going?"

Ruby listened to Michael and sighed nodding " yeah, but I agree his timing sucks." she said watching him make the salad she was happy when Angus returned just when she started to smell the nuts. Turning off the oven she took them out and let themcool alittle before placing them in the morter and began crushing them down after removing the shells.

"its going okay, nuts are roasted" she said trying not to laugh at her words. " just have the ice cream to make now." she placed a bowl down and added the ingreidiants one by one." hows that?" she asked

"Looks good," Angus said. "See? You don't need my help. You've got this. Should I set up the dining room for you?"

"No," Michael said. "How are you going to wrestle stacks of plates and much of anything else with one hand. I'll get it."

"I can smell your lasagnas already," Angus said. "And your ice cream, Ruby. It's going to be very nice. And I think people are hungry. They're debating on what they're smelling. Some are voting for pizza, some are saying it's spaghetti."

"And they're all wrong," Michael laughed. "Ah well, I'd rather fix pizzas as some late night treat when everyone is up past midnight for some wild reason. I still think Brian needs to put in a pizza oven outside over at the estate."

"I can make that happen," Angus said. "I didn't know you wanted one."

"Well of course. A pizza baked in a wood fire oven is the best."

"Agreed," Angus said. "I bet we can put one in and then maybe we can have a pizza contest. Let everyone make their best award winning pizza ideas in a little friendly competition."

"That sounds like fun," Michael said. "I think with as competitive as this family is, they'd have a lot of fun with that."

Ruby continued to make the ice cream and smiled she was about to say not a chance to Angus laying the table but Michael spoke first and she nodded. She heard him talk of a compatishion for best pizza and laughd " we all know you'd win" she said " I bet you make the best Pizza, but no pinapple on it, blech" she said puling a face at the thought.

Mixing the pastashions she placed the mixture into the ice cream machine and turned it on " okay, so now we leave it?" she asked not sure how long until it was ready to eat. Ruby looked at Angus and smiled loving how they interacted together.She just wanted this to last for ever seeing him smile and joke with the others, it was perfect for her and so was he, she could not see her self with any one else, no one had made her as happy as he had.