LONDON CALLING

"We'll be straight out," Angus told her. "Don't worry."

"Alright, Mate," Marcus said, "nice and easy, slowly. Shift your weight a bit and put one foot upon the next step." The very instant he did, the step Angus was on and all the steps below it fell down into a deep hole of utter blackness. Angus started to fall, but he grasped onto something and held onto. He wasn't sure at first what it was, and then he saw it was some sort of a tree root that was sticking out of a crack in the mortar between the stones.

"Hiss! Get your hairy little ass down here!" Marcus shouted. Angus now began to remember the last of his dream. He hadn't gotten out after all. In his dream, the steps had given way and he had fallen to his death. He only had perhaps a moment left, and all he could see in front of him was having no more time, that this was all going to end, him and Ruby and everything else, before it had even gotten started. He only had perhaps a moment left, and he had to make it count. And he had to ready himself for one final long fall and then his own death. This was not the way any of it was supposed to be, and it haunted every portion of his soul.

"Marcus, I remember now. I didn't make it out. I fell--right here," Angus said. "I'm not supposed to get out. And I'm not supposed to take you or anyone else with me..."

"Look at me--right this instant," Marcus commanded, interrupting him sharply. Angus looked at him, and what he saw was a man who knew his job and just never ever gave up. "I didn't take this job on to leave one of you lot behind. We don't leave anyone behind. We never have, and we're not starting now. This is where that ruddy nightmare and you part company. You might have died in that dream, but you're making it out in one piece tonight."

"Don't let Ruby..."

"I'm not going to disappoint Ruby. Now, focus. We're getting out. Both of us." Marcus said, "Hiss, go get him!" Marcus ordered. Michael's climbing rope slithered down Angus's arm, down his chest, and tied itself around Angus's waist.

"Need us to haul one of you up?" Michael shouted.

"Make it two," Marcus said, feeling his own step about to give way.

Up on the surface, Michael looked at the others.

"Marcus has him. Help me pull them up, you lot," Michael called to them, motioning to them. Then he grabbed onto the rope himself and started to pull.

Jack dove forward and grasped the rope with both hands. " not on my watch" he groaned wrapping the end around his waist as he started to move backwards Jessie grasped it too and puleld with all their strength. Jack being strong puleld back " Maichel , we've got hiss you grab Angus" he said as he planted his feet on the stones.

Ruby looked worried at Khaat as she saw Jack and Jessie run back in. She looked woried at Khaat " somethings not right" she said wanting to go back but still held Emily in her arms. " damn it I knew I should have staid2 she said turning her back to the doorway.

"No offense, Ruby," Khaat said, "but be glad you didn't stay and that Marcus stayed. He's stronger than either you or me. As a bodyguard, Marcus's sole task is just exactly what he's doing right now. I, for one, am very, very glad he's the one with him."

"I've already got him, Fuzzbutt," Marcus said, purposely tossing a little werewolf tease in Jack's direction to try to lighten things up a little. "We'd just like a little moonlight and fresh air, please."

"They don't need details, do they?" Angus asked Marcus as they were being hauled up. They used their feet against the stone wall to help brace themselves and to give them some traction to try to climb a bit as they were able.

"Details about what?" Marcus looked at him and grinned. "The only thing you need to worry about is Ruby. Well, Ruby and then, no doubt, Nigel when we get home."

"I don't care," Angus said. "Did we get all 19 kids?"

"Dunno. Hopefully somebody on the surface can count," Marcus said. "Were you hurt?"

"No, don't think so," Angus replied. When they got to the surface, Edward reached his hand down to Angus to help him to his feet, and Brian reached down to help Marcus up. Hiss untied himself and coiled up around Michael again. Edward folded Angus into a relieved embrace.

"Do I really need to repeat your lesson on trip wires?" Edward teased Angus, deeply relieved to have him safe again.

"Thanks for not leaving me down there, Everyone," Angus told them. He went over to Ruby and he kissed her softly. He didn't really even have words at the moment. He really didn't want to discuss it for even another moment, but he did owe them more than a mere thanks.

"Sorry, Ru," he said. "It was my own carelessness." He didn't know what else to even say to her. His mind just felt empty. He looked up at the others, not sure what they needed to do next. "Tell me we have all 19 kids? Did we get them all?"

Ruby loked at Khaat and nodded but also breathed out seeing him out of the building safe. Jack laughed at Marcus " only you can get away calling me that Marcus " Jack said slapping the man on his back lightly or so he hoped. " and yes all ninteen are safe." he said " including little emily who hasn't left Rubys side." Ruby walked over to Angus and huged him returning his light kiss.

"its okay" she said now smiling up at him " Im just relived your here, I can't say I didn't worry becuse i did, but I trusted your judgement." she told him not moving her arm from around his waist. It was Emily who held her hands out to Angus and made Ruby chuckle "some one wants uncle Angus." she said now smiling at him.

"Well, you've got to have hair somewhere," Marcus teased. "After all, there really isn't such a thing as a hairless werewolf. So if its not on your head..." Michael burst out laughing.

"Marcus, you do have a few little twisty bits up in your brain, don't you?" Michael laughed out loud.

"Either that or you lot have warped his brain from hanging around you all just a little too long," Edward said. Angus saw Emily and was glad she was safe. Angus gave her a little kiss on her forehead as Edward came over

"Poppy!" Emily brightened up by seeing her grandfather's face. Edward kissed her and reassured her but made no move to take her from Ruby.

"Can we get them all home to their parents?" Edward said. "I think if we all take two or three kids apiece we can get them all home in one trip."

"Absolutely," Marcus said. "It's been a long night and I'm sure they're as ready to be home as their parents are to have them home. I'll take. Ruby and Angus with me so Ruby can keep hold of Emily. and I can keep hold of Angus."

Edward tried to group kids together according to size and abilities so that they could be ported easily.

"Let's go," Edward said. "See you in Tuscany." He ported out with as many kids as he could take. Marcus had Angus and Ruby, and Angus had Mimi, and Ruby still had Emily. Marcus prepared to port them home, while Khaat, Brian, Michael, Gabe, Mira and the rest were taking hold of their kids to take them home to their parents.



"Oh, you have no idea," Marcus laughed.

Ruby smiled and looked at the children as Jack and Jessie gathered some to them. Mostly teh older ones and told them to hang on while they ported to Tuscany. Ruby lent her head against Angus as Edward ported them out with Emily. " well, what away to meet your family fully" she said to Angus as they arrived in Tuscany.

She handed off Emily to her relived perents and moved to stand with Edward " you have a great bunch of kids here." she said smiling as she watched each child go to their perent. Jack looked at Marcus and smirked.

"by the way marcus, I have hair, just ask Jess." He said grinning like a cheshire cat at him. "oh and you can't have hair and brains" he joked to him. Jessie just relesed the last child he'd brought and chuckled to himself at Jacks words.

"Do we realy want to know where your hair is?" he asked and Jack burst out laughing. "eww gross" Jessie pulled a face.

"you made the assumption" Jack said in a sing song voice.

Angus stood watching the very tearful reunion as his siblings got their kids back. Robert and Owens and Kate and the team that had worked in Edward's office came out and was able to see how grateful everyone was. The thanks were given to Edward and Robert and everyone else there that had helped with the rescue--except Angus. On the surface it looked like mere politeness for the strangers that had come in and had helped to get the Donohue kids returned.

Angus knew, though, that the snub was, to a given extent, purposeful. It was the way his family had always been. He disregarded it. He didn't need their thanks. That hadn't meant much to him before, so it wasn't going to mean that much more now. When Ruby commented it was a pretty wild way for her to meet his family, he merely cast her a bit of a tired smile.

"Yeah, that's them alright," he said quietly to her, yawning. "I think it's been a long night, and I think I'm really tired. My job is done for the night, and I just wanna go home, Ru. Sounds selfish, doesn't it?" It hadn't been that long since his shoulder surgery, and he had really pushed himself to try to be there for his family.

Marcus laughed when Jack returned the humor. It was good to see the team was back successfully, and everyone had come back safe and sound. Robert thanked everyone for a very successful mission and promised to talk to Daphne about shutting down the newest location so that it could not be used again. If they wanted to come up against the organization, Gelding's men would have to work harder than that.

Ruby had noticed the sly snub of Angus's family towards Angus and she sighed hearing Angus talk of wanting to go home she nodded "No it dosn't, becuse I agree" she said "Don't think I didn't notice how nobody thanked you for saving their kids and almost ending your life." she turned her back to them and took his hand gently in her own. " lets go, I'll make some hot chocolate and you can take your pain potion and rest." she said " I'll start supper for when their all home."

Jack looked at Robert " I hope daphine shuts this place down perminatly" he said Jessie ws playing with one of the kids making sure they had happy memories rather than bad ones.

"At this hour?" Angus looked at her and pointed to the clock on the wall and the wee hour of the morning that it already was. "Clearly time flies when you're having fun. By the time they get home, you'll need to make it breakfast, not supper. You'll have to get used to ignoring them or it'll drive you crazy, Ru. They don't know what happened out there tonight, but even if they did, it wouldn't matter. It would be my own fault somehow. That's just them. Sometimes I'm ashamed to have their blood in my veins." He drew her close by putting his good arm around her waist.

Marcus and Khaat came over to them.

"You did an outstanding job tonight, Mate," Marcus told Angus quietly.

"Angus, if that was an enchantment, it might not be worn off yet," Khaat said.

"I'm alright," Angus said, "just tired."

"Khaat and I will go home with you," Marcus said. "Brian's going to be tied up for a bit. Maybe we can get Nigel off your back for tonight. You can battle him in the morning. You look completely knackered, and you look like you're hurting."

"I am," Angus said.

"I'll tell Robert we're going with you, and then we'll follow you home," Marcus said. He walked over to Robert and told Robert very quietly that they were all going home. Marcus had been in Angus's shoes more than once, and he knew exactly what was probably happening in Angus's head. And Khaat was concerned about him just in general.

"Let's go home," Marcus told them. "Shall I drive, or do you want to take Angus home yourself, Ruby?"

Ruby rested her head on his chest and groaned " yeah, time realy does fly, guess it will be breakfast." she said then sighed hearing him talk of his family " you don't have to be sorry about anything, your you, the blood you have was given by Edward not them in my eyes." she told him " and Im proud of you for what you did."

She saw Marcus and Khat walk over and speak to Angus about Nigel and how things went. " I already mentioned taking the pain potion and relaxing for the rest of the day, I'll make...brekfast for every one when we get back." Ruby said and watched Marcus walk to Robert " I'll drive this time, you relax." she said smiling as they waited for Marcus to return so they could head home.