LONDON CALLING

"I plan on making myself completely annoying and miserable with your children until you are tired of me ruining them for you," Edward said.

"And that might be when we knock down the dividing wall between us," Angus smiled, "and live as one very happy family."

"What exactly did you slip into his lunch?" Edward scowled at Ruby. "The boy's taken leave of his senses entirely. Angus, Son, you're supposed to be bothered by the thought of me making a nuisance of myself in your house."

"Never," Angus insisted. "I want them to have the sort of childhood with you that I had. I want them to know you."

"And you're supposed to want private time with Ruby."

"What for? It isn't like we'd be doing anything secret."

"So long as you understand that if you're not planning private time, where are all my new great grandkids going to come from?" Edward asked. Angus laughed, unable to contain it. That was Edward, loving and candid.

"I see. We're still talking about children."

"Of course we are."

"You do realize you'll have to change your share of the diapers, right?"

"Who do you think cleaned your bum? Stinky poopy diapers are not a threat, just so you know.

Downstairs, Brian had gotten started with a little scratch pad and a pencil to make a rough list of some of the stray thoughts that were flying around.

"Alright," Robert said, "let me finish my potion, and then let me get with Kate and Michael as the other remaining founding members, and we'll discuss it. Then, maybe we can have a strategy meeting to flesh out the design for this. We might have to do the strategy meeting after supper tonight, but that's fine with me. Do you know who is on supper duty tonight?"

"No clue," Brian said.

"Well, when you find out, see if we can do supper a bit earlier tonight so we have time to meet after, would you?" Robert asked.

"Of course," Brian said.

"Now, let me work. I have to finish this before Nigel buggars it up."

Ruby smiled and laughed as Angus and Edward spoke " Im in agreement with Angus, we want you involved with our children, " she said then laughed again as Edward spoke of dirty daipers and how he changed them when Edward was little. She loved this bonding time they had and that now she was involved with it too. "oh hes changing the first, its suposed to be the stinkest" she said grinning knowing she would never let him but let him enjoy holding them and playing with them and ofcourse teaching them about his life just as he had with Angus.

Jack heard them talking and stood quiet when Supper was mentioned Jack stood up straight and walked out of the room and up to Jess " Jess suppers requested early today, mind if you could do that?" hea sked Jess smiled and nodded her head.

"sure I'll get on it and if Rubys is avalible, not that Im going to push her she's having time with Angus and from the laughter, enjoying it too." she said smiling as she stood and moved to the kitchen "I'll make something quick and easy, let them down stairs know." she told him

Robert finished his potion, and he got together with Michael and Kate, and they had a private meeting out in the back garden where Kate had put a table and chairs for morning tea long ago. Today, they were meeting over a bottle of wine, and Kate was making notes as they talked. This was serious business, one of the most serious meetings they had ever had. It was the largest scale mission they had ever done, far more reaching than Sirius or James or Lily or Remus had ever dreamed they would need to go. They would need a lot more manpower for this one. And for the first time, they were talking about setting up an orphanage--a secret, unplottable one that would be a safe and gentle sanctuary for children who had been through trauma, who needed a place to heal and to tend to their needs, and for Robert and the others to have a place to help them start again--whether they could return home or whether they would have to forge a new path for them. The Paris base office could hold several children, but if need outgrew it, they needed something that was ready and able to be put into service. And that meant an additional unplottable property. It was Kate who suggested they relocate them to Colorado temporarily before they considered buying additional property. Kieran and Fiona could and would surely step in and help.

Angus leaned back against the back of the chair he was sitting on, yawning and wincing. Edward noticed at once.

"When did you have any pain potion last for your shoulder?" Edward asked.

"I don't know," Angus said. Edward accio'd what looked like an ordinary men's shaving kit from his room, and in it, he got out a bottle made of teal colored glass and a potion dose cup. He poured a dose of potion from the bottle into the glass.

"Here. This will take care of it for now," Edward said. Angus didn't question it. He just took it, and, until he could wash the potion cup, Edward put the it back in his shaving kit. Angus leaned back against the back of the chair, and his eyes fluttered shut a moment later.

"That's the pain potion," Edward told Ruby quietly. "He won't sleep more than a few moments unless he gives into the fatigue. He's done very well today, all things considered, and I think that's your doing. Thank you for getting him straight back out into the good parts of his life again. I'm not done with this old potions book, so I'll be here with him anyway. I know you've been pulled away from your duties because of this, so maybe you could consider this my turn to stay with him awhile if you need to see to any of your other tasks. He's no trouble--but you know that already."

Ruby watched as Edward gave Abgus some pain potion. " oh sorry I guess I forgot being caught up in the lovly day we had." she said kicking herself not to have had any on her for him. She made a note to keep a small bottle on her at all times. When edward spoke she smiled "Thank you." she said leaning over she kissed Edward on his cheek then turned to the sleping Angus and kissed him gently on his lips." I should get supper ready and I know, I trust you and him." she smiled to Edward before moving from the arm of the chair towards the kitchen.

Seeing Jess busy at work there she smiled " hey, came to help" she said and Jess smiled.

"great im going to make Sausage, tomato and butter bean bake its chunky sausages and filling butter beans" she said prepering the meal Ruby nodded and thought a nice salad would work well with it.

"all right I'll make Maple bacon and celery caesar salad to acumpany it" Ruby set about making her salad as Jessie hellped lay the table ready for the others.

Marcus and Khaat came in from a walk they had been on outside. Marcus had his arm under Khaat's shoulder, and she was limping.

"Next time, wear the right shoes, and you won't have this problem," Marcus was telling her.

"But I wear these shoes all the time," Khaat sighed.

"They're not for going on a walk in," he said. "Sit." He lowered her into a kitchen chair. "And now, you'll just have to put up with Nigel, won't you?" He used it as more of a dig and a reprimand than anything else. He looked up at Jess and Ruby. "Little Miss I-Can-Wear-Ridiculous-Shoes-Anywhere tripped and twisted her ankle in her 5 inch stiletto heels. Give me those." He snatched them off her feet.

"No! Don't..." she started to protest, and he promptly snapped the heels off her shoes.

"Those shoes cost me over 2000 pounds!"

"And now they're flats," he told her handing her the shoes and tossing the heels in the wastebasket.

"Marcus Belby!" she was furious.

"Tell it to Nigel, Darling. See if he has more sympathy for you" he cast her an amused smile and left to go find Nigel. Khaat accio'd the heels for her shoes out of the wastebasket and used a reparo spell to reattach them to the shoes. "He snaps the heels off my shoes, and I put them back on," she told Ruby and Jess. "This is about the fifteenth time he's broken this pair." She put the reassembled shoes back on. "Whatever you're making, it smells wonderful. I'm starving," she told them.

Jess looked over as Marcus and Khaat walked in her limping " oh my" she said as they sat down. She watched as he snapped the heel and at Khaats amused face " wow fifteen times, he should learn to stop" Jess said with a smirk. " you and I both know he'll keep doing it" Jess said softly to her.

Ruby smiled but kept making the salad "I think Robert asked for supper to be made early tonight, so here we are, oh and Angus and I had a wonderful day today, thank you for letting us have the time off." she said as she Plait the bacon to make a lattice pattern she then placed it on a baking tray already lined with baking paper and brush it with some maple syrup before placing it in the oven until the bacon was sticky and browned.

"I've heard about this contest you two have over your shoes," Nigel said, coming in. "Oh, are these the same shoes? Have you mended them already?"

"I like these shoes," she shrugged. "I will win. Sooner or later, I will defeat Marcus over these shoes."

"Doubtful," Nigel said. "Marcus Belby has a stubborn streak a mile wide. I'm noticing this house is full of completely incorrigible people," Nigel laughed. "I don't think there's a one of you that doesn't have a stubborn streak. Alright. Let me see the damage. Marcus said I should put you in a cast up to your...well, never mind."

"Anyway, you're very welcome, Ruby," Khaat told her. "I'm glad Angus's had a good day. I was wondering how he was doing, but I thought the best medicine for him was to let him spend the day with you. What's with the early supper?"

"Some new wild hair of your father's," Nigel said, taking her shoes to check her ankle.

"Ow, that hurts," she winced.

"Well, of course it does," Nigel said. "You've bollocksed it up, my dear. No more stilletto's for a bit, not even if they're gold plated and diamond studded. I'll wrap it for you, and we'll ice it. If you're planning on any formal balls in the next few days, you'd better dust off your nicest trainers, because you won't be wearing heels of any type or height until I say otherwise."

Marcus came back in, checking that Nigel had gotten there.

"God, that smells good. I'm hungrier than I thought. I'll handle dessert tonight, Ladies," Marcus told Ruby and Jess.

"You don't bake," Khaat scowled at him.

"No, but I'm an expert at takeaway," he said. He picked up Khaat's shoes and walking out with them, snapping the heels off again as he left with them.

"I heard that, Marcus!" Khaat shouted after him.

"Good. I had them last. I win," he called back.

Ruby nodded " hes resting in the library with Edward right now, he had to take a small amount of pain potion" Jess listened to nigel and Khaat chukaling as he inspected her ankle. Jess glanced at Marcus as he walked back into the room and was about to say he was okay that she ahd something already as a desert but when he took the shoes and walked away snapping the heels again she sniggered at the action " oh hes super stubborn." she said continuing her task.

Ruby just smiled at everything going on around her. It made her fel like she was home, and she was she had to her the perfect man with the perfect family for her, acsepting and forgiving of her family and how they had treat and chastised her and Jamie for their diferenced. She wanted to and would stay with her new family. " salads done." she said placing it in a serving dish and made it float to the table. " we should let the others know." Ruby said Jess sent out small notes letting every one know.

"He has met his match," Khaat said to Jess. "I like those shoes. He does not get to win that easily. This contest is not yet over."

"I almost believe you," Nigel laughed, wrapping her ankle in an elastic bandage to provide it with additional support. "After supper, I want you to get that elevated and iced, but as a healer, you surely know that."


"I do," she said, as Robert and Kate and Brian came into the room. Robert looked at Nigel as he finished taping Khaat's ankle.

"Did Marcus trip you again?" Robert teased.

"Yes, and he's blaming it on my favorite shoes," she said.

"I thought he broke those."

"He did, and he's broken them twice just since we've been home today," she said.

"I'm starting to feel sorry for your shoes," Robert frowned. "They put up with more abuse than any pair of shoes deserves.

Angus and Edward came into the kitchen, and Edward was carrying Abbey who appeared to be very sad and sniffling. Edward was wiping away a couple of tears.

"What's the matter, Pet?" Kate went over to her.

"Stickee's gone!" Abbey said. "He not in my room no more!"

"Who is Stickee?" Edward asked.

"Oh, I think I know," Kate said. "Come with me." She took Abbey from Edward and walked over to the tree in the kitchen and they looked for Fudge. "There he is. See?"

"Stickee!" Abbey seemed delighted, as if all was well with the world once more. Fudge seemed to make happy little noises at seeing Abbey too.

"See? You're still friends. He has a new house. This is his house now. As lovely as your doll house is, this house is especially for him, and you can visit him here anytime you like. Now, are you hungry? Aunt Jess and Ruby have supper ready." Abbey nodded. As they were all sitting down for supper, Marcus came into the room with a large dark chocolate and orange torte.

"Oh now that looks decadent," Kate said. "Thank you, Marcus. And I can't wait to get into the supper you two made, Jess and Ruby. It looks like good old fashioned comfort food. It's a perfect choice. Thank you."

"The reason I asked for supper to be a bit earlier is so that we can talk afterwards. Brian had a thought earlier today, and I think it might be worth our while to consider it. It's not anything to rush into, but we're a family, so if we do this, it has to be a family decision."

"And we'll be all ears," Edward said. The others agreed.

Jess, Jack, Jessie, Kaden and Ruby all moved to teh dining room each takinga plate. Ruby made up a small bowl for Abby and set it down infront of her before moving to get another for herself and Angus. Sitting down she placed his down then her own. " I agree" she said as she started to eat.

Jack got himself and Jess and plate and sat eating along with Kaden and Jessie. " I'll be out on patrol once I've eaten " he said " west side spells need fortifying a bit more" he added Kaden ate quietly next to him.

"I will help jess repair and replace some of the old potions and equipment in the sickbay." he offered Jess nodded.

"Thank you Kaden, were always running out of kits." she said " but after we eat and the dishes are done, now tuck in and enjoy" she smiled eating her own food. Ruby pored two glasses of water one for her and one for Angus then topped up one for Edward.