LONDON CALLING

"Thank you, Jess. That looks perfect," Kate smiled. She had grated a boatload of cheese and had blended it together. By that time, Michael had arrived and he stepped in straight away to make two sauces--one was a lovely alfredo sauce and the other was a homemade tomato sauce.

Kate stepped in to cut some ham, some chicken, some sausage, and some other meats, and while the sauces were simmering, Michael started dividing the dough and pressing the pieces out on the counter with some bench flour and then tossing the pieces up in the air.

By then Simone and Robert were coming back in, and Jack told im about the rain gear and about the work on the fence posts.

"Thank you, Jack. I don't know what I would do without you and Jessie. Well done. Are the fences all in proper order over at Brian's place too, do you know? If there's some that need replaced there, let's just get it done while we're at it, shall we?" Robert said. "And Simone passed my improvised firearms test with flying colors, so she will be coming along tonight."

Marcus came downstairs to look out the kitchen windows to see what the gunfire was all about and saw Robert and Simone out at the targets. He turned and saw Michael tossing dough in the air.

"So, we are to be treated to gourmet homemade pizzas tonight?" Marcus asked.

"I don't know how gourmet they will be, but they should be tasty. I think I will make several different kinds so that everyone can pick what they like. And, I think, for dessert, I will make a few different sorts of dessert pizzas. What do you think? Jess, do you have any ideas for toppings for dessert pizzas? I was thinking of chocolate and marshmallow and some crumbled biscuits for one, maybe some sort of fruit pie filling and some streusel crumble for another."

"Abbey likes peanut butter and jam on a pizza," Kate said.

"Might work," he said thoughtfully. "Other ideas?"

Jess chuckled at their choices " I am rather concervative and boring myself I prefer savory to sweet, but Mushroom, ham and a boatload of cheese on a BBQ sauce base sounds good to me, its sweet and savory too."Jess looked at Kate  and chuckled " but a desert pizza? hum...how about one with  dark rum, bananas thinly sliced and chopped pecans ? she sugested to them healthy and good for you too and we can add the vinilla ice cream to go on top of it." Jack rubbed his tummy as she spoke.

"Sounds delishious" he said as he then hung each coat up on the rack. Jessie heard Robert and nodded " yep I know been getting regular reports from the men there too." Jessie added washing his hands free from dirt. " they will taste delishious." he said smiling at Kate before he and Jack moved to the dinning room to lay the table. Jack lay the plates while Jessie placed glasses and side dishes along with Abbys own bowl and cutlery on her high chair. As Jess watched Kate she took note on how she made the toppings so she could use them one day.

Michael made Jess's mushroom and ham pizza as she described it, and he made a traditional pepperoni and cheese one, a sausage pizza, a cheese pizza, and a couple chicken alfredo pizzas that had fresh chicken, onion, alfredo sauce, chopped spinach, chopped pecans, and loads of cheese. He made a ham and cheese with the alfredo sauce, lots of cheese and some slivered onion.

Then he stepped in with the dessert pizzas. He blind baked one large crust and then took some cream cheese and stirred in a little sugar and a few other sweet spices. He spread it on the cooled pizza crust and layered various fresh sliced fruit and drizzled over a white frosting glaze over the fruit to make a lovely fruit pizza. He made Jess's rum and banana pizza, and Abbey's peanut butter and jam pizza, along with a couple different chocolate pizzas, one that was cinnamon apple, and one that was a lovely peach and pecan with an amaretto sauce and white icing drizzle on the top.

"We have ten savory pizzas and six dessert pizzas. I think we now have enough pizza to feed a very large army," Michael said. "I thought we might just use some colas and other fizzy drinks as an exception to our rule and allow ourselves to just completely indulge tonight."

"Thank goodness. I've been wanting a cola for ages," Robert said.

"I have been to Brian's and I've raided all the fizzy drinks that Angus had chilling, and they're now in a cooler on ice in the dining room," Michael said. "You all have only to go get yourselves one, and I'll start cutting and bringing in the pizzas."

"I'll help," Kate said.

"I can cut pizza," Simone said, gladly stepping up to help cut pizza and set it out in the dining room.

Jess smiled " as will I" she said looking to Simone as she did Jack chuckled and looked at Jessie.

"We'll bring the coolers into the dining room" he said and together they fetched them placing them beside the table so every one had access to it. Jessie placed his down beside the heated trays that were now empty but he too left the lid open and took a can of soda. " last time I had a soda was before I left to come here." he said opening it and downing it."oh thats good" he said chukaling as he them placed the can in the recycling bin.

Ruby and Abby both had smelt the pizzas and came down to the dinning room " look Abby peanut butter and jam pizza" she said to her as she slipped Abby into the high chair before getting her a fruit juice as soda wasn't good for a young child. " smells delishious" she said sitting next to Abby to help her eat.

"Yum!' Abbey was delighted at seeing peanut butter and jam pizza. She could hardly wait to get into it. Nigel and Gabe and Mira were delighted when they came in and saw homemade pizza.

"Pizza!" Mira exclaimed. "I haven't had pizza since we left Vegas!" She was ecstatic, and she took a plate and took several small slices, each one a different kind. Gabe followed and did much the same thing.

Kate fixed Robert a plate, and, although his magic didn't work, he could manage a piece of pizza if the crust was crispy and not limp.

"Absolutely wonderful," Edward said. "What a great idea. And it's delicious."

"So you all know," Robert told them after they were all assembled. "Edward and Angus have a family matter to attend to in Tuscany tonight. We are not all needed this time, but I do not want them going alone. I want Jack and Jessie going along, and I know Simone and Ruby will go, of course. I need some people to stay behind, and perhaps a couple of others who would like to go."

Jess and Jack both nodded " I'll stay" Jess said " besides gives Abby and I some play time before bath and bed." Jess said Ruby looked up and looked over at Angus then to Robert but said nothing simply nodded she would go, she wasn't quite sure what she could do, but she'd go to suport Angus if nothing else. Jack took a little bit of every pizza and sat down beside Jess as she ate hers.

"Perfect as always Michael, thank you." Jess said as she continued to eat hers, Jack ate his and nodded he too agreed. He actully ate two more plates before finslly stoping himself and drinking his soda. Ruby helped Abby and cut hers into small sizes for her smiling as she tried to stuff as much into her mouth as possible.

" Ruby had a pice os sausage pizza and peperoni" she ate them slowly and drank her soda quietly. She had felt strange since Angus had delt with her father, like she was actaly free from him but at the same time lost to what to do now, her mind went back to Roberts words and she desided to just be her, focuse on what she needed and that was to stay strong. She felt a hand on hers and looked up to see Jess smiling at her.

"Eat, don't think, just enjoy the moment." she told her and Ruby chuckled and smiled at her " thats better." Jess smiled at Ruby.

"I'll go," Brian said.

"And so will I," Khaat said. Brian looked at her, and she nodded. Brian had a feeling she knew something or had a feeling about something.

"And that means I'm going," Marcus said.

"That should be enough," Robert said. "Now, Edward is still the head of his family, so he will be in charge of the away team. You will all follow his direction to the letter. Whatever he tells you to do, you will all do without question." He looked at Angus. "Is that clear?" Angus just nodded. Robert glared at him just a moment longer. He knew this young man. Angus would agree to whatever Robert wanted, and then when he was out with the team, he would do whatever he felt he needed to do. He cast Angus a look that was a warning, basically a parental "Dad" look. Angus just returned a rather innocent looking face to try to pacify Robert for the moment. Robert didn't buy it for a moment because Angus had never been that innocent.

"You need to work on your innocent face," Michael told him, "because it really is an epic fail."

"He'll mind because he's still not so big that I won't box his ears if he steps out of line," Edward said.

"You have never boxed my ears. I don't even know what that is," Angus said.

"Would you like me to start?" Edward looked at him.

"Don't put the boy back in sickbay before the mission even starts tonight," Robert laughed. "Box his ears when you get back."

"Fair enough," Edward shrugged. "Well, I'm ready to go whenever you lot are."

"Jack has gotten out the black trench coats with the hoods for each of you . You'll need them tonight," Robert briefed them. "It's going to be cold and rainy there tonight. Take your wands, a set of handcuffs, and at least one muggle weapon and some ammunition. Make sure each of you has a pocket patch kit. Jess has made more, so there should be plenty for each of you to take one. If anything goes sideways, sound an alarm, and we'll join you. Edward, what's your basic plan?"

"We'll be going to the main house," Edward said. "Benjamin rather considers himself Lord of the Manor when I'm gone, so that's unquestionably where he'll be, using my funds to buy caviar and champagne and living the life at my expense. I won't be surprised if he's entertaining. I hope to get him to a quiet room and discuss this and take him into custody quietly."

Robert could see that Angus did not see one hope in hell of that happening. He expected this to be violent and quite nasty. He looked over at Ruby, not wanting to make a scene but he wanted to send her a silent message that he did not believe Benjamin was going to go quietly. He wanted her to stay close.

"I'll go get the pistols and the cuffs," Brian said.

"I'll come with you and help you with the ammunition and the holsters," Khaat said. They quickly disappeared downstairs. It took a couple minutes but they returned with a cardboard box that they had put the guns, extra clips, patch kits, and handcuffs in. Brian made sure to give everyone a pistol and a clip, and Khaat gave everyone a holster, a patch kit, and a pair of handcuffs. Brian opened his pistol to check to be sure it was loaded and noticed Khaat had made a mistake with the pistols and had loaded them with the silver bullets. Oh, well, they would fire all the same. He said nothing to anyone about it and tucked his pistol into his holster and packed the patch kit, and extra clip and the cuffs in his pockets and then made sure his wand was in the wand holster.

Khaat, Angus, Edward and Simone had all done similar gearing up things and they now put on their black trench coats.

"I think we're as ready as we'll ever be," Angus told Edward.

Ruby listened and then could not help chuckle at Edwards look towards Angus but hearing Robert talk she looked over at him and nodded she understood. finishing her food she stood up and left Abby with Jess. Trasphigering her clothes she added the muggle pistol she'd been practicing with and her wand holster at her thigh, the handcuffs she clipped to her belt and looked at Angus giving him a smile before moving to help Jack with his cuffs. Jessie was ready but Ruby moved to smooth down his coller that was stuck up.

"Thanks sis" he said and she smiled at him " stay close to Angus tonight , okay" he said and she nodded.

"I got that from Robert" she said moving to Angus she stood infront of him " want a hand?" she asked knowing he was probably fine.

"Always," Angus told her quietly. "And especially when I only have one good hand. Do me a favor and help me get this sling off. I'll put it back on when I get back. I really can't have my arm tied up. I'll be careful, but I learned last time that the sling was a real hazard."

"I think that might be wise," Edward said. "Hopefully this doesn't take long. Oh, and I had Michael make a few additional portkeys. Here." He passed out some keychains with St. Jude medallions hanging from them.

"Is there a particular reason you chose keychains with the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes?" Brian teased.

"Michael chose them," Edward said.

"Well, that explains it," Robert laughed. "I think Michael is our own patron saint of the weird and unusual."

"And darned proud of it," Michael said.

"Simone and I will meet you in the foyer. Give us just about a five second headstart and then follow us," Edward said. He motioned to Simone who wrapped arms around Edward's waist, and he drew his portkey and left with her.

Khaat wrapped herself around Brian, and they counted off five seconds and ported out.

"Are you driving or shall I?" Angus asked Ruby.

Ruby smiled as he took her offer to help, smiling she moved her arms around his neck and undid the sling. " agreed, I can help put it back on when we get back." she said to to him folding it and placing it on the table beside her. She listened to the banter and took the port key from Edward and looked at it. " I think it was apt for him." she said then chuckled at Michaels responce carfully she tok hold of Angus good hand. " I think I will this time" she said smiling at him " oh and thank you." she said lightly kissing his cheek gently as they ported out to the main house.

They both appeared in front of the main house and she looked up at it. " hum nice house shame about the person inside" she said and looked for Edward and simone. " I guess we wait for the others. Jack and Jessie appeared beside them both looking like they ment business.