LONDON CALLING

"Thank you," Edward looked up at all of them. "I'm glad you were here tonight. I don't know that we learned anything but maybe in the days ahead, we will. Hopefully as we start to go through his papers we'll learn more."

Angus walked through the room and looked at the glasses that had held mixed drinks that the guests had been drinking before they changed. And then he saw something small on the carpet. He picked it up, looked at it, and put it in his pocket. He looked at Edward but didn't say a word. There was yet one more piece of unfinished business, but he couldn't think about that tonight.

"I'll stay with Jack and Jessie," Brian said, "And, with your permission, I'll set tight protection spells on the house. If anyone tries to get in after I set them, i'll know straight off. We can deal with the loose ends tomorrow."

"Fair enough," Edward said. "I don't know that this is over, Jack. I might have been too lenient on them, but, if pack law serves, they're my pack now, aren't they? They'll have to come if I call them. And I have a lot of loose ends in this that needs answered. And I still think this has Gelding all over it."

"Marcus and Ruby, take Angus and Simone home, would you? I'll be along when Brian and Jack and Jessie can go too."

"Edward," Simone said, "I'm fine. I'd rather stay with you."

"Are you sure?" he asked, knowing they'd all seen a horrendous thing.

"I'm positive," she said, wrapping herself around him and kissing his cheek."

"Alright," he said, amazed at her strength to see all she had seen and be able to stay anyway.

"We'll manage," Khaat told Edward. She looked at Ruby and Marcus. She didn't think she needed to tell either of them that Angus was still reeling from what he had just experienced. Getting him home was definitely a priority.

Ruby looked at simone and sighed nodding to her before mouthing " I know" she moved to Angus and slid her arm around his waist. " come on let get you back and washed. Jack listened to Edward and nodded.

"oh I have a feeling its far from over." he said and sighed as he helped moved the body out into a secluded area lighting his wand he cast Confringo at teh body and it burst into flames. as it burned he tossed the head in . "we'll bury the ashes when hes done" Jack said to Jessie who accioed a shovel and began digging a hole close to the burning body that Jack stood over.

Ruby looekd to Marcus for help as she held Angus good arm. Then together they ported back to Roberts farm. " okay I have him from here" she said leading Angus up to their room once stripped out of his bloodied clothes she sat him on the bed and went to start the shower.

Robert saw them arrive back with Angus, and Angus was drenched in blood. He didn't ask for explanation, he and Nigel just followed and went straight to Angus's room. Marcus stopped them at the door.

"Give her a few with him," Marcus said. "I'll brief you. She's working on getting him cleaned up. I don't think any of that is his."

"Someone bled out, then, all over him--clearly," Robert said.

"Yes. His father. Edward killed him to protect Angus," Marcus said.

"Dear god," Nigel said. Robert motioned them all into the room right across the hall from Angus's and he left the door open so that they could hear if Ruby needed anything.

While Ruby went to start the shower, he reached into his pocket and took the sole piece of jewelry--a diamond locket he remembered well--he'd found on the floor. He looked at it and then opened his nightstand drawer and dropped it in the drawer and closed it again. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot. He stood looking out the window over Robert's farm, replaying the events in his head. How had he missed it? How had he not seen her? He knew her face, but he didn't remember of seeing her there. Still, the diamond locket he'd found on the floor proved she had been. Had she been there the whole time? Where had she gone when Edward had given them the opportunity to leave. It confused the crap out of him. The more he tried to piece it together, the more confusing it all was.

Ruby returned and saw him stood at teh window. " okay showers ready." she told him taking his hand " come on." she lead him to the bathroom and closed the door behind them.

Soon she stood with a towel and dried his hair "How you feeling now?" she asked softly her hand brushing his hair off his face. " do you want me to make up some pain potion.?" she asked picking up his PJ top knowing he would probably want to sleep. At this time she didn't know what to say to him, she'd seen it with ehr own eyes his father turn to a werewolf.

"Thanks," he told her quietly when she helped him out and helped him dry off and put on a pair of lounge trousers. "I'm trying to put it together. It makes no sense. I found something there." He went over to the nightstand and opened the drawer and got out the diamond locket and showed it to her.

"I'd know it anywhere. It's my mother's. She never took it off. The chain's broken. He gave it to her on their wedding day. It was there, so she had to have been there, but I didn't see her face in those people there. And they all changed, and they all left together. So she had to be one of them....How did they get to be werewolves? They weren't always like that. And who turned them? And if I didn't recognize her, were any of my siblings somehow in that group and are werewolves too? I bet it was that effing James. Some wild hair of Geldings..." His mind raced.

Ruby looked at the locket he held "Its beautiful, I can see why she'd not take it off." She then moved and placed her hands gently on his cheeks as he spoke of what he knew and speculated. "Angus, we can talk to Robert tomorrow about it, and if it was him, he's just signed his death warrent ten fold." she told him accioing the sling " but for now you need to stop thinking and sleep." she slipped the sling back over his arm and shoulder.

Jack watched the body turn to ash taking the shovel he shoveled it into the hole Jessie had made then covered it abck over with soil placing the sovel back where he got it from they both walked slightly dirtier towards the house and Edward " its done" Jack told him simply.

Robert had waited just about long enough. He needed to see for himself that Angus was alright. He knocked on the door, not willing to simply take no for an answer. Nigel wanted to know almost as badly as Robert did. And Marcus didn't want them overwhelming him.

Edward had cleaned the axe and had locked it back in the cabinet. After the body had been moved, Brian had examined the room carefully for any possible clues and then had set cleaning spells in place. Simone had found Edward a shot of firewhiskey for Edward and Edward had sipped at it. In a lot of ways, this was just one more kill, like any other. And in other ways, it threatened to change everything. He sat at the desk in his office, and she was sitting on the desk, holding his hand. Unlike the others, there was someone here tonight. Someone who had actually shared this with him and was strong enough that she was still here.

"You suppose Angus is alright?" she asked him.

"The boy was in shock," Edward said. "It's not how life is supposed to go with one's parents, is it?"

"Edward, from what I saw, just like he's everything to you, you are just about everything to him too. You and Ruby--I think that's the only family he sees. And if you and Ruby are alright, he will be too."

"This whole thing is just gets deeper and uglier. I'll wager you two cents that I know exactly who turned them, but I'm not sure why. I need to find out. Not just for my sake but for Angus's too."

"Then somehow we'll get the answers." When Jack and Jessie came back in and said the job was done, Edward was grateful.

"Thank you both so much," Edward said. "Brian is off setting new protection charms on the house. And as soon as that's one I'm sure we'll be on our way. Why don't you two go ahead and get cleaned up and get some sleep? Its been a long night."

"I'm in favor of that," Brian said, joining them. "New spells are up, and cleaning spells are in motion. I think we can safely head back now."

"I don't need to be told twice. Let's get back to the farm," Edward said getting up. He set the whiskey glass on the desk and the cleaning spell swept the glass off the desk straight off to go clean it up. "Well, that's an aggressive little spell, isn't it?" Edward laughed. "What if I wasn't done with that glass."

"Well, I guess you are now" Simone teased. She looked at Brian and Jack and Jessie. "Take us home please?" she asked them.

Ruby heard the door and walked to it opening it she saw Robert and let him in " Hes still in shock." she said " but hes cleaner, Edward...killed his father who turned into a werewolf in front of us all, he thinks james turned his mother too who was there, he found a locket of hers. " she told him moving to sit on the bed with Angus holding his hand in her own.

Jack and Jessie watched Edward set a cleaning spell in motion and nodded then chuckled as the glass was swept away off the desk. "all right." said Jack and held out his arm " maam" once every one hand hold he ported every one back to the farm "And here we are safe and sound, now you can get a glass of fire whisky with out it disapearing on you" he said chukaling as Jessie went to change out of his misshion wear. Jess brought some buscuits she ahd made fresh from the oven and placed them down on the coffee table.

"help your self " she said and moved back to prep for the next mornings breakfast.

Khaat settled in at the table with a mug of tea and one of Jess's fresh biscuits.

"Thank you, Jess," she said to Jess. "The others will be along, and I'm sure the tea and fresh biscuits will be much appreciated, along with a shower with lots of soap and hot water. They're going to want some comfort tonight. Be glad you weren't there. Benjamin is dead. Edward had to slay him in order to save Angus. It was one of the most horrific things I've ever seen in my life. Can I ask that we not have anything with red sauce for breakfast tomorrow? I think berries or berry sauce or salsa would be very off-putting." She knew she would not have to go into detail for Jess, at least not straight off because, as a healer, Jess surely understood people not wanting anything to remind them of blood for a day or so. "I dont' think I'm going to be able to close my eyes til Brian is home safe and sound. Can I help you with breakfast prep?"

"Marcus told us," Robert replied quietly to Ruby. "Of course he's still in shock. That was beyond horrendous for all of you, but especially for him. You say he found her locket? Marcus didn't tell me that part. i don't think Angus's idea about James being behind it in some way is a bad thought. He might well be right. After all, we do know that Gelding has been targeting the Donohue's as it is. Sometimes, when someone is in shock, they can have a brief period of time immediately following the crisis where they have some good, logical thought because the initial numbness has protected them from the emotional part of the trauma. That numbness may wear off by sometime tomorrow, and that will leave him with all the emotion of it. I'll want to be hanging closer to him until I see how he's going to cope with it. But his thoughts about Gelding and James might be spot on." Robert and Nigel went over, and Nigel sat down on the bed beside Angus. Robert and Nigel both noticed straight away that Angus was looking pretty flat and emotionless. That was to be expected, they both thought.

"Did he bite you or claw you anywhere?" Nigel asked.

"I don't think so," Angus replied, emotionless.

"Let me look. I won't fuss much tonight," Nigel said, checking the marks on Angus's neck, while Robert sat near the bed.

"He was still human when he did that," Angus said.

"Fortunately for you," Nigel said. "Are there any wounds anywhere else?"

"No, I don't think so," he replied.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine. I'm fine," he replied rather flatly.

"I think you really do need a good night's sleep," Nigel told him. Angus shook his head. His mind was racing. He didn't want to sleep.

"Angus," Robert said, "tell me about this necklace you found." Angus handed it to Robert, and Robert looked at it. Angus told him the same thing he had told Ruby about it being his mother's, and about wondering why he hadn't actually seen her there. Robert studied the locket and the photos inside--photos of her dog. In one photo the dog was wearing a tutu and a pink necklace that spelled out his name in script--Henry. In the other photo, the dog was wearing a little pink baby onesie with a print of kitties, and a little ruffled bib. Robert suspected there were other photos beneath the photos of the annoying little pooch.  Robert believed the photos pointed to perhaps that she was a shallow woman incapable of much love or depth of any kind. Angus might not actually be out much with them out of his life once and for all. He laid the necklace on Angus's nightstand. "Well, there could be many reasons for that. Perhaps she was there before and lost the necklace but wasn't there in the billiards room when you were there. Or perhaps you just missed her or she was using something like a Polyjuice potion, but I don't know why she'd do that because they didn't know you were coming."

"I can't figure it out either," he said, feeling lost.

"I don't think you should keep wrestling with it," Robert told him, "not anymore tonight. I'll keep working on that, alright?"

"Edward shouldn't have had to do that..." Angus sighed.

"Edward would never stand by watching and let you be mauled to death by a werewolf right in front of his eyes. He did what he had to do. That wasn't your fault. That was entirely your father's own fault or choosing truly poor company and letting himself be led so far off any sort of ethical lifepath."

"The last words he ever spoke were that he was going to kill me," Angus said.

"Well, now, that was just plain stupid on his part," Robert scowled. "None of your teammates was going to let that happen, and he must have surely known that Edward wasn't going to let that happen. If he thought otherwise, then he was a complete moron."

"It was a pretty lame threat. Hadn't considered that," Angus said, considering what Robert had said.

"It most certainly was," Robert nodded. "Now, is there anything you need?"

"Can't think what it would be," Angus said. "I don't think I need anything. Is Edward alright?" Nigel poured a couple potions in a dose cup together and swirled them.

"Marcus said he was fine. He and Jack and Jessie and Brian are still at the house to secure it and clean up the billiards room...."

"And bury my father, probably."

"I would wager they'll cremate him straight off," Robert told him, "to keep from drawing James or the pack back, and to keep the muggles who deal with your family from asking questions."

"All that energy, and he isn't going to even rate a funeral," Angus said.

"You and Edward have time to discuss any final wishes your family might want to do, but for tonight, I think you should let your grandfather handle that."

"I wonder where my mother is, and if she'll remember his death tomorrow."

"Perhaps not. Remus was never able to possess any sort of human like thought processing when he was in werewolf form and he had no memory of what happened when he was in that state. He was completely animal. Jack's ability to retain his human thought, I think, is a bit of an anomaly that I can't begin to explain. Most of the werewolves I've encountered are far more like Remus and just savage until they transform back. I'll wager when she changes back, she isn't going to remember. If she really is a werewolf, she dashed off with the pack, and when she transforms back, she'll want to come back to the house, I would guess."

"Then I need to go back there and wait for her."

"No," Robert said firmly. "Absolutely not. I always try to let you make your own choices but I can't let you do that tonight. Tonight you need to trust me and go to bed. I'll take care of making sure we've somehow thought about your mother. Come on, get settled in." He stood up and tucked him in under the covers. Angus simply seemed to automatically defer to whatever Robert wanted tonight.

"Take this," Nigel told him, handing him the potions cup. Angus looked at it. "It won't hurt you. Just take it." Angus didn't have it in him to fight it. He took it, and Nigel took the cup back. "You be able to rest in a minute or so." He looked at Ruby. "Come and get me if you need anything during the night, but it should be peaceful." He looked back at Angus. "I'll see you in the morning." He excused himself.

"We can discuss this further tomorrow if you want," Robert told Angus, pulling the covers closer around Angus, seeing Angus start to get sleepy. "I am sorry you lost him like that tonight, but I am very glad Edward and the others were there. Look after him, Ruby. I'll come in the morning to keep him company while you go to training. You can certainly come and get me too, if you need anything before then, but for now, I think I'll go check on the others. Goodnight."   He got up and left.

Finally alone, he motioned to Ruby, wanting nothing more now than to have her next to him, despite the fact that the potion was now hammering at his knackered brain. He wanted to feel her against him before the potion took him away altogether.

Ruby sat quiet as Rober and Nigel spoke to Angus and he inturn told them his thoughts. She smiled at Nigel and thanked him when he gave Angus the potion. Helping Angus lay down she covered him and let Robert cover him more. " I will" she said simply" night." she told them and watched them leave. changing her clothes to night wear she lay next to Angus her arms around him holding him close. Something told her this was all he needed, no words just being in each others embrace.

Jess looked at Kate and smiled " thats what I thought, nothing better than a hot sweet tea and fresh warm buscuits" she chuckled at the mention of nothing with a red sauce for breakfast. " I'll make a note" she said but understood why. " I was thinking of a Simple & Healthy Muesli Breakfast with yogurt and fresh fruit..no red ones though." she said with a smile, " I could add pancakes with maple syrup." she smiled as Jack and Jessie returned lening down Jack kissed he but she scrunched her nose "you smell like smoke and death, go wash"

"Evening Kate" Jack said with a chuckled and left to change. taking Jessie with him as Kaden arrived from his shift.