LONDON CALLING

"Go look at the mail in my room, Ruby, and then you tell me," Edward said. He had gotten enough mail that they were now sitting in three extra large top loading canvas duffle bags that stood almost 3 foot high each, and all three bags were full to the top. There were hundreds of cards and letters and packages. "Somehow, we have a problem. What the devil have you done, Boy? Explain yourself."

"It isn't that hard. I did the only thing I could do. The muggles needed an explanation. They needed two bodies--Benjamin and Eileen. So I gave them two--in a way."

"You found bodies and did what exactly?"

"No. But there are two empty graves now, with sealed caskets, in the local muggle cemetery back home with headstones, and there might have been a couple of appropriately worded obituaries in the local muggle newspaper. I told you. I shut the muggles up."

"And you did this why?"

"Go look at the mail in the market basket in my office on the credenza. It's all there. The family sent me countless letters and telegrams and owls over and over, demanding that I do something. Read them yourself. They said they were my parents, so it was my job to take care of it so the companies didn't continue to lose business," Angus said tensely.

"And why didn't they contact me? Why were they pressuring you instead?"

"Because I'm the eldest. It was my job to do, so I did it."

"You're leaving out something I can see it in your face."

"It's not important."

"It bloody well is. What are you not telling me?"

"They have officially disowned me and told me I am no longer a Donohue," he replied.

"Well, first of all, that's not their call to make. You know better. You're still a Donohue, and they're out of their minds. Why have they said they've disowned you?"

"Because they believe I planned this all out and that I murdered my own parents in cold blood because, they believe, I hated them badly enough to do it," Angus fairly bellowed at him, finally saying the words that had haunted him for nearly a week. "They tried to get the Italian ministry of magic to arrest me, but when that didn't happen, they believed that you pulled some sort of strings--you and Robert--to hide me...."

"I'll kill them myself," Edward said quietly, now seething with rage. "How long has this been going on?"

"Since the day we got home a week ago," Angus said.

"And you didn't see fit to tell me? Have you lost your mind?"

"Probably," Angus said quietly, far more insecure with himself and his role in the family than he wanted to display. He walked out on Edward, with Edward still calling after him, transfigured his clothes to running gear and went for a run.

"Robert!" Edward bellowed, feeling that this now could fire up some international wizarding politics, and that was far more Robert's area of expertise than his own.

Ruby watched the two of them and listened as Angus explained what had happened. She could understand his thoughts but two people can't just disapear off the face of the earth and family needed closure. She sighed as she continued to kneed the dough as they continued to talk more. She could hear Angus was not happy nor was Edward. When he left and changed his clothes to his running gear.

Looking at Edward as he called for Robert she spoke "The muggles needed closure, he gave that to them, yes he should have come and talked to you about it and he shouldn't have had to deal with it alone, truthfully I didnt know how bad it was until just now myself." she stopped kneeding and put it into a bowl. " as for them disowning him no one can take away a name, and I agree with you hes a donahue in his heart and to his bone no one can take that away from him."

Robert came into the kitchen and saw Edward and Ruby talking about Angus and the death of his parents.

"I was contacted by the Italian ministry of magic perhaps three days ago," Robert told Edward sitting down at the table with him. "They wanted the facts about Benjamin's and Eileen's death, so I gave it to them. That's why they haven't arrested him. Edward, your family has no bloody idea that Benjamin and Eileen had been turned to werewolves. They don't have the slightest clue. But Angus is telling you the truth. Your children and grandchildren want Angus' head on a pike, basically, because they truly do believe that the reason they died is because Angus committed premeditated murder, and they think you and I are sheltering him from the authorities."

"Then I think its time they learned the facts," Edward said. "And then I'll need to come back and deal with Angus. This is just one more layer of pain for him, and this layer is completely unnecessary."

"But its there now, Edward, and even if you tell them the truth, I doubt Angus is going to welcome them back into his life with open arms. I certainly wouldn't. The damage has been done. If they could believe he was a cold hearted killer, why should he give them the time of day at all? I can't blame him a bit," Robert said.

"I'm going to have to go home and have a talk with them," Edward sighed.

"Take Brian with you," Robert said. "They've not had the friendliest intentions towards you. I'd feel better if you didn't go alone."

"Fine," Edward said. He rounded up Brian and they ported out to Tuscany. Robert opened the fridge and got himself out a cola and popped the top on it.

"I guess I'll hang around and try to talk to Angus when he gets back. I can't blame him one bit, though," Robert told Ruby. "I think he did what he thought was expected of him as his duty as the eldest son. Yes, he probably should have talked to Edward, but I can't blame him for simply wanting to step up and do what he felt had to be done."

Ruby covered the bread as she listened to Robert and Edward talk. Once Brian and Edward had left she sighed "I agree, and its in his nature to make right " she said " but his family have always seen him as the bad guy even when theres nothing to see, Even I've seen that for myself." she said moving to put the bread in the drier room in the basement to rise.

Walking back she cleaned the area then looked at Robert. " I agree he shouldn't have done it alone and your right he did what he needed to do to calm the situation and playcate them." she washed the bowls and boards placing them back in there respective places. As she did she looked out the window to see if he was returning. "tea or coffee, this could be a long wait." she said holding up the jugs for both.

"Well," Robert said, seeing her holding up the jugs, "why don't you do something different? It really is getting hot out there today. Why don't you go a little untraditional and make a large jug of something cold. In Brian's wine cellar downstairs you'll find several 2 liter jugs that are marked E-H20. I apologize for my code, but what those are, are jugs of water that I have infused an electrolyte serum into so that on some of these hot summer days, we can take that water and make a lemonade or a limeade and put it over plenty of ice. That will bring not only some much appreciated relief to anyone who's been working outside in this heat, but it will also help restore some of the loss of electrolytes that happens actually pretty quickly in the summer sun. Angus's recipes for lemonade and limeade are in his recipe file box, wherever that is. I presume its maybe in his office. Kate moved every one of Angus's recipes that she could find to recipe cards and bought several extra long recipe file boxes. They're gray metal and about a foot long or so each. I think there are three or four of them somewhere. I suppose you could also make some pitchers of iced tea too, if you think people would like some of those, but I would really like to give them some incentive to drink some cold fluids."

"Ruby, what's your assessment of Angus? Truthfully, now? Do you think he's on the mend, or do I need to be a bit watchful, do you think? I think Nigel is going back to New York soon since my hands are pretty well mended, except for some scars. He's going to come back towards fall and try to remove those scars, but I really need to be back at my work again, so I've put him off for a bit. I'll be resuming the medical tasks here since my magic is back."

Ruby listened to his sugestion and nodded " ice tea or lemonade" she said placing down the jugs. As she listened more she sighed " I have caught him sneaking a drink of fire whiskey instead of taking his potions but other than that I think hes improving." she said " but I do think you should talk to him again, he never drank when we first met and now, even small amounts I know could lead to much more." she said honestly. " I don't want to lose him, but I know he will never be a hundred percent himself again."

Heading down to the basment she found the Jug marked E-H20 and brought it up to the kitchen she prepared some mango iced tea and pored Robert a glass. "Here try this, I think I got the sweetness just right ." she said placing it down in front of him

"That isn't uncommon, actually," Robert said when Ruby told him she had seen Angus drinking. "So, there's good news in it. The fact that he's stopped taking the potions means, I think, that he doesn't trust that needing the potions isn't a sign that there is something wrong with him, and I don't think he has the same level of trust in Nigel that he does in me. He doesn't want to need the potion because of what he thinks that means about him. He's wrong, of course, but it is actually really common for his thoughts to go there.

"On the other hand, the good news in it is, at least twofold as I see it. First, if he's drinking instead of taking the potions, there is at least some acknowledgement on his part that they're helpful. I don't think Nigel has the slightest chance he'll get Angus back on his potions, but I think I might be able to--maybe. I have to talk to him and provide him some education that it doesn't mean what he thinks it does and hope he'll trust me on it. The second thing that I see as a good sign is that it sounds like he isn't drinking a lot. An occasional nip isn't a a necessarily a hazard, but I certainly understand your concern. I'd rather have him on the potions. They're safer. So, yes, his situation could be better, but it could also be a heck of a lot worse too. I think he'll trust me.

"And, I think you might be wrong that he'll never be 100 percent again. I think he certainly can be. Remember it really has only been a couple weeks since they died. I think he'll work through it. As I understand it, he did well with you when you were in France, so that's a very good sign. I think if his family hadn't started to hammer him about his parents and blame him for something he didn't even dream of doing, I think he'd have been a bit better than he is now. If I can get him back on his potions, get his family to leave him alone, and get him into some sort of healthy routine, I think we'll see some big changes for the better. I'll latch onto him when he gets back from his run. If you see him coming, pour him and me each a lemonade, and I'll take him outside and have a word with him, just the two of us."

Ruby was relived that Robert thought Angus was on the right track with not taking his potions and having a small drink instead " when you put it that way , yeah it is a good sign, and yes he was happy, relax almost like his old self." she said smiling " he enjoyed the diving just as much as I did" she listened more as he continued telling her Angus could be a hundred percent again this made her smile " thats good to hear." she said then nodded when Robert said when she saw him to port two glasses of lemonade for them.

Ruby fetched the bread from the drier room and roleld it into fresh bread balls for dinner. Placing them on a baking tray she wiped them with milk and put them into the oven to cook. It was now she thought she saw Angus returning and pored the two glasses leaving them on the counter beside Robert. " I think he's back2 she told him finishing up the bread rolls.

"Alright. I'll go see what I can do," Robert said, taking the glasses of lemonade. Angus seemed to be glad to see a cold drink, and he wasn't opposed to going to talk with him. Robert took him to Kate's studio because Kate wasn't working today. It would be private.

Robert was gone over 2 and a half hours with Angus. Smelling the bread, Kate came into the kitchen and found Ruby there, and she saw the worry on Ruby's face.

"Robert's still talking with him. I can sense it. I don't have a feeling about Angus, but Robert is calm. He's confident. If there was something wrong, I think I would know. So, I say we let them finish their talk, and in the meantime, How I about I help you fix supper? I'll fix some barbequed chicken, if you can manage a really nice salad, and maybe some baked potatoes? And I don't know--some sort of dessert. I think it would be a nice night for us to eat outside either on the porch or out under the stars--maybe nighttime picnic. We've got some pretty lanterns we could light. It might be a nice change. What do you think?"

Ruby was clock watching as the time dragged since Robert went to talk to Angus. She smiled seeing Kate walk in " oh would you, it would be a great help." she said and listened to her talk about feeling Robert " Im not going to say I understand seer abilities but if you say all good I'll take it." she said and gave a weak smile to her " oh that would be wonderful, Angus and I did that back when we were on our vacation, he loved it." she said smiling as she set about preping several large backing potatoes.

Once they were done she gathered things to make a Spanish-style prawn salad to go with what Kate was making " do you have any sugestions for desrt? " she asked poring out a cold glass of lemonade for her and set it down on the counter. " hydration is important in hot weather, and boy this weathers geting warm." she chuckled