LONDON CALLING

"I don't ever want her to be unhappy, Jessie," Angus said. "You know what frightens me? That maybe I'd find out that fatherhood might be in the blood after all. I don't want to be a git to my own kid. Not ever. And--I don't want to have a herd of kids and then not come back from a mission and leave her all alone with a bunch of tiny kids to raise all by herself."

"Angus," Brian said, "I hear you. I do. When I saw Rob walk out on Khaat within about two minutes of her almost dying from delivering Abbey, I felt that same fear. And Abbey wasn't mine, but I couldn't bear the thought of her in ICU and Abbey eligible to be released with no place to go. No dad that gave a damn. I promised Robert in that moment that Khaat and Abbey would want for absolutely nothing for the rest of their lives. And, what did you and I do the very next morning?"

"We picked up Abbey and brought her home," Angus said.

"Yeah. We did. You and me. You've walked every step of her life from Day 1, and you've been bloody brilliant with her. I know what your very best is, and I know you at your very worst. I'm telling you you do not have one cell in your entire body that is the least bit like your father or your mother either one. It isn't genetic. Love isn't in the blood, not like that. You're a decent guy because you were raised by Edward and Caprice. That fear is going to be in the back of your mind until you hold your own for the first time. I wouldn't wait for it to go away before you have kids. It doesn't work like that. And as for leaving her alone? She's not alone. You're not with her at this moment, and she's still surrounded by people. She's got a huge family. If, in the remote chance you don't come back, she won't be alone. Your kids will grow up in the same huge family that Abbey thrives in. They won't want for a single thing. We've got you--and them--covered."


"What if you come back from every mission for the rest of your life?" Michael asked. "Will you deprive yourself and Ruby of having children because you're waiting for something that might never happen?"

"I'll think about it," Angus said, glad for their companionship and their level headed thinking.

"And I see our dinners coming," Brian smiled.

Jessie stayed quiet letting the others talk to Angus about his fear what they were saying was exactly what he was thinking. He smiled and watched as the waitress walked over with their food. " ah smells delish" he said placing his napkin on his lap leaning back a little to let her place it in front of him. Picking up his knife and fork he waitied for the others to start then he ate " hum, nice" he said eating slower than he normaly would so he could savour the flavours " Angus if you could cook this good too, Im eating at Brians from now on." he chuckled.

Soon he was done and he sat back waiting for the others to finish. " so who here plays cards?" he asked out of curiosity. " becuse I brought a pack with me, there back in the sleeping car."

Brian loved his sea bass. It felt like it melted in his mouth like the butter sauce that was drizzled over it. For Angus and Michael, the lamb fell right off the shank bone into the rich gravy.

"He can," Brian said. "He makes the finest braised lamb I've ever had anywhere."

"Which is why you're eating the fish?" Angus laughed. "You can't compare my lamb to this lamb since you're not eating it."

"Alright then," Brian said. He took his for and stabbed a bite of Angus's lamb and ate it. "Now--and, yes, this is my honest opinion. Yours is, legitimately, better. This one is missing something that you do in with the spices."

"He's right, you know," Michael said. "Yours is better. It's the wine. You use a different wine, and yours is better." Angus stabbed Brian's fish and tasted it.

"Their fish is way better," Angus said. "There's something in the herb sauce that is spot on."

"Tarragon," Michael said. "I can see tarragon leaves from here in the sauce."

"Might have to try it," Angus said.

They ate dessert, and sipped on the champagne. Michael decided to order the port back in the room. Angus ordered them a bottle for the room.

"I brought cards too," Angus laughed. "I think we all play. What's your best game, Jessie? We play a lot of different games. Gin, Rummy, 5 card stud, Euchre, Pinochle, and several others. And we've got board games. Several different ones. I think we'll be up for just about anything."

Jessie sipped his champage " I agree the lamb was devine" he said " but I don't think I have had your lamb Angus" he thought for a moment then shook his head " nope don't think I ever have " he said as he ate his desert once it was placed infront of him. He chuckled as angus asked what his game was."Black jack is my game" he said " but I don't mind scrable or battleships." he thought back to the last time he played , it was with Ruby and she won.

"Ruby and I use to paly all the time when we were small, she won most of the time." he said with a smirk " the only memories I have are with Ruby and my little brothers."

"You know," Angus said to Jessie, "I'm glad you have some good memories with Ruby. Hopefully your time with our little bunch of miscreants will help you make other memories worth keeping."

"Well, let's try scrabble, then, at least at first," Michael said. "We can all play. I like Battleship, but I'll give you a word of advice. Don't play with Robert. He'll beat your arse off before you know what hit you."

"Been there, done that. Repeatedly," Brian laughed. "Never play battleship against a spymaster. It doesn't go well. And he's a complete bastard at chess."

"He's beat you too, has he?"

"Has anyone ever defeated him?"

"Kate," Michael laughed. "And Lee Shepherd a time or two. Kate can take him, though, if she has a mind to."

"Is there anything we have a chance at beating him at?" Angus asked.

"Monopoly. Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit. Pictionary. Things that are far less strategy minded," Michael said. "Things that are fun just for the sake of it. He's a man who often just forgets to have fun, so that's what you can take him at without driving yourself bananas at."

"The last time he and I played Mancala, I beat him by the skin of my teeth," Brian said. "And he told me I could pick the next game. I told him that I wanted to beat him at Twister. He told me he has no idea what that is. I might have a chance at that." They burst out laughing.

Jessie hearing Angus he laughed "oh i have many already"he said grinning at them all as he listened to them talk of games " whats Mancala?" Jessie asked "not played that game before, its usualy chess or cards." he listened and wondered if he could learn from Kate when they returned home.

Jessie chuckled and shook his head " I'll play what ever you guys want." he told them placing the now empty champage glass down on the table. " but can we do it in the state rooms I realy want to change out of this monkey suit." he looekd at Michael and the others. "Hey Angus if you and Ruby do get married please no tuxes."

"Mancala is one of those somewhat strategic, somewhat luck games, played with two players. It originated in Africa, I believe. There is a narrow wooden board with two rows of six little hollowed out spaces. Each player has a number of colored pebbles. My game has red and blue glass pebbles. Anyway, the idea is to move your pebbles around from the far side of the board, counterclockwise, all the way around to your side of the board. If, you end up putting one of your pebbles in one of those little pits and your opponent puts a more of his pebbles, he can actually take one of your pebbles. The idea is to get all your little stones around the board and get them home before your opponent ends up taking them."

"It really is a fun game," Michael said. "A bit like the best bits of Backgammon."

"If my brother Evan had his way, we'd all go to his timeshare in a nudist came and get married there," Angus said, teasing Jessie just a little. A server with a camera was coming around and taking complimentary pictures of people at the dinner table. She came over and offered to take a picture of the four of them. Michael sprang for it, and he paid the tab for the photo.

"Come on. It'll be proof that Jessie didn't go to dinner in his jeans," Michael said. The server took the photo, and she moved on to the next table. Brian signed the supper tab for all four of them and for the bottle of port that Michael ordered, and then they left the dining car and went back to their compartments.

"Hang your tuxes nicely, Gents," Michael told them. "We have another night in the dining car on our way back. We'll change and then get together for some games in just a few, shall we?"

Michael changed to a pair of jeans and a brown v neck cashmere pullover. It was somewhat chilly here at night as they went through the alps. Brian had chosen jeans and a sweatshirt, and Angus had jeans and a cream colored cotton pullover summer sweater.

"Can't believe I'm going to say this, but I want a sweater like that one," Brian told Angus. "I like that a lot. It looks comfortable."

"It is," Angus said. "Diane sent it from Venice in the last shipment I got from them. She asked me to try it. I rather like it. I might get it in another color or two." There was a knock on the door, and Angus thought it was Michael. It turned out to be the port with four glasses. Angus signed for it. "I think we're ready whenever they get here."

Jessie smiled for the camera and was glad they would havea momento of the trip to take home. Moving from the table he headed to their state room and changed hanging up the tux. He wore a teeshirt and jeans, his favotrate attire. Looking at Michael so what do you think they wil pick for tonights game, coz I don't think I could get a grip of that other game Brian deiscribed." he told him honestly, " I can't play backgammon ether" he admitted as he placed the tuz now on a hanger into its suit bag and placed it inthe closet that was there.

Now comfortable he heard the knock a few doors down and chuckled, opening it he saw the steward handing over the port to Brain and walke down to him " now this is more like me" he said and pooked his head into their state room. " nice, not too diferent from ours." he said

"Come on in," Brian motioned.

"The room's a little small, don't you think?" Michael asked. "Suppose this charm works on a moving train?" He flicked his wand and cast the same charm that was used on wizarding tents. The compartment was immediately bigger, and he duplicated the bench in the compartment and enchanted the little table to be a proper table for playing some cards or games.

"God, that's better,' Brian said. "You do realize this means we can't open the door to the muggles until we change it back, right?"

"What muggles?" Michael flashed them a mischievous grin. "Come on. Let's give scrabble a go and then maybe some cards." Angus got out the scrabble board and resized it while Michael poured glasses of port for everyone.

Jessie was gratful Michael had resized the room to bigger " oh I agree much better" he said and walked in to sit down at the table " so who starts?" he asked " or how do we decide on who starts" he asked " do we flip a coin?" he looked at every one as Angus resize the scable board smiling. " I might be a littel rusty at this." he said and chuckled as he waited for the others.

Back at the house Ruby had managed to put away all the diliveries that Angus had ordered. she even managed to put together the bed they had found and now lay on the finished bed. Looking out she smiled at seeing Brians house not too far away. " okay now to start the garden" she said heading down to the kitchen to grab a box of saplings and seedlings she wanted Edward to loook over and tell her ones he wanted. Most were herbs but some were special plants she'd sorced for Edwards side.