LONDON CALLING

Ruby chuckled and nodded " yeah and thank you" she said standing as she ehaded back to the kitchen pausing she ehard Kate and chukled " I thought she did " she said " yours as she gets older, oh that reminds me the besturie part 2 , im almost done." she told him " and I think I might as Michael to take me climbing to hone my climbing skills as I don't want to be too far away from here." she chuckled as Robert had said about clinic hours. " I don't think theres any one else." she said as Jack walked in and went to wash his hands .

"I swear that elwood guy knows nothing, twice I caought him putting the post in the wrong way up" he said " twice, who does that." he sighed and looked at Robert and Kate " sorry was I interupting?" he then looked down at Angus with abby.

"Good," Robert said. "Keep reading. There are always more books where those came from. Michael probably will want to teach you basics first before he actually takes you out climbing, but that's his call, of course."

"Elwood might not know much about putting up fencing," Angus said, "but he's bloody brilliant in the garden, and he's very good with the horses and the unicorns. Maybe we're not making use of him in the most effective way. You weren't interrupting. My little buddy here isn't feeling well today. This is one of the first times she's ever really been sick. She's running a fever, and she has a rash. Robert says it's an illness with the magical system. She's been sleeping on my shoulder now for a couple hours. She just seems to want to be held, and I can't blame her. It's probably scary business when you're three."

Jack heard then talk and nodded " i'll reasign Elwood to the garden and barn duties "he said maybe we can get that fence repair finished. Ruby walked back to the kitchen and put the dinner food in the oven to cook 

"Well the lollys are frozen so if she wasnts one just let me know " she said cleaning up her previose preperation for dinner. " you think theres anything else you want me to do" she asked drying her hands on a towel as she looked down at Abby " sleeps the best thing for them when there this small" she said softly as she tok out a small lanket and lay it across Abbys lower half just to make her that bit more comfortable.

"Brian's due back here straight after lunch. I'd take him with you. Remember, he's the one of us here that actually likes driving in fence posts," Angus laughed, knowing how much Brian loved ranch work. "Have you seen Marcus this morning? Lordy, Jack, his back is one solid bruise from the back of his head all the way down in into his trousers. Obviously, he isn't having anyone checking to see how far south that bruising goes, but it's the first time I've actually seen him bested by pain. He's a complete buggared up mess."

"I'll let you know," Angus told Ruby. "She stays settled until I stop rocking, and then that tends to disturb her."

Khaat came downstairs and came over to Angus and Abbey and laid her hand on Abbey's forehead.

"She really is hot," Khaat sighed.

"She is," Angus agreed, "but she was warmer before your dad gave her a fever potion."

"I can take her if you want," Khaat offered.

"You're always welcome to. You know that, but I don't mind. She's settled here for now, and she stays comfortable until I stop rocking."

"She was like that as a baby too," Khaat said. "So long as we didn't have anything better to do but rock her, all was rock her."

"And we all spend hours doing it," Angus smiled.

"Thank you for always being so good with her," Khaat said. "I don't know what we would do without you."

"It certainly is my pleasure," he replied. "I can't imagine being anywhere else."

"Good, because you don't ever get to leave, you know," she smiled.

"Good. Wasn't planning on it," he laughed. Just then an owl landed on the kitchen windowsill with a small package.

"Would one of you get that?" Angus asked.

"I'll get it,' Khaat said. She went to the window, gave the owl a treat and got the box. "Its for my father. I'll take it upstairs to him when I go back up. Can I help somehow with fixing lunch? I presume that's you that's on it, Ruby?"

Ruby watched and smiled " Theres no way he'd every leave and I wouldn't ask him to ether, and please I got the basics done that Angus asked for, but a second pair of hands would come in handy" she said smiling down at Angus and Abby as he rocked gently back and forth. Jack listened and nodded.


"I can imagine with teh thump I heard " he said " oh do you still have those pictures you took might be time to show the others" he said grinning knowing the others would find it funny what they did to James just as much as they had.

"Oh, I've got plans already in motion for those, Jack. Patience. Give it a bit. I was told I'd have them back by mid afternoon or sooner," Angus said. "And it will be well worth waiting for. They said they'd send it by owl, but it might need to be a bloody big owl."

"Have you been taking mischief lessons from Michael, Angus?" Khaat asked.

"Maybe," Angus said, with a look on his face that said he was being about as naughty as he could imagine and enjoying every moment of it. It made her laugh.

"This ought to be good, then," Khaat said. "Did you have anything in mind for lunch, Angus?"

"Check the fridge, would you? There are several greens and vegetables and fruits that need using up. Maybe some sort of large summer chef salad to put it all to use? There are some boneless skinless chicken breasts in there too that you could grill up and put with it."

"Perfect," she said. "I've got it." She got out the chicken breasts, pounded them thin, cut them into strips and grilled them, and while she was doing that she prepared a mammoth salad bowl of mixed greens, shredded carrots, julienned sweet onions, slivered radishes, bell pepper strips, lots of grape tomatoes, slices of cucumbers. Then she added some slices of hardboiled eggs, some toasted pecans, croutons, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, crumbled bacon, the grilled chicken strips, and her own freshly made mixed berry vinaigrette dressing.

"God, Khaat, that looks phenomenal," Angus said, watching her assemble it all. She set out a large basket that was overflowing with various water biscuits, and some slices of crusty bread. She set out iced tea, lemonade, sodas, and ice water.

"I've got no dessert, I'm afraid.

"I've got a plan. Take some of those digestives in there, and some chocolate and some marshmallows, make some s'mores and toast them up quick with your wand. And, if you want to gild the lily a little, you'll spread some peanut butter on some of those digestives to have some chocolate peanut butter s'mores," Angus said.

"Brilliant," she said. She put them together hastily and then set it all out in the dining room. "Did I forget anything?"

"'Don't think so. Just call them and enjoy it," he smiled. "Well done for a hasty lunch."

Jack huckled and placed his fingers together " excelent" he said in a semi comically evil tone. Ruby just shook her head and chuckled as she headed into the ktchen to removed the chcken breat fromn the fridge. 

"Okay lunch it is" she said and was glad of Khaat in the kitchen as they together assembled the lunch as Angus instructed them to. She finished off her ice cream with fresh strawberrys and other fruit to top it off. " this is just incase Abbys dosn't want anything hot" she said to Khaat " hope thats okay" she said showing her the little bowl prepared for Abby. " I'll make a tray for you so you can eat in the chair " she said placing down a fesr cup of tea for him to drink.

"That's a good thought. Thank you, Ruby," Khaat smiled. "She'll like that. If she eats anything, it'll be that."

"Thanks, Ru," Angus said. "I could be here for a couple of days." He teased, but he had never see Abbey sick before. He had no intention of leaving her until he knew for himself she was alright. "When you get a moment, would you refresh her drink, please? That's the soda you opened for her at 6 this morning. I'm sure it's flat by now. Even ice water would be better than soda with no fizz left in it."

Michael arrived back, having gone out for a bit himself.

"You're just in time for lunch," Khaat told him. "Go tuck in." He was about to do just that when a very large owl arrived, bringing a cardboard mailing tube.

"Nice," Angus said mischeviously. "Michael, grab that before anyone else does." Michael went over, grabbed the tube and fed the owl.

"Okay, now what am I doing with it?" Michael asked. Angus motioned to him, and Michael went over to him. Angus whispered in his ear, and Khaat recognized all too quickly the look of pure delight on Michael's face. He looked like a little boy who was about to cause all kinds of hell and enjoy every moment of it.

"Leave it to me," Michael laughed. He took the tube and went outside.

"What are you up to, Angus Donohue?" Edward had watched the entire scene. "You're being very naughty, aren't you?"

"I am, and I'm not a bit sorry," Angus grinned.

"Am I going to want to ground you?"

"Twice, at least," Angus laughed. "You'll all have to wait until after lunch, so go tuck into Khaat's very excellent salad and enjoy it."

Ruby noticed the can in the cup and that the ice had turned to water " all right " she said and picked it up emptying the can she palced the empty can in the recyle bin and emptied out the water. Refilling it she added a fresh can with a straw, a pink straw for Abby to drink out of. " all refreshed" she said softly as she palced it next to Angu's own cup. On seeing the tube she frowned but then her face lit up " oh is that waht Jack was talking about james and pics?" she said but said no more as not wanting to spoil the suprise.

Jack heard and burst out laughing " oh there going to love it" he said now grinning as Jess aperated in and smelt the food. Ruby sent glasses and a jug of lemonade to the table for those who wanted some along with fresh bread rolls.

They went in and helped themselves to generous portions of salad. Some had water biscuits with their salad, and some had bread. Some had iced tea, some had lemonade, and some had sodas. And then they found the quickly improvised chocolate peanut butter s'mores. Even Marcus had come downstairs, finding himself hungry now that Robert had decreased his pain.

"Where did you get the dressing?" Simone asked Khaat.

"I made it up. I just winged it," she said. Simon laughed.

"It's wonderful," Simone said. "I would appreciate it if you could write it down though."

"Not sure I remember what exactly I added or how much," she said. Angus laughed.

"I'll try to help you figure it out when I can," Angus told her. . "We'll try to re-create it. It really is very good." Abbey stirred and whimpered, calling to him, feeling whiny.

"Aggie," she whimpered into his neck.

"I'm right here, Abs," he said soothingly.

"I no feel good," she said barely loud enough for him to hear her, let alone anyone else. He accio'd one of the ice lollies Ruby had made.

"Here. Try this. You'll like it. It's a strawberry ice lolly. You like those. I know you do." he managed to get her to eat one, and she was nearly done with it when Robert came into the kitchen. When he saw her awake, he went over to her.

"How's my baby girl?" Robert asked her. She sniffled and got teary. "I know, Poppet. How's the ice lolly? Is it good?" She nodded. "Good girl." He touched her forehead to cast a spell to try to reduce her fever a bit more, and he noticed she had started to scratch the rash. He cast a spell quickly to stop the itch so she didn't scratch. "Is that a little better?" She nodded. "Do you want to go up to your room?" She shook her head no, clinging tightly to Angus. "Can I hold you for just a few minutes so Angus can stretch his legs for a moment?" She shook her head no. Robert laughed.

"I'll come straight back," Angus told her. "I promise. Alright?" Robert took her from Angus, and she really got whiny for a moment until Robert started to just walk with her back and forth in the kitchen, talking softly to her. It gave Angus a much needed break to stretch his legs and refresh himself. "Angus, change that conjured chair out for that upholstered rocker in the little sitting room at the end of the hall."

"The one that Kate sits in to knit?" Angus asked.

"Yeah. That's the one. Bring it in here or into your office where it's quiet. It will be a hundred times more comfortable than that conjured kitchen chair."

"Good idea. Thank you." Angus used magic to move the chair from the other end of the house into the kitchen. Then he went to stretch his legs, splash some cold water on his face and just generally refresh himself. When he came back, Michael motioned to Angus.

"Could I...just for a moment?" Angus asked. Robert nodded. Angus went outside with Michael, and when they came back, they were both laughing, looking like they had pulled one of their favorite pranks of all time.

"Now what are you two ornery schoolboys up to?" Robert asked.

"You lot ready to see?" Michael asked.

"I can hardly wait," Edward said. Angus took Abbey back from Robert so Robert could go out with Michael and the others.

"Come on. I'll show you." Michael led the way and took them out to the part of the yard that Brian used for dueling practice. They dueled against each other here, but there were also targets for some target practice with either wands or muggle weapons. And, there, in the center of the targets, were Angus's photos of shaved James, enlarged to bigger than life and mounted up as targets for target practice.

Robert and Edward and the others burst into laughter.

"Oh, well done, Angus," Robert laughed. "I like it. Who wants first shot at him?"

"I think the honor should go to Khaat and Marcus," Edward said.

"Looks like there's plenty of James to go around," Marcus said.