LONDON CALLING

Ruby listened and chukled as he said you could make about anything on a grill " so I have heard" she said listening more she nodded " yeah might have taken it out of him moving from here to ours" she said looking over at the duplex from wher she stood " no, I'll leave him be, Im sure Robert , edward or Andrew will help out, thereas also Simon too." she walked back in to grab teh potatoes to place on teh grill, Taking her place she placed each tinfoil wrapped potatoe on the grill then went back for the skewers and did the same , after amoment she turned each and the smell drifted up from tehm. " they smell good." she said smiling.

"well tables set , potatoes will take abit longer but alls cooking, now what" she asked " should we make some soft drink so every one has a cool drink?" she was realy glad to be kept busy but she got the feeling something was not right. using what she'd been taought she pushed it away knowing Robert would tell them about it sooner or later.

"Yeah. That's a good idea," Michael said. "If you look downstairs in the store room in the cellar there's a huge washtub in there. If you want, you could bring it out, and we'll ask someone oversized--like Jack, to fill it with ice and bottles of soda. That should do the trick. Angus made a point of restocking our pantry with several different cases of different flavors. Certainly, if we put lots of sodas out, everyone will find a flavor they like. What do you think?"

When Robert went to check on Angus next, Edward came over and saw Ruby and Michael busy setting up for supper outside.

"Ruby, we have some news. I told Robert I'd talk to you. Someone evidently had a bigger grudge against Redfern than we had. Robert got some intel that Redfern and the nurse were both found dead earlier today, and it does not look accidental from what Robert was told. I am still going to leave our lawsuit in place. The attorneys can go after the estates for them. I realize it isn't about the money but we have a right to some sense of justice there, I think. To be safe, until we know more, Robert is going to increase security. He wants to put armed guards in both our places in the duplex, and I think its a good idea. two men in each place. One upstairs and one down, on each side. Three shifts a day. They'll be Lee's men from the states. Lee is going to house them here in London. Robert believes that if they're some of Lee's first stringers, they'll be trustworthy. I think its worth trying, if for no other reason than to take any anxiety from Angus that he needs to try to force himself to be better than he is so that he can protect you and him."

Ruby nodded " good idea we can fill it with ice" she said then noticed Edward walking over. She stayed in her palce as he started to talk to her explaining what was going on " hum..okay, as much as I wish I could feel sorry for them..I don't." she listened more when Robert told her lee was bringing in more men to safe guard them all " im good with it if Angus is, and well not much i can do, like you all I want a peice of him but if you say let the lawers handel things then okay" she said " by the way how is he?" she asked as Jack came around the courner " Jack could you fetch a large half barrel from the basment and fill it with ice, please" Jack chuckled and nodded.

"sure " he said and disapeared leaving her thinking about what Robert had said "and you think my father killed both of them." she said " becuse if he did hes definatly not worth air space to be around and Im glad im changing my name to yours as I want nothing of his." She looked at Edward and smiled " thank you for telling me though" she gave a deep sigh as she looked at Edward " I exspected something but this..this is rediculus , just becuse I found love and have my own life , he still wants to control who, what, where and when." Again she took a deep breath and calmed her self. " okay so what now, my wands already at the ready, and I agre with Robert until hes caught or dead , Angus is priority, im not stepping away from him."

"He's alright. He's tired, though. I think he probably should have tried to sleep a little this afternoon but he didn't. He is asleep now, though. Robert and Andrew are there. Robert says Angus's vital signs are still holding, but he knows Angus is very tired."

"Angus is armed--at his own request. Robert's brought him a gun, some bullets, a knife, and some of those bubbles he likes. Robert thought they would good noise makers. Andrew does know how to handle a gun. He was put through agent training like all the rest of Lee's operatives. Robert said he would give him a gun, but I think Lee is going to equip him. Ruby, we don't have any proof that your dad was behind all this, but I think Robert believes that it might well be leaning in that direction. Angus absolutely does not blame you for this. And he knows it goes farther than your father's belief that you should have chosen differently than Angus. That is not your father's only issue. Angus works for Robert, and he has been one of the main faces in the child rescues over the years. Gelding hates Angus for that, and your father works for Gelding now. Gelding liked Benjamin, and he blames Angus for Benjamin's death. We know your father was responsible for Benjamin and Eileen being turned, but we also believe your father was probably ordered to get rid of Angus because of Benjamin's death. So, he gets to get rid of Angus for a hundred reasons and get paid for it. Your father is about to learn a very hard lesson though about what happens when he tries to cross paths with Robert Lupin. It's a lesson your dad is not about to like. Angus is going to tell you to keep yourself safe. We already know what your answer is going to be to that, but he blames himself for this for a number of reasons, and he doesn't want to you to get caught up in it. Robert gave him the option of going back to the main house, and Angus wants not part of that. And I support him with that. We have our own homes, and we're not about to be run out of them. I told him that Donohues stand their ground, and we will."

Ruby listened more to Edward and belived him " why can' he just crawl back under his rock, almost thirty years he had had nothing to do with me and now...now he decided to interfear, but I agree, he needs to learn a hard lesson." she said she heard him say Angus didn't want her involved and she sighed " and your right, Donohues stand their ground, I am marrying one and I'll also stand my ground on this." She looked at him " so, do I fight him with my wand if he comes at us?" she asked as Jack returned carrying the half barrel now filled with Ice.

"where do you want it?" he asked and Ruby looked around " just over there would be wonderful, I'll get the sodas and put them in the ice in a sec." she told him then looked back at Edward. " what about simone have you told her yet, and let me guess she will tell you the same, we stand with our men." she smiled at him

"My girl, if he comes, I think you fight with whatever you can get the quickest and best shot with," Edward said. "Use wandless magic if you must. Remember, Angus won't have a choice. He'll have to use muggle weapons. It's all he's got. However, if I were your father, I wouldn't want to make the mistake and underestimate him with those. He can hit a target, regardless. Wheelchair or not, given the odds of your father or Angus, my money's on my grandson. He could still take him. And, yes, Simone does know. Maurice always wanted her protected, so he made sure she had a gun and knew how to use it. So she can fire a muggle gun or a wand or whatever else she needs to use. She's not budging either. She's tough as nails. Always has been. If it were up to her, she'd move us both over to one of your vacant spare rooms so she and I keep an eagle eye out. I'm not sure we need to go that far, though," He cast her a bit of an amused smile.

"Ruby, let's get a move on. Steaks and shrimp, potatoes and corn are done. Let's get the salad, the garlic bread, the plates, silverware, napkins and the rest of it on the table. Oh, and I made a couple of wonderful homemade steak sauces. They're in the pint sized canning jars in the fridge. . I think people will like them. I made a bowl of compound herb butter with garlic and shallots and sea salt in the covered bowl on the counter--that's for the corn. And if you bring me a tray and a couple cloches, I'll fix a tray for Angus and Andrew. Jack, give a shout for the others, would you? It's all better when it's hot, of course."

Michael looked at the citronella jar candles on the table tops and flicked his fingers at them to light them to keep the bugs away from the food.

"I'll help you bring some of those things out," Edward told Ruby. "How about I get the steak sauces and the butter, at least for starters?"

Ruby smiled thankful of Edward being close " I am glad your both close and our house is always open to you and simone you know that, your as much a father to me now as to Angus." she told himthen she was reminded of the food " oh right, and thank you Edward that would be a god send , Michaels had me cooking loads ." she said and chukled as they moved to the kitchen " okay um.. garlic bread is over there and the rest is here " she said picking up the butter , corn and garlic bread to carry outside.

"okay here it is." she said placing everything down " oh shoot sodas" she said and dove back inside to fetch them. She reapeared with a crate and palced each in the large ice bucket Jack had brought up. " I think were ready, unless theres something I forgot?" she said tapping her chin as she tried to think if there was anything else.

Michael put together a tray for Angus and Andrew and he covered it with cloches and added a couple bottles of cold soda for them and floated the tray over to the duplex. Then he used a sonorus and called everyone outside

"Supper outside. Come and get it before Jack does," he called.

"What the heck?" Andrew laughed, hearing the sonorus. It woke Angus, and Angus had to laugh.

"Family humor. Jack has a large appetite, so it is a running joke that if something is particularly good, everyone better get their serving before Jack finds it or they won't get a serving. It isn't true, of course, but Jack enjoys the attention, I think."

"Um...Is that a supper tray I see floating our direction?" Andrew asked.

"Probably," Angus said. Andrew opened the door just in time to fetch the tray, and he gave Michael a wave of thanks, brought in the tray, and closed the door.

"It smells like...oh, it is. Steak. Two big gorgeous looking New York strip steaks, shrimp skewers, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, salad, garlic bread, sodas."

"God, sounds like food for four," Angus said.

"Pretty much. Hope your hungry. Oh, I do have a tray table for you. Let me get it. I think it got apparated up to one of the empty spare rooms til I could unpack it." Andrew had indeed ordered a medical style overbed table to be used upstairs and one to be used downstairs. He apparated downstairs with one, set it up in front of the recliner, helped Angus adjust the recliner so he could sit up and eat, and put his supper on the tray table.

"I can't think of a better salute to New York," Andrew said. "The steak is perfect. Couldn't ask for better even back home. Is Michael a chef too?"

"No, but he does understand good food, and he dearly loves to cook," Angus said.

Ruby chuckled as did Jack when he arived " oh steak" he said and smiled at Michael " you know the way to my heart" he said and sat down with his filled plate Ruby took the shrimp and salad as she didn't want to eat a full steak though she did take half of one, she enjoyed the food and smiled seeing Andrew wave from the house. Sitting down she could not get the thought of her father coming to Roberts home, thought that was unlikly becuse it was well hidden from every one.

Jack waited for Jess who had walked down with bby in her arms " oh look at all that food Abby" she said and placed her next to Jack " it looks yummy." she made sure the shrimps were off the skewer and on a plate for her then placed it down with ehr sipy cup with juice in it.

"Wassit?" Abbey asked Jess, looking at the shrimp. "Bugs!" she decided. Robert couldn't help himself. He and Nigel burst out laughing.

"She's never had shrimp before?" Nigel asked.

"Clearly not," Robert laughed. "Abbey, not bugs. Fish."

"Nuh-uh," Abbey shook her head. "Not fishy. Bugs."

"Would you rather have this?" Kate asked pointing to her own steak.

"Cow!" Abbey recognized it.

"Can't fool her. The child knows beef when she sees it," Nigel laughed. Kate cut off a bit of her own steak and cut it into some manageable bites for Abbey and put it on her plate.

"Try a bug, then, for Gam," Kate said. Abbey looked at her as if she thought Kate had suddenly grown three heads. It made Robert and Nigel laugh just that much harder.

"Abbey, look. It's just a little fish, that's all," Robert said, picking up one of his own shrimp and eating it." She curled up a lip in disgust that she was watching her papa eat a bug.

"You didn't convince her its fish," Lee laughed. "Now she just thinks you ate a bug."