LONDON CALLING

Rubby nodded at Michaelbut something caught her eye a flash of red and orange from teh duplex tehn she gasped " the duplex is on fire" she called out and saw Marcus place down his cup she heard him tell he tostay and she knew she had to as much as she wanted to port over and be with Angus she had to stay in the main house. She looked over at Michael paniced. " it has to be my father, just has to be" she said holding back her tears and anger. Remebering what she was doin she gathered the ingridiants for the orange cinimon rolls and began to make them hoping to take her mind off what was going on out side.

Soon the rolls were done and she glanced over at the duplex , the fire was out but she could see two men in the living room , one she knew was Angus but the other was stout and not marcus or Andrew. Jess returned from St Mungos and felt her panic , walking over she smiled at her. " Hey Michael, Ruby he knows what hes doing, trust him" she said and Ruby nodded as Jess placed her arm around her shoulders.

"You've made my daughter into trash," Tyler said. "What in the world does she want with you, you two bit vegetable..."

"Spoken by a one bit father," Angus sneered.

"You arrogant little..." Tyler aimed his wand at Angus.

"That's me. I'm an arrogant vegetable, and just so you know, I've got the drop on you right now, so if you're smart, you'll lower your wand."

"Or what?" Tyler laughed. Tyler began to start the incantation for a killing curse, and Marcus dropped a flowerpot on Tyler. Tyler's wand jerked and fired instead into the wall clock behind Angus's head.

"You just killed my clock, you idjit," Angus shook his head. Tyler whirled to see who had dropped the flowerpot on him, and he took aim at Marcus, determined not to miss twice.
Angus hadn't wanted to fire his gun, but he wasn't going to let him kill Marcus either. Tyler's wand fired in Angus's direction, Marcus's wand fired, and Angus's gun fired--two shots.

Angus saw it in slow motion. He felt pain ripping at his left shoulder, and at the same moment, he saw Tyler start to fall to the floor, saw the light leaving Tyler's eyes. He saw Tyler hit the floor and lay motionless, a pool of blood forming all around Tyler. Marcus apparated between Angus and Tyler and kicked Tyler's wand from Tyler's hand. Then he checked him for a pulse. He came over and gently took the pistol from Angus's hand.

"You got him, Mate," Marcus said quietly. "He's dead." He knew the gunfire would bring Lee and Robert and Lee's men enmasse in a moment.

"I wanted him alive," Angus sighed heavily.

"Yeah, well, sometimes we don't always have a choice. You have a bit of a leak, but you'll live," Marcus said, taking his handkerchief out of his pocket and pressing it to Angus's shoulder. "He made a hole in your shoulder, but you've had far worse. He was aiming for your heart, but clearly his last shot was a damned sloppy one. Robert will want some sutures in this one. He's going to want it to heal from the inside out."

"Well, one down and one to go," Angus said. "I don't think Suzanne is going to try to come for me like Reginald did. She's a floozy, not a murderer."

"I agree. So, if we get the blood cleaned up, Ruby might be able to come home tonight," Marcus said.

"If she can ever forgive me for killing her father," Angus sighed.

"I wouldn't worry about that," Marcus said. Lee apparated inside the duplex, wand drawn, ready to fight.

"At ease," Marcus told Lee. "We're clear." Lee saw Tyler's figure on the floor. "Dead," Marcus replied. Lee went to the door and gave the hand signal to the outside men that the situation was clear.

"They're clear," Michael said, watching out the window. "Whatever happened is over. Angus must be alright, or they wouldn't have signaled that they were clear."

Ruby and Jess watched she both jumped alittle at the sound of gun shots Jess feeling Ruby strain not to head over. Together they saw men rush in. Ruby could not hold back and ported to the duplex walkign over her fathers body to Angus and saw his wound. " glancing back at the body then looked at Angus as she sighed " thank you " She said and looked at Angus to gently kiss him. " I told you once that he brought this on himself and I wouldn't hold it against you..I don't" she said as Jess aperated in shaking her head. "Can some one take out the trash please, its stinking up our house" Ruby said with a smile to Angus. 

Jess walke dover to Angus and moved next to Marcus " okay Marcus let me take over" she said moving Marcus's hand she placed her hand over the wound and firstly stopped the bleeding and let the wound heal fron the inside out. Taking some clean gauze she placed it over it " Robert can look at it, I've started it healing and stopped the blood lose" she told him " try not to move it too uch intil Roberts checked it properly" she looked back " as for him, im a healer not a myrical worker, but good shot though Angus right in his non existant heart""

"I wanted to take him alive, but he didn't give me a choice," Angus told her quietly. "I am sorry it happened that way, Ru. I really am, but you're right. He brought it on himself. "I don't think we'll be in the same danger from your mother. I really don't think she's as bloodthirsty as he was."

He let Jess tend his shoulder. "Thanks, Jess," Angus said. "I'm sure it'll be fine now. Lee, is Edward's place still on fire?"

"No," Lee said. "They've got it out. Looks like their upstairs is going to need a day or two of repairs, though. They might have to stay at the main house for a night or two til its fixed. But you might be able to sleep in your own bed tonight, Ruby. I'll have my crew get this place cleared. Marcus, could you take them outside for a bit while we get this cleaned up?"

"Certainly," Marcus said. "I have an idea. Angus, how about Ruby and I take you in the all terrain chair over to see the new unicorn foal?"

"Do we know yet if its a colt or a filly?" Angus asked.

"No clue," Marcus said.

"How would you like to come outside with me?" Angus asked Ruby. "Getting to go out three times in one day? What is this world coming to?"

Ruby looked at the body of her father and shook her head " no I don't think my mother will be." she said and turned her back as two men dragged it away. she heard Lee and smiled " oh that will be nice" she said and looked at Angus " I missed my hot water bottle" she chuckled the heard Lee sugest they go and look at the foal " I would love too and oh I know what is the world coming to out of the duplex three times in one evening" she said with a chuckle as she smiled down at Angus. " but I do agree it will be nice. " 

Jess looked at Angus and just waved him off " its what I do as a healer..heal" she told him as Jack walked up and took the body from the two men slinging him over his shoulder.

"any requests as to how I should dispose of the rubish?" he asked looking to Angus and Ruby.

"Burn him and bury the ash in the woods for all I care" she said then looked down at Angus " what do you think?" she asked before looking to Andrew " could you bring his out door wheel chair please" she asked

"That's your mom's right to decide, not ours--if she claim's him, that is. Your mother and your brothers might care someday, even if they don't care now," Angus told her, thinking of the family she still had left that might well care at some point in the future even if they didn't care today. "Jack, I think we should follow procedure and deliver the body to the morgue at St. Mungos for now. I'll make arrangements either later today or tomorrow, if you can see that the body is taken into London, please?" He made up his mind that, regardless that this man had tried to kill him. The same man also had a wife and three sons that might care what happened. The wife had the legal right to make those choices, not Angus. If she didn't turn up to claim him, then Angus would do the right thing.

"I'm already on it,' Andrew told Ruby. Marcus helped Angus to his regular chair and to the front porch while Andrew brought the outdoor chair. It only took a moment to help him from one chair to the other. Andrew and Marcus went with them to the corral where they parked Angus' chair close to the corral fence so he could look at the new foal.

"Ru, look! It's a filly! It's a girl," Angus was excited, looking at the little foal all in glittering gold. "It's a filly, I'm sure of it. And she's gorgeous. If we breed her, we can have more unicorns! Wait til Abbey sees her. Abbey is going to be over the moon."

Ruby looked at Jack and nodded " all right " she said and Jack chuckled knowing Angus was right.

"St Mungos it is then " he then ported out while Jess grabbed a mop and fresh watr to clean up the blood left on the floor. Ruby walked with Angus over and lent on the fence to watch the newest unicorn " shes pretty an I agree Abby is going to love her," she said smiling as it walked over to her and placed its head gently against her tummy making her laugh. " I think she knows Im going to be a mum too" she said brushing her hand gently over the neck of the foal. 

Jack returned and walked over to Angus and Ruby " delivered to the morgue and the paper works attatched" he said " hes the unfortunate result of a gang war." he said looking at the foal. "shes a beauty" he said stroking her neck gently.

"Thank you, Jack," Angus said, grateful for Jacks' help. "Wait til she gets her white coloring. She'll be breathtaking."

"So what do you think of her?" Robert asked, arriving home and coming out to the corral.

"She's gorgeous," Angus said. "Does she have a name?"

"Well, last night, Kate said she thought we should call her Stardust."

"That seems fitting," Angus said.

"So, I understand we had some excitement. And Tyler's gone?"

"Yes," Angus said.

"My condolences, Ruby," Robert said. "But I am glad we're all okay. We'll make room in the house for Edward tonight. It'll be alright."

"Tyler did wound Angus with wandfire, but Jess tended it," Andrew said.

"I'll check it myself in a bit, then. I think Michael was starting to set up the dining room for supper," Robert said. "I don't know what we're eating, but it smells good in the kitchen."

Ruby watched the unicorn and sighed she thought she would feel sad at her fathers death but she didn't only relife. Hearing Robert she turned to look at him and smield " its okay, I thought I'd feel something but..its weird that I don't." she said then shrugged as she continued " they said they would only need two days to repair his side of the duplex." she said to Robert then smiled as he said the name" stardust, yeah it does suit her." she said smiling as the unicorn foal walked over and touched her hand " you like it too Stardust." she said and she nudged her again as if in recognishion of her name.

Jack looked at Robert " Tylers at St Mungos morgue, a product of a gang war" he told Robert " shouldn't be too many questions as the paper work cooberates that." he then walked towards the main house . " and I think its lamb hes cooking" he said loudly abck to them. Ruby then remebered the sides she had made.


"oh with roast squash and herbs and carott and beet salad as sides" she said still brushing the foals neck.

"Well, I can't blame you for not having a lot of grief for him," Robert told her. "We've got space for Edward and Simone. That's not a problem." He listened to Jack tell him about the report about Reginald's death. "That's fine," Robert said. "Thank you, Jack. By what I could find, he was wanted by both sides of the law. I don't think there is going to be much of a question about how he died." When Jack called back and said he thought he smelled lamb and Ruby told him the rest of the menu, Robert smiled. "It sounds delicious. It was a long day today at the hospital, so I'm hungry. Angus, don't overdo. You've had a busy day. I'll come over and see to that shoulder after supper, but then you really should have a quiet evening."

"I will," Angus said.

"The house is clear now," Lee told Angus, "so any time you want to go back, its fine."

"Thanks," Angus said. He was aware of Andrew's need to soon take a bit of a break, so he looked at Andrew. "You could take me back any time. I appreciate you letting me see the new foal. Thank you."

"My pleasure," Andrew smiled. "I enjoyed seeing her too. You really ask for so little, Angus, that it's my pleasure to serve." He looked at Ruby. "I know you have more kitchen duties, so I guess I'll see you after supper."

He had Andrew take him back to the duplex, and he wrote a hasty letter to Jeffrey Burnstein telling Jeffrey the truth of Reginald's death, thinking that Jessie had a right to know. As angry as Jessie had been towards Angus before he left, Angus wasn't sure how Jessie would react to the news that he had killed his father. He also relayed the exact circumstances that had caused them to need to take custody of Sam and Victor and told Jeffrey about their discovering that Suzanne was working as an 'entertainer' for Gelding too, and Angus's purchase of the Tyler family home. It was a lot of sad news about the Tyler family, and he wasn't sure how Jessie was going to take it. He had Andrew send the letter straight off. A response came from Jeffrey within mere minutes, thanking Angus for his candidness and for relaying the full truth in how Jessie's family had had such a dramatic shift. He told Angus he saw no point in delaying the truth to Jessie and he planned on telling him at once. Angus didn't expect to hear any response from Jessie. If Jessie were to write anyone, he figured it might be Ruby.

Andrew brewed a pot of Robert's almond tea, and as Angus was sipping on it, Marcus came with a new bit of news.

"Thought you'd want to know. I haven't told Ruby yet because she's had so much upset already today," Marcus said, "but Robert's men that have been staking out her parents' home report that Suzanne and several men arrived at the house today and took out several large trunks and crates. They're sure it can't be nearly everything, but it looks like Suzanne has moved out and taken what things she wants with her. Looks like she's just leaving everything else."

"That figures," Angus sighed, shaking his head. He should have expected a self centered woman to do exactly that. "Any idea where she went?"

"Well, yes, and that's the curious bit. We know that the Gelding family have taken up residence at a new mansion on the outskirts of Paris. We've seen Gelding's things moved in there some months ago, after our raid on the lodge."

"Yeah, I think I knew about that," Angus said.

"Well, Suzanne showed up there within minutes of moving out of her own home and moved her things into Gelding's mansion."

"Really?" Angus frowned. "Now that is interesting."

"And there is a bit more. Intel from some of the organizations sources say she's taken on the role as the new lady of the house. I don't know if that means she's hooking up with Gelding in a very personal manner, but it does sound like it."

"Makes sense to me. Someone like her is about the only sort of woman that would have a creep like him," Angus said. "I am just going to guess that she isn't going to come back and claim her husband's body or make any final arrangements for him."

"Doesn't sound like it."

"Thank you, Marcus," Angus said. Just because of his love for Ruby and because he was now partly responsible for Sam and Victor, he contacted the funeral home and made arrangements that if no one claimed to pick up Reginald, he would pay for a decent burial and a headstone for Reginald. He made an appointment to meet with the funeral home director just in case those arrangements were needed. If Suzanne didn't respond, and if the boys ever wanted to go to their father's grave, they would have a decent, respectable place to go to help them make peace.