LONDON CALLING

Jack listened and heard teh pack howl and bark " yep they smelt him too" he said " but they say hes not doing anything just waiting"he said watching Angus with Abby. Ruby smiled and moved next to Angus her hand gently brushing Abbys hair off her face. 

"yeah its okay she can stay with us tonight" she said softly to her " might be a squash in the bed but we'll make do" she said smiling as she looked at both Abby and Angus. " I'll have the kettle on and ready for you" Ruby said as Jack looked around.


"I'll searcharound the area and strangthen the charms" he said " might have to have Michael add that alarm charm hes been working on" he said and walked back the way he came his shoukders tensing as he walked at the thought James was so close by.

"Let me help you get back to the house," Edward told Angus quietly. He helped Angus get into his regular chair and pushed the chair into the house and up to the bedroom. Abbey hadn't let go during all the moving. She'd clung tightly to Angus, and Angus was aware of some of her tears on his bare chest. Edward turned the light off on Angus's wand and laid it aside. Then he cast a little refreshing spell on Abbey to clean off the worst of the dirt. Andrew was up with all the commotion.

"Was she hurt?" Andrew asked.

"No, I don't think so," Angus said. "I think it just scared her as much as it scared us." Edward and Andrew helped move Angus and Abbey to the bed.

"Do you need anything?" Andrew asked Angus.

"No, I don't think so. I think we'll be fine," Angus said as Andrew pulled the covers up. Pip flew back in the balcony doors and landed on his perch, and then Angus heard a distinctive little chirping sound. Angus frowned.

"What is that noise?" Andrew asked.

"Dunno," Angus said. They listened closer and it seemed to be coming from Abbey. Andrew drew back the covers, and Angus unzipped the pocket in Abbey's cardigan. Out popped Fudge, and he scrambled out of the pocket and dashed over to Ruby's side of the bed chattering. He seemed agitated.

"You two probably squashed him with all that hugging," Edward laughed.

"I didn't know he was there,' Angus said. "Sorry, Fudgy. You're probably safer on Ruby's side of the bed tonight. She'll find you a safe place to be til morning, I'm sure."

Ruby followed them back to the house once she disposed of teh darkened buscuits and cleaned up walking into the bedroom she chuckled " oh I have just the palce for him" she said over hearing what they ahd said, picking him up gently and palcing him on a small tree next to the bed and accioed one of his treats "There, you can sleep here tonight." she said softly to him. " lt Khaat and Brain know shes safe with us please " she said to Edward " but I think its time we all got some sleep, good night Andrew, Edward " she said changing her clothes to a set of cotton pajamas as they both left the room. Slipping in to the bed she turned to face Angus and Abby " she gave us quite the scare" she said softly " I never want to feel that with our kids" she said taking Angus's hand in her own. Moving glently she gave Abby  soft kiss on her forhead " night Abby" she then moved to gently kiss Angus " good night my love" she said softly as her own eyes drifted shut.

Next morning she slipped out while both were still sleeping Abby now sprawled across both of them taking up most of the bed making Ruby chuckle as she dressed and headed down to start breakfast " morning Andrew" she said poring some coffee before putting it down and taking some juice instead " can't have coffee, its bad for the baby" she said " I may not get the morning sickness thanks to Roberts potion but I still can't eat certain things."

"Morning," Andrew said to Ruby when she came down. He saw her pour coffee and then heard her say she couldn't drink it. "Yes, I know," he smiled. "Some women I've worked with will still choose to drink some small amounts anyway. I've always thought it wiser to let my clients make their own choices, so long as they know both the pros and cons of it."

Angus woke when Abbey woke. She told him how angry Khaat had been when Abbey wasn't in the mood for Khaat to give her her bath and how angry Khaat had still been when she had put Abbey to bed. Angus had a talk with her about how important it was to try to get along with her mother, even when she was angry with Khaat. He talked with her about how important being good was. Then he had a talk with her about not going out of the house after dark and never without letting a grown up know where she was going. When she understood why it was important, she said sorry and hugged him tightly. He got up, got into his chair and Abbey climbed up on his lap and then he took the enchanted stairs and came downstairs, just as there was a knock on the door. It was Brian. Andrew answered the door and let him in.

"Thank you for taking such good care of her last night," Brian told them. "Khaat and I didn't hear a thing. We both slept straight through, unfortunately. I'm thinking of putting a contact alarm spell on her door at night so that if she opens the door, it wakes us up."

"Abs, what do you say to your daddy?" Angus asked her quietly.

"Sowwy, Daddy," she said, looking at the floor.

"We had a talk. She skirted off because she and Khaat had words last night," Angus said.

"Yes, I know," Brian sighed.

"She knows now she can't go dashing about outside after dark," Angus said.

"Abbey, if you're upset, come get me or get Papa or Gan or somebody in the house. Wake us up if you need to. It's alright," Brian told her. "Now, shall we go get some breakfast and get you changed to go out? You still want to go with me, don't you?" She nodded. "Well, let's go then," he smiled. Brian looked at Angus. "Khaat's going to take a couple vacation days, and maybe the three of us will go away for a family weekend. We've never done that. I think its time we did."

"I agree," Angus said. "Abs, you have a great day with your daddy today." Abbey nodded, and Brian took her to the main house for breakfast.

"How did you get a three year old to be so workable?" Andrew asked.

"I just talked to her. Once she understands, she does try to do the right thing," Angus said.

Ruby smiled and waked over with a cup of coffee for Angus once Brian and Abby ahd returned to the main house" here , I made this for myself but I think you could use it, and I still don't know how you can do it" she said to him "Maybe as time goes by we'll both teach each other" she said smling " I talked to her for hours and she still was angry" it was now she stopped and thought " hum maybe its how it was said it not, what was said" she looked at Angus " you think?" she asked " okay i have to go to the main house, be back by supper, bye pip" she ssaid to the tiny owl now perched in the living room " lve you Angus" she said and smiled heading over.

"morning, anysign of you know who?" she saked slipping of a light over shirt she'd slipepd on as she'd feel a little cold before starting the breakfast prep.

"Thank you. I desperately need that," Angus smiled at her. "She'd had all night to sleep on it, and she'd also had a pretty bad scare in the dark. She must have been really close to James if she heard him and smelled him both. I think you had her yesterday when she was in a full on rage, and that almost never happens for her. When I've found her like that, my technique with her hasn't exactly been one i'd recommend for anybody else. I'm sure it isn't something any professional would recommend. I picked her up and sat her on my lap and let her yell and kick and rage at me until she got it out of her system. It only really took her a couple minutes to do that, and then she was sorry she kicked me and hit me and started to cry and apologized. Then once she had a good cry, then we could talk. As I said, its not the best technique, and as she gets older, I hope she learns to deal with anger in better ways.

"I think it really is the relationships. I've known her her entire life. She's known you for a few months. It'll come, Ru. It really will. Give it a bit. I think you've done really well with her. She doesn't take to strangers easily. She's open with us because we've been around her. You're the first stranger she's had to get to know, and I think you've done well. Keep at it. She likes you, you know. She thinks you're her buddy, and I'm glad she feels that way." She kissed him and told him she loved him. "I love you too."

Kate was sticking a couple more sheet pans of pasties in the oven. She had baked two big sheet pans of savory pasties, and these were the sweet ones going in the oven now.

"Morning, Ruby," Kate said. "So far, I don't think anyone has actually seen any trouble from him. Not sure what he's looking for. Maybe he's just doing some sort of surveillance. As long as he isn't making trouble, I'm going to try not to worry too much."

Ruby listened to Angus and felt she too had acumplished soemthing with Abby and chuckled and nodded " yeah,shes my buddy too" she said befor she left.

"As long as hes out there and we're in here Im fine with that" she said helping with some of the sheet pans. " so what we making this morning?" she asked placing the sheet pan down on the counter in front of her. Jack walked in and shook off some dried grass off his clothing.

"sorry some of the pups wanted to play" he said " it gives them a sense of whos boss" he chuckled grabbing a brush and sweeping teh dried grass and leaves out teh door and onto the grass " not that around here its me though" Ruby smiled and shook her head. " oh" she accioed Jacks jacket " here thought you might want this back" she said and Jack took it nodding " yep not that I feel the cold much." he hung it on the coat rack and moved to grab some juice.

"This is the last batch going into the oven now. I've got two trays of savory breakfast pasties baked and out. That's what those are. The sweet ones are just going into the oven now. I've got two different chutneys, some fruit salad, clotted cream and jam, the orange juice, and coffee tea already in the dining room. There should be plenty of both that people can have more than one of whatever they like," she said. "If you'd just put those out on a couple of the platters in the dining room, I think people can get started if they like. The sweet ones won't take as long as the savory ones. These should be out in just a bit."

"How was Abbey this morning, Ruby? Or should I perhaps not ask?" Kate asked Ruby. "I know Brian brought her back in, and he changed her clothes and they went out. He decided apparently to take her out for breakfast, sort of an impulsive move, I guess. I didn't hear her say a peep as they were coming in or going out. Khaat's already gone to work. She's hoping to get started early so she can get done early today and to book a couple of vacation days."

Ruby listened to Kate and smiled "They sound delishious and Abbys okay Angus spoke to her before Brian brought her back, I think she understood now what she did was wrong and dangerous too" she said lifting the sweet pastries into the oven to bake. she listened to her talk of Khaat and nodded " that is a wonderful idea, I think Abby just missed her " she said softly " I know the feeling of wanting a mothers love and never getting it and I know Abby will never know that feeling." she said looking at Kate and smiled a little at her.

"She's got too many people who love the bones of that little girl" Jack said smiling as he drank his coffee listening to them both.

"She does," Kate said, "And she knows it. I think, though, her anger at her parents have been building for quite a long time now. She's tired of not seeing them and not getting any attention from them. They pass her like ships. She's still asleep normally when they leave and she might see them for a few minutes at supper--maybe, but there are a lot of nights they don't get home until she's in bed. I think she really noticed it when she got sick with that virus, and after that it really bothered her. You know, I watch her, and I see her try so hard to do everything right, and I really don't want her to do everything right. I just want her to be herself. I just want her to be a happy little kid."

"She is happy," Edward said, coming in after being upstairs to get one of Robert's potions books. "She is blissfully happy. Stop fretting, Kate. Most of us got angry at our parents from time to time as we were growing up. And normal toddlers are angry about 3/4 of the time. She's just always been an exceptional child because she's so blooming bright. Be sure you know what you want. If you want her to be a normal child, then what you're asking for are a lot more temper tantrums."

"Oh, you're right," Kate sighed. "Thank you, Edward."

"You're welcome. I think you should chalk it up to everyone being entitled to a bad day, even Abbey," he smiled. "She'll probably be better after an outing with her dad."

"I'm sure you're right," Kate said. The timer went off, and she took the sheet pans of sweet pasties out and set them on the counter to cool for a moment. She cast a quick spell for a quick cooling for them and after a moment, she took them into the dining room to put out on platters.

"Well, breakfast, such as it is, is ready," Kate called them.

"I love the idea of all sorts of pasties," Edward said. "It's different, and almost feels a bit naughty. We should do that more often."