LONDON CALLING

Ruby sat and listened to him " makes sense." she said " your idea might work if we can find something to make into a tracker, like the bees they go unnoticed and can hide anyplace" she said "but Im guessing you were thinking something mechanical to attach to the containers rather than pysical?" she finished dryng her hair then braided it down her back. " I should help with dinner." She said softly and stood up " I'll see you later." she said leaning close to him she kissed his cheek. 

Walking over to the main house she saw Jck and Jessie talkign as they walked. "Im back, and much cleaner" she said walking over to Michael  " do you need me to help with anything?" she asked standing to face him as she waited.  She glanced at the dinning room and the flowers that sat on the table " those a pretty" she said walking ove to them " and they smell wonderful."

"I have a better idea," Angus said. "Containers are generally made of wood or metal and screwed together. If we can get Gabe to make trackers out of the screws that hold the containers together, we can replace some of the screws with trackers and old Trains-for-Brains won't be any the wiser. I'll talk to Robert, and maybe he'll have a better idea than mine. And, of course, no idea is worth a tinker's if Gabe can't do it. But it might, at the minimum, generate some thinking."

"Now, you look better," Michael told Ruby when she arrived. "We're ready to put the soup and sandwiches on the table. I'll get the pot of soup if you can gget the platters of sausage sandwiches. Kate, can you and Abbey help put the condiments on the sideboard?"

"I bet we can, can't we, Abbey?" Kate smiled. Abbey nodded enthusiastically. Kate gave Abbey the honey mustard sauce to carry, and Kate carried the caramelized onions and Michael's fresh homemade ketchup. Michael carried the enormous kettle of homemade beef vegetable soup into the dining room and put it on the sideboard.

"Abbey picked the flowers for the table," Kate said. "Those pink daisies are som of her favorites. We have Angus's and Andrew's tray started, but it isn't finished." Kate showed her the tray that had a plate for the sandwiches and two little pottery crocks for the soup, with a couple dessert plates for the apricot cheesecake Michael had bought, and a little bud vase that had 2 pink daisies--a light pink one, and a dark pink one. "Abbey made sure she picked enough flowers that 'Aggie' had flowers too."

Ruby nodded and grabbed the tray of sandwichs walking them to the table and placing them down ready for any one to take " awe there realy pretty " she told her "Angus will love them" she watched as she saw the cheese cake come out and chuckled knowing it was her favorate food. Macking the tray she looked at Michael " should I take the tray over before the soup goes cold?" she asked holding the tray in her hands.

Porting over she placed teh tray down close to Angus " Abby picked those especialy for you, we have some on our table too that she picked" she said seing the others walk into the house. " ops I should get back looks like the others have arived, enjoy your meals guys" she said and ported back to the kitchen. Jessie stood smiling at her a she walked over and hugged him. " its good to see you again" she said softly as he held her close.

"its good to be back sis" he told her " but we'll talk later after supper , okay" he said and she nodded moving from him to the table.

Robert got home just while they were setting the food on the sideboard, and he had gotten Andrew's note about Angus's mishap at the pub.

"I'm going to pop over to Angus's quick," Robert told Michael. "I'll be straight back in a few minutes."

"Take your time. There's plenty here," Michael told him. Robert snatched up his bag and apparated over to Angus's front door and knocked. Andrew answered the door.

"Oh, come on in. I was just setting supper out," Andrew said. "Ruby just brought the tray over."

"Well, I won't stay long. I got your note," Robert said. He went over and sat next to Angus. "So I heard you've got some magic abilities back."

"Yeah, but they're all buggared up," Angus replied.

"So what happened?" Robert asked. Angus recounted the tale, and Robert didn't seem a bit surprised. "Well, so the system is still working on regenerating. As it continues to heal, those wonky bits should decrease. Try it for me just once. Try to repeat your shield spell. Let's see if it works any better if you don't have to be so quick about it. Take your time."

Angus cast his shield spell with wandless magic, but the spell cast a lightning bolt that went both up his arm and also out from his hand and blew a hole in the floor.

"Alright," Robert said quickly, casting his own spell to nullify Angus's spell. "Well, that's enough of that. Let's be sure you weren't hurt."

"I'm fine, I think," Angus said. Robert touched his forehead.

"Same hand you used earlier?"

"Yeah," Angus said, a little rattled from jolting himself. Robert cast a couple spells to calm his body's escalated pulse and blood pressure from the jolt. He didn't find any real additional damage.

"You were lucky," Robert said. "I stopped it before it hurt you. I'll take care of that burn on your hand." He took Angus' hand in both of his and held it a moment while he healed the burn. "There. Better--unless you do it again."

"Well, now we have an extra entrance to the basement," Angus sighed, looking at the sofa that was hanging on the sagging and scorched floorboards at about a 45 degree angle, towards slipping into the hole, down to the basement.

"Yeah, that's not attractive, is it?" Robert said. "Let me help."

"I'll lend you a hand, Robert," Andrew said, drawing his wand. The two of them together cast a reparo spell to repair the hole in the floor and take away the burned floorboards. It soon looked as good as new.

"Much better," Angus said. "Thanks."

"Any time. So, you can stand, and your magic is starting to work, not well, but it works a little. Keep up the good work. Don't push it. Don't overdo yourself, and keep up the nutrition plan. It'll come."

"Before I have grandkids?" Angus asked.

"Patience," Robert cast him a smile. "You're actually healing ahead of schedule. Most people don't heal nearly this quickly from having an entire bodily system nearly obliterated. I think you should rest tonight."

"Andrew and I are going out for awhile," Angus said. "I won't be long. A couple hours at the most."

"Ah. I remember now. The calling hours for Ruby's and Jessie's father. Should I remind them?" Robert asked.

"Jessie may not know," Angus said. "And I don't know if Ruby remembers or not, but I am not going to force either of them to go. They may be better off if they don't, but someone from the family should be there, and I could be the closest they'll get. Even if I was the reason that he's in that casket."

"No, no. Don't let that get screwed up in your head. He's the reason he's there now. He tried to kill you, and you responded in self defense. That was entirely his own doing. And that family doesn't deserve any more explanation than that. Now, look, I don't want you going without a guard or two. I'll send Marcus with you and maybe one of Lee's men just to be on the safe side."

"Robert, the more I think about it, the more I think we should not remind Ruby. She's been upset enough lately. Let's let her enjoy working in the kitchen with Michael and the rest of them. That will steady her more than going to do this. This is something I can do for her that will close the book on that asshat."

"I understand. Alright, I'll send Marcus over in about 20 or 30 minutes?"

"That's fine," Angus said. Robert went back over to the main house and saw that supper was laid in the dining room.

"Thank goodness," Robert said, sending his bag to put itself away. "I'm starving. I was thinking of gnawing on the furniture."

"Well, it would be fiber, but not much for flavor," Michael laughed. "Come tuck in with the rest of us."

"Marcus," Robert said, "come see me after supper."

"Certainly," Marcus replied.

Ruby and Jessie saw Robert return then leave for teh duplex " Jessie we can go and see father if you want tonight." Ruby said to him she wanted to go but not at the same time. Jessie reatched out his hand to her and took hers in his.

"we will go, we have to" he said and she smiled at him knowing he was right. Ruby stood and moevd to the door porting across to the duplex she smiled seeing Robert and Andrew. " Angus are you still going tonight?" she asked " Im asking becuse I remebr you mentioning you were going but could Jessie and I come with you, if thats okay" she asked then sighed " I think we both need closure on all of this, to know hes realy gone and its finished" she looked at Robert then back to Angus.

Angus was already dressed in a very sharply tailored gray gunmetal colored suit with a blue tie. Because of who he would be coming up against, he needed to look like he could be intimidating if he were pressed, and he was heavily armed. He had his fully loaded pistol, and an extra clip in his pocket and he had two switchblades.

He hadn't eaten much of his supper. He wasn't hungry, knowing the task he had in front of him, going to face Reginald's family, knowing he had been the one to kill him. Andrew had put Angus' supper in the fridge, hoping he could get to it when they got home.

"I have no issue with you going," Angus told them as Marcus arrived. Andrew motioned Marcus in. "Be sure you want to do this, though. It really isn't necessary, and I can't promise who will be there and who won't. I can certainly understand your wanting to go, though. We have a few minutes if you both want to change and get ready. We'll wait." Marcus stepped up to Angus to straighten his tie a bit and to take Angus' pocket square and refold it and put it back in his pocket.

"Not in this pocket, Mate. It shows if you have to remove your pocket square," Marcus said, taking out one of the switchblades from the front jacket pocket and tucking it into the inside pocket. "Much better. Don't you have better cufflinks? I'm not liking the onyx with that."

"He does. He's got a diamond set upstairs that I tried to talk him into wearing, but he didnt want to wear them," Andrew said.

"Where are they?"

"There's a three drawer valet box upstairs on the dresser," Andrew said. Marcus went upstairs and came back with a pair of diamond cufflinks, a small diamond lapel pin, a diamond tie tack, and a diamond ring.

"Isn't that overdoing the diamonds?" Angus asked.

"Not in this case," Marcus said. "Remember, his widow is shacking up with your enemy. You are not the bereaved daughter or son. You're the man who killed him. You need the diamonds because you need to show them you're standing your ground. In just about every other instance, I would say its overkill, but not in this situation. Ruby, choose your dress carefully tonight. You need to look like a powerful woman, like you have taken your position to stand in solidarity with him and that you're coming as a power couple. The image you two send, as a couple, to whoever is there could keep them from going after Angus. Understand?"

Ruby nodded just as Jessie walked in he'd changed into a black suit with a polo neck shirt under the suit jacket on his wrist were small dimond cuff links around his neck sat a gold chain and at his feet perfectly shined black shoes. Ruby chukled and moved to change , returning in a simple black dress with black patant heels, she had light blue earrings to match her neclace that she wouldn't take off and the ring she still had on her finger that Angus had given her also. 

"so how do I look?" she asked Jessie looked at her then smiled before moving to the basment door. She heard cursing and rummaging before he returned with a smile and something in his hands. Shaking it out he saw it was a black leather bolero. Casting a cleaning spell she let it make it look as good as new.

" Angus was any jewlery recovered from my fathers house?" Jessie asked," theres a silver pin I think would work well." he asked walking over and slipping the perfectly fitted jacket one to Ruby. " I bought it for you as a gift but you left before I could give it to you, yeah I bought it on the big side." he said and looekd to Angus " what do you think?" he asked

"You look great," Angus said. He listened to Jessie ask if there was any jewelry recovered.

"Yes, there was," Angus said. "Your mother left your father's valet box, and there were some other pieces put in there. It looks like it's all intact and then some. I don't think she even looked in it. I took it so you and your brothers could decide what you wanted to do with it."

"Where is it?" Marcus asked.

"Locked up in my safe upstairs," Angus said. He wrote the combination down and handed it to Marcus.

"You leave your own diamonds out of the safe in your valet box, and yet you put his valet box in your safe?" Marcus frowned.

"It isn't mine," Angus said. "I was only holding it in trust for them." Marcus smiled, continuously surprised by the measure of the man that was within Angus. He hadn't really gotten to know Angus before he had to protect him, but now he was beginning to see a side of him he hadn't known before. Marcus went upstairs and opened the safe and saw a valet box and a woman's jewelry box. He got the valet box down and gave it to Jessie.

"Keep it, Jessie," Angus said. "It rightfully belongs to you and your brothers now. Ruby, your mom left her jewelry box behind but it looks like she left mostly smaller pieces behind. Remind me, and I'll give it to you later."

Jessie watched as Marcus went up the stairs to retrive the valet box , Once he sw Marcus return with it he took it from him and placed it down on the table. opening it he moved peices to one side and took out what he wanted . Walking over he placed the silver dolphin pin on her lapel " if I know my mother, if she sees that it will royaly piss her off" he said and smiled . Ruby looked at Angus when he spoke of her mothers box and she shook her head.

"Just.. keep it where is it for now please." she said softly as Jessie stepped back and to one side to show Angus.

I know your patronus is a dolphin , so is Rubys , my mothers was a stoat so she never wore this, this will in her eyes tell her, she lost, ruby is now your wife, well not realy but Im hoping one day for real sis." Jessie said then he saw the clock " oh shouldn't we get going?" he said and moved closer to Angus.

"Yes," Marcus said. "We need to go or we'll be late. I presume you'd rather I port us. I heard all about what happened when Robert suggested you try your magic tonight."

"Yeah, well, I haven't mentioned that to Ruby yet, so..." Angus began.

"Maybe that's why Robert told me when he and I were alone," Marcus laughed out loud. "We'll save that story til later."

"Catch yourself on fire again?" Andrew asked.

"No, this was better than that," Marcus laughed, drawing his wand. "Alright, boys and girls, let's go." When everyone had grabbed hold, Marcus apparated them to the mortuary, and they helped Angus's wheelchair inside. It appeared that, even with them running almost late, they were still the first ones there. The funeral director greeted Angus, and Angus introduced Jessie and Ruby to him. The director took Angus and Marcus through first to the chapel where Reginald was in order for Angus to either approve or disapprove how they had handled Reginald's remains. Marcus motioned for Andrew to stand at the doorway of the chapel so that Marcus wouldn't have to leave Angus.

Angus thought they had done a good job. Reginald didn't look made up. They had gone very light on the make up. Angus approved of it, and he approved of the flowers. When Angus had approved, then Marcus looked at Andrew and nodded slightly. Andrew looked at Ruby and Jessie. Angus was actually glad Ruby and Jessie would have a few moments to see their father without anyone else being there.

"Angus says it's okay," Andrew told Jessie and Ruby quietly.