LONDON CALLING

Jessie looekd at Ruby who looked at Angus " we'll head home, thank you"he said and he moved to Ruby who stood up but not before kissing Angus's cheek "see you later?" she asked then looked to Edward " Of course, and i'll have some food ready for when you get back, every one deserves a wake." she said taking hold of Jessies hand as togethe they ported to Brians house. Inside she laid out the table and backed some food to put on it , she made sandwiches and pastries that every one could eat when they wanted. 

"Hey sis you okay" Jessie asked and Ruby nodded he stopped her hands and made her look up at him.

"he was our father but he was a monster too." she said " part of me is glad hes gone but part misses him, though I miss Angus more." she said sending a tray of sandwiches over to the table.

"Then go to him, don't argue with him or shout just be with him" Jessie said leting go of her hands " I'll finish the cooking" he told her as she turned and washed her hands. Porting over she slipped out of her heels and placed them next to their bed before she walked down to the back porch.She saw Edward and smiled.

"Any of those spare?" she asked as she sat down and looked up at the stars as she gave a soft sigh. " they seem brighter tonight." she said softly.

"Certainly," Edward said, pouring her a drink and handing it to her. "They're always brighter when the skies are this clear. But see that over there?" He pointed over to the east where there was an absence of stars. "You know what that is? Storm clouds, rolling in from the northeast. We'll be into storms by midnight, I'm betting. That's why the milky way looks shorter. The storm clouds are blocking our view of the east end of it."

"This is always my favorite time of day," Angus said quietly, loosening his tie.

"It always has been," Edward smiled. "Do you remember your constellations?"

"I think they're engraved on my brain," Angus said.

"Well, you were born on a clear night like this, just about this time of night."

"My mother used to swear at me and tell me she should just cast me out to sea. She used to tell me I was a child of water."

"Well, you were, really," Edward said. "We had gone together and we had rented a large private yacht for a cruise on a long weekend. You weren't due for another two weeks, but just about supper time, your mother went into labor. She was so clueless. She tried to tell us at first that those pains were just bad seafood. There wasn't a thing wrong with the seafood. And then, at about this time of night, you were born in her cabin."

"Out to sea?" Angus frowned.

"You certainly were," Edward laughed.

"My mother told me I was born at St. Mungos."

"Then she lied. You were born in their stateroom on the yacht. and your grandmother had to do midwife duties. Your father was completely plastered--as usual. But, maybe there is something to be said for your appreciation of the stars, seeing as you were born under the stars on a clear night, just like this one."

Ruby took the drink and sat down next to Angus she looked up at teh milky way and yes it was shorter to the east " thank you Edward and huh never knew that" she said. Then she heard them talking about when Angus was born. " sounds a perfect way to be born, in water" she said " then gently brought into the world not forced." she said sipping her drink. She chuckled when Edward called Angus's mother cluless " She'd have gotten along with my mother." Ruby said and pointed up at the sky her hand gently moving a she spoke " Big dipper, little dipper, Andromeda the Chained Maiden, Cassiopeia the Queen, Perseus and Hercules." she said moving her hand to each one. " I learned them from a book, but always loved seeing them in the sky, made them more...alive, know what I mean?" she asked.

Ruby chuckled as she sipped her drink again as she felt it relax her. "victor and sam were born in st Mungos, Jessie I think the back of a cab and me..the bathroom floor in a night club, can you belive it." she said chukaling then rested her hand on her tummy " this one, A hospital or under the open sky" she said softly " but both will have family that love and care for him or her, around him or her."

"Well, remember, it was her first," Edward said. "She had no idea what to expect, not really."

"So, if I was bad seafood, please tell me I wasn't a fish stick," Angus said. Edward laughed.

"No," Edward replied. "If I recall correctly, she thought you were her branzino."

"Well, at least if I was going to be mistaken for bad seafood, I wasn't cheap seafood." He listened to her decisions on where their baby would be born. He wanted to tell her she was doing it again--acting as if she were doing this by herself and making decisions about the birth of their child--not just her child--without him at all.  She was treating him like this was her baby and hers alone, like he was merely the sperm donor, and it was really getting to him. That might have been what her father was in her life, but he wasn't her father. It was becoming a problem for him that she couldn't seem to get that.

Under the open sky? Seriously? A lovely romantic thought but not one bit practical. He saw no advantage to having a baby, in chilly April, outside. He also saw no advantage to bringing up again to her that they were supposed to be doing this as an equal partnership. He picked up the bottle of firewhiskey setting between him and Edward and poured himself a second drink, and looked out again at the stars.

Changing directions in the conversation deliberately, he looked at Edward, "I have to ask. Have you two decided about what flavor you want your wedding cake?"

"Actually, yes," Edward said. "She has recently tried an Italian olive oil cake, and she loved it. And I love a good espresso cake. Could you merge those two somehow? Maybe a layer of each?"

"Sounds perfect," Angus said.

"Surprise us with the design, though. Preferably something that fits with the outdoor theme, but it's your choices."

"Colors?"

"She wants to stick with the outdoor idea, and she wants sage green and taupe."

"I can work with that," Angus replied.

"I was hoping you'd say that. And please, not seven or eight tiers. We'll all be eating wedding cake for a month. Just enough for our little crew here, and not much more."

"Makes complete sense. Leave it to me," Angus replied, yawning, realizing he was tired.

Ruby lay and listened to them talk again her hands resting on her tummy as she listened watching the stars above them. just quietly listening lost in her own thoughts. Soon they they finished talking and she turned to Angus. "Maybe you should get some sleep, you look exausted." she said sitting up and looking at Edward with a soft smile "and soft greens would work well." she said "oh and by the way under the stars was a joke, we can talk about where and how this one will be born, together, closer to the date, if you want." she smiled looking at Angus " and I have my first scan soon, its next tusday at five, please come." she said standing up and stretching. "would you like me to send out Andrew?" she asked

"I am tired," Angus told her. "It's been a busy day."

"I know he hasn't seen you much today," Edward told her, "But he is starting to get some magic abilities back. It still is completely wonky, but at least he is starting to have some ability again. I don't think I'd trust him to use it yet though. He had a couple mistakes with it today."

"I wouldn't begin to pass a class at Hogwarts with screwed up magic like I've got right now," Angus told her. "I did blow a hole in our floor this afternoon. Sofa nearly fell straight down to the basement. Robert repaired it, thank goodness."

"And that was after he tried a shield spell at lunch in The Three Broomsticks to protect himself from a bar brawl and caught himself on fire instead," Edward laughed out loud. "Gave Andrew and excuse to dump a couple tankards of butterbeer on him."

"I wasn't hurt, just startled," Angus grinned. "And I think Andrew enjoyed pouring the butterbeers on me entirely too much."

"So bottom line, if there's anything in the house you want to keep, don't ask him to cast a spell anywhere near it," Edward laughed.

"I'm glad you really don't want to have this baby outside," Angus laughed. "You had me going for a moment. They're doing that scan sort of early, aren't they? I thought Robert said he'd schedule it for you at six or eight weeks, but maybe I just misunderstood. Of course I'll go. I'll make sure Andrew knows in advance so he doesn't schedule anything else." His concern was that if they were bumping up her scan, did that mean something was wrong? He wasn't going to ask. He didn't want to plant a thought in her head if it wasn't there.

Ruby listened more as Edward spoke about Angus's magic rturning sloely " well thats great, and not at the same time" she said chukaling she glanced at the living room floor and the couch " remind me to thank Robert for that, I like that couch" she said smiling at him she couldn't help but chuckle as they spoke of takards of butter beer being pored over him " oh no" she said " I'm sure he did and don't worry things can be replaced Angus can't Im glad hes okay now."

She heard him talk of her early scan date and she nodded " I think they just want to confirm dates and make sure everything is going fine, the first scan is when sonographer estimates when baby is due  based on the baby's measurements. The dating scan will also include a nuchal translucency scan, it picks up abnormalitys, and given my familys history it couldn't hurt."she said then looked at him " and the extra stress our job entails I guess they just want to be sure, ether that or they got the date wrong." she said

"I don't understand why St Mungo's is apparently using muggle technology, then. It makes no sense to me why we use muggle technology for pregnancy when we are so much more advanced than muggles in every other area of medicine," Angus said. "Clearly I am not a medical person, so I have no business asking questions really. All I can relate it to, at this point, is Khaat's experience with Abbey. Robert took care of all of her exams, and he did it largely by touch, like he does everything else. I don't get it. But whatever the appointments are for, I'll go if you want me to. That's fine."

"Well, you are the father. You have a right to ask," Edward said. "If you want just general information, you could always ask Robert and see what he tells you. Might satisfy that curiosity of yours."

"Maybe," Angus shrugged. "I'll consider it. Do you two care if I head inside? I am really tired, and Andrew still has to help me with a shower yet before I can dismiss him for the night."

"By all means," Edward said. "Do you need me to help you inside?"

"Not if you open the door for me," Angus said. Edward flicked his fingers at Angus back door and opened it.

"Like that?" Edward cast him a grin.

"Show off," Angus cast him a look of mock irritation.

"You're just jealous because you can't do it yet. You'd better let Ruby and I do that or you'll turn the house into a giant teapot or something bizarre."

"Yeah but think if the fun we could have wondering how it's all going to turn out," Angus teased. "Ru, I'll see you inside. Edward, I presume I'll see you tomorrow." Angus swallowed the rest of his firewhiskey in one gulp and wheeled the chair inside. Once he was inside, he saw Andrew folding a load of towels.

"Andrew, Ruby's asked me to go with her to her ultrasound appointment on Tuesday."

"That's not this week, its two weeks from now," Andrew replied. "I've got it on the calendar. She's a week ahead of herself."

Ruby smiled seeing Angus and Edward banter together but yes even she could not understand " you know waht I'll ask Andrew to double check that , becuse your right it dosn't make sense and I'm just gong by what I was send" she said some what confused herself. She chuckled at seing Edward open the door using magic. " of course, but you've got me thinking now about this new appointment." she said watchign him head inside.

Stopping Edward she touched his arm " you don't think this appoinment has something to so with my mother, she didn't seem all to bothered about today." she asked then sighed " Im going to talk to Angus then maybe ask Jess to double check, it dosn't feel right" she added hoping it would be just a clerical error,

"Well, it certainly would be different from what I've ever heard. Every one of my other grandkids and great grandkids have had visits like what Angus says Khaat had. They had appointments with healers, but there was never any muggle technology involved. I do hear all the time how some of the newer witches and wizards have been experimenting more with muggle technology. Maybe St Mungo's has had to add some muggle technology to satisfy their younger patients. But even so, that doesn't make sense if wizard medicine really is better," Edward said. "And, just look at the difference in our life expectancies. Muggles live to about mid 80's. Wizards can easily live to 120 and beyond. Robert seems to make sense to me that it is because wizarding medicine is so far advanced. So, I'm with Angus on this one. Makes no sense to me either. You can ask Jess or Robert or Khaat or Brian. Any of them. Whichever one you're comfortable with."

Andrew helped Angus in and out of the shower fairly quickly, and Angus was glad to be rid of the three piece suit and to be in comfortable clothes again. He had chosen a simple white tee shirt and a pair of pajama pants. He didn't bother Andrew with taking him back downstairs. Andrew had turned down the bed, and Angus simply sat up on his side of the bed, stretching out his legs, and picking up his new book on new ideas for wedding cakes. He had a small sketch pad and pencil cup full of sketching pencils on his nightstand, and he had some small thumbnail sketches of ideas for Edward and Simone's cake, but nothing he was satisfied with yet. He was hoping the book gave him some additional ideas.

Andrew went downstairs and got coffee and tea ready to brew for morning, put in another load of laundry and then finished putting the rest of the clean laundry away. He wanted his tasks done before he went to bed.