LONDON CALLING

"Ruby," Angus said, "the cider's safe for you. I wouldn't stock anything that wasn't safe for everyone" He knew his job as a chef, and he knew what was safe and what wasn't. He decided he wasn't going to take it personally that perhaps she didn't understand that he really was a professional and knew how to buy provisions. Nor was he going to tell her she'd already had some of the safe, pasteurized cider in the caramel apple syrup. "I'm sure they'll not have any issues with alterations. That's a pretty standard thing to make sure that all the clothes fit well. They may do that tomorrow since they don't have to do muggle style alterations."

Abbey finished her lunch and scrambled down off Angus's lap and dashed off to play. He lost track of her because Ian came over with a little notebook and asked Angus to write down his recipe for the pancake batter and the caramel apple syrup. And then he heard a splash.

"Oh, no," Angus sighed, knowing exactly what that sound meant. He turned the chair to see a labrador puppy going for a swim in Robert's farm pond, the toddler's clothes left behind on the bank of the pond. "Damnit," Angus sighed.

"Where'd the pup come from?" One of Ian's crew asked.

"She's a metamorph," Angus sighed.

"Oh, let her go," Ian said. "She's fine. We've got enough to watch her."

"Well, I can't catch her anyway," Angus said. "If she wears herself out, maybe she'll take a nap."

"I agree on the sofa," Andrew said. "That's one of my favorite pieces. Look at these end tables with the carvings. I love those. And there are some lamps over on the other side of the room that look like they were made for those end tables. We still need a coffee table, a dining room table and chairs, and I need a dresser and a nightstand. And we should keep our eyes open for wall art and pottery and that sort of thing."

Ruby smiled at Angus " I know dear, I just don't like the taste of cider, that's all" she told him smiling knowing it was something else he now knew about her. She saw Abby get down and sighed knowing that Robert had a pool and with Abby she would turn lab rather quickly. Witch she did and she chukled but stayed with Angus.

Rowan listened to Andrew and nodded " agreed on the couch and the rest. " I  think I saw some pottery over the other side with some end tables and a dinning table too, it was a chunky wooden one with four chairs, might not take that but the other stuff would work." he said walking towards the row of nightstands and lamps " look lamps too." he said

"It's fine," Angus said with a smile, "but I'd better get back to work. I have a lot to do yet this afternoon. I'll see you later." With the culinary team not needing him at the moment, he went to the groom's tent and started to make sure that it was completely sorted for Edward's needs and what needs of his own that he knew he would have tomorrow. As he was sorting things out, Edward arrived with a large trunk that had his suit and Angus's, and all the accessories--the ties, the cufflinks, the tie bars, the belts, all of it. Natalie had thought of adding mens' valet stands for the suits, and Angus took care of unpacking the trunk and setting out the suits and all the accessories. Natalie had added a small bar cart and had stocked it for tomorrow. She'd also put in a small snack cart that had a bowl of fruit and some other goodies.

She'd put in two styling stations with an enchanted sink so that both the men could be styled and have luxurious shaves beforehand. She had added similar styling stations to the bride's tent.

There were plush rugs on the floor and luxurious deep leather sofas in the groom's tent, and it was all decorated to be very sophisticated and masculine. He was just feeling that things were going well when he heard chaos and shouting. He rolled his chair out of the tent to see that a certain little wet and muddy labrador had run through the seating for the wedding ceremony and had gotten all tangled up in the sage and taupe fabric that was draped over several grapevine arches that were set up to make the area look like an outdoor chapel. And she was now caught in the fabric and ripping down it all down, as the little panicked pup tried to free herself and run away from the area.

"Well, shit," Angus sighed. Just about every crew member from the culinary team and the decorating team were trying to catch the pup and that was making it worse.

"Abs!" Sam ran over toward them. "Abbey! Over here! Let me help. Hold on." The puppy recognized Sam and tried to run towards him but that pulled over half the chairs in the process. There were far too many strangers after the panicked dog now, and Sam finally made a wild dive to get the dog, falling into the tipped over chairs. Angus winced, knowing that had to hurt, but Sam somehow ended up hugging the little pup tightly to his chest, mud and fabric and chairs and all.

Ruby heard the commotion and headed out to watch she winced seeing Sam on the ground with Abby in his arms and everything in disarray. " okay let's get this right again" she said and quickly picked up and set the chairs upright again as she saw sam move to Angus with Abby. Soon she had the chairs upright and back in place as did several other people so it didn't take too long to put things right.

She then moved to the men's tent to help get things ready there for the next day. She set out some shaving equipment and deoderated for the men then headed to the bride's tent to find Bridget for a new task to do.

"You alright, Mate?" Angus asked Sam the moment he reached him, as Angus petted the dog to calm her. "You took a hard hit. That had to hurt."

"Yeah, but I'm good, I think," Sam said. "Is she okay?" He helped Angus untangle her from some of the fabric she was still caught in. "Yeah, I think she's fine," Angus said. "She'll need a bath, though.

"How does she get back to normal?" Sam asked.

"Robert will have to change her back. She does this accidently, and she's too little to change back," Angus said. "It's my understanding that he uses some sort of healing spell to do it, which is probably why the rest of us don't know it."

"Well, would she stay a dog for her bath?"

"Yeah."

"I'll take her inside and find a bathtub to give her a bath."

"Go through the kitchen, turn left, go down the hall, and the very first room on your left is a big bathroom. Abbey's got some strawberry scented baby shampoo in there you can use since we're in a pinch."

"Got it. We're on it. Come on, Abs. You're a complete mess," Sam said, snatching the dog from Angus again. Once Sam had disappeared in the house, Ian came over to Angus.

"We have to fix some supper for our crew anyway, so what can we fix for you and the bridal party for a night before the wedding meal?" Ian asked.

"My grandfather normally lives in Tuscany, so I really wanted to do something Italian for him."

"Italian. Perfect. Leave it to me. I have just the ideal meal," Ian grinned.

"That sounds great," Angus said. He was tiring. He excused himself and made his way inside to take a bit of a break, and he found that the all terrain chair didn't fit through the kitchen door. He had to leave it outside and make his way on his feet into the kitchen. He made it through the kitchen, across the hall into the library but he couldn't go further. He sat down in one of the deep upholstered chairs there, feeling glad Ian was going to cook tonight.

"The last thing I want to do for today is to hang the lights in both tents," Bridget said. She opened a box of beautiful lace lanterns. She lit them with her wand and she levitated the first one to hang it like a ceiling light in the tent. "I have these for the brides tent and I have some colorful silk ones that look a bit like colorful chandeliers for the groom's tent. Once we get these all hung, then I think we're done for the day. I couldn't have done it without you."

Ruby watched Angus head into the house and overheard Ian say he was cooking for everyone, she took the second colourful silk light and levitated them into place. She smiled at Bridget and nodded "it's what the maid of honour does." she said " besides they've done so much for myself and Angus" she said moving from her she headed into the house to find Angus sat in one of the upholstered chairs " you okay?" she asked " I could operate you home, Bridget said there nearly done for the day now" she told him kneeling a little in front of him. " I think it's going to be magical tomorrow." she smiled at him.

Looking at him she smiled " I think you should rest for the rest of the evening" she said softly as she kissed his cheek

"I'm whipped," he confessed. "Ian's crew is fixing supper for everyone. I'll try to stay until after supper, but I really do hope Andrew and Rowan aren't going to try to make this an overnight shopping trip. I had hoped they wouldn't be all day. My all terrain chair doesn't fit through the doorways. It's why I have a different chair for indoors, and I didn't bring that chair over here. If I it and rest long enough, I'll probably be able to walk back to the porch to the all terrain chair so I can go out for supper with everyone else. And then, I think you're right. I think I definitely need to be done for the day. It's going to be a really long day to...."

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence because a clean, soaking wet dog smelling of strawberries dashed into the room and up on his lap, licking his face over and over.

"Ugh. Wet Abbey," he laughed. "If you see Robert, send him in, would you? I like her better when she's not so soggy. Oh, and by the way, Natalie has some sort of surprise for the four of us, you and me and Edward and Simone, in the morning. They're fixing breakfast for us bright and early, and then they have something planned for us. So we might be wise if we took up Kate's offer and stayed here tonight. If we do though, you and Sam might want to pop back home and pack an overnight bag with pj's and a clean change of clothes for tomorrow for us and the boys."

Ruby listened to Angus as he said he was very tired from doing so much she smiled and placed her hand on his knee gently "you've done so much today." she said smiling at him " I don't think they will be too much longer." she said and hoped inside they wouldn't be. It was now she moved out the way of a wet Abby that rn and jumnped into Angus's lap she could not help chuckle " all right I'll see if I can find him "she said and handed him a towel from the kitchen " maybe hes out by the flower arch" she said then heard him speak of popping back and packing an over night bag " all right, Robert first , over night bag second" she smiled at him a she moved to find Robert whom she spotted by the flower arch talking to one of the workers " Robert , we have a pup situation , would you mind helping a rather soggy Angus, please " she asked and chukled as she saw a rather wet Sam apear at the back door.

Walking back she gave him a tea towel to dry his hair and face off " I'll head back now and pack an over night bag for both of us. As she left Rowan and Andrew appeared talking toeach other.

"I do think that side board will fit the living room great, theres already a place for it to fit." Rowan said " and the color matches the couch we both want." it was now he paused and looke at Angus sat with a wet pup wrapped in a towel on his knee " um...Abby?" he asked and sighed " you know pups can't eat pancakes and I know theres some left" he said softly to her his voice almost like a lullaby as he spoke hoping the softness and melodic tone would relax her to change back to her human self.

"Thank you," Angus said, handing Abbey over to her. "Don't forget to pack for the boys too, please?"

Robert had been helping the decorators to hang a sage green fabric drape and a taupe one around the wedding arch but now, at Ruby's request, he headed to the house and saw Rowan holding a labrador pup.

"Absolutely. On my way," Robert said. He got to the house and saw Rowan with the puppy. "Oh, I heard all about this one's adventures. May I?" Robert asked, taking the puppy. He looked at the puppy. "It's a good thing you're cute, you little scamp. Well, I'd better change you back before you go and do it again." He changed her back.

"Sowwy, Papa," she said quietly, curling into him, remembering the mess she'd made.

"It's alright. Those things can happen when you have your fur on," he said, soothing her. "You didn't break anything. It's fine." He set her back on her feet. He saw Angus sitting in the library, with his chair nowhere in sight. "Where's your chair, Angus?"

"I didn't bring the regular chair. I only brought the all terrain chair," Angus said.

"Oh," Robert said, immediately seeing the problem. Andrew saw it straight off at once too.

"I'll go home and get your other chair right now," Andrew said.

"Yeah, he's going to need it. He's really tired. And bring your bag, Andrew, in case he needs you to stay. He's going to need to conserve his energies. It'll be a long day tomorrow.," Robert said. "I presume you and Ruby are staying tonight, Angus?"

"Yeah," Angus said. "I want to be close to Edward in case he needs something or thinks of something we forgot."

"That's fine. I think most every one is going home to Brian's except Kate and I, you and Ruby, and Edward and Simone."

"The boys are staying too," Angus said.

"Well, yes, I just mentally included them with you and Ruby. They're welcome, of course."

Ruby looked at Angus and smiled " I won't forget" she said and smiled as she ported away to pack three bags. Rowan looked at Andrew " I can carry him up to his room if you want" he said " it would make him comfortable until Ruby returns" he now looked at Robert and then to Abby "or I can take Abby and find her some clothes." he chuckled.

Ruby went right to work when she arrived packing a bag each for the boys and one for herself and Angus then headed over to fetch som clothing for Abby to dress in before heading to the living room to get Angus other chair for him, placing down all th bags on it she ported back to the living room. " okay if I forgot anything I apologise." she said placing the bags down " I brought some dry clothes for Abby to change into and I brought the normal chair." she said smiling as she rolled it over to Angus she said smiling as she saw Angus with Robert.