LONDON CALLING

Robert and Kate came in from being outside. They had finished feeding the animals and they'd mucked out the stalls and cleaned out the small animal cages and pens. Then they had harvested some of the last of the season from the garden. They both wanted a quick shower to get the dirt off.

"Lunch smells good," Robert said, putting the garden trug down on the kitchen counter, away from where they were cooking. "Ruby, do you mind settling a small wager for me?" he asked. "Pardon my intrusion," he said, taking a moment and laying his hand on her stomach. "Things all look very good," he said. "Kate told me she thought that because most of the Donohue family first borns are boys, you probably are going to have a boy. I don't go by that superstition. So, now that I know, I can tell you this. If I were you, I'd buy more pink. Now--pay up, Kate. I'm going to go shower." He turned and headed out of the kitchen. "Oh, congrats, Ruby," he called back, heading upstairs. "We can talk later if you have questions, but it's all good." Kate laughed, shaking her head.

Ruby smiled as Kate and Robert walked in from the garden. She stepped back from the counter as he placed his hand on her tummy and said they were having a girl " wow, wait, you can tell already?" she asked him then looked at Kate then back to Robert stunned. She folded her arms across her chest "You're messing with me right, its too soon?" she said smiling happy if he was right. " but wow a girl, what is Angus going to say, oh the little dresses, oh and I could ask Khaat to borrow some clothing from when Abby was born Angus mentioned she had a lot that hadn't been worn but she'd grown out of."

Her head was now spinning as a buzzer went off reminding her about the casserole and bread rolls.

"No, it's not too soon," Kate said. "You're right at the start of your second trimester, and remember wizarding medicine is not at all the same as muggle medicine. We can detect things quicker and a lot easier than muggles can. And do remember too that this is far from the first he's ever done this. He actually delivered his first when he was 16. There's a story behind that, but, he's been delivering now for 46 years. He's now delivering the children and even some of the grandchildren of the first patients he ever delivered. And no, he's not messing. He can pull a lag with the best of them but he would never, ever do that about this. He was perfectly serious. Now, Jess, don't let her get scatterbrained. I need to go shower. I'm disgusting. I'll be right back." She turned and followed Robert up the stairs to go get cleaned up.

Andrew sent the provisions list in to the supplier at Angus's direction, and then he showed Sam and Victor how to fold towels while Andrew set in to wash the boys' clothes next. With the food order taken care of, Angus took the garden trug and rolled his chair out onto the deck. Then he got out of his chair, made it down the deck steps with a lot of anxiety. He hadn't done steps before, and even though he was a bit clumsy, he made it without completely falling. He went out to their garden that Edward and Simone had been taking care of. Clearly, in the confusion of the wedding, the garden had been neglected for a bit. It needed weeding, harvesting, deadheading, and watering. He sat down on the ground between the first and second row and started to work.

Ruby listened to Kate and understood he was serious "We'll have to think of girl names" she said Jess walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder calming her down " sorry, nows not the time, but I will have to let Angus know." she said as Jess turned to see Angus headed to teh garden.

"then do it now while hes in his element." she said " I'll take care of dishing up dinner, now go" she said and Ruby smikled placing down teh tea towel on the counter. Walking out the door she walked ove to the garden " doing some gardening?" she said as she walked ove to him. "um I was told something my Robert not long ago that I think you should know too." she said trying and obviously failing to hide her smile as she spoke.

"I'm gonna try," Angus said, looking at the overgrown garden. "Look at this. It's a mess. Clearly nobody's mind has been on their work lately, so I decided I had to give it a try. Don't know how much good I can do, but I'll try." He had already developed a rhythm with it of moving a plant and grabbing a weed to pull. Move a plant, pull a weed, move a plant, pull a weed, move a plant...

He heard her mention she had had a conversation with Robert. He looked up at her and saw the smile on her face. "And?" He was hoping she was not going to say they were having quadruplets or something, but really, as long as it was healthy, that was all he really cared about.

Ruby knelt beside him as she spoke softly " he says" she paused for a moment "it's a girl" she told him "and everything's fine" she said resting her hand on his as she pulled a weed with him. " I was wondering if you had thought of any names yet?" she asked as she took hod of another weed and pulled it out the ground to be unceramoniusly dumped with the rest.

Once she was sure all the weeds were gone she stood up her back hurt alittle from bending down but she was happy to have done it with Angus. " I like spending time together, how are the boys doing?" she asked and how are you doing."

He took a moment to absorb what she had said. He had been almost sure it was going to be a boy, but Robert said it was a girl. He had two sons, and now he was going to have a daughter. That made him happy. He squeezed her hand.

"I want to have words but they're just...gone," he said. "So, I suppose calling her Ralph is out, isn't it?" He teased. He absently wrapped his hand around a plant and he yanked it out. He tossed it on the pile of weeds and then looked again. He had just ripped out a daylily. "Well, crap," he sighed. "That's not a weed. Guess I'm going to have to replant it."

"I like spending time together too, and I am sooo glad we're going to get to move home. Nothing against the big house, but I really like this little house. As for the boys, they're fine," Angus told her. "They have successfully learned how to fold a fitted sheet, and they know how to fold towels, socks, jeans, and shirts. They're learning. They're not fans of the fitted sheets, but not many people are. I have to tell you, most kids their age would do anything to get out of chores, but these guys have never once given me any static about it. Not sure why. Maybe Robert needs to check them to make sure their cheese is still on their crackers."

Ruby hugged Angus back and smiled . She could not help laugh as he said about calling their daughter Ralph. " no we certaily can't call her that." she said tears of happyness trickling down her face. She looked at the plant he ahd just pulled and laughed again " Im sure there not soing to miss one, I'll pot it up and put it in their besroom" she said leanig over and kissing him " you do know I'm going to blow up like a baloon now im in my second trimester right." she said looking at her feet as she sighed " bye bye feet" she chukled.

Listening to him talk of what the boys had done she smiled " those skills will see them threw life" she said " and possibly becuse they never did them as kids but yeah might need to have Robert check" she said grinning " just wait till the first diper change, they'll be running" she pulled another weed then started trimming some plants keeping some cuttings to dry out and add to the herb stash they had.

"I'm not concerned about size change," Angus told her. "And you can't let it get to you either. Its temporary. Remember that Robert can minimize a lot of the discomforts and unpleasant side effects. We're going to embrace the good parts of it and let Robert help manage the unpleasant things. We'll get through it. So if we're not calling her Ralph, what do you want to call her?" He listened to her talk about the boys learning life skills.

"You know, I'd have agreed they'd run at the first diaper change, but the more I get to know them, the more I'm not so sure they really will run when that time comes. I think they'll be right in it if that's what needs to be done. I look more for those boys to steer off anybody that wants to date her before she turns about 65 years old. I think they're going to be rigidly protective."

Ruby laughed then looked at him "Oh, not to say you wouldn't do the same come the time? " she said smiling at him " as for names we got plenty of time still, unless you have a sugestion, but please not my mothers name, oh what about your grandmothers?" she said glad he had said her change in shape didn't bother him but she knew come the day she couldn't get up from the sofa with out someone pulling her up he'd change his mind.

She then laughed as he said about the boys being over protective of her and she nodded " I'm looking forward to the day they see her, bet they will both become stuipid blubbering messes" she chuckled as she gently lent against him. "our daughter" she said softly.