A Birth day

Ruby laughed again and nodded " of course, I do what outdoors person would I be not knowing how," she said, " we can teach the boys too, I don't think they know how." she said then sipped her tea again listening to Edward and Angus she smiled when he said he would not change her or not at the moment but when she got older maybe,at this she laughed and nodded " well there are enough Donohues around to help," she said looking at him over her cup.

It was now Caprice made her presence known and Ruby placed down her cup and lifted her out of the bassinet to hold and rock her back and forth gently to try and settle her but she kept fussing and Ruby sighed looking at both Angus and Edward.

"That's true. There are a great lot of us," Edward replied to Ruby as Caprice got fussy. He let Ruby deal with her until she looked at him and Angus. Clearly Ruby was frustrated at not being able to calm her.

"Would you like me to try?" Edward asked. He got up and went over and took Caprice from her, and he put the baby on his shoulder and walked with her, patting her back, and talking to her quietly.

"I can make up a bottle for her but she can't really be hungry," Angus said.

"No, just give me a bit," Edward said. "If i need one, I'll let you know." Edward walked with her a bit. "Where are the diapers?" Angus got up and opened the broom closet door. Edward saw the caddy hanging on the inside of the door.  "Got it. Thanks." He got out a clean diaper and the container of wipes and changed her diaper. He laid his hand on her little belly and cast a spell to relieve some additional gas she was getting from the formula. Then, he swaddled her again and laid her back on his shoulder. In a few minutes, she was starting to calm and quiet herself.

"How'd you do that?"

"I just changed her wet diaper and relieved her gas for her," Edward said. "Ask Robert or Jess tomorrow to give you a tonic for sensitive stomachs. She's fine, she really is, but several years ago, Robert created a really good tonic for babies that helps them to not have so much trouble with their food. She'll be more comfortable. As I understand it, it tastes like a tiny drop of sugar and it only takes one drop for every two ounces, and she'll digest her food better. She might not need it more than a few days, but its a nice thing to have around. I have bought several bottles of it over the years for some of the other Donohue babies back in Italy. Robert said St. Mungos has actually sold quite a lot of it."  The baby squirmed a little on his shoulder as she looked to find a way to settle, and a few minutes later, she stopped, finally going back to sleep.

"That," Angus looked at Ruby, "is the value of a grandfather's experience."

Ruby was glad when Edward offered to take a fussing Caprice "thank you, I don't think shes a mummy's girl" she said either that or I just don't have the knack" she added placing Caprice into his arms smiling she saw how small Caprice was laid there in his big arms. She watched as he moved around changing her and burping her then returned she could not help but breathe out as she settled again. Looking at Angus she chuckled again " I agree, grandparents are invaluable at this moment, as it seems she does not like me" she said.

"I'll send word to Jess tomorrow and get her to bring back a bottle of St Mungos for her," she said and sat down to finish her cup of tea. " Maybe she needs her formula adjusting just as Angus suggested earlier," she said then looked up at Angus " I do hope my mother stays away, but you and I both know she won't once she knows of Caprice's birth."

"Of course she likes you," Edward said to Ruby, "but it does take a bit to feel secure with your first one, believe me. I have held countless babies in my time. As you spend more time with her, your skill and your confidence, both, will grow. It really isn't so unusual for a baby to have a bit of distress, I don't think, as they try to go from being fed through the cord in the womb to being fed either breast milk or formula. It's the first they're experiencing food that way. Their system has to adjust. I think Angus is probably right about giving her what she wants when she wants it for now.

"My wife said something to me when one of our children was still a baby," Edward continued, "and in its own crazy way, it makes some sense. She said her grandmother was baking an upside down cake, and Caprice watched her get ready to turn the cake out on a plate. It made Caprice nervous just watching her grandmother. What if the cake wouldn't come out of the pan What if it broke? Then her grandmother simply turned the cake out onto a plate and looked at Caprice and said, 'You can't be afraid of it. Sometimes in life, you have to just do it.' I think babies sometimes are the same way. We hear them cry or scream, and we get afraid that we might not know what's wrong with them, that maybe they'll just keep crying, maybe it means they don't like us, and a hundred other nervous thoughts. But--sometimes, you have to take a breath, draw up your nerve, and just do it. when you start to be more confident around her, she'll learn to sense that in you, and she'll calm herself sooner as she learns to feel safe and secure when she feels your touch. It really does work."

Ruby breathed out listening to him give her advice she never knew she needed and nodded " I understand" she said " guess I have new mother blues right now " she said and gave a half smile at them both. " but your right time and knowing what she wants will help." she said Taking Caprice from Edward and holding her against her chest so Caprice could hear her heart.

She saw her settle in her arms and smiled " and with grandparents like you and Simone, we'll have help if we need it." she said then chuckled " expect to be asked alot" she said smiling putting her into the basinett to sleep and pore another cup of tea after she reheated it before poring a fresh cup and taking a cookie from a plate close by. Now the back door opened and a drenched Yu and Jessie ran in Yu holding Jessie up.

"Sorry to interupt we got caught in the rain on patrol." Yu said " then something happened to Jessie, he is running a fever." Yu said setting Jessie down on a chair who just groaned and brushed his hair out of his face . Ruby moved to grab two towels so they could dry off as she set to drying their clothes.

"Im fine, sleep and some rest will help" Jessie said wraping his arms around his waist. " this...this has to be mothers doing" he said shivering his cheeks holding a bright pink hugh to them as he looked threw half lidded eyes at the group.

"I remember that story," Angus said, when Edward spoke to Ruby. "When I made my first cakes, she used to tell me that I didn't care be afraid of the cakes because they would know. I had to show them who was boss." He laughed. "Ru, you'll learn what she needs in time because you'll start to either hear or see subtle differences in her when she wants food from when she wants a clean diaper or when she's tired. Give her a bit to figure out how to communicate with you, and you'll learn. I learned with Abbey, and it really didn't take nearly as long as it felt like it did..."

He was a bit surprised as Jessie and Yulong came in.

"What makes you think it's Suzanne?" Angus asked. There were a lot of reasons someone might run a fever, Angus knew. He hadn't talked much to anyone about the events of Paris last night, but he knew for certain that if Suzanne was going to come after someone, she wouldn't come for Jessie. Angus was the one who had been responsible for her losing nearly all of her children. He had taken Sam and Victor, and he could see where she would blame him for Ruby being gone from her life, since Ruby was now with Angus and not with her. Angus was responsible for Reginald's death, and he was responsible for Jessie being a permanent hire for the estate. Angus was the one who had nearly killed her and Tom Gelding, so if she were to come after someone, she would come for him, not Jessie. Unless--she and Tom were using Jessie as bait to draw Angus out for a confrontation. Well, if it was a confrontation she wanted, he could meet her challenge, and he would win.

Edward passed Caprice to Angus and went to Jessie and felt his forehead. He was indeed running a fever.

"When did this start? Do you have any other symptoms?" Edward asked.

Jessie looked at Edward and then to Angus " we saw her in diagon alley, sat, talked to her... she bought lunch" he said in a pained voice " wanted to bury the hatchet, end it ." he added but stopped as a wave of pain washed over his body and he groaned before Yu looked at Edward worried and nodded.

"It started about two hours after we'd had lunch, I thought she looked rather pleased with herself as we left her," You said his hand brushing Jessie's back but Jessie pulled away as the sensation sent more pain threw his body. "I found him out in the paddock half transphormed, it seems to be affecting him, pulling him to trasphorm to his wolf form," Yu said It was Now Jessie bolted for the door.

"I...I can't s..stop it" he said his voice pained more as he spoke then diving out into the rain he turned into his wolf form and ran into the storm-filled dark night leaving Yu looking worried as he handed Edward Jessie's wolfsbane vial.

"I'll go after him I know where he might have gone, she is a vial woman his mother," he said and looked to Ruby " Im sorry, she must have thought to get to you two she could hurt her own son, I for one will never forgive her." He looked to Edward and bowed " when I find him I will let you know, here this was in his pocket." he handed him a small pin of a butterfly. "she gave it to him before we parted." He moved to the doorway and accioing a rain coat he slipped it on and ran out into the lightning streaked night" this man will be the death of me" he called back as he ran.

Ruby moved to Edwards side and looked at the pin " I recognise that pin, she used them to kill her guests." Ruby said " be carful of the tip its poisoned, her paticuler talent." Ruby accioed a jar for the pin and placed it in and sealed it.

Angus listened as Jessie told his tale of how, after being nearly killed in Paris, she had managed to show up in Diagon Alley and had attempted to hurt her own son. The rage that rolled through Angus was a huge dark wave. His blood boiled as he listened to it. Clearly, she had done something to either Jessie or his wolfsbane, one or the other. He took one quick step towards the closet to get his black leather duster and his hat, and Edward clutched his arm.

"Not tonight," Edward told him firmly. "We'll get her, but not tonight. Consider this. What if she had done this deliberately to bait you, to draw you out? If you follow your natural instincts, you'll go off looking to go get her, and that could be precisely what she's counting on. you have other priorities now, and they're right here. If you're going to take a stand, make sure you stand for the right thing, Lad. We'll get her, but on our terms, not hers. Breathe. Calm yourself. This is not your fault, and you know it..."

"No, I don't. I was..." Angus started.

"Listen," Edward said more firmly now. "Her husband has been commiting the same sort of crimes for decades. She knew that the organization was after him, and she chose to go with him anyway. You didn't change sides. She knew what side you were on before last night. If she took on that risk to go with him, then she willingly put herself at risk to be caught in the crossfire, and clearly, she survived far better than you thought she did. Do not let the fact that she's Ruby's mother and Caprice's dark arts grandmother get your thinking skewed. She's on the wrong side of the law, and you cannot compromise yourself or your values for that. What have I taught you? What comes first, always?"

"I know, I know," Angus sighed.

"Exactly. When we go after her, it will be on our terms--when and where we decide, not her. Understand me?"

"Yeah," Angus sighed.

"I'll apparate over and talk to Robert about Jessie--if you promise me you are going to stay here to defend your family. Besides, Simone knows nothing at all about any of this. Someone needs to defend all of our women here. Got it?"

"Yeah. I've got it," Angus sighed. Edward drew his wand and apparated out to go to the main house.

Ruby stayed quiet listening to them all talking she saw the anger on Angus's face and wanted to calm him but he knew the same anger at her mother once again " please Angus, she will get her due the right way and it will be for good, Edwards right, she knew what she was doing, this is what she wanted, she knew you'd hunt her and will be ready" she told him.

"Yu has gone to get Jessie, not much else we can do, Edwards going to talk to Robert, oh Edward would you mind talking to Jack about increasing patrols, I don't think she would be..." she stopped hearing a loud pain-filled howl echo threw the night now she looked worried at Angus that Jessie might have done something he would regret to Yu. She gasped as the howl died down and she looked at Edward. " do you think we should look for him too?" she asked.

Jack walked over and stuck his head threw the doorway " good you hear, lock the door and do not come out I'm going to bring that pup back" he said in a fatherly tone. Ruby took a step towards Jack who looked at all three of them and held up his hand " I know, his howl said it all, fucking Suzanne, if I wasn't such a gentleman I would.." he paused and looked to the bassinet "nope kids present." he said and looked to Edward " you coming?" he asked " might need your trapping skills."

"Yes, but we need Robert to check this wolfsbane vial," Edward said. "And we might need his help to contain Jessie when we do find him. I need to take this to Robert first. Give me one brief moment. I'll meet you in the yard in just one minute. Let me get my bag."

Edward went back next door to his own place and got his bag. He deliberately did not get his ax, not wanting to take the ax to Jessie. He needed to use non lethal ways of stopping Jessie. He shouted for Simone.

"Something's come up. You need to dress and go over to Angus's and wait til I get back," he shouted to her. "Your pajamas are fine. Just go quickly." He knew that all Simone had with her in the bathroom to dress in was her pajamas and her robe.

Edward then apparated over to the main house and found Robert and talked to him for a brief moment. Robert gathered some things into a pack of his own, intending fully to go along with Edward and Jack to help contain him if it were necessary. Robert and Edward went out into the yard to meet Jack so they could go find Jessie.

Simone got out of the tub, dried quickly and dressed in her pajamas--a pair of blue satin shorts trimmed in lace and a matching camisole. She had a pretty kimono style robe that she put on, and tying it as she went, she walked over to Angus's side of the duplex.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Edward sent me over here," she said, "Pardon my pajamas."

"You're always welcome, Simone," Angus said. "Jessie's in werewolf form, and Edward didn't want you alone in case Jessie comes back. Many times, when someone is in werewolf form, they don't have any sort of ability to have any human thinking, so Edward doesn't want anyone alone over here, just in case." He went to a wooden box that was high on the top shelf of his book case and got the box down. He took out a pistol and loaded a number of silver bullets into it, and closed the chamber, spinning it and readying it before tucking it into his belt, along with double checking that he had his wand. He looked at Ruby.

"I do not plan on having to use it, but neither do I want to be unarmed," he told her.