A Birth day

Ruby listened to Angus and nodded " all right " she said simply knowing if it came to it she'd take Caprice to the pantry knowing it was lockable from the inside and the strongest place in the whole house." Caprice and Abby come first" she said then looked at David as he spoke catching Abby a few times taking bits of Angus's tart. She could not help but chuckle at the playfulness of the two of them.

"might be so," she said "was my pie that good?" she said chuckling as she watched Abby take a bit more she didn't stop her as she could see how much fun she was having and was glad she was smiling again and not crying as she had been moments before.

"oh with my mother over prepared is normal" she said " she's controling and overbearing" Ruby told David " she has this idea that Angus took myself and Jessie from her, we keep telling her the same thing but.." she aused and threw her hands up with her palms up."She never listens" she said

Abbey nodded at Ruby when Ruby asked if her pie was that good. When Ruby said her mother never listens, Abbey perked up her ears, seeming to listen to someone that they didn't see.

"I no know what that means," she told the unseen other.

"What?" Angus asked.

"Stinky Man. He hear Roo Bee talk about someone, and he say 'Tuck her.' I no know what he mean, Aggie," Abbey said. Angus was glad that Abbey had misheard the first word as Tuck and not what Reginald had most likely actually said.

"Hey, now," Angus looked up, "Don't you be giving a little one those kinds of words to repeat. You watch your words or you buggar off."

"He say you can stick it," Abbey said. "I no know what he means by that either."

"That's okay. I know what he means." There was a knock on the door, but then the door opened quickly, and Kate and Robert entered without invitation.

"Reginald Tyler!" Kate shouted, calling him out. "You watch your mouth around my granddaughter or I will banish you and your cheap cigars from this property altogether. You understand me, you big numbskull?"

"Gam mad," Abbey looked at Angus.

"Yeah, I think so," Angus agreed. "Sounds like she heard him too." Abbey nodded. Robert brought Abbey her little suitcase and set it on the floor near where she was sitting at the table.

"Gam packed your suitcase so you can stay and play with Aggie and RooBee for a day or two," Robert said. "Now, you know how Gam packs. Aggie and RooBee are going to have to make all your things big again because I think she packed almost your whole room in there." Abbey giggled, and Robert kissed her. "Abbey, I know you saw that big werewolf, but believe me, he isn't here to hurt you. There are other werewolves here right now, but they won't hurt you. And you know that if any werewolf ever wanted to hurt you, we'd protect you--especially Jack and Jessie. Right?" She nodded. "Are you afraid of them?"

"Not when they no gots their fur on. They scary when they gots their fur."

"Well, yes, you're right, but they love you, and they would never hurt you. This is your home. You're safe here. All the same, if you want to stay with Aggie and RooBee for a couple days, that's fine with us."

"Good. Aggie and I make pink cookies!"

"Pink cookies? I thought you were all done with pink cookies. You haven't had those in ages."

"Noooo. Aggie just slackin'." Abbey said. Robert, Kate, Angus and David all laughed out loud

Ruby covered her mouth when Abby spoke but then shook her ehd " just like father" she said softly but was glad Angus spoke up to him. She jumped a little when Robert and Kate walked in talking to ghost reg. "can you ask him to leave the house, he and his foul language are not welcome here" she said glancing down at Abby and Caprice who was gigling ad holding her hands out.

Ruby bent down and picked Caprice up to stop Reg from having any more interactions. She heard Robert speak to Abby as Jack appeared in the doorway behind them. "Thats good to know becuse I would never harm you, your part of our pack" he said to her "We couldn't harm you, it goes against our rules and we would be in very bad trouble with Angus's dad." he said simplifying it down for her.

"Oh, he heard you perfectly well, Ruby," Kate said. "He just doesn't think we can do anything about it. Reginald, you have no idea who you're dealing with." She raised both her hands and started to cast a spell and then stopped. "That's better. You behave, or I will finish that spell, and you'll be gone. Got it?" She looked at Abbey. "You do not have to repeat any of his naughty words. If he starts that again, you ignore him. Remember how I told you to turn them off?" Abbey nodded. "Good girl. You can turn them off any time you want."

When Jack arrived, Abbey jumped down and ran over to him to hug him.

"I know. Papa Ed mash you," Abbey told Jack.

"Pretty much," Angus laughed.

"Stinky Man just talka-talka about the Noisy Lady. He say she comin', and he wanna get her."

"When is she coming?" Robert asked Abbey.

"I no know," she shrugged. "She talk all the time how they comin' soon. She never shut up."

"She's got that right," Angus mumbled.

"They?" David asked.

"I don't ever expect her to be alone. She will bring company, I'm quite sure," Angus said.

Ruby sighed and shook her head but did not let it get to her in the least he could do her no harm as he was. Jack picked Abby up in his arms as she spoke to him about what Edward would do to himself and Jessie.

"oh he would do that really good," he said and chuckled at Kate talking to reg. "I'll notify the men at the barrier to be on extra alert," he said slightly tickling Abby as he held her to make her laugh. Placing her down he spoke again " well I should head out to the barrier, my patrol tonight, have fun." he said and chuckled as he walked out the door and headed to the west where the barrior and camp were,

Ruby sat back down in her chair with Caprice in her arms once Jack had left. " sounds like shes trying to ramp up her annoyance" she said then shrugged " not working though" she said and chuckled.

"Good," Angus said, proud of Ruby for not letting her mother get to her. "They don't get to rule our lives."

"Now, Abbey," Robert said, "if you make pink cookies, don't forget to save a cookie for Molly. You know how she likes cookies." Abbey nodded enthusiastically. Robert looked at Angus and David. "Stay on your toes. I just came from seeing Ginger, and she saw Anise just before that. She said Anise was restless too. She said Anise always got that way before there was some sort of danger or trouble. I think we can't take this lightly. We've had too much warning to ignore it."

"We'll be ready," Angus said.

"Okay, then," Robert said. "Kate, are you satisfied?"

"She is coming, Robert, and I think she's found some way to skirt around some of the protection grid. I don't know how, though."

"Doesn't matter," Robert replied, still firm. "We'll still be ready. Our defenses will hold. Gelding can't match our firepower. We'll be fine, and I am quite sure Jack will warn the pack. We'll be fine." Kate came over and gave Abbey a big hug and a kiss.

"You be a good girl for Aggie and Roo Bee, won't you, my big girl?" Kate asked her. Abbey nodded. "Good. I'll see you later. Have fun." She and Robert left.

"So, that's what happens if you piss off a medium who is also a grandma," David laughed.

"Well, you wait and see her when she really gets mad. That happens very rarely but when it does, you'd better batten down all the hatches because she can be fierce," Angus said.

"I'll remember," David said.

"Come on, Abs, lets make cookies," Angus said. "Ruby, do we have any fresh strawberries left? I think there are some in the freezer but fresh are better if we have any."

Ruby smiled at Angus and nodded then listened to Kate and Robert talk to David and Angus. When they left she looked at Angus and David then down to Caprice as she heard Angus ask about strawberrys " oh yes we do, second shelf in the pantry" she said " I saw them their when I was getting the potatoes" she chuckled as Caprice grabbed her finger and suckled on it. Ruby picked up a toy and made it dance making Caprice chuckle at her movments.

"I'll take Abbys suitcase up to her room, David would you mind watching Caprice while I do so?" she asked picking up the small case from where Robert had placed it.

Moving up stairs she entered the small nursary and placed down the case, lowering the sides of the cot she lowwered the base to toddler hight and left teh sliding door off so Abby could climb in when she was ready for bed. enlarging the things in her bag she chuckled at how many stuffed toys she had but put them on the bed as well as Abbys pj's . Heading down she watched as Angus and Abby worked on making cookies.

"your beds all ready Abby, I put kitty booboo on it for you too" she said sitting on a stool by the counter to watch.

"Of course," David replied. Angus went to the pantry, got the strawberries and the rest of the baking supplies and took them to the kitchen counter. Then he transformed one of the chairs into a counter stool for Abbey.

"Ready to help me make cookies?" Angus asked her. She raced to him, arms wide open and he scooped her up laughing and swung her around in the air before he landed her on the stool. "You, my girl, are getting almost too big for me to fly you like that anymore."

"Then, maybe someday, I fly you," she said, stretching up to kiss his cheek.

"I just bet someday you will," he smiled. "You wanna scoop flour or you wanna cut strawberries?"

"I cut berries," she nodded. David was a tad concerned about Angus letting a kid not quite four to cut strawberries, so he went over to the counter. Angus gave Abbey a little cutting board, and a plastic knife and the pint of strawberries, along with a clean bowl for the cut berries. Abbey took straight to task, cutting the green tops off the berries and then cutting the berries in half. David was amazed.

"You wanna berry?" she asked David.

"No, thanks. I'm just curious at how you cut berries," he said.

"I show you. You gotta cut this off," she pointed to the green stem. "That yucky. Then cut 'em like this. And that's it."

"You're doing a wonderful job," David said.

"I know. I a big kid now," she said. Angus just smiled at her, scooping flour and sugar into the big mixing bowl. When Angus got out the eggs and cracked them, a piece of shell got into the little bowl he cracked the eggs into. "Aggie," she scowled. "that no good. Right there." She pointed the shell to him. It amused him to no end.

"I probably ought to take that out, huh?"

"Yeah," she said. "I gots no more berries, Aggie." She heard Ruby come down and tell her her bed was ready.

"Not now, Roo Bee," Abbey said. "It not even night yet. And I cook now. Aggie need me to make the cookies."

"I certainly do," Angus said, barely able to keep himself from laughing. She was working so hard to look and act grown up when she was no bigger than a minute herself. "Good. Good job, Abs. Let's cook them into the puree we need. I'll cook the berries if you can gently stir the dry ingredients. Just keep it all in the bowl."

"I think she's about four going on nine," David told Ruby quietly, just watching at how much she really could do. "My kids couldn't begin to do half of that at her age. God, she's smart for her age."

Abbey nodded to Angus, and Angus made a puree from the strawberries to add into the cookie dough with a wee bit of food coloring, and before long, they had pink cookie dough. Abbey helped him roll the dough out and helped him use the cookie cutters to end up a few trays of pink, strawberry kitty cookies, and the house was smelling like warm, sweet cookies. She helped him make the icing and even helped him clean up the mess while they waited for the cookies to bake.

Ruby chuckled and looked at Abby " well it's ready for when you are" she said smiling at her " oh okay" she chuckled looking to David as he spoke and she nodded " yep, she's smart for her age" she said and watched Angus work, she was amazed at how quickly he worked and his banter with Abby s they baked then cleaned up " you'll be a great baker when your older Abby." she said moving to sit next to Caprice as she gently rocked her so not to wake her but keep her sleeping.

Accioing a cup of coffee she sat and drank it while watching the two of them together." they smell delish" she said and smiled at Abby " so what you going to decorate them as?" she asked.

Abbey nodded when Ruby said she was going to be a great baker.

"I like cooking," she told Ruby.

"I think we should make those cookies into purple penguins," Angus teased Abbey, and Abbey scowled at him.

"Nooooo," she said. "Aggie! Nooo. They taste pink, not purple. Can't be purple! Besides, these gots four feets. Penguins no gots four feets." She looked at Ruby. "He no know his aminals sometimes." Angus was trying hard not to laugh, but when she mispronounced animals, he laughed out loud.

"They be kitties. We maked pink icing, and we gots eyes and whiskers for them," Abbey told Ruby. "Aggie draws good whiskers."

"I'd rather draw feathers," Angus teased Abbey.

"No! No feathers! Not on kitties!" she told him.

"She sounds like she means business," David laughed.

"Oh, she does," Angus laughed. "She takes her pink cookies very seriously. We've been making pink cookies since her first birthday."

"And sparkle cake!" Abbey nodded.

"Yes. And sparkle cake," Angus said. "Her papa has a spell to make that her cakes sparkle. It's similar to the spell he uses for the enchantments at Sparks. Anyway, she does not want any birthday cakes if they don't sparkle."

"Because they're wrong!" Abbey said.

"See what I mean?" Angus laughed.