A Birth day

Ruby took Angus hand as he ported them back home. She smiled seeing David by the fire " understandable" she said and handed Caprice to Angus as she helped take off her small jacket so she didn't over heat. " I am glad she's comfortable enough to just head to bed" she said smiling as Angus said he should put Caprice down to sleep. Ruby gave her a gentle kiss on her forhead and smiled " night little one" she said softly then moved to the couch slipping off her jacket as she did and laying it over the back " have to admit it was starting to get cold up on that mountain." she said "thought there might even be some snow." she said.

Moving to the kitchen she hung up her jacket then made an exspresso for herself and sat back down " so how were things while we were away?" she asked " quiet?"

"It's been nice and quiet," David said. "Anise dozed off, so Finn and I played fetch for a bit and then I found him a big rawhide bone, and that's the last I saw of him. I'm not sure where he got off to, but he took the bone with him, wherever he is."

Angus made a bottle and took the baby up, fed her and then put her in her crib. With a full tummy and a warm sleeper, she slipped straight off to sleep without any fussing. He took a shower and put on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt, feeling this really was going to be a chilly evening. He began to get concerned that perhaps it would be nippy in the basement for Anise, and he went downstairs and did find it was chillier down there than upstairs. He peeked into her room and saw she had fallen into a sound sleep, sitting up in her bed, under the covers, but leaning against the headboard, lights still on. He decided to leave it just as it was. He went back upstairs and raised the heat just a couple degrees.

"It's pretty cold in the basement," Angus said. "I know she's adjusted to being outside, but if it were the boys down there, we would be turning up the heat a little tonight for them. So that's what I did--just a little."

"Good thought," David said. "Oh, by the way, Zoe said she'd send over breakfast bright and early. Marcus said she has breakfast on the sideboard by 5:30 sharp, so she'll have it sent over to us by about the same time. She heard some people missing some cinnamon rolls of some sort, so she went prowling around for a recipe and she plans on trying them tomorrow. That, and she's made a cheesy hashbrown casserole and some sort of an egg casserole."

"I bet they've been missing the big cinnamon rolls I made for breakfast. I haven't made them since about Christmas or maybe before," Angus said, yawning.

"Did it go well with the pack?" David asked.

"Yeah. I think so," Angus said. "What did you think, Ru?"

Ruby smiled and listened to David " hes probably off in the boys room." she sid and saw Angus return changed and showered. She could not help nod at his assesment of how the evening went with the group " yeah it was good the woman seemed facinated with Caprice , so many asking to hold her , but I had to politly refuse " she said she ehard David talk about breakfast and sighed " sounds wonderful" she said as she saw Angus head down to the basement then return to turn up the thermostat " good idea" she said moving to place a log on the fire to keep the chill out of the house while they slept she had seen Angus yawn and sipped her coffee " why don't you head up to bed ?" she sugested hoping he would sleep in their bed this night and not on the loundger in the living room or the boys room.

After a moment she too began to feel sleepy and headed to their room changing into her PJ's she slipped into bed.

"And why did you refuse?" Angus asked her.

"And that's my cue to go lock up both houses for the night," David laughed, getting up.

"What? What do you mean?" Angus asked.

"It happens to all first time mothers," David replies. "They've read every available topic, and every piece of data that encourages them to keep hold of their babies at all times and to be...abundantly protective." He was careful how he had phrased it. "You're only the dad, Angus. Face it. If it comes between you and the estrogen, the estrogen wins. By the time you lot have had nine or ten kids, you will have loosened up a little." He went over to Edward's side to lock up.

"Nine or ten," Angus sighed. "Yeah, I'll go up in a bit, I'm sure."

Ruby stopped and looked at Angus as she headed to the stairs " well , we probably wouldn't have seen her again untill she was sixteen, na there were just too many that I felt she might get hurt thats all" she said "in hind sight I was overprotective but they understood and weren't offended as I did explain to them." she said then chuckled at Davids words then sat back on the couch. " I guess they thought like you that all new mothers will protect their young, werewolf moms too" she said and chuckled. at davind saying nine or ten kids " I wouldn't go that far, were at five already if you don't include Finn."

Finishing her drink she stood up and moved to the kitchen to put the cup in the washer along with some plates that were in the sink. She saw Angus go to Edwards side then return to lock up their side of the duplex.

"I know,' David said. "I know exactly how many you have." He finished locking up and then looked at her. "Goodnight, Ruby." He went upstairs to his room and closed the door.

"Go on up, Ru. I'll be up in a bit," Angus sighed. He decided it was late, and he wasn't going to discuss it. He had to pick his battles, and some things just weren't worth the effort. He went up to the nursery and double checked to be sure Caprice was asleep and was warm enough but not too warm. He was going to go into the boys room to check on Finn, but Finn came into the nursery, bringing his bone and then laid down in front of the crib and laid down there, chewing quietly on his bone. "Look after her, Boy," Angus reached down to scratch the dog's head, and the dog growled at him. "You too, huh? Bloody effing figures."

He felt he was giving into her tonight before he was ready by going back to the bedroom, but he really just wanted her to quit asking him to come back into the bed with him. He wasn't going to discuss that either. Not any more tonight. Tonight, he was tired. He turned out the light and got into bed and closed his eyes, just really wanting to go to sleep.

Ruby shook her head and sighed moving to the stairs " well night every one " she said and headed to their room. And slipped under the covers laying next to Angus as she fell asleep next to him she felt safe again being close to him but not too close as she understood things between them were not all the way back to normal yet but she hoped it would be soon.

Next morning she woke early and went to check on Caprice , finding her still sleeping she headed downstairs as she could smell the food that had been delivered from the main house. Setting it out on the table she took a plate and sat down waiting for the others to arrive. She saw her discarded book and picked it up to continue reading it.

Angus got up, smoked a cigarette out on the balcony so the smell wouldn't go in the house. Then he washed, shaved, and dressed. By then he heard Caprice making some babbling sounds. He went in, picked her up, took her into the bathroom bathed her, and dressed her in a pair of soft denim overalls that Kate had given them for Caprice and the little lavender gingham top that went with it, and little lavender socks that were embroidered with bunnies on the ankles. She was already hungry and starting to fuss by the time he had her bathed and dressed, and she'd needed two diaper changes since she wet one while he was dressing her. Oh, well. They had plenty of diapers.

And while all that was going on, Anise was up and dressed in a pair of jeans and pullover sweater that she had pushed the sleeves up on partway to her elbows. She came upstairs and saw the breakfast set out.

"That looks great! I'm starving," she told Ruby. "So, Angus said something yesterday about either chores or studying, and he wasn't sure which I'd be doing this morning. I'd like to see Ginger sometime today, if that's okay."

David came in from outside, having been out on a run. He was sweaty and a little out of breath.

"Oh, you're up," he said. "Good morning, All. Marcus and I made two laps around the course. That's a long haul to go around. Longer than I thought to do it twice. I'll go shower and come back down. I'm famished." He went upstairs as Angus walked past him, smelling far more of David than he wanted to.

"Don't worry. I'm heading straight for the shower," David laughed.

"That's probably good," Angus replied with a snicker. He went downstairs. "Good morning," he greeted Ruby and Anise and then made a bottle for Caprice who now was getting very fussy. As much as he loved the baby, sometimes the excessive fussing did get on his nerves a little, especially when he hadn't had so much as a sip of coffee. He fixed the bottle and poured himself a cup of coffee. He floated the coffee over to a place at the table and then sat down to feed the baby.

Ruby smiled at Anise as she walked in " oh sure , I can take you over to her this afternoon , I just ahve to clear it with Robert" she said as she made a plate for Anise and set it down infront of her. She smiled seing Angus with Caprice " oh she woke up" she said " when I checked she ws sleeping still" she watched as he made a cup of coffee for himself and a bottle for Caprice " you want me to feed her while you eat, I already did" she offered " David went for a shower , he ran two laps around the assault course and was some what sweaty" she chuckled as she waited to see if he would let her or wanted to fed Caprice himself.

Jack had been out and had seen David and Marcus running the assault course and chuckled as he and Jessie began running it too. Yu just stood and watched glad not to be running .

"I figured or you'd have gotten her," Angus told her. "Enjoy your coffee. I've got it. David was a lot sweaty. It's a long way to go around twice. They probably dared each other about not just going once but going twice." He fed her and burped her and she hurled violently down his back. He cursed, frustrated and then saw Anise there giggling. "Sorry," he said.

"I live with animals, remember?" she laughed. "I heard worse than that when they were being nice. I do not have virgin ears. If you want me to be myself, then you should do the same."

"Touche. You do have a point," Angus said. "Well, so much for enjoying my first cup of coffee. You two enjoy your breakfast. I've suddenly lost my appetite and I'm going to have to change. It's going down the back of my shirt and then some." He handed the baby to Ruby and went upstairs. Anise saw the wet trail he was speaking of going down his shirt and down the back of his jeans. He was going to have to do a full change. He went up and washed up and changed his jean and his shirt.

"He is not having the best start to his morning," Anise said, "but the food is great." David came back down, clean and dressed for the day. He sat down at the table and tucked into some breakfast.

"This is outstanding," David said. "I swear, I'm going to gain a stone or two by the time I'm done working for you people."

"Maybe you should do the track again," Anise teased.

"Oh, hush, you," David laughed. "And don't you be giving Marcus any ideas. He'll be having us doing three laps around it. And one is actually enough, let alone two or three."

"Is it really that long?" she asked.

"Come along and see, if you think you're tough enough."

"If I'm tough enough? Of course I'm tough enough. I'll run it further and faster than you, guaranteed," she said confidently.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yes, thats so," she said.

"You're on. Tonight. After supper. Loser does all the dishes by hand for a week."

"Done," Anise said.