A Birth day

Ruby looked at David and smiled " I'm fine" she said to him as she walked to place her plate in the washer and then move to sit back down " I'll help with the garden if you want Simone we can put Caprice in her bounce chair so she can watch" she said and chuckled as Caprice looked up at her and gave a drooly smiled.

Jesie finished his food and headed to the back door "Thanks sis for the breakfast, I have patrol, I maybe stiff but work keeps going" he said and smiled " see you later guys" he said as he headed out to join Yu to walk the perimiter of the grounds. Jack on the other hand had woken to pain , his ribs ached and Jess had scolded him for moving the wedge from behind him and now he suffered. Handing him his potion he took it and puleld aface. Today she was his nurse and he loved that. Walking down he saw Nicky and smiled " morning , sorry can't move fast today, damn ribs, thanks to that damn James" he said as Jes helped him sit down in a comfortable chair.

"now you stay there, your job today is nothing" she told him," Nicky please make sure he does not move from that chair, except to use the bathroom." she added the last part on.

"I might know something a bit different from the bounce chair if you like," David said. "My dad was really gifted with charms, so when we were tiny, my mom got really tired of hauling baby stuff around and asked my dad if he couldn't do something to make her load lighter. Dad came up with a couple charms, but this one was the most effective with my kids when they were little. Let me see if I can remember." He gave it a moment's thought and then he cast a charm on the little blanket the baby was on. It caused her to see all sorts of friendly things on the blanket. Ladybugs, caterpillars, and other moving, colorful friendly shapes. They would slowly crawl around on the blanket, and it would cause her to watch them to develop focus and help her develop reaching skills. Then the charm would shift to fluttering in the air around her so that she would have to look up and reach up.

"That is brilliant. It already has her attention," Simone smiled. "Where were you when my kids were small?"

"Probably down on my own blanket chasing 'em," David laughed. She laughed too.

"That was great, Ruby," Anise said. "I can go to the barn, then?" Simone was glad Anise was asking. Not every 16 year old would feel the need to.

"I'll help you clean up from breakfast," Simone told Ruby.

Robert and Edward and Angus were looking at various plans, and Angus was getting highly frustrated that Robert hadn't offered a better alternative.

"We'll find one," Edward said soothingly.

"I think this is well worth a first string's meeting, and I think we should include Owens," Robert said, Angus shook his head, wanting to pull out. "No, now wait, Hear me out," Robert continued. "You think you know me, but you really don't. You think the organization is all I have. You think you know the limit of my skills. Lad, you have no clue. You want your family safe and so do I. If I need to up my game, trust me, I can do that."

"Then why haven't you done it!" Angus was angry. "Why are we still farking with them after 40 years?"

"Because we don't know all the tendrils to Gelding's organization. And if we don't them all, they will regrow like a bad weed. I need it all. Once I know we have it all, I will cut them down once and for all. For now, we need them to let go of you. We can return to making sure we leave no kid in their hands. That's what we do best. but this other business has to stop. Now, I haven't taken your plan off the table. We could still do that, but lets see if the others have any idea. Our best work is always together. Give me at least that opportunity. We have a little time while they're licking their wounds. Can you do that, at least?"

Angus was silent a long moment, sipping on his now cold coffee.

"You have one meeting. If we don't have a plan, I'm on my own," Angus said quietly.

"You realize having a plan and carrying it out might be on two different time tables, right?"

"Right now, as I see it, I have a plan and you have nothing," Angus replied. "But yes, I know there could be a time table."

"Fine--for now," Angus replied.

Ruby was facinated by Davis charm on the banket but looked up at Anise and smiled " of course just rember to ..oh what am I saying you can take care of your self , but come home for dinner okay" she said and chuckled . Turning to Simone she nodded " thank you that would be great" she looked at the dinner table and made some of the plates float over to them both " I think whats left of the barritos and musli can be saved for another day, but the yoghrt can't" she said smiling as she began poring the musili back in the continer tht she stored it in. The borritos she wrapped in tin foil and placed again in a container to store in the fridge possibly as snacks or supper.

Once done she looked out at the garden and thought about heading out to tidy it up a little with Simone and Caprice " David are you busy today, becuse I'd like to ask if you could mind Caprice while simon and I sort out the the garden?" she asked feeling like she needed to be out getting her hands dirty in the ground to ground herself

"Certainly," David said, knowing he needed his eyes up at his surroundings and not downin the dirt. He decided to take the baby outside and put her on her blanket in the grass and cast the same charm again, and he whistled for Finn, who came out and laid down beside the baby Another set of eyes wouldn't do any harm. Anise helped to clear the table quickly and quietly and then smiled and left for the barn.

Robert could see that the hangover potion had rid Angus of the worst of the effects of the hangover but he was likely to feel crappy and fatigued today. Angus wasn't one to complain though. Robert and Edward talked him into going back.

They went back, and one of the first things Angus saw when they apparated back home was that Anise was struggling to carry a haybale from the barn to the corral to feed some of the larger animals. That was too much for her, but she certainly was trying. Angus sighed. He didn't know which asshole had assigned her to haul haybales but he wasn't having it. He went into the barn, put on a pair of work gloves, a twine cutter, and a pair of hay hooks and came back out.

"Let me get that," Angus said. He put the hay hooks into the bale and moved it and put it down in the corral. He showed her how to use the twine cutter and said he would haul the bales if she would cut the twine and spread the hay out for the animals to get.

Robert had not intended her to have to haul hay bales, but he decided Angus was relatively safe for now. Edward nodded once to Robert. They would try to keep an eye on him. Robert went to talk to Ruby and then to talk to Michael and Kate and Brian about organizing a meeting of the first stringers.

He found them in the garden.

"Angus is fine," he told Ruby. "Well, as well as any man should be with a hangover that big. He's back, and right now, he's giving Anise a hand in feeding the animals. I'm sure he doesn't feel very well, and he may want to nap a bit later. I'm going to need him for a bit either later this afternoon or tonight after supper. I want to have a meeting of the first stringers. Just so you know, he does get very quiet when he feels crappy. He very, very rarely feels under the weather, so don't let it get to you. He realizes he did it to himself, so you will not hear him complain. I'm sure he'll be better tomorrow."

Ruby smiled at David and thanked him as she watched him move Caprice outside, she picked up ger gardening gloves and tools and smiled to Simone " righ shall we takle those weeds" she aid and grabbed a basket to put them in. Walking out she saw and felt the sun against her skin and smiled . After ten minets she saw Robert walk over and she brushed the dirt from her hands and stood up " thats good, but who put her on the hay bales?" she asked droping her gloves into the basket that now held several weeds.

She listened more as he spoke of how Angus was and she shighed again " okay and should I ask what the meeting is about, nope, best I don't know" she said and glanced at Caprice " no Caprice, don't put that dandilion in your.." before she could stop her Caprice had a mouth full of dandilion seeds flowing from her mouth . Ruby went and cleaned her up ridding her mouth of the seeds and giving her cool boiled water to wash any thing else away before seting her down again this time away from any flowers. She heard Robert say Angus would be quiet while he was hungover and she nodded " I hope he feels better soon" she said

"I have no idea who put her on hay bales. Knowing that child, she pitched in where she saw a need, but Angus won't stop til he knows how that happened," Robert replied to Ruby.

"The meeting is about the Geldings. Your mother and her threats to Angus and to Caprice. And, if she gets a firm foothold in your house, I am quite sure she will go after not just Angus and Caprice, she'll also go after your boys until they're legal age. I am very, very aware what Gelding said about your mother Angus, but I don't know if Angus remember to tell you. He feels a massive responsibility to rid your house of her, and I'm not saying he's wrong to feel that way. I would certainly feel the same if I were in his shoes. However, he isn't alone. This really isn't his fight, even though I know he feels it is since the threat was made directly against him.

"Here's how I see it. Angus works for me. He's one of my first stringers because he's earned it, and he can do a million different tasks. That put Suzanne on my radar when she threatened your household. When Suzanne married Gelding, that tied her to Tom Gelding at the very top of this organization's most wanted list. I told Angus, and I'll tell you. It isn't about the organization bringing down Tom Gelding anymore. It's about bringing down the Geldings. There's a difference. I want time to meet with the first string to get their collective thoughts about one of two resolutions. I'd like a permanent one. However, if we can't achieve that, then we have to find a way to take the heat off Angus for a bit. You asked me a direct question, so I gave you a direct answer. I do realize its stressful for you, but you may need to work with Jeffrey if that's what it takes to drum up some fight and some inner strength. You can be afraid later. Now you need to change your position. If you want this house and these people--this family, you need to get some moxy and start to stand up and join the fight."

Ruby stood and listened to Robert as he spoke she listened to him " will you aprove my return to trainning?" she asked and turned to Simone " would you be willing to look after Caprice while I go back to trinning?" she asked both to Simone and David " should only be a few hours a week." she asked then looked back at Robert " will you be willing to take me back if I continue my trainning, and she won't get close to any of my family" she spoke softly as if informative not angry just a mother wanting to do what she could to keep her family together " and no he did not tell me anything, I guessed he did that to keep us safe." she told him.

She thought for a second and looked at Robert " I'll go with Jessie and Anise every morning and run the course, then train in Paris with Owens." she said " with your aproval oh and yes I'll talk to Jess too, and your right I have always been scared but working for the ministry gave me strength now I need it for may family but from inside me, no one else and before you say it Im not doing this to get back at my mother but the geldings as a whole, he and his kind have done too much."

"Yes," Robert said, glad to see her taking a stand. This was what he wanted to see. He debated on telling her the rest but she might as well know, so long as she didn't fall apart. He did not honestly know if she could bear up or not, but better he know that now than to have her fall apart when she was alone with Angus and have him by himself to find a way to cope. Robert was treating Angus like he was on thin ice only because he knew how Angus could well go rogue and set himself up if it all went wrong.

"Understand me very clearly," Robert said to her, using the most serious tone he had ever used with her. It caused Simone and David to tune in. It got their attention immediately. "This next piece I tell you cannot, cannot, cannot get back to Angus that I told you. Not now. Not under any circumstance. Angus has a plan to deal with this, but i will not consider it. After his talk with Gelding in Paris, and after James shouted all that nonsense at Angus yesterday, Angus believes his thinking has cleared. He thinks the best way to rid you all of Suzanne and to insure that you're all safe from her is if Suzanne is eliminated for good.

"Now I realize that thought is not a new thought. That's been on the table for months and months. However, his plan is going to strike you as a new thought from him. He left yesterday to go think. He believes the way to protect you is that since she wants to kill him, he would offer himself up as bait, let her try to kill him and then, be sure that when he dies at her hand, he will take her along across the veil with him, getting him out of your life, the boys' lives and Caprice's once and for all.

"I have rejected this plan temporarily. If I tried to reject it permanently, he'd dash off and do it on his own just to have an answer. I know how he thinks. This is a good team--a solid team. They have to help us come up with some means to relieve some of the intense pressure he feels to make Suzanne stop, at least for awhile. He's had enough. It has to stop--whether its temporarily or permanent.

"Edward said to me that he thinks this comes from Angus being rejected by his whole bloody family as a kid, except for Edward and Caprice. That has to be a damned deep hurt for a little kid, especially with a family that huge. And Edward believes that he just isn't willing to let this family down too. Whatever he thinks he has to do, he thinks he has to make it count and make it right. Its my job, in my role with him, to keep him on the right path through this. But to do that, I need the entire string here to pull together and help me put that nutbag in her place for now. Does that make sense?"

Ruby stood and listened to Robert even she could hear the serious tone in his voice as he spoke to her. When he aproved her return she nodded " thank you." but she felt a chill as he spoke again but she internaly pomised never to let Angus know Robert had informed her of his plan" let me take a guess, he wants to kill her by killing himself, hes a griffindor, its what they do put them selves in harms way before others" she said but had to agree with Roberts plan. she listened more and nodded her head again she could not say anything that Robert had already said. " we will put the Nutbag, as you call her, in her place" she said and notivced Jess walk over to them.

" afternoon, just thought I'd give you an update on Jack, well he was an idiot and got rid of the wedge , now hes feling it" she said and looked at Robert then to Ruby " hum welcome back" she said with a smile " run at six" she informed her " then meditation and if Marcus could hand to hand, no slacking, oh and nice to se you Simone" she glanced behind Ruby " oh the reports for the year are in for St Mungos there looking rather good now, were actualy forcasted to be in teh black." she said then turned to walk back to the main house " don't forget Ruby six tonight." she called back.

Ruby chuckled and looked to Robert " don't worry I'll be on top form." she told him.

"That's because Jack is an idiot," Robert said calmly. "At least about some things, anyway.Thank you, Jess. Oh, and Jess, get ahold of the first stringers, could you please? I want a staff meeting tonight--no absences, no exceptions without my permission. It's important. If its a nice night, maybe we can have it outside around the firepit. Maybe at seven or eight pm? What do you think? "

He listened to Jess talk to Ruby about a run and some training. He looked back at Ruby. "Yes. He is a Gryffindor through and through. But he is not the only Gryffindor here.
There's me, Kate, Michael, Edward, Brian, Khaat and probably some others I forgot. That's six just off the top of my head. And I'll tell you something else. They've never discussed it, I don't think but ever since Marcus pulled him up out of that big dark pit down in that cavern that night we were so sure we might lose him, there has been some sort of special camaraderie between those two. Marcus will always, always look out for Angus, and I have no doubt he will do the same for Marcus. So, whether Angus knows it or not, he will not have as much of a chance to toss himself off to Gelding as he thinks he has. Not so long as I can keep him from sprinting off. So I will do what I can do to keep him busy for a bit. But as I see it, its time for you to end your maternity leave for awhile and get back to work. You have more emergent things, and Caprice will not suffer. I promise you that. I can find you a very capable babysitter with no problem. Nicky and Shannon already have Molly and they often have Abbey with them. I'm sure they'd look after Caprice, but I know of others too. But your duty right now needs to be on other things. Agreed?"