A Birth day

Jack moved and scooped Ginger up in his arms smiling as he walked up the steps hearing Marcus's teasing and Angus say there was enough for them too, Jessie sent a note to Yu who appeared at the door a few minuets later. Ruby looked at Angus and chuckled " well if you didn't make it taste so good I wouldn't eat so much of it, but yes theres plenty for every one" she said and chuckled to him.

Jack caried Ginger to the table and sat her down " hum it does smell wonderful Ruby, right Angus" he asked turning to look at where he sat then look at the girls " so you like your room?" she asked setting plates down in front of them with the rise and orange chicken. " help yourself to soda if you want or lemonade." Yu sat with Jessie as he ahd Jack acepted the plates Ruby sent over before sitting down herself to feed Caprice first so she would settle so they could eat too.

"Thanks, Ru. Looks just right. Marcus, would you see if Edward and Simone need supper?" Angus asked.

"I can tell you they do not," Marcus laughed. "Edward was lured by the promise of corned beef and cabbage and potatoes lured him away from thoughts of any other supper possibility, and I was told Robert and Kate went out for a date night tonight for supper."

"Good for them. They very rarely go out. I wonder what the occasion is."

"No clue," Marcus said, sitting down at the table.

"The room is great," Ginger said. "This really is all so different, living indoors." Being in the sick bay for a few days was something she had just accepted, but this was her new life now. She had a home--a human home, indoors and not out in the elements, not a sterile sickbay that somehow always smelled like disinfectants. She had a real bed, not a hospital bed. The beds were intended to loft beds, but for now, while Ginger could not possibly get up a ladder to get into or out of bed, the beds were set up as twins.

Angus had been careful to make sure the structure of the room itself when he'd built it had elements that would address the fact that the girls had lived their entire lives outdoors. He had installed basement windows, in a line, along part of the exterior wall, to let in light. Then he had built a basement version of a window seat under those windows to give them an alternative place to just hang out. On either side of the window seat were a built in dresser and plenty of shelves clear up to the ceiling for more storage.

Right now, the shelves held a couple of low light plants, a few books for leisure reading, their own herbology and bestiary books and a few other reference books they were liable to need for their studies, a pencil cup with pencils, pens, and a quick quotes quill, a couple of pretty boxes to hold cosmetics when they got some, and each of them had a little jewelry box. They didn't have jewelry yet but that would surely come. On the nightstand that was between the beds was a little one gallon aquarium that held a stunningly beautiful pink beta fish. Simone had somehow found this fish with its unusual carnation pink hue, but it looked great.

Simone had added some pink bedspreads, some throw pillows, fresh flowers, a tall vase of white branches that were enchanted to light with tiny fairy lights, some thick and soft floor rugs and some beautiful pink lamps.

Edward had helped with the labor, but then he had done something else that Angus thought was pure genius. Edward had somehow found some tiny natural clear quartz star shaped stone, and he had enchanted them so they would glow all night long. And then he suspended them in familiar constellations above the ceiling so that, at night, the girls could sleep under the stars like they were used to doing at home. It was, perhaps, Anise's favorite part of the room.

Angus had plans to build a full bathroom in the basement next door to their bedroom so that they didn't have to go get their clothes, go clear upstairs to the bathrooms upstairs just to shower, but that hadn't been done yet.

Just after they got started eating Caprice started to wail because she seemed to believe she was having a food crisis. Anise bounced up and made a bottle.

"Oh, please, let me," Ginger said, wanting to hold the baby. Anise never hesitated. She picked up the baby and took the baby and the bottle and handed her to Ginger. Ginger responded like someone who had handled hundreds of babies, and Caprice immediately hushed in Ginger's very capable hands as Ginger fed her and gently rocked her a little while she fed her.

"She's got all the maternal instinct of the two of us," Anise said, returning to her place at the table. "While I was out hunting with the guys, she was hanging at camp with Mom, and she took care of all the littlest cubs while the moms did chores. I don't know how she does it, but she just seems to have a magic touch with babies. She can pick up the fussiest colicky cub, and they just hush when she picks them up."

"Not true," Marcus said to Anise. "I've seen you with her today, and you're good with her too."

"I copied what I saw Angus and Ruby do," she shrugged.

"And it seems to have worked for you. Well, it seems that Angus and Ruby have a couple of very efficient live in nannies if they need them."

Ruby sat and smiled at Angus as he said it tasted good , she was glad that she'd made it as he had put on the recipy. Now she sat and listened to them talk eating as she did . It wasn't long before Ginger spoke about the room and she smiled and let the others talk about how it had come together and who had an imput in it. " Im glad you like it, we will put a washroom down ther for you both, but we thought getting the main bedroom up first was a must" she said as she finished eating.

Ruby heard Caprice make a fuss then cry out and was going to go sooth her but Anise got to her first then passed her to Ginger who soothed her down right away " well she certaily has the knack" she said smiling as she stood and picked up her plate moving to the kitchen to wash the plate. She chuckled at the mention of Nannies " oh no, they'l focus on school work, we didn't take them in as nannys" she said smiling and with a chuckle " so any one want Ice cream?" she asked bringing up several different flavoured tubs of ice cream and placed them on the counter.

"Ice cream? Yes, please," Anise smiled broadly.

"Perhaps when I'm finished?" Ginger asked.

"Why don't you let me help?" Marcus asked. "I have five of my own. You enjoy your ice cream." She looked uncertain about whether it was alright to not have finished her job. She glanced at Anise, and Anise just nodded. Ginger allowed Marcus to take the baby so that Ginger could have her ice cream.

"You're not an ice cream type of guy?" Marcus asked Angus.

"Sometimes" Angus said. "I think I'm more an Irish coffee sort of bloke tonight."

"God, that sounds good. I'll go brew some coffee," Marcus said. "Ruby, I'm going to act like I live here and brew a pot of coffee, just so you know." He managed to brew a pot of coffee one handed, carrying Caprice with one hand and making coffee with the other."

"The Irish is in the cabinet above the pot," Angus told Marcus, referring to the whiskey that went into the coffee. Marcus found it quickly.

"Good brand. Well done," Marcus replied. "Ruby, I'm making Irish coffee for Angus and myself, You in? Jesse? Jack? Yulong? Any of you for Irish coffee or Americano style?"

"What's the fun in that?" Angus asked. "Take a mug and put coffee in it. That's the entire recipe for Americano."

Ruby listened to Marcus and chuckled " great another brother" she said teasingly " but go ahead" she motioned to the kitchen as she dished out ice cream for the girls " oh I'll have one" she said and the otehrs corused teh same.

"hey nobody turns down an irish coffee" Jack said Jessie chuckled as Yu look a bit confused " its coffee with a drop or two of irish whiskey in it" he explained and Yu chuckled and nodded.

"I would love to try it" he said and Jessie smiled to him.

"you'll love it" he said leaning on him a little. Ruby loked at Ginger and smiled.

" hope you enjoy it I didn't know what you liked so I put several diferent flavors on yours and Anises, Im more a rocky road girl." she said showing her bowl with marshmalow peices in.

"I can't imagine an ice cream I didn't like," Ginger said.

"I saw one once, in Tokyo, and I wasn't even going to get close enough to smell it. Trout ice cream. It was in a cooking contest, and the were awarding the prize on the basis of creativity."

"What?" Angus frowned deeply.

"I'm serious. Trout ice cream."

"God, no way. Not touching it--ever. Did that one win?"

"Um. no. It grossed out the judges. It did not win."

"Ok, so there's one I wouldn't eat. I stand corrected," Ginger said. Angus glanced out the window beside his chair and he saw the misty figure of Reginald standing at the edge of the woods. He motioned to Angus.

"Come on, Finn," Angus said. "It's time for your trip outside. Hold my coffee, I'll be straight back."

"Shall I come with you?" Marcus asked.

"To watch the dog pee? No. I think I can manage," Angus replied. He went out, taking Finn along and he headed towards Reginald. As he got there, Reginald went into the woods, into the darkness. Angus followed him, with Finn right beside him. And then apparating in, in a thicket, was James, intending to slip in quietly. Thanks to Reginald, though, it hadn't worked.

"Not one more step, James," Angus said.

"That's alright, I won't need one," James laughed. He made a quick flipping motion, and it picked up Angus and threw him down on the ground. Angus rolled behind a rock, firing multiple wandless magic shots, and hitting James with two of them. James blew it himself now growling. Angus didn't know if Jack of Jessie could hear it inside.

Inside though, the sound was all too familiar in Edward's ears. He took down his axe from the wall and shouted over to Angus's side of the house.

"Heads up, Boys and Girls. We've got company," Edward said. "That's a sound I know too well."

Anise got up and flew towards Edward's side of the duplex, just in time to see him leaving the house with a huge battle axe with a glistening silver blade, and in that one look at his axe, Anise was filled with visions of werewolves being killed with it. It was so frightening that she just couldn't move.

"Anise," Marcus went over to her but she was afraid. Did her parents leave her with people that slaughtered werewolves? Was it all a lie? "Come sit," Marcus told her firmly. He brought her back and took her to a chair."

"Something spooked her," Marcus told the others. "I'm going to find Angus. One of you stay and look after the women, please?"

Ruby chuckled then pulled a face at the mention of trout ice cream " yuck" was all she said but she looked over at Angus noticing how he looked out the window , she smiled and nodded to holding his coffee. She quickly lookd at Marcus as Angus left with Finn ahead of him , Jessie and Jack sipped their coffee but after amoment put them down pausing as if hearing something " it was now they saw Edward with his axe and both looked at each other as if confirming what they ahd heard and dove ut the door Yu staide with Ruby and the girls.

" I 'll stay with them " he said to Marcus " you do what you muct" he said moving to hold Anise close to him. Ruby sat next to Ginger now holding Caprice in her arms as she had taken her from Marcus so he could leave.

"go Marcus" she said " we'll protect these two" she told him looking at Anise she took her hand in her own " its okay" she said softly.

Meanwhile, James was still intent on bashing Angus. Angus had hit James with several spells but it hadn't been enough to take him down. Now James picked up a part dead tree trunk and hurled it at Angus. Marcus arrived just in time to see it slam into Angus and pin him to the ground. Marcus moved in front of Angus and began firing rapidly.

"Who the hell are you?" James scowled. "You're guarding the wrong one, Imbicile! You're supposed to be keeping me from being able to claim my bride, you dope."

"I can do both. I'm just good like that," Marcus quipped. Marcus fired at a big tree branch right above James's head to drop the branch on James. James hadn't seen it coming and it walloped him hard.

"Hey, no fair," James scowled deeper. "That actually hurt."

"Imagine that," Marcus said sarcastically. He cast one very quick glance to Angus. "You alright, Mate?"

"Can't tell. I'm stuck under this damned tree."

"Oh, look!" James teased, looking at Finn. "Looks like supper to me! And its fresh!"

"Don't let that maggot kill my dog!" Angus shouted.

Jessie and Jack tran to where all the ruckus was and Jack skidded to a hault hearing James words "shesh bro give it up, she dosn't want you or your hairy ass." he said as Jessie moved around calling Finn to him and sending him home while headding to Angus.

"I got you mate" he said and grabbed hold of the tree trunk lifting it then rolling it away from him so he could get out from under it. Jack moved between him and James. Jack stayed not far from Marcus ether his claws out ready to strike should it be needed.

Angus could not right himself because his shoulder wasn't moving now at all. Edward arrived and slid Angus out from under the tree.

"He's free, Jessie. Thanks," Marcus called, leaving Angus on the ground because Angus was a smaller target there.

"Can you fire?" Edward asked Angus. Angus nodded. "Good. Let's try a relay, then." It was a strategy he and Edward had used in Romania with Sergio and Ana. It depended upon rapid, sequential wand fire. When they had done it in Romania the four of them fired one at a time, but as rapidly as they could. It usually had been done, Edward, Sergio, Angus, Ana, and repeating. It allowed them to get out hundreds of wand shots in under a minute.

"Marcus. Sequential firing," Angus said quietly as a very quick explanation. Jess and jack will jump in when they see what we're doing." It only took a couple rounds for them to fall into a natural rhythm to it.

"The more the merrier, Gentlemen," Edward called to Jessie and Jack, inviting them to jump in.

"Dammit, Donohue..." James was backing up quickly and ducking behind trees and rocks to avoid the wand fire. there were too many wand shots coming from too many directions for him to fire at them at all.