A Birth day

Jessie saw Angus was free and dropped the tree trunk to the ground with a thump. Hearing Edward he chuckled and drew his wand as did Jack moving to stand along side Edward as he shouted to Marcus. Jack laughed and nodded to Edwrad knowing what he was going to do " oh I know this one" he said grinning as he looked to James " your not going to like this , so I'd advize you leave" he told him.

Inside the duplex Ruby looked out the window even though she could not see anything but she could hear shouting and firing of wands. Putting on a brave face she accioed some cards " so who wants to play cards while we wait" she asked " I have to admit Im not that good with cards so you might win loads tonight."

"I...I can't," Anise said, almost too quietly for anyone to hear.

"Anise, what is it?" Ginger asked.

"He kills animals like us," Anise said softly. "We've been tricked..."

"No. No, we haven't," Ginger said. "You're talking about Edward? He's in one of the history books. He kills the werewolves that puts them and us at risk. The ones that just kill for the sport of killing. What did you see?"

"It was horrible,' Anise said, upset. I saw him killing one after another."

"You have seen Fenrir eliminate pack members that have gone bad. This is exactly the same thing. If he didn't do what he does, then, humans would be even more afraid of us than they are now, and we'd be killed without any chance to defend ourselves at all. He does them and us a huge favor. Now get ahold of yourself. He's been very good to you. The least you can do is talk to him when he comes back. Now, come sit down and deal the wretched cards." She cast a smile at Anise.

Angus kept up firing but he couldn't keep it up. his shoulder hurt. He tried to right himself, trying to raise himself up so he could get his legs under him again, and when he did, he heard a loud crack from his shoulder. He tried hard not to cry out, but that hurt. It bloody freaking hurt. He fell face down in the grass again. Marcus had heard that damned loud crack. That was not good at all.

"We've got one out," Marcus called to Edward, jack and James, to alert them to tighten the sequential firing. Then Angus looked up and saw something he didn't expect to see. Reginald rushed right at James and jumped him, forcing James to go throw himself in the pond.

"Suppose he swims?" Marcus cast a look at Jack and Jessie.

"That depends if Reginald did," Edward said.

Jessie and Jack heard Marcus and tightened their firing line but were stunned when he suddenly flew backwards into the pond " who cares about that hes going to smell like a wet dog " Jack said and laughed " if he can get out" Jessie moved to Angus kneeling down next to him.

"Marcus I can get Angus to Jess or Kate" he said " or I can fetch them" But he didn't have to as Jess ran around the cournerand right over to where Angus lay and placed her hsand gently over his shoulder as she drew off some of the pain for him , She now took a sling from her pocketand slipped it arund his shoulder to suport his arm.

"Come on lets get you out of here and over for kate to check out" she said looking to Jessie who moved to help him stand as she took his weight or tried too.

"Jessie, don't get him to Kate. Try to remember, Kate is Robert's wife, and she's a seer and an artist. She is not a healer. Brian and Khaat are a couple, and they are both healers..." Marcus said.

"Wait, Let me check him first," Edward said. "I know a few healing spells." He went over to Angus and laid his hand on Angus and sighed. "I was afraid of that. With the damage it already had, one or two more hard hits were just more than it could last. It feels to me like its broken now too, on top of the ligament and tendon damage. Jess might tell you otherwise, but it certainly feels like its broken. If that's the case, you should be glad you can still carry Caprice with one hand because I think that's all you've got."

"It's all I had before," Angus sighed. "Jack, do me a favor, grab that boulder over there and chain it to James, would you? I've just about had enough of him. Next time Reginald tells him to go jump in the lake he needs to keep him there."

Marcus understood his frustration.

"You know," Marcus said, "If you want to get him off our backs for awhile, I bet you and jack could wrap him up and drop him off down at the aurors' office at the ministry. A few days in the nick might do him good. If you want a little amusement, you could always borrow that jar of hair wax upstairs in the main bathroom. I don't know who it belonged to, but its been there for awhile. You could wax him smooth. It could be fun, and he'll be completely hairless and baby butt smooth. I could go with Jess if you like. And Edward maybe could tell the girls that we're going to have Jess and Robert check his shoulder. What do you think?"

Jack looked at Jessie who looked at Jess who looked at Edward then laughed " oh that would be a sight" Jessica said and Jessie laughed " I agree with you Edward, Khaat or Brian" she told Jessie who nodded . Jack picked up the biggest and heaviest bolder he could find then accioing some sturdy chains he wrapped them around James while he was still recovering binding him with out a lock but his own strength closing a link of the chains.

Jack looked at Jessie and together they both grinned " nice idea" Jessie said as Jack accioed some wax used to do legs in a pot using his hand he heated it and sperad it over James head making him yell and growl as Jack took some paper and lay it over the mans head , then with one yank he pulled it off " that is for Angus's shoulder " he said and kept going until there was no hair on James head " oh look, now we realy do look like brothers, more the pity " he joked Jessie burst out laughing as he and Jack took hold of the bolder and ported to the ministry. "Dilivery for the Aurors"

"he at it again?" an older Auror asked as he stepped out of his office. Jack looked at him and nodded.

" yup, we waxed and wrapped him for you , please keep him inside this time were getting sick and tired of bringing him here, at this rate we should have honery Aurr badges." Once Jack handed James over he ported back to the main house.

Inside Ruby saw them moving Angus to the main house but remaind calm and looked at Anise with a smile as she purposly placed down a high card before making Caprice giggle with a frog toy she accioed from the pile close by.

Edward came back inside and hung up his axe before coming back to Ruby's side of things.

"The boys hot waxed the hair right off of him and now they're dropping him off a the nick," Edward laughed. "It lets Jack get a little of his own back. Angus gave his shoulder another turn, so they're taking him over to let Robert have a look at it. I'm certainly not Robert, but my money says he has cracked a bone or some such, in the same shoulder. So, I would image that if that's the case, Robert will immobilize it completely and send him back after giving him a sound thrashing to not let those of us who were not benched to do the skirmishing. Little idiot. It really can't be that much worse than what he's already got. Robert's lecture might be the worst of the whole experience."

"How many have you killed with that horrid axe?" Anise asked, unable to stop thinking of the visions in her head.

"Ah. I should have thought. Residual energies must be attached," Edward sighed. "I am so sorry. I can show you documentation about every single one I ever had to dispatch. You sure you've got the courage to see it?"

"Yes,' Angus said firmly. "I want to know the truth--all of it."

"Well, come with me then," he told her, motioning. Anise got up and followed Edward.

"I generally am a pretty good judge," Ginger said to Ruby. "I know whatever she saw in those visions bothered her, but I still think Edward is a good man. He did what he did for good reason. If he talks straight with her, I think she'll be just fine with it later. She jut got spooked that maybe Edward would get rid of her too. I don't see that ever happening as long as she takes her wolfsbane, do you?"

Over at the main house, Robert had gotten home from a little time at St. Mungos, and he was achy and tired tonight. There was still more influenza going on there, and he was hoping he wasn't catching something. His team needed him. If he were going to get something, now was not the time. He had gone up to check his potions stores and he did not have any flu potion here, damnit. He had missed supper but he wasn't hungry anyway.

Marcus brought Angus in the back door, and Robert, who was pouring himself a glass of wine from the bottle in the fridge, and he looked up to see them coming in.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" Robert asked, taking a slug of his wine.

"Tree fell on his bad shoulder while we were skirmishing with James just now," Marcus said.

"Well, goodie. Two things. First, why didn't I know James was here? And second, what the hell were you doing fighting James, Angus? Do we need a refresher on a couple things that you seem to have forgotten?"

"No," Angus said. "I'm fine."

"So, they bring you to see me because your shoulder needs a social call?" Robert went over and touched him. "Your shoulder is broken. Well, clear your schedule for tomorrow because tomorrow you're coming with me. We'll need to repair it. I'll immobilize it for tonight and give you some pain medication, but I'll pick you up at five am so we can go fix it. I should keep you downstairs tonight, but, against my better judgement, I won't. Do not do it again unless you have my permission first. Or you will need a shoe-ectomy." Angus looked at Robert blankly.

"He means he will be shoving his foot so far up your arse that you're going to need it to be surgically removed," Marcus said.

"He's going to need you to go with him to bring him home. We'll be gone only two or three hours, but you're going to bring him home and chain him inside his damned house. Am I making myself clear?" Robert scowled at Marcus. He numbed Angus's shoulder as best he could and set it as best he could for tonight, immobilized it entirely, and then sent a completely different dose of pain medication home. "Make sure he's wherever he's going to be for the night before he takes it. Now get him out of here before I go down to the armory and get my damned combat boots."

Marcus took him home and brought him back inside. The entire thing hadnt' taken more than about twenty minutes.

"We're back safe and sound," Marcus told Ruby. "Broken bone. Robert is going to fix it in the morning. Other that that, he's all good."

Jack and Jesie returned and Jessie headed over to the duplex to find Yu who he just knew was at the duplex playing cards . Ruby looked at Ginger as Anise went with Edwrad " he would not ahrm anyone who didn't deserve it, only bad people get the busnis end of his axe and never a child." she told Ginger " wolfsbane or not he would never harm a child" she told her as she saw Marcus bring in Angus "oh dear lord, but thats good I guess with Robert fixing it tomorrow" she moved to make Angus a new irish coffee and waited for him to sit before sending it over to him along with a cinimin roll that was now cooled.

Ruby moved back to Ginger and shook her head " Robert will put him right" she said placing her card down asshe waited for Anise to return " Im sure Edwrad will reasure her that he won't hurt her in any way, well other than smother her with love, but thats about it" she said chukaling waiting as she checked on Caprice and Ginger " you need anything?" she asked Ginger.

"Anise saw something," Ginger said. "I'm netting she saw some of the killings that are attached to that axe. She'll be alright. I don't have the same gifts that she has, but I have something different. I can see or hear things, but i sometimes feel the emotions attached to people, and Edward feels to me like he is a really good man that chose to do a job that no one else wanted or had the nerve to do. Our pack had been run out of every place we've ever been because people fear us. We would be hunted like vermin until every one of us was gone if men like him didn't step in to get rid of the bad ones so that people didn't have to be so afraid of things they didn't understand. I'm sure Edward will be able to explain it. I wouldn't worry."

When they came back with Angus, Ginger could see that Angus hurt, really hurt. He didn't say a word, and she could feel his deep relief at getting the Irish coffee.

"I think I'm fine," Ginger smiled. "So, tell me. What can we do to help you? You seem like you stress pretty easily. The last thing we want is to be an extra burden on you. Anise and I can be useful. I need to be useful while I'm getting my strength back. I can help with the baby, if I"m not intruding. I'm good at cleaning and chopping fruits and vegetables and breaking down meat and fish. I can hand sew, and I can crochet and knit and one of the old women here taught me how to do tatting. I do know how to garden, but I don't know if I have the strength for that yet. And I'm sure you know all kinds of things that Anise can do."

"All we really need is for you two to be yourselves. Do your lessons, and pitch in once in awhile if we ask, as you're able," Angus said, taking a sip of the Irish coffee and closing his eyes.

"You'd have enjoyed that little sparring, Ru," Angus added. "The boys found an old hot waxing and I am quite sure they took great joy in making him completely hairless, one ripped off wax strip at a time. And now he gets to think about it all night in the nick. It was worth every bit of it. Is Finn alright? James didn't hurt him, did he?"

Ruby smiled at Ginger and shook her head " we're good, as Angus rightly said all you have to do is get your strength back and be your selves, its nice having more girls around than boys this time" she said and chuckled as Angus explained what Jack and Jessie did to James " serves him right" she said " I hope they did an all over wax" she asked knowing they probably didn't. It was now she winced as he said they did it one strip at a time " wow, that got to hurt" she said but understood why they had done it . " yes finns sleeping on our bed right now and no he was fine, when he ran in I checked him thinking he'd been stung or something but couldn't find anything wrong" she said.

Jack crossed to the duplex and knocked on teh door " every one okay, hows the shoulder?" he asked " hes delivered and I hope he stays put this time" he told Angus as he looked at Ginger " but also saw Anise was missing " everything okay?" he asked as Ruby nodded.

"yes were fine" she said to Jack smiling as she made an Irish coffee for Jack and Jessie.

"I don't think James ever got close enough to hurt the dog, though James did threaten to eat him, and Angus wasn't having it," Marcus said.

"When Jack does something, he never fails to do it 100%. I'm sure he doesn't have any hair anywhere. No eyebrows, no nose hair, no hair at all anyplace.  And enough wax burn to keep him miserable for a day or so. Tomorrow should be quiet, I figure. And the idea that he might be lying on what was surely one of the most uncomfortable beds on the planet, and having skin irritation from having was put into places and then ripped off from places where wax should really never be, that's more than mildly satisfying, I'm sure, for most of us for tonight."

Angus looked around, not seeing Marcus, wondering where he went, but he came downstairs a moment later with David's go bag packed. as he reached the bottom of the steps, there was a knock on the door. Marcus answered the door, handed out David's black canvas go bag and in its place someone left him with a larger elegant leather duffle. Marcus closed the door again, with the business apparently taken care of.

"So what was that?" Angus asked.

"Changing of the guard. David is getting my room in the main house for a few days, and I'm getting his over here," Marcus replied. "David is getting on just fine with Khaat, and I'm getting along alright with you--despite your best efforts to the contrary, so Robert's decided I should stay with you a bit."

"Now, Ru, I fully expect you to not cancel my plans because Robert has scheduled to address my shoulder somehow in the morning," Angus said. "You go to Paris. If I'm going to be out of commission for any period of time, your training could be important. Marcus will be with me, at Robert's insistence, so I doubt I will ever have so much as one single second alone..."

"You won't," Marcus said firmly, sipping on his Irish coffee.

"That's what I thought. I make a plan of my own and everybody goes thinks I've gone off the bloody rails. God. Back to what I was saying, I really think you should go to Paris and that, for a couple of hours, we could leave Caprice with the girls, especially since Edward and Simone are only a very few steps away. If there's a problem, they would surely step in and help out." He looked at the girls. "Could one of you be up that early to help with Caprice?"

"To help with the baby? We will both be ready. Anise will be right in it with me, I guarantee.  What time?" Ginger asked eagerly.

"Marcus and I are meeting Robert at five."

"In the morning?" Ginger frowned.

"Yeah," Angus laughed. "He's an early riser."

"No he's not," Ginger said. "He's either a middle-of the-night guy or he's an i-never-sleep-at-all guy.'

"Now that is very observant of you," Marcus laughed. "Actually, in his case, its both." At that moment, Edward came back with Anise, his arm around her shoulder, and they were laughing about something. Things appeared to be resolved by all that Angus could determine.

"Better?" Angus asked.

"Much," Edward said. "How's the shoulder?"

"Well, you were right. There's a break in it someplace. So, if Ruby and I go out really early in the morning, will you or Simone be around?'

"So far as I know. Why? You need a Grandsitter?"

"Well, actually, I told Ruby that for the most part, I think we could trust Ginger and Alise with her for no more than the couple of hours we would both be gone, and if they get into trouble, they could give you a shout," Angus said.

"I don't see why not. They both seem competent with her, and, as I said, I don't think we're going anywhere in the early morning. Where are you going?"

"Well, Ruby is scheduled to go to Paris for training," Angus said. "And I don't know where I'm going. Robert's picking me up at five. That's all I know."

"What's he doing?" Edward frowned. "Is he setting it?"

"I don't know. I wasn't told. He was in an exceptionally foul mood tonight, so I didn't push him."

"Angus was about to have his ears boxed, I do believe," Marcus said, amused.

"Oh, he was surly. That's rare for him," Edward said. "Alright. We'll be around for whatever you need us for--babysititng or supervising the babysitting. Is David going with you?"

"Thank you," Angus said.

"I have been very firmly told I shall be going with him," Marcus said.

"Well, we don't need to worry then. You'll be in safe hands," he smiled. "Still, if you need something else, do let us know."