A Birth day

"I packed for both of us," Anise nodded when Ruby asked her if Ginger was packed. "There isn't much to pack. We're used to not needing much of anything."

"They won't understand," Angus told her, "and they never have been worth the effort I've given them. I do it for Edward, I suppose, or some outside chance that they will see that I'm not whatever it is they think I am. Either way, Edward usually takes the lead in these things, trying to protect me from their snide comments. I guess as long as Evan doesn't turn against me, then maybe that's the best I can hope for. I think it's good that you won't be bringing the girls for a few hours. That will give my relatives time to get all their fireworks out of the way. I'll have Rosaria and Carlo put your beach set up down to that stretch of beach where I brought you on your first trip here. It'll be easy for you to remember, and its not all that far from the house. If you have trouble, use your medallion. We'll take the baby with us so you don't have to port her all over creation. Take your time and enjoy getting out. I'll see you later." He gave her a quick kiss and snuffed out the last of his cigarette.

Nigel picked up the baby bag, and Marcus picked up the baby. Then Angus got out his portkey and he ported himself and Marcus and Nigel home to Edward's.

Ruby listened to Angus and smiled with a nod "good idea and Im sure I won't need to as I had a wonderful time there." she said as she felt him kiss her. She watched as they took the baby's bag and Caprice then apeated out to Tuscany " so we ready, hold tight, this is going to be fun" she said smiling at them " oh and Angus will meet up with us later" she said hoping they would not worry about him now.

Taking their hands in her own she aperated them to a back alley in Venice. " how are you too?" she asked " I know aperating can be a bit of a stomach turning feeling." she asked waiting for the girls to get their feet.

Soon she lead them down a back alley close to some goldolas and the canal. Seeing teh shop she smiled " there it is" she said and pushed open the door to the sound of the bell tinkling above them. " clive, Diana, you here?" she called out then waited for an awnser.

"We're fine," Ginger told her. "We've apparated actually quite a lot, but we were never taught how. Dad didn't want us doing magic. He just wanted us to be pack females.

"Of course, we're here. Where else would we be?" Clive asked, laughing. "We have no other life but this shop. Good to see you, Ruby. Good morning, Ladies." He greeted the girls. "How's all the herd at the Lupins?"

Angus landed right outside Edward's house in the yard, and his family was gathering. Basil's wife (Angus' Aunt Gloria), and their two sons, Cyril and Wesley, their wives, and their children were all standing in the yard, sobbing, wailing, and screaming. Gloria raced up to Angus and started beating on him, and Marcus grabbed her arm tightly with one hand, handing off Caprice to Nigel with the other. Basil's sons raced to their mother's defense, and Evan and Edward raced to Angus's defense. One of Basil's granddaughter's got off a good blasting spell at Angus, and Angus felt pain ripping through his chest and his bad shoulder. He fell.

"Get him out of here!" Nigel shouted at Marcus, latching onto Angus. Marcus apparated Angus and himself and Nigel out and up to Angus's room in Edward's house, not realizing that Evan had a hold of Angus at the moment that Marcus apparated them upstairs. Marcus immediately laid a shield around the bedroom so that no one else could get in.

Nigel knelt by Angus and checked him.

"I know that hurt like a sonofabiscuit, but your shoulder's alright. Your chest took that one instead and the jolt of the blast was what made you hurt. You're alright, though," Nigel reassured him. "Come on. I'll help you up."

"I can help," Evan said.

'Let's put him on the bed and give him a moment," Nigel said, taking the sling off for a moment to open Angus' shirt to check the incision.

"I have to go back and face them," Angus said, breathless because of the pain.

"Looks like you should wait til the brawl is overwith," Evan said. "Let's leave it to Edward for the moment. Jesus, Bro, what happened to you? Is there any part of you that isn't black and blue?"

"Above the waist? Not much," Nigel replied to Evan. "Brawling is not on his list this trip."

"Well, obviously not," Evan frowned. "What can I do to help?"

"Well, offhand, I'd say if there is anything you can do to get them to get this out of their system before Ruby gets here, that would probably be good, because if anyone hits him again, she'll take care of them, and there will be more than one funeral this weekend," Marcus said.

"Oh, and please have Rosaria and Carlo set up a beach thing for Ruby and the two foster girls we have. They're teens. They'll need beach towels, picnic, cooler, everything," Angus said.

"God, what a family," Evan shook his head. "Bar room brawling the yard and a peaceful picnic on the beach." He apparated down to the kitchen.

Ruby heard Clive and chuckled " we're good, Clive these are Ginger and Anise , their our adopted daughters and they need the works,a full kit out" she said smiling " oh and Angus said to put it on his tab" she added "also we had a little girl we called her Caprice after his mother" she smiled and looekd to Ginger and Anise " Diana will get your mesuremnets and then you an chose what you want to take with you the rest will be sent home." she told them smiling " so Go take a look around" she motioned to them.

Once they were out of ear shot she spoke to Clive " We've had a spot of bother with an uncle , Angus took care of it but.. the man tried to kill us and lets say Angus got there first, Anise had a run in with a werewolf that was posioned with a potion and she had to do something no teen should do" she said simply to him knowing he'd understand what she ment " Im trying to make this a happy outing so theyenjoy them selves and not dwell, you understand?" she said softly as she watched thm walk around the shop.

"Typical Donohue folderol," Clive shrugged. "There's always 400 of them, and there's chaos in every bloody direction. Nothing unusual there. They'll fit right in. We knew about the baby, well sort of, because Angus sent back all the blue baby clothes for more pink ones. And when he stopped getting maternity clothes for you, we figured you didn't need them anymore. But congratulations to you both.

"His grandmother would be honored that Angus' first child would be named after her. She was a lovely lady. She was beautiful, smart, and tough as nails. Tough enough to stand up to all the danger that Edward had in his life and sometimes brought home to her. She used to go hunting with him before Angus became a full time responsibility to them. Somewhere in that house is one of the prettiest battle axes you'll ever see. It was his first anniversary gift to her. Some anniversary gift, huh? The damned thing is engraved with flowers and vines and butterflies and such, top to bottom, and its silver, and then plated again in mithril. And she could wield that thing better than almost any other bloke I ever saw. I sure miss her sometimes."

Diana got the girls' measurements, but she could already tell that Ginger was smaller than she should be. Surely she would be on some sort of a nutrition plan, so Diana wanted to help her find flexible clothes that she really liked that would be easy for her to adapt to or to magically resize as her health improved. Diana helped them to understand some of the styles the girls had never seen, and they were delighted that she was helping them understand what looked good on them. Neither of them had ever had a skirt or a dress, but Diana was helping them to have a good variety of things for all kinds of events and all kinds of weather.

Angus had regained himself, and he had decided the shirt was too much bother. Nigel insisted he put the sling back on, and Angus decided he had to face his family. The fighting had calmed, and Marcus cancelled the shield around Angus's room. The three of them left Angus's room, with Nigel carrying the baby, and when they got to the bottom of the stairs, Evan looked at Angus and then at the baby?"

"May I?" Evan asked.

"Of course," Angus said. Evan took the baby from Nigel.

"She's perfect, Angus," Evan said. "You know Gran would love her. She'd be over the moon."

Ruby listened to Clive and chuckled " yeah that sounds like them, Caprice came early but was strong like her name sake, and realy, that sounds beautiful." she said and looked to Diana watching her fit the girls knowing she'd noticed that Ginger was smaller than she should be. "Gingers hand some health issues that made her lose a lot of weight, but were getting threw it" she said not wanting to go into too much detail abut it " so I think things that will fit and are comfortable maybe, and they need togo bags too?" she sugested to her as she stood and basicaly let the girls get what they needed " oh don't forget swim suits with some wraps, were going the beach after here." she said smiling at both the girls.

Now done she walked out side the shop after saying she would see Clive and Diana again soon. " so we ready for tuscany?" she asked seeing the go bags each had chosen and now held in their hands. "sun, warm sands, cold drinks and no worriies." she told them taking each girls hand in her own. " but before we do is there anything here you want to see?" she asked wanting to make it a day for them.

Clive picked out a pair of tan leather barrel style duffles with shoulder straps for the girls, and he helped them pick the clothes for their go bags. he made sure they had what they needed, and he included a few changes of clothes in various styles as well as a little black dress and some black flats for both of them, with some accessories in case they needed it. When a Donohue took care of something in the way Ruby described, there was often a funeral to follow, so Clive packed them accordingly. Then Diana handed Ruby a little bracelet box.

"Take it with you. Don't open it now," she told her. "Its just in case you find you need it." She gave Anise and Ginger a hug, and wished them a good time at the beach.

At Edward's, the family was trying to figure out why Angus had had to use a killing shot when there were other spells certainly available. Evan went outside, holding Caprice, and Angus tried hard not to panic. The family saw him with a baby girl in his hands, and they stopped, not knowing who's baby it was.

"You see her? Beautiful, isn't she?" Evan called to them. "Looks just like Gran, doesn't she? You know who she is? No? Well, her name is Caprice, just like Gran. And she's Angus's firstborn--his daughter. Which one of you has forgotten what its like to have your firstborn child? Which one of you would have taken any chance that your spell might not take out the man that wants to pour acid down on this child and the people who are nearest and dearest in your life?" They started to get angry with Evan. "No, no, don't give me that. You're related by blood but that's all. None of you, except Edward and me, even have a civil word in your head for him. You never have. Why do you think he doesn't live here anymore? Its because you're pricks, all of you. Today, he saved his family. Uncle Basil betrayed us all, and Angus took care of it, like he's been taking care of this family all his life. If you were half as ashamed of yourselves as I am ashamed of you, you'd be making amends and getting to know him, but that won't happen, will it?"

"Evan," Angus called quietly, wanting Evan to stop defending him. "A wise woman told me they weren't worth it. I think she was right."

Ruby looked at Dianna and then at the box she handed to her smiling she huged her and thanked her " thank you" she said then looekd down at the box unsure of what she ment but knowing she would probably know. She placed it in her pocket and smiled to the girls " shall we go to the beach" she said and aperated them all to Tuscany, and to the beach where she felt the cool sea brease against her skin.

Seeing a spot all laid out with an umberella to keep the sun off them and a cooler with she hoped cold drinks she smiled and looked to the girls " okay girls you can sit on the beach towel under the umbrella with me or swim in the water." she said and place down her jacket transpiguering her clothes to a one peice swim suit so she could enjoy the sun.

The girls found their swimsuits and dashed behind a big flowery shrub and changed their clothes and came back and put their jeans and tops in their bags.

"So, this is a beach, huh? Well, we're wolves--we swim," Anise said. She waded out a short way into the water. Ginger followed her, and then they both took a dive into the surf, laughing. "Come on, Ruby. The water's perfect."

Angus watched, and when Evan stopped speaking, they remained silent for a moment, and then one by one, they all turned and walked away. They had walked out on him, just like they had always done, all but Evan, his wife and his kids. Simone came up to Angus and slipped her arm around Angus's waist and she kissed his cheek.

"They don't deserve you, Sweetie," Simone said affectionately to him. Evan's wife and kids came up, and they gave Angus careful hugs and took a moment to get to know Caprice. When they started to focus in on the baby, Marcus put one supportive hand under Angus's good shoulder.

"You need to sit," Marcus said quietly in Angus's ear. "You're giving out. I can see it.

"Take him up to his room," Edward told Marcus. "Get him out of this mess for awhile. I've got it. There's nothing more for him to gain out here. Nigel, take care of my boy."

"Your boy needs a rest, that's all," Nigel said. Marcus and Nigel apparated Angus back up to his room, and Marcus asked Carlo for extra pillows. They soon had Angus propped up somewhat like he was at home, and once they quit messing him around, Angus slipped off into an exhausted sleep.

When she got a chance, Simone changed the baby into her swimsuit and put a good sunscreen on her and a tiny little ruffled sunhat, and a little one piece red swimsuit with a green ruffle at the neck, looking like a little strawberry. She took the baby down to the beach, and Evan's girls followed. They were just a year or two younger than Anise and Ginger.

"Granddad told us about you," the one said. "Hi, I'm Evie, and this is my sister, Faith. She's one year younger than me. Our dad and your dad are brothers. We thought we'd come down and say hi and welcome you. You have to ignore most everybody here. They're all prats, pretty much."

Ruby smiled seeing the girls change and head for the water she chuckled when they called her into the water and she ran over and dove into it swimming around until she needed to lay down in the towel. As she walked back to the towel she saw more arrive and smiled seeing Simone and her children " Simone , good to see you again, Evie, Faith , have you two grown" she asked and smiled as Ginger and Anise walked over . "This is Ginger and Anise our adopted girls." she introduced them as shr took Caprice from her " wow she looks super cute" she said smiling waking to the towel " come join us" she said wanting to talk to Simone alone, " girls why don't you go play a bit , I need a rest" she told them as she looked to Simone " have things cooled?" she asked.

Sitting down on the towel she set Caprice close to her holding her up as she let her run her hands in the warm sand beside her.