A Birth day

Marcus wrote a note and went into Edward's room to use the floo to send a note to Clive and then returned.

"I think that Marcus has learned a lot of what he knows by bodyguarding the equivalent of Bulgarian wizarding royalty," Angus said. "As I heard tell, the minister and his wife had a valet and a woman that was the equivalent of a lady's maid that knew all of these wardrobe sorts of things, and i think Marcus learned a lot by working so close to them over seven or eight years. I'm sure he probably knows some woman who knows enough about those sort of sets that she'd be able to help you find modern outfits to wear those various configurations with, including how to wear that necklace in your hair."

"What set?" Anise asked. Angus pointed to the box, and Anise opened it and was wide eyed. "Woah! Are those real?" She looked at Angus, and he nodded. "That had to have cost millions and millions!"

"No, because Angus knows how to shop for such things," Marcus smiled.

"That reminds me," Angus said. "Did you and Ginger say you wanted your ears pierced?"

"Yes! Evie and Faith has such cool earrings, and they're just little tiny things. Could we? I mean,..."

"Yes, if that's what you want. We'll ask Nigel to do it, though. If you're going to do it, you should do it right...."

"I'm gonna go ask him now..."

"Hold on," Angus laughed. "You might need to wait. He may very well want you to have a pair of earrings before he pierces them."

"Oh," she said, disappointed, sitting down on the bed, as Ginger joined them, now fresh from her shower.

"Ruby, do you have any idea of how they could do it sooner?" he deliberately played just a tiny trick on Anise so that Ruby could be the one to give them the earrings and the necklaces.
.

Ruby smiled as Angus explaine how Marcus knew all about womens fashion and jewlery " oh so thats how he knew, well he and youboth have good taste" she said then she heard Anise and handed her the box where she chuckled at Anises reaction the the set he ahd given her.

Hearing Angus she chuckled reatching into one of the bags and took out the two sets they had got for them. " oh I don't know maybe they would need these ?" she said and held them up for them to take. " we hope you like them." she said as she watched each open there small boxes that held the earrings and matching necklace. " Oh Ginger we got your thread fo you" she said and handed her a bag filled with diferent colored threads " I hope I got the right one" she said and smiled at her.

At this rate, maybe you'll see Caprice when she graduates Hogwarts," Marcus teased.

"Well, when Abbey was this tiny, Kate and Robert would hurry up to get to the nursery before Brian or Khaat or I did so they could get Abbey first. We started calling that the 'baby grab,' because it was her grandparents deliberately wanting time with their granddaughter and they were deliberately getting there first. We used to think it was hilarious."

"My parents did the same thing with every one of mine," Marcus laughed. "Enjoy it. Before too long, she'll be too big for them to grab."

"Nah. I think they'll just take her anyway," Angus smiled. "I'm glad you like the jewelry set, Ru. I think it is versatile enough to get you through a lot of things."

He watched the girls open the jewelry sets. Their eyes grew wide. They knew already, just looking at them, that the necklaces and the earrings were real. They weren't costume jewelry.

"For us?" Anise asked. "Really? You did this for us?"

"Oh my goodness," Ginger said. "I'm never going to wear anything else."

"That's why they're made from real gold and real jewels, so you can wear them all the time without your neck turning green or your pierced ears getting infected." The girls impulsively gave Ruby a hug and a kiss on the cheek and then they came over and gave Angus a kiss and a hug too. They thanked them and then they raced off to go find Nigel.

"Oh, thanks, Ruby. The thread is perfect!" Ginger called back as she ran down the hallway.

"You'll get your proper thanks after Nigel's drilled holes in their heads," Angus teased Ruby.

Ruby smiled as Marcus spoke about not seeing Caprice until she graduated and they called it the baby grab, at this she chuckled "It's okay, they don't stay babies for long" she said smiling. Seeing the look on Anise and Ginger's faces at seeing the sets she smiled. As they said they loved the sets hugged her and said thank you she hugged Anise and Ginger back " Your so very welcome and your worth it." she said smiling.

Hearing Ginger and seeing her leave Ruby laughed and looked at Angus laughing still at his words "Oh they are so not going to like it" she said " but they did ask " She chuckled again

"I don't know if wizard piercings hurt like muggle piercings or not. You would think not, but what do I know. You're right about kids not staying small for long, but the other thing that occurs to me is that with the pressure that Edward's under right now because of Basil and Gloria, I think that having us and the kids here, especially the baby, is a real bright spot in Edward's life. I'm really glad you're okay with Rosaria and everybody just enjoying the baby. None of them ever believed I would have any kids of my own, and for me to have a whole blooming houseful of kids and to bring them home here and to let them become a real part of the Donohue family, that means more to them than you probably ever realized before you came here. It's hugely important to them."

"I'll take these down to Carlo, shall I?" Marcus asked, picking up the box of clothes to be donated. "And then maybe give the girls their skateboards."

"That's fine. Thank you,' Angus said, finishing his coffee. "Just try to keep them from breaking bones their first time out on a board.

"I'll do my best," Marcus said, leaving the room to go downstairs.

"Care to go downstairs and watch their first tries on a skateboard?" Angus asked Ruby.

Ruby smiled at Angus and nodded at his next words she then took hold of his hand. "it's fine with me, I could tell meant a lot to them by the look on their faces when they saw her." she said smiling at him " besides there time for more later down the line, since Caprice will want a younger brother who will be just like you." she said teasing him a little about having more kids.

When Marcus said about taking teh clothes down to Carlo and teaching the girls how to skate Ruby nodded as Angus spoke " oh please, I know I don't mind playing nurse to this one but we don't need any one else having broken bones, even though it is easy to repair them now, still" she said and chuckled.

Hearing Angus sugest going down stairs to watch the girls practice skateboarding Ruby looked at him " arn't you ment to be resting, but if not sure might be fun to watch and see if Marcus falls on his butt" she said chukaling as she moved to help Angus stand up.

"It did mean a lot to them. It meant, to them, that I love them enough to still believe they're part of my family. And it meant that I want them to be an active part of making sure that the Donohues go on to the next generation. And it means to Rosaria and to Carlo that even as a grown man, I do not hold myself in higher social class than I hold them. They don't get treated that way by most of the rest of the family. I think there are a couple exceptions but for the most part, they're just the hired help."

He laughed when she teased him about having more children. He wasn't adding it off, but it wasn't on his list right now since this one was so young.

"I am supposed to be resting, but I think if I'm not on my feet, I can get Nigel to not nag me about it," he told her. He went downstairs with her, and he went out to the outdoor living room area and sat down on the chaise that still had some pillows for him from the last time he sat here. Marcus and the girls were out on the patio around the pool. Marcus started by teaching them the importance of balance and how to start by pushing off with one foot. He had them practice by walking with one foot, while having the other foot on the board.

The girls tried several times but they were both struggling to get the hang of it. Angus got up and went over to Anise.

"Change your stance," he said. He helped her learn how to go from standing, to walking, to having one foot on the board, to pushing off. She had trouble keeping her balance once the board was in motion, though. She was too hesitant about it, Angus thought. He borrowed her board and showed her what he wanted her to do by standing on her board and pushing off on it and changing his stance to a riding stance.

And at that precise moment, Edward and Nigel came out side and saw him, in his sling, riding a skateboard.

"Angus Jacob Donohue!" Edward shouted. "Have you lost your mind! Get off that board this instant!" It threw Angus, but he stopped the board without incident, and stepped off. Anise ran up to him to pick up the board.

"Are you in trouble?" she asked him softly.

"I shouldn't be since I am a grownup, but more than likely, he and Nigel are not happy with me," he said. He flashed a boyish grin at her. "I haven't been called by my whole name since I was about 12, I think." That made her laugh.

Ruby listened to Angus and smiled " well to me they are freinds not emploees" she said as they walked down and outside to the seating area. She sat and watched Marcus showing the girls how to skate. When Angus got up and walked over Ruby was not expecting him to get on a board and stood up to watch him. It was now Edward and Nigel walked out and called to him and she breathed out as he stepped off it safely.

" I thought he was just showing them th correct way to do it, not going to have ago himself" she said " did you forget your still recovering from shoulder surgery?" she said softly to Angus but with a smirk. " you did look good though, you sure you weren't a skater boy in another life?" she whispered to him sheepishly admiring how he ahd stopped the board.

"I'm glad," he told Ruby when she said Rosaria and Carlo were friends, not employees. He considered them family, so he was glad she felt the same way.

"I really didn't plan on getting on. I was just going to help her adjust her stance. She wasn't turning her feet sideways on the board, and it was buggaring her up. I just got carried away, I guess. I'm just glad I didn't fall on my butt. It's been a really long time since I was on a board. Somewhere in the garage I know I have a bike, a scooter, all kinds of balls, my old skateboard, and any other freaking outdoor toy. I wasn't inside unless I had to be. I'm glad I still remember how to do it."

"You," Edward came over to Angus. "Go sit. Now."

"I'm fine."

"You're not going to be if you don't go sit because I'm going to hurt you myself if you engage in any more stupidity. Enough overdoing yourself. Go sit your butt on that chaise. Let Marcus be the one to fall and bust himself up. Not you."

"I really don't want him to break anything either."

"It was my fault..." Anise began.

"No it wasn't," Edward said. "It was his fault because he's an idjit." Marcus was trying not to laugh, but it wasn't working. Angus really was trying to keep a straight face, but he wasn't having much luck. "Don't you make me..."

"Don't you dare," Angus frowned. He finally turned and went back to the chaise.

"If you let him on that board again, I'll make you sit too," Edward said, turning and going back into the house.

"When I was a boy, Evan and i were squabbling over absolutely nothing important, and Edward wanted us to sit down and shut it. I did as I was told and Evan had ideas of his own, so when Edward got tired of of telling Evan to plant his butt in a chair, Edward magically attached a folding canvas chair to Evan's butt. Edward didn't undo it until Evan had sat down and stayed there long enough for a time out."

Ruby heard Angus and smiled " I know," she said as she moved some cushions ready for him to sit back down in them. Once he was she sat down next to him and chuckled "Well now I know what he sounded like when you were young" she said "Scary." she chuckled "But I think Caprice and the girls will learn good morals from him" she said and listened to Marcus trying not to laugh at the banter between the men.

Ruby heard Angus mention about a fight between himsef and Evan and how Edward had made a folding chair stick to Evan until he sat down for long enough " wow do not mess with Edward" she said " best to just do as he says" she chuckled and looked to the girls with a grin " hes fine and not in trouble, Edward was just reminding him that hes still some what delecate and if he fell it would undo all th work Robrt did to repair his shoulder and so needs to be careful" she explained to them smiling.