A Birth day

"She probably wouldn't like the root beer anyway," Angus said. "It's not the sort of flavor profile she would usually like. It's not a dig, it's just truth." Marcus opened the package, removed a third metal potions vial, read the instructions from the note card that was in the box and put the vial and the little card both in his pocket inside his suit coat. Angus turned and went into the dining room with everyone else. As people were taking their places, Edward picked up one bottle of wine, and Marcus picked up the other. He made sure he filled Angus's wine glass first and then filled Ruby's next while Edward filled Simone's and Jessie's and they worked their way around the table, giving both the girls a little white wine. Angus didn't disagree because sixteen year olds could legally drink alcohol in Tuscany, and if Anise was adult enough to risk her life fighting a werewolf, who was he to deprive her of a few sips of white wine?

"I have to tell you all that, despite the trouble, Simone and I have truly loved having life in this big house again. It's been wonderful. I'm hoping we can use this as maybe a get away place and come back here in some of the good times too," Edward told them all.

"That would be nice," Angus said.

"So, I want to just remind you," Edward said, "that regardless of what comes from outside this house, it will never be more powerful than the love that is within this house. Nor do we need to waste our time to try to prove to anyone else where our love or our bonds are. If they don't get it, then they aren't worth our efforts anyway. We stand together."

The supper was wonderful, and there was something that was soothing for Angus in this room. Their meals so far had been outside, and it had been years since he'd eaten in here. Still, it reminded him of being here with both is his grandparents. The meal was low key and comfortable, and Angus let the conversation go on around him. He was content just to listen. The shrimp scampi was great, and for dessert was Rosaria had made Angus's favorite--tiramisu.

Ruby chuckled as Angus said she probably wouldn't like the ginger beer float and she nodded "Agreed" she said simply and thanked Edward as he placed some wine in her glass she smiled at the girls as he placed some in their glass to show she was okay with that. Now listening to Edward she nodded again " I like it here and I agree with the get-away idea, it's a perfect destress spot" she said " I know once the boys are done with school they will want to come for the swimming and maybe surfing" she said giving Caprice her bottle which she held for herself.

Jessie sat on the other side of the girls when Edwrad offered wine he shook his head but then let him put a small bit in his glass. " so what do you want to do later?" he asked " or are yuo going back to your back gamon game." he thanked Rosaria as she placed down the food " smells delishios, you've out done your self" he said smiling as he began to tuck in.

Angus didn't always find Tuscany to be so relaxing. Tuscany, so long as Edward was there, was home. It was family, but it was only Edward that made it so. Hopefully, Edward had many, many years left, but Angus wasn't able to see that he would ever love Tuscany if Edward were no longer around to make it such a decent place. In his own mind, Angus had always known that someday there would be a confrontation that would pit him against the rest of his relatives once and for all, and he believed that by then, he would have to evict most of them from the estate for good.

"We don't necessarily need to go back to backgammon," Anise told Jack.

"That's because she doesn't want to lose again," Ginger said.

"She just gets like that because most people don't play backgammon, so she usually wins," Anise said.

"Haven't you found anybody who can give you a real contest?" Edward asked her.

"One. Robert. I can never beat him. He always wins," Ginger said.

"Robert is almost unstoppable at strategy games like backgammon and chess," Angus laughed.

"Shoot. We played chess, and he skunked me in five moves," she said. "It was pitiful."

"I've only seen one person who can beat," Angus said.

"Who's that?" Edward frowned.

"Kate. His wife. If she has a mind to, she can take him," Angus said. "People make a huge mistake when they underestimate her."

"I might have to challenge her sometime," Ginger said.

"She would actually really enjoy that," Angus replied. "At any rate, what are you two doing after supper?"

"I gotta pack my gear," Anise said. "And I don't want to forget anything. How am I gonna take my wolfsbane with me? I don't wanna break the bottle."

"I'll give you a meal vial to take with you instead," Edward said. "It's smaller, and it will be a lot easier for you to take along. I do have something else for you to take with you too." He reached in his pocket and passed her a necklace. It was an old antique Celtic copper coin on a copper chain. He passed one to Angus and one to Jack. "These work exactly like the doubloons work," he said to Jack and Angus. He looked at Anise. "We'll show you how to use it, but if you get separated, this will alert Jack and me and your dad that you're in trouble. I also have necklaces for Sergio and Ana so that all of us will be connected while we're away."

Angus understood Edward's thinking. He did not want to alert Robert's entire organization. He wanted to keep from creating a big panic. Nor did he really expect Angus to reply, but he hoped that, by giving Angus one too, it would help reduce Angus's anxiety because he would know that no alarms had been sounded. He had not given Ruby one only because he believed that Ruby would need to take care of the baby and would probably not be able to get away anyway. If Anise fought more often an if they used the copper coins more often, Edward would give Ruby one then.

"I have something you lot might like to do after supper," Edward said. "I have a giant, lifesized checker board."

"You still have that?" Angus laughed.

"I do. I think they'd like it," Edward said.

"Now, that is a lot of fun," Angus said. "It's full sized, and the playing pieces are big enchanted frog and rabbit figurines. The frogs are green, and the rabbits are brown. And they leap and hop from space to space. You all should try it."

Jessie listened to Giner and lcughed " oh now I see" he said then watched and listend to Edward smiling as he handed both girls a copper coin. " yeah its easy once you get the hang of it" he said showing his meddalion from Robert. " but Im not going to activate mine as it would cause a tone of trouble for me." he said and saw Ruby chuckled " hey I know what I should and should not do." he told her then looked sheepish at ehr " besides Yu would kick my butt." he chuckled Hearing about a life sized checker board he smiled.

"oh boy, I know that look, he'd get it when he found something he realy was good at or was bad but wanted to keep trying to beat th other boy." Ruby said and chuckled more " he's in his competative mode." she said finishing feeding Caprice and whiping her mouth and hands clean. Not that her hands wee dirty as she seem to love the food Rosaria made for her.

Angus had sent for some additional clothes for Anise to take to Romania, and when supper was over, Anise asked Angus to help her pick what to take with her from that additional shipment. Angus went with the girls temporarily to help Anise pack, and Edward asked Carlo to set up the checkerboard outside.

Angus helped her pick her clothes, and Edward sent a metal travel vial to Anise for her wolfsbane. Angus sent his travel games along with her and a couple paperback books for leisure reading, along with a Romanian travel guide, a map, and a Romanian language book. He also found a small leather coin pouch that closed with a simple snap and would also attach to her belt. He made sure she had plenty of Romanian coins and British galleons, and he tucked three pocket first aid kits from home in her bag so she would have first aid supplies. He made sure she had a compass, hiking crampons, and a folding hiking staff. He knew Edward would equip her with climbing gear and all the other hiking and camping supplies. The last thing he gave her was a pink leather journal and a matching pen so that she could keep a journal of her trip, and in the front of it, he had put a picture of her new family so that she would know they were always with her. He wished he had a small camera to give her, but of course, he hadn't thought about that.

When he finished helping her pack, the girls went downstairs to see if the checkerboard was up and to see if anyone wanted to play.

Carlo had set up the checkerboard but he had also set up the firepit so that people could sit outside and either play or sit at the firepit and drink Angus's recipe for hot spiced cider or make s'mores.

The girls went out and saw a large table with mugs for cider or with supplies for s'mores.

"What's a s'more?" Anise asked.

"If you don't know what a s'more is, you are truly a deprived child," Marcus laughed.

Ruby let the guys pack Anise's backpack with essential things. She helped clear the table and headed to her room returning with a small box. " Angus could you put this in for Anise " she asked "You got her all that I thought she could use this" She showed her a disposable camera and smiled, " I thought she could take pictures of her time in Romania " she placed it on the pink leather journal an smiled.

Jessie had gone to the room he'd been given and double checked he had everything he needed once again . Once done he headed down to where he'd seen from the bedroom window a large checker board. " wow this is going to be great" he said looking at one of the peices close up.

"Absolutely," Angus said, taking the box to put in Anise's things. "Good idea. I thought of it, but way too late to do anything about it. I'm glad you thought of it sooner than I did."

"So here's how you play," Angus said, picking up a green stick and a brown stick that were lying on the ground. "You wanna play, Ginger? Rabbits or Frogs?"

"Frogs," she said. He handed her the green stick and Jessie the brown stick

"I guess you get rabbits," Angus grinned. "Take the stick, and tap the piece you want to move" She reached out and tapped a frog. "Good. Now, tap the space you want him to move to. Feel free to walk on the board if you need to. He'll leap to wherever you want him to go, so long as it's a legal move."

She tapped on a space and the frog leaped into place, making a loud "ribbit" noise. She laughed, finding it funny. Angus hadn't told them that since rabbits generally didn't make much noise, they made a "boing" sound when they hopped to a different space.

"Your turn," Angus looked at Jessie.

"Anyone for cider?" Simone asked. "I'll fill mugs for anyone who wants some."

"I'll take some," Nigel said.

"Me too," Marcus replied. "I like his cider recipe."

Jessie looked at teh pole and picked it up walking to his side of the board. Watching Anise he chuckled at teh sound it made and nodded at the expliation of what sound his would make. watching her move he looked at one peice and moved it laughing when the boing came at his move. " oh cider, yes please" he said smiling as he waited for Anise to make her next move.

Ruby chuckled and looked at Simone " than you" she said smiling as she held a sleepy Caprice n her arms. She had to admit she loved the feeling of hw she felt holding Caprice against her and watching her family being happy together.

Ginger studied the board, and her curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to see what the frog would do it if got to jump Jessie's piece, so she had the frog leap over the rabbit he had just moved. The frog leaped over the rabbit and then took its long, sticky tongue, snatched up the rabbit and swallowed him whole. A moment later, the rabbit reappeared on her side of the board.

It took some of those who were watching by surprise, and they laughed. Angus sat down to watch, and Marcus brought him a mug of cider.

"Let me teach you how to make a s'more," Edward told Anise. He showed her to put a marshmallow on a stick and toast it over the fire. Then when the marshmallow was toasted, he showed her how to take an American graham cracker and lay a square of chocolate on top of the graham cracker, put the marshmallow on top of the chocolate and then put another graham cracker on top, like a sandwich. The hot, melting marshmallow, made the chocolate melt, and it made a perfect sweet snack Americans held as a traditional food to make around an open fire.

"Oh, are these ever good!" Anise said. "I could eat a million of these. Can we make these on our trip?"

"If we take the stuff to do it," Edward said.

"I'll make room in my pack somehow," she said as Simone handed her a mug of cider. She served one to Edward and one to Angus.

"Anyone else for cider?" she asked.

Jessie saw Anie take his peice and chuckled but gasped as the frog ate the rabbit peice " wow , okay" he said and moved second peice. hearing simone he called out to her " yes , over here , cider" he said chukaling then saw the look on Rubys cafe " Please" he added making Ruby smile and chuckle.

Ruby chuckled seeing the peice disapear and reapear on Anise's side then smiled to Simone " this is good cider, and smores, nice. " she chuckled taking her gram cracker and square of chocolate placing it on top of the graham cracker she then put the marshmallow on top of the chocolate and then put another graham cracker on top of that. She bit into it and chuckled " remids me of nights in the common room in Hogwarts." she said smiling