A Birth day

Everyone came for supper, and they tucked into the pot roast, remarking how good it was. Michael and Angus and Marcus kept working while they ate.

"Your pot roast is wonderful, Ruby," Michael said, looking up from his work briefly. "You'll have to do this one again. It's very good."

As Robert left the duplex, he headed across the yard to find Jack first and then Yulong. He told some of the ground crew that he needed to talk to Jack immediately and he asked them to find him at once. He put the ground crew on standby, asking them to be at the ready for a confrontation at any time, and then he headed into the main building. He found Kate and notified her to be at the ready, and then passed the word through Nicky and Shannon to tell Jess, Khaat, Brian, David, and any others they could find.

Nigel came downstairs, hearing the commotion.

"Are we getting into fisticuffs with someone?" he asked Robert.

"Very likely, yes," Robert replied.

"And do tell. How do you plan on keeping Angus from joining into the fray?" Nigel said.

"I don't know if I can," Robert said. "He's at the bloody center of this one."

"Well, shit," Nigel sighed. "I'll go round up supplies in case we're patching someone." He headed down to sickbay to make sure there were plenty of supplies at the ready.

Ruby was glad every one loved the pot roast and was glad everyone had full tummys as she didn't know what was going on but knew it might be a long night in finding out. Once she'd fed Caprice she ate her own and took the plates to the sink " so any one want afters?" she asked taking out the tray with individual cheese cakes on.

Jack had just left the barn when he saw Robert diving arund " okay trouble" he said placing down the pitch fork he'd been using to clean out the stables. Moving to the house he entered " okay whose causing the trouble now?" he asked standing with Jess.

"Come into the office with me," Robert told Jack and Jess. He didn't want the specifics of this to alarm anyone. When they were all three in the office, he closed the door.

"I think we could have a major problem," Robert told the two of them. Right now, Michael and Kate and I are the only ones who have as full a picture as we do, and even that isn't complete. So keep the details quiet until we know the full facts. But, Angus's brother, Tyler, sent a message from Italy that Aunt Cora isn't finished. She's hired a professional killer or killers to take Angus out. We do know if there is one or more than one.

"And then we got another message from Tyler, but this one is encrypted. We're still breaking the code, so we don't have the full message. What we do know is that the killer or killers are currently working for, guess who, Suzanne Gelding. By what little we know, it looks like Cora found herself in a much bigger league than she realize. It looks to me very much like she may have aligned herself with Suzanne. And that means we could have a lot of company when they decide to strike. There are some very vague words that are not yet translated, but I have reason to believe they could strike at any time. If we need evacuate the duplex, get them over to the farm. Suzanne has never penetrated there. Nor has Gelding. I can summon more fighters from Paris to help distract Gelding's forces when they come, and you lot can get the people at the duplex to the farm. Remember, we have nine people over there. Eleven, if you count Michael and Marcus."

Both Jack and Jess folowed Robert into his office both stood and listened " shesh dosen't she give up" Jack said but then listened to th rest of what Robert had to say " I'll get the men to strengthen the barrioe again , just incase" he said Jess thought about what she could do.

"I'll make emergance med kits and make sure all potions are stocked to capacity in the med bay." she said "just in case, and we'll be ready for them, god I wish she would give up...both of them." she added as Jack nodded to her next to her. " and we know not a word to any one else." she said

"Good thinking, Jack. Kate can take to the air on the hippogriff if she needs to. It's situations like this that makes me think I should take those thestrals. Have you met old Farmer Wyck, Jack? He has that farm stand along the front road of his farm. That big farm on the way to the fishing village. He's got two thestrals he's been trying to sell withouth any luck, and its times like this, I think I should take them. Think about it. If we had two thestrals, damned near anybody can see them, and if we used our black mission wear, one or two of us could take to the air on the thestrals, and we'd be damned near invisible. It might be worth a thought."

"Nigel is down there already making sure that we've got surgical kits assembled, and triage kits," Robert told Jess. "Be aware that since Angus is at the core of this, I don't know if I'll be able to stop him from defending his family. If he does fight, though, that surgery site in his shoulder is exceptionally fragile. I've been in there twice just in the last 24 hours, and you know how many times I was in there before that. I nearly had a serious problem with him from internal bleeding yesterday. Took Nigel and I two procedures to stop it. I really don't want to have to go into that shoulder again. It could happen, though."

Michael passed the work he'd had on to Marcus to see, and Marcus read it briefly and passed it back to Michael. Marcus managed to look at Ruby without Angus seeing him, and he motioned to Ruby to go out on the front porch for a moment. He stood up, took Angus's tea mug and his own on a pretense of refilling them, and then he slipped out to the front porch to have a word with her. He didn't want ot alarm Evan, his family, or Ginger, but Ruby had a right to know.

Jack listened to Robert and nodded " damn useful those things, I can walk down and see what he wants for them" he said knowing he was going to buy them and put them in the barn. Jess heard Robert and nodded "Okay then I'll keep my emergency med kit on standby and be ready if you need me." she said.

Ruby saw the look Marcus had given her and she quietly slipped out onto the porch. Hearing him join her she looked out as she spoke "So, now what?" she asked turning to look at him as she lent on the railings.

"Can you see them, Jack?" Robert asked. "It takes someone who has been close to death to be able to see them. I know I can see them, Khaat can, and certainly Angus should be able to. And I'm thinking that probably Ginger could too. I don't know how many others can see them at all, though. Feel free to check Wyck out, and then if you can't see them, that's not a problem. I'll just get someone who can see them to go with you."

"We only have part of the message translated, but what it appears to say is that Cora's hired hit man is someone who also works for Suzanne and Tom," Marcus said. "We don't know yet if the message refers to one person or more than one, but this could open a whole new can of worms for us. If Cora aligns with Gelding, that could bring a lot of people here for a big skirmish. Angus does not know yet because he wouldn't hesitate to jump into any contest that he is at the center of, and you and I both know that. We won't want him to jump into it, but I don't know how we stop him. If we need to evacuate the duplex the safest place right now is probably to the farm. If you don't have a portkey to the farm, I'll give you mine."

Jack looked at Jess then to Robert as he asked if he could see them " yes, yes I can see them" he admited as he took Jess hand in his own " I did some things before I met you that i regret but also with what my brother did , it put me close to death, so yes I can see them, I'll get them and bring them back to the barn." he told Robert.

Ruby listened to Marcus and sighed " I knew she'd be involved some how" she said then nodded as he said they would not be able to keep Angus from jumping in if they showed up at Roberts home in force " I'l make a bag for Caprice, Angus and I, in case and no I don't have a port key." she admited " I don't think I have ever been there" she said then turned to look out over the yard " I wish she would just stop, I wish both of them could just stop and let us live in peace." she said upset and annoyed.

Marcus took his portkey to the farm off his keyring and handed it to Ruby. "I have other places I can use, and I know Angus has a portkey there. You do know this is strictly about revenge--on both Cora's part and Suzanne's part. They both would like to make you a widow, and I'm not about to let that happen. I'm not a healer, but I'd be willing to bet that Robert and Nigel won't be doing handsprings about Angus going into a fight, and with no more strength that he's got in his yet, he'll only manage a couple good swipes before he wears himself out.

"I'm going to have to leave you and Simone in charge of Evan's family, Caprice, Ginger and yourselves," he instructed her. "I'll take care of Angus. If we have to evacuate, we'll meet at the farm. We'll have to leave the rest of the estate to the others. When you pack for Angus, make sure to put all three of his potions bottles in your bag. I have the little unbreakable vials in my pocket. Robert's got a much bigger sickbay at the farm, so if we need any other supplies, they'll be there already. Just keep calm, keep your wits about you, and you'll be fine."

He opened the door to go back inside and he happened to see a pygmy puff slide under the sofa.

"I've had enough of those," he sighed. "Accio Pgymy Puffs!" He flicked his wand in the room and puffs came flying from every direction. "Catch, Ruby!" Angus told her, as he caught one with each hand.

"What the devil..." Michael scowled, not knowing anything about the basket of puffs that had been brought in and had escaped. He caught one of the puffs at the same moment that another walloped him in the face.

"Oh my stars!" Simone shrieked from next door, seeing scads of flying pygmy puffs.

"Girls, you catch these damned furballs!" Evan shouted angrily.

Ruby stood and listened to him talk and she nodded when he said it was revenge they were after " well they can damn well try" she said then heard his instructions about her being in charge of simone and Evans family she nodded again " I'll get them to the farm unharmed" she told him then saw him walk inside only to then be hit with a pigmypuff she could not help laugh at the sight then catch one as it flew towards her " got it, into the box you go" she said as she caried the carry case inside for the rest to be put away.

Jack kissed Jess then headed down to the farm beside Roberts to talk to the farmer woth the therstrals once there he found him feeding them and handed over a laegr bag of gallions to him , now with both on reins he lead them back up the drive and into the barn " you will be well looked after here guys" he said then took a aseond look " oops I mean guy and girl" he gently stroked one and then fed them, leaving them in a laegr stall to return to Robert "Took a few gallions but thestrals are in the barn, ones female the others male." he informed him.