A Birth day

"I'll see what I need to do to get it changed," Angus told her. "The girls know now because Fenrir told them, but this has certainly been a day from hell for them." He watched Ruby go over to see the babies as Simone changed Caprice into a sleep sack for the night.

"Ruby, would you like to put Caprice to bed while you're still here?" Simone asked her. "She's been bathed, diapered, fed, and now she's ready for bed, I think."

"Angus," Anise came over to him, and Angus could see her calming potion was wearing off. Either that or the fight had brought her mother's death back to her.

"Come," he said quietly, motioning to her. She sat beside him in his recliner and curled into him. "I didn't know your mother well, but I do know this. She loved you like crazy, and wherever she is tonight, that love hasn't dimmed one particle. She still loves you like crazy, and she's glad you're safe."

"Do you think she suffered?" she asked Angus. Angus knew that the last thing he wanted to do was to lie to Anise. As a seer, she might well know if he was lying.

"I don't know," he said. It was an answer that he could truly justify as an honest one in his head. "But what I do know is that if either you or Ginger had been attacked like that, that would have been far worse pain than any bodily pain she might have had. And, from what I know of my own brushes with the veil and from what some of my friends who have had their own brushes, we all became less and less aware of our bodies as we got closer to the veil. So if she had any pain, it surely wasn't long." She looked at him for a moment.

"Thanks," she said, curling up with him for one more moment. "You were brave enough not to lie to me. That means a lot."

"I don't plan on ever lying to you because I don't plan on you ever feeling like you need to lie to me," he kissed the top of her head. "Have you and Ginger eaten?"

"Not yet."

"Go tuck into a plate, then. We got distracted right at supper time. Go eat so Ginger will feel like she can eat too. You know that's too important to her to miss." She nodded, gave him a smile, and went to try to get Ginger to fix a plate.

"You were good with her just now. That wasn't an easy question to answer," Marcus told him.

"It's the best I could do on the fly,' Angus said. "You know we have to go back to Tuscany. We're going to need some bags packed."

"Not tonight. I'll get them packed, but you don't need it tonight."

"Yes. It is," Angus admitted. "Robert suggested we give them just a standard dose of calming potion during waking hours. It will help them cope with their grief temporarily. If you'd like, you could make some fresh tea and maybe put a dose in each cup. They've been using the bright pink mugs because, first of all, they like pink, but, if they use the pink mugs, I can know for sure if they drank it and I'll know if someone else picks up a pink mug by mistake. Just pick a flavor you know they like and haven't had today. They've ha just straight up black tea and also some almond tea, so you'll probably entice them if you pick something different."

"Angus and I were just discussing packing for Tuscany," Marcus said to her. "You know he tends to need to know he has all his bases covered. So, if there's something you want us to take to Tuscany for you--black dress, whatever it is, get me a list, and I'll pack it when I pack for him and I. Doesn't have to be tonight. You could send it to me tomorrow sometime."

As the tiny babies started to cry and squall, Simone looked over at Jack and Jessie.

"They're tired, Boys," she told them. "I'd just tuck them into the Moses basket for now."

"Angus," Evan came in with Finn, and Finn had something in his mouth and was growling at Evan. Evan was stooped over, trying to tug whatever it was out of Finn's mouth, and Finn wasn't having it. "He found something outside, and he's not giving it up."

"Probably a bone he buried out there sometime back," Angus laughed.

"No. It's a box. A little black cube shaped box," Evan said. Angus whistled for Finn, and the dog jumped up in the chair with Angus. Angus had to work a moment, but he got the box from Finn, and he looked at it."

"Well, that answers it. Jack, you need to see this at once," Angus said, holding up the little black box so Jack could see what he had.

"What is it?"

"It's a marker. James has used these before. And, smell this side of it."

"I didn't have to. It stinks. Smells like a muggle hospital."

"Exactly. Because it was around antiseptic very recently. And who do we know that was around antiseptics very recently?"

"I don't know. Who?"

"Members of Fenrir's own pack," Simone said, her eyes wide.

"Precisely. I think Fenrir has a huge problem. I think one of his own pack members is a plant from James. He came here with the pack after the attack and he's buried makers again on the grounds. That's my bet. I don't know who it is, but somebody in his pack is a phony and is already loyal to James."

The girls appreciated Ruby's support, and they talked just a little bit about their mother with her, but they stopped, finding it too painful to talk about her.

"Can we put some sort of special flowers in the tea garden for her?" Anise asked Ruby.

"She liked snapdragons," Ginger said. "Any color snapdragon."

Angus noticed Jack and Jessie were caught up with the babies, and Jack hadn't noticed the marker box.

"Thanks, Evan,' Angus said. "I'll take care of it in the morning. It isn't safe for us non-werewolves to go out any more tonight til daylight because of the full moon. Hopefully Fenrir's pack all took wolfsbane, but I can't be positive. And hopefully there are no more of James' pack to return here tonight but I can't be positive of that either. Finn and I will go walk the grounds at daybreak and see if I can't find any more of them."

"I'll go with you if you like," Evan said.

"You're welcome to, always," Angus said, "but let's see how this houseful of kids makes it through the night. It could be a bit rocky tonight. And if we're still operating in an 'all-hands-on-deck' mode, I might have to go by myself."

"Well, for now, then, I'll help Simone put the leftovers away," he said.

"Thanks," Angus said. He had no intention of interrupting Ruby with the girls. His own mind was running over all the details of things that had happened today, wondering what he had forgotten, not wanting to miss something that would blow up in his face later.

"Stop overthinking, Mate," Marcus laughed gently. "Everyone is in one piece and the house isn't on fire. So, I think if you missed anything, it can wait til morning."

"Make sure we're secure, would you?"

"Absolutely," Marcus said. "I'll take a walk through to make sure we're good, but I'm sure we're fine."

"I'm not complaining," Angus laughed. "I'm grateful for the help."

"How can I help tonight?" Evan asked. "If Jack and Jessie are going to tend to the babies, and if Ruby is staying for the girls, can you get some sleep tonight?"

"Probably, yes," Angus said. "When Marcus gets back from his walk through, I'll have him help me change for the night. Managing shirts, frankly, is just a pain in the butt. I'll shower in the morning."

"I'd be happy to help you while the girls are enjoying their tea," Evan said. "I'm sure you'd be more comfortable."

"I would be," Angus said.

"Come on. I'll give you a hand," Evan said. They went upstairs for just a few minutes, and Evan got to see the scars and the bruises that were hidden under the shirt and under the brace. He also got to see for himself that there were other, much older scars from other skirmishes. And he was silently almost envying how very muscular Angus was compared to Evan's own lean and lanky build.

"Can I ask you something?" Evan asked as he put the dirty clothes in the hamper.

"Of course," Angus replied.

"How did you get so built?"

"Countless hours of exercise and training," Angus said.

"That's something I could use more of."

"Muscles?"

"No," Evan laughed. "Exercise and training. Who does it?"

"Robert and Brian design it, and we work at it. And several times a year, Robert does survival weekends where we go out in the wild and try to survive with nothing all weekend. The toughest ones have been when he's deliberately taken us out in the worst storms or the worst winter weather he can find."

"Savage," Evan teased. "Doesn't sound like that's my cup of tea."

"Not unless you trained for it."

"Meh. They wouldn't have me," Evan pish toshed the very idea.

"No, I don't think Robert would. If you really wanted to train, I think he'd let you try. The boys and both Ginger and Anise want to go this summer."

"So where is this done at?"

"Brian's other property in Colorado."

"It honestly sounds temping," Evan said. "I don't know about leaving Tara and the girls that long, though."

"If you want to think about it, we could discuss that," Angus said, as Evan helped him with some pajama trousers.

"I just might," Evan said. "I don't know that I'd ever want to do what you do, but I'd like to know I can defend my family if I have to."

"You could. Or you could just call us," Angus said, with a grin. They went back downstairs together.

"Well, I feel more human, at any rate," Angus told Ruby. "And it feels like I got rid of several pounds of dust and dirt."

"He smells better," Evan teased.

"He hasn't had any pain potion since early this morning," Marcus said. "It's just been too busy today, so I'm sure he's hurting, especially since that female threw him around like a chew toy."

"Are you surprised Fenrir showed up?" Evan asked.

"No, not really," Angus replied. "I don't see him as the sort of guy that can walk away from a fight. I don't think that at his age he would necessarily start a fight but if someone starts one, he's going to try to be the one that finishes it. And when Ginger went to get him, I don't think he was going to let it be known that the humans fought his pack's fight for him."

"I never looked at it that way," Evan admitted.

"Pack pride, I'm learning, is an important thing, and even more important to an alpha like him," Angus said.

"Angus," Marcus said, "you should take advantage of having people awake here all night and go upstairs and get a good night's sleep. I can add a stack of pillows for you so you aren't trying to lie down on that shoulder, but, unless Ginger or Anise need you during the night, a good, solid night's sleep would do you a world of good."

It was something that Angus hadn't even considered. He had become so accustomed to sleeping downstairs because of his shoulder, that he hadn't considered trying it back upstairs again. It wasn't quite so fragile now, though so Angus considered that it might be manageable now.

"I could try it, and if it doesn't work I could come back down," Angus replied.

"Agreed," Marcus said. "I'll go arrange some extra pillows up there."

"Thank you," Angus said.

Ruby could not help chuckle as Evan said he smelled better after his shower. Standing she walked over to the kitchen and pored a glass of juice for Angus then placed a small does of pain potion. Picking it up she carried it ovr to him " Here if you want it now thats okay, but it will keep for later if you don't" she said placing the glass carefully into his hand. " I agree with Marcus, sleep will do you the world of good, I will be down here with the twins and if Caprice needs me." she told him befre she kissed his cheek and went to sit next to Simone and Jessie.

After an hour Jack had the yard looking like nothing had happened , sll bodies were returned to the pack or burned to ash and scattered bu the grounds people. He walked back to the main house and went straight to shower himself clean of the dust and dirt.