A Birth day

"Thanks, but I think Simone has it," Angus said. "They're just waiting on me. Simone made a big casserole of au gratin potatoes, a large casserole of roasted vegetables, and a big salad. Oh, and she took a big baguette and made toasted garlic bread. I could use some help in getting these to the table though. There will be five different platters to take in, along with one more that holds all the tools and such."

He took the steaks off the grill and was purposeful in how he arranged them. He had different color coded platters. He pulled the rare ones off first, and he put them on a red platter. He put the medium rare ones on an orange platter. He put the medium ones on a yellow platter, the medium well ones on a green platter and the well done ones on a blue platter. An aluminum quarter sheet pan now held all of Angus's used grill equipment.

"That's it. We get the steaks to the table, and then we can eat," Angus said. "I hope everyone's hungry because we have a ton of food."

"You have teenagers," Marcus laughed. "They'll make quick work of all this. Believe me."

Yu smiled and nodded " Oh, all right" he said the saw him platter up the steaks " I'll take two of them" he said and picked up the gren and blue ones and carried them into the dinning room and setting them down on the table. Walking abck out to gather another he heard Marcus and chuckle again nodding his head. " that is true Marcus" he said " they have good apitites."

Jessie was playing with Caprice as the boys were talking animatedly to Anise and Ginger about their time in Hogwarts and what they got up to. He smiled rembering his own time there and the pranks he pulled on several teachers also the good times he'd had with people he'd grown distant with.

Marcus carried a platter of steaks and the platter of tools that needed washing, and Angus brought in the empty beer bottles to throw away. When all the steaks were set on the table with Simone's side dishes, Edward called them all to eat.

"Do we need to feed Caprice?" Angus asked Simone.

"No, I fed her just a few minutes ago," Simone said. "She was hungry, and I don't see anything wrong with feeding her earlier than the rest of us."

"No, that's fine. It reduces some of the confusion, and I know when she's full, she'll sleep. At her age, she isn't going to mind."

"Thank you," Angus said.

"Just go tuck in to this fine supper with your kids, Dear," she smiled.

The boys each ate two huge steaks and some of each of the side dishes. The girls each had two of the smaller steaks and some sides. Edward had a large steak, himself, and so did Marcus. Simone chose a lovely, lean fillet mignon for herself, and so did Angus. At Sam's request, Angus took one of the small steaks, and let Sam take it, cut it, and give it, one bite at a time, to Finn, as a very special treat. Sam didn't think it was fair that everyone was enjoying the party but Finn, so Angus gave in and made an exception.

The boys asked about the itinerary for going to Tuscany. They had a meeting with Robert bright and early at seven am to talk about their new jobs at the estate, sign the paperwork, get their doubloons and portkeys, etc. The girls were schedule for similar meetings with Robert at eight am.

That told Angus that they weren't going to be going to Tuscany til at least 9 am. Tomorrow wasn't the funeral anyway. Tomorrow was about making sure all the details were well taken care of. The flowers, the reception area, the food, the wine, the casket, the family plot, the solar light the girls had wanted, the headstone, all of it. Angus had told the girls they didn't need to go with him tomorrow, but this was their mother. Of course they were going, and where the girls went, Sam and Victor were absolutely following.

Yu and Jessie both took weldone steaks and ate them with the boys along with some salad when they spoke of what they wer oing the next day Jessie looked at Angus wondering when Ruby would show for the funeral. It was now a note flew threw the floo towards Jessie. Placing down his plate he took it and read it " its from Ruby she'll be joining you in Tuscany tomorrow and can stay for the funeral." he said " she must be doing well if Jeferys given her time to come this early" he said.

Yu looked at the boys " I know Angus hads told you about why Ruby is with Jeffery." he said as he finished his steak " she's much better than she was." he said simply and smiled to them. " after supper maybe the girls could show you what they did in the tea garden" he sugested.

"I'm glad she can come," Angus said, knowing it was important to the girls for Ruby to be there. Angus just wanted Ruby to do whatever it was she wanted for herself, whether that meant she would come or not. Still, he did know the girls wanted her there, if at all possible.

"They told us what they did in the garden but we haven't seen it yet," Sam said, finally pushing his plate back a bit, finally full. "I thought I'd never get full," he laughed.

"I'm stuffed," Victor said. "I'm not going to need to eat til next week."

"I'll brew some coffee to have with dessert," Simone said.

"I'll help you clear the table and put the leftovers away," Edward said.

"Yu is right," Ginger said. "Let's go look at the garden." The four of them went outside, and it wasn't lost on Angus that Ginger and Victor were holding hands, while Sam and Anise had their arms around each other's waists as they walked outside.

"Angus, you know you're not going to be able to keep the inevitable from happening between them," Edward said.

"I don't intend to try to stop that," Angus said. "I'd have to lock them in their rooms or something if I wanted to do that. I only intend for them to be discreet and I intend to stop our family from going from five kids to seven. I've already spoken to them individually about that. I spoke to the boys in letters, and I 've talked with the girls. And they're agreeable to making sure I'm not a grandfather any time in the next year. They're not agreeable to putting off that sort of contact, though."

"Sounds like you're doing as best you can under the circumstances," Edward agreed.

Yu smiled and noded to Sam and Victor as they said they ahd not seen it. Now full he watched as the boys left to look at the tea garden. " it should look beautiful with the statue and the sunset" he said softly. Jessie chuckled and nodded seeing the boys and girls walking out together.

"boundries are good " Jessie said " its the sign of stability , I think" he added and took his plate to the sink where he washed and dried it.

Jack saw the boys were back and walke dove to them in the tea garden " welcome home guys, bet your glad to be home, but I have to say do not go runing on the assuntl course , its got a hole in it and we don't want any twisted ancles , well no more , sine Evan did his this morning" he told them "oh good uck tomorrow " he said smiling to them.

"Hey, Jack," Sam said. "Good to see you, and it sure is good to be home. Angus made us this fabulous steak supper, and we each ate enough for two or three people. I think we're stuffed, but it sure was good."

"It's got a hole in it? Oh darn," Victor said, pretending to be upset that they couldn't go running in the morning. "A morning off from running on our first day home? Darn it. How will we survive?" Sam laughed.

"Oh, you mean out meeting with Robert? I hope it goes well. he seems like he's okay to work for unless you cross him," Sam said. "And that's something I don't plan on doing. I really don't want to find out what he's like when he's irked."

"Me neither," Victor agreed. "You coming to Tuscany with us tomorrow, Jack?"

"I heard you were staying here and taking Finn for us for a couple days," Anise said.

"I hope it goes alright for you," Ginger said to Jack. "Finn's not happy today. He thinks Angus should have bought him a fresh bone, and he doesn't think he did. He says he left his big bone out by the pond, and one of the wolf packs young cubs came and swiped his bone, and now he doesn't have one. I told him I'd get him a new one when we get back, but he wants a bone now. So he might be a bit irked for you."

Jack laughed and nodded " Anise is right , Im dog sitting while your all away, don't worry he'll get his bone" he said chukaling " and yeah a venomuse slug was let lose , its caught now so don't worry but we can't use the track for a while" he said and chukled again at there assesment of Robert " yeah thats abot it , treat him right and he'll treat you right" he said " Im a perfect example, wronged by my brother , a werewolf but he still took me in and treat me like a freind, him and Brian." he told them " ether way all of you are good in my books as long as your up for hard work and some times long nights" he herd anoise from the barn and chuckled " okay I got to get going the animal are requesting my presance to feed them, again good to have you home boys, oh and well done on those outstandings by the way, you already out shone your mother" he said chukaling as he headed to the barn to feed and muck out the animals.

Jessie helped clean up with Simone and Marcus. soon they ahd the table clear and ready for desert. He sat down again with some coffee and watched the boys talking to Jack before he left and headed to the barn.

"We'll remember that. Thanks, Jack," Sam nodded. When Jack went to the barn, they went back inside.

"Coffee for all four of you?" Simone asked them.

"Yes please," Sam said. Simone passed out large mugs of coffee and then she asked Edward to carefully bring the dessert to the table. Edward picked up the cake and brought it to the table and put it right in the center. Sam and Victor were wide eyed.

"Wow!" Sam stared at it. Both boys got up and looked closer, wanting to take in all the details. For a moment or two, they looked at all the little tiny details and pointed them out to each other. They didn't miss a thing. They found every tiny little thing. They wanted pictures, and Simone promised she had taken several of them, and she would make sure they got some.

"Should we cut it?" Angus asked.

"Cut it?" Sam at first acted like that would be a complete travesty. "It'll ruin it! It's perfect right as it is..."

"Sam," Angus laughed. "Its cake. It's meant to be eaten. It's meant to be cut."

"It looks so perfect," Victor said. He looked at it for a moment longer. "Alright. Cut it. Go ahead. Let's eat it."

"You sure?" Angus laughed.

"Yeah. Cut it," Sam said. Angus cut it in a way that minimized the damage to it and managed to keep most of the design and sculpting intact.

"Oh, my. It's quite lovely, isn't it?" Victor said. "Light and moist. It's quite good."

"It is," Sam agreed.

"I might have seconds on cake," Anise laughed.

"I'll store it so that it stays fresh while we're gone, or we can take it to Tuscany with us and share it with the others who are coming for the funeral," Angus said. "Whatever you want to do."

"I think we should share it while its fresh," Sam said. "Our dad makes cakes, you know. He can make more."

"Yu made this one," Angus said. "I had a lot of help with this one."

"Then we have a lot of people to thank, don't we?"

Yu smiled as the cake was brought out and placed on the table in front of the boys and they loved it. He beamed as they said it was moist that was just what he had intended it to be " Im happy you like it" he said when they said they had a lot of people to thank he chuckled " it was my plaesure, and it will keep." he said as Jessie brought him a slice of the cake and together they ate. Jessie ate his peice and marveled at the texture but he finished his slice and drank his tea.

Now finished both Yu and Jessie felt it was time to head back to their own Cabin " you don't need me tonight now the twins are back in their pack right?" he asked looking to Angus. " becuse we'll see you in the morning." he stood up as did Yu both said their good byes and ehaded to their cabin.