A Birth day

"We'll be fine. Thanks, both of you," Angus said. "I appreciate all your help."

Once Jessie and Yu headed home, the boys went to shower, and so did the girls. Simone and Edward put the cake away and got the coffee ready to go. The baby started to fuss, and Angus went over and picked her up with one arm and immediately felt his arm get wet from a leaky diaper. He sighed heavily. This was the price of doing it one handed.

"Ask," Marcus said quietly, coming over and taking Caprice.

"I need to be stepping up. Ruby hasn't even been gone a week. I have, for all practical purposes, three and a half weeks to go. I have to figure this out or get rid of the sling."

"Well, you could try that, but trying to force that arm into use isn't going to make it work. It will get Robert's and Nigel's' boots up your bum for trying it. I'll go clean her up and tuck her in for the night, and then I'll be straight back." Marcus took the baby upstairs, and Angus lit a cigarette. He had four almost grown kids that would surely take on some responsibility because they were good that way, and Simone and Edward lived to have every moment they could get with Caprice. He had no shortage of helpers. But he needed to be able to do this himself. He had managed to practically raise Abbey himself from birth to age three when Ruby came into his life and it all shifted. Surely he could manage to find a way to take care of his own. He just had to figure out how. He needed to talk to Robert--he needed his shoulder and his arm back in working order.

Jessie woke the nbext day and showered and dressed ready for his patrol since he could not go for a run just yet. Slipping out the cabin he headed down to the guard house to get a report of the nights patrol. Jack passed him as they switched and he waved to him. Jack headed to the Duplex and opened the door , walking to the kitchen he flicked on the kettle and started a fresh pot of coffee and began to make a cooked breakfast for every one so Angus didn't have to cook that morning.

Jack had put the bacon in the pan and was cooking when he saw Giner up and awake " hey Ginger, morning, come grab some breakfast" he said smiling and pointing to the eggs and bacon all rewady made and on the side ready to be served " oh fresh orange juice I think in the fridge if you ant any." he added.

Sam and Victor were up early because they had an early appointment with Robert. They were anxious to get started with their jobs at the estate. They weren't deluding themselves that, at this point, they were largely going to be mucking stalls, weeding flowerbeds and gardens, and doing a lot of hard physical work, but they also knew it was, in part, designed for Robert to see their initiative, their levels to accept and deal with responsibility, and their trustworthiness. They weren't sure when, during the summer, they would go to Colorado for training, but they were looking forward to it.

They had had a moment to talk with Angus before bed last night, and they asked him if they could split bedrooms so that Sam and Anise could start sleeping together and Victor and Ginger could sleep together in the other bedroom. Angus put his foot down and told them absolutely not. He reminded all four of his teens that they were still underage, and he wasn't having them cohabitating before they were legal adults. Further, he clearly told them that he was absolutely not having them getting physical until they all four had some sort of effective contraception. Period. Full stop. He could tell they had all four been counting to have their first experiences together on the first night they were home, and they were angry and disappointed with him. It was the first time he had had to really tell them no about much of anything. For the most part, they had been really good kids that had given them no trouble. Hormones, though, were raging, and it was left to him to try to reel them in before the kids got themselves in over their heads in trouble that could not be easily reversed. This morning, though, they all had calmed down, and they were starting to ready themselves to go to Tuscany today with Angus.

The boys were up, and they had gone over to the main building by six for their meeting with Robert by seven. They sat and drank coffee in the kitchen while Zoe set out breakfast in the dining room.

"Morning, Jack," Ginger said, coming into the kitchen, with Anise right behind her. "We could smell that bacon all the way downstairs. It smelled great."

"Morning," Anise greeted Jack, and she poured coffee for her and Ginger.

Angus, for his part, with all the kids home safe and sound, had relaxed a bit, and he'd slept a bit longer than usual. Marcus had found the baby awake, and quite irked and out of sorts with just about everything and for no apparent reason. He'd gotten her up, changed her, and dressed her in the outfit that he saw Simone had apparently laid out for Caprice. It was a new outfit that Marcus hadn't seen before--a lace bodysuit and a pair of stylishly ripped denim jeans, white socks trimmed in a little lace, a stretchy white lace headband, with a little tiny pair of white sneakers.

He brought her downstairs, and he saw Jack had made breakfast.

"You cook?" Marcus was just a trifle surprised. "Smells great, I have to say." Ginger got up and took the baby from Marcus to feed her. "Thank you," Marcus said. "That lets me get a little coffee. Little Miss Mouth was over-the-top cranky this morning just for no reason whatsoever, so I haven't had coffee this morning yet."

"I bet she'll be better once she's eaten," Ginger said, getting out some pureed food for Caprice. "Cute outfit for her, though. Looks like her grandma has been shopping again."

"That child has enough clothing to open a baby store," Marcus laughed.

"Is Angus up yet?" Anise asked.

"Not yet. I looked in on him, and he looked like he was still comatose. I don't see how with all the noise that baby was making, but he didn't hear a darned thing," Marcus said.

Jack saw Ginger and Anise and smiled "Morning," he said then chuckled as Marcus walked down with Caprice " Yes I cook, you don't think Jess would when she was pregnant, also I learned while on my own," he said plating up the eggs and bacon along with some toast and several cups of coffee that he sent one over to Marcus " here you go, fresh hot coffee," he said as he continued to make food for everyone. " how are the boys, they go out befoere I got here?" he asked knowing they had there meeting with Robert.

Hearing about Angus still sleeping he looked at the stairs " hum, he needs it" Jack said " but wouldn't let him sleep too long." he moved to the table and placed down a jug of fresh orange juice along with some sausages , beans and tomaotes for those who wanted some with the eggs and bacon. " okay tuck in guys.

"They did," Marcus said, amused at the boys' choices this morning. "They were excited and nervous so they went at six for an appointment at seven. I have no idea what they're doing for an hour over there, but I'm sure they're clock watching. And then you girls both have appointments with him at eight about a couple part time jobs?"

"Yeah, but we're not going to go two hours early," Ginger said as she and Anise tucked into breakfast. "It's just part time after all. Not sure what we're going to be doing, but Angus has been clear we're to continue with our studies. No summer holiday for us. Studies and part time work. I'm not sure quite why they're so intimidated by Robert. I mean it is just Robert, after all."

"The jobs they want, as fighters, would put them in an entirely different relationship with him. For those of us in that capacity, he is our ranking commanding officer, and he takes that very seriously," Marcus told them. "I think most of us still get just a trifle nervous when we have to meet with him in that capacity," Marcus told them, tucking into his own breakfast. "Angus didn't go to bed til rather late last night. He sat out on the deck for quite awhile. He seemed to have something on his mind. I just guessed it was this trip to Tuscany, but I honestly didn't ask. I talked him into taking his potion finally around midnight or so, and then I went to bed too. I'm not really concerned yet that he's oversleeping. Not yet. I haven't had a full fry-up in ages. Very nice. Thanks, Jack."

Jack listened to Marcus and chuckled as he said the boys went early to their apointment with Robert and that it would change their dinamic with him " Marcus is right they would become emploees and employer not just freind of their father" he said as he too tucked in. He listened to Marcus talk about Angus and he nodded " in that case let him sleep" he said knowing all too well how not sleeping felt and knowing that Angus of all people could use the extra hour or so's sleep.

Looking at the girls he chukled again " won't be that bad" he said knowing one would most likly be working with him during their training period " I muck out the barn and patrol and make sure the charms are in effect, you'll both be okay" he said and smiled at them. he heard Marcus say hed not had a full fryup in ages and chukled again " its good once in a while to have what your not allowed." he said " Jess told me that, but too much is bad."

"I think Robert was actually thinking of putting us on at either the ministry or Sparks or at St. Mungo's," Ginger said. "He said something about thinking it would be good for us if we got some chance to get out amongst humans. I don't know about that. I'm actually pretty happy right here, to be honest. I don't know if I want to work off the estate."

"Me neither," Anise said. "I'd rather not work at all if it has to be off the estate."

"Did either of you tell that to Angus?" Marcus asked.

"Angus? Why?" Anise looked at him blankly.

"Because you're both still underage. He'd have to approve any job you took and sign the paperwork to allow it," Marcus said.

"He does?"

"In wizarding England, yes," Marcus said. "If that isn't what you want, tell Angus. You don't have to sign anything this morning. Just talk with Robert and see what he is suggesting to you."

"Oh. Didn't know that," Anise said. She looked at Ginger. "Maybe it'll be alright, then."

"What's your anxiety about leaving the estate?" Marcus asked.

"We've never been on our own, not like that. We were always either with the pack or off the estate with one of you lot because we can't apparate on our own. But to start with working off the estate? I just don't want to," Ginger said.

"Fair enough. Perhaps that's worthwhile to tell both Angus and Robert. Most people your age have been to Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade and given some latitude to go to a few shops by themselves. Perhaps we do need to help you get some confidence in doing that. Sounds reasonable to me," Marcus told them. "The village near Edward's is very small. Perhaps that's a good shopping trip. We could take you, let you prowl around for a couple hours today, and pick you up, if Angus agrees. It might be good for you. What do you think, Jack? I mean, at sixteen I'm sure you and I were both well versed in such outings. The girls are capable of protecting themselves. Maybe it's high time they get a chance to step out just a wee bit."

Jack sat and listened to Ginger and Anise he could understand there aprihenshion and when Marcus spoke to him he pulled aface " I was doing alot more than that at sixteen" he amited " but you don't want to hear about that" he put his head down as he finished his plate " but Marcus idea is good , we could do that" he said " and it is a nice village where he lives, so nothing to worry about." poring some orange juice he took a drinkbefore taking his plate and washing it before placing it in the dishwasher. " what time were you tinking ?" he asked Marcus as he lent on the counter.

"As for the jobs Im sure Robert will understand and give you something light around here." he said smiling " you could patrol with Jessie and I , or help Kate in the veg garden." he added as he moved to sit back down at the table taking a napkin and wiping Caprice's face and hands clean.

"Well, I don't know," Marcus said. "Angus was hoping to head off to Tuscany today by nine or ten this morning because he's got rather a full day planned for himself. I don't know that he had any sort of plans for the girls today. He was going to leave this time for them to do whatever preparations they wanted to do."

"We've been to the village before," Anise said. "Just not by ourselves."

"It isn't like there aren't countless jobs on this estate," Marcus laughed. "There's always something to do. On a place this size, there are more jobs than people can get to."

Angus managed finally to wake, and he got up, feeling like he had slept like a rock. He made his way downstairs seeing everyone was up except him.

"'Morning, All," he yawned, heading for the coffee pot. He poured himself a cup of coffee, figuring he'd have a bit of coffee first so he had a little time to get his eyes open before tucking into breakfast. "Breakfast looks good--whoever cooked. Thanks. Give me just a few minutes to wake up before I tuck into some."

"Believe it or not, that was Jack," Marcus said.

"Oh, Jack does a good job cooking. He just doesn't do it a lot. He has cooked on some of our survival weekends," Angus said. "And a fry up, at that? Great. It's a good change." He looked over at the baby. "Simone's been shopping, I see."

"She has indeed," Marcus laughed. "She laid this out last night for her to wear today, I think."

"It's cute. Looks like something Simone would buy for her."

Jack chuckled seeing a sleepy Angus walk over to pore himself a cup of coffee, Jack beat him to it and placed down in front of him a hot cup of coffee. "Good morning and There you go, that should wake you up" he said and began to make up a plate for Angus with a little bit of everything on it. " hes right , cooking out doors is so diferent than in a kitchen, its more primative." he said and chuckled as he looked up at the mention of Caprices outfit " awe, yeah, shes cute in that, thats totaly Simones chosing" he said and chuckled " well I have to patrol so be back later " he said as Jessie entered the duplex.

"morning" he looked at Angus " you sleep okay?" he asked walking over to Caprice and made her laugh as he pulled a face at her.