A Birth day

Jessie smiled as he heard Robert and nodded " oh okay " he said " we'll make room in the fridge freezer and Yu, would you mind making the drink for him" Jessie asked Yu smiled and nodded heading into the ktichen after hearing how Robert's gran use to make. Both stopped nd looek at Cris as he called Robert papa. When Robert exlained they both smiled " well in a way you are his grandfather, sorry papa." Jessie said and smiled to Cris.

Yu moved to the kitcen and warmed some milk added some honey and a small drop of vanilla with just a pinch of cinnamon. Placing it into a small cup he added a drop of the dreamless potion mixing it so he would not know it was there and walked back " drinks ready, hope he likes it" Yu said and handed it to Robert " I added the special ingridiant too" he said and smiled at Cris.

"Well, then, let's tuck him into bed," Robert said. He took Cris upstairs, had him change into his pajamas and, then, seeing the dino bed and the dino pajamas and the stuffed dino that Cris hadn't let go of, Robert cast an enchantment across the ceiling of the room to make dinosaurs in different types and colors float lazily across the ceiling, as a nightlight for the boy. He tucked Cris into bed and had him drink the warm milk while he told Cris an improvised bedtime story, a pirate story that Cris was completely taken with. He fell asleep rather quickly, and Robert tucked him in and turned out the light, letting the dinosaurs just float lazily across the ceiling, giving off a soft, reassuring glow.

Robert got up and came out of the bedroom, pulling the door shut, except for just an inch or two, and then he came back downstairs.

"He's asleep," Robert said. "I doubt he wakes before morning, and, yes, he has that stuffed dino with him. The enchantment I set should hold til daybreak. If you have trouble with him during the night be sure to let me know, but I think he's probably emotionally drained enough that he's going to sleep soundly tonight. Is there anything else you need tonight?"

Jessie and Yu watched and followed Robert up to the spare room smiling at the enchantment he cast to light the room softly. Both saw how good he was with Cris and smiled as Robert gently closed over the door leaving a gap " Im sure he'll sleep threw the night." Jessie said " and if we need you we'll be sure to come and get you" Jessie said " he does seem to like that dino, oh and we'll get a tank set up for Pickles the frog if they find him"

Yu walked down stairs to the living room and began tidying up the toys ready for the next days playtime. " I have a question, now he is here what do we do now?" he asked Yu looked up at Jessie and chuckled.

"we love him, and teach him that were not going to cast him out" he said smiling " as he will teach us about what he likes and things he needs." Jessie smiled and moved to Hug Yu.

"your right" he said and loked to Robert " I think we'll be fine, thank you Robert, you rest wel." he said but it was Yu who spke up.
"have you checked Angus shoulder the little guy gave him quite the beating earier." Yu said

"Oh, I didn't know anything about his shoulder. I'm glad you mentioned it, though I suppose I should have expected it. Angus wouldn't have had it any other way, though. It's a hell of a task to have to get used to, but he's been working for me for well over a decade, and I can't tell you how many times he's had to break similar news to children and had similar responses. He would not have wanted either of you to do it--for two primary reasons. First, he would have wanted any lingering anger or bitterness to be on him and not on either of you. And, second, he would not have wanted either of you to have to go through that. It can live with a man and haunt him, but he'll be alright with it. Alright, then, I'm off. Goodnight," Robert said.

He left and went over to check on Angus and was glad Marcus was there and had already been tending Angus's shoulder. Ginger had fed Caprice and had her upstairs for a bath. She had told Angus she would tuck her into bed so it gave Simone a bit of a break from her. Anise was struggling with reading a homework lesson on transfigurations, and Sam and Victor were looking through catalogs to decorate Cris's room.

Robert insisted on checking Angus' shoulder more thoroughly and set some additional pain relief spells and healing spells in place, and he specifically thanked them for finding Cris and rescuing him.

"It's what we do," Angus said simply. "We've never left a child behind, and we're not going to start now."

"Good man. Thank you. Call me if that shoulder gives you any more trouble tonight."

"I will."

"Sounds like I need to go see Michael about a frog to see where he and Edward are with plans to go frog hunting, Goodnight," Robert said, leaving to head home to find Michael and then to go to bed.

Jessie and Yu cleaned up then went to check on Cris finding him out like a light both smiled and headed to bed to sleep ready for the next day.

Jessie woke first, so he thought and headed down to make breakfast but found Yu already in the kitchen " How do you do that ?" he asked and Yu laughed

"Skill now go get Cris," he said as he placed some pancakes on a plate. Jessie chuckled and headed to Cris's room and knocked gently smiling as he opened the door he saw him sitting playing with the dino and motioned for food " breakfast" he asked hoping he would understand him. He was relived when Cris jumped from the bed and took his hand to be led down to the kitchen for food.

Angus hadn't slept well. He had dozed off in his chair for a couple hours but that was about all the sleep he got. He couldn't settle, and he wasn't sure why. His mind felt like it was racing, and he couldn't find a reason for it. He had ended up sitting up, outside on the deck and writing Ruby a letter by the light of a candle, to tell her, somewhat briefly, about Cris and how they had ended up having to rescue him and bring him back and how Jessie had leaped at the chance to have a child. He figured Jessie would do okay with it, even if he did have a lot to learn. He hadn't sent it until near seven because he didn't want to wake her. Switzerland was an hour ahead, so he sent it at seven because it would be eight am there.

He had long made coffee, a fruit salad, and some Scottish oatmeal with muscovardo sugar and some cinnamon and had set the oatmeal to stay warm with an enchantment.  He'd actually even made lunch for all four of his teens and had them packed in brown bags and sitting in the fridge. He wouldn't do it every day for them, but he knew how they would be rushing on their first day on the job. Now, with the letter finished and sent, he had let Finn outside and had fed him breakfast and was on his third cup of coffee, and his fourth cigarette, when Marcus came downstairs.

"Your bed hasn't been slept in," Marcus said. "Did you sleep all night in your chair again?"

"Nah. Couldn't sleep," Angus said.

"Didn't you take your potion?"

"I fell asleep right enough without it but I was awake two hours later and couldn't go back to sleep. I did try," he sighed.

"What kept you up?"

"Racing thoughts about absolutely nothing," he said.

"I've had those nights," Marcus said. "They stink."

"They certainly do," Angus said. "There's coffee and fruit and oatmeal this morning."

"Perfect. Sounds great. Shall I help you dress first?"

"No, no. Enjoy your coffee. I'm going to smoke. Ruby's not here to stew about it, so I'm going to enjoy the cigarettes while I can."

"She does worry about that, doesn't she?"

"She doesn't like any vices, I don't think," Angus replied.

"Well, we all have them in some form or another. It's part of being human. Did Cris' parents' selling him out to the authorities remind you of your own parents' selling you out?" It hadn't been something Angus had really considered but now he looked at Marcus.

"Maybe. I hadn't thought of it in those terms, but maybe you're right," he said.

"Well, it was essentially the same thing. So, what's on the schedule?"

"All the kids are working--their first day on the job, so, if Edward and Simone will watch the baby, I might go into London for a bit."

"Okay. What's the mission?"

"A kid that has next to nothing," Angus said. "He's got clothes now, but a bored seven year old can be a real pain in the butt. He needs things to do indoors and outdoors both, and right now, Jessie and Yulong need all the help they can get. Yulong didn't grow up British, and Jessie has his hands full trying to do just some of the basics with a kid that he has a language barrier with. He'll get it but it might take him a few days. Right now, they're playing charades."

"Well, I can guarantee you that since I have three boys of my own, my parent's attic has toys, storybooks, and some other things that my boys have outgrown. My youngest boy is eleven, so I know there are things there that are more age appropriate for Cris than for them. There used to be a boy's bike up there, some balls, a couple kites, some rollerblades, and heaven only knows what else. We could go empty some things out of there for Cris...."

At that moment, both boys came dashing down the stairs, dressed and almost in a panic.

"Where's the fire?" Angus asked.

"We have to be on the job in 30 minutes. We haven't eaten, packed a lunch..." Sam started.

"Calm," Angus said. "Breakfast is on the counter. Help yourselves, and, just this once, I packed a lunch for each of you. It's in the fridge."

The boys flung open the fridge to get their lunches as the girls came into the kitchen. Victor handed a lunch bag to each girl.

"Lunch. Dad packed. You're welcome," Victor told them. All four of them tucked into breakfast hastily.

"We won't be done til five," Sam told Angus, as if Angus wasn't aware of dayshift hours. "You gonna be okay by yourself with the baby?"

"Yes. I'll be fine," Angus said.

"And don't sit and smoke all day. Ruby'll have a fit."

"Ruby's not here, so just chill," Angus laughed. "Besides, the last I knew, I was old enough to have a cigarette."

"When did he go to acting like your son to acting like your father?" Marcus teased.

"Overnight, apparently," Angus laughed.

Ruby had recived Angus letter nd sat in her room reading it. Taking it with hr she walked to Jefferys room and knocked gently " can I speak with you a moment?" she asked before she pushed open the door and looekd at Jeffery.

Jessie st with Yu and Cris eating breakfast Yu had slipped a dose of wolfs bane into the boys drink so he would not know and to their suprise he drank it all with a smile. Jessie motioned to Cris that they would go for a walk and see Angus after breakfast and the boys face lit up with a smile but Yu looked worried.

"what if Sergio and Anna are there?" he asked and Jessie looked at him.

"well go check first"he said and Yu nodded getting up he gently placed his hand on Cris head and smiled. Yu walked over to the duplex and knocked.

"Why do you look like you have not slept?" Yu asked as he saw Angus with Marcus.

It was still early morning in England, not quite eight, and in Switzerland, it was just a quarter til nine. And Jeffrey had come to work today in fierce wind and solid sheets of rain, partly because of their proximity to Lake Geneva. The forecast had said there would be some severe storms, but so far, Jeffrey hadn't seen or heard any thunder or lightning--not yet. He had just gotten in, had put his open umbrella in a remote corner of his office to dry, and had put his trench coat and his fedora on the coat tree in his office.

Like any other psychiatrist or doctor, his schedule was usually very tight, but this morning his 9 am appointment had suddenly cancelled, a rarity, and Ingrid, his receptionist, said that the client was ill. One of Jeffrey's associates had seen the client very late last night had had determined the client had the flu. He had just taken a breath of relief because that would let him have just a wee bit of time to try to catch up on some chart documentation, a couple of phone calls and a couple of letters, all that were rather pressing.

Jeffrey had some free periods during the day, every day, when he made himself available outside of individual or group sessions, but that wasn't first thing in the morning. The first couple of slots were always booked. That was a relief because he was behind on some things. Ingrid had picked up his coffee mug and had taken it to fetch him a mug of hot coffee to help him ward off the chill from the early morning rain. Then someone knocked on his door and came in. Thinking it was Ingrid, Jeffrey turned to tell Ingrid she didn't have to knock, and then he saw Ruby there. Well, for someone to get past Ingrid, that was rather akin to the planet stopping and spinning in the opposite direction, that any client could just catch him with any time to spare this early.

"Ruby?" he questioned, "what brings you so early in the morning?"

Marcus had helped Angus dress and shave, and Angus had had coffee and some fruit and had fed Caprice. Marcus had changed her and dressed her in a floral jumpsuit that he presumed Ginger had laid out, and Angus had fed her and had put her in a baby swing for a bit and had turned it on so it would gently swing and occupy her attention just for a little. Marcus had just gotten Angus a second cup of coffee when Yulong came over and asked him why he looked like he hadn't slept.

"Oh, I had a restless night," Angus said. "I slept for a couple hours, and then I just couldn't get back to sleep. You know, we all have had those occasional sleepless nights, but the kids are working today, so I might get a chance to nap a little this afternoon--maybe. What brings you? How'd Cris get on for his first night?"

Ruby held the letter from Angus in her hand and heard Jeffery ask her wy she was there so early. Pushing open the door she walked in and smiled to him "habit I guess from trainning but also I recived a letter from Angus, He said that Jessie has taken in a boy whose a weawolf like he is but he attacked Sergio and Anna's son. Im worried he won't know what hes getting himself into, also Angus is having trouble sleping again." she laced the letter on his desk and slid it over to him to let him read for himself.

Yu smiled and nodded " yes I understand , I came over becuse we were thinking of bringing Cris over but we didn't want to if Sergio and Anna were her so not to cause them any upset." he said " Jessie is getting him dressed."

"Well," Jeffrey said, "is there some reason you are particularly worried about Jessie? I mean, he's certainly adult age, and he has a partner and a home of his own and they're both working, right? Jessie is a werewolf so he should certainly understand at least the basic issues at hand, and there are enough other adults that are around to lend them a hand or some guidance if they need it, right? No brand new parent is an expert. Certainly you weren't an expert either when you started to build a family. So I guess I have a few questions. First, what makes you think Jessie isn't going to be able to handle it, and is there some reason that Jessie and his partner should not be adding children to their family? And, do you have some right to interfere with the choices that he and his partner are making for their lives?

"As for Angus, did he say he was worried about Jessie, and did he tell you he was having trouble sleeping? That doesn't sound like something he would necessarily mention to you. And is that some particular cause for concern? I mean, we all have a sleepless night once in awhile, especially if we have something on our minds. Hunting werewolves would be enough to cause me to have a restless night, that's for sure.

"Do you think he sent this letter to worry you while you were here, or do you think he was perhaps just sharing with you that there was a new member to your family. Who knows? Maybe he's happy for Jessie in his own way. I guess I'm asking if you think his letters are harmful to you and that maybe he should stop trying to communicate with you, or do you think that you're letting your anxiety get the better of you?"

"No," Angus told Yulong. "Sergio and Ana aren't here. Robert mentioned thinking they would want to be close to their son, so I'm sure Robert's found space for them at the main house. I do appreciate your asking though. Marcus said that Robert told Sergio and Ana about Cris, but I haven't talked to Sergio or Ana myself to know how they're doing about any of it. I guess I sort of had my hands full yesterday. You're always welcome, of course. Marcus and I are going to go out for a couple hours this morning, but I know Edward and Simone are up. I was going to ask them to mind Caprice for the couple of hours we were going to be gone."

"I have three sons of my own that are now all older than Cris," Marcus told Yulong. "I know I have bikes, balls, kites, and all sorts of boys toys that mine have outgrown, so we thought we'd go over to my dad's and gather up some things for Cris to do, especially some of the outside toys so he doesn't have to either stay stuck in the house or run out of things to do. It would save you money and get you started with some things for him--unless you'd rather buy all new things for him instead. I mean, I presume that when the paperwork is all straightened out, Cris will probably at some point be going to some sort of school. I'm sure there are schools for children who are learning English as a second language, but I also know that all that legal paperwork does take a little time. Cris has enough adjustments to make without boredom being a problem on top of it."