A Birth day

Ruby sat with Ginger comforting her until the service was over and they headed to the final resting place. She let Victor take Gingers hand and smiled reasurlingly to her as they walked with Angus over to where he ahd showed her the day before. " Angus chose a wonderful spot, its bright and gets the full sun, you can visit her anytime you want" she told her. As they drew close to the spot Ruby could see the soft glow from teh eternal flame light Robert had installed. She had seen the flower that one of the women had given Robert and recognised it as Wolfsbane and she heard Anise talk about it was from Fenrir this made her understand he was there even if he wsn't pysicaly.

When they got to the grave, Anise saw how bright and sunny the spot was, and then she noticed the flowers that were sitting all around, that would be placed on the grave. And then she noticed the solar light and she saw it was on, even in the daytime.

"Angus," she went to him quickly. "Is it broken? Its on in the daytime..."

"Edward put an enchantment on it. He changed it from a solar light. Now, it is an eternal light. It will never go out. She will have a light always."

"He...did that for her?"

"Yeah. He did," Angus smiled. "And I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to take that big sprig of wolfsbane that Fenrir sent, and I'm going to plant it over her grave so that it grows and spreads and so that your pack can always have her covered and protected."

"You can do that?" she asked.

"Yeah. I can do that," Angus said.

"I'd like that, and I know Dad and Ginger would too."

"Then consider it done," Angus said. They got through the graveside service, and then Angus led the group away, taking charge to lead the group away from the cemetery and over to the luncheon. It was beautifully laid out and it was ready.

Edward made a very brief welcoming speech to make sure they all knew that everyone was welcome and they should just help themselves to the buffet and the drinks.

"Do me a favor," Angus said quietly to Sam. "You and Victor take Ginger and Anise through the buffet line so that Dennis and everyone else will start. They will wait for Dennis and the girls before they fix their plates."

"Sure," Sam said. He took Anise, and motioned to Victor, who took Ginger and they started them down the buffet line to fix their plates, with Dennis following in right with them. That started the pack following in behind Dennis.

The girls were glad to see some gourmet raw dishes and they put some on their plates, as did Dennis and the rest of the pack. Edward came up to Jessie.

"You and Angus and Ruby go next in the line and fix your plates so that the rest of our lot will feel comfortable in joining in," Edward told Jessie.

Ruby nodded to Anise as she spoke of the eternal flame and as Angus spoke of planting wolfsbane. Together they walked to where the food was set out and she let Ginger walk with Victor with Anise and Sam go and get their food with Dennis she walked over to Angus and Jessie Ruby and Jessie moved and made a plate while Ruby made one for Angus and handed it to him before moving to sit down so they could eat.

Jessie sat not far from the girls so he would be close if they needed them but he also knew the boys would take care of them. He sat with his plate and started to eat quietly as he thought about his own fathers funeral not that he ahd one that was anything special since he did attack Angus and Ruby.

'Thanks," Angus told Ruby. "I'm glad you were here today. Ginger always did feel closer to you than me, and that's fine with me. I'm glad you were able to be here to help us get them through it. They'll be fine, you know. They're through the worst of it now. I expect Dennis and the pack will want to go home this afternoon. I sort of thought that perhaps we'd stay the night--maybe--and go home in the morning. I know you'll have to get back to Jeffrey soon, though. Remind me before you go. Yulong gave us some fresh fruit that his mother sent, and there are some unusual things. I brought you some to take with you to Switzerland while its still good and fresh.

"Oh, and before you go, we'll give the boys their graduation gifts. I know about the signet rings. Edward always gives them as graduation gifts. I got them some winter mission gear--winter boots, winter leather gloves and good black leather winter coats. The girls got them some really good blades. I think its a fine choice. They should be armed with more than just wands. Anise chose them and I think she made some top notch choices. I think you'll approve."

Ruby lent her head on Angus's shoulder for amoment and then sat up as he spoke "I will always be there for the girls and you, I don't have to be back until tomorrow" she told him " and those sound perfect for the boys" she said and looked over at the tents " they will want to get back to the pack quickly Im guessing" she said then looked to Angus again as he spoke of freh fruit Yu had brought from his mothers place. " oh Jeffery will love that and I can make an exotic fruit salad." she said thinking of what fruit he would have given them.

Jessie sat with Marcus as he ate "looks like some are packing up already" he said glncing to where some of the tents were alreadt down and packed away "Don't worry I'll port them back to the camp once their ready" he said to Angus as he finished his food and set the plate on the table beside him. " food was great" he said as he sat back in the chair to wait till the pack were ready to head back.

"I know," Angus told Ruby quietly, glad she was there. "We've actually been invited to a potluck with the pack so that they can have their own sort of memorial for her. Evidently, they've created a sort of send off they do, something specific just for their pack, that they call a howling. They're going to fix cooked meat so we have meat to eat, and we'll bring the rest. I don't know when it is, but you know you're welcome to come if you like. Edward said no pack has ever done that with humans, not so far as he knows. And Fenrir said I've been accepted as an ally of their pack. That's liable to frost James' biscuits just a wee bit, and I'm not sorry. Not one little bit."

"Thanks, Jessie," Angus said when Jessie said he would take the pack back. "We could not have begun to do this without you. I'm glad you were here with us. Do you think the pack liked the raw dishes?" He glanced over at the buffet tables, and he wasn't sure he saw much of any of the raw dishes left. "If Rosaria has any more of the raw dishes left either on the table or in the kitchen, we should send it back with the pack for them to enjoy. And, so far as I'm concerned, if there's any of the other food they want, please have them take it along. Let them take what they want. I can't stand it that we live in abundance and sometimes they struggle. Food is the least we can do."

He watched two of the pack women go back to the buffet and get second helpings of tiramisu.

"They can have that too," Angus laughed.

Ruby smiled at him when he said he was glad she was there "as am I and I will be there " she reasured him as she saw the women walk to the table for desert again and chuckled. Jessie chuckled.

"its okay, I brought them so I should see them home and yes they loved the dishes" he said smiling at Angus then looked where he was looking and chuckled " sure I'll let them know" he said and stood up to walk over and talk to Dennis about the food and deserts. He watched as Rosaria placed the extra food into a cooler along with several deserts for each woman and man in the group.

Angus watched the girls get up and go say goodbye to Dennis, and he saw the other pack members packing up their gear.

"Sit and relax," Angus told Ruby. "I've got one last little thing I want to do for Phoebe. I'll be right back." He got up, walked down to the family cemetery, and he planted the wolfsbane. He was careful to go in the house right after and wash his hands to wash off any residue of the wolfsbane off his hands so he wouldn't harm the girls or Jessie or any of the pack. Then he went back sit with Ruby. "I'll have the crew do a little landscaping tomorrow and plant a few snapdragons around the stone for the girls. When the girls learn how to port, I'll give them portkeys so they can come and go as they like, and I'll have some made for the boys. They know how to port now, so there's no reason why they can't each have one."

Anise and Ginger came back, and Anise had something her hands, and she handed the bundle wrapped in brown paper to Angus

"I'm supposed to give this to you. He said it's just a little thank you gift. I was supposed to wait until after they left, but I think they're leaving any minute," she told Angus. "I think it might be one of his knives. He used to make knives for the pack, but he hasn't made any that I know of for a long time.'

Angus opened the bundle and saw a fine, long hunting knife. His eyes immediately fell on the colored resin handle. It was done with a swirl of colors, but the way the colors had combined in the mold, it reminded Angus of an almost identical color pattern to the way the skies looked at night through the skylight in the ceiling in the bedroom. It was a beautiful handle. He pulled the blade from the leather sheath and looked at it. Clearly it was razor sharp.

"Your dad clearly has some excellent weapons skills," Angus told the girls. "Its one of the best blades I've ever seen."

"I think he'd be pleased you felt that way," Ginger said. "He said he'd see you at the potluck at home."

Angus was careful to put the blade back in the sheath and then he handed it to Ruby so she could look at it.

Ruby relaxed as she had an idea what Angus was going to do and so just nodded and smiled as he left. He was not gone long before he returned and explained he'd get some of the crew to the landscape." thats a good idea"she said smiling as she saw Anice walk over to them and talk to Angus. She marveled at the knife as he unwrapped it and smiled "It's beautiful, the handle looks like the night sky" she observed then slid it back into its sheath and handed it back to Angus "it's perfectly balanced too" she said " your fathers very skilled and we'll be there" she chuckled "I wonder what Jack bringing, probably steak" she said and Jessie chuckled knowing that probably was exactly what Jack was going to bring.

"Well, I told the pack we would furnish the meat if they would cook it," Angus said, "so maybe Jack and Jessie and I can share the cost of the meat and the beverages, then, if you think Jack wants to bring steak. I know there are enough other people who cook at home that we'll have plenty of side dishes and desserts." He looked at the girls. "The knife is a really great knife. I'll be sure to thank him."

"I haven't seen him make one in years," Ginger said. "I wonder if he'll start making them again now."

"Maybe. We all have to have a sense of purpose in our lives, so maybe making knives will either be his purpose or help him find his purpose," Angus said.

"How do we know what our purpose is supposed to be?" Ginger asked.

"You can determine that for yourself to some extent," Angus said. "I'd start with what you're drawn to. You're drawn to healing animals like Anise is drawn to fighting. That might be a place to start, and if it changes at some point in your life, that's okay too. Sometimes our purpose changes."

"Can we go look at the grave when it gets dark?" Anise asked.

"Of course," Angus said. "You can go see her any time you want. I still sometimes go and spend time with my grandmother."

"Will you come with us?" she asked him.

"If you want. Of course," Angus said.