A Birth day

Ruby listened to Nigel and thought about what he said "So physically he's doing well but after that stunt mentally he could be troubled?" she said "But I do agree with you about leaving him until he's ready to talk about it" she said " and that might be Marcus of Jack who'll talk to him when he's ready" she said and breathed out in relief " thank you Nigel, I'll be here to help any way I can." she said smiling. Seeing Nigel out she walked abck to the kitchen to start preperations for dinner for them all knowing it might be a long night if they go to New Oreans.

Angus came back downstairs, and he saw Abbey rooting in her bag that she had brought over, and she pulled out a little toy cauldron and some toy potions ingredients and a little toy potions book. If she could put the right ingredients in the cauldron and in the right order, the cauldron would either light or sing. Angus thought it was a rather clever toy.

"Now that's a toy I haven't see before," Angus said. "Did Gam buy that for you, Abs?"

"Noooo," Abbey said, "Papa buyed it so I could cook with him when he cooks in his room upstairs."

"I see. I should have figured he bought that one," Angus said. "So what happens if you get it wrong?"

"It sings the Muddy song," she said. She tossed the wrong things in the cauldron, and it sang a little jaunty song about a pot full of mud, and then the pot chucked out the ingredients onto the floor. It made her giggle, and that made Angus laugh.

Ruby smiled seeing Angus come from upstairs "All good?" she asked then saw the cauldron Abby had " I've seen those" she said and chuckled as what Abby had just put in flew back out at the sound of the jingle. " not seen that before" she said then looked to Angus " you feel beter after your shower and potion?" she asked.

" I was thinking of something quick but hot for dinner since you don't know where you're going to be later," she said as she accioed a cup of coffee for him to sip " I added a small amount of fire whiskey to warm you a bit more" she added

"I do," Angus said. "It certainly helped to wash off all that Paris mud and dirty water. I think Robert's potion is probably going to work better than that girl's version..."

"Tiggy," Marcus said.

"She looks like she's about nine," Angus told Ruby. "At least what I remember of her anyway. Thanks." He was glad for the coffee and for the whiskey she'd put in it.

"He was not very observant," Marcus laughed. "I'm sure we're welcome to join the others for lunch at the main house. I don't know what they're fixing, but I was under the understanding that Nicky and Zoe were cooking something for everyone that came to the meeting. Sort of a working lunch, if that makes sense. Eating and meeting at the same time."

"Make cookies, Roobee!" Abbey said. "Berry chippies!" Angus laughed.

"You remember those?" Angus asked Abbey.

"Uh huh," Abbey nodded.

"If you look in the very back of my book," Angus told Ruby, "you'll find a pocket on the inside of the back cover, and in it is a little slip of yellow paper. Its a recipe I did one day when she wanted berries and chocolate chip cookies both. So I made strawberry flavored cookie dough and put chocolate chips in and gave them a dusting of red sanding sugar before I baked them and made cookies. Those darned cookies went like lightning. I made a big batch, and by bedtime they were all gone. That's what she's talking about."

Ruby smiled and relaxed as he spoke of it washing off the paris mud and dirt, she turned to look at Marcus as he spoke and nodded " thats good " she saithen glanced at Abby some what confused as to what she ment until Angus explained and she smiled " I can make those" she said smiling a she kissed Angus's cheek and headed to the kitchen to start making the cookies for eveyone including Abby. Looking where Angus had tols her the recipy was she did indeed find it tucked among the pages. Takin it out she cathered the ingridiants and began.

Soon the cookies were sat cooling on a cooling wire and she smelt them " they smell delishious" she said as she looked to Abby " we have to let them cool first then you can have one" she smiled at her " but I had enough left over to make a strawberry shaped one just for you" she tilted the tray to show her the very cookie.

"Sanks!" Abbey said, delighted at the strawberry shaped cookie. As she was stretching up on her tip toes to try to see the cookies on the cooling racks, Sam came in. Seeing Angus, he went over to him.

"Aren't you supposed to be working?" Angus asked him.

"Yeah, well, they're not watching very close today," Sam said. "Look. We know about the meeting, and we were told we could go if we wanted to, and if you said it was okay. Evidently we still need permission."

"Yes, you do. And I think you understand why, right?"

"Well, yeah, but we wanna go!" Sam said, frustrated.

"Alright, alright. I hear you. I don't have any issue with you going to the meeting--but, if any of you buggar off on your own..."

"Like you do?" Sam scowled.

"That's different. It's my job," Angus said. "We're supposed to respond to any potential threats, and that's exactly what I did."

"And she nearly killed you!"

"No. She didn't," Angus said calmly but firmly. "It was just a spell, that's all. I'm fine. Look, if you want to be a fighter, you'll have to learn you can't fall apart every time something happens. If Ruby doesn't object, you can all go to the meeting, but that's absolutely as far as it goes unless Ruby and I agree to anything more than that. You disregard that, and you'll be mucking stalls in the barn until you're about 85. You understand me?" Sam scowled hard at Angus. "I mean it, Sam," Angus insisted.

"Oh, alright," Sam sighed. "Dang!"

Ruby smiled at Abby as she stood trying to look at the cookies "Come here theres a step here for you" she said and lead her to a two-step so she could climb up and look at them " better?" she asked and smiled seeing her nod. Ruby saw Sam enter and walk over to Angus she heard him talk to Sam and sat next to him "I'll agree as long as you follow Angus's lead in everything he says" she said and looked to Angus. " well you are his boss and dad" she said smirking.

Hearing Sam she could not help but chuckle " besides I'll be ther too" she said and looked to Angus " not saying I'l go to new orleans with you but I should be there to just incase I have to as back up" she said to him seeing Abby still by the cookies she walked abck and found them nice and warm to the touch , taking teh strawberry shaped one she placed it on a plastic plate and handed it to her " here you go abby" she said smiling as she sent one over to Angus and Sam " now let me know if I got these spot on, I did follow your instructions after al."

"Sanks!" Abbey took her cookie and went back over to her toy cauldron to eat and play.

"They look perfect," Angus told Ruby. "Thank you."

"We're adult enough to work full time jobs," Sam said to Ruby, still unhappy with Angus's decision.

"And if you keep acting like a child, you'll be here with a babysitter instead of a meeting or a mission either one," Angus said, not liking Sam's lip.

"Sam," Marcus spoke up, not feeling that this was the day for Sam to get into a battle of wills with Angus when he was positive Angus wasn't feeling his best, "take your cookie and get back to work. He flicked his fingers at the front door to open it. Then he pointed at the door to emphasize that he wanted Sam to stop testing Angus and get out. Sam sulked out and slammed the door on his way out.

"You don't need his hassle this morning," Marcus told Angus quietly.

"It's almost completely gone," Angus told him. "It really is alright to stop stewing now."

"You gave me a bit of a start this morning, so I reserve the right to be overprotective," Marcus told him.

"Sorry," Angus told him. "I'll try not to do it again."

"That would be nice," Marcus grinned. Abbey was eating her cookie and then all of a sudden she crinkled her nose, looking disgusted.

"Roobeeeee!" Abbey whined a little. "She stinkypoo poo! Nasty!" She pointed at Caprice who was lying on the floor not all that far from Abbey. Angus found that funny for some reason, and he started to laugh.

Ruby listened to Sam and frowwned but said nothing leaving the disaplin to Angus seeing he was hhis boss. she was about to step in but Marcus got to him first so she let him. " thanks Marcus" she said with a smile it was now she heard Abby and chuckled " again" she said and stood up " sorry I think Caprice is working me today" she said and walked over smelling what Abby had smelt " wow your right shes stinkypoo poo nasty all right" she said and chuckled picking Caprice up and looking to Angus and Marcus " excuse me gents, some one needs a bath." she said and headed quickly up to the bathroom to wash and change Caprice once again.

After a though wash and change she returned with Caprice now wearing one of Simones flower outfits with matching head band. " there does she smell better now Abby?" she asked putting her down again.

Abbey nodded when Ruby brought Caprice back, and Abbey went back to playing until it neared lunch time. Angus helped Abbey pick up her toys and pack them back in her bag.

"We should go," Angus told Marcus and Ruby, seeing Edward and Simone already on their way to the main house. Marcus picked up Abbey and her bag, and Angus picked up the baby and the baby bag and followed Marcus to the main house. When they went in, Kate went over and offered to take the baby.

"Robert and I have already eaten so that we can run the meeting while you all eat, so why don't you give her to me, and I'll keep her busy while you eat," Kate said.

"Thank you," Angus said, handing her to Kate. "There are some jars of baby food in the bag. I'm sure we'll have to feed her soon."

"Well, I just saw something new in a muggle store, and I bought some of them. Lets' see how they work. She took the bag and went to the kitchen. When she came back, she had a silicon baby bottle with a special nipple, and the bottle held warm, strained baby food that, when squeezed gently, would dispense the baby foods so that a baby could be fed with no muss, no fuss. And unlike the pacifier, the bottle held a whole jar of baby food at one time, not just a couple bites like the pacifier.

"Those are great," Angus said, impressed. "Perfect for those times when you don't want to fiddle with a bowl and a spoon."

"Well, that's what I thought. I put three of them in your bag so you have them," Kate said, holding the baby and feeding her with the bottle feeder. "Go get some lunch. There's a nice tomato basil soup, and some bacon and lettuce and tomato paninis with cheese, and a strawberry shortcake. Help yourselves and fix your plates so we can start as soon as everyone else gets here."

"Thanks," Angus smiled. As he went into the dining room, he saw Michael helping Robert set up for the meeting. Robert had put a standing chalkboard in the dining room, and Michael was putting out chalk and an eraser, along with making sure Robert had some fresh tea. Lee was there with Tiggy already, and they were tucked into their plates. Nigel, Edward and Simone were just getting started in fixing their own plates, and Khaat and Brian were just arriving. Sam and Anise and Victor and Ginger had just finished fixing their plates and they were taking seats at the table. Marcus helped Abbey to a chair and told her he'd get her a lunch plate and then went to fix his own plate and hers.