A Birth day

Ruby helped with the cake then watched as he placed it into the pantry with her rolls. He spoke of the kids being ready for Colorado and she smiled " I agree" she siad then heard him mention the drink " first time you've drank anything other than firewhiskey, but it sounds nice" she said knowing she isn't going to drink too much having Caprice to look after but she did need to relax after the day they had had.

Moving to Caprice she gave her , her teddy whitch she threw on the floor and held her arms up to Angus " I think she wants you" she said smiling to him. Ruby moved and made several baritos to also pack for the boys and girls for their trip so they would not get hungry.

He made two drinks and gave her one. "I do like all sorts of drinks," Angus said. "I just honestly don't drink all that often." When Ruby said the baby wanted him, he picked her up, seeing that she was getting too heavy for him to manage her much longer with one hand. He flicked his finger at deck door, opening it and going out on the deck with the baby and his drink. He sat down in one of the deck chairs and looked at the garden and the flowerbeds. He knew everyone had been busy lately but the garden and all the flowerbeds were full of weeds. He decided that after the kids had gone to Colorado, he would tend the flowerbeds and the garden a little and see if he couldn't make them look a little better. He knew that Ruby, Edward and Simone actually took more pleasure in working in the garden than he did. Angus knew how, but for him, it was just another chore to be done. It wasn't actually unpleasant, but it really wasn't something he enjoyed either. Still, Angus had visions of needing a machete to get through it if it was left much longer. He didn't like using charms to do the weeding because sometimes that charm seemed to take out things he didn't want taken out. Some things were just better done by hand.

As he looked out over the yard, he began to think of adding some fruit trees and maybe a couple of nut trees.

"Ru, what do you think about adding maybe a few fruit trees and a couple nut trees later this year?" he asked

Ruby smiled as she listened to Angus say he did actualy drink diferent drinks and she smiled watching as he picked up Caprice. Taking her drink she followed them out side to the porch and set her drink down as she watched Caprice bounce on his knee. Hearing him mention fruit and nut trees she smiled " that would be great as we can use the fruit to cook with. " I like that idea" she said smiling at him " we could put them on the west side they will get alot of sun on that side." she looked around around and loved the warm sun on her skin . " I like this, you , me and Caprice just enjoying some quality time together." she said as she lent over and kissed his cheek.

He smiled when she said she liked time with just the three of them.

"Well," he said, "there are orchards of fruit and nut trees out on the farther parts of the estate where the crops are, and that's all well and good. We use all of that. I was thinking, though, that if we just had a handful of our own trees, it would be nice to not have to go all that damned way to get a couple fresh pears or a few hazelnuts. One of the things I do like about Edwards is that he's got some great lemon trees close to the house, and the smell is incredible when the lemons are ripe."

"You should reconsider and come to New Orleans," he told her. "Did you know that there are old fashioned paddlewheel boats that still do luxury cruises up and down the Mississippi River? And in the French Quarter, you can eat some of the best creole food anywhere and hear some great jazz music. I was there very briefly over a couple of days with Brian. He knows some rich guy there who buys Native American art, and I went with him to buy a few pieces, but that was a few years before he and Khaat got together. It was shortly after we graduated from Hogwarts. I'm sure it's changed quite a bit since then. Still, I think you'd have a good time."

Ruby sat and listened to him and smiled " that would be good , not having to ask the grounds crew to fecth the fruit from the trees and I love those lemons." she said at his next words she looked at him " If they want me to go I'll go." she said "Im sure Eward or simone will look after Caprice, but I thought you want me to be here to keep the kids safe?" she asked him " you know incase that creole woman tried to infiltrait the grounds while the first stringers were out."

Sitting back she sipped her drink and smiled " this is good" she said smiling " and I think some lemon trees will look great and apple trees too"

"I'm glad you like Tuscany. I'm sure someday, when Edward and Simone are gone, we'll have to live there part of the year to make sure the estate there is running well. But that's a long way off. As for New Orleans, despite what I want or don't want, you need to do what you want. I've always wanted you along on almost all the missions. There are very few that I wouldn't take you on. This place always has people here that love to look after the little ones. If you want to go, you should go. If you want to stay, then you should stay. Or, perhaps come for select things on this mission. For all I know, there could be select points where Suzanne would know that Barnett is not you, despite the best polyjuice. I'd rather not risk blowing it for that. Even if all you do is stay available to come when we need you. Then, maybe when its over, we could just enjoy it for a couple of days by ourselves. I don't know. Maybe I'm just thinking out loud.

"If you want a career, then go for it. If you don't, then don't. I don't want you getting later in your life and looking back on it and wishing you'd done something else. Whatever it is you want in your life, I think you should do those things. And if you don't really know, then take the time to find out."

Ruby listened to Angus and thought about what he was saying she didn't understand Suzann could never be fooled so easily and would know if she was Aria or herself. the more he spoke the more she had to agree he was right " I'll go" she said " Im not letting you or the others fall into danger becuse I wasn't there, so Im going with you to New Orealns , plus I heard the food there is divine and I always wanted to try Beignets and Jambalaya." she admited as she looked at Caprice as she sat giggling on Angus knee." besides once this is truly over we have plenty of time with our family."

Finishing her drink she placed the glass down on the table next to her chair feeling the cool afternoon breeze against her skin and she smiled " I can be a mom and a fighter." she said and looked to Angus with a smile.

"I don't know what Robert has planned but I'm sure there will be a place for you in the mission. So you know, I really don't want any of us to have to hurt your mother, but if she can't get past her own need for revenge so much so that she isn't even listening to Tom's orders that she not take any more action against us, at some point, she's liable to bring about her own end. I'm hoping it isn't by my doing, but I'm not going to let her hurt one of us either.

"As for the food, what Brian and I had was really good, so I can only imagine it's just as good now. I think you'd really like it, actually. You know, I actually look forward to the day when we go back to just battling Tom and not your mother too," He finished his drink too, and at that very moment, the baby yanked over his whiskey glass, smashing it on the table and cutting her little fist on the broken glass. She started to scream, and Angus moved her hand immediately.

"She's cut the side of her fist on the broken glass," Angus told Ruby calmly. "And we're not healers. It isn't deep, for as small as her hand is, it is a long cut. I'd rather have one of the healers tend it. Trying to bandage a moving part like that isn't easy. Bandages never seem to work well on bends like that. We need to see if Jess or Nigel is over there, if Robert isn't back yet."

Ruby listened to Angus and chuckled " yes I agree Tom was so much easier to deal with" she said then gasped as Caprice knocked over his glass and she saw the cut on her small fist but they didn't need to wait as Jess walked over small first aid kit in hand .

"okay, let me se her " she said and smiled as she walked over taking Caprice from Angus as she placed a calming spell on hr to make her calmer. sitting where Ruby had been she took Caprices hand in her own and started it healing , Taking out a damp cloth she wiped caprices hand to show it was now nothing but a red line. Looking at Angus and Ruby Jess smiled " she'll be fine, I felt her pain from the house" she said taking out a plaster that had flowers on it and placing it over the cut then giving it a light kiss as she placed Caprice back with Angus. " by the way Ruby good to have you on the team for new Oreans" she said " we need more fighters that and you an keep your mother from Angus" she said and chukled as did Ruby.

"Thanks, Jess," Angus said.

"When Tom and I had coffee several months back, he did seem like, as much as he can care about anything, that he does care about her in his own calloused, shallow way. Sort of like how much Lucius Malfoy cared about Narcissa. Not any sort of depth to it, really, but there is some miniscule something or another there. And he has always appeared to put a strong shelter around his children, even if it is for his own personal gain. If worse comes to worse, and everything else fails, I can go and try to make another appeal to him. The only reason I hesitate to do that is because I don't like showing all the cards in my hand to him. It puts me at a distinct disadvantage in the future, and that weakens the entire organization. I'd rather not do that unless Robert agrees it's the right thing to try.

"It does say something about her drive, though, when she has no hesitation, no compunction whatsoever about doing whatever the hell she wants to do, even if it enrages Tom. And we already know he can be vicious and brutal when he has a tantrum. She is willing to risk that to take a swipe at me. I think you need to keep that in your head. This is not a small matter to her. He's killed people for doing less. I think her need to get rid of me is a sort of obsession. Is she mad? I don't know. Maybe. I know I've kidded about it, but she honestly might be mad. She may not honestly be capable of letting it go. I don't want to get into a showdown with her, but if it comes down to a confrontation between her and me, I will win--period. I need to go check on supper. I don't want it to burn."

He got up and handed the baby to Ruby.