A Birth day

Aria listened to Marcua and chuckled "A key within a key, and yeah halfway, still much to learn, I think Robert is the type of man who says things like you never stop learning, right?" she said" As for the kids your right and if they keep that determination they will get threw it." Aria stopped seeing the large salad Simone held. " wow, its perfection." she said and smiled moving to sit down with them. Ruby listened to the men and nodded as Simone asked if they could plant full trees.

"Oh that will make next year our crop and jarring year for fruits," she said smiling as she took some of the salad. Seeing the tea Ruby pored her self and Tara a cup and sipped it " its perfect, crisp and refreshing to the palate." she said and chuckled as she saw Aria look puzzled at her " its got a good and refeshing taste, try some?" she said and pored a cup for her. Aria picked up the cup and too a mouth full then swollod and smiled "Ok I agree it compliments the salad prfectly." she said as she continued to eat.

"Yes," Marcus laughed. "As long as you're breathing, you should be learning. Or at least that's what he tells us."

They enjoyed the salad and the tea and the fresh bread, and they talked about the last week of training that Evan and the kids had to do. Evan was looking forward to it. He wanted to be a fighter so badly he could taste it, and this last week was the key to him getting started.

"I do have to tell you," Evan told Tara, "the girls asked me if they could take the training."

"What?" She looked at Evan hesitantly.

"I don't know if they really want to be fighters or if they just want to be able to defend themselves if trouble comes. They obviously remember the killings we had not so long ago back home in Tuscany, and they're afraid if it comes around again, they wouldn't be able to defend themselves. I don't think they knmow what they want to do for a living, but they just see it as a practical thing."

"What do you think?"

"I can see their point," Evan said, "but I told them they really aren't old enough yet. The boys had to wait til they graduated, and the only reason the girls are doing it now is because they already have some training through their pack. They need to have graduated, I think, before they take it on."

"Angus?" Tara asked. "You've been doing this a long time. What do you think?"

"I agree with Evan. They need to finish school first," Angus said. "I've always said that I want my kids to know how to defend themselves, but I dont' want them to be fighters unless they're realistic about what fighting is and isn't."

"That makes sense. I guess I'm just not ready to see my girls fighting quite yet," Tara said.

"Well, I'm not quite ready either," Evan laughed. "They need to wait a little, I think."

Aria enjoyed the salad, bread and tea while listening to the others talking she listened to Marcus and nodded as he said Robert's thoughts were 'if you were breathing you were learning' "this makes sense as the bad guys don't stop learning ways to thwart their enemies" she said finishing her salad. Ruby listened and nodded agreeing with Angus about the girls.

"aren't the some light techniques you could teach the girls to defend themselves in the mean time, every woman should know how to defend herself against an attacker, especialy in this day an age." she said siping her tea as she listened to them talking about how the girls should wait for tainning till after they were graduated this Ruby agreed with.

"Oh, we still are," Marcus said. "We're still expected to be learning something. I think that's one of the reasons we continue to train and to do survival weekends in all kinds of ridiculous weather and in godforsaken places. I'll tell you one thing--if you get asked to go, make sure you take Angus with you, or you're probably gonna eat twigs and bugs all weekend."

"Not entirely true," Angus said. "Michael is a damned good cook, even out in the hinterlands, and so is Kate."

"I stand corrected," Marcus said, teasingly, "If you take Michael, you get to eat gourmet twigs and bugs all weekend." Angus rolled his eyes at Marcus.

"If the girls want some fundamentals, yes. They could learn some basics," Angus said. "Just in case some random family member loses their mind again."

"Now, that I do see some wisdom in," Evan said.

"Well, I didn't appreciate having murderous family members in my backyard, I admit," Tara said. "I suppose a few tips couldn't hurt--so long as they don't think they have all sorts of skills to dash out and take on a troll or something."

"We have never had a troll on the estate. Just so you know," Edward laughed.

Aria chuckled hearing Marcus and then laughed at the gourmet twigs and bugs. " I'll rember that." she said smiling as she listend to the others talking about letting the girls have a small amout of training " would help, but I agree no troll fighting" she added " ther big ugly and the smell realy bad" she chuckled. Ruby cleare away the plates and cups once every one had finished eating returning with a home made strawberry Gautux that she gave a small peice to Caprice who was sat next to her in her high chair.

Aria sat back in her chair and watche dthe men around her she felt comfortable and she saw Ruby talking with Tara and Simone as Caprice mushed her desert in her hnads with a chuckle she picked up a cloth and wiped Caprice's hands and face clean.

After lunch, Edward and Simone cleaned off the table and set a washing up spell in place in the kitchen. They were sitting and sipping iced tea when they started to hear loud explosions from overhead, over the center of the estate. Angus and Marcus and Edward all sprang to their feet, drawing their wands and raced outside, to see that James had somehow broken through the extra defenses, and he was raging angry.

"In broad daylight he tries this crap? He's lost his mind," Angus seethed, aiming and firing rapidfire fireballs at James.

"Where are the kids?" Evan was right behind them.

"Probably in the barn," Angus said. "I hope they stay there...."

"Nope, Here they come," Marcus said, seeing all four of Angus's kids racing out of the barn, wands drawn, trying to fire at some of the goons James was bringing with him. Angus was trying to keep his head in the game, trying to not get panicky that his kids were joining the fight. He was keenly aware that his anxiety was higher than normal. New Orleans was rising up fresh in his mind, but he was determined he would not fail this time.

Aria and Ruby both heard the noise and looked at Angus as he and the men sprang to their feet and ran in the direction of the eplosions " I'll get the kids" Aria said to Marcus as she drew her wand as she had been shown by Angus " you do what you do best" she said quickly headed over to stand with the kids. Ruby did the same standing with one arm acros Gingers front to stop her from moving closer to James.

Aria stood with the kids watching as the men moved to James " he certaly is a big di..dufus." she corrected herself while standing with the kids.

"Big doofus, little everything else," Sam told Aria, not trying to censor himself. He got angry with James continuing to harass them, so he cast an enlarging spell at James--aiming specifically at a specific place.

"Oh, lord," Angus said, seeing what Sam had done to James. James was outraged, and he was going to lash out with a blind fury. Angus apparated in front of Sam to protect him, firing with as many rapid fire slashing spells as he could, as fast as he could cast them.

"Damn," Marcus cursed, knowing that Sam had acted out of anger, but Marcus knew that James now wanted to get Sam. And he had seen Angus apparate in front of Sam to try to shield him. "Damnit," Marcus said. He apparated beside Angus and cast a protego totalum to shield himself, Sam, and Angus.

The commotion brought Robert out of the house, and he started firing powerful blasting spells.

"Not the kids, you don't," Robert told James.

Aria stood with the kids and Ruby seeing Sam's spell hit gasped then laughed but cast protego to protect them as did Ruby. "Get them into the house," Aria said " I know you want to fight but not today, Now go," she said her front towards James as she kept protego up. Ruby turned and moved to the kids.

"James not one you can defeat, You will get your chance, and Sam that was a low blow." she said "Even if it is small to begin with," she said and chuckled as she pointed to the duplex. "Go!" she said "Leave him to us" Aria moved the kids towards the porch and up the hose before she let her protego down and quickly closed the door watching.

Ruby moved to Angus's side "Kids are indoors" she told him " Aria is with them"

Angus was deeply relieved they'd gotten the kids out, and he decided to try to undo what Sam had done, so he fired a hasty reduction spell, but that only made it worse because it didn't just return him to normal size. It shrank him excessively.

"Nice try, Lad, but a little too much zap in that one," Robert said, now standing beside them.

"So, shall we fix him?" Marcus asked.

"Nah. It'll wear off in a day or four," Robert said. "Let's just get him out of here. Where the hell is Jack? He's missing all the fun." Robert and Angus kept firing at James and some of James' fighters that were standing with James.

"Heads up, All, on your six," Marcus had heard a noise from behind and he'd whirled around to see three of James' fighters coming straight for them. "Ruby, you're with me. Let's chase them off. Jack, get your furry arse out here!"