A Birth day

Aria and Ruby sat and listened to Robert Aria looked to Marcus and nodded "Of course" she said then looked back at Robert "A safe word, humm" she said thinking of what they could use. then she heard Robert say he was going to bed and they should do the same " Agreed not much we can do right now" she said looking to Ruby and smiling " Marcus will keep him safe" she told her making Ruby nod and smile. Aria and Ruby clered away the desert dishes and set them to wash in the dishwasher over nightbefore walking back to the men.

"so what time do we leave in the morning?" aria asked Marcus " and is there a dress code?" she asked deciding on black trousers with a jacket, cotton white shirt and low court shoes , easy to run in should anything happen, which she hoped and prayed nothing would.

"She'll want to leave in the morning between 7:45 and 8," Marcus said. "There's a newstand kiosk in the lobby of the hospital she'll want to stop at to get a copy of the Prophet and the Quibbler, and they've recently started carrying the New York Ghost too. She and Robert share a secretary upstairs, and I'll get up early and see if I can't reach her by floo early on. The secretary starts work at 7:30 on the dot, and I'll ask her to set up an account and have a copy of each of the periodicals delivered upstairs first thing each morning, a set for Khaat and a set for Robert. I'll have Robert get your David's portkeys, unless Robert had Michael make some spares.

"There are two entrance keys to the exterior doors," Marcus said, "the main entrance key, which we've actually never used since the place never closes, and an employees entrance key at the back. Its fairly simple to tell them apart. The front door says St Mungos on it, and the backdoor key says Sognum Ts--St. Mungos spelled backwards. You just never know how Michael is going to label a portkey. Anyway, I'd use that one, myself. It takes you into the rear door on the ground floor, near the kitchen. Its where all the deliveries and such come in, and its where all the employees enter. I'd go in that way instead. There is only one alternative that I know of. There is a portkey for the rooftop door that leads to the employee stairs. You could, actually, port up there and go downstairs if you choose. I've only used that a handful of times, and always when we had some high security risk, usually when James was doing some heavy stalking behaviors. I don't like using it quite so much because on certain days, you can get a lot of extra wind up there from the influence of the Thames, but it is an option for you. I generally go either the main entrance or the employee entrance.

"Stay with her once you get there," Marcus told her. "Her office is a big space, and she's got a pair of sofas and a coffee table in the middle of the room, so you certainly can sit while she works, so long as you're alert. If she has lunch in her office, let the secretary get it for you both. Tell her to put it on my account. Angus knows that account is just for lunch and supper tabs for the month, so he pays it out of Khaat and Brian's incomes. It's just under my name to avoid anyone really knowing that lunch for her. She is always ridiculously busy, and on some days she'll be in and out of meetings, or going to fundraising luncheons. Other days, she's on the floors at times tending to patients or in her office doing paperwork for part of the day. Expect to be followed by at least a couple wizard papparazzi if she's out somewhere. The press never seems to get enough of taking pictures of her. It makes her crazy sometimes, and I can't really blame her."

"Why do they follow her at all?" Angus frowned.

"You haven't been reading any of the wizard maagazines, have you?" Marcus laughed. "For some odd reason, some of the wizard women like watching what she wears. Believe me, she did not ask to be any sort of a fashion influencer, but there you have it. As I heard it through the grapevine, some of the society women noticed she was a sharp dresser, and they started taking notice of her. Then, she noticed she was being watched and photographed, so it made her self conscious, and she upped her game. And, of course, that made them notice all the more. Now she's noticed all the bloody time. I told her she needs to sometime go shopping in some scruffy clothes, but you know that would really get her noticed then. Rita Skeeter would make up some crap that she and Brian were divorcing or some such rot."

"So," Angus looked at Aria. "You have to protect her from rogue murdering werewolves, society women, and zealous photographers. Does not sound like fun."

"Which is exactly why I hate her mile-high shoes," Marcus nodded. "Oh, and one more thing. As your standing in her office looking towards her desk, you'll see there's a door on the back office wall, in the left hand corner. That goes to what was a large closet. Over the years, its become not only a supply closet but it also is a small dressing room. She has, on more than one occasion, gotten her clothes messed up by some messy case in A&E. It has some changes of clothes, a couple extra coats, gloves, a couple umbrellas. I always just sort of keep an eye on the weather in case I need to grab the umbrellas for the trip home.

"You're always welcome to use the teakettle in Robert's office because he's rarely in there. Her name is Bertha...."

"Bertha?" Angus asked.

"The kettle's name is Bertha. She was a gift to Robert from Michael, but you've got to watch Bertha. She bites,' Marcus said. "Still, she knows how to make really good tea."

"Don't tell us. Bertha is enchanted like Snidely and Hiss and the rest of Michael's things," Angus said.

"I won't tell you then," Marcus replied.

Aria listened to Marcus and took in everything about the newspaper stand and the use of the employee's entrance to avoid paparazzi at the frount "Okay got it" she said "leave between 7:45 and 8, news stand, the Prophet and the Quibbler, and possibly New York Ghost, back entrance to St mangos to avoid press and un-necessary people, stay with her in her office, keep track of weather and ask secretary to fetch lunch and put it on your tab, that right?" she asked looking up at him from where she sat with some what of a smirk.

Ruby heard all that Marcus had said and breathed out " wow I didn't know she had such a busy day, and was that hounded, maybe they need to step up security around St Mungos to keep them away" she said but when Reetter skeeter was mentioned she shook hr ehad " hum that woman could make a mountain out of ant poop." she said folding her arms across hr chest " Im surprised shes not done that already" she said when the mention of her putting out a rumour of Brian and Khaat divorcing.

"Sounds like you've got it," Marcus told Aria. "I'll send Robert a note early to see if he can get David's keys from him for you. I'll not do it now because I don't want to wake him up."

"She does have long days," Angus told Ruby. "It is not at all unusual for her to not leave St. Mungos til 10 or 11 at night and then stop at Sparks to do the bookwork to keep the restaurant open. I think Brian's donig alot of the day to day books at Sparks for now, and then monthly, I doublecheck the books. Then at the end of the year, I make sure the taxes are done and the year end finances. But--she and Robert often put in 16 or 17 hour days. And, with Robert, his schedule usually requires him to start at work by seven, work until 3 at one job, and then go to the other job and work there til eleven or so. Kate didn't want him to continue both jobs, and I know there are days he does consider going part time at one or the other or both, but they're just boht ridiculously busy people."

Marcus laughed when Ruby talked about Rita.

"I think most people know that almost everything Rita writes is a lie," Marcus said.

"You should have read the articles she wrote about Harry back in the day," Angus rolled his eyes.

"Oh, God, I remember those," Marcus said. "She gives newspapers and journalists a bad name."

Aria nodded to Maaaald who had to be ready at least half an hour before heading to meet up with Khaat " Of course after the day he had he deserves a rest" Aria said when Marcus spoke about Robert. Ruby chuckled as they spoke of Rita and she nodded.

"Those are long days for people to maintain, surely they would burn out without a rest now and again," she said worriedly they would burn out as they burnt their candles and both ends. "I'm glad you don't do that," she said to Angus "One job is more than enough what ith the vineyard and yachts," she said knowing he had people he trusted running them.

Aria looked at Marcus and thought hard "Um what should I wear I know not heels I could never run in them so flats or semi-flats" she said but wanted his input on a dress code if any.

"Well, standard issue shoes for women who are in the protections game are black cap toe shoes, either flats or heels, or if a woman is wearing slacks, a pair of brown leather brogues. They might be an industry standard, personally, I don't like the brogues for women, and never brogues with a skirt. But--the cap toes are often specially made to have a steel toe to protect from foot injuries if there's a fall. Most women that I've seen in protections choose either a flat or a square heel that is under three inches. You choose whatever you already have that you feel that you could run and fight in if you need to. And, if you want to wear slacks instead of a skirt, by all means. I think having freedom of movement and speed should be your first choice," Marcus said.

"You're right, Ruby," Angus said. "That's why Kate has been so insistent that he not rely on junk food and get a highly nutritious diet. She wants him to take more time off than he does, and that's also why he relies on Michael so much, especially with the organization. I think Khaat sometimes works the longer days so that she can take some off Robert's shoulders. And its why she got him to promote Jess. She manages the day shift there, and he's looking for shift managers for second and third so that things are covered better there. I've been giving some serious thought to trying to come up with some sort of unique vacation idea for Robert and Kate for a really different sort of Christmas gift for them this year."

"Now that is an excellent idea," Marcus said. "It could be hard to find something that he hasn't done in all the standard places."

"That's why I think it needs to be something really unique."

Aria listened to Marcus and took in what he sugested about apearance and nodded " I have just the thing and a pair of flats, I'll wear those" she said then listened more to him nodding when she agreed. Ruby istened to Angus and smiled at the holiday idea.

"I agree " she said " it after all the days they've put in they need one to recharge thei bateries" she said " as for unique , I don't think theres ever been a place they haven gone , as far as I know" she said thinking about places but always coming up with the fact they had already been there seeing as they ahd already traveled exstencivly around the world.. " thats going to be a though one" she said siting back in her chair " but I think for now we should all retire and recharge our batteries" she sugested

"I agree. Tomorrow is going to be a long day for us, I have a feeling," Angus said.

"Definitely," Marcus said, feeling that he and Angus were probably going to be off to Colorado by tomorrow's end.

"I'll go hit the showers," Angus said, getting up and heading upstairs.

"Come on, Finn. One last trip, Boy, and don't go screwing around. Go out and get back," Marcus said, letting Finn out. He started checking all the doors and windows and then let Finn back in when he returned. Locking the front door was the last thing always on Marcus's list because Finn sometimes took his good old time coming back inside. Then he headed upstairs to head for the showers himself.

Angus finished in the shower, and he went into the bedroom and got into bed just as Finn ran in and jumped up on the bed, making a space for himself that would be right between Angus and Ruby.

"She might not want you there, Dude," Angus laughed, trying to shoo the dog to the foot of the bed, but Finn just came right back, determined on that particular spot in the middle of the bed.

Ruby chuckled at Angus but nodded as he headed up to shower. Aria looked to Marcus and headed up making sure the nursry door was just open so they could hear if Caprice woke , but she knew Caprice was a good one and slept all night. Heading to their room she took out her black suit, light cotton shirt and black flats. Hanging them on the back of the door she headed to shower herself then once clean she walked back in and changed into her pj's.

Ruby on the other hand had checked Caprice then walked to their room pausing at the door and laughed " its fine he can stay there, he'll be my hot water bottle" she said smiling a she changed and slipped in with Finn between the two of them " guess he missed us too and just wants to fel part of the family." she lay down and rested hr arm over Finn and onto Angus chukaling " this is going to be different" she said as she felt Finn lick her cheek making her chuckle.

"So long as you're good with it," Angus said. He turned out the light. "Goodnight, Ru."

He slept fairly soundly. He dreamed again of being in the casket in New Orleans. He hadn't dreamed of that while they'd been gone on the houseboat. He wasn't sure what had brought it back, but there it was again. He was in the casket again and, one more time, he was suffocating to death. It woke him four times during the night. He hadn't cried out or jerked around in bed, and he was glad that he hadn't done anything that would have disturbed Ruby. Still, he didn't like that the nightmares had returned at all.

It was a quarter of five when he got up. He dressed and shaved and went downstairs and tucked his cigarettes in his shirt pocket, just in case he wanted them. Then he started tea and coffee and fixed breakfast, sauteeing onions, mushrooms and bell peppers in a large skillet and then added scrambled eggs and plenty of shredded cheese and crumbled bacon for large country style breakfast scramble. While they were cooking, he made a large batch of fresh pumpkin scones with chopped candied pecans and chocolate chips, and he dusted each one before baking with crystalized sugar to create a crunchy brulee style crust. He made a spread for the scones by whipping some ricotta cheese and adding some honey, some cinnamon, a little vanilla, a tiny bit of orange juice, and a little orange zest. Lastly, he made a quick fruit salad. To plate it, he put the eggs into a large serving bowl and put it on the table, along with the platter of scones, the bowl of fruit salad, and the bowl with the sweet ricotta spread. He set out pitchers of tea and coffee for everyone, knowing they'd all be up early this morning.

"I knew I smelled something cooking," Edward yawned, coming in, dressed and sort of awake.

"Here," Angus said, pouring him coffee and handing him a cup.

"Bless you. It smells incredible."

"Not like you to sleep in," Angus said. "Simone is usually up and baking at this hour."

"'Fraid not," Edward said. "She's caught a cold, I think. She sounds horrid. I wanted her to go over and see Robert before he goes to work, but she just doesn't feel like getting up. She's gone back to sleep."