A Birth day

Aria stood and listened to Khaat and chuckled " yeah , but I don't mind and I understand why he does what he does" she said then listened to Khaat tak about her neclace " so thats what that was , I saw a faint green light come from it but thought it was the light" she added as she listened more to Khaat talking about the necklace and how it had been made and by who for what perpouse " hum good eearly warning device" she said " but I will watching it just as I keep a good watch on you when Im working, thank you for the encuragment but as Marcus would say, its my job" she added smiling to her " if Marcus is not too sore tomorrow he might be with you but if not I'll happily take the shift" she said then with a bit good night she haded to the duplex.

Ruby heard Angus and nodded picking up a tea spoon she took a taste and smiled " wow this is fantastic" she said smiling to him " its so warming and I love the taste of it." she placed down the spoon and nodded " yep its ready" she said taking out several bowls and spoons smiling a she saw the kids return "Angus has made pumkin stew for every one." she said smiling to them.

Edward helped Angus take half of the stew, the bread, and the cookies and package it up and take it next door. Michael was just coming in from checking a stretch of the protection grid that seemed to have failed on the north central property line, not the usual northwest sector. The north central section was right where the crops were, and they generally didn't have issues there. Still, though, Michael had gone out and repaired the enchantments and had come back, expecting to have to make supper, and when he saw Angus and Edward there, he was elated.

"Now that is a true rescue," Michael said. "What's on the menu?"

"Pumpkin stew, with our own fresh roasted pumpkins, fresh Irish soda bread, and shortbread for dessert," Angus said.

"Bless you. Thank you. Everyone will love it. They've been craving pumpkin dishes, so this is the first of the season over here. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Angus said. "Enjoy. We're going to go back and eat. If you need breakfast, it would help if you could let me know tonight so I can plan for it."

"No, I'll handle breakfast," Michael said. "Tonight was assistance enough."

"Okay," Angus said. He and Edward went back to the duplex and they joined everyone else at the table. "Did anyone send supper up to Sam?"

"Sam's coming down for supper," Sam said, coming down the stairs. "I'm starving." Anise picked up Abbey and set her down at a place at the table beside Cris while Ginger dished Abbey up a bowl of the stew.

"Ce este?" Cris asked Angus as he ate a spoonful of the stew.

"Tocană de dovleac," Angus replied. Cris looked surprised. He never dreamed anyone could make stew with a pumpkin.

"Este bine," Cris nodded.

"He likes the stew," Angus told the others. Caprice seemed to get angry that she was being left out, and she began to be naughty, having a temper tantrum. Angus sighed.

"I've got it," Edward said. He picked her up, and set her on his lap and accio'd a teacup and her small spoon. He put some of the stew broth, without any solids, in the teacup. and he fed her some spoonfuls of the broth. That seemed to quiet her.

"You're going to spoil her, Edward," Angus said.

"No," Edward laughed. "She'll find out in due time that she should not expect that every thing that she tastes off that spoon will be something she likes."

Aria entered and saw Micahel join them not long after Ruby smiled at Michaels words then as Sam joined them from upstairs " good to see you up on your feet Sam" she said placing a bowl down infront of him with some bread she looked over as Anise brught Abby over and was about to fecth Caprice when she threw her temper tantrum . Watching as Edward picked her up and fed her some stew she smiled seeing her settle down with him " and Im sure those will be lessons she will take with her into adult hood " she said smiling. Anise looked aorund for Marcus hoping he was okay.

" Has any one checked Marcus's head " she asked hoping some one did when they got back. She made two bowls and went to find Marcus to give him his food.

"Khaat checked it while we were at St. Mungo's, and Angus gave me an ice pack when we got home," Marcus told her. "I'm fine. A good night's sleep will make a huge difference. If I had a pence for every time I've had a bump or a bruise, we'd be buying a mansion and not a stone cottage, that's for sure."

"Oh, and I have news for you, Girls," Angus said. "I got a letter from Madame Maxine, the headmistress of Beauxbatons. She'd like to meet you two tomorrow morning in France."

"What! I don't have anything to wear!" Ginger said.

"Me neither!" Anise panicked.

"Calm," Marcus said. "I have an idea. Khaat has an endless closet. How about we go over, after supper, and I'm sure she'll let each of you borrow something..."

"But what about accessories and shoes and..." Ginger started.

"Her closet is twice the size of your entire bedroom," Angus laughed. "You'll find everything you need and more. Don't worry. I think it's a great idea in a pinch. Any objections, Ruby?"

"Since Evan and I know Madame Maxine, if I could make a suggestion, I'd choose something very feminine, seasonally appropriate, and very, very conservative," Tara said. "She is not someone to take a fashion risk with."

"Good advice," Angus said. "Thoughts, Ruby?"

Aria gave Marcus his bowl and bread and sat down next to him relived he was allright " thats good to know, but if you had a manshion I'd not be with you, I love the cottage " she said smirking to him knowing she like d the simple life as did he. Ruby listened to Marcus and Angus and shook her head " none at all Angus" she said to him smiling " in fact I think its a great idea for them to see Khaats closet, just don't let them get lost in it" she added knowing it was that big they could possibly do just that but she also knew they would find exactly what they needed with in it.

Aria listened and ate her stew finding it to me filing and having a homly flavore to her. " this is nice" she said to Marcus " Angus made this , I raly should get the recipy from him to make when we get the cottage" she said with a smile. " oh Khaat said I did a good job today and if you want to take the shift tomorrow she'll se you then, if not I can always go again, I don't mind" she told him.

"You want to come along, Angus? Ruby?" Marcus asked.

"Me?" Angus asked. "No offense, but heck, no. I trust you, and I trust them. I have a kitchen to clean up, a mammoth batch of yeast dough to make so I can churn out enough cinnamon rolls for this house, that house, and Madame Maxime, and breakfast prep to do for this place. When that's done, I'll need to make sure my suit is clean and pressed...."

"Sounds like you could use a hand," Tara said. "I'll help take care of cleaning up the kitchen so you have a clean place to make that dough in."

"Do please leave your suit to me, would you?" Marcus laughed.

"Honestly, if you want something impressive, you should wear that sage green tweed suit you wore for Edward and Simone's wedding. That looked very sharp on you that day. I think it's perfect for what you're doing. Remember Beauxbatons is in southern France, so it's still going to be about 24 to 28 degrees Celcius at the height of the day. Yes, technically its fall but its still quite warm there. Don't overdress."

"Except castles are damned cold year round," Angus laughed. "The girls are going to want to dress warmer."

"Then layers perhaps," Evan suggested.

"That's what I was going to suggest to them," Marcus said. "Now, will you need me to go with you tomorrow, Angus?"

"No, I shouldn't think," Angus said.

"I can go along. I know obviously know the way. Ruby, are you going? I presume you aren't taking the baby."

"There's no need when Simone and I are right here," Edward said.

"And I can be here, if I'm needed," Tara replied. "Whatever you all need, just say the word."

Ruby chucled and smiled as Angus said he didn't want to go clothes shoping with the girls when she was asked she shook her head " its oksy with me , you have good taste so Im sure you won't steer them wrong" she said smiling to Marcus then nodded as Angus rattled off a list of things he had to do the next day. Ruby looked at Caprice and smiled " and Im looking after Abby and Caprice along with helping Angus if he needs it" she added.

Aria could not help but let go of a yawn feeling exausted after the long day she'd had with Khaat and the excitment of James at the hospital. She looked to Marcus hoping he'd not seen her yawn as to her it would show she was not ready to take on such long days.

When the girls finished eating, Marcus took them next door, with Khaat's full permission to borrow a couple dresses from her closet. Khaat asked Marcus about Abbey, missing having her home. Marcus told her that Abbey was a good deal better, so they tentatively made plans to return Abbey sometime maybe tomorrow, if Kate was feeling better enough to go back to help Shannon watch Abbey and Molly during the work day. Kate was a good deal better too, and the St. Mungos' nurses that Jess had arranged had been busy cleaning and disinfecting the main house so that, hopefully, people wouldn't continue to get sick there. She also told Marcus that the pumpkin stew had been a huge hit, and there was not a drop left. It had been entirely inhaled with a request to do it again in a day or two---but a much bigger batch next time.

The girls did alright with their dresses. Ginger picked a black wrap dress with a flowing skirt. It had beautiful flowers on it in lovely shades of autumn colors. Marcus was a bit anxious about the black color on Ginger since she was so thin, but then he found a trim blazer in an Autumn burnt orange color to put over top of the dress. It looked perfect. Ginger already had a pair of black kitten heels that they had bought to attend some of the funerals in Tuscany. That would work fine.

Anise, in the meantime, had found a dress that looked rather bohemian with a mystical print in purple and teal, and other colors, but the swirls and patterns seemed to work for her. Marcus approved. He found her a purple belt to accent her waist and then he found her a waist length purple blazer that was in the same color family as the belt. Her own black shoes would work for her too. Then, he found, in Khaat's jewelry box, some beautiful beads and bracelets that Kate had made in colors that would work for each dress.

In the meantime, Angus made two big bowls of dough for cinnamon rolls while Tara and Edward cleaned up the kitchen and did the washing up. When the dough was done, Angus set warming charms on the big pottery dough bowls and covered each bowl with clean white towels. He made the spread for the cinnamon rolls and set it out on the counter in a covered bowl so that the butter wasn't too stiff to spread in the morning, and he made the icing and put that in the fridge.

Marcus brought the girls back, and they took their outfits to show the dresses and their coordinating jackets to Ruby for her opinion.

Ruby cleaned up and changed Caprice then smiled as she gave Abby's face and hands a wipe down to make her feel clean. seing the girls return she smiled seeing the outfits they had chosen "Wow very nice" she said smiling as she looked at them both "I'm sure Madame Maxine will like them too" she said with a smile as she held Caprice who now wore her PJ's with feet and giggled as she tried to get to Anise with her hands out grabbing to her.

Aria stood up and walked over to look at the dresses and smiled " we can make them fit better once there on you" she said " but yeah good choice the colors are just your color" she added and glanced at the shoes breathing out to see flats or low heel she glanced at Marcus and chuckled " your infulance?" she asked smiling.

"Mine? No," Marcus said. "Angus's and Ruby's. The girls had these shoes. They needed to get some black dress shoes to wear to some funerals at Edward's estate in Tuscany, and they'd never worn heels before. So these low heels were the easiest for them to walk in. They didn't have the time to learn to adjust to heels. Check out this jewelry." He handed her the box that he'd borrowed with the jewelry in it. "We borrowed this from Khaat. Thought you might like to see some of Kate's jewelry designs. She made each bead by hand, and she designed each piece and made it herself. She really does some amazing work. She's sold some of her jewelry on a commission basis, but personally, I think she's a real master of working with bright colors, whether she's doing glasswork or textiles or ceramics or paintings. I think these pieces will be perfect for the dresses for tomorrow."

"Do we need to wear black tights tomorrow?" Anise asked Marcus.

"No," Marcus replied. "It actually would be better if you didn't. It'll be warm weather. Black tights might be too warm. I think you should just rely on impeccable good grooming. You'll be fine." She nodded.

Angus put on a pot of milled wine for those who would drink it, using a bottle of Edward's Cabernet Sauvignon and a bottle of Merlot, adding the rest of the ingredients, the oranges, the spices, honey, and a little brandy for extra warmth. For the kids, he made some cocoa. He told Cris he could stay for cocoa and cookies but then he'd have to take him home.

"Who wants a mug of mulled wine?" Angus asked.

"Just pass them around, Boy," Edward said. "Your mulled wine is a sheer delight."