A Birth day

Aria chuckled at Marcus and shook her head " of course different days, we could do one be tween hallowen and christmas then another after new year." she said with a smile then spoke again " well I can take tomorrow so your free to help Angus, its not like I haven't guarded her before right." she said as she smiled to Marcus. " besides I kinda like it, and no Im not getting comfortable and I do watch mine and Khaats back " she added, " but I do think with everything you have on tomorrow , leaving Khat's guarding to me again will help you focus on what the girls need." she said hoping she made sense to him. Seeing Jessie wave good night she smiled and waved back to him as she watched him leave threw the back door and smiled as Marcus said he would check that everything was locked up. " he's right you know , he always comes down after you head to bed and double checks" she said smiling at Marcus. Moving to Mrcus side she gently kisse his cheek " I'll be upstairs once your done" she said once she had kissed him.

Heading up to their room she took out a freshly presed cuit forherself and hung it next to Marcus along with court shoes with a low heel so she looked smart but was practical too. Now done she let down her hair and changed into her night wearbefore starting her nightly rutine as she waited for Marcus to join her.

"I'll give it some thought," Marcus said. "It's not a bad idea."

"Yes," Angus replied to Aria. "I know he does, and there have been times when that has been really helpful for me, as a pretty new dad to all these kids, to know that Marcus has checked the house and made it as secure as it can be. It's one thing if Suzanne pulls crap with me, but its something else if she decides to come after the kids. And I know that if she is acting up, it isn't unusual for him to check things two or three times during the night just to make sure we're still safe. I'm glad he does. See you in the morning. Goodnight." He went usptairs and changed and got into his pajamas and got into bed. He glanced up at the crystal clear sky and seemed to show millions and millions of stars through the skylight tonight. It was something he never got tired of.

Marcus made a check and made sure everything was secure and then he went upstairs and got changed and got into bed.

"It seems like it has been exceptionally busy lately," Marcus said to Aria. "I'm glad you've enjoyed spending time with Khaat. She and I became good friends right from the start, and that's something I never do. I never befriend my clients, but it just happened with her. I like that she's smart and brave and she's a really fierce fighter if she needs to be. I think you'll find there's a lot to like about her the more you get to know her, and she'll like you too, I'm sure." He turned off the light. ""We need to get some sleep. Goodnight, Aria." He gave her a kiss and then closed his eyes.

Ruby smiled as Angus entered and then went to change into his PJs's she snuggled against him as he looked at the sky through the skylight "It's a beautiful night tonight." she said softly to him holding him close to her as she found herself falling asleep against him.

Aria had agreed with Angus about Marcus checking the house after he had done it " I would be the same should Marcus's ex-wife pull something like that again with the kids." she said "but I will admit I find myself seeing them as mine too, should she do anything she will have my rath come down on her too" she said smiling to Marcus as she watched him check everywhere as he spoke about his friendship with Khaat " I can see why, she's a strong empathetic woman who makes everyone around her stronger too, including you, I will be honoured to one day be called her friend too, since it will be along time before I go anywhere. " she said smiling to him teasingly.

"It certainly is," he smiled. "If I live to be 200, I don't know that I'll ever get tired of that. Night, Ru."

"If I can give you one little suggestion," Marcus said. "Be their friend first. Remember, they know what it's like to have wonderful grandparents and good friends. They have a dad, but they don't have any concept what it is to have a mother who is anything except Evelyn, and she was quite often too dangerous to be around them. They don't know what it feels like to have a decent mom, so they might not trust that as much as they would welcome their father's friend. You might want to try that approach, and, hopefully, in time they'll just slide into what it's like to have more than just me around or more than just my parents. I don't think they'll take long to adjust because they've always wanted to see me with someone else, but time will tell, I guess. As for Khaat, I think she probably already likes you because if she didn't, you would have known immediately. She's up front. She doesn't believe in playing games with people's feelings. So, I'd say you passed the biggest hurdle, so now, just take the time to get to know each other. It'll be fine." He kissed her forehead and then slipped off to sleep.

Ruby chuckled and smiled " 200 hundred hey" she said with a soft chuckle " well I an say I will still be at your side thats for sure" she told him and kissed his cheek gently " night Angus my love" she said smiling a she drifted to sleep.

Aria lay and listened to Marcus and smiled " of course thats what I will do, after the way your ex was with them, trust needs to be built but your right freindship first." she smiled at him as he spoke of Khaat " yeah I'd have been a smoking pile of ash on the floor, but Im glad we get along, she's a good person, so's Jess she came to check we were okay after the whole were dibacle, and to give Khaat the report." she staied laid against him and felt him kiss her forehead " sweet dreams my love" she said softly as she heard his breathing become even as he drifted to slep. Closing her eyes she fell asleep beside him dreaming of playing with his kids again and a lot of laughter.

Aria woke early , showered and dressed in her suit this time braiding her hair instead of putting it up in a bun she walked into the bed room " morning" she said smiling as she moved to his side of the bed and lent down to kiss Marcus. " ready to help Angus with the girls today?" she asked as she smelt cooking from below. " ether Ruby or Angus is up and cooking." she said sliping on her shoes as she waited for him.

Ruby had decided to get up and make breakfast for every one since they ahd long busy days ahead as did she. She had made Turbo beans & cheese on toast, Blueberry & banana power smoothie's along with some Easy breakfast burritos so the kids could add what they wanted to eat.

The girls were up extra early. They'd showered, and they were in their robes, fussing over their hair and not happy with how it was looking no matter what they did. They were really unhappy with their makeup too.

Angus was up, and he had dressed, all but his suit jacket, but he wasn't happy with his hair either. It was doing strange things this morning, of all days. Marcus was up and dressed, and he heard Angus getting frustrated. He knocked and then let himself into the bedroom.

"What's the problem?" Marcus asked, "besides the fact that, first, your tie is buggared. And second, your hair has looked better."

"My tie is buggared, and I need to shave my head," Angus sighed. "And my shirt and my jacket don't fit."

"You need a haircut, not a head shave," Marcus said. "Allow me." He flicked his fingers at Angus' hair, making it look freshly cut and handsomely styled. Then he re-tied Angus's tie. "Now, let me see...well, you've build up the muscles in your arms and in your shoulders. Now your shirt and your jacket are too small. Let me fix it." He adjusted the fit of his suit for him until it was perfect. "Much better. Wait. Where are your cuff links?"

"On my sleeves."

"No, they're not," Marcus said. "Oh wait. Here they are, on the floor." he picked them up. "Angus, if you want them to stay in your sleeve, you have to turn the toggle." He laughed. "Distracted, are we?"

"Maybe a little," Angus said, as Marcus helped him with his french cuffs on his shirt and the cufflinks.

"There. Now, except your jacket, you're ready," Marcus said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll go rescue the girls." He left, and Angus went downstairs.

"God, I need coffee," Angus sighed as he walked to the kitchen. "So, Ru, will I do?"

Ruby smiled seeing Angus walk down from upstairs and heard his words " wow very hansom" she said smiling as she pored out a cup from a fresh pot of coffee " here and yes you look very hansom" she told him as she gave him a light kiss wiping away her lipstick as she did. Aria smiled and picked up a burrito , sitting down she ate with a cup of coffee.

"very smart, Marcus helping the girls?" she asked as she sipped her coffee to wash the burrito down. " Im on bodyguard duty so Marcus is free today for you and the girls" she added seeing the time she smiled " wellp Im off see you guys later and good luck at madam whats her names" she said and chukled as she picked up a second burrito and headed over to the main house.

Ruby chuckled and placed several burritos from the oven on the warming tray for the girls and the others. " I made breakfast becuse I knew you'd be busy" she told him as she moved back to the kitchen " I do hope they get in, there bright girls." she added" please let me know once you know how they did." she added nervouse enough for two people.

"Thank you," Angus said, taking a moment just to smell the aroma of the coffee in his cup. "He had to really adjust my suit fit quite a lot. The shirt and the jacket were both too small. You know, I don't know if I could get everything right the way Marcus does. Someone once told me it wasn't that I wasn't getting it right but it was just that I had more of a rustic look." He laughed. "I think in that case, rustic only means a lot less polished. This is one of those times when being polished counts. You're welcome to come along, you know. Edward and Simone would happily watch Caprice. The boys are going to be working, so our side of the house would be empty. There's not going to be anything holding you here. Why don't you go put on a dress and come with us?"

Marcus went downstairs, saw the girls panicking over hair and makeup, and he used a glamour charm to help them both. They had magazines with the hairstyles they wanted, so that made that easy. And the spell made quick work of the makeup jobs. He refused to do anything for them other than very light, age appropriate makeup. He did a charm for each of them for manicures and pedicures. Once they were dressed, he adjusted the fit of their clothes and then pronounced them ready. He went upstairs with them.

"Well, here they are," Marcus said. "What do you think?"

"Perfect," Angus said. He liked the mystical look of Anise's multicolored dress, and he liked how the subtle autumn colored roses and the burnt orange blazer of Ginger's outfit accented her chestnut colored hair. "God, you both look so grown up and mature."

"I don't feel like it," Anise sighed.

"Come tuck into some breakfast. You're going to want something in your stomach. It could be a long morning otherwise. Oh, dang. I need to finish baking off those cinnamon rolls or we won't' have a gift for Madame Maxine. I wanted to make them in the regular large size to accommodate her half giant size. I'd better pass on my own breakfast and get baking instead," he sighed.

Ruby smiled seeing Angus dressed in his resized suit " to me your perfect as you are" she told him then heard him say it would be allright if she went with them. thinking about it she nodded " all right if you think Edward and simone will be okay with looking after Caprice" she said finishing up breakfast by taking out some fresh made cinimon rolls.

Seeing the girls she smiled " you both look grown up" she said smiling as she looked to Angus " okay I'll go and get ready myself." she said as she headed up to their room. Once there she dressed in a black two peice suit with black patent heels and a gold clutch and matching earring and neclace set now ready she walked down the stairs pausing to smile at Angus and the girls from the middle step. " so will I do?" she asked her makeup was simple but with an air of simple elagance.

"They're always good with it," Angus said.

"I'll go sound them out, if you like," Marcus said. "I'd be better at that than at the baking."

"True," Angus said. Marcus went next door, and Angus prepared the cinnamon rolls and then put another two sheet pans in the oven. He could get three full sized commercial sheet pans in his commercial sized oven at a time, and he had made the cinnamon rolls today so that four would fit on each sheet pan. That put a full dozen of the mammoth rolls in the oven at a time. He had another dozen that were cut and ready to bake when those were done.

Marcus came back with Edward and Simone.

"You know that being able to spend time with the kids is one of our main reasons for living here," Edward said. "Of course we'll watch her. We figured you were going to want us to do that. Baking?"

"Cinnamon rolls as a gift for Madame Maxine," Angus replied. "Ruby baked some, and I just put another dozen in the oven, and there's one more dozen ready to be baked off when these are out."

"Oh, capital idea," Edward said. "I'm sure she doesn't always get something in a proper size for a giantess. Well done."

"I'll get those taken care of while you're gone," Simone said.

"Very nice," Angus told Ruby when she came down.

"I agree," Marcus said. "Let me tweak just a couple little things." He flicked his fingers at her for just a little fine tuning. "There. That's good. I think you all look fine now."

"You going along, Marcus?" Edward said.

"He'd better," Angus laughed. "I have visuals of us hitting turbulance on the porting during the crossing and us looking a disaster."

"You would think of that," Marcus teased. "Oh, very well. We can't have you looking like you were strapped on the outside of a muggle plane, can we? You have about thirty minutes before we need to go, so that gives you time to get the last batch of rolls out of the oven, get them iced and packaged."

"And in the meantime, I get to finish my coffee," Angus laughed.