A Birth day

Angus apparated Ruby and himself over to the kitchen in the main house, where Zoe was packing three lunches. She had made some terrific Asian chicken salad for lunch, and she was packing enough for Khaat and whichever two people she had for guards at lunch time. She had also included some generous slabs of freshly baked Italian almond cake, along with some pieces of fresh fruit for snacking, just in case.

"Thanks, Zoe," Khaat was saying, as Zoe closed the three lunches, shrank them and put them in Khaat's messenger bag. "You have some of the best chicken salad."

"It's Angus's recipe," Zoe laughed.

"Why am I not surprised?" Khaat laughed. She looked at Angus and Ruby. "I could manage to go by myself, but if I did, Marcus would have my head. I am glad to have you both along, though. You could use Marcus's latest trick if you're feeling adventurous and port us there and land on the roof. He says it is a little tricky to land on the roof."

"You really want to get us in trouble somehow this morning, don't you?" Angus laughed. "Let's just go the usual back way, shall we?" He took hold of Khaat's hand, leaving Ruby to take Khaat's other hand so he could apparate them all.

Angus apparated them to St. Mungo's to the back door, and he was a bit surprised to see quite a crowd of reporters and photographers there too.

"Keep moving," Khaat told Angus and Ruby quietly. "I'll give a statement later. Let's just keep moving."

"You read my mind," Angus said. "Ruby, I'll go in front and move her through and try to keep them from getting ahold of her from either side. You stay close behind her and make sure no one can grab her from behind or anyone on the side that I might miss." He stepped in front of Khaat, and kept hold of her hand, moving forward as quickly as he could, forcing the reporters to move out of the way. Khaat already knew well how to stay pressed tight to her bodyguards, so she pressed in close to Angus, knowing Ruby would be pressing in against her from behind. Hospital security was trying to clear the back door so they could get in wtihout letting reporters in too.

Ruby smiled smelling the food that Zoe was packing and chuckled as she said it was Angus recipy " he has good ideas with food" she said then chuckled at Khaats words and mention of porting to the roof. She staid quiet as they spoke but watched as the lunches were packed into Khaats messanger bag. Taking Angus arm again she cling to him as Khaat did the same and they ported away.

Apearing at St Mungos Ruby fell in behind Angus with Khaat inbetween them as they moved she kept her eyes open as they moved to the back door and Angus opened it for them to enter.

Aria smiled seeing the reliters sign and looked to Marcus hoping they would see the inside of the cottage this day as he ahd mentioned wanting to see the inside. She followed him up to the door and inside staying at his side letting him do all the talking.

Angus was making a mental note of the faces of the reporters and photographers as they went in, and one of the faces sent off a silent alarm in Angus's head, but in the moment, he couldn't place it. He had to stay focused, and he pushed them forward to get inside. As soon as they got inside, the hospital security shut the doors and locked them. Angus spun around and cast an enchantment on the door to make it impossible for anyone who wasn't an employee to open the door.

"You realize that means our suppliers can't open the doors today," one of the security men scowled at Angus.

"You realize your chief of staff is on medical leave today because he was attacked last night," Angus retorted firmly. "You shouldn't want anyone who isn't staff to have access to employee only areas. Unless the safety of the employees and patients doesn't really matter that much to you." The guard scowled at Angus.

"We will remain in a lockdown status in the employee only areas today," Khaat told the guards. "No one in or out unless they absolutely need to be in those areas." One of the guards clearly was angry with Angus because it meant more work for them, but Angus didn't honestly care. "Let's go," Khaat told Angus and Ruby, wanting to get upstairs. She wasn't stopping for newspapers or coffee today, and Angus was actually glad. There were not reporters here, so they could relax just a little. "You can walk alongside her now if you like, I think, Ru," Angus told Ruby.

The realtor took Marcus and Aria into an office and they sat down at a conference table. The realtor went over the sales agreement, and when Marcus was satisfied, he signed the purchase agreement and dated it. He had been specific to put Aria on the deed as well. After he signed, he handed the pen to Aria so she could sign it as a co-owner.

Ruby had seen Angus's glance and the puzzled frown on his face at the sight of one man that was in the crowd but she could not make out whitch man it was he had looked out. Once inside she saw him quickly cast a spell on the door and knew it had to be something big he had seen outside. Standing with Khaat she watched Angus hearing him say she could walk beside Khaat she shook her head " I saw the way you looked out side somethings going on" she said.

Aria watched as Marcus signed the documents for the cottage but sat puzzled as he slid it over to her. Taking the pen she looked where he ahd signed adn saw her nem printed too , looking back up to him she loked puzzled " are you sure about this?" she asked " are the kids okay with this" she asked not wanting to step on their toes or for them to think she was taking anything from them if she signed.

"Not here," Angus told her, feeling a need to make sure Khaat was safe first. "Upstairs." As soon as they were upstairs, Khaat ordered the newspapers and some French roast from her secretary, who nodded, promising to have it sent straight away. Then they went into her office, and Angus cast another security spell across the doorway of her office, not locking it, but just wanting another spell in place.

"So what unnerved you?" Khaat asked Angus as she turned on the lights and settled in at her desk to check the messages that had come in overnight.

"I wasn't unnerved," Angus said, 'but I saw someone in the press pool that I saw before, and I know they weren't a reporter the last time I saw them. It was a woman with red hair--and I mean deep red hair. Almond shaped eyes that were sort of an odd greenish brown."

"You saw her in the press pool?" Khaat was suddenly alert now, looking at Angus.

"Yeah. I'm sure. Do we know her?'

"We certainly do," Khaat said. She opened a drawer in her desk and got out a file folder and opened it, going through a stack of photos. She found one and handed it to Angus. "Is that her?"

"Yeah. That's definitely her. Who is she?"

"Moira," Khaat said. "She's the alpha female in James' pack. She would like to be his chosen female, but the best she's ever been able to do is to earn the female alpha status."

"How dangerous is she?"

"Absolutely lethal," Khaat told Angus. "I wouldn't suggest either of you take her on without backup. She's not as muscular as James is, but she's a hell of a lot smarter and every bit as dangerous and deadly."

"Then James is trying to inflitrate here. Should we think James had any part in the potions thefts?"

"I don't know why they'd need to. Michael told me not long ago that so far as the Paris intel says, James is still working for Tom, so if that's the case, James could strongarm Tom for any potions his pack might need," Khaat said.

Ruby listened to Angus and nodded following them both up to Khaats office watching him cast another spell to that door then he spoke . She stood and folded her arms across her chest as he spoke who he had seen and who it was. " wow , okay thats not good" she said " glad we came together " she said " But I agree that Khaat should not go out without one of or both of us together." she said movng to check the windows then sit on the couch where she saw a half finished crossword.

Pausing in the cross word she looked up at Angus " why would she come here , werewolves aren't known to want to get medical help" she said placing the paper back down on the table as she looked at both of them.

"I don't think it has anything to do with medical care," Angus said. "I honestly think Moira is here looking to find some cracks in the security--some way for James to get closer to Khaat. I think Khaat's right about James being able to strongarm Tom into supplying any potions the pack needs. I don't think James cares enough about anyone other than himself for him to spend any effort on spending money to get potions for the pack, but I do think that if James wanted some way to get another crack at Khaat, Moira would try to find it for him because she would certainly hope that would get her some points with James."

"James has certainly come here before, so I don't put it past him to do it again," Khaat said. Angus walked the room and, not putting anything past him, he started casting spells on each window and on the doors. "You're doing protection spells on the windows?" Khaat frowned. "We're on the fifth floor."

"Yes, I know, but werewolves can still fly brooms, you know," Angus said. "I'd rather be overprotective than slacking." He continued to cast spells. "Let's just hope that Jack and Jessie don't just happen to show up because if they try to come into this room, my werewolf line spell with chuck them back on their arses."

"Wouldn't be the first time that's happened to Jack," Khaat laughed. "Don't know about Jessie, though. Realistically, I think they'd both understand wanting to keep werewolves out of this room."

When Aria signed the form, the realtor took the paperwork and gave Marcus two key rings.

"The house is actually empty now," he told them. "You can get in and see it now, but you can't actually take possession of it and the rest of the buildings on the property, though, for thirty days but you need to have them all relocated in 90 days. Are you going to need a company to either move the buildings or..."

"I'll have it done before then. I don't think I'll need a recommendation of a house mover but if I do, I'll let you know," Marcus said, sliding one of the key rings over to Aria.

Ruby litened to Angus and nodded " hum, so true" she said as she watched him spell the windows around the room then chuckled listening to Khaat " well we don't know how high they can jump ether" she said as Angus finished . Hearing about Jack and Jessie and how Jack had ben thrown on his ass so many times she could not help but chuckle " I wonder how often that has happened?" she said still smirking at th thought.

Aria sat and watched as the reliter smiled and spoke to Marcus then slid over two sent of keys. She didn't expect him to give her one but when he slid it over she looked at him and smiled Picking up the key as she looked down at it. She wanted to ask if he was okay with giving her a key but she didn't knowing they were practicaly living together already, this was just making it offical. Leaning over to Marcus she gently kissed his cheek " thank you" she said softly with a smile.

"Many," Angus told Ruby. "And those are just the ones I know of. I doubt he keeps track. It is a good thing that he's generally a good sport about it, though."

"Not to mention all the things he's been turned into," Khaat laughed.

"Like the little fuzzy duck?" Angus asked.

"That was exactly the one I was thinking of," she said.

"Your father did that, didn't he?"

"He did. I just don't remember what for," she replied.

"Me neither," Angus said.

"You're welcome," Marcus smiled at Aria.

"It's an ambitious project you're undertaking, but it'll be the perfect place to start a family in," the realtor said to them.

"Already have one," Marcus said. "Got five of them."

"Well, this should give you plenty of room, then," he replied. "If you combine the outbuildings, your five might all be able to have their own rooms."

"I should think," Marcus said. He wasn't really concerned that they have their own rooms. First of all, they'd never had their own rooms, and since they were in school anyway, they were only home at the summer and on breaks. They weren't going to miss what they'd never had. Poppy had had her own room at Ana's but she had shared a room with Daria, and they had gotten along well. So that wasn't a concern.

Ruby listened to Khaat and Angus talking them laughed as they spoke about Jack being on his butt more than once and being changed into a duck a little fluffy duck " wow realy?" she asked " could never imagine big brad Jack being a small yellow fluffy duck" she said with a chuckle as she listened more.

Aria smiled to Marcus then looked at the reliter not saying anything about the fact the kids were not hers biologicaly. " That sounds like a good idea" she said softly " but we can think about that once its in place" she added and looked to the Reliter " was that everything?" she asked with a smile hoping Marcus was done and they could go see the inside of the cottage.