A Birth day

Ruby lookd at Sam as he spoke to her she folded her arms across her chest and said nothing to him but the scowl on her face said it all. Aria stood up and walked over to sam " of course she would , hes her friggin husband, whose done a lot for her and you" she said walking to the kitchen then up to her room to relax. Ruby heard Edward and simone and looked at Sam.

"Wish I could" she said softly as Edward mentioned blowing something up. She watched them leave and now more then ever wished Angus was with her. " I think you should go to your room or someplace other than here for now" she said wanting time to cool off and gather her self since his words had hurt her. She took out her book and opened it to the lst page she finished on and began reading again. Aria started to make some muffins to make sure she was doing something to help calm her thoughts, not that they were anyplace bad she knew sam hadn't thought about his words but he did ned to know they hurt not just Angus but those around him too.

Sam went up to his room, furious. Victor had no intention of hanging out with him when Sam was like this. Instead, he went down to the girls' room where he'd left a book of logic puzzles and got the book, picked up a pencil, flopped down on Ginger's bed and began to focus in on the puzzles.

"You know where my brain went?" Angus asked, as they walked with the wind howling in their faces.

"No, but I know where my would have gone if I'd been in your shoes," Marcus said.

"I was thinking of the night they died," Angus said.

"Yep. That's where mine would have gone too. That was a brutal night," he told Angus.

"Yes. It was. And then it went to the fact that Sam would have still had his dad if I hadn't meddled."

"Now, don't you feel sorry for him for one moment. Sam and Victor have never regretted the fact that Reginald is dead. The only dad they've ever wanted is you. Sam's just angry that Suzanne can't be appropriate about anything and that she keeps mucking in his life. He's just taking it out on you because you're handy. He might, chronologically, be an adult but he's got a lot of growing up yet to do."

"Yeah. I know. I'd like to go for a run, but it isn't the best weather for it," Angus said.

"I wouldn't. Not in these conditions. Being out here is strain enough on your body without thinking you can run. Unless something's chasing you, I'd avoid it if I were you."

They walked for about twenty minutes but it was just entirely too cold for them to be out much longer. When they went back inside, they found no one in the living room but Aria and Ruby.

"Well, Sam knows how to clear a room, doesn't he?" Marcus teased.

"I'd better get to work on some sort of lunch," Angus sighed as he took off his coat, not really in the mood to cook.

"I could make eggs," Marcus teased.

"Your one claim to fame," Angus said, laughing a little. "I have some leftover rotisserie chicken that I need to use, so I might make either some curried chicken salad or some coronation chicken salad and use Simone's idea about making a really good tossed salad and adding the chicken salad. Ruby, you make a good tossed salad. How about you make one with lots of different vegetables and fruit, and I'll make some sort of chicken mess or another to add to it."

"Chicken mess," Marcus shook his head. "How appetizing."

Ruby was glad when Angus came back giving him a smile as he and Marcus entered the duplex but it was Aria who spoke up " oh I made Buffalo Chicken Meatballs, needed something to do." she said showing them the food she was about to place into the oven to cook. " my next dish was going to be Honey Mustard Chicken, Tomato & Zucchini Foil Packs easy eating and reheating" she said chukaling " but if you want to cook thats fine , I just thought give you a break" she addedglancing at Ruby who still was reading her book. " oh Edward and simone went back to their side of the duplex if your wndering." she added as she fixed the food and placed both dishes in the oven to cook ready for dinner.

Ruby closed her book and looked at Angus and Marcus smiling to him a she nodded " Thankyou Marcus" she said letting out a deep breath as she steeled herself. " hes in his room Victor is in the girls room." she added

"No, that's fine," Angus said. "I honestly didn't want to cook anyway. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood, you know?"

"He was more in the mood for dentistry," Marcus teased.

"It was tempting," Angus said.

"He was going to remove all Sam's teeth and shove them up his..." Marcus began.

"I think they get the idea," Angus said. He nodded when Ruby said Victor was down in the girl's room. "Makes sense. He was probably just looking for someplace to get away from Sam. "I should go talk to him. I know he misses Ginger, but Ginger's just gotten started in Beauxbatons. She's got awhile to go."

"I'll try to talk to Sam," Marcus volunteered. "And I'll leave his teeth in his face for now--unless he's a horse's behind, in which case, I might take his teeth out. We'll see." He headed upstairs.

"I'll be back. I won't be long. Victor isn't generally a talker," Angus told Ruby, heading downstairs to talk to Victor.

Aria chuckled and nodded " I figured" she said finishing up her cleaning of the kitchen and making a fresh pot of coffee to have with dinner. Ruby watched Angus and nodded.

" I can understand him wanting space from Sam, let him know if he wants to stay the night in their room thats fine with me, but no going threw their things" she said smiling at the end as she glanced down at a giggling Caprice and smiling Diamond.

Angus went down and talked to Victor and told him about Ruby's offer to let him stay in the girls' room tonight as long as he didn't go through their things.

"I don't need to go through their things," Victor told Angus, looking eye to eye at him.

"Because you already know where everything is," Angus replied.

"Well, yeah. Of course. I mean, she's my partner--in every way that matters to me," Victor said.

"Understood," Angus replied. "Come get some lunch. Ruby cooked some chicken, and I think you're going to like it."

Victor went upstairs with Angus.

"Sorry, Ruby," Victor said, pitching in to set the table. "I just had to get away from him for a bit. He gets on my nerves sometimes, you know. Just because we're twins doesn't mean i want him up my butt all the time. Sometimes I need some space from him."

"I'm sure she understands that," Angus said. And then for some reason, Victor remembered something.

"Oh no," Victor said, heading for the deck door.

"Where are you going?" Angus asked.

"I left something outside--three days ago," Victor said. He looked and saw a waist high snow drift against the french doors leading out to the deck.

"Yeah, I wouldn't go out that way," Angus said. "Try an accio spell from the front door. Victor went outside and nervously cast an accio spell,and in a moment, some things were flying through the air rapidly, right at Victor. Angus whipped out his wand and fired at the ones that were heading right for Victor's head. Some sorts of shards flew through the air and landed in the snow. A moment later, things got quiet. Really quiet.

"What was it that I just blew up?" Angus asked. Victor reached down into a snowdrift and picked up some cans of soda that were frozen solid. And all around them on the front porch were shards of metal and ice from some soda cans that Angus had blown up.

Angus looked at the cans. They were Dr. Peppers.

"Where did you get Dr. Peppers? Those are muggle sodas from the states."

"Yeah. Ginger read a muggle magazine, and there was an ad for them in there. She really wanted to try them, so I got some to surprise her. I tried one, and they taste like cough syrup. So I thought that since Americans chill their sodas, they might taste better chilled."

"And you forgot about them," Angus laughed.

"Yeah. Sorry."

"Well, two things. First--Dr Pepper does taste like cough syrup. They're black cherry flavored sodas. And second, don't ever freeze a soda and then try to open them. You'll be wearing them. Oh, and third, don't shake your soda and open it either. That's just about as bad. Now, go in and have Marcus or Ruby cast a cleaning up spell on you. You're covered in Dr. Pepper, and you smell like black cherries. I'll do a quick clean up out here."

"Ok. Oh, and Angus? Thanks," Victor said, going inside. Marcus looked at Victor who looked like he'd just taken a bath in his clothes and in cans of cola.

"What happened to you?" Marcus frowned.

"Soda," Victor said. "A hand, please?"

Ruby saw Victor walk up with Angus and heard his apology she stood up and walked over to him" you have nothing to apologise for" she said then nodded at his words "That would be Aria and I know how that feels, Jessie and I fought a lot too, but time apart is not always a bad thing" she said then nodded as Victor went suddenly to the back door.

Aria looked uop as Victor headed back in " oh my, lost a fight with that soda huh?" she said" I got it" chukaling as she walked around from the kitchen, she took out her wand and cast a cleaning spell to dry and clean his clothing " there much better, foods nearly ready, hope you like it" she said smiling as she walked back leaving a chukaling Ruby sat on the couch.

Ruby moved to Victor and gave him a hug to show she had forgiven him and still cared about him even if she thought Sam was being a Douche Canoe right now.

"Thanks, Ruby," Victor said. "I think I spent big bucks on some imported American soda that has to be some of the nastiest stuff I've ever tasted. I hope Ginger appreciates it. Hey, I wonder if maybe it spoils when its frozen." Angus laughed.

"And maybe it's just nasty," Angus replied.

Marcus eventually came downstairs by himself.

"Sam says he's skipping lunch," Marcus said. "He's not very hungry."

"I wonder if..." Angus began.

"Let him be, Angus," Marcus said. "He needs some time to think. He's a big boy. If he gets hungry, he's very capable of making himself a sandwich."

"You told him, didn't you?"

"Told him your parents were huge criminals and that they were the bosses for his parents? Yes. I did. Did I tell him that you killed your mother in self defense and that Edward had to kill your father in order to save you? Yes. I did. Tell him the rest of the story? Of course I did. Did I tell him that he was a huge asshat and needs to apologize? You bet I did. Leave something out? Nope. Don't think so. And, before you ask, no, I don't regret it. If he thinks he's man enough to be a fighter, then he's man enough to know the whole truth about you and that he doesn't have the entire market on crappy childhoods. He needs to know that the Gelding family's crimes go back way before he was even thought of."

Angus didn't speak for a moment. He knew that Marcus had told him exactly how Benjamin and Eileen had died, and part of why Sam had no appetite now is that the details were revolting enough to make anyone lose their appetite. Angus didn't say anything. He just went to the fridge and got a pitcher of chilled water and poured glasses of water for people to go with their lunches.

"Can I help you with anything else for lunch?" Angus asked Ruby.

Ruby saw Marcus return and listened to the conversation she smiled at Victor and nodded " Had it once, too sweet" she said then listened to Angus talk to Marcus "He right he had to know, might make him think, he had it bad but others have it worse and that's what he needs to think about, not his pain" she said walking over to Angus and hugging him " he'll be okay" she said " and nope Aria and I have it, we'll keep something for him for later if he wants it" she told Marcus.

" too right" Aria said just as a note flew out the floo and landed on the coffee " Ho that might be from Lucian" she said motioning with a knife before realising what she had done and placing it down " oops my bad" she said with a chuckle " never point with a knife" she scolded herself but smiled at them. Aria sent the crockery and cutlry to the table and Ruby moved to lay it out ready for every one to eat. " I made a small dish for the babies." Aria said to Angus " not sure if they will like it though its a Haddock, cauliflower & potato purée, you still had a small fillet left in the freezer." she looekd at him then looked to Marcus " don't look suprised I can cook, rarly but I can" she chuckled.

"I didn't doubt you could cook. You did cook over our camping weekend, if I recall," Marcus said. "But just the same, I'll keep some takeout menus on hand at the cottage, if you like. Or I'll make a deal with Angus to deliver nightly."

"I'm sure what you fixed the babies will be fine, Aria," Angus said. "Caprice eats just about anything but bananas. She likes fish as long as it doesn't smell overly strong. I've even let her taste my salmon from time to time, and she likes it. As for Diamond? I guess we'll find out together."

He went over to the playpen, and he saw that the rash she had was spreading. And yet, Diamond was just laying in the playpen, not making a sound. That bothered him immensely. He accio'd the itching potion and put more on her on the rash and changed her diaper before sitting her in a high chair. He put the chair close to his own seat to try to feed her at the same time he was feeding himself. He knew that eventually the babies would be able to feed themselves, even if it was just finger foods, but he did look forward to them having some of those skills for themselves.