A Birth day

Aria laughed and nodded " definatly" she said to Marcus with a smile as she picked up the trays with food and placed them in the warmer " okay guys fresh veg to go with the food , help yourselves" she said and made aplate for herself and Marcus while Ruby made a plate for Angus and herself accioing the food for the babies to the table where she saw Angus check and feed Diamond " that rash still there?" Aria asked " maybe she need to pysicaly see Robert, could get Jack to bring him hre to take alook at it since its not geting better" she said as she ate.

Ruby saw Dimonds rash and sighed wishing she could do something to rid her of it but the cream Angus was using seem to sooth it for the moment even if it was still spreading. " maybe shes illergic to the soap powder, or even Finn?" she said as she held the spoon for Caprice who decided she wanted to try and feed herself , Ruby let her take it but helds on to it guiding her to her mouth, ending up with more on hr face than in her mouth.

"I intend for Robert to check her as soon as the storm subsides," Angus said. "We need to write down, as accurately as possible, a list of what we've fed her on each day that we've had her. He's going to want to know. I suppose it is possible that she's allergic to some sort of soap or to Finn, but it could be a lot of things. If we have a list of the foods, though, that will help him to start to narrow things down. I know she's probably uncomfortable, but on the other hand, it isn't a medical emergency. Let's hope this dies down today, like the forecast said it should, and then we can either take her over there or ask him to come here. Whatever works best for him. Besides, Nigel is coming too, remember? Maybe we can kill two birds with one stone somehow."

Angus fed her some of the food that Aria had made, and he was surprised that she actually ate it more readily than she had taken the formula. Things began to click in his head, and he had a theory.

"I wonder..." Angus frowned.

"What are you thinking?" Marcus asked, sitting on the other side of Diamond.

"She's eating this food like its what she's always eaten. I bet you that's what they were feeding her. They weren't feeding her the foods she needed. They were just expecting her to eat whatever they were eating or do without. That's why she's thinner and not well developed. She hasn't been able to eat the things they were feeding her. She's eating this because its familiar to her."

"I think you're probably exactly right," Marcus said. "So someone really was trying to take care of her, but we don't know who. Maybe Daniella can find that out before we have to return her."

"That would be good to know. It shouldn't be any of our business, but someone has to give a damn about how she's being taken care of if she's going to survive," Angus said.

"Well, you know," Marcus said, "maybe I need to put a word in Michael's ear since he has quite a bit of leverage with Daniella. Maybe she needs to put in an undercover auror in the Gelding house as a nanny. Just a thought."

"That would be extraordinarily dangerous," Angus said, frowning deeply.

"Indeed it would," Marcus agreed, 'but maybe its worth mentioning."

"If you want to mention it, I'd suggest you tell Robert first," Angus said.

Ruy watched Dimond and nodded " she seems to like this kind of food" she said Aria nodded beside her but placed a napkin on her shoulder just as a spoch of food landed on it and she lookedto a giggling Caprice " oh boy some one has dicovered food throwing, oh I sent Edward and Simone some food over too" she added "in case you thought I forgot about them" She went back to eating as she looked at them over her fork and chuckled.

Ruby listened to Angus and nodded " good idea Nigel will be able to spot exactly what it is " she said and looked out side as she hadn't heard the wind for several minets " hey looks like its stopping" she said now seeing the flakes gently falling to the ground other than being buffeted in the wind.

"Oh, she knows about food throwing," Angus said. "She found out about food throwing right after she found out about poo throwing. Little monster. Caught her a few days ago after a blowout chucking poo around the nursery. Forgot to tell you that, didn't I? She's not so ladylike after all. I will be so glad when our conversations about children don't involve things that are going in one and or coming out of the other." That, for some reason, made Marcus and Victor burst out laughing.

"You've only got about eighteen years left with that one, and somewhere in that time frame you're going to be having those conversations about your grandchildren," Marcus said

"Or yours," Angus replied.

"Hush," Marcus frowned. "I hadn't considered those yet."

"Don't let him give you ideas," Angus told Victor.

"We've already talked about doing that in a year or two," Victor said.

"I'd really prefer you slow that down a bit," Angus said. "We do not need to be celebrating the girls' eighteenth birthdays and their babies' christenings on the same day."

"Heaven forbid," Marcus frowned.

Aria and Ruby laughed with Victor and Marcus as Angus told them of the blow out disaster in the nursry " well Im glad it was cleaned up" Ruby said when Marcus said he hadn't thought of kids just yet Aria looked at him and nodded " agreed" she said making Ruby chuckle.

" I do agree with Angus though about waiting, enjoy your lifes together with out kids yet" she said " I had to look after you guys and Jessie I only got my freedom when I left, I don't regret it but, Please Im too young to be a grandmother and Im sure Edward is too young to be a great grand father yet" she said then paused " well maybe" she said chukaling as she went back to feeding Caprice and eating her own food.

"We are the great grandchildren, Ruby," Victor reminded her. "Angus is the grandson, so we're the great grandchildren. Our children will be great, great grandchildren."

"Lord, let's not go there any sooner than we need to," Angus said as Diamond belched loudly.

"That one isn't a lady either," Marcus teased. "I think she's finished. I'll take her for you and put her back in the playpen so she can nap and so you can actually eat your lunch." He stood up and picked up Diamond and took her to the playpen.

"Thanks," Angus told him. Marcus looked outside.

"Hey, Boys and Girls, there are some clearing skies to the east. And it looks like some sunshine in that somewhere. We might be saved," Marcus laughed. "Might take a couple hours to reach us, but it looks a good deal better in the distance."

Ruby looked at Victor and was stunned " realy?" she said then looked to Angus "lord that makes it even worse" she said and chuckled then she heard Dimond beltch " wow good lungs" she said watching as Marcus put Simone in the playpen to take a nap, she looked at Caprice who was squishing her food between her fingers and eating it that way onca the food was gone Ruby took a damp cloth and wiped her hands clean but saw her yawn as she wiped her face " seems some one else is ready for a nap.

Aria heard Marcus and yayed at the mention of the storm passing " about time" she said and stood up walking to the window she looked out " clear night ahead, oh theres Jack bringing more wood" she said with a chuckle just as the door opened.

"storms passed, brought you wood and to let you know Nigel got here a few minutes ago." he said slightly out of breath as he restacked the wood down. Once done he looked at them all and chuckled "barns good slight roof liftting but easy fix no animals hurt, going up to the camp in the morning" he brushed his hands on his trousers and headed back to the door again and out into the snow.

"Well, thank goodness none of the livestock was hurt," Angus said. "I'll help the crew put the roof back down in the morning. There are more of those roof shingles in the eaves of the barn, up above the loft. Brian and I put them up there after the barn was built. I'll try to get some bundles of them down today if I can get out there. If not, I'll try to get them down tomorrow before the crew gets started. Tell the crew not to try to get them down without me. There are three or four different kinds up there, and we don't need them getting the wrong ones. Oh, do let me know how the camp is doing and what provisions they need. Sam and Victor are anxious for a report so they can update the girls. We know they'll be asking. After we get the roof repaired, I'll go check on the provisions for our place and for the main house and get an order in for what we're out of."

"I think we're going to be glad that Nigel's here and that the storm is on its way out. Diamond seems to be allergic to something," Marcus said. "We're hoping they can help us isolate what it is."

"And thank you so much for keeping us in firewood, Jack. We appreciate it. How about I make you and Jess a romantic dinner for two sometime and deliver it to whatever location you like," Angus suggested, "just as a little appreciation for all you and Jess do around here."

Jack placed the logs with the others and stood up looking to Angus as he spoke " okay I'll send amessage down to the grounds hut not to touch them until your able to show them which ones, should be an easy fix" he said " and will do, they were pretty well stocked before the storm , shouldn't need much but you never know with a pack that big" he chuckled as Angus aid about cooking a romantic meal for himself and Jess and he shook his head " no need, its what family to for each other and well your all part of what I class as my pack and family." he said and smiled placing his hand on Angus shoulder " you'd do it if it was me , so nothing to repay" he said smiling to him. Jack looked around and didn't seem Sam " huh no Sam?" he asked " was going to ask how he was doing with the puzzle you gave him."

Ruby and Aria claered away the dirty dishes from teh table and cleaned up Caprices mes from her high chair while Angus and Marcus spoke to Jack. " I for one am glad the storms over, but our poor herb garden will have suffered, might have to replant some of the plants come spring." Ruby said " but the trees servived" she said with a smile glancing out the window. Aria chuckled as she placed the dishes into the washer.

"of course Angus only chose the strongest for the garden" she said and looked at Marcus " remind me when we're landscaping to ask Angus opinion for plants." she said with a chuckle " oh could you ask Nigel if he could call over to check Diamond please, I think Angus asked but I can't remeber.

Jack chukled and nodded " he did and I will, don't worry he was relaxing with a cup of Roberts tea when I left but should be warmed up enough." he looked to Marcus and Angus " okay I should get back and send that note so some dim whitted grounds man dosn't take it upon himself to try and rerair the roof with the wrong shingles." he said and walked to teh door as he slipped on his gloves " oh nice snow man by the way" he chuckled as he left back to the main house.

"I know," Angus said, "And I know we're all one family, but even family needs to show appreciation sometime. We certainly appreciate it, though. Thank you."
 
"He'd do better if he didn't try to put the dragon's kidneys into the brain cavity," Victor told Jack about Sam. "Rib bones into the tail section, and all sorts of whatnot. I should have let him do it and see what the hell scrambled up mess he'd have had when he was done. Not the sharpest knife in the drawer, that one. He's in his room sulking."

"He's not sulking," Angus did try to defend Sam.

"Yes he is," Victor said. "He got a little come uppance from Edward for thinking he had the cornerstone on unhappy childhoods and called Angus, basically, and entitle little rich kid. Edward nearly ate him for lunch, so now Sam is sulking. He deserved what he got."

"Tell Nigel to take his time, Jack," Angus said. "Diamond's rash is a concern, yes, but it really isn't a medical emergency. Nigel gets here when he gets here. She's napping anyway."

"I'll come help the crew dig out, Jack," Victor said. "I need something to do anyway. I don't think I can do one more day shut inside. I'll get my gear and I'll go help them."