A Birth day

"We'll get back to you on that," Robert told Ruby, following Kate upstairs. They were gone about ten minutes, and when they came back downstairs, none of the three of them looked particularly happy.

"Angus didn't do anything," Robert told them. "Kate was picking up on some dark energies during the night, and it appears that Suzanne is using an old trick, but she's using Priscilla to do it. She's got Priscilla going after Angus in his sleep again."

"More dreamless sleep potion?" Marcus asked

"No," Robert replied. "I don't want to risk that this time because she's technically not using his sleep state to access him. She's using his new seer's abilities. If I use a dreamless sleep potion, I could trap him in a sleep state for hours at a time, and since she's accessing his abilities, she could actually hurt him. I'll have to come up with something entirely different--some way he can get some sleep but she can't get to him. And right now, I don't know how I'm going to do that. I'll come up with something but it might take me some time to figure something out. Right now, he's actually safer if he doesn't sleep, but that isn't going to work for more than 48 hours at best. So I have a damned short window to figure something out."

"That, or find a way to let me follow into his dream state with him," Marcus said.

"Well, I'll keep that as a suggestion but that isn't going to be any easier," Robert replied. "So, now, let's backburner this for now. Why are we here, besides having breakfast."

"One of our local elderly needs our help," Angus said. "McGregor. He lost his barn and his coops and his chickens some weeks ago. Marcus and I took a fly over last night, and the fire took part of the house too. If we dont' step up and help, he isn't going to be able to support himself."

"Is he the squib that has the good chickens and the really great eggs?"

"Not anymore," Angus said. "We have abundance in everything. I think that creates in us all some responsibility to extend a hand to those in need. I want to get enough of a crew and materials to do an old fashioned barn raising. We can rebuild his barn and his coops and his house and get him more chickens and put him back in business. And if I get a big enough crew, I think we could do it in the scope of about 7-10 days."

"

"Well, to do all the work we'd need to do, we need a huge crew. When muggle farmers do just a barn, they need a crew of about 150,' Robert said. "I am a farmer, you know. I know about barn raisings. We can cut the time down to about 5 to 7 days if there are no muggles around. Even so, we can't do it in that time unless we'd have a crew of at least 80 men, and a good portion of the work has to be done by hand--without magic."

"Not a problem. I can swing a hammer with the best of 'em," Angus said.

"Me too. You'd be surprised what necessity can have you do when you're alone in some godforsaken place on a mission," Marcus said.

"I'll give you a bit less than half of your crew," Edward said. "I'll give my Tuscany crew a week's worth of double pay if they join. That'll give you 25 to 30. And I'll guess that perhaps you can get another ten from Fenrir's pack."

"I'll pay Fenrir's crew, and I'll match your double pay wages, Edward. Our crews can give about twenty before we'd hurt our own security and farm operations," Robert said. That still leaves us shy, though, by about twenty."

"I'll talk to my chef friends. They step up when they know there's a need, and I'll bet they'll keep the crew fed too," Angus said.

"And, we should talk to our friends and see if any of them will help. Maybe we can patch the rest of them together," Robert said. "Angus, can you put together a plan for lodging for the Tuscan crew member? And provisions for everyone?"

"Of course," Angus said. "What about some of the people at St. Mungo's? Sometimes they like a good cause. Maybe Jess can find a few who would like to lend a hand to an old squib in need."

"I'll get a list of materials put together for the construction. but now, someone needs to go talk to McGregor," Robert said.

"Well, I had one of two ideas. I don't mind talking to him, but the other idea I had was just showing up with the material and the crew and telling him we're doing it," Angus said. That made Edward laugh.

"Old folks like to still have choice. I'll go talk to him," Edward said. "Since I'm the oldest one here."

"Well, it sounds like we have a tentative plan," Robert said. "I think I'm going to tuck into breakfast while it's still hot. Anybody else eating?"

"Of course," Edward said. "If you all want some, you'd bet get some before the kids get here. They're food vacuums."

"Oh! Speaking of guests," Angus said. He got up and plated some of the breakfast and plated it for the Fae and put it on the cheeseboard for them.

"You've got all of that down to a fine art, don't you?" Robert asked.

"They're no trouble at all," Angus said, "And I enjoy having them around."

"After breakfast, I'll check that little one that fell and make sure he's still doing well," Robert said.

"Say, do any of you have any particular skills in teaching broom riding skills? Anise needs someone who can help her get the knack of it. She's having a hard time keeping her broom level," Marcus asked.

"Either after supper or on the weekends," Angus said. "They're at Evan's by seven, and they come home at about supper time every day. They normally stay at Evan's and don their homework with Faith and Evie before they come home. I appreciate it. She takes everything so seriously that if she feels like she's failing, she gets very upset."

"Those girls have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. They've gained all sorts of skills in a very short time," Robert said, as Angus and Marcus filled their plates. The kids came in, and they started filling their plates too.

"Ruby," Sam said, "The Poop Troop is awake upstairs, and they are beyond stinky this morning. Could smell 'em clear over in our room."

"That sounds ominous," Marcus laughed.

"Grandma to the rescue," Kate said, going upstairs.

"Better you than us," Victor told her.

"We'll do it," Edward said. "I'll take Simone with me. She's good with resistive people, so she can help me loosen him up."

"Excellent breakfast, you lot," Robert said.

"Glad you like it. Everyone helped. Oh, how is Micky working out?"

"He's bloody amazing," Robert said. "They're top notch, both of them. I am not going to let him go. I'll find something for him when Nicky and Shannon get back."

"Well, I had a thought," Angus said. "We should send them to Colorado, and let them live and cook there for our kiddos and our fighters. And, they can train some permanent cooks for the Paris headquarters and oversee that kitchen too."

"That's bloody brilliant," Robert said. "I'm gonna have to tell them about it anyway. I was restocking some of our mission wear, and I had the closet door open downstairs, and Mickey saw all the weapons and combat equipment and is rather wondering if I'm stocking up for some sort of a coupe, I think." That made Angus laugh.

"They'll be great with it. Mickey has always been a Gryffindor. His favorite book was Robin Hood, and he loved every chance in every role playing game we ever had to be a bad guy helping the good guys. He'll be on board in a heartbeat, and Trish will be right with him," Angus said. "He's always said he wanted a ghost kitchen or a restaurant called Sherwood Kitchen. Maybe now he can do it."

"I don't have to let him wear a green tunic and a bycocket, do I?" Robert asked.

"No, but don't be surprised if he asks," Angus laughed.

It was about ten minutes later, and Kate brought both babies downstairs and put them in the playpen for now. Both babies were immediately unhappy at being put down.

"You spoiled them, didn't you?" Robert scowled at Kate. "She likes doing my sparks spell for little ones. So now that she's put them down to get some breakfast for herself, they've figured out the show's over."