A Birth day

Ruby smiled as she saw Angus and Marcus walk down to the living room and both woman smiled " looking good guys" she said walking over to them both and resting her hand on his chest " you'll be okay" she said softly to him " we'll visit you often dear" she said teasing him with a smirk.

Aria looked at Marcus and walked over to him " kept low shoes just in case" she said then showed him Dimond " what do you think, cute enough?" she asked chuckling as Dimond pulled a face at him as she sat in Aria s arms. " so now we wait for Robert and Daniella." Aria said.

"Gee, thanks," Angus laughed. "You have a small ornery streak, don't you? And that one..." he pointed to Marcus, "has a great big one. I'll bet you all dinner out somewhere that Robert wants me to change."

"You're on," Marcus said. "I'll pick up the tab if Robert wants to change, and you can pick it up, if he leaves you as you are."

"Done," Angus said. When Robert came back over, he was wearing a sharply tailored black suit with a waist coat and a red silk tie. He was clearly dressed to impress. He looked at everyone else and nodded, approving--untii he got to Angus.

"Wait a second. What sort of a look were you going for, exactly?" Robert asked.

"I wasn't. My stylus insisted this was the right look for me today," Angus said.

"And why was this your choice?" Robert asked Robert. "She's the minister of magic for her whole country, and this is not the impressive look I had in mind."

"She does like to look," Marcus said. "She sees business dress all the time. I wanted her to get a very clear read on who and what Angus is."

"Which is? He is not the sex symbol you're dressing him as."

"No, but watch some time when he walks down a crowded street. He turns heads."

"I have never seen that once," Robert said.

"That's because, first, you don't go out with him that often. And second, you can't see him that way, so you're rather prone to ignoring how women treat him. I can guarantee you Ruby and Aria see it clearly every time they're with him. I'm giving her just a wee bit of eye candy to help his cause. It'll work. She'll understand he is mostly respectful and compliant but every so often he is a bit untraditional. I believe I'm a good judge of character, and I'm saying she'll be good with it."

"Your opinions, Ladies?" Robert asked. "And your opinion, Angus?"

"I feel naked," Angus said.

"Well obviously, you're not naked. Ruby? Aria? What d you think?" Robert asked him.

Ruby chuckled and nodded to Angus before she spoke " your welcome" she said softly then saw Robert walking and stop in his tracks seeing Angus she could not help chuckle at his words when Marcus mentioned how every female turned to check him out when he walked down a street " oh I've seen that too" Ruby said smirking " but I am astutely aware he comes home to us at the end of the day so it doesn't bother me." she said now smirking.

" but at the same time I think Marcus is going for the family man unaware of what and how he affects women and men around him and any one mess with his family gets the bad ass dad with a family that will and always back him up.." Aria said looking to Marcus hoping she got that right as she held Dimond knowing Marcus to her was a bad ass dad on his own right and she smiled to him.

"Fair enough, I guess. Well, we need to go," Robert told them. "It would not do for us to keep Daniella waiting. Come along, you lot."

Robert ported them to the French Ministry of Magic, and then they walked up to Daniella's office. As usual, there were several levels of security to get through to get to Daniella's office, but Robert got through them easily because of his friendship with her. Soon enough, they were seen into her office.

She was wearing a teal skirt and blazer set, with a print blouse, and today she looked a bit stressed. She greeted Robert formally first, then when the clerk left, she greeted him informally and greeted the others.

"Robert, you're up to something. What is all this? II ask for an explanation, and you bring me a parade," She narrowed her eyes at him.

"And I'm bringing you the explanation," Robert said, deliberately taking Caprice from Ruby. Now, because Caprice was not with Ruby or Angus, Caprice began a loud constant shouting for her Dada--exactly what Robert was counting on. Meanwhile, he deliberately continued to try to talk to Daniella above Caprice's shouting.

"Oh, don't you know anything about babies?" Daniella scowled at Robert, taking Caprice herself. That was exactly what Robert had wanted. It only took Daniella a moment to quiet Caprice, but she was in no hurry to give the baby back either.

"That's Caprice, Angus's and Ruby's daughter. I believe you've met Diamond once already," Robert said.

"That's Diamond? She looks so much better than when I saw her last," Daniella said, motioning them to sit. She took Caprice with her and walked the floor with her a little before she sat down, putting Caprice on her lap.

"And that has not be stress free because Suzanne and Priscilla just keep coming. You are aware of the events that happened when we went to New Orleans last year, are you not?"

"I am," she said.

"Well, that short trip across the veil and back for Angus has awakened seers' abilities in him, and Priscilla is using that to try to attack him."

"That is dark news indeed," Priscilla said.

Aria and Ruby nodded to Robert when he said it was time to go. they took hold of , Ruby with Angus and Aria with Marcus as Robert ported them all to French Ministry of Magic. Now they walked together towards Daniella's office Ruby glanced at Angus and smiled seeing his fixed look and she saw how the office ladies looked as they passed by making her proud to be with him.

Aria walked next Marcus with Dimond clinging to her she had chosen the dress so Dimond could bury her head in it if she became scared. Looking at Marcus she admired his sharp look not that she didn't admire him every day when they entered Daniella's office she watched her with Caprice who immediately called for Angus then settled with her as she walked the room and spoke to Robert.

"Priscilla has been drawing Angus into an altered seers' state where she has been taking him to a torture chamber to have at him for hours at a time. We're working right now with Nigel and a couple other potions makers from his team to try to come up with potions to try to block her. You know that Angus is one of the top members of my organization's fighting team, and if this were just between him and Priscilla, he would not have acted as he did today. But, we evidently were able to block her last night for awhile, because when she could not get through, she went after one of his daughters instead--Anise. And Anise got up this morning with some of the same bruises and welts that Angus now has."

"Daniella," Angus said, "I don't care what you do to me. I really don't--so long as you wait until I find a way to protect my family. They don't get to come after my family. That's not acceptable. They touched one of my kids, and now they need to deal with me. I did cause those fires here today. Four of them, to be exact. If there are any money losses to any person other than Tom Gelding, I'll gladly pay for them. I'm not giving the Geldings a farthing as long as they're trying to kill me and my family." Daniella listened to him, as Caprice started to start calling for Angus again. She got up and walked over to Angus, and Angus took Caprice from her. The instant Angus took Caprice, she quieted.

"I deliberately had them bring the babies because I wanted you to see for yourself that he's a family man. You've seen him as a fighter, but his family are the ones he fights for. If I thought that jail would have helped him in any way, I'd have done that myself," Robert said, "but..."

"Robert, it isn't that simple. Seer or no, I cannot allow a few bruises to motivate a man to some sort of justifiable arson!" Daniella said.

Ruby looked at Angus then to Marcus before she spoke softly to Angus " show her them all" she said " show her exactly what you and Anise had to suffer, she's not going to believe unless you do." she said taking hold of his hand not wanting him to go to Jail over the torture he and Anise had suffered. Turning to Daniella she spoke " Pricilla tortured Angus and my daughter , he's not going to sit there and let them do that, no decent father would." she said brushing some hair off Caprices face.

Aria sat with Dimond watching she felt anger rise but pushed it down knowing Robert must have some sort of plan to all this Dimond wriggled on her knee and she took out from a hidden pocket a small bottle of Juice for her knowing she would get thirsty. Dimond to the bottle from Anise and she looked to Marcus. " Robert has a plan right?" she asked.

Angus knew Ruby was right. He hadn't wanted to do this, but he was starting to see that perhaps Marcus had seen this possibility might come. That was perhaps part of the reason he had done away with the button down shirt and the tie and the waistcoat. Angus looked at her, and he sighed heavily, nodding slightly.

"I don't want the kids in here for this," Angus told Ruby and Aria. "It's one thing if they encounter violence as adults. I don't want them encountering it this early. No kid deserves that, let alone ours. Would you both take the babies out for just a moment, please?"

"I'll let you back in the moment we're done with this little demonstration," Marcus told Aria and Ruby quietly. "You have my word."

Ruby heard him and nodded to him " I agre we can wait out side till your done" she said and looked to Aria who nodded too and stood up. Ruby took Caprice from Angus and together they walked to the door " you got this" she said to him and they walked out.

" has going to show hr the welts and bruises right?" Aria asked and Ruby nodded as she took a bottle from Aria for Caprice and let her drink as they sat in the outer office waiting for them to be done.

It wasn't anything Angus had wanted to do, and truth be told, he didn't want Robert and Marcus here either, even though they'd already seen them. Angus felt humiliated in ways he hadn't felt in a long, long time, but he summoned up some nerve from somewhere and showed her all the bruises and welts and marks.

Angus hadn't believed Robert had any understanding of what had caused some of the peculiar shapes and marks he had, but Robert was able to explain every mark, every welt, every shape. Robert had understood far, far better than Angus had realized just exactly what he had endured at Priscilla's hands. Angus had drastically underestimated Robert's medical knowledge and his understanding of torture. Angus hadn't said a word. Marcus quietly and efficiently helped Angus dress again, and Robert went over to a cabinet, opened it to reveal Daniella's liquor cabinet. He poured Angus a double of firewhiskey and handed it to him, not saying a word. Angus took a seat, sipping on his whiskey. Marcus went to the door and motioned to Aria and Ruby, knowing they would pick up quickly on the somber mood that was now in Daniella's office.