A Birth day

"Thank you, Jess," Angus said. "Yes, I'd like to sit with her."

"I think Marcus and I can add some protection spells around this suite to keep us safe for one night," Edward said. "And then I'll make sure to let Evan know that we have her. Evan can update Ginger." He poured Angus a cup of seers' tea, and Angus took it into the bedroom. Michael and Sergio headed for the bathrooms to shower, and Ana followed Sergio after he was finished. Then the three of them found the food in the kitchen, and they got themselves something to eat.

Edward and Marcus put extra protections around all the rooms in the suite so they'd be safe. When Marcus was done with the protections, he talked Angus into a shower, and he took him some clean clothes as Angus was finishing. By now, Marcus saw that Angus' shoulder was bruised black, and it was still badly swollen. Jess was right. Robert was not going to be happy with the new damage to his shoulder. He went back to Jess.

"Hey, Jess," Marcus asked, "would that bruise potion help at all with the big black bruises on Angus's shoulder? I mean, I know its blown again, but its got a massive black bruise and its's about double the size of the other shoulder. You might want to see it for yourself. He'll be dressed and out of the bathroom in a moment."

Jess smiled and watched as Angus headed to the bedroom she also heard Edward and nodded " anything to keep his mind on her and not security" she said as she sipped her tea. Hearing Marcus she looked at him " not really but I can try and reduce it " I'll take a look " she said and watched as Angus left the bathroom.

" Angus may I see you a moment" she asked steering him to the bed room where Anise was placing her hand on his shoulder she did as she was trained and she-focused her energy to his bad shoulder re-focusing his energies to reducing some of the bruising and swelling. " that should hold you for a while, I took down some of the bruising ,but you really should use a magic wrap and see Robert when you get back, because if you don't and you do that again, I'm sorry to say, you may as well say good bye to the use of that arm" she told him truthfully. " Now I'll leave you with Anise as I'm sure some one out there has thought of breakfast." she said with a smile and headed back out and over to Marcus " I did as much as I can , Robert need to take a look at it, but I was honest , I told him if he does that again he will lose the use of his arm permanently." she said softly to Marcus.

"He gave his magic wrap to Anise for the swelling on her face just a few minutes ago, right before you came in to check her, but that's the first he's had it off since almost I put it on him, right after he fell at home," Marcus told Jess. "He's actually been very good about it. He's been trying to do all the right things. I think he truly thought that his shoulder was going to hold up better than it did, and when it gave way, I think it surprised him. When we get home, I'll make sure he gets to Robert because 'm quite sure Robert is going to want to be on it as soon as we get back. Angus's focus has been on his kids, and I know none of us would be doing anything different if we were in those same circumstances. Truthfully, I give him a lot of credit for not insisting on being part of the rescue team. I really did figure he'd try to take off and do it by himself, but he didn't. He did exactly as Robert told him."

Michael headed for the shower now and some clean clothes and then came back and poured himself tea. Edward had indeed thought of getting the concierge to bring in breakfast, and there were several restaurants that would bring it in. Edward had scoured the menus, and he had put together a breakfast order for the concierge to go out and get, but it was still a few hours before even the earliest restaurant would open to serve breakfast. The earliest that the concierge was going to be able to bring breakfast was not until 5:30 am. So, now came the long and lonely hours of the middle of the night.

"Jess, thank you for taking such good care of Anise," Edward told her, "but since it's the middle of the night, it will be some time yet before I can send the concierge for any breakfast for us. If you don't need to tend to Anise, you and Jack could get a little sleep, couldn't you? I doubt if there's anything for us to do but watch the clock go around for a few hours. I'm sure Angus and Marcus will be up because Angus isn't going to leave Anise, not until she wakes at least. If you need to know of any changes, we could wake you if you want. Marcus and I can handle keeping the suite secure. You do as you like, though, of course."

Angus sat with Anise, focused on her, pushing everything else to the back of his mind. The only time he left her was for just a couple minutes here and there to go smoke a cigarette. he didn't want anyone else to have to breathe in his cigarette smoke, because he knew that not everyone liked it. Then he would come straight back. Things were getting very quiet. Michael had come in and had gone to bed, and so had Sergio. Ana had gone to bed in the women's bedroom. Edward was reading a French magazine that he'd found in the suite. Marcus had pulled a tiny, shrunken deck of playing cards out of his pocket, and he had resized it so he could play solitaire while the hours passed by slowly.

It was after three in the morning, and Angus was sitting silently next to Anise while most of his companions slept. He was staring out the window of the hotel at the moon that had risen partway above the mountains. It was a nice picture, but Angus didn't particularly like it here now because of what had happened to Anise. It was hard for him, as a father, to see joy or peace here at the moment. It was pressing upon him that what he wanted most of all right now was to get his family home. And then someone took his hand. He looked over and saw Anise was awake.

"You came for me," she said groggily.

"Yes, we did," Angus told her. "You're safe now."

"I'm so thirsty," she said. "Is there anything at all?"

"I'll get you something. All I have right here within reach is some cold seers' tea."

"I don't care. It sounds fine. Can I have some?" she asked. He felt for her. He knew what it was like to be that thirsty. He cast a mild warming spell on the half cup of seer's tea that he'd had, and he gave it to her, patiently feeding her small sips at a time. She drank nearly all of it. "Where are we?" she finally asked.

"The mountains in southern France," he said. "How's your head?"

"Hurts," she said. "Is it just you and me?"

"No, no. Not at all. Ruby's here. So is Marcus, Edward, Jack, Jess, Michael, Sergio, and Ana..."

"I'm sorry they fooled me. I didn't expect..."

"Not your fault," he told her. "The school is responsible to keep you safe, and they've failed on two occasions now. Not your fault at all. Are you hungry?"

"No, not really. My head hurts too badly." He pulled out the single dose vial of pain potion out of his pocket and gave it to her.

"Here. That'll help for now."

"How long has it been?" she asked, taking the potion.

"Since you were taken? About twelve hours. We'll head home in the morning. You should try to sleep. That'll help your headache."

"Angus, they know. They know you're a new seer, and they took me to try to use me to get to you."

"Okay. That helps. I'll take care of it," he reassured her. "Robert was going to ask Daniella to send some aurors to return them back to jail, so I'll ask him if he knows if they have Priscilla and Dominic are in custody or not. In the meantime, this suite is too heavily guarded for anyone to slip in. You're safe to sleep. Besides, it might be awhile before I'm ready to be anywhere but right here with you."

"I'm glad," she yawned, her eyes fluttering shut. She slipped off to sleep, still keeping a grip on his hand. Angus just continued to sit with her in the silence for awhile, and when he felt she was in a deep, exhausted sleep, he got up and went out to the living room. He opened the floo, and he called quietly to Robert, not wanting to wake him if he were asleep.

"I'm here. I'm awake," Robert said. "How's Anise?"

"She came conscious just few minutes ago. She's had half a cup of seers' tea, and she's gone back to sleep. Jess said she has a concussion and some broken ribs. A lot of bruises, particularly to her face. She told me she had a fierce headache so I gave her my pain potion."

"That's fine," Robert said. "Sounds like she just really needs to sleep a bit. I should think that she'll be alright to move home by daylight. When you can get her awake and upright, take her home, tuck her into her own bed, and then just let me know you're home. I'll come over straight away and check her. How's your shoulder?"

"It's fine," Angus told him. not even wanting to venture what Jess had told him about the possibility of permanently using the use of his arm.

"Do you have a magic wrap with you?"

"I do, but I gave it to Anise for the swelling in her face. She needed it worse than I do, and supplies are a bit short here in the off season. I guess I'll have Marcus toss a couple of them in the go bag from now on."

"You're a good dad, Son," Robert said. "I'd have done the same thing myself. Sounds like she'll be alright. She's young and fit and strong, so she'll be alright. I'll tend to your shoulder when I come to tend to Anise. Do you have much swelling or bruising?"

"Some, yes," Angus said, minimizing it.

"Wake up a desk clerk or a concierge and get them to give you an airtight plastic bag of ice. Start icing it again. Either that or get your magic wrap back, and give Anise the bag of ice."

"I'll get it for him," Marcus said. "His shoulder is about twice the size of the other, and its one solid black bruise. Jess has tended it as best she can for what little we have here."

"I'll be able to do more when you get back simply because there are more resources and equipment here, but for now, ice it," Robert said.

"I'll take good care of him til we get home, and then he's all yours," Marcus laughed.

"Understood," Robert said. "When are you heading back?"

"Edward's placed a breakfast order placed with the concierge to be delivered here in a couple hours. I presume that we'll head home after that," Marcus said.

"Okay, so that will put you home in roughly three hours--6:30 France time, 5:30 am our time. Got it. I'll try to meet you at home when you get there. Brian went over and spent the night there to help keep an eye over there so that Suzanne couldn't try anything there, and so far as I know, its been quiet."

"I owe him one," Angus said.

"No you don't. You've done enough for us over the years. We don't keep a scorecard like that. Just get home safely. You need some sleep, Angus. You're sounding tired."

"I'll sleep once we get home," Angus said.

Jess heard Marcus and nodded as Jack walked over to her taking her hand he lead her to a bed and lay down holding her against him. It wasn't long before both fell asleep. It was early in the morning when Jess woke feeling she needed to be awake. Slipping from the bed he walked out to the main area and heard soft talking . Hearing the mention of a magic wrap she picked dup her bag and walked over top Angus opening her bag she took out a magic wrap from inside and set it cooling, gently as he spoke she placed it on his shoulder. Looking down she smiled to him but said nothing as he spoke to Robert.

Once he was done she spoke " I brought one as I had a feeling we'd need it, I can reduce some of the swelling again" she said placing her hand on it taking some of the discomfort she felt him have from it. She also reduced his fatigue so he could be more awake for Anise. " you said she woke, and had a head ache , I can help there too" she said softly.

"Thank you," Angus told Jess when she put the magic wrap on his shoulder. "I appreciate it. I didn't even think about bringing any. Marcus was the one who brought the one I had. I had a one track mind--to find Anise. Anise woke at about 3:15. She had half a cup of seers' tea and then went back to sleep. I had a dose of pain potion in my shirt pocket, and I gave it to her. It seemed to help for the moment."

"From now on, I'll put two magic wraps in the go bag," Marcus said. "I always keep a go bag packed and at the ready."

"It's a good strategy," Robert said. "But if that shoulder is going to be a pain in the butt, I'll pack you a different med kit to put into your go bag, just so you're better prepared. Oh, and speaking of preparedness, please pass my kudos on to Sergio and Ana. They did a prime job on making sure that Priscilla and Dominic couldn't escape. Daniella sent me a note saying that the aurors laughed their bums off when they saw them. Right now, they are in enchantment proof spells. Their magic abilities have been bound, and they're both in solitary confinement. They're going to find escaping this time will be damned near impossible for awhile. And, if their magic binding is as complete as Daniella says it is, neither of them will be using any seers' energies either, so you might honestly be able to get some real rest, Angus."

"I am more glad to hear that than you can possibly know," Angus said.

"I bet I do know," Robert said. "You're so sleep deprived that you're starting to look like a horse that's been ridden hard and put away wet. Oh, hey, Jess?" Robert said, shifting now to address Jess, "Angus tells me that Edward is having breakfast brought to you all in a couple hours. Hopefully Anise will be able to eat something, but she might need a little nausea spell or potion if her concussion keeps her from eating. Do watch that because she will surely need food. I doubt they fed her any supper last night. I'd like her to be able to eat even just a wee bit. Hopefully, after you all get some breakfast, you can all come home. I told Angus just to bring Anise home and get her to bed in her own bed, and I'll go see to her there, just for my own peace of mind. And then I'll check on Angus' buggared up shoulder. That thing just is determined to give him trouble."

"You two can talk all the medical lingo you want," Angus said, getting up and going to the kitchen to make fresh coffee and tea for everyone.

"You bored him," Marcus laughed.

Jess listened as Angus said about packing another magic wrap "couldn't hurt" she said and chuckled but let Robert talk to Angus more as he told Angus about what had happened to Pricilla and her other half. she could not help chuckle at howe Sergio and Anna had left the pair of them. When Robert spoke to her she listened and made note in her head " of course, I can do that for her and I believe that's the plan I'll let you know when were back how she's doing , well both of them. " she said " she's sleeping from what Angus had said.

She chuckled as Angus left and Marcus said they had bored him with the medical talk " not many gat it" she said as she said good bye to Robert and headed to make some coffee using the facility's they had in the suite. " any one want Coffee, not the best but it will do in a pinch." she said poring two cups and sending one over to Angus " drink it will keep you awake." she said as she sent the there over to Marcus " you to " she said with a chuckle as Jack walked out rubbing his eyes " and one for you my love" she said smiling a she sent a third to Jack who walked over kissed her and took the mug.

"thank you my angel" he said and she chuckled.

With the floo call to Robert ended, they settled in to drink some coffee in the quiet. Going to the far side of the suite, away from everyone else, Angus opened a window slightly so he could smoke without filling the room with smoke. Marcus joined him in the morning quiet. Edward was busying himself packing the food items that didn't need to be refrigerated so that it helped to speed up going home. He would only have the refrigerated items to pack before they left.

"How are you doing?" Marcus asked him softly, knowing it was hard to get a word alone here.

"Staying focused," Angus said. "The mission isn't complete until we're home. Once were home, I can think of other things, but until that happens, my mind is on making sure the Anise and Ruby get home safely. My responsibility is to them."

"Once we're home, let's go for a walk while Priscilla is contained," Marcus said.

"I have other duties to do first," Angus said.

"Such as?"

"I'm going to have to somehow have a word with Madame Maxime. If she can't keep my girls safe, then I need to see if I can transfer them to Hogwarts," Angus said.

"They won't like that. They like going to school with Faith and Evie. I think you might be better if you pressed her about decreasing the classes that they actually do at the school. You haven't had any security issues when they're at Evan's. Press her about making more home-based classes concessions."

"Yeah, you might be right," Angus sighed. "But they're not going back to any classes, at Evan's or otherwise, until I have a better safety plan for them. I refuse to put them back in any situation where Priscilla or Suzanne can just come and snatch them. That's just not happening."

"Agreed," Marcus nodded.

"Dad?" Anise's voice sounded. Angus whirled around and saw her in the doorway of the bedroom. She was on her feet, leaning on the doorway. Angus hurried to her and bolstered her.

"What do you need?" he asked her quietly.

"I need some clothes. I'm filthy. Do I have any fresh clothes?"

"Of course," Angus said, kissing her forehead. "Come sit and I'll go get them for you."

"I'm on it," Marcus said. "I'll be right back." Marcus got the change of clothes out of the go bag that he had packed for Anise, and he brought them to her. "Now, Anise, there is a folding stool near the door of the suite for skiers to sit to take off their ski boots. I'm going to get it and put it into the shower for you. You aren't steady on your feet. That's part of that hit to the head that you took. If you are determined to shower, and I can't blame you for wanting one, you do what I tell you. You sit while you shower so I don't have to scoop up your naked butt off the floor of the shower. Got it?"

"Yeah. Got it," she replied. The two of them went into the bathroom, and he put the stool in the shower while she found shampoo and soap and a towel. He left her alone in the bathroom, and she busied herself with a shower.

"Is she going to be able to handle it?" Angus asked Marcus.

"We'll find out," Marcus grinned. "I bet she'll be fine if she does what I tell her."

Jess paused in drinking her coffee when she saw Anise up on her feet she also saw Angus and Marcus head to hr and smiled . Placing down her cup she walked over to Angus and Anise " good to see you on your feet, sort of" she said smiling " I think Edwards sorting breakfast when your able" she said touching Anises arm she smiled and nodded feling she was steady enough to shower . Returning to her seat she sat down to finish her coffee.

She saw Ruby wake and look to where Anise had been " she's awake and taking a shower" Jess said Ruby took a step towards the bathroom but stopped " good choice she'll be out with Angus in a moment he's staying close to her while she showers.

"good choice, I can't really help her if she falls but they can" Ruby said poring a cup of coffee for herself , she pulled a face but drank it. " she woke last night but fell back to sleep , we didn't want to wake you, also they were talking about having lessons brought to Evens so Ginger and Anise would not have to go to the school that much" Jess filled her in Ruby nodded she agreed at the suggestion that Marcus and Angus had made.

Anise was in and out of the bathroom in about ten minutes. She was having a hard time combing out her long blonde hair because of how stiff and sore she was. Angus saw Ruby make a face as she took a sip of the coffee, and he wasn't sure why.

"I just made that coffee. Is there something wrong with it?" he asked her. Anise came out of the bathroom with her wet hair comb stuck in a big tangle in her hair.

"Sit," Marcus laughed. "I'll get it. My mother calls big tangles like that big rats." He went to the kitchen and found some olive oil, put some in a coffee mug, added water to it and mixed it well. He used it as a detangling formula, and it didn't take him more than just a couple minutes to have her hair tangle free. She wanted to just let it air dry, and that was fine with Marcus.

"Feeling better after your shower?" Angus asked, bringing her a cup of coffee with some milk and sugar in it.

"Much," she said. "And you packed some nice comfortable clothes. Thanks. I appreciate that."

"That was Marcus's doing," Angus said. "You owe your rescue to Michael, Jack, Sergio, and Ana. Unfortunately, I did myself no favors and fell out of Minos's tree in the garden and buggared up my shoulder. I owe you all kinds of apologies, but this is one time I wasn't there for you."

"Yes you were. I heard you. And I saw you. I got your advice, just so you know. I saw you reminding me to wait til I had the right moment. The right moment just hadn't come before Dominic went after me."

"What exactly did he go after you for, anyway?"

"Priscilla wanted me to send you all sorts of threatening messages, and I refused to do it," Anise said. "Dominic got mad, and he punched me for being disobedient."

"If it ever happens again, you do what they tell you, and you trust me that I will understand your situation. Do not put yourself in harms way for that," he said.

"But...you dont' understand," she said, starting to get emotional. "You're my dad. I couldn't. I just couldn't say those ugly things to you and..." Big tears started to run down her cheeks. He went to her, and she stood up, wrapping herself tight against him. He folded her into his chest. "I wasn't sure I'd get home this time," she told him softly, "but I knew you'd come. I knew you'd try."

"I won't ever leave you in trouble. Not ever," he reassured her, letting her cry. He was actually grateful to see the tears because it was a horrendous thing for anybody, much less a kid who had been taken once before by Suzanne and tortured. She was entitled to feel upset. He took her to the sofa and sat down with her there. She was soon dry eyed and feeling more secure about being back where she belonged.

And just as they had gotten seated on the sofa, the concierge arrived with breakfast. Edward had ordered Eggs Benedict, fresh fruit, fried potatoes, an assortment of French breakfast pastries, and orange juice, along with some French newspapers.

"I'll give you a hand in setting it out," Michael told Edward. "I presume there are plates and silverware in the cabinets we use. Or at least I hope there are."

Ruby looked at Angus and shook her head " no, I expected cheap coffee but this isn't half bad" she said then saw Anise walk out with her comb in her hair , she let Marcus fix it and smiled to hr " good to see you on your feet " she said she walked over and gave her a hug before she went with Marcus so he could fix her hair. " I would help but I'm no good at detangling" she said and moved over to Angus. Leaning down she gave Angus a light hug too " I'm relived she is back with us" she said softly with a smile.

Ruby saw her return with her hair detangled and looking ten times better she sat quiet as Anise spoke to Angus. She wanted to go to the jail and punch Demonic in his face so he would know how it felt but she stayed in her seat, Jess walked over and placed her hand on Ruby's shoulder and smiled at her as Ruby breathed out and relaxed feeling happy and relived Anise was home. Smelling the food she stood up and fixed plates for Anise and Angus making sure not to over fill Anises. " here, try and eat something" she said softly to her placing the plate down on the coffee table in front of her.