A Birth day

"If you lot put it back in the freezer and shut the door, we might be able to have it for dessert after supper tonight," Angus laughed. "I should take my sketch over to Robert."

"Just hold onto it. He said he'll be back over towards evening," Marcus said. "You can give it to him then."

"Angus," Michael's voice came through the floo, "you awake?"

"Of course," Angus said. "What's up?"

"I'm in Paris, and I'm here with Daniella. Answer me a question."

"If I can, certainly."

"If we can get Anise to give her a statement about Priscilla and Dominic, Daniella can file charges--if you want to do that. But that means Anise would need to make a statement to the French ministry. Do you want to do that?"

"Absolutely," Angus said with iron clad firmness. "I saw Dominic hit her and saw him kick her...."

"You mean not physically, but with your seer's stuff."

"Well, yes."

"You'd need to give an indepth statement about Priscilla and Dominic too, and everything they've done to you. We do know, though, that it would certainly be an ordeal for you..."

"I'll do it. If it helps to keep them behind bars so my family is safe, of course I'll do it," Angus said.

"Can you both come to Paris tomorrow to do that?

"Certainly," Angus said. "To the Ministry?"

"Yes. Well, how about you come to the office, and I'll apparate you both to the proper place."

"Sounds good."

"Now, be sure you update Robert about this. He knew it was a possibility, but you make sure you fill him in. And I'll get back with either him or you about what time."

"Michael, nobody's been able to hold them. What makes Daniella so sure she can hold them?"

"A fair question. And I'll answer it later. For now, you'll just have to trust me."

"Fine," Angus sighed.

"I'll talk to you later, then. Thank you," Michael said, clicking the floo off.

"You sure Anise will agree to it?" Marcus said.

"Positive," Angus said. "Not a doubt in my mind."

Ruby chuckled as Aria put the ice cream in the freezer and closed the door looking t Marcus as she chuckled . " okay its in the freezer now" she said as she continued to clean up the kitchen. It was now Ruby heard the floo open and Michaels voice came threw talking to him. She looked at Angus then to Marcus . Once he had finished talking she spoke " you sure she'll do it?" she asked " she's been threw a lot for a girl of her age but if your with her she'll be safe enough , right." she said smiling as she reassure herself more than him that they both would be okay.

Aria looked up at Marcus as Angus finished talking to him and she said nothing knowing Marcus would not just let Angus go alone even on the word of Michael, it was his job to stay at his side until Robert had said he was relived. She finished in the kitchen and moved to sit with the babies playing with them for a few minuets before sitting abck and doing some more of her word search.

"Nobody's going to so much as breathe on her. They'll have to get through me first," Angus told Ruby.

"I think Angus could be right," Marcus told Ruby. "Anise is a fighter, and she's very attached to Angus. She knows how much pain and injury they've inflicted on him, not to mention what they did to her yesterday. I think she'll see this as an opportunity to get a piece of her own back, to take a stand not only for what happened to her but also to show she is willing to fight to help protect Angus. I don't think she'll hesitate. And I'll make sure they're safe. Michael will be there, so he'll step in if I need another. It sounds like Robert already knows this is a possibility so if any of you have any concerns at all, you need to mention it to him."

"I think they're right to be concerned about her emotional state," Angus said, "but I do think she'll hold up."

"Especially if you're there with her," Marcus said.

"I won't leave her, period. But I guess I'd better go see if she's awake, and if she is, I should ask her," Angus said.

"Probably should, yes," Marcus laughed. "In case she doesn't want to go." Angus went downstairs to talk to her. "Look, I'm not telling you two what to do, but you do know that it's half past four, and this household is accustomed to eating by 5:30, when the kids normally all get home for the day. I could order out from Sparks for us for supper if you like."

Ruby listened to them both talking and she relaxed at letting Anise go with Angus " oh you thought I was worried about Anise na I was worried for Angus" she said and smirked noting the time she stood up and headed back to the kitchen to begin supper " I'm on it" she said to Angus as he mentioned about them eating at 5:30 when the boys would come back from work. " I was thinking Spicy jerk prawn & mango tacos with coconut dressing?" she said as she took out the ingredients that consisted of Jamaican jerk paste, canned black bean which she drained and rinsed, A large mango, which she stoned, peeled and diced, half a red onion, that she sliced along with half a cucumber, she also chopped a
bunch coriander, leaves she then brought out 8 taco shells, some vegetable oil and, little Gem lettuces, shredded to put under it.

Aria sat watching the babies she relaxed at Angus words too but said nothing knowing he meant his word and she knew that meant Anise would be safe with him. " I know this goes with out saying and I know Marcus would say the same thing but , first sign of trouble you get her right back here" she said then looked at Marcus 2 hey you'd have said it , but I said it first for you" she said chuckling as she crossed another word from her word search.

"Sounds great," Marcus said. Angus didn't need more than a moment with Anise, and she came upstairs with Angus.

"I don't need to think about this," Anise told Ruby and Aria and Marcus. "Telling the truth about what happened? I can do that. If it keeps them from hurting Angus or anybody else, of course I can do it. I know that Angus has had to do a lot more to convince them of how despicable Priscilla and the Geldings are. I know he had to show them all the bruises and marks they put on him. I don't have so many. Most of them are on my face, and a few on my ribs. I can tell them my story and show them the bruises, and I'll still be going through less than Angus has. You're my family now. I stand with my family, and I'm proud to do it."

"That's my girl," Angus smiled.

"You are a very strong young woman," Marcus told her.

"I'm learning it from my family," she said. "I have one problem."

"What's that?"

"I don't know what to wear," she said. It made Marcus laugh.

"My suggestion is slacks or a skirt, a button down blouse, and either a blazer or a cardigan. Comfortable and in layers," Marcus said.

"In case they need to see the bruises on my ribs," she nodded.

"Exactly," Marcus nodded.

Ruby paused and looked up as she heard Anise talking drying her hand she walked over to her and smiled as she continued . " and we stand with you, never forget that" she said to her with a smile. " I might not be your bio mom but I am honoured to continue what she started, she raised a really strong independent woman" she said smiling to her when she said she didn't know what to wear Ruby chuckled as Marcus told her what she should wear.

Aria laughed and nodded as she said she couldn't' decide what to wear and Marcus told her " good choice, and yes " she said " easy to move around for them to see but also easy to cover it back up again." she said seeing Ruby head back to the kitchen to continue supper. " I know you do fine" she said smiling to her.

"It wasn't any secret that it was difficult for her, a human female, living with a pack of werewolves that weren't on wolfsbane, raising daughters that weren't on wolfsbane either," Anise said. "She had to learn to be brave right from the outset, and she wanted us to be brave too. Our lives were always in jeopardy, mainly from humans, not so much from the pack. Our dad was fiercely protective of her and of us. Fenrir stepped in a time or two too, as I recall. I don't remember why, though. He didn't usually ever defend many humans."

"Fenrir needed cubs to grow the pack," Angus told her. "And, I'm sure your mom was doing a good job raising you, so it was to Fenrir's benefit to keep her alive."

"Makes sense," Anise said. "Marcus, I hate to ask, but do you mind helping me go through my closet and put something together for tomorrow?"

"Certainly," Marcus smiled. "Let's go see what you have." He went downstairs with her to see what he could help her assemble.

Angus closed his sketchbook, shutting away the maps and the sketches of the pergola. Then he went to the kitchen, and he opened the cookie jar. He had made more oat cookies than he needed for the ice cream, so he got himself a cookie and poured himself a cup of coffee with a shot of firewhiskey in it, and he took both of them outside and sat down on the front porch steps, watching the crew at work. He saw what he presumed was a new hire in the corral. The new man seemed to be trying something with the hippogriff, and the hippogriff wasn't having it. Robert's male hippogriff was a touchy, often angry bastard, and Angus was getting very concerned that this new man seemed to be treating the hippogriff like a wild horse that needed to be broken. That was about as wrong as it got. Angus set his coffee cup on the porch, and he apparated into the corral and deliberately put himself between the new hire and the hippogriff that was going to try its best to trample the new worker.

"Swifty," Angus called, "Swifty, its me. Whoa." He glanced back at the new man. "Get out of the corral--now! Somebody go find Jack." Angus believed that Jack was probably the only one who could get there quick and bring some fresh meat for Swifty to calm him down. As it was, Swifty was determined to trample something, and Angus was closest. Angus was doing his best to try to stay out of range of Swifty's hooves.

Jack had been in the barn as he fed the other animals but he paused catching a commotion from the coral he had left Swifty in. Taking some fresh meat he quickly walked over to the coral " Angus?" he said as he opened the coral gate and slipped in. Walking over to Swifty he stared talking softly to the hippogriff bowing and holding out the meat for it " this is not like him at all" Jack said looking at Angus. Once he felt the hippogriff take the meat he looked up at it but quickly moved out the way of a hoof that was coming down on him " wow " he said now stood with Angus " what's got him riled up?" he asked moving around Swifty, he saw no cuts or burrs , his hooves were not cracked but he did catch sight of something stuck in the back left hind hoof. " he's got a nail in his hoof , not sure how" he said to Angus and moved to him " we have to get him in the barn so I can look at that hoof" Jack said taking hold of the rein with Angus as he lead him into the barn and his stable.

" how's the shoulder?" Jack asked " coz if you damage it again Robert will have my hide for letting you" he added with a smirk. Taking Swifty to the stable he paused and tied him up before lifting up Swiftys hind foot. there was a shiny nail " hum" he said and took some large plyers and pulled it out noting a little blood, taking a blue spray he sprayed it , wrapped it and put Swifty after giving him an extra piece of meat to his stall.

"Thanks," Angus said. "You're just in time." he went with Jack to help get the hippogriff back to the barn. "Your new man needs a bit of education, Jack. Tex--or whatever his name is--clearly has some skills regarding horses, but he doesn't seem to know that if he tries to break a hippogriff the same way a cowboy breaks a bronco, someone's gonna get killed. I don't think he needs written up or anything, but he really, really pissed off Swifty by thinking he could use bronco busting tactics on him. That's why I came over. Swifty was gonna trample him for it. My shoulder's fine, but it wouldn't have been I'd have had to try to calm Swifty by myself. Thanks for showing up and with food too. I appreciate it.

"Oh," Angus said, remembering he probably should tell Jack about the fact that they were going to be off the grounds for a couple hours in the morning, "and just to keep you in the loop, Marcus and I are going to Paris tomorrow to help the ministry there add some charges to Priscilla and Dominic. We're taking Anise with us. I'm hoping we're not gone more than an hour or so. So, while we're gone, if you could just keep an eye out to make sure things stay quiet and that Suzanne doesn't take advantage of my being off the estate, I'd appreciate it. I'm never sure what she does and doesn't know. I guess that makes me more careful these days."

Jack let Swifty get use to the wrap on his hoof as he turned and listened to Angus " yeah wrong idea these beauties go for respect and dignity" he said and then chuckled " were hearing , I heard the kafuffle from here and I knew it was Swifty as I put him in the coral." he listened to Angus mention they would be off site the next morning and he nodded " got it, I'll be around and keep a watch out" he looked at Angus again and chuckled " don't worry I'll make sure there kept safe." he added moving to check the pygmy puffs next to him. before looking in on some bow truckles in their stick home.

" so your taking Anise, to Paris?" he asked knowing it was not the norm for a school person to go to Paris " testimonies I'm guessing?" he asked handing the bow truckles some food. " sorry got to keep them fed." he said and chuckled " there like kids, don't feed them on time and they run amok." He paused and looked at Angus " you good with taking her?" he asked " she'd be venerable, I know she can handle herself or you wouldn't be taking her, I know you." he said smirking .