A Birth day

"If we end up having to raise both of those little juvenile delinquents, we are not putting them in the same room," Angus said, coming downstairs, wearing just his pajama trousers. "And just for the record, I do not like tub baths."

"Why not?" Marcus asked. "Sometimes they can be relaxing."

"No. I don't feel as clean as when I shower, and I can't wash my hair in the tub either."

"Oh. The hair. Yes, there is that. I forgot. Here. We'll use a spell for the next day or so." He flicked his fingers at Angus to cast a clean spell on his hair. "There. Clean."

"Conjured cleaning. It'll do for now, you're right. Thanks," Angus said. Marcus handed him one of the mugs of coffee Ruby had made.  

"It's decaf," Marcus said.

"Good idea," Angus said. "Did Sam and Anise come back yet?"

"No, actually," Marcus frowned. "I'll go see if they're still in the barn."

"Want me to go with you?" Angus asked.

"No. Just stay here," Marcus replied. He went to the barn, and he didn't find anyone there at all. Marcus left the barn, and he ran into one of the grounds workers. He asked them if they had seen Sam and Anise, and the grounds worker said that the "lovebirds" were heading out of the barn to go for a walk. Marcus sighed, frustrated, knowing that Angus was going to be angry with them. He asked the worker if there was anything out of place earlier in the barn. The worker said the only thing he had seen that was different was that "those empty stalls" next to the unicorns were open earlier and the worker knew Jack liked the stall doors shut. Marcus was now on alert. The 'empty stalls' were the stalls of both thestrals. This worker clearly couldn't see the thestrals. Marcus left the barn in a hurry. He had to find Jack. He headed quickly to the main house to look for him.

Ruby chuckled as Marcus said Dimond and Caprice if raised together should not be in the same room " oh I agree especially if one is in a mood." she said then she smiled softly seeing Angus walk down in his Pyjama bottoms then nodded as Marcus handed him a mug and told him it was Decaf . On hearing that Sam and Anise we're not back yet she frowned and looked to Angus but Marcus said he would go and look for them " thank you Marcus." she said as he left.

Jack was in the living room reading when he saw Marcus enter he could tell he'd been in the barn and stood up. " okay what's wrong in the barn" he asked as he walked over to him with his hands crossed.

"Just so you know--I am not anywhere close to being a happy camper right now. Sam and Anise haven't come back yet, so I went to look for them," Marcus said, knowing this explanation was going to take a moment. "The barn is empty. I asked one of your lads outside if they'd seen them, and he said that the 'lovebirds had gone for a walk.' So, that means they're mine. I'm gonna kill both of 'em when i find them. 

"However," Marcus continued, "you should probably also know that the worker said he'd found two of the 'empty stalls' next to the unicorns with the doors open. Clearly he's talking about the thestrals. And no they aren't in the stalls. I don't think Sam and Anise would have taken the thestrals since the worker saw Sam and Anise walking. If they'd been riding the thestrals, your boy would have seen them riding on absolutely nothing. He'd have remembered that, I'd certainly think. So, as of now, we have two missing humans and two missing thestrals. I'm hunting humans, and I do believe I'm leaving the missing thestrals to you. Right now, I have to go tell Angus and Ruby that I'm going to be combing the grounds in the dark looking for Sam and Anise, and I'm not looking forward to that. Angus is going to come undone. He's had more than his share for one day."

Jack listened to Marcus and sighed " let me guess the Thestral's " he said and shook his head 2 the mare is about to foal she should not be out being ridden right now" he said some what frustrated with the pair of them " all right , you go let Ruby and Angus know I'll notify the grounds men , oh and that boys name is Tomas he came from Roberts ranch in Arizona , good worker too" he said as he walked out to the yard catching three of his men he told them what had happened " fine those two and bring the Thestral's back" he told them motioning for more to spread out to check the west side of the grounds and more to the east.

Once done he walked over to the duplex and pushed open the door " Marcus I'm coming with you" he said as he walked over to stand behind Angus chair as he waited for Marcus to be ready.

Marcus went to the duplex to talk to Angus. Angus had taken both sleeping babies upstairs without waking them and had put them in their cribs. He figured the less fussing sometimes was a much better plan. He had just come down from turning on their nightlight and pulling the door partway shut when Marcus came in.

"They're not in the barn," Marcus told Angus.

"Damnit," Angus sighed. He flicked his finger at his trousers to change them into jeans. He accio'd a sweatshirt and slipped on his canvas shoes. It hurt like hell to pull the sweatshirt on and wrestle his arm into the sleeve. He walked over to the doorway to Edward's side. 

"Sam and Anise are out cavorting around in the damned dark someplace," Angus said to Edward.

"I'm gonna kill 'em," Edward said, getting up.

"Take a number. I called it first," Marcus said.

"My kids, my murders," Angus challenged.

"You coming, Ruby?" Edward asked. "Simone's here. I'm sure she can hold the fort while we're gone."

"The thestrals are gone too," Marcus said. "But a grounds man saw Sam and Anise walking, so clearly they didn't take the thestrals out for a ride."

"Well, clearly not, then," Edward said. "But the thestrals have not had any desire to leave, so I donh't think they'd leave on their own. And Sam and Anise wouldn't take them anywhere. If they did, they'd be riding them, but they were seen walking, not riding. So I think its safe to say the thestrals weren't with Sam and Anise." 

"Let's not waste time. Let's go," Angus said. He headed out, with Marcus and Edward on his heels. He was still trying to figure out which direction to try, when Archangel came and sat down on Jacks shoulder and screeched loudly in Jack's ea

"What's he got there in his claw?"  Edward said. "He's bringing you something."

Ruby saw Marcus walk in and heard him say they were not in the barn . she sighed and shook her head as Angus transfigured his clothing and headed over to Edwards. she followed them and when was aske if she was coming she nodded her head " oh try and stop me" she said to him as she folded her arms " Simone would you mind watching the babies, there sleeping so shouldn't be any trouble" she asked and looked to Angus " shall we go and find them?" she asked him she paused as Arch landed on Jacks shoulder and screeched making Jack wince.

Jack felt the weight of arch on his shoulder then winced at his screech " shesh Arch don't deafen me please" he said then frowned and reached up to take what Arch had " werewolf fur, where did you get this?" he asked and handed it to Marcus so he could show Edward and Angus " recognise it?" he asked.

"That's his 'I-Found-You-Something' sound," Angus said. "He wants you to know he thinks its important."

"Well, maybe he's right," Edward said. Angus took the fur and the minute he touched it, his seers' senses flashed a picture of James and Moira on the grounds.  And then he saw Sam and Anise. Anise had seen the thestrals just as they were disappearing into the woods, and she and Sam had taken off to follow them to bring them back.

"Sam and Anise--they were following the thestrals," Angus said. "They wanted to bring them back. They headed into the woods after them. That way," Angus said, pointing in a general direction into the woods. "I don't have a specific on directions. Maybe we should split up in the woods? In pairs or something? We have an odd number though. We should send Archangel to go rustle up Jessie. I mean, it is his brother that's out here screwing around. Maybe he'd help us hunt him. Then we'd have three pairs of hunters."

Ruby listened and looked to Angus as Jack rubbed his ears to stop the ringing in them. Both listened to Angus and Ruby looked at where they had gone " so they didn't take them but are following them" she said it was now Jack gave a low howl and Jessie came running .

"what's with the howl?" he asked Jack and looked to Angus

" quickest way to get you here , long story short, Sam and Anise are out looking for Thestral's and we have a werewolf around" he said " so yeah your brothers being a nit again" Jessie chuckled and shook his head.

"first rule , do not wander off after dark" Jessie said to Jack who nodded. " so what's the plan track and split into pairs , right?" he asked seeing Ruby there too " oh boy there in trouble" he said and chuckled.

"Ru, I think you should go with Edward," Angus said, wanting her with the person he trusted more than anyone else on the planet just in case something went wrong."

"I'll go with Jessie," Marcus said, "And, Angus, you go with Jack. That should even the odds, I should think."

"That works for me. Oh, and by the way, you lot should probably keep your eyes and ears open," Angus said. "That clump of fur belongs to Moira. And she has James with her. They're here somewhere. I don't know if they took the thestrals or not, but all I can tell you is that its Moira's fur that Archangel brought to Jack."

"Oh, now you tell us," Marcus said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "As an afterthought, as in 'Incidentally, there's a mass murderer loose in the creepy woods that we're all splitting up to go search in the dark. Sounds like fun."

Ruby looked at Angus and nodded to his suggestion of who she should go with " good idea" she said then looked to Jack " Keep him safe" she said and Jack nodded then looked at Marcus when he said the fur was Moira " Great, another demented woman we have to watch out for." she said.

"we'll keep our ears and eyes open for those two" Jack said and nodded to Ruby " he's a big boy he'll be okay" he said but nodded to her reassuring her he would not let anything else happen to Angus. Jessie moved to stand beside Marcus ready to start looking for the kids and Thestral's.