A Birth day

"I think we need to do whatever is in his best interests. We obviously would give it our best to try to wake up periodically to check him, but Angus and I are both worn through. Our last 48 hours have been hellish. I suppose we could ask Ruby to check on him a time or two during the night."

"I could always stay with Anise," Sam said.

"No," Marcus said. "Clearly, if you can be thinking that Angus is going to let you sleep in the same room with Anise, you've lost your mind entirely. Angus would never been that tired that he would ever let that happen." Marcus looked at Jess. "He's fine. Either that or that blow to the head shoved all his brain cells southwards into other parts of his anatomy."

"I didn't say we were going to do anything," Sam scowled.

"And I know what it's like to be eighteen too. I was not born stupid," Marcus said. "And neither was your dad. You should know by now that if you tried anything, your dad would put a stamp on you and mail you to Siberia."

"What's in Siberia?"

"Look it up," Marcus told him. "The bottom line is that if we can trust you to be a man of your word, I'll take you home right now. If you can't be, then I'll leave you here with Jess. Your choice."

"I want to go home," Sam said. He looked at Jess. "No offense."

Jess chuckled hearing Marcus with Sam and nodded " he's right " she said checking his head one more time as they talked to each other " okay I'll clear you to go home but any dizziness or feeling sick get Ruby to bring him back to me" she said then looked at Marcus " oh I do know about that " she said smirking " but I think Sam can control himself ,but I don't think Angus will if he catches you with her , I'm a good healer but not that good" she chuckled as she patted Sam's shoulder " keep the ice pack on it for an hour then you can take it off, he'll have a goose egg on his head but no brain damage , that I can find" she added and chuckled to herself " okay no go home." she said stepping back from Sam wanting to see if he wobbled when he stood up." oh and no more werewolf chasing , please." she added teasing Sam.

"That means no chasing female werewolves either, Sam," Marcus said. 

"Give me a break," Sam sighed. "Thanks, Jess." Sam headed for the door.

"Thank you, Jess," Marcus said. "I'm sure Angus is planning on going to help find the thestrals in the morning. I'm sure they'll probably take horses or hippogriffs and try to find them."

"If he does that, Robert is gonna kill him," Michael said, passing by the doorway. "Just sayin'. IF Robert sees Angus, with that shoulder, on the back of any animal, thinking he can ride, Robert will cut him in half."

"Well, yeah, you're right. I'll remind him..."

"And then he'll do what he wants anyway," Michael said.

"Pretty much," Marcus said. "Let's hope that with James amongst the probable casualty list and the Geldings in jail, maybe we can all sleep in a little tomorrow. Goodnight, All." Marcus followed Sam, and they both returned to the duplex.

"I'm going to bed," Sam said when he got in the door. "In my room, in my bed, BY MYSELF--not with Anise--just so you know..."

"Why would I think you would have Anise in your bed?" Angus frowned.

"Because apparently I am a teenage lech.  Goodnight," Sam said, going upstairs.

"What's that about?" Angus asked Marcus.

"He suggested to us he could stay overnight with Anise who could wake him up periodically during the night."

"Oh. And that went over like a lead balloon," Angus said. "I get it. Well, we'll let the lech feel sorry for himself til morning, and by the time he wakes up, he'll be over himself. Can we finally hit the sack for one night?"

"God, I hope so," Marcus said. "Go ahead. I still have to make my rounds before I can go."

"I'll help you. I'll do the upstairs on both sides, and you do the downstairs. Ru, has Finn been out for one last trip? Have you even seen our dog tonight?"

"Fair enough. Thanks," Marcus said.

Jess heard Michael and chuckled as Sam said good night " night Sam" she said smiling to him as he left the main house. " evening Michael, how's Daniella?" she asked.

Ruby saw Sam walk in and talk about going to bed alone she looked at Angus puzzled until Marcus walked in and explained " oh, okay" she said and chuckled shaking her head gently. Hearing Angus she nodded " yeah he's up under the babies cots I haven't let him out yet but I don't think he wants to go" she said standing up as she put clean water in his bowl and filled his food bowl , " Finn!" she called out but nothing and she shrugged " guess he's not interested, you can check if you want while your checking the upstairs" she said as she put the last cup into the washer and set it going ready for morning.

Once she knew everything was clean and set for the next day she headed up to their room pausing at the nursery she looked in seeing Finn laid under the cots sleeping along with the girls and she smiled.

"She's asleep," Michael told Jess. "I found her asleep in the office. Couldn't even get her to take a break for supper tonight. But when I found her asleep in the office, I woke her up and got her to turn in for the night. I do think they can handle it for a few hours without her. I popped over to my place long enough to get her a change of clothes and to bring Otto and Faline. They're far too lonely, so right now, they're asleep at the food of our bed. Besides, she likes the dogs. She's got five of their puppies at her place. She's out of her mind, but she says they're good company when I'm not there. Not sure how I feel by knowing I can be replaced by five pocket sized footstools."

"I'll be up shortly," Angus told Ruby. He went to Edward's side and made the upstairs check first and then went over and checked their own side. He finished at the same time Marcus did. They set the protection spells together, and then they both decided to turn in. 

Angus was more than relieved when he finally got a chance to get some sleep. This day had felt like it was never ending, and he was way beyond tired. It only took him a moment to fall into a deep, exhausted sleep.

But he was up by five am, knowing that the girls were both hoping to go to Evan's, and Sam and Victor were both planning on going to work. Besides the pain potion had not kept him comfortable enough to sleep very long at one time. He had checked on the kids twice during the night and had come back to bed. 

Now, at five after five, he had put a pot of coffee on, had shredded some potatoes and chopped some onion to make some crispy hash brown potatoes. He had fried some sausage and crisped up some bacon, made some fresh salsa, shredded some fresh extra sharp cheddar cheese, and gotten some Mexican cotija cheese and some sour cream from the fridge, and was now toasting some pita pockets in the oven to be able to serve breakfast in them. He had a big skillet with a breakfast scramble cooking that had the onions, the sausage, the bacon, some cheese, and some diced tomatoes in it. There was some mixed berries in a bowl in the fridge leftover from Simone making it sometime yesterday, so while the eggs were cooking, he made some breakfast parfaits with some honey almond greek yogurt, and he layered it with the berries, a little jam, and some granola and just a quick drizzle of honey on the top as a garnish.  When the pitas were toasted, he made some all-in-one breakfast pitas--he spooned in the eggs, the crispy hashbrowns, added a bit more sausage and cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and some salsa and set them up in a taco server so they would stay upright. That surely would provide everyone a hearty breakfast that had a bit of Tex Mex zing to them. Lastly, he cast a warming spell on them so they would stay hot and fresh for everyone.

With that done, he let Finn out, fed him, brought in the papers, and poured himself a mug of coffee, and opened the Daily Prophet enough to read the headlines for the day.

Jess listened to Michael and smiled " glad she has you looking out for her" she said " and glad she's sleeping she over works herself" she said as she put away the medical things she had used on Sam's head " you both suit each other, any way I'm off to bed so night Michael." she said placing the bag on the floor beside the chair and heading up to hers and Jacks room.

Ruby heard Angus and nodded to him " okay I'll go and get ready" she said smiling to him as he headed up , after a shower she changed into her night wear and slid under the covers the excitement of the day slowly catching up to her. Hearing Angus enter she looked at him as he changed and slid into bed beside her. Carefully she slid against him and placed her arm around his waist. " lets hope no bad dreams tonight" she said softly a she yawned and slipped into sleep.

Ruby woke to an empty bed but chuckled as she dressed and saw what time it was. Heading down she smelt the coffee and pored a cup for herself enjoying the quiet before the babies woke for their breakfast " breakfast smells wonderful" she said as she walked around and kissed his cheek. " I felt you get up in the night last night , you sleep okay?" she asked.

"That's my whole plan for the day--right there," he teased. "Enough freaking food for breakfast for any self respecting Rugby team. Now, unless Edward drags me out to go hunt invisible horses, I'm not planning on doing crap today. Seriously, though, a quiet day might be lovely. I won't get it, but it would be lovely."

At that moment the bedroom door flung open upstairs, and Victor slid down the banister like his tail had been set on fire, and he was followed closely behind by Sam who was relentlessly beating him over the head with a pillow. The boys tore through the house and out into the yard, hooping and hollaring all the way. 

Angus just watched the whole thing and he saw clearly what Sam was irked about.

"Well, that's not going to end well," Angus said. "I probably should intervene but it looks to me like Victor deserved it."

"What the hell was that?" Edward came over, in his robe and pajamas, eyes barely open.

"Your great grandsons," Angus said.

"What are they on about so early in the morning?"

"Look outside and take a good look at Sam."

"Oh," Edward said as he looked out the door. "Zonko's still makes that stuff?"

"Apparently so," Angus laughed. He looked at Ruby. "One of their oldest things--it's Sandmans Dreamsand."

"Dump it into your beloved brother's bed," Edward explained to Ruby, "and he'll wake up to have bright tie-dye looking skin the next day--from head to toe. And apparently, Sam is not happy being tie dyed today. It's actually a good looking color scheme for him, all things considered. Clearly, Sam intends to beat him into next week with that bed pillow."

"Wait til Jack and the groundsmen get a good look at Sam on his first day back at work today. I do not envy him," Angus said, almost feeling sorry for Sam.

Ruby smiled to Angus and nodded but then rested her head on his shoulder when Victor and Sam came down Sam with a pillow and some rather interesting skin " oh my" she said watching Victor being chased out the door . " how long does that last?" sha sked trying not to laugh but she failed and let out a laugh as she watched them fight outside " at least they took it outside." She saw Edward and chuckled as he came over asking about the ruckus the boys were making.

It was now she heard the babies wake and shout for breakfast. Placing down her coffee she moved to the stairs and up to fetch them from the bedroom. Once changed she brought them down and set them in there high chairs gathering some breakfast that Angus hand made she fed both girls and shook her head. " I'll take Anise and Ginger to Evens when they are ready." she said " unless Marcus offers first" she said chuckling hearing the boys still at it but then a loud whistle came and she looked out the window , " seems Jack has seen Sam's new look" she said not hearing what he was saying but seeing him shake his head.

"Don't worry," Angus said, "Jack will let them come back in, unless he wants them to work in their pajamas. Besides, they don't start work til seven. They have plenty of time to come in and eat and dress before they go."

The girls came upstairs, hearing the commotion, and they looked outside. Then both girls started to laugh hysterically.

"I might have a confession to make," Anise said, looking at Angus. "Victor didn't do it."

"Oh, you little scamp," Angus laughed. "Why did you do it?"

"Because he said he wasn't taking me out for the next couple weeks because he was buying some sort of muggle game."

"Some electric game box that plays a bezillion different games," Ginger shrugged. "Anise asked him what was more important, her or this game thingy, and Sam told her that for the next two weeks the game thing was more important. So she decided to get him. And---I might have helped her."

"Anise," Angus said "all that proves is that the love of your life is a horse's arse sometimes. And, what Sam doesn't realize is that those muggle gaming systems don't work on magical properties. The magical energy here causes those things to freak out and not work properly at all, so Sam has just promised to by a very expensive pile of muggle junk."

"That's not the worst part. There's a Spring dance at Hogsmeade over the weekend, and he said he wasn't going to take her because he's saving his money," Ginger said.

"Oh. I'm sorry," Angus frowned. "He's being a bigger arse than usual."

"I got him back though. He just doesn't know it yet. I've been invited to go with the seeker on the Gryffindor quidditch team."

"Oh, isn't he that lad that the Falmouth Falcons want to sign up when he graduates this spring?" Edward asked.

"Yes, and every girl on the planet has a crush on because he's so handsome," Ginger said. "That's the one. She's so lucky."

"Good for you. Let Sam sit at home, and you go and have a great time when that dance comes along," Angus told her.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do," she told him. "In the meantime, he can just go around looking like that."

"I agree," Angus said. 

"It'll wear off eventually, but it might take a few days if I don't provide him the antidote, and if he doesnt treat Anise better, I might not provide that antidote," Edward said.

Ruby saw the girls and laughed with them when they said they did it to Sam " oh " she said chuckling " I'm with Angus on this , he's being a real arse, so can stay that way" she heard Edward say about an antidote and shook her head " nope let him suffer for how he's treating Anise" she said as she saw Jack frog march both boys into the duplex .

"okay these two morons were outside fighting, get dressed boys, I came to let you know the Thestral's retuned last night the female has her foal" he said and looked at the girls with a smirk " good choice girls." he said smirking . " I was hoping one of the girls would help name her" he said smiling. " since you did so well with your wand work" he added but then he smelt something " oh hashbrowns" he said walking over and picking one up but bouncing it between hands as it was hot " wow hot" he said taking a bite " fantastic Angus" he added.