A Birth day

"Aria, would you mind giving me a hand with the babies, please?" Simone asked. She went upstairs and she got into the closet and got out two outfits she'd tucked away in there. She handed the lavender box to Aria. "For Diamond." Inside was a fancy little lavender romper with an elastic waist tutu and a tiny little gold crown. She had added little lacy socks for each baby and tiny shoes that were made of gold lame to match the crowns. 

"Ruby, you should get some photos of the cake and the supper before everyone tucks into it and demolishes it," Marcus told her. He went over and woke Angus gently. "Hey, Mate, you might not want to miss this. We're going to have supper and then cake for the babies' first birthdays."

"I'm awake," Angus said, focusing hard now to wake, not wanting to have to say later that he had been too stoned to be at his own daughter's first birthday. "We dont have..."

"Yes you do," Marcus said. "I got them. The little boxes in your wooden chest, remember?" 

"The ones that Gabe..."

"Yes," Marcus said. "Supper looks great. Looks like prawn tacos, salmon and lamb with polenta and your roasted asparagus. Are you hungry?"

"So-so. Not starving," Angus said. 

"Okay. I'll give you small portions. You can always have seconds," Marcus told him. Angus nodded. "Let's try something." He got a washcloth and got it wet with cold water and wrung it out pretty well. Then he brought it over to Angus and gently sponged his face off with it. For Angus it was refreshing, and it did help him feel more alert. "This probably won't last overly long, but maybe long enough to eat." Simone brought Caprice down in her little pink tutu dress with the little tiny gold crown. 

"Get your pictures now, Mama, because she and Diamond won't look this fetching by the end of supper," Simone told Ruby.

Ruby chuckled and nodded picking up the camera and turning it on as Aria headed up with Simone to get the babies dressed .

"awe that's cute " she said looking at the lavender tutu outfit Simone handed to her. Once Dimond was dressed she picked her up and chuckled " they look like butter wouldn't melt in their mouths " she said as she ahs Simone headed back down. " look whose ready" she said showing Dimond in her dress. It was now Ruby snapped a pic of both girls

" that's one for the album" Ruby said snapping another " lets get one with Dimond , caprice and Angus " she said and looked at Marcus " no being held by Aria and Simone not on his knee unless you think he can handle it" she said knowing how out of it Angus was but knowing she wanted one of them all.

"I'm sure he could," Marcus said, "for no longer than you're going to have them there." He went over to Angus. "Hey, Mate, can we put the babies on your lap for just a moment to get a picture with you and them in their birthday dresses?"

"Why not?" Angus asked. "I need some coffee then."

"I'll get it in just a moment and it can cool while Ruby takes her pictures. I have an idea, Ruby. Give me a second." Marcus got a few pillows and he shrank them slightly and then he arranged them around Angus to protect his shoulder but also to make sure the babies would be safe with him. "Okay. Diamond is smaller, so give her to me first." He took Diamond and very carefully positioned her so she was leaning on the pillows and on his chest and nowhere near his shoulder. "Now, before Diamond gets pissy, give me the other one." He took Caprice and put her on Angus's right side in the same position that Diamond was in on Angu's left side. "Aria, you be ready to either leap and catch or fire off an Arresto Momentum if either baby catapults itself off Angus's lap. Ruby, you get your pictures as quickly as you can because I'm not wagering you'll get more than about sixty peaceful seconds at the most. I'm going to go get him the coffee he wants."  Marcus went to the kitchen, but Anise was already there pouring a cup of coffee, and she added a bit of hazelnut flavored half cream and then handed the mug to Marcus.

"Perfect. And the half cream is a brilliant thought. Black coffee on an empty stomach with all the meds he's had might not be a good thing, but the half cream is great. Thank you for thinking of it," Marcus told her, and then he headed back to Angus in case it all would go off the rails.

Ruby listened and watched Marcus chuckling not realizing how much of a mission it was just to get the perfect pic of the girls and Angus " okay I'm ready" she said as Aria nodded to Marcus , Ruby snapped several quick shots and chuckled as Simone and Aria grabbed the babies placing them at the table with their bowl of food "okay guys come eat" Ruby said and made two plates one for Angus with small pieces on it and a normal one for Marcus " here you go." she said

Aria stayed close to Angus as she ate leaving the table for every one else to eat. " they do look cute" she said smiling " can' believe its been a year for Caprice and she's already walking, next come's potty training" she said and heard Ruby chuckle.

"oh I can't wait for that, no more diapers." she added

"maybe but now comes wet clothing " Aria said chuckling at the look on Ruby's face at the thought.

" I forgot about that." she said groaning " but I do know its not for long."

"Thanks, Ruby," Marcus said when Ruby brought over the supper plates. "I've got it. He and I are old pro's at this food thing." Marcus knew how to get a bite from his plate, then give Angus a bite, maybe a sip of coffee, and then go back and get a bite for himself. He also knew well how to encourage Angus quietly, very gently, without pushing. By being steady and calm with him, he managed to get Angus to eat almost 3/4ths of what was on his plate before Angus slipped off  into a light sleep again. Marcus just set Angus's plate aside and focused on finishing his own supper, giving Angus time to rest a bit. Marcus knew it would be a little before everyone else was finished with their supper and then, most likely the table would be cleared before dessert was served so this was a good time to let Angus rest a little. 

When he finished with his own supper, Marcus took both plates to the kitchen, and then he took all the pillows that he'd used for the picture taking, returned them to their normal size and put them back on the med cart. Before long, the entire area was clean and organized again, and Marcus hadn't made a sound. Then he went and got a cup of coffee for himself.

"Great supper, Ruby. Angus did far better than Robert and I expected," Marcus said.

"Yes, the food is good but he ate well partly because you know how to get him to eat even when he's more asleep than awake," Edward said. "Is the pain potion holding him?"

"Well, the last thing he had was a pain spell that Nigel cast when Angus woke up around five," Marcus said. "If it lasts about like other pain spells right after surgery, it could hold him pretty well for another hour or two at the most, but by then, I'm figuring that Robert will be back with more potions. Right now, though, he seems comfortable. I think now is a good time for him to nap a little until we get ready for dessert."

"Fair enough," Edward nodded. "Robert didn't say anything about a bed in the living room?"

"No, we didn't discuss it. He's slept in his recliner before, so I'll help him do whichever he wants when we get to that," Marcus said. "We can manage it either way."

"Whoa!" Sam scowled as a little piece of salmon flew through the air and ended in his polenta. "Ewww."

"Heads up," Marcus laughed, pointing to the babies. "One of the little princesses feels like a food fight."

Ruby nodded as she let Marcus fed Angus " I know you have it down pat with his food" she said and returned to the table to eat her own food Aria glanced over when she saw Marcus stand up and move to put his plate in the kitchen returning with a cup of coffee , this made her chuckle a little.

Ruby watched him but then was distracted by something flying across the table and the sound of Sam being disgusted " wow flying salmon" she said with a chuckle " hum wonder since its their birthday should we let them this once" she said and chuckled as she looked to Marcus and laughed " oh I think so too" she said as she stood up and returned with two cup cakes with candles on , She placed them down in front of caprice and Dimond " happy birthday girls" she said " so who gets to light the candle" she asked Sam and Victor wanting a photo of both boys with the babies , quickly she piked up the camera and smiled as they lent down to light the cupcakes quickly as they looked at her she snapped a shot and chuckled " thanks guys "

Marcus had to hurry back because Ruby was impulsively giving the smash cakes to the babies, without giving him a heads up so he could wake Angus. He knew Angus wouldn't want to miss it, so Marcus hurried back, none too happy with Ruby, and he woke Angus as quickly as he believed he dared. 

"Sorry, Mate, but I thought perhaps you'd like to see the babies with their first bit of birthday cake," Marcus said. Angus nodded, and he did his best to watch as they lit the candles on the cupcakes and then, once the candles had been extinguished and removed, Angus watched as the babies made a heck of a mess with the cupcakes. Angus felt something on his good shoulder and he looked over and saw Minos and Ili sitting on his good shoulder. The other Fae were scattered in various places around the room watching. Even if they didn't understand the celebration, they certainly could appreciate people having a good time. 

"I don't think they understand this smash cake thing," Marcus told Angus quietly. "Minos, since we're celebrating their first birthdays, its a human tradition to let the babies go crazy with a cupcake and make a mess with it. But there is always more cake for everyone else. It doesn't happen every birthday. Just the first one." Minos and Ili nodded, delighted. 

Angus stayed awake for most of the cupcake smashing but he accidently slipped off again, unable to stay awake any longer. Marcus didn't attempt to wake him believing he had seen the most important parts of it.

Ruby saw Marcus head over to Angus and smiled knowing he could see the babies as she had put them so he could see from the recliner after the candles had been lit and blown out she took the candles out leaving both babies with the cup cakes each looked at each other and laughed as Caprice dug her fingers into the cupcake squidging it between her finger before pushing it into her mouth and giggling then she lasted some at Sam and then Victor Dimond followed suit making Ruby laugh " oh boy they got you both " she said dodging a piece that flew towards Angus.

It was now she saw the Fae around them and smiled as she also saw them both hit each other laughing with the frosting of the cake " well that's two cupcakes sacrificed to be worn and not eaten " she chuckled as she took tons of photos so if Angus didn't remember later she could show him the photos.

Aria moved to Marcus " were your kids birthdays ever like this?" she asked chuckling as Ruby got some frosting on her cheek." nice shot Caprice" she called out chuckling, Once the cup cakes were destroyed Ruby grabbed a cloth and wiped down the babies hands and face and she smiled.

"Well, four out of the five, yes," Marcus said. "I missed Poppy's first because I didn't know she existed. Oh. Before I forget, Angus would want me to give these to you because they're important. He saved them for their birthdays. There's a slight story behind them. Go ahead and open them." 

He waited until she had opened the boxes to reveal the tiniest little gold chain ID bracelets with a gold name bar that had their first names engraved on the gold bar. On the jump ring on the right side of the name bar was a gold ring, and from the ring hung some tiny gold charms.  a tiny gold heart charm dangling from the chain. Each heart had a tiny diamond in it, along with the first initial of their names engraved the heart. There was also a teeny tiny gold Donohue family crest, and a charm that had a pure, perfect birthstone.

"The bracelets are designed to be enlarged as they grow older," Marcus explained to Ruby. "Angus designed them awhile back on one of those winter nights when he couldn't sleep, and he got Gabe to make them, along with having Gabe make Angus a gold ring with the same gold family crest. They're enchanted. The family crest is specifically designed so that if he has no other way to find them, he can use his ring to activate the enchantment to help him get to them. When they get old enough to know how to do it, they can activate the crest if they get into trouble, and it will alert him and help him find them, in the same basic way that our doubloons work, except this alert system functions separately from the doubloons. It functions within the Donohue family. Gabe will be making other family crest rings so that, no matter what, if the kids are in trouble, he'll be able to get to them. He wants them to know that, no matter what, if they're in trouble he will always, always come. I think its part of why Anise's problem in the mountains in France was so hard for him because that promise to them that he will always come is one he does not ever want to break. He is sharply aware that he isn't very good saying all the right words, but he's hoping they can hear the words he's not saying by seeing what he's doing to try to make sure they always have a home to come back to and that they've always got somebody who has their back. With Angus, sometimes the words he says with his heart and not his mouth are the ones that are the most important."

"Evan and I have already told Gabe we want rings so that if Angus is summoned, we will go with him. Or, if, in a situation like he's in right now and he can't go, we will go for him," Edward told her. "He showed me the bracelets, but I haven't had a chance to tell him that I've commissioned Gabe to make more. I'm also having one made for Marcus."

"He planned to have rings made for you, but he hasn't had a chance to do it," Marcus told Edward. "He'll be relieved that you've got that in motion."

"I'll tell him when he's feeling a wee bit better. It's a damned good idea that's worth doing more with, so I'm going to do it," Edward said.

ruby listened and smiled as she toom the boxes and opened them sunned by what she saw inside "There beautiful" she said and smiled walking over as Marcus continued she slipped Dimond's on her and then Caprices who giggled and played with the charms before going back to eating. " sounds like its a perfect idea but I could do with one" she said and held up her hands to show she didn't have a ring ether, marriage , engagement or other wise and chuckled.

Aria and Ruby turned and looked at Anise who smiled " good choice practical and hard weaning and goes with any outfit too" Ruby said and chuckled " but I know he'll make sure its perfect for you guys." she added looking over at Angus.