A Birth day

Marcus scribbled another note and sent it through the floo, and about ten minutes later, a couple takeout bags landed on the front porch. Marcus fetched them, and he brought them inside. He got into the bag and set out ten full meal styrofoam containers on the counter and two small containers. 

"Breakfast is on me," Marcus said. "I know how to do takeout. I asked her to send me some different breakfasts. Everyone can take their choice. There's one container here per person. Let's see. Oh, someone is getting scrambled eggs, bacon, hashbrowns and a crumpet. What's in this one? Oh, strawberry crepes. The third container has french toast. The fourth--blueberry waffles. The fifth is a full english. The sixth is eggs in a nest with bacon. Number eight is an egg sandwich with some fruit on the side, Number nine is liege waffles. Number ten is---mine. Its a crispy flatbread breakfast pizza with cream cheese and smoked salmon and fresh dill. And the little containers are for the babies to share--one is Scottish oats, and one is fruit--There's enough for each baby to have some oats and some fruit."

"Lizzie is certainly creative today," Angus said.

"You two get to pick next since nobody else is up yet," Marcus told them, setting his flatbread aside. "What would you like?"

"I'll take the sandwich. Its easier for me to eat with one hand," Angus said. 

"Got it," Marcus said, taking it and giving it to him.

Aria chuckled as he wrote a note and take out appeared on the porch . Listening to him talk she smiled " I'll have the creps " she said picking up the containers and placing the remailing on the side board then splitting the oats and fruits into each small container.

" I'll make a note that I'll be doing the cooking in the cottage" she said chuckling, but a take out night will be mandatory" she added with a smile to him as she finally sat down with a fork to eat her breakfast. It was now Ruby walked down half asleep and pored some coffee looking at the containers she chose one and headed to the table to eat " some one still sleepy" Aria added as she ate.

"Everyone is entitled to wake up slowly once in awhile," Marcus said. "I can do survival cooking when I'm forced to, and I can make eggs and heat up muggle convenience foods. Oh, and yes, I can grill some decent steaks, but I certainly don't have anything like Angus's skills."

"His version of survival cooking is that he takes what didn't look edible and makes sure it won't kill you,' Angus said. Marcus laughed, knowing Angus was teasing and that Marcus's survival cooking wasn't that bad. 

"Well, I am not the man who goes to survival training with a container of shrunken salt, pepper and spices on a survival training," Marcus said. "I mean, who does that?"

"I do, and admit it, you're always grateful I have them because I can make those weeds you forage taste like something," Angus said.

"Those weeds are wild herbs," Marcus said.

"Nontoxic weeds," Angus insisted. He was about to eat his fruit when Minos came in, flew over to Angus and started to chatter, alarmed, wanting Angus to follow him at once. Angus got up and followed Minos outside. Marcus got up and ran after him, knowing Angu wasn't going to be able to be upright for very long. They didn't get far into the trees, when Minos swooped down to the ground. 

"Hold on. Let me," Marcus said. He crouched down to the ground and looked at what Minos was pointing out. "Oh, dear. A nest has fallen out of the tree here. Some sort of naked little birds here. Two of them." Marcus picked up the nest and showed them to Angus.

"Holy crap. Those are owlets," Angus said.

"Nah. They're too small to be owlets," Marcus said.

"Uh uh," Angus disagreed. "Newly hatched owls are featherless, and baby Little Owls are teeny weeny. These are owls. We need to get them to Kate immediately."

"We need to get you in the house before you fall on your face," Marcus said. He levitated the owls and floated them ahead of them while he helped Angus back into the house and back to his chair. "Can we not do any more hiking today, please?" Marcus told him, as a gentle reprimand. "Look what Minos has found, Ladies. Angus says they're newly hatched owlets. I say they're naked birds."

"I say they're owls because they're freaking owls," Angus said, out of breath.

Aria laughed at Marcus and Angus's banter but then she saw Minos fly in and chatter to Angus she heard the worry in Minos chatter even if she could not understand him. Seeing Angus stand up and head out to the back she followed behind him with Ruby who was now awake aft6er her second coffee. " awe they look cute" Aria said and Ruby chuckled at Marcus words.

"there defiantly naked " she said and looked at Angus as Marcus helped him walk back in.

" I got them" Aria said scooping the babies still in the nest material and placing them in a small box before bringing them inside in her hands " I can take then over or we can send for Jack , he's good with owls and animals" Aria said walking with the owlets in her hands in the box.

"Robert will be here momentarily anyway," Marcus said. "He's married to the bird woman, so I say we let him take the little naked birds..."

"Owls. Flipping, freaking owls," Angus insisted.

"Naked birds," Marcus insisted, "And he can take them to the bird woman. God, you're stubborn, Angus."

"Because you're wrong. They're owls," Angus said.

"They don't look even remotely like owls," Marcus said. "How can they be owls?"

"Yes they do," Angus frowned. 

"Well, Robert's on his way here right now," Marcus said, glancing out the kitchen window. "He can settle it."  

It wasn't a minute later when Robert walked in.

"Morning, All. I thought I'd wake most of you up this morning," he said.

"Kids are still in their rooms, but if they're going to be on time, they'd best be getting here for breakfast any time now," Marcus said. "Hey, Minos found a small wildlife issue this morning. Perhaps this might be something that Kate might be interested in?" He showed him the box.

"Well, would you look at that," Robert looked into the box at the new hatchlings. "And a pair of them. Kate's going to be thrilled."

"By naked birds?" Marcus asked.

"Owls," Robert and Angus said at the same time.

"Told you. Freaking owls," Angus said.

"They don't look like owls," Marcus said.

"Because they're naked," Robert laughed. "New owls are always naked. These are Little Owls. Kate is going to be over the moon. I'd like to just give them to Jack, but if I do that, Kate will have me sleeping in the barn. She will want to fuss over them and mother them for a day or two. You know how women get baby fever when they see a baby? She gets it with little baby anythings. If it's a baby, she wants to fuss over it, and if I try to bypass her, she gets all sorts of ugly about it. I'll take them to her." The little baby owls sat up in the nest and opened their little mouths, wanting food. "Don't look at me, either of you. I am not your mother," Robert told the birds, as if they could understand them.

"Shall one of us take them over to Kate while you tend to Angus's shoulder?"

"If you like," Robert said. 

"Shall I go, or would one of you like to take them to Kate?" Marcus asked Ruby and Aria.

-Aria listened to Marcus and glanced as he looked out the window and nodded " best to wait" she said and sat down with them owlets on her knee. " Hey Robert" she said and showed him the box and chuckled at the banter between Angus, Robert and Marcus . Ruby chuckled too as Aria showed Robert then stood up. " I can take them to Kate " she said and headed to the back door and across the main yard to the main house .

"hey Zoe, have you seen Kate?" she asked still holding the box in her hands with the two owlets in. " I got a pair of owlets for her " she asked but didn't see Kate around but did hear the owlets start squawking in the box.

"Owlets?" Zoe asked. "Oh, aren't they cute? She'll be so excited. She and Abbey are hunting BooBoo Kitty again in the living room--right through there. That stuffie gets around, he surely does. I think that's where Abbey left him last night." 

At that moment, Archangel fluttered into the kitchen, and he had BooBoo Kitty with him. 

"Archie! Bad birdy!" Abbey was shouting, racing into the kitchen. "Gimme! Gimme, gimme, gimme. Its mine!"  

"Abbey, be nice," Kate called, following her. "Archangel," Kate called, "give it to me please." Archange looked at her, not sure he wanted to give up his catch, but he reluctantly dropped it into her hands. "You need a good long fly. You're about as bored as you can get without being really naughty. I'll have to send you out to Jack. Maybe Jack can take a moment and play fetch with you for a little. Sorry, Aria. We have bored toddlers and bored eagles."

"She's brought you a present," Zoe told her. Kate went over and looked in the box. 

"Oh, look! Newborn owlets! And no mum? They're adorable," Kate said. "Thank you, Aria. Want to help me feed them? Zoe, can you get me some minced fish?"

"Already working on it. And you need a couple of forceps?" 

"Please?" Kate asked. Zoe handed her a little dish of fish that she'd chopped into tiny pieces and two pair of forceps. "Here. Like this." She picked up a little bit of the fish and dropped it directly into the open mouth of one of the owlets. "Would you like to try?"

Aria heard Zoe and chuckled " ah okay " she said then Arch flew in with the stuffed cat in his mouth " well looks like Arch found it" she said as Abby ran threw and asked Archangel for it followed by Kate " ah so he took it in the first place" Aria said and chuckled again. Now Kate had seen the Owlets she shook her head " Minos said they fell out of the tree , no sign of the mother anywhere." she said watching Kate check them and ask Zoe for food.

Hearing Kate ask if she wanted to feed them she smiled and nodded " sure, I've fed egrets before " she picked up the forceps and a piece of fish placing it just over the owlets mouth it bit it and swallowed it before she did the same with the second. " they are cute" she said smiling " but Angus and Robert thought they would be better off with you" she said placing down the forceps beside the box as Jack walked in from the barn and washed his hands .

"oh Arch time to play" he said taking out of his pocket a stuffed mouse toy, lets go, you've not had a good flight in a while" he said slipping on a thick leather glove for Arch to sit on. " morning Kate , okay if I take Arch for a play flight?" he asked

"Baby owls stomachs are really tiny, a bit smaller than the size of marble, so it won't take long to fill them up,' Kate said. "I'll have a word with Archangel and maybe he can keep his eyes open for the mum. If she doesn't show up, then I'll wager something happened to her. A good mum wouldn't leave her babies. Maybe we can still find her. I'll go for a hike later and see what I can find. You're doing a great job with them. I'm guessing they can't be over just a few days old, and they're well fed, so I'm guessing they haven't been long without their mum. Just a few hours at best. And these owls are Little Owls. They're sort of the next size up from Pip's size. They'd be good little local messengers, but they're too small for any sort of distance more than just about the estate size"

"Would you, Jack?" Kate was relieved to see Jack. "He's swiped BooBoo Kitty from Abbey this morning, and she's about had enough of him. And, look here. we have some new babies--newborn Little owls. They've just had their breakfast. Aria is very good at feeding baby owls. She handled it like a pro. Apparently Minos found them this morning. Archangel, if you see the mum, let Jack know, won't you?" Archangel screeched at her. "I'll bring them to the barn in a bit, I suppose. If I keep them too long in the house, Robert will get sore with me."

Ari listened to Kate and chuckled at her words " its okay I like birds, seeing I am on too" she said smiling at Abby who held Kitty bobo tight from Archangel. Jack chuckled and nodded to Kate.

"its okay , he was due a flight , with everything going on I almost forgot " he said then looked at the owlets then to Arch angel " yeah best they do tend to make a lot of noise too" he said and chuckled Aria looked at Kate .

"that true and I can take them to the barn if you ant?" she asked Jack looked at her and smiled too.

"there's an empty box stall in the back of the barn its dark and quiet, and Arch if you see her tell her she can enter threw the hayloft" Jack said to Arch who he heard screech at both his and Kates words. Jack chuckled and shook his head to clear his ears of the ringing from Arch's screech.