A Birth day

Ruby smiled and nodded " okay and it was our pleasure" she said as she sat with her watching napping babies in the play pen. Aria glanced out the window and saw Minos talking to Angus giving him something as he then headed to a tree she could see a small tree house in.

Jack having st the boys to work in the barn stepped out. He saw Angus and Marcus over by Abby's tree house. Now he was curious and walked over to them " okay you guys are a bit big to play in tree houses?" he said looking from Marcus to Angus and back.waiting for them to explain.

"Normally, yes, but bhe nice thing about that treehouse," Angus said. "is that when Brian designed it, he made it big enough for adults to be comfortable in. He had visions of Abbey being the only kid here, so he pictured himself playing pirates with Abbey up there when she got old enough. Anyway, Minos brought me some things that he and his guards found. Check these little souvenirs out. I don't think we should actually touch them. I'm going to pass them on to Robert, I think." 

He opened the bandana and showed him the contents.

"Chicken feet, voodoo doll, pins," Marcus said. "Rune stones. We're not done with New Orleans. Minos told us his men found them in the flowerbeds around Angus's side of the duplex. And they also found that someone's been living in the treehouse. We just found a chicory coffee tin, some wrappings for some beignets, some crisps made in New Orleans and some other cajun food items. Someone's slipped under our radar and has been living amongst us. Just thought you should know."

"I cast some protection spells to make it damned hard for anyone with any dark arts intentions to be able to go up there," Angus said. "But I had a feeling this wasn't over yet."

"Wait. What made you feel that way?" Marcus looked at him, frowning.

"I'm dreaming about Suzanne again," Angus said. "And not one Suzanne. Lots of Suzannes--like several of them together simultaneously."

"Why don't I like the sound of that?" Marcus frowned.

"I don't like it either," Angus said.

Jack listened to Marcus and Angus then looked at the things in the bandana he hummed as Angus explained " I remember that spell, was a few years ago but it flung the guy a few feet away from the tree house" he said with a chuckle at the memory.

Hearing Angus tell Marcus about his dreams Jack shook his head " that's never good" he said looking to Marcus " I can talk to Robert about this and get him to call over before bed tonight, he might know some spell to stop this again" he asked then glanced back at the barn " but I should get back to the barn , I left your boys to feed the pygmy puffs." he said but paused as he looked to Minos " maybe Minos could help too"

Angus glanced at Minos who gave Angus a gesture that Angus knew well by now. 

"He says he and his men have been on alert since they found it early this morning, and they will protect the outside of the house," Angus told Jack. "With the protection spells you and the others have already laid on the outside, and with Minos and his people on the outside of the house, I don't think any intruder is going to be able to get inside, not easily anyway."

"I was hoping Aria and I could be moving our things over to our house but clearly, any thoughts we have about actually staying there need to be postponed," Marcus said.

"I think we can work around that," Angus said.

"And how do you propose that" Marcus asked.

"I'll take the overnight shift myself. I'll sleep in the mornings after you come over, while the boys are at work and the girls are at school. That'll leave me free to protect my family over the night time hours."

"You could. I don't doubt that. What I doubt is that Robert will find that a workable plan," Marcus said. "I don't think that plan has a snowball's chance of him approving it. You're welcome to run it by him, though. Especially since he hasn't remembered to tell us what he found when he went to Switzerland after you dreamed about her last time."

"Oh yeah. Forgot about that," Angus said.

"I didn't. I want to know if she was there or not and if it was really her," Marcus said.

"Well, yeah. We probably should know that, but I presume that if she wasn't there or if it wasnt' her, he'd have told us," Angus said. "He probably thinks my cheese just slid off my cracker."

"Doubtful. If there's one thing Robert knows, it's to trust the word of a seer. If you're dreaming Suzanne is up to something, then she's up to something," Marcus said.

"Maybe, but maybe not since I'm the only one dreaming about her," Angus sighed.

Jack looked from Marcus to Angus and back Marcus spoke of moving the cottage he chuckled as Aria stepped out " not until we're both happy these two are secure." she called from the step across to them then walked over " I know we were going to move over but after what I just heard nope , not happening yet" she said folding her arms " I was coming to tell you everything's ready for Even and tara and over heard , Suzan's as in multiple? " she shivered " that thought is terrifying alone" she could not help the shiver and look of disgust at the thought.

Ruby looked out the window and then back to Simone as she smiled to her " best to just let them talk " she said noting Edward was still in his lab " Edward still trying different potions?" she asked as she sat with Simone. " hows the hand today?" she asked

"Yeah. He's been dreaming of multiples of her for some time now," Marcus said.

'Well, it isn't important enough to bother Robert at work about, so I suggest we just carry on as we would any other day--except if we can tighten the spells, that would probably be a good thing," Angus said. "If someone gets close to the house, Minos and his people will let us know." Minos nodded. 

"In the meantime, maybe we can get Michael to ask Daniella to check and see if Priscilla and Dominic are still in custody in France," Marcus said.

"Good thought," Angus said. "You know, I know how we could find out of the Suzanne that's in Switzerland is the right one."

"How's that? Besides Veritaserum?" Marcus asked.

"Let me go see her. If i go into her room, and its really her, she'll lose her mind."

"Well, I doubt Jeffrey would endorse that," Marcus laughed. "In the meantime, let's wait til Robert gets back. Jack what do you think about having Pip and Archangel keep an eye out on the treehouse? I certainly wouldn't want them to think they have to sit on the same tree for hours on end, but maybe if they would just keep an eye out and alert us when and if someone shows up there? Kate could probably ask them to do that, I would think, and maybe our unwanted guest would not think much of a bird in a tree. Is it worth a thought?"

Aria listened and looked to Marcus as if to say "he kidding us" she shook her head as she heard Angus talk again to Jack . " I'm sure for extra treats they will" he said to Angus " but I'll ask Kate to ask them to do that for you so we can catch the squatter" he said " ether way he needs to go" Jack said motioning to the grounds man close by to come to him so he could give him his orders .

Jack walked over to the grounds man and gave his orders to strengthen all charms and the barrier before walking back to Angus " AND DO IT RIGHT THIS TIME ON THE EAST WING!" he called after the guy he looked to Marcus and Angus " I'll talk to Kate" he said and left heading to the main house.

"Thanks, Jack," Marcus said. "Okay. That job is done. Let's go home. I'd feel better if you were inside." Angus nodded. He understood this far too well. Outside, he was a much more accessible target. Inside, it gave Marcus a good deal more control. Angus sighed, and he turned and went back to the duplex. hoping that someday he didn't have to stay indoors.


They weren't alone very long before Edward came over. 

"I know when there's a security problem," Edward said to Angus. "You can be angry with me some other time. I want details."

"Look with Minos's men found in the flowerbeds around the house," Marcus said, opening the bandana."

"Dark arts folk charms," Edward said, knowing full well what they were. "Around this house?"

"Yes," Marcus said. "And there's evidence of an intruder living in the treehouse--someone who likes New Orleans food."

"Minos's people are going to maintain surveillance outside, and Jack is upping the protection as much as he can do," Angus said. "I'll get with Robert when he gets home from work tonight."

"Tell him the rest or I will," Marcus told him.

"It's not important. I'm just seeing Suzanne again in my sleep. Nothing really helpful, though," Angus said. "It just isn't peaceful sleep, that's all."

"I see," Edward said. "We'll do whatever we need to do to keep everyone safe."

"I need to contact Evan," Angus sighed. "He might want to think twice before he brings his wife and kids here."

"Evan isn't going to shy away because of that," Marcus said. "You can contact him, but I'm sure he's still going to come."

"Well, maybe he shouldn't," Angus sighed.

Aria heard Marcus suggest to Angus he should go inside . As they did she took a peek up in the tree house seeing scattered on the floor remnants of po boys, Beignets, even the left over s of a Muffuletta Sandwich that she recognised the large rounds of sesame bread and layered with olive salad, genoa salami, ham, mortadella, provolone and Swiss cheese. that now littered the floor. Climbing back down she walked inside catching Edward talking to Angus

"They will be fine if they want to come" she said " security's on alert and charms and the barrier are secure " she said and looked to Marcus . " new Orleans street food, maybe they hired this Couillon off the streets to cover there tracks" she said and looked to Edward.

Angus still felt that Evan didn't need to bring his family into this situation. He opened the floo and reached Tara.

"Evan's at work at the yacht office," Tara told Angus. "What's up?"

"Tara," Angus sighed. "Minos and the Fae found some evidence this morning that the situation with Suzanne isn't over. You know I wouldn't put you and Evan and the girls in any sort of danger for any reason. You're still welcome to come, but you and Evan might want to give it a second thought..."

"We don't need to," Tara said. "I know full well what Evan is going to say. If Suzanne has managed to put anything else into motion, then not only is Evan still going to come, he's going to want to come all that much sooner. We're family, Angus. We stick together because that's what we do. We'll be there the very second we can pull ourselves free here, and we'll hear no more about it."

"Tara, be sure."

"Oh, I am. I am entirely sure. We're coming, and we're standing with you, just like we always do," she said.

"You sound like you should be taking the training, Tara," Angus laughed, teasing.

"I'm heading to Colorado next week to do just that, along with Faith and Evie. Even if we never get hired on, we'll know how to defend ourselves," Tara said.

"God, you're serious, aren't you?"

"Oh, 100 percent. If we don't do this, saying we stand with the rest of the family is just symbolic and has no real meaning. We mean to be able to say what we mean and mean what we say. We'll see you later, then." She smiled and clicked the floo off. Angus sat for a moment, not knowing exactly what to say.