A Birth day

Aria and ruby listened as Andrew said good night Jess smiled as she spoke " good night Andrew , see you later" she said then saw the girls come from below and Angus praise Ginger at her nursing skills. Jess smiled and nodded as Marcus asked if Poppy could come up from below this day " I'll check on her and If everything is good, don't see why not" she said " I could use your help bridging her up" she said smiling to him.

Aria head that Poppy wanted to star gaze and smiled " its a good thing to know" she said then heard Angus say it was Edwards thing , stargazing " hey I like it too, did when I camped out." she said " I could show her some stars so not to bother Edward." she said as they door opened again and Radagast stepped in.

"oh avid star gazer this one, found her many times up a tree looking at the stars" he said making Aria look at him.

"oh, your back" she said and looked to Marcus

"of course Mon cher, have to make sure the braziers keep burning" he said " monsieur Lupin could do it, he is after all a strong white liter but since I lit dem, so here I am" he said smiling to her.

"No problem," Marcus said. "I can bring her up when it's alright for her to do that. She's no trouble. As for showing her stars, you'd be surprised. She knows the major constellations, and she's been trying to teach herself star charts for the last couple of years, she says. She asked me for a book on star charts for Christmas, and when I got it for her, I was surprised to know it was a huge book that was about three inches thick. When I've gone out with her, more or less I sit with her, and she puts my knowledge of the stars to shame. But then again, I never have much of a need to know much except for rudimentary skills to find my way by starlight if I have to."

As they were eating, a note fluttered through the floo. Angus accio'd it and read it and handed it to Marcus.

"Oh. That's good, I suppose," Marcus said. "Iya finished her work in New Orleans sooner than she expected. She can be ready to come here in the next couple of hours, her and her grandson. I'm not sure whether Robert is going to put her up in the main house or if she and her grandson are planning to share the last remaining guest room at Edward's for a bit. I suppose i should catch Robert about that before he goes to work. And then there's the matter of going and picking her up and bringing them here. I could probably go, but that leaves Angus without protection."

It was now Radagast ported into the yard and knocked on the door before gently pushing it open " good mornin'" he said as he looked inside " may I enter?" he asked before stepping in and walking over to Angus " good to see you awake" he said and smiled to him. He paused when the note flew in and Marcus spoke of Iya and who would bring hr.

Radagast looked at the two men " well I could fetch her for you, I know of her and she is magnificent." he said " not like I'm doing much and if it would help you out, I'd be happy to help" he offered. " might even get Aria to see I has changed , for de better" he admitted to Marcus as he looked to Angus and back as Jess looked at him too before checking Angus vitalize which she then wrote down on the chart.

"Iya was helpful the last time we were in New Orleans," Marcus said. "We're hoping she can help us keep Angus protected this time too. We were dealing with a woman who was impersonating Marie Laveau then., and I think we thought this was her again. However, the more we find out, the more I'm starting to think that we aren't dealing with the same woman at all. Hopefully, Iya can help us shield him. 

"The situation is this," Marcus told Radagast," Ruby's parents were criminals through and through. Angus ended up killing Ruby's father two years ago in self defense. Her mother married her boss, a much bigger criminal, and basically abandoning her two minor aged sons--Ruby's brothers. Angus and Ruby sued for custody and got it. That caused Ruby's mother to accuse Angus of taking everything of value from her, which of course isn't true. She had a child almost the same date that Ruby and Angus's child was born, which her mother neglected from the outset. Angus and Ruby took custody due to failure to thrive and, they've gotten permanent custody of her too. So, Ruby's mother has an obsession that she wants to see Angus dead. That's why she hired the Marie Laveau imposter--as a contract arrangement to get rid of Angus. So far as we know, both Ruby's mother and the Marie Laveau imposter are behind bars. But now we're into this new situation where someone is sending dark elementals to attack him. That's why we're bringing Iya back--to hopefully find ways to stop the dark folk magic influence and protect Angus from these elementals. Now, clear as mud?"

Marcus heard the sound of porting outside.

"It's Evan," Anise said, as she and Ginger scooped up their backpacks to dash off. "Can we go?"

"Absolutely," Angus called. "Keep your heads in your work. Summer holiday is almost here. Understand me?"

"Yes, Dad," they called in unison, dashing out the door.

"Foster daughters," Marcus told Radagast. "Parents are werewolves that live a nomadic existence. Mother died a couple years ago, and Ginger had some severe health issues that kept her from being able to continue to live with their pack. So they've been here with Ruby and Angus since. That means in two years time, he and Ruby both went from being single to having a family with six kids of all ages."

Radagast listened to Marcus as he explained about what had happened and nodded " ah , so they were what we call moun sòt, idiots basically to hire some one whom impersonate Marie Laveau" he said then listened as Marcus continued to talk about why they needed Iya and he nodded " I see, she is in my circle a very important woman, a gran prètès." he said as he heard porting and looked to the door as two girls ran up . Hie eyebrows shot up as they called Angus dad then ran out with school bags in hand.

" you my friend are a Yon pi bon gason than I" he said to Angus then paused " a better man than I" he said then looked at Marcus " I'll fetch Miss Iya and whom ever she wants to bring with, and bring them right here." he said to Marcus as Ruby and Aria walked back in laughing but Aria looked at Radagast and frowned.

"just when my day was looking up" she said and saw Radagast smile.

"pitit fi m, I'm just on my way out" he said and looked to Marcus " back in two shakes of a goats tale." he said and ported out of the duplex.

"I was blessed enough to have the real Marie Laveau appear to me, and Priscilla is no Marie Laveau. Not only that but the spirit of the real Marie is outraged at what Priscilla is doing in her name," Angus said quietly. 

"I don't consider myself a better man than anyone else," Angus said, 'but I know what its like to be a kid and feel like you don't belong anywhere. So I do what I can, that's all." When Radagast said he would go get Iya, Angus said. "You're going to have a wait if she needs a couple hours yet. Just so you know." 

When Radagast ported out, Angus looked at Aria.

"What's with you Barnetts?" Angus frowned. "You can't wait for shit. We told him, twice, that Iya won't be ready for two hours, and he pops out to go get her anyway. None of you know the meaning of 'slow-the-fuck-down', do you?" Marcus burst out laughing.

"Welcome to my world. She doesn't slow down, and she's been trying to teach Ruby the same trick."

"She'd better not, or I'll turn them both into slugs and put them in one of Robert's bug jars until they learn," Angus said. 

"And on that note, I'll go see if my pint sized child needs more breakfast or tea or something, since she's now down there by herself," Marcus said, excusing himself to go check on Poppy.

Aria looked at Marcus as he spoke and chuckled " nope he just wants away from me" she said and picked up a bottle of water and drank as Ruby followed her in some what looking worse for wear after the run she'd had.

"shesh don't wait" she said and flopped on the floor as Aria handed her a bottle of cold water " thanks" she said and downed it before siting up and dribbling some over the top of her head " this woman ran be out" she said " standing up she headed to the bed room" Om off to take a slow shower." she said slowly walking to the stairs.

Aria looked at Marcus and sighed " hes always been that way, never staying put with his family and always popping in then right back out, mom hated that but she loved him and had three kids with him, I never forgave him for it" she said sitting down next to Marcus.

"That's why you're irked with him because he was a skirt chaser and was an inconsistent dad?" Angus asked. He was tempted to tell her there were worse things, but he didn't feel like playing a one upmanship game with anyone. "He at least sounds like he does care, if maybe not in the healthiest way."

Marcus took it upon himself to bring Poppy upstairs, with her art supplies following behind him in a neat stack of supplies. He took Poppy out and put her on one of the chaise lounges on the deck in the warm sunlight. She was elated. He brought her a pillow and a blanket and put her supplies on a side table next to her and then brought her an insulated glass with ice water in it so she had fluids. She immediately went back to her work on her portrait of Minos, hoping the Fae didn't come to see it until she was done with it.

"What all exactly is your beef with him anyway?" Marcus asked Aria. "You've been pretty clear in your hatred of him. So what exactly is the entire problem?"

Aria smiled seeing Poppy now up with them and siting in the sun " your looking much better" she said to poppy with a smile. hearing Marcus she looked at him " I'll tell you later when its just us" she said and looked to Angus " maybe its time I was the bigger person and let the past remain in the past" she said smiling to both Angus and Marcus.

Ruby returned now washed and changed into clean relaxing clothing . " hey look whose up stairs." she said smiling to Poppy " need anything just shout" she said as Jess stood up and walke dover to Poppy placing her hand on her shoulder she smiled " your doing just fine." she said and glanced at the picture she was drawing. Nodding to both Marcus and Poppy she moved back to Angus.

Aria stood up " I'll go shower " she said and headed to the stairs and up to their room to shower and change.

"Thanks," Poppy said to Aria and Ruby and Jess.

"Aria," Angus said, "I am the last person to give you advice about what to do with a problem with your dad since I didn't have one, not really. You handle it the way you see fit." Then he looked at Jess. "Now, do me a favor and don't have a bloody meltdown, will you? I'm going to go all of four steps, out to the other lounge on the deck and lay for a bit in the sun with Poppy."

"If you're going to do that, you let me help you because that's going to hurt," Marcus said. "Here. Pain potion first." He handed the dose of pain potion that Andrew had poured before daylight that Angus had just honestly forgotten about. "Four hours late is probably better than never, I suppose," Marcus teased. Angus pushed back the covers, sat on the edge of the bed, hurting. Marcus noticed that most of Angus' back was bruised coal black. And there were bruises on his chest and just about everywhere else. When Angus tried to stand, Marcus did most of the lifting, knowing Angus just couldn't do it. 

"You sure you want to do this?" Marcus asked.

"Its four steps. I can certainly do that," Angus said. 

"Four steps and not half an inch more," Marcus said firmly, not liking it. He helped Angus out to the lounge beside Poppy and helped him sit down there and lean back against the cushion. It wasn't as comfortable as his bed, Angus realized immediately. He didn't complain, though. "You want your blanket or your pillow?" Marcus asked him.

"No. I'm not staying forever. Just a little bit. Then I'll go back," Angus said.

"Okay. I'm sure I'll be back in just a few minutes to take you back, then."

"That's fine. Now, go away," Angus said. That made Marcus laugh. Marcus took a couple steps inside. 

"Perhaps we should put some clean sheets on that bed while he's outside supervising Poppy's artwork," Marcus said. "You know that's what this is all about, right?" He asked Jess. "He'll want back in, in probably 15 or 20 minutes, if I know him."

"Let me see your sketch," Angus told her. "Ginger tells me it's great."

"Its average at best," Poppy looked at him. "The nose isn't right. I can never do noses. I haven't chalked it in yet because I know its wrong."

"Maybe I can help. Let me see," Angus said. Poppy handed him the sketch. "This is good, Poppy. Really good. I see where you can fix the nose. Let me show you how, and then you can start to add color to it." He started to show her how to do a properly shaped nose and how to refine the one in her sketch.