A Birth day

Angus ported them back just in time to see Sam, Victor, Anise and Ginger going inside, and they had already apparently introduced themselves to Stefan and Danica, with Sergio's help. He was going in with them, clearly translating. So far, it seemed to be going well.

"That's our bunch with your bunch," Angus said to Vasil.

"Your kids seem to be helping ours feel at home."

"Well, ours are not shy in the least," Angus laughed.

"Neither are mine," Vasil laughed. They followed the kids inside, but when they got inside, Vasil saw no teens at all. "Where did they go?" Vasil frowned, becoming anxious.

"They have gone to wash their hands for supper," Ana told Vasil. "They will be back."

"I make mine wash up because of the work they do outside," Angus said. "Looks like yours went right along with mine."

"Alright," Vasil said, taking a breath.

"Ru, can you help set up the sideboard for supper, please?" Angus asked her. Angus went to the kitchen, washed his own hands, took the cakes out of the oven to cool, and then took out the moussaka and put it on the sideboard. Knowing how many people there would be for supper, he had made enough cake to make two of the 8 layered Bulgarian honey cake. He set the salad on the counter, sliced a big loaf of crusty bread into generous slices and put it out to be put on the sideboard, along with some fresh Irish butter. He made the sour cream frosting for the medovik cakes, and he sliced the layer cakes into 8 distinctive thin layers, spread the frosting on each layer, layered the cakes carefully, then he iced the tops and the sides and, instead of using the traditional breadcrumbs for the top and the sides, he crushed part of a pastry left from lunch and used the sweet pastry crumbs for the tops and the sides of the Medovik cakes. Then he sliced the cakes and set them out to be placed on the sideboard. He brewed coffee for dessert.

The kids came back into the kitchen, knowing supper wouldn't be far behind. It was then that Deni came back from the main building.

"How is she?" Vasil asked.

"Better. She is quite comfortable now," she told Vasil. "They have tended her burns, given her some pain potion, and their chef made her a creamy chicken and mushroom soup that appealed to her. She had some soup and some tea, and she fell straight to sleep. I don't think she had any sleep at all last night. She was exhausted. The healer doubts very much if she will wake much before morning. Before she went to sleep, she said I should tend to you all and come see her in the morning."

"That sounds more like her," Vasil said. "She is calming, then. Good. You're just in time. Supper is about to be served."

"I could smell it before I even got inside," she smiled. "I know I had lunch, but I'm famished."

Ruby heard Angus and nodde smiling as she moved to teh side baord seeing their small table she enlarged and stretched it then cast a duplication spell to duplicate some chairs now with enough room and chairs door every one she began setting out plates two piles of ten along with side plates and bowls for every one as she put the cutlery on the table soon it was all set and Aria walked out with two jugs of juice setting them on the table she sent several cans of soda to the side board.

Aria stayed close to Amari and Caprice who was still sleeping she picked up Amari and looked at Jack who nodded. " I'll watch her while you guys eat." he said as he moved a knight to the right of the board while Aria walked over to one of the high chairs and slipped Amari into it giving her a spoon to eat. Ruby looked to Angus and smiled .

" our original table wouldn't fit every one so I elongated it and added more chairs that we can remove once every one is done" she said placing down the last glass on the table.

"That's fine," Angus said. He looked at the rather unfinished look the table had, and he wasn't satisfied. It needed centerpieces of some sort. Using magic, he added some pumpkin-colored tablecloths under Ruby's table settings. Then, improvising, he set out a few strategically placed thick pillar candles, and some smallish sized wooden bowls of fruit, along with salt and pepper shakers, some bowls of butter and pumpkin butter, and he added some baskets of more sliced bread, very much like the bread that was already on the sideboard. That gave the table a rustic, welcoming look.

"You did not need to go to any trouble for us," Vasil said.

"We didn't," Angus said. "We do like to have at least one meal a day together as often as we can, and I rather like having the table set. Chefs tend to like presentation, you know." Vasil laughed.

"Point taken," he agreed. "At least you're not setting the table with gold dinnerware and crystal. I get so tired of formal suppers."

"Well, trust me, you won't find that in this house. This is as formal as it gets."

"I might move in," Vasil teased.

"Come fix your plates," Angus called.

"I'll go call Edward and Simone," Marcus said. Andrew pushed Elwood's wheelchair up to a place set for him at the table. The kids lined up at the sideboard and fixed their plates, with Sam and Victor insisting that Danica and Stefan be first in line. Then the rest of the kids followed. Andrew fixed a plate for Elwood and one for himself, and then, Vasil and Deni fixed their plates. That left the rest of the adults.

"Go ahead," Marcus told Ruby, Aria, Edward and Simone. "Angus and I will bring up the rear."

When everyone else had fixed their plates, Marcus fixed his plate and Angus fixed his own plate as the very last one at the sideboard. Then he joined the rest of them at the table.

Ruby watched Angus put the finishing flourish to the table and smiled at the interaction between Vasil and Angus and she chuckled " oh he's right " she said as she placed a bib on Amari ready for when she ate. Aria heard Marcus and nodded walking over to check Caprice and finding her sleeping still before moving to the table. she made plates for Vasil and his family and placed them down for them before placing one down in front of Ruby so she could feed Amar.

"Caprice is still sleeping, so I'll put her plate in the fridge for when she wakes" she said making a small bowl for her and placing it in the fridge. Returning she made a plate for herself and sat next to Amari on her right side.

Jack stood up and chuckled " okay, now I am heading to the main house to get my supper, night guys" He said as he stood up and smiled to Elwood as he saw the boys and girls walk from their rooms to the dinning area. Ruby waved to Jack as he left and gave Amari some food.

Vasil listened to the kids talking in Bulgarian about the meal, and he laughed. Angus understood, and he smiled.

"My children say we cannot possibly move here because if we did, every one of us would gain 200 pounds," Vasil translated, laughing.

"I'm glad they like it. It reminds them of my aunt's restaurant right on the Bulgarian Romanian border, in a little place called Svishtov. It was called Elitza's, and it specialized in traditional Bulgarian and Romanian foods. The moussaka tastes just like it.

"Actually, I do believe that's where my late wife, Angus's grandmother, got the recipe," Edward said. "We were there on a trip shortly after we were married, and we ate there several times."

"Then you most likely knew my great grandmother," Vasil said. "The restaurant goes back in our family at least five generations, but probably more. My aunt is in the process of passing it down to my cousin right now. Such a small world that we find ourselves in England, eating my family's own recipe for moussaka. I know it certainly puts us all right at ease."

"Us too," Sam said, getting up and going back to the sideboard for a second helping.

"Did I see correctly that there is a running track on these grounds?" Vasil asked.

"There is indeed," Marcus said.

"I would like to see it," Vasil said.

"Don't lie. You want to run it," Marcus laughed.

"I do," Vasil grinned.

"After supper, then. Perhaps they'll be alright without us for a bit."

"I think anyone who wants to come should come," Vasil said.

Ruby ate her food while feeding Amari after a while Aria took over from her so she could eat her food . Once done Amari pushed her spoon away from her mouth indicating she was done eating . Aria placed down the spoon and ate her food letting Amari look around and pull faces at Sam as he ate.

Once every one had finished Aria picked up her plate and Amaris bowl and carried them to the kitchen and placed them into the dishwasher. returning she lifted Amari out of her highchair and into the playpen for a while. Hearing Angus and Marcus talk of the running track Aria chuckled and nodded " We,ll be okay here" she said as did Ruby who smiled knowing they would enjoy the running track.

When supper was over, they decided to wait a little on dessert so they could run first. Sam and Anise wanted to go along, and Victor and Ginger did not. They volunteered to clear the table and put the leftovers away.

Angus, Marcus, Deni, Vasil changed to running clothes, as did Sam and Anise. Then they all headed for the running track. Danica and Stefan went outside to look at the Fae garden. They had never seen Fae before, and they were fascinated by the idea of a fairy village.

"I could go out with them," Edward said. "I speak the language."

"You should, then," Simone said. "I'll slice the Medovik cake so that when we actually get to dessert, it's sliced. Slicing an 8 layer cake is tricky business because of all the thin layers. It's a bit complicated to get them sliced and served without buggaring it up. You know, on second thought, I think I'll just get out dessert plates and plate a slice for everyone. That way, they'll look nice." She went to the pantry and found Angus's 12 inch cake knife and cake server set, and she used them to carefully cut the cakes and serve up a slice for everyone. Ginger helped her by setting out the plates in an orderly fashion on the sideboard.

The crew weren't gone long. They only ran the track and didn't do the obstacle course. Still, Vasil and Deni had had a great time on the course. The lot of them came back from the track, talking and laughing and energized by having a great run. Angus was talking about promising to get the cakes cut and get coffee served.

"I'm a half a step ahead of you, Angus," Simone said. "The cakes are cut and plated. I just need to pour coffee. Come and get a slice of cake and a mug of coffee"

"I'll help," Ginger said. The two of them poured coffee and put filled mugs on the sideboard so that people could get a slice of the 8 layer honey cake and some coffee.

"

Aria and Ruby busied themselves with bathing Amari and feeding a now awake Caprice . Ruby finished feeding Caprice and gave her a small amount of pain potion which she took happily this time before Ruby took her up to bathe and change into her PJ's while Amari was bathed and changed ready for bed. Ruby and Aria brought both girls back down " okay girls say night night to daddy" Ruby said and smiled as Caprice hugged Angus " her bruising is going down now" she said gently motioning to the light yellow on the edges" she said to Angus with a smile as Caprice hugged him. Amari waved and clung to Aria wanting to just head to bed.

Once the girls were in bed Ruby read a short bedtime story to them and watched as both dropped off to sleep. Now both Aria and Ruby snuck out closing the door slightly as Finn snuck in ans lay down between the beds. Now with them sleeping Ruby and Aria headed down to the living room " there both sleeping" Ruby said smiling " and Finn is on guard duty, hes our unofficial guard dog" she said and chuckled softly hearing them return from their run " so who won the run?" Aria asked smiling

"Marcus won, by a mile or four, I think," Vasil laughed. "I haven't gotten a chance to keep up with my running nearly as well as I did when Marcus was with us. I go, but now its only about once a week."

"That reminds me. How did you get out without your guards today?" Marcus frowned.

"They aren't as good as you are. We have four now to do the job that you and Francois did. And they still screw it up," Vasil said. "If I could get finished with being angry with them, then I might feel sorry for them for not being you. So far, though, that hasn't happened yet." Vasil and Deni saw Stefan and Danica both stifling yawns.

"My children are tired," Deni said. "No one slept last night because of being frightened for Mileva."

"Not to mention that Bulgaria is two hours ahead of England. It is late back home. I think we're all tired," Vasil said.

"We do understand that," Angus said. "You're welcome to retire to your rooms at Marcus's and Aria's whenever you like. We will take no offense at it. We know what its like for a lack of sleep to start taking a toll."

"It is indeed," Deni said.

"You would not think us rude?"

"Not in the least," Marcus said.

"Then, we will thank you for a fantastic supper, and we will take our children and say goodnight," Vasil said. "Thank you so much for all you have done for us. It is a deeper relief than you may know for us to find such solid friends here today."

"You're very welcome. Sleep well," Angus told them.

"Goodnight," Deni said, and they took Stefan and Danica and headed to the cottage.

Aria chuckle as Vasil said Marcus had won the run then she heard them talking about guards and how unguarding they were. Aria looked to Marcus " you should go and give them a talking to" she said with a smile. Seeing the children yawn she smiled " of course we don't mind" she said " your rooms are all ready and your bag are in rooms" Aria explained the nodded as she watched them head to the cottage together.

Ruby looked at Aria " maybe you should go with them and show them their rooms" she suggested and Aria looked at Marcus before nodding and heading to show them into the cottage and to their rooms

Aria smiled to Vasil as she led them up to their rooms " these are your rooms , hope you sleep well" she said " sleep well" she added and turned to head down to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee and tea.