A Birth day

"Goodnight," he yawned, falling asleep quickly.

"They won't be," Marcus said. "They're not used to it, and I know for a fact that Anise's knee hurts, and she has a pretty fierce headache again. She's having a good time, but she's not going to be able to hold it off forever." He unlocked the door and went into the cottage, and then, once they were in, he locked it again. "When we were kids and we had late nights like this, my dad used to tell us the last one in bed had to do the washing up of the breakfast dishes. None of us wanted that job, so we all made a beeline upstairs." He was checking doors and windows as he was going through the house and going upstairs. "I'm going to shower and change and then finish making a check of things here before actually turning in." He made his check and then headed for bed.

Victor made sure that Ginger and Anise got home, and he made sure her trophy got home too. He put it on the fireplace mantel and made sure the front door was locked again after they got home. Ginger and Anise headed downstairs to shower and head to bed, and Victor did the same. They made very little noise, and Minos double checked that all was secure. By that time, the kids were in bed and in a deep sleep.

Angus slept heavily but he was caught in one of the worst nightmares he'd ever had in his life. It refused to let him go until the dream ended with his own death. He woke, feeling like his heart was beating out of his chest. He did not believe for one moment that this was a normal nightmare. He slid out of bed carefully to be sure he didn't wake Ruby. He went downstairs, poured a large firewhiskey and drank it down in a couple big quick gulps, hoping to steady himself. He did not want to talk about this with his family because it would only worry them. He went out to the deck and smoked a cigarette, hoping it would help. It didn't.

Minos offered to help him by trying to block the nightmares for him, and Angus was willing to give it a try. He followed Minos inside and sat down in his chair. Minos cast a blocking spell, and Angus eventually dozed back off, but to Minos's complete surprise, the dream started again, started to replay. In all his years, Minos had never had his spell fail. That told him a good deal. This wasn't a normal dream at all. This was a dark magic spell that was intruding into Angus' sleep with a dark vision, not a dream at all. That concerned Minos. Someone was trying to get to Angus to give him trouble.

Aria walked with Marcus till they entered the cottage and he locked the door behind them " agreed and we should do that with the teens" she said and chuckled nodding as she heard him say he was going to go shower. Aria changed into her night wear and slipped into bed waiting for Marcus. Soon she felt sleep start to take over her and she lay down hearing him check every thing was closed and locked she then felt him climb into bed next to her and snuggled against him.

Ruby woke and found Angus side of the bed empty, looking around she didn't see him and slipped from the bed dressing she headed down to put on the kettle but as she entered the living room she saw Angus with a frown on his face as he slept and she walked over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder she hoped it would be enough to wake him.

Angus woke with a hard jolt when someone touched him. Realizing he had just been dreaming, he took a breath and exhaled slowly to calm himself.

"Sorry. Dreaming again. Thanks. I'm glad you woke me. It wasn't pleasant," he said. "I'd better get the cinnamon rolls in the oven. They take awhile."

He got up and went to the kitchen and turned on the coffee. He got the breakfast casserole out, put it in the oven, set the fruit salad out of the fridge and put it on the sideboard. He got the icing out of the fridge so it could come to room temperature, and then he rolled out the dough, spread the cinnamon filling on it, rolled it up again, sliced big thick cinnamon rolls and put them on baking sheets to start baking them off. It always took several rounds to get them all baked, so he knew he needed to get that started.

He saw Finn lazily padding down the stairs and then over to the door.

"Can you take him out if I fill his bowls, please, Ru?" Angus asked.

Ruby smiled to him and nodded " so I saw" she said not asking about what ever he was dreaming about. Seeing Finn she chalked " okay, I'll do that, come on Finn " she said and grabbed a lead and slipped on some boots clipping the lead on she walked him outside and began to walk with him around the grounds.

Aria woke and stretched , slipping from the bed she left Marcus sleeping while she dressed and headed down to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee so she could have her first cup before heading over to the duplex. Once she had her cup she stepped out onto her porch and smiled seeing Ruby with Finn walking around the grounds.

Angus finally poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down with the paper, and Minos came over and sat down on the table not far from Angus's coffee cup and just looked at Angus.

"I died," Angus told him, shrugging matter of factly. "We all died. It's probably what I get from having a pint before bed. I don't usually do that." Minos rolled his eyes at Angus, not buying for one moment that it had anything to do with the pint Angus had had. Minos signed at him that he fully believed his nightmares were being generated by someone doing dark arts. "Hm. Well, I suppose you're right. It would make sense. Probably whoever Suzanne hired next, I would guess," Angus said. "She can't leave it alone, not ever. Means she probably found a way to get home to Paris to Tom. I shouldn't be surprised about that. I did expect that would come eventually." Minos looked at him as if to ask Angus if he had a plan. "The only plan I have is the same one I've always had--I'll protect my family as best I can for as long as I can. It's the only thing I've got."

Once Finn had finished Ruby cleaned up and walked back to the duplex dropping the bag into the bin before unclipping him and letting him enter. As she entered she heard Angus but said nothing to him " well he didn't find the skunk " she said smiling to both Minos and Angus " morning Minos , you to Angus" she said leaning down and kissing him gently.

Aria finished her coffee and headed over to the duplex opening the door she saw Minos and Angus both sat facing each other. Minos face not looking happy. " Good morning" she said as she went and pored herself a second up of coffee " I let Marcus sleep in for the moment but we all know it won't be for too long." she said with a chuckle.

"I'm glad he didn't take off to find skunks or frogs or any other stupid thing," Angus said. "He's been bad about that lately. Hopefully working a few more days with Jack will mellow some of that out." The oven timer went off, and Angus got up and took the breakfast casserole out of the oven and a couple sheet pans of cinnamon rolls. That was enough to give him four cinnamon rolls because each sheet pan held two. He set them to cool, and then he put four more sheet pans in the oven. That would give him a dozen. He had another four sheet pans full but he intended to send those over to the main house to surprise them.

"Morning, Aria. Marcus won't be late," Angus said. "That's for sure. Not since he was the one to asked me to make these darned things." He put his icing in a piping bag and piped it onto the cooling cinnamon rolls so it could drizzle a bit down the sides of the rolls.

He started to set up the sideboard for breakfast. He set out the necessary plates, bowls, silverware, mugs and all the rest. Then he set the breakfast casserole out not far from the fruit salad and then set out the four cinnamon rolls that were hot and ready.

"Well, such as it is, is ready," Angus said. "Come fix your plates. I don't think I want a whole cinnamon roll, so I think I'll cut one." He cut one of the enormous cinnamon rolls into eight wedges. Then he fixed his plate and took a wedge of the cinnamon roll. That seemed to be plenty for him.

Ruby heard him and nodded " yeah he didn't pull on the lead today ether" she added as she heard the timmer ding twelling Angus the rolls were done " they smell wonderful" she said smiling a she watched him take them out of the oven.

" I don't think he will, not his style" Aria said " but a few extra minutes will do him good" she said smiling as she saw the rolls " wow those are large cinnamon rolls" she said never having seen them that big before.

"oh those are normal around here, there Angus special rolls" Ruby said smiling a she watched him cut one into eight wedges and take one for himself , she took one for herself and one for Aria " here try it" she said handing it to her on a plate.

Aria took the wedge and bit into it tasting the cinnamon sugary goodness as she ate " this is great" she said taking a second bite into it.

"It tends to be a favorite in this house," Angus said. "Well, to be honest, it's a favorite in the main house too. I used to make them almost every day when I was over there because they gave me a hard time if I didn't."

Andrew and Marcus came in together.

"Cinnamon rolls!" Andrew said. "Yes!" Andrew went immediately to the kitchen, poured two mugs of coffee and fixed three plates. He floated two plates and one mug of coffee upstairs and then went upstairs himself to Elwood's room. He came back down a few minutes later. "Elwood says you're out of your mind," Andrew laughed.

"Why?" Angus asked.

"When I told him you would make at least two dozen of these for breakfast, he was certain your cheese had slipped off your cracker," Andrew laughed. "However, he did say he's never had a better cinnamon roll in his life. They're now his favorite. You have another fan."

"Even if my cheese isn't on my cracker," Angus laughed. Andrew picked up the one plate he had fixed but hadn't taken upstairs and then he sat down that the table. Marcus fixed his own plate and sat down. It was then that Victor and Ginger and Anise came to the kitchen.

"I told you I smelled them!" Ginger was excited. "He made cinnamon rolls!"

"She did tell me she was sure you had made them," Anise said. "I told her she was barking. I have to say I am very happy to be wrong." The three of them fixed their plates and decided to split a cinnamon roll three ways. Angus took the remaining cinnamon rolls out of the oven and iced them.

"I'm going to run these over to the main house while they're still warm. I think I can make it there and back without you, Marcus," Angus said. Minos gestured to Marcus that he would go with Angus so Marcus could finish his breakfast.

"Bless you, Minos," Marcus said. "I've been hungry for these stinking cinnamon rolls for weeks. I plan to enjoy it." Minos laughed and parked himself on Angus's shoulder to ride over to the main house.

Ruby heard Angus and laughed " yep , every one loves them" she said as Aria nodded she did too" oh we have a nother fan" Ruby said as Aria put a thumbs up to say she liked them too. Seeing Andrew and Marcus walk in Ruby smiled to both of them " morning guys " she said as she pored a up of coffee for herself and sat down while she saw Andrew fix some food for Elwood and himself.

Aria smiled to Marcus as he entered the duplex " morning, hope you didn't mind me leaving you t sleep a little longer" she said to him " and why did you not mention he could make these delicious things" she said taking another bite of the roll. She heard Angus say he was going across to the main house and that Minos was going with him. " good idea" she said wiping her chin clean of the cinnamon buttery filling that had ran down it.