A Birth day

Unaware that help was coming through the catacombs, Jess kept at Angus, pushing hard now, pulling out every scheme and dirty trick she knew to try to push Angus over the edge. What she hadn't counted on, though, was that Angus was just plain sick now. He was too dizzy to get up off the floor, and every time she tried to force him to do much of anything, he was quick to have repeated vomiting spells. He wasn't fighting her, but she wasn't getting anywhere either. Her efforts had been completely stalled.

Kate saw more and more of Caprice, and she wanted Kate to go to Diagon Alley. Kate apparated there, and she saw Victor and Edward and the troll, and then saw Ruby and Jess.

"Which way, Caprice?" Kate asked quietly. She saw Caprice leading her towards and open manhole and she climbed down. "Robert? Where are you?"

"Kate?" Robert stopped abruptly and turned around. "Follow the blood smudges on the wall. It'll lead you straight to us. We're not far."

"Caprice must think I can help," Kate called.

"Come along, then," Robert replied. Kate soon caught up with them. "Kate, Ruby's magic was bound. How..."

"Seers energies are not the sort of magics that can be bound easily by that spell, Robert. Even muggles can be seers. He's down here somewhere. I can feel his energies," she told him.

"We'll find him," Robert replied.

"There is also dark magic down here, a clear intent to hurt and to get great satisfaction from it."

"So our kidnapper is a mad person, then," Robert said.

"Woman. It's a woman. And I honestly think she's acting alone. Somehow she's done all this alone," Kate said. "She's crafty."

"So be it. We'll still defeat her. He's coming home." As they walked through the catacombs, Marcus began to wrinkle his nose.

"Troll poop," Marcus said. "Watch out, Jack. You're ready to step in it. You don't step over it, and you'll stink for days."

"Maybe not days, but nobody's going to want to be downwind from him until he's stench free," Robert grinned, amused.

They followed the trail for what felt like hours, and Kate was filled with a feeling of dread and urgency.

"Something's wrong," Kate said urgently. "We have to hurry now. He needs our help quickly."

Jess was getting angry with Angus, and in her frustration, she kicked him in the chest, and Angus felt a sensation of something giving way inside. He cried out loudly in pain.

"That way!" Kate pointed. "We're nearly there!" She raced through past all of them and then suddenly came upon a solid brick wall cutting the hallway short. But she could hear him scream on the other side of the wall. "Robert..." she began.

"Stand aside, Kate," Robert said, furious now. He had heard Angus's cry of pain too. He raised both hands. "We want whoever is doing this captured. They need to face charges. Jack, do not let them get past you. Dead or alive, either one suits me just fine. I'm going for Angus. Now, Bombarda spells, everyone, right at the center of that damned wall. Let's take it down. On three! One...two...three! Bombarda!" He fired the most powerful bombarda spell he could muster at the center of the stone wall that was blocking the hallway.

Jack paused his foot up in the air as Marcus told him about the troll poop he was about to step in, placing his foot back down he moved back and around it " don't need that" he said with a chuckle as he followed then paused as Kate joined them taking his wand out he followed behind them. Reaching the wall he looked to Robert " I smell vomit and blood" he told him softly as he took aim at the wall. Hearing Robert tell him not to let the person go he nodded then fired when they all did.

The wall caved in exposing a large room Jack saw the woman to one side quickly he moved to hold her arms behind her back knowing it was not Jess he held as he watched Robert go to Angus.

Marcus and Robert both flew to Angus. Kate came in, her heart aching for Angus. Caprice, on the other hand was outraged, and she began hurling everything that wasn't nailed down towards the woman that Jack had in custody. Everything, including all the razor sharp scalpels and then the bloody knives from the sink that Angus hadn't been able to touch.

"Move!" Kate shouted at Jack as she saw the blades rising up in the air. "Move, move, move!" The Jess imposter gave a blood curdling, terrified scream, as the knives flew through the air straight at her. The woman dropped to the floor to try to dodge them and the knives hit the wall and clattered to the floor.

"Kate," Robert scowled at her disapprovingly.

"It isn't me!" Kate replied. "Its you-know-who!" She did not want to use Caprice's name because she didn't want to reveal it to the Jess imposter. Robert and Marcus knelt beside Angus.

"Angus, we're here," Marcus said. "Hold on, Mate. We're right here." He rolled Angus onto his back, but when Angus saw Robert he was completely confused.

"Angus?" Robert frowned.

"Jack, look," Kate pointed to the pictures on the wall. She touched the red x marks. "Lipstick," she said. "The bloody clothes. The bloody knives. The pictures crossed out, and more circled? Robert, I think he's been led to think some of us are dead. I think she's tried to convince him some of us are dead."

"I'll kill her myself," Robert was outraged, removing the magical bindings on Angus. Kate looked at Caprice.

"Can you help us?" she asked her. Caprice floated over to be next to Robert, and she looked at Angus. Then she put her arm around Robert's shoulder, smiled at Robert, and kissed his cheek in friendship to show Angus that he could trust Robert.

"I know this doesn't make sense," Robert told Angus. "I'll explain it. For now, though, lets do first things first." He cast some spells to try to set some healing in place, and then Angus's eyes fluttered shut.

"Robert?" Marcus asked.

"I did that," Robert said. "I sedated him. He's a bit of a mess. His bad shoulder is broken again, his arm, and three ribs, and he's bruised and cut pretty much everywhere. I think some of the blood that's splattered all over is his. Not all of it, but some of it. The reason he's been sick is because he's suffering from traumatic shock caused by all the broken bones."

Ruby seeing the others head back down stood up and ran to the ladder climbing down she ran following her hand prints coming across the blow out wall she stepped inside and saw Angus " Angus" she said walking over and looking at the woman being held by Jack again before several knives were flung out of nowhere, Jack ducked as the woman went down too. Ruby walking over to her and balled her fist, throwing a right hook this sent the woman falling back out cold against Jack who threw her over his shoulder.

" thanks makes it easier to transport her" he said to Ruby who quickly turned back and knelt next to Angus , she brushed his cheek gently and heard Marcus when Angus passed out.  

"can we port out now ?" Ruby asked gently holding Angus hand in her own. Jess walked in behind them and shook her head seeing the woman over Jacks shoulder.

"the troll is secure and being transported away to some place safe" sh said moving to Kates side. " I have our people ready at St Mungo's , when you broke the wall I felt immense pain from Angus." she said

"He was suffering. No doubt about it. She's been screwing with his mind," Kate said coldly, still every bit as angry as Caprice was. "He was horribly confused. Poor boy."

"I have to tend to his body first. Body first, brain later," Robert said. "He'll be alright. Marcus, can you do the apparating if I do the levitating?"

"I'll help you," Kate said, adding her magic to Robert's to help levitate Angus.

"Grab hold of me and of Kate, Ruby," Marcus told her quietly. "It's easier when someone's levitated if we have a closed circle as often as we can."

"Jack, after you transport that wench, get some damned trustworthy aurors down here," Robert told him. "This is a damned crime scene. I want it processed, and I want it done right. Get Aria to join up and make sure they don't eff it up."

Marcus apparated them to St. Mungo's and the very instant they arrived, the healers raced over with a gurney. Robert and Kate lowered him there.

"I'm going to be tied up with him for a couple of hours to tend to all this, Ruby," Robert said. "You won't be able to see him for a bit, and he won't be awake anyway. Marcus and I will both be with him every single moment. Do him a huge favor. Go home, get Andrew, Jessie and Yu or somebody to put his bed back in the living room and prepare the supply cart. You know the drill. I can't leave him here under the circumstances. In order for his thinking to right itself quickly, he absolutely has to be with family as soon as I can manage it. I'll set the fractures here and do as much healing as I can, and when I'm ready for him to just sleep, Marcus and I will bring him home. It's going to be a couple hours, though. Can you do that?"

Ruby looked at Marcus and took his hand with her other hand making the circle . Jack had heard Robert and nodded to him.

"I'll make sure she is put in Azkaban in the special cell" he said watching them port out. Now he ported to the dock where the boat was and motioned to the captain who chuckled at him .

Ruby looked at Robert and nodded " yeah, yeah I can do that" she said but realized her hands shook as she looked at Angus. leaning down she gently kissed him as she then stepped back " look after him" she said knowing without a doughty Robert would do just that. Ruby watched as Robert took Angus away she felt Jess place her hand on her shoulder .

"go home and do as Robert said , he'll need it once Angus is stable." she said Ruby took a deep breath and ported to the duplex. " Jessie" she called and Yu came running " we need to get Angus bed up from the storage" she said Yu ran down and found it shrinking it he picked it up and carried it to the living room where Ruby had cleared the area for it to be put, once it was resized she made it up as Yu brought up a trolly and gathered what was to go on it ready for when Angus returned home. Ruby knew it was going to be a long wait for any news from the hospital.

Elwood, Anise, and Ginger had taken the babies and gone over to be with Simone while they waited. The babies were fast asleep in the cribs upstairs in one of Edward and Simone's spare rooms. When they heard someone returning to the duplex, they went over and saw Ruby and Yu rearranging the living room to accommodate the bed again.

Simone went over and made a pot of tea that was a blend of the almond tea and chamomile tea to help the house relax and perhaps even get a little sleep when the dust settled. Minos and the Fae were on duty, and Minos had his crew just stay out of the way for now.

"Tea's brewing," Elwood told Ruby quietly as they finished assembling the bed. "Why don't you go shower off wherever you've been, get your pajamas so you can be comfortable, and by then the tea will be ready. It's only going to take you a moment, and you'll feel worlds better. I presume whatever patching up needs Angus has are being tended, so while he's being put to rights, you should take advantage of the quiet and do the same."

Ginger headed to the kitchen, and she got out some of the fruit and started making a big fruit salad. Then she had a second thought, and she got out some of Angus's frozen pie crusts out of the freezer to thaw. She knew there were still cinnamon rolls left from the morning, so they would be fine later for breakfast. And maybe Simone would make some simple scrambled eggs when it got to be breakfast time. For now, though, the fruit gave her something quiet to do to keep her hands busy. Anise, in the meantime, was busy writing some notes to Madame Maxime to explain they had a family emergency and that they were not going to be attending classes today.

Victor and Edward apparated home, and they came in to Edward's side and saw that everyone was over on the other side. They went over and saw that the bed was being set up. They both knew that meant Angus had been hurt. Victor went over and gave Ginger a kiss on the forehead.

"You alright?" she asked softly.

"Yeah. Fine," Victor said.

"Do you have any news about Angus?"

"No. I don't know even as much as Ruby knows," Victor said. "I was on troll duty."

"Caprice is better," Anise said. "I feel her energy. I think she's with Angus, but I can't be sure. I just know she's better. She was really irked earlier."

Ruby heard the others return and heard Elwood as she was making up the bed in the living room needing something to do. Feeling Elwood close to her she stopped making the bed and looked at him, now she moved and hugged him "I I left him, I left him and he got hurt." she said threw sobs as she held him. Yu continued making the bed and setting up the trolly , once it was done he silently double checked every where and headed over to the main house.

Hearing Elwood suggest a shower she looked up at him and nodded before moving away from Elwood and heading up to shower. Stepping under the water she could not help sink to the floor and cry.

Aria returned and looked at the bed then the teens " good choice of tea" she said then pointed up the stairs.

Heading up Aria found Ruby on the floor of her shower , now turning off the water she helped her change into her Pajamas before leading her downstairs to the living room. walking over to the kitchen she pored some of the tea and walked back to Ruby " here, drink it will calm your nerves." she said letting Ruby take the cup from her.

"Ruby," Elwood said when Ruby finally sat down with her tea, "I obviously wasn't there, but I do think I know Angus pretty well. I think that when things get tight, he keeps his head in the game. I think he is so highly trained and such a fierce protector that when you two were taken, he had one thing on his mind. I think he was evaluating whether or not he could get to you and get you both out. If he couldn't get you both out, then he would be looking next at whether you could get both of them out. If he could think of any way to do that, he would have been doing his best to tell you exactly what you needed to do. And, if he could not get you out himself, I think it is very, very likely that he was already hurt. Not that I expect that to be much consolation, but I don't think his getting hurt was your fault. I think you should leave that blame to go on the person who actually hurt him. I also think you need to keep in mind how many times Robert has said Angus is the fastest fighter he has. I don't think anyone gets the drop on him very easily. I honestly think that if you can look past the anxiety, you'll see that none of this was your fault. He's going to be relieved that you weren't badly hurt. And did you say you battled a troll, Victor?"

"Yeah. With Edward and the others," Victor grinned. "It was great. We got him, and we handed him over to the aurors."

"He did a fine job," Edward said, as Simone passed more mugs of tea around to everyone. "And, Anise, if you say Caprice is better, then Angus is going to be fine. If he weren't, she would not be fine. She would be anything but fine."

Ruby listened to Elwood and nodded as she sipped her tea more " your right" she said this made Aria smile " he did what he did to keep me safe for our children" she said then she heard Simone and nodded " Caprice certainly showed she was pissed at our kidnapper, she threw knifes at her, not just one but five" she said and chuckled as she continued to sip the tea.

Aria smiled and looked to Simone as she stood up " I slipped a bit of calming potion in the tea, I felt she needed it" she said then chuckled as Ruby told them about the flying knives from Caprice " wow do not piss of that ghost" Aria said and Ruby nodded " and Victor a troll?" she asked " well done, their not easy to take down."