A Birth day

"You're welcome, but I don't think I really did anything," Edward said. "I don't know what the attorney will want or not want. We'll just have to wait and see. I'm glad you're feeling better, though."

Marcus and Victor restocked the firewood, trying to be quiet and not clatter the firewood noisily into the basket. They were hoping not to wake Angus up.

"I brought you two changes," Marcus said quietly, "but honestly, I presumed you might be able to get free to head home a bit quicker than I might be. And, I also figured you might want to pick your own clothes.

They weren't inside more than a few minutes when a loud clap of thunder and a close bolt of lightning sounded, and then it started to rain. Marcus and Edward both looked outside.

"Well, that blew up quickly," Edward said. "Those are some very black skies out there."

"And if Angus were awake, he could tell us how far out the center of that is, and how long he thinks it might last."

"Those maritime lessons still pay off from time to time," Edward nodded. "I'm certainly not an expert, but those storm clouds go as far as the eye can see, so we could well be into a rainy afternoon and evening. It'll be a good night to be in. Oh--The Fae are coming over. I think they're looking to get out of the storm, and that's probably appropriate." Edward opened the door, and the Fae flew in and they scattered themselves through both sides of the house so they wouldn't be a burden in any particular room. Edward shut the door and secured it.

"Suppose we should include them for supper?" Marcus said.

"Why not?" Simone asked. "It isn't like they eat much. I know we still have their dining supplies somewhere. I just don't know where."

Ruby nodded she agreed with Edward about the attorney and what he would want. " I'm guessing proof shes the culprit and of Angus injuries and that she inflicted them on him." she said softly as she watched Marcus bring in some extra wood. It was now she heard the boom of thunder and glanced at Angus seeing him still sleeping.

Aria looked at Marcus and chuckled " I would but with that I'll take what you brought over, i'm sure Ruby will let me use her room to shower and change" she said as Ruby smiled and nodded.

"be my guest" Ruby said to Aria then saw the fae fly in " they are always welcome here" she said smiling as Minos landed on her shoulder. " hes doing much better" she said to him thinking that was what he wanted to know.

ria grabbed the bag and headed up to Angus and Ruby's room , quickly choosing her outfit she showered and changed into clean clothing making her feel like herself again, this time she left her hair down to flow over her shoulders as she walked back down. " I so needed that, thank you Ruby , you too Marcus" she said and chuckled , she placed her dirty clothing in the washer and set it going.

As they were finishing putting the wood in the firebasket, a note fluttered through the floo, but the thing seemed to go bananas, flying irratically in every direction. Anise and Ginger both rolled their eyes and looked at each other.

"Evie," they both said at the same time.

"Evie?" Marcus asked as the note fluttered around like a drunken canary.

"She's learning how to send floo notes but she doesn't have an ounce of control with them," Anise said. "She needs to stop. She's so bad at it. I mean, that right there is a case in point."

"It'll come down eventually," Marcus said, as the thing seemed to try to dive bomb Ruby.

"Or not," Edward frowned. "Get it, Ruby. Looks like that's Evan's blue paper, so it's probably from him."

"We talked to Faith and Evie this morning after breakfast," Ginger said. "They probably told Evan about last night when Evan came home for the day."

"If that's the case, then there is a 100% chance that Evan is offering to come and help with Angus if we need him. Frankly, I think that would be a fine night time nurse so Marcus here can get some sleep," Edward said.

"I'm fine," Marcus said.

"You haven't left him for more than a few minutes since you found him last night. You have to get some sleep sooner or later," Edward told him.

"I'm not leaving," Marcus said.

"Fine. Don't leave him, then. Just go the hell to sleep tonight," Edward said.

Ruby saw the note flutter in and around the room erratically then try and dive bomb her as it came close she grabbed it out of the air and opened it " yep its from Even" she said handing it to Robert to read. Ruby chuckled as the girls explained why Evie should stop with trying to send notes threw the floo " give her time she'll get it" Ruby said " hopefully before I get dive bombed again" she added and chuckled.

Aria heard Robert talk to Marcus and nodded " I'll make sure he gets some sleep" she said looking at Marcus as she spoke again " I can take a shift watching over him while you sleep then I can sleep while " she said smiling to him. Hoping this would allow both of them to relax knowing some one would be watching Angus.

Edward took the note and opened it.

"Exactly what I thought. Evan wants to come and be of some sort of use. I say we let him come. It is his brother, after all. If worse comes to worse, someone will try to break in, and Evan will just blow them to bits. He has started lately to really like some of the pyrotechnics he's learned from Angus. It started with Robert's bubbles and went straight to hell from there."

"You know," Simone said, grating fresh parmesan over the spinach salad, "we do have three empty guest rooms. Aria and Marcus could use one for the duration of this."

"I don't see a reason why not," Edward said. "Hopefully Angus will be well on the mend in another day or so, and we can go back to our normal routine. Minos and Angus get along well, after all."

At that moment a bolt of lighting struck one of the trees in the backyard, and the branch went crashing through the floor to ceiling window right above Angus's bed. Marcus dived forward, onto the bed and onto Angus to protect him from the huge tree limb and from flying glass. The limb and the glass landed on Marcus and not on Angus. Marcus winced from the weight of the limb and the fact that it knocked him in the back of the head, but he knew his job. It was his job to take the bumps and bruises instead of Angus.

"Damnit!" Edward was furious. He was instantly concerned for Angus' emotional reaction and for more damage to his broken bones. He immediately hit his medallion to summon Robert. Angus woke instantly of course, badly frightened, too frightened to even call out or breathe.

"Sorry, Mate, sorry," Marcus said quickly to Angus. "It's me. Just me. I've got you. I'm right here."

Ruby looked at Edward and smiled nodding " agreed I'll reply he can come" she said and wrote the note as she was about to send it she jumped hearing the loud band as lightning struck the tree sending its limb threw the roof taking out her wand she turned to see it resting on Marcus " wingardum leviosa" she said lifting it off him and placing it down on the floor.

Aria moved quickly to check Marcus and move him off Angus " your okay we're here" she said softly to Marcus and sat him down on a chair next to Angus " where are you hurt?" she asked as she checked him over. Looking to Edward she spoke again " I think we will take up your offer of that room." she said hoping Marcus was not to badly hurt but she could see some blood from the back of Marcus head.

"No, wait! Wait!" Marcus leaped up, knowing his job was to make sure Angus was alright. "No, my job is there. Right there." Fearing Angus would come apart at the seams from one more fright, Marcus rushed back to Angus just as Robert apparated in. He walked immediately over to Angus, seeing that he had to step in to ease both Marcus and Angus.

"Well done," Robert told Marcus with a soothing tone, understanding what a fierce and loyal friend he was to Angus and what a relentless bodyguard he was. He laid his hand on Marcus's shoulder gently. " Now stand down, Son. I'll take it from here. You're bleeding, so go sit so I can work. He's all yours, Aria. Do try to stop him from bleeding all over the furniture and the carpet, won't you? I'll take care of this one over here."

Robert sat with a very confused and frightened Angus. "Sorry about that," Robert said, checking his vitals and casting a mild calming spell. "Big sea storm's rolled inland. You know how bad those can be. This one chucked a tree limb through your window, and your bed is full of glass, I'm afraid. It isn't safe for you in this bed. I know this won't be easy, but we really do have to get you up so we can change the sheets and blankets. With me, let's try."

He very carefully moved back the sheets and blankets and brushed some of the glass out of Angus's way and helped him sit up. He accio'd Angus's slippers and helped him put them on so Angus wouldn't cut his feet on the glass. Edward came over to help Robert get Angus up and move him out of all the broken glass.

"I presume you'll want to tend to Angus's little corner yourself, won't you, Ruby?" Simone asked. "I'll get you a clean set of sheets and a clean blanket and if you need my help, I'll give you a hand."

"I'll get the broom and the dustpan to sweep up all the glass," Ginger said.

"I'll go see if I can find Jack over at the barn to get rid of that big limb and bring some plastic or something to tape over the broken window," Victor said, going to the closet and getting Angus's long waterproof raincoat.

"Be careful, Victor," Robert said. "The winds are at least 50 miles an hour. Keep your eyes open because there will be all sorts of flying debris out there. We keep big sheets of clear plastic and some weatherproofing tape in the barn exactly for that purpose. Jack will know where they are. I can't imagine he won't come back with you, but if he doesn't, that's what you're looking for." Victor headed out the door and fought his way against the wind to go to the barn.

"You lot seen Jack anywhere?" Victor asked the grounds crew who were making sure the animals were safe and calm and tended to. "We need his help at the duplex."

"We're only going a few steps to the sofa, Angus," Edward said. "Not far. We'll do all the lifting and the work." Angus didn't know if he was honestly strong enough to do it, but he didn't make a sound. "Ruby, could you please hurry and get him a towel and some extra clean pillows and another clean blanket right away for the sofa too," Edward told her. "He's going to be wet, cold and uncomfortable without them."

Robert accio'd the broken glass from Angus and deposited it on the floor with some of the broken glass on the floor. Then he and Edward helped Angus from the bed up to his feet, knowing it was likely painful and difficult for him. Edward softly coached Angus through the short distance from the bed to the sofa, and Robert promised he would check in a moment to make sure none of the broken bones had shifted out of place. Angus shivered from the cold air that was rushing through the room from the storm. Edward reassured him they'd dry him off and warm him up too. They lowered him to the sofa and let him sit for a moment, hoping to dry him off and put pillows in place before they laid him down. Robert took advantage of it to check Angus's shoulder and ribs and his arm.

"When I get this broken glass business settled, you're welcome to visit with him for a little before he goes back to sleep again if you like, Ruby," Robert said. "I know you haven't had a chance to do that, given the circumstances."

Aria felt Marcus move from her and fight to get to Angus she let him go and waited , hearing Robert talk to him she gently pulled him back to the seat and checked him over again " I'll do my best" she said and took a damp cloth and cleaned off the blood seeing the cut she used some skin glue and closed it, now closed she finished up and looked to Marcus. " you'll live if a bit battered" she said then looked at Robert " he had a bad cut on the back of his head and some bruising I'm guessing on his back where the tree hit him, but I could see anything major , if you could check him once Angus is settled " she said  now gathering everything she had used.

Ruby grabbed a brush and dustbin and headed to the living room she heard Robert and chuckled. " I'm on it" she said cleaning up the glass, debris and wood from the floor around Angus bed. Soon it was clear and Ruby and Aria both made the bed with clean fresh sheets before taking the old ones out side and shaking them before placing them for washing. "Okay, beds ready." Aria said pulling back the blankets for Robert to help Angus back in if he wanted.

Simone checked on the pork loin hot pot and decided it was almost ready. She began setting up the sideboard, and Ginger put the broom away and went help her. They set out plates, salad bowls, glasses for drinks, iced tea, the salad, mugs, dessert plates, silverware, and then finally the hot pot. They plated Ginger's cookies and set them out. Simone found the ice cream and scooped up a scoop for everyone and then put the pre-made scoops in one container in the freezer so that, when dessert time came, all they would have to do is plate up one scoop and a couple cookies for each person.

While they were doing that, Robert tended Angus's broken bones and his overall pain level. Since Ruby had not responded to Robert's request for a towel and pillows and a blanket to make Angus temporarily comfortable on the sofa, Marcus fetched a towel and helped Angus dry off. He and Robert used a spell to remove the glass from Angus's hair.

As for Victor, he had gone to the barn, and not only did he not find Jack, but none of the grounds crew had apparently seen him. Victor was angry and frustrated. He rooted in the barn's supplies til he found a sheet of the weatherproofing plastic and a roll of the weatherproofing tape, and he took it back to the house himself. Marcus helped him clear the glass out of the rest of the window and then, he helped him levitate the limb, take it out of the house and lay it on the ground outside the broken window. Then he and Victor taped the weatherproofing plastic over the space where the window had been.

With the window finally repaired enough that Angus would not continue to get wet, Robert and Marcus moved him back to bed. Marcus had noticed that Ruby hadn't apparently wanted to visit with Angus because Robert had invited her to do that, and she had apparently ignored it.

"I think Ruby's just busy," Robert said reassuringly.

"I'll fix it--later," Angus said, not sure what he needed to fix, but he had always seen himself as the one who always needed to fix everything for Ruby.

"Not today," Robert told him. "Let that go for today."

"Tomorrow, then."

"Yeah. Sure. Fine," Robert said, basically dismissing him, not feeling Angus was going to be fixing everything for Ruby even yet tomorrow.

Ruby saw Ginger go to help Simone in the kitchen and placed her broom away before moving to the chair Angus sat in. " hows he doing?" she asked taking Angus hand in her own. " sorry about earlier, I was busy cleaning up the mess." she said to Robert" but now I'm all about Angus" she said leaning to kiss his forehead gently " I love you but please don't scare me like that again." she said softly to him.

Aria saw Victor and Marcus fix some plywood to the broken window and smiled . Jack saw it and whistled to several grounds men " go help with that, you to check the west fence you east" he ordered as two men ran over and helped cover the window while Jack organised a glazier to replace the glass. "Glazier said he'll be here in the morning to fix the window" Jack said walking over to Marcus and Victor. "Victor you did a good job,Marcus hows Angus doing?" he asked as two men went to check the roof and place over a tarp to secure it and keep everything inside dry.

" Large hole , can be fixed no joists damaged just singles and boards" one man said as Joseph joined them as he held one side of the tarp down before it was secured.

"good , get the materials and first light we'll get on that" Jack shouted back up before turning to Marcus " sorry it took us a bit to get here , one of the barns doors blew off, none of the animals escaped though , think they knew where they were safest." he added