A Birth day

"I'll help with the salads," Andrew said, portioning out the salads so that there were eight bowls, and everyone got a bit of each salad. Then he portioned out the cheesecake so that everyone got a sliver of each of the four kinds. He put the salads on the table with forks and napkins. Marcus got out eight cans of soda and some glasses with ice and set that on the table too, and then he went over and invited Edward and Simone to come for lunch.

Andrew helped Elwood get to his feet and walk the short distance to the table.

"You're walking!" Edward was thrilled for Elwood. "Now that is a reason to celebrate! Good work, Elwood! By spring, you and I will be running on the track."

"You're as out of your mind as your grandson who thinks I'm going to be making snow angels," Elwood scowled. "Idjits. Both of you." Andrew helped him sit at the table and poured a soda over ice for Elwood and helped him fix his plate before sitting beside him. Angus came over and sat down and fixed his plate too.

Ruby placed down the tray with the sandwiches on while she saw Andrew dishing out the salads and other items. Once everything was ready she smiled seeing Edward and Simone walk over from their side. Aria grabbed the babies and set them into their high chairs giving them some of the sandwiches which they ate happily together. Ruby took a potion of the sandwich and began to eat.

Aria moved to sit next to Amari with a plate with salad and a sandwich she watched the babies as she ate making sure they took drinks of their juice in their Sippy cups. Ruby finished her sandwich and ate her food before she helped Caprice to finish hers before she gave her a small slice of the cheese cake along with Amari. They both chuckled as Elwood called Edward and Angus Idiots.

They ate together, and as they did, Robert arrived, knocked and came in, putting a platter of pumpkin shaped sugar cookies with orange and green and black sugar crystals decorating the tops.

"Abbey wanted you lot to have some of the sugar cookies she and Kate made this morning," Robert said. "And, so you know, they are berry flavored. Some things are never going to change."

"Not even at Halloween. We still need berries," Angus laughed. "That's my girl."

"I know you don't do things without a reason, Angus, but what's with that big order of lumber and shingles and whatnot? What are you building now?" Robert asked.

"I don't expect you to be happy about it, but our stupid mutt has been hunting bullfrogs and any other wildlife he can outrun lately."

"I know. I keep meaning to ask Jack to have a word with him but now I have him on the search to cover the entire estate looking for markers. There is no way to do that without taking a few days to do it."

"Well, I think I can kill two birds with one stone. I'm building a sheepfold and a sheep shelter so we can get some sheep and goats. that will give Finn a job and keep him from having the time or the energy to eat a bullfrog. And Kate will have all the goathair and fleece she wants for her textile art pieces," Angus said.

"You know what," Robert said, thinking. "That isn't a bad idea. So who are you going to get to do the construction?"

"The groundscrew isn't going to have time," Angus said. "I honestly was hoping I could try to do a few things myself."

"Absolutely not," Robert said in a completely unyielding tone. "Just because I told Andrew he could pull your stitches, and just because the cast is on your non-dominant arm, that does not mean you should be out digging fence post holes and cutting fence rails and pounding a fence in place. No. You either hire a crew or you wait until Jack can get a crew on it. If I see you out there with an auger or a sledgehammer, I will sledgehammer you. Got it?"

"But..." Angus began.

"No. No, no, absolutely not," Robert said, completely unyielding.

"I don't think he likes your plan," Marcus said. "You might need to make a backup plan."

Ruby smiled seeing Robert enter the duplex " afternoon Robert" she said then listened to them talk of the pen for the goats " what about Joseph, could he help?" she suggested Angus and Robert looking from one to the other" or even Sam , give him something to do and you two could talk at the same time." she added as she gave Caprice another spoon of cheese cake.

Aria looked to Marcus as Ruby made her suggestion as Amari took the spoon and fed herself with cheese cake then went in for a second bite. both chuckled hearing how Robert was instant Angus not do any work " well if he had Joseph or Sam he could be Forman and boss them around." she said

"It isn't entirely a bad thought," Angus said to Ruby and Aria, "but technically, I can't make that call without going over Jack's head, and neither can Robert. Robert and I could hire a construction crew to come in a build it because that isn't going over Jack's head. However, both Victor and Joseph are on Jack's crew. He's their boss. He's in charge of making sure both of them have a full days' work every single day, and I'm sure he's already assigned them to something since its noon already. For us to ask either Victor or Joseph to do anything, we're usurping Jack's authority. That makes Jack look weak and ineffective as a boss, and I won't do that to him. Neither will Robert.

"How about I loan you three or four of my boys from my crew on my estate? It won't take them more than two or three days to put up the fence and the shelter?" Edward said.

"Now that is a much better plan. They'll be people we can trust, people who are used to living and working on a private estate."

"And I can put them up with some very well equipped wizarding tents. They'll be very comfortable," Edward said. "I can have them here before nightfall, and they'll be ready to start first thing in the morning. And then, Robert, you don't have to sledgehammer my grandson."

Ruby listened to Marcus and nodded not faulting his logic " hum makes sense and we don't want that" she said then turned to listen to Robert and smiled "Now that does sound a much better idea" she said smiling to them both as Caprice finished her desert and dropped the spoon onto the highchair table. Amari did the same with her spoon and Ruby chuckled picking up the bowls and carrying them to the kitchen as Aria took the girls to the play pen to play.

Aria listened to Edward as he spoke of magic tents " well we could do the cooking for them while they work, as our way of saying thank you" she suggested " would give the babies some fresh air if we have a BBQ with beers or what ever drink they like for every one who helps build it." she added. Ruby looked at Angus and Robert as Aria spoke to them.

"maybe some of the pack might want to help too" she added but then realized they were getting ready for the winter " na forget that, they are too busy" she added.

"They would very much appreciate some home cooked meals," Edward said. "Anything you want to fix, they would be very grateful. They will work from sunup to sundown, and they won't take much of a break except their lunch break."

"Italian lunch breaks normally run longer than ours," Angus told the others. "Theirs tend to run, these days, from about 12:30 til about 2."

"The breaks run longer when its hot outside," Edward said. "But they don't need as long of a break this time of year."

"And I know exactly how to please their little Italian hearts," Angus said. "When they're finished, instead of a barbeque, we could do a traditional harvest meal, and they would love that."

"That's a good idea too," Edward agreed. "You could make your gran's pork loin with walnut sauce that everyone loves, or a good osso bucco, maybe a good risotto, or some paparadelle with some sort of bolognese..."

"I'll have to do a giardiniera, maybe some artichokes, some stuffed zucchini flowers..."

"Please do your pumpkin gelato and your chestnut cake," Edward said.

"Those are easy enough, and they're both things I can make ahead."

"I will contribute plenty of good Italian wine. If you lot feed them lunch and supper, I'll ask Simone to fix their breakfasts. She likes cooking, so she'd be happy to take some of that on."

"Not to change the subject," Robert said, "but, remember the man who came here with a couple helpers and they all ended up as coffee cups? We've unraveled who that man is. His name is Stanley Marshall. Ring a bell with any of you?"

"Marshall? As a matter of fact, yes. It does. He was a Slytherin back when I was in school. Barely passed a single quiz or exam. I don't know how he even got a letter in the first place," Marcus said.

"Oh, I can tell you that," Robert said. "Stanley comes from money. His father, Thurmond Marshall, made a lot of money stealing other people's magical artifacts and relics and selling them toother unsavory sorts. Thurmond is quite a bright man, even if he is morally bankrupt. Stanley, I believe, is the product of Thurmond's pub crawling days that nearly nightly included a one night stand with someone. Stanley, it turns out, is Dora Hackett's current flame."

"What!" Angus looked at Robert. "That filthy broad has a boyfriend? Unbelievable!"

"You are entirely within your right to be angry with her, Son," Robert said. "Stanley came here to finish the job Dora started, hoping he could get the money that Dra was hoping she could wrestle out of Suzanne. As it is now, they are both going to have some Ministry accommodations in the North Sea area."

"Sometimes Azkaban is just too good for some people," Angus said in quiet anger.

"You know," Robert suggested gently, "now that the risk to you is somewhat lower, at least for the moment, you really could take advantage of it and you and Ruby take just two or three day break and get away. When the sheepfold is constructed and your critters are safe in Jack' capable hands, you and Ruby should get away for two or three days by yourselves. I'm not suggesting you go to someplace insecure, but nor I am suggesting you take Marcus with you. If we can find you a safe place, or at least as safe as we can make it, you desperately need a break away. The mental and emotional trauma you suffered is still begging you to take some very quiet, peaceful downtime for a few days, And if you still aren't ready to come back after two or three days, you let us know. In the meantime, I really think we can keep the place from imploding while you're gone. It's worth a serious thought on your part."

Ruby and Aria sat listening and nodded at the food suggestions " I think that's a wonderful idea" Ruby said at changing it to a harvest feast rather than a BBQ. They sat and listened more as Angus and Robert spoke about Dora. " i'm surprised some one like her could have a boyfriend but I guess the old saying some one for every one might be true" she added with a frown.

Aria hers Roberts suggestion to Angus about taking a few days away and looked to Marcus wondering if that would be a good idea or if he would want to tag along with them knowing how Marcus thinks. " we could join them" she suggested " we haven't had a holiday by our selves yet" she hinted to Marcus hoping he would get the hint that if they went they could stay close to Ruby and Angus with out getting in their way.

"We should defer to the big boss's judgment on such things," Marcus laughed. "A weekend to ourselves is not a bad idea actually, and we have a house we don't actually get to use much when things get busy. We could actually run inside, lock the doors, and pretend we're not home."

"Do you want me to lock you inside a shield or something?" Robert teased.

"Depends on if you can hang a sign on the shield," Angus said. "Beware: Nudists Inside."

"It's too damned cold for that crap," Marcus scowled. "All the nudity will be indoors, I'm afraid."

"I'm not," Robert laughed. "We don't need to see it."

"Actually, I can provide you two a very private place for a long weekend," Edward said. "We own a new property that you two can check out. I got a really good deal on it, in exchange for a few solo missions I've done over the last year or so. I told them what I wanted, we negotiated a price, and now, after completing the work, the place is ours."

"What property did you buy?"

"I bought just a little speck of an island right off the western coast of Sicily, and the good news is that it already has a house on it. Someone just needs to go spend a holiday there to help make it ours," Edward grinned. "I had a dock put in for a boat, but it also has a muggle helicopter pad."

"You bought an island," Angus frowned. "We own a whole bloody island."

"Don't take that long to wrap your mind around it. It's only about 2 miles long, and about a mile and half the other way. As I said, just a little speck."

Aria listened then laughed shaking her head as Marcus and Robert bantered off each other. they both listened as Edward spoke of a new acquisition of land they had or rather of an island. Ruby looked at Angus as it was mentioned a dock " boats" she said and looked at him " I remember what happened last time we ere on a boat" she said then the mention of a helicopter was said and she breathed out " thank goodness" she said breathing out.

Aria looked at Ruby "Maybe, but this time Marcus and I will be with you, so nothing like that will happen again." she said and Ruby smiled to Aria feeling happier about it " but its still down to Robert " she said and looked over at him with a smile hoping he would say they could go too.