A.N This is a very late update so I have included a quick re-cap. Please read that, it should help you remember everything. Much love to the writing support team.
Recap:
Cast in order of appearance:
Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden: A wizard private investigator, on the outs with his world's wizarding authority, The White Council. He is framed for multiple murders, surrounding a dark summoning ritual.
Bob: Spirit of a powerful warlock trapped in a skull in Harry Dresden's possession. He aids and is a general magical resource for Harry Dresden. He also has a penchant for smut novels and is a pervert.
Karrin Constanza Murphy: A lieutenant detective with Chicago Police Department, investigating the murders. She uses Harry Dresden as a consultant in cases which lean towards the bizarre. She gets caught up in magical affairs, running from a wizard assassin, her memory abused, and eventually saved by Harry Potter, who in a moment of madness thinks she is his mother.
Donald Morgan: A Warden of the White Council of Wizards. Wardens are the group that serves the dual purpose of a police and military force for the White Council. He dislikes Harry Dresden and is on the hunt for the Outsider, Harry Potter.
Harry James Potter / The Outsider: A wizard of the JK Rowling universe. Having defeated Voldemort, and been betrayed by the Ministry, he was spending his years in their prison, slowly losing his mind. He is summoned across worlds by a group of warlocks in the Dresden universe. Now he struggles with hallucinations and people trying to kill him or use him, while he tries to curtail his disappointment at not being able to get back at the Ministry who betrayed him.
Ancient Mai: A female wizard high in the White Council hierarchy. She is very powerful and able to morph herself to a youthful or aged appearance. She bears some unexplained animosity for Harry Dresden; there are hints that her animosity is rooted in his family history. She is also on the hunt for the Outsider.
Nymphie Staffcharmer: a porn star from Harry Potter's world. Potter names the 'power he knows not' Nymphie Staffcharmer logically thinking if it was love and playing hard to get it had to be the luscious Staffcharmer who graced the magical glossies of his world. She is his mysterious power, recently released, that he doesn't have any understanding of.
The Blackstaff / Ebenezer McCoy: He is the White Council's secret wet-works man. He is used when someone perverts the White Council laws and they can't legitimately send a Warden after them. He was the one sent to assassinate Karrin Murphy, when Harry Potter intervened and saved her. He is also Harry Dresden's mentor and teacher, someone for whom Dresden had a lot of respect.
Warden Guzman: He is on Warden Morgan's team, but does not share in Ancient Mai and Morgan's dislike for Dresden. He treats Dresden as an annoyance at worst and has saved him from trouble several times. He apparently chooses to take his orders from a wizard called The Gatekeeper.
The Gatekeeper: He, like Ancient Mai, is on the highest echelon of White Council hierarchy. Second in power only to The Merlin, he is responsible for safeguarding the doors into his dimension. He quietly supports Dresden, and is at odds with Ancient Mai and The Merlin. He holds power over Harry Potter, with whom he has apparently fought for over fifty years. Harry Potter has no memory of this, but The Gatekeeper insists that he has traveled through time on numerous occasions to keep him from entering the Dresden world.
Michael Carpenter: is a Knight of the Cross, sometimes called a Knight of the Sword. He is appointed by Heaven and wields a divine sword. He crosses paths with Dresden and Potter when he comes looking for help to find out what the Fallen Angels have summoned. He believes Potter to be a Phoenix Chosen Knight, a Dragon Slayer, and invites them to dinner.
Lasciel: is a Fallen Angel, who travels Earth by way of taking over a human host. She meets Potter and gives him a coin with a trapped Fallen Angel inside. She tells him that it was her heavenly duty to protect the angel in the coin and give her to someone who would protect her. She believed Potter to be the Outsider who is meant to be their champion, and taking a promise that he will protect her, gives him the coin in her care. She is following her own agenda, separate from the head of the fallen angels who had Harry Potter summoned.
Charity Carpenter: is Michael Carpenter's wife. She is sent by her husband to check on Potter, after he is admitted to the hospital following his duel with the Gatekeeper. Potter annoys her but wins her sympathy partly. Potter has a mild crush on her too.
Enter the Fallen
Harry James PotterChicago, USA, Dresden Verse
It's a bit of bother having two women concerned about me. It probably won't do any good pointing it out that they don't really know me and shouldn't care. I know that because I already tried. Charity Carpenter gave me a look that said I was a child and being a nuisance, she did it with style though, have to give her that. Murphy, sort of looked at me blankly, her eyes betraying she wanted to say something she was holding back. But when they looked at each other, it was clear my input in my own health was not wanted. Peachy.
So they're talking away, and I'm playing with the lace on Murphy's sofas. At least it gives me an excuse to check out Charity and Murphy in a perfectly acceptable way. Charity, Murphy, Charity, Murphy, and me. I start humming, it does have a feel to it, Charity, Murphy and me, s-h-a-g-g-i-n-g.
“Will you please stop humming?” Charity yells.
“Will you please stop talking about me like I'm not here?” I retort. The two women sitting on opposite sides of the three-seater glare at me as if I'm on trial.
“Mrs. Carpenter is telling me what the doctors found out about you,” Murphy begins. “Since you were in a coma at the time, I think she can tell us both best what is wrong with you.
”“Don't believe them, Karrin, they're evil. They eat babies, ask Charity.” I point to the incredulous blonde.
“We are not doing this again, Harry - What is your full name?” Charity loses her stride mid-tirade.
“I am Harry Phineas Albus Octavias Flammelias Dumbledorus.” Ah! And that shuts both of them up.
“Are you serious?” Karrin asks.
“Of course not, he is being difficult again,” Charity answers in my place.
“No, I'm being Harry.” I stick my tongue out at Charity. Karrin laughs but shuts up when Charity gives her a look.
“This is exactly why I am talking to her and not you about what needs to be done for you,” Charity snaps.
“She's not responsible for me, Charity,” I explain to her. There's a strained moment where Charity forces herself not to look at Karrin.
“Who's taking care of you? Is there someone we should call?” Karrin asks earnestly, sounding edgy. I don't know how to answer her, and squirm under both of their gazes.
“I take care of myself.”
“Obviously,” Charity mutters, rolling her eyes, looking childish.
“You just rolled your eyes at me,” I taunted.
“I did not,” she denies.
“Yes you did Goldylocks.”
“That's it!” Charity snaps, and stalks over to me, quickest hip sway I've ever seen. “Another reason why I can't have this conversation with you. You will come to dinner tonight, and my husband will have a talk with you. Try not to die till then.” She whirls and heads for the door.
“Charity!” I call out to her, making her pause at the door.
“Thanks,” I try to sound like I really am grateful. She gives me an exasperated look and leaves.
Karrin follows quickly, shutting and locking the door. Her hand rests on the gun strapped to her waist. I'd left her with Dresden when she was dealing with the curse Blackstaff had put on her. The potions must have helped her, but she still has bags under her eyes, and looks drawn. The semi formal clothes she's wearing make her look well. She comes and sits next to me in the love seat. That's when I see the slight tremble in her hands. “How're you?” I ask.
We haven't spoken yet. As soon Charity drove me to Karrin's place, she took the lead in conversation; Karrin and I hadn't even said hello.
I reach for her palm up, it's not something I would usually do, but last I left her I had held her through the night. It had helped me get over the discomfort of random contact with strangers; after all, she wasn't a stranger anymore.
She watches my hand like its something she's never seen, then takes it. Her trembling fingers grasp mine firmly. Her simple warmth touches me, for a moment making me think of Lasciel's touch, but Karrin is a normal woman. Her touch is comfortable but not incredible like Lasciel's.
She hasn't answered me yet.
“Karrin?”
“Yeah.” She grimaces in pain. “I'm fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes!” she snaps.
“We have to find a cure,” I say after a while, thinking of simply obliviating her of the fake memories.
“I'm fine.” She takes a fortifying breath. “You should probably listen to Mrs. Carpenter. It can't be good if your heart stopped three times.”
“I'm fine,” I say, annoyed.
We catch each other's eyes and smile. I guess she and I have something in common.
“You're back?” she asks.
“Yes.”
“Why did you leave?”“I went looking for my friends, for my,” I get stuck on the word, “home.”
Suddenly she drops my hand and gets up, walking to the middle of the living room, with her back to me. “I suppose you will be leaving.” Her tone is flat and I wonder what's upset her. I stare at the back of her head, unsure how to answer her.
“I guess so. I just wanted to see you because I promised I would come back.” I get up myself, awkward and embarrassed.
Karrin nods. “Thank you. Where's your home? If I need to get in touch with you.”
I shrug behind her back, feeling panic come on. The Gatekeeper's words hadn't sunk in, but with her one question reality hits me. “I don't know.”
“What do you mean?” she turns back to me, looking tired and angry.
“My home doesn't exist here,” I finally say. “And even if it did, I'm not sure I'd want to stay there. And my friends don't exist here either. That really bothers me, you see. I can't help them, I even promised to.” I'm amazed that solitary confinement's made me so talkative. I suppose it's because I just don't worry about what people will think anymore.
“I don't understand, your home doesn't 'exist' here?” Karrin asks, having come to stand in front of me.
Where do I even start? I don't understand it myself. “Can I get a drink of water?”
Karrin motions me to go ahead and follows me to the kitchen. I stop at the door looking where I'd lost consciousness, wondering about how much had changed just between then now.
Between then and now I had acquired a coin, that imprisoned an angel, a kid fallen angel if I believe Lasciel. I've also gotten rid of the Ministry's poison in my blood. Only if I had Lasciel with me I wouldn't be feeling weak. Yeah, lot's changed, and I thought finding out I was in a different world would be enough. Karrin drags a chair out and points me to sit in it. I go ahead and do without a fuss. She pours me a glass of water at the sink and sets it in front of me, while going to lean against the opposite wall. Her arms are crossed, and hip just turned enough to show me the gun hanging there. Her face is hard, a look I have seen before on some aurors like Kingsley.
“So, talk,” she shortly orders.
“Is this an interrogation?” I ask, taking a drink, cooling my parched throat. Karrin relaxes visibly, unfolding her arms, and taking a chair across from me.
“Talk,” she says again, holding my eyes. For a small, pretty woman, she has a very strong presence, so I start talking.
“My friends are in trouble, I was supposed to go help them when I escaped. So I went there and looked for them, I looked for where I went to school, where I used to live, where my friends live, none of those places exist anymore.”
“You mean there are other people living there, the buildings are being used for something else?” Karrin asks, leaning forward. I trace grain of the wood table, wondering if she will believe me.
“I met someone while I was gone; a very powerful wizard. He told me that I wasn't in my world. I'd been summoned from my world to this one: To your world, Karrin. I think, I am someone wizards in your world call the Outsider.” I drop all that on her and wait to see how she'll take it.
Karen leans back, looking at me in a way that gives away nothing. I study her face, waiting for her to react. The sun beating on my back through the kitchen window feels like it's got something against me but she quietly goes on watching me, letting me sweat.
“So it's true, you really are the Outsider?” Karrin asks. “Dresden was right about you?”
“Looks like it,” I answer, trying to find meaning in her flat tone. “He also thinks I'm dangerous to you.”
“He thinks I should trust my heart about you,” she replies almost automatically, and clears her throat, breaking eye contact with me. Looks like she said more than she meant to.
“So…?” I ask but she doesn't say anything. I feel like someone's poured ice on my back and get up to leave. I can take a hint; she thinks I'm a threat. I walk by her without looking, leaving the cozy kitchen for the last time.
My hand brushes her shoulder as I walk by. Something catches my hand in a death grip, I can't walk forward. I look down and see Karrin's slender hand gripping my wrist. She hasn't looked up from the table. I stand and I wait. I can definitely stand as long as I need to, after all, did that for two years in the Unspeakable's prison.
“I trust you.” I hear her whisper, as her hand goes slack on my wrist and falls by her side. She still hasn't looked at me. Maybe I need to tell her what I told Dresden.
“I'm your friend.” It's good I'm mad, easier to blurt out whatever I feel like. Karrin nearly leaps out of her chair and faces me with the hardest look I've ever seen on her. The bones of her face are pronounced, there's nothing soft and cute in her features now. Her dark eyes are threatening, her shoulders are back, and she is staring me in the eyes, looking, just looking.
“Thank you,” she grounds out, angrily.
“Why are you so mad?” I ask wondering what's going on. She turns away from me and goes to the sink to get a drink of water. After she's had her fill she holds the wet glass in her hand, not looking at me. “Did I do something to you?” I get a bit upset myself.
“No.” That is all she says, and I wait for her to explain.
The silence between us grows long and awkward; crazy women, never understand them.
“I don't make friends very quickly, and I don't like owing anyone.” She eventually has her say.
“Sorry,” I apologize jokingly and stick my tongue out. I didn't know she was mad over such a silly thing. What a girl. She raises her hand to shut me up.
“If you mess with me, Harry, I will shoot you somewhere it will hurt you for the rest of your life.” She sounds dead serious. I laugh and giggle and then snort. Karrin is not impressed.
“Not quite a Deatheater standard threat, sweetheart. Don't worry, I made you a promise the night I met you, I'll keep it.” I watch her calm down as I say this.
Her face and stance changes so she is attractive and soft again. “I know,” she says like it's admitting she failed at something.
“C'mon, don't be a girl,” I tease her, about done with her tough girl issues.
“I am not a girl!”
Fred hands me a cricket bat to knock Karrin over the head with, George has a love potion in his hand and waggling his eyebrows. I give them a glare and mouth 'get out of here.' They plant some surprises in Karrin's dishwasher and cupboards. I walk away from her to get rid of the pranks, kicking out the twins through the back door.
“What are you doing?” she asks confused, seeing me doing odd things around her kitchen.
“Just getting rid of some magical pranks.”
Karrin gives me a slow nod, while I clean up the little booby traps left by the twins. When I'm done, she and I stand in the kitchen not really sure where to go from here. Karrin suddenly falls to her knees holding her head, with a hiss of pain. She loses her balance and falls to her side. I rush to her, but at the last moment jump aside as she frees the gun from its holster.
“Karrin, what-”
“Blackstaff - he mixed up my memories. It hurts when I remember both-” Her words are eaten up by an indrawn breath of pain. I knew this of course, Dresden had explained what had happened to her. I wonder if I wipe out one set of memories if she would be alright.
It's the sudden cawing of crows outside the kitchen window that brings Karrin out of it. With a quick movement she holsters her weapon and strides out of the kitchen.
I follow her to find her pacing in the living room, her fingers threaded through her hair and taking deep fortifying breaths. Fred stands next to her sticking his chest out every time Karrin inhales, making her boobs stick out. Fucking Fred, ruining my view.
“How can you be pulled from your world?” she asks, stretching up.
“Huh?” C'mon I can't really answer questions when she's stretching and bending and making curvy shapes. Merlin! How can a small woman like her fit all those curves in. “How do you bend like that?” I ask tilting my head to catch the full view of her stretch, how is that shirt staying on her in that position?
“Harry, do you want to die?” Karrin threatens.
“No, I have enough adventures for now. Seriously, I didn't think anyone could twist like that.” I squat down, staring at her. “It's yoga, I'm holding a meditative pose, and stop staring at my breasts.”
“It's yoga, I'm meditating. Shhh!” I could've told her it was group practice too, but I don't think she'd like knowing all the Weasley boys and I were in the same position leering, I mean, appreciating her. There's sound of metal sliding and a click. Karrin has her gun pointed at me.
“Blackstaff?” I ask.
“No, horny teenager.”
“Horny teenager! Where?” I spin around looking behind me. There she is! Romilda Vane!
“I was talking to you,” Karrin corrects me flatly. I'm confused. Wait, she can't see Romilda, can she? Oh bullocks! Romilda is stripping again. Never mind, Karrin has bigger knockers.
“But I'm not a teenager,” I tell her. She stares at me, palms her face, putting the gun away.
“At least you didn't argue being horny.” She sits up. Romilda is dancing in between Karrin and me, bouncing her little nipples up and down. Poor girl, she put herself right next to Karrin, no comparison.
“Un huh,” I answer whatever Karrin just said.
“Aren't you worried about being kidnapped from your world? Will you stop staring at me?”
“Not staring at you. Romilda is dancing in front of you.”
“Romilda? There's no one here.”
“She's a ghost, I think. But she's doing a striptease. So give me a second, yeah?”
“There's a ghost stripping in my living room?”
“Un huh. Don't worry she's just jealous of you.” That shuts Murphy up, and I watch Romilda for a few minutes.
“Okay…Let's pretend that's normal. Why is she jealous?” Murphy speaks up again, trying to look for Romilda, following my eyes.
“Hmm? Oh she did that dip thing, she's good at that.” Romilda distracts me from answering Karrin. “I reckon it's because you're gorgeous. Full perky breasts, sexy legs, perfect behind like an apricot-”“Apricot?” “Yeah, apricot, and then it's your hair, makes your eyes look really…”Enchanting, Bill whispers to me.
“Enchanting. So yeah she's jealous. Plus you're a woman, Romilda's just a little girl.” I shrug and look at Karrin. She's propped up on her hands, in the middle of getting up, staring at me with her mouth open and a little blush on her cheeks.
“You're the boldest kid I've ever met. I should probably kick your ass for that, but first, exactly how little is Romilda?”
“Oh! She's fifteen or sixteen. She'll probably fill out later. And you can't kick my arse, you asked why she was jealous and I told you.”
“There's an underage ghost girl doing a nudey dance in my living room?” She's up on her feet, her voice is really low and dangerous.
“Yes?”
“And you're watching?”
“Be rude to look away.” I don't really get to finish my thoughts before Karrin is next to me, wrapping one arm around mine, and slapping her other hand over my eyes, dragging me backwards out of the house.
“What in bloody hell?”
Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden
Chicago, USA
I took a longer way home than usual, not that it was a plan, but finding out The Merlin is in town, trying to bring you in, is enough to throw anyone off. From talking to Ebenezer it sounded like he was in trouble too, because of me, maybe. I can't help feeling a little guilty about that, I'm not exactly the best wizard to associate with, and old Ebenezer has defended me more than anyone wants to tolerate. But I'm a nice guy really, I find people's runaway pets and kids, I find their lost car keys, wives who've been led away by Incubi. As you can see, there's a theme: I find things for people, and gosh darn it, people like me! So why is someone out for my head all the time?
I contemplated my social failings, while eating an ice cream cone I'd purchased for lunch. Well I wanted to sit and brood somewhere, and the corner refreshment shop had a few chairs on the sidewalk. What to do about The Merlin? I wondered.
As I was sitting I saw Murphy roll up on her Harley, with the Outsider sitting behind, his arms wrapped around her middle - he looked like he was asleep. It looked like Murphy had a long mane, the way her black wavy locks meshed with the Outsider's messy hair. I was mid motion about to call out to her when seeing the way they were stopped me; they looked like they belonged with each other, like kin.
I couldn't help feeling a pang of jealousy, but there was something sweet about Murphy looking strong and alert, her usual self, and the Outsider, looking child like, tired and completely trusting Murphy, asleep draped over her back. I crushed my dumb feelings, and got up to say hi when a young woman stepped in front of Murphy's bike at the red light and gave a sweet smile.
You know that feeling you get when everything is going fine, sun's out, birds are singing, you have an ice cream in your hand, that feeling that nothing could go wrong, you can brood with all the dark indulgence you can, and something just has to come along and bring you out of your happy place? Yeah, I had that feeling, it had something to do with seeing the young woman stopping Murphy, holding a nail studded whip behind her back.
Just because Murph rides a bike, has a gun strapped to her waist, looks like she could kick your ass, does not mean she is into sado-masochistic games. Now I would have to stop Murphy from trying to arrest the woman just for aggressively propositioning her, but before I could, the young woman said something that stopped me cold.
“Hand over the Outsider, if you don't want me to cut up that pretty face,” she said in an English accent, as if she was wishing Murphy a good morning. She had long hair, combed straight down to the middle of her back, dark eyes to match her hair, in a thin face. By this time Murphy had pulled up to the curb, about six feet from me, but she was completely focused on the woman in her early twenties blocking her way. The woman cocked her head to the side, bringing around the whip I'd already seen, to let Murphy get an eyeful.
People were walking by back and forth trying to get wherever as quick as they could and not paying attention to what was happening right next to them. I got up to help Murphy, but it wasn't to be, I felt the cold touch of steel to my neck that guided me back to my chair.
“Sit down, and enjoy your desert Mr. Dresden. My daughter is just having a conversation with your friend. No harm will come to her,” came a cultured voice from next to me. I turned to see who it was when the steel dug deeper and all I managed to see was the blade was a short sword of some kind. “Tut tut! Mr. Dresden, no peaking.”
“Who are you?” I ground out, sitting down, and from the corner of my eye seeing a pair of crossed legs in the chair next to me. Whoever he was, was wearing white summer pants with white formal shoes, they looked expensive.
“We are associates of the Outsider. It seems you have misled him, and so I have sent my daughter to bring him back to us. Now please be quiet.” He dismissed me like I was a school boy, but I wasn't concerned about that, cold dread filled me at his words. At best these were more warlocks, at worst they were hosts of fallen angels, the Blackened Denari.
I hoped that someone would see the man holding a sword to my neck, or see a woman with a whip, but either they were using magic or the vanillas like always ignored what didn't make sense. People walked to and fro, the sun beat down, and I stared at Murphy, watching her hand go to the holster.
“That's enough. I am here to take him back. This is none of your business, walk away with your life,” The woman with the English accent ordered Murphy, while her father held me at sword point, I mean, sword edge. Times like this you wish magic was quicker. The fastest magic in the world is Evocation but even that will take longer than it does to have my throat sliced.
“I am a police officer, drop your weapon and get down on your knees.”
“Don't have a heart attack you old tart, you don't want the Outsider to wake up, when he's- what is he exactly doing back there?” She gave a saucy smile, full of implication. “Hasn't been in this world a week, and you're already fucking him?”
“Keep talking bitch and I will blow that skinny head off,” Murphy threatened, out of character. I twitched and the girl's father pressed his sword to remind me to stay in place.
“You're not fast enough, love. I bet I'm better than you are in bed, scared of a little competition?” The girl taunted Murphy.
“Deirdre,” the man next to me called out in an indulgent admonishing tone. The girl turned towards us for the first time, and gave a sweet pout. Murphy's head snapped to us too and she mouthed something to me I couldn't understand. “Lieutenant Murphy, my daughter simply wishes to extend a luncheon invitation. It would be a pity to lose our heads over this,” the man solicitously warned.
Having your head on the line twice in one week? Priceless. For everything else, there's master card.
Deirdre, as her father had called her, took this moment to step up to Murphy, who suppressed her urge to defend herself, seeing as I was a hostage. Deirdre's hair suddenly starting moving like it was alive, becoming much longer than its mid-back length; inserting like a living limb between Murphy and the Outsider. Murphy made a noise of surprise but with the girl's father next to me she didn't do anything.
The Outsider, the idiot, simply curled into the hair wrapping around him and went on snoozing. Deirdre hiked her short skirt up without care and sat between the Outsider and Murphy, shoving Murphy up to the gas tank. She cradled the Outsider in her hair which had formed a writhing cocoon around him.
A sword to a man's throat doesn't get any attention, but a reasonably good looking girl with a hiked up skirt straddling a shiny chrome motorbike gets a crowd; typical; nice pair of legs though. Murphy was going red with anger; I could see her jaw tense. People whistled walking by, a couple of catcalls, Deirdre gave a seductive wink dropping a lingering kiss on the Outsider's neck, that got a few claps, Murphy will kill her I know she will.
That finally woke up the Outsider; Deirdre's kiss turned into a hicky. How do I know? The Outsider yelped in his manly glory. Deirdre laughed in a faux husky voice.
“Ohh! That will leave a mark. Dear Deirdre is a little, mmm passionate." The man with the sword to my neck guided me to turn my face, and I saw him for the first time. He unbuttoned the top of his shirt to reveal a blue and green mark over his left nipple. "That, she gave me two weeks ago." Hells Bells! That's his daughter, I felt bile rise.
“I don't think I know you,” the Outsider said with a silly grin, rubbing his neck, while Deirdre coyly smiled.
“Well wouldn't you like to, Daddy wants to have lunch, but maybe you and I can catch a movie. Is that fine Daddy?”
“Of course, sweetheart. As long as the Outsider is a perfect gentleman,” her father called out, getting the Outsider's attention who gave me a confused look.
“Ooh! I'll make sure he isn't,” Deirdre's faux husky voice got huskier, her father chuckled next to me; sick. “Saturday, I'll pick you up. You can stay the night, and in the morning Daddy can talk business with you.”
By this time the Outsider was looking less dozy and actually had a serious expression on his face. "Who are you people again?"
"That's what you'll find out Saturday night," Deirdre said, nuzzling the Outsider's neck, and even from here I could see that she had successfully distracted him from that very important line of questioning. No one else has these problems, but Harry Dresden has to deal with a supercharged entity who thinks with its other head.
“A sword? Does everyone in your world carry a sword?” Harry the Outsider asked curiously. Good observation. “It is necessary to make a point sometimes.” The man pleasantly stated.
“Where's Karrin?”
“I'm here,” she grumbled from her place on the gas tank.
The Outsider leaned around Deirdre with a puzzled face. “What the hell are you doing up there?”
“The slut in front of you pushed me up,” Murphy growled.
“I am so confused. Every time I wake up there's a hot girl all over me, and another hot one about to spoil my fun,” the Outsider complained.
“Move people!” Murphy shouted at the crowd that was idly watching and grinning.
“Yes, and now that dear Deirdre has given her invitation, do you think you could move the sword?” I asked. It's good to hope.
“I wouldn't want you to interfere with our pleasant chat with the Outsider, Mr. Dresden. Just a few more moments of discomfort, you can stand that much I am certain.” The man was not going to give way.
“Get the hell away before I turn you into horned toads, and convince Umbridge to kiss you!” The Outsider suddenly yelled, magic on his tongue slapped me across the face throwing me back, and the crowd as a whole. I think I will recommend the Outsider to Opera, boy does he have the lungs for it. The crowd got away in a hurry, scared mindless. I was sprawled on the sidewalk free of the sword around my neck.
“You!” The Outsider pointed to the well dressed man that had held me hostage all this time.
“Are you here to kill me?”
“Not in the least.” The girl's father spread his hands in a friendly gesture.
“Are you here to kill him?” The Outsider pointed to me.
“Not today.”
“Not today?” I yelled. Couldn't help it, I was scandalized.
“Fine, and her?” Outsider gestured to Murphy who was looking as threatening as possible riding her gas tank.
“Never her, Outsider. We know she is under your protection.” The man gave a nod and a predatory smile. “We can learn from lessons the White Council doesn't.”
Hell and damnation! How does he know what happened between Blackstaff and Outsider?
“That brings me to the girl eating my neck, are you here to kill me?”
“I just want to fuck you.” Deirdre gave her wicked smile.
“That's all?” Harry the Outsider asked, his voice cracking just a bit.
“Repeatedly in the most depraved and hedonistic manner possible,” Deirdre corrected with a posh accent. Murphy whipped around in her seat to stare, the Outsider looked dumb struck.
“Peachy,” he finally blurted.
“I shall pick you up tomorrow night then.” With that Deirdre nibbled his ear and was off the bike before I could confirm for a second time she wasn't wearing any panties. Usually I'm a gentleman about these things but when you make it that easy, its hard not to notice.
“I apologize for the inconvenience Mr. Dresden, we shall meet again. A good day to you, and you Lieutenant Murphy.” The man with the sword tipped his fedora to me and taking his daughter's arm disappeared in the crowd. The Harley's kick stand snapping out sharply brought me back to Murphy and the Outsider.
Murphy had parked the bike and slipped off of it to burn holes in the back of the father and daughter pair. The Outsider was doing something similar beside her, but I couldn't quite read his expression.
“There's an ancient darkness around them,” he said in a quiet voice, his eyes looked red in the sunlight and I felt uneasy seeing him sounding so ominous. Then he looked straight at me and I realized the red eyes were just a trick of the light, they were green as ever.
“Wizards?” Murphy asked in a strained voice.
“Fallen Angels,” The Outsider muttered, not reacting when Murphy snapped towards him in surprise. I chucked my ice cream into the trash can with disgust and quite a lot of fear. I was hoping they were just warlocks but this was worse. “Black something, Dresden knows them.” The Outsider gestured to me to explain.
“Knights of the Blackened Denarius, that's their full other name.” I straightened the chairs at my table, pulling them out for Murphy and the Outsider. “Do you want some ice cream? I just stopped here before going to your place, Murph.”
She came around and took a seat with the Outsider who was uncommonly quiet and pensive. I worried more for Murphy, who was barely controlling her anger.
“Those were fallen angels? Not much are they?” she said trying to relax.
“You can't see what I can.” The Outsider moodily tapped his wand on the wire frame table while Murphy and I waited for him to say more.
“Are you alright?” Murphy filled the silence, pointing to my neck. I rubbed my throat self consciously, checking for blood or a cut.
“Yeah, fine. It was a little scary.” I laughed and shrugged.
“Is your life always like this?” Murphy asked.
I answered “No,” just as the Outsider said, “Yes.”
“His fault then,” I joked.
“He didn't summon himself here. Someone kidnapped him,” Murphy disagreed, obviously having humor in short change. I raised my hands in a placating gesture and Murphy took a deep breath to calm herself. The Outsider smiled to her gratefully looking so much like a weary kid.
“Well I'm going to get another ice cream. Surviving a fallen angel puts me in the mood to celebrate,” I said getting up to order something. “What do you want, my treat.”
“What are you going to do tomorrow?” Murphy asked ignoring my offer, and talking to the Outsider.
“About what?” the Outsider asked still lost in his thoughts.
“About those two, she's coming to take you on a date,” Murphy snapped, losing patience.
“Why should I do anything?”
“Because they want you, they came here for you,” Murphy tried to explain to him.
“I won't be where they can find me. Don't worry. Dresden wants to know what you want for ice cream.” The Outsider said dismissively.
Murphy looked at him not breaking eye contact, letting the tension rise.
“Dresden tell her what I can do to people who threaten me,” the Outsider demanded, his expression going harder than Murphy's.
“I don't think that's necessary, seriously they have this really tasty cherry pineapple flavor.” I tried to distract them but they weren't having any.
“Tell her,” he asked.
I gave in, “I've seen him turn a man into rock and dust in one second. I've seen him torture a man to the depth of his soul. If there is anyone who can handle the Blackened Denari, it is him.”
I was angry at the Outsider for making me tell her. She had put her trust in him, and now she would be questioning it. I could tell that the warlocks had it coming, but Murphy believed in the law, she wouldn't see it that way.
Murphy stood, pushing me down in the chair with a muttered “I'll get the ice cream.” She had kept her head down and face away from both of us so we couldn't see what she was thinking.
“You just had to do that didn't you?” I shot a look at the Outsider who already seemed faraway.
“Yes, I had to.” Then he made eye contact with me. “She is weak, she's powerless. She will die if she tries to help me, and just be a bloody memory. You want me to spare her feelings when I have two fallen angels coming for me tomorrow?”
For a moment I didn't know what to say. Murphy would try to help him, he was right about that. I was surprised he knew her so well so soon. I was frightened that he was right she would try to help him tomorrow with the Blackened Denarians. Even I am not powerful enough to go head to head with evil of that kind, and Murphy was your everyday vanilla human.
“You're going to fight them?” I asked, still unsure of where his loyalties lied outside of Murphy. For all I knew he was as evil as the Denarians but simply had a soft spot for Murphy.
He shrugged. “They want me to unlock their knowledge, they can't have that. There is only one Fallen Angel I'd give power to but she's gone. If they want to fight to change my mind, then I guess I'll fight them.”
A chill went through me when I heard he had been willing to give power to one Fallen, but the magical nerd inside had me was curious as a cat about what knowledge of their's could the Outsider 'unlock.'
“Will you-” I cut off what I was saying, seeing Murphy come back with a tray. She set down a pineapple cherry sundae in front of me, and something chocolate like for herself and the Outsider. Soon we were eating in a thoughtful silence, obviously pretending the previous conversation had not happened.
“I'm taking Harry shopping, do you want to come with us?” Murphy invited.
“Shopping?” he asked.
“Dinner tonight at the Carpenters,” she said in way of explanation. “You should get a shave and something other than those robes to wear.”
“What's wrong with these robes?” He was clearly upset.
“You might be an Outsider but you're still a man,” Murphy teased. “You can't go through everyday dressed in the same thing.”
“I am not buying clothes,” he refused. I chuckled having seen this kind of an argument before, the girl always wins, besides this was Murphy, she always won regardless.
Fifteen minutes later, and what do you know, I was tagging along on a shopping spree for a supernatural being. This time tomorrow night I would even have my very own Dear Penthouse story. After all if a fallen angel was taking an Outsider on a date, the stuff of fantasies was going to happen.
~Karrin Constanza Murphy~
I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror to check if I looked alright; the make-up had almost hidden the bags under my eyes. I tried a couple of fake smiles just to exercise my facial muscles, so if I had to smile later it wouldn't look too painful. It looked like a macabre tightening of face that I had no control over; I was never too good at “just put a smile on yourself” like Mother always told me to in High School. I grunted in annoyance looking away from the bathroom mirror.
I was wearing an evening dress, and dreading Dresden seeing me in it. Easy money was on him making some crack about it and me kneeing him in the crotch for it. For the tenth time I thought of changing into something…something which said respected detective lieutenant instead of single twenty-seven year old Caucasian female. God! I can't even think of myself without talking like a cop.
Taking out pain killers from the medicine cupboard I downed a handful, I wasn't counting anymore; the headaches were too much. Over the day Harry, or Outsider as Dresden called him, had told me he had an idea that could cure me. I didn't listen to him, thinking like any man he was just trying to get out of a shopping trip. But I wish I had, nothing was worth the agony. It was both physical and mental pain. It would begin like a headache and soon I was having flashbacks to different sets of memories. It would hurt so bad I just wanted to sit and pass out, and never think again.
I grabbed the sink edge, bent over it in indecision and weariness. I was so tired of being in pain and afraid. All my life I'd been the strong one, going on my own when Dad died and my Mom was too heartbroken to take care of her kids' grief.
But losing sense of what happened was unbearable; I needed help. I needed help and I was too afraid to ask. I'd already asked so much. Although it was more like they had given so much without me asking them. Both Harry and Dresden, they had been embarrassingly caring. It had been many years since I'd let any man help me, but I had never been torn apart like Blackstaff and Dresden's White Council had done to me.
I walked out of the bathroom and peaked around my bedroom door, slowly creeping out until from the top of the stairs at the right angle I could see into the living room below, where they both were waiting. Dresden was standing looking out the main windows into the street; he was wearing his favorite long coat once again. It doesn't matter to the man that it's the middle of summer, he has to have his coat on; maybe it's a wizardly thing. A little endearing, I liked his quirkiness.
Then there was Harry, and I don't know what to think about him. I sat down on the top step so I could see him better. He was sitting on the corner of the love seat, taking as little room as he could. I had bought him some slacks and a dress shirt for the night, both things hung off of him, he was thin and I guess I could call him emaciated. His rich red cloak was draped over my couch, looking like it belonged there. He had his head propped on his hand and was dozing off.
I felt my stomach tighten from anxiety and fear thinking about him.
He had saved my life, and he had also tortured a man's soul, not that I understand what that meant. But knowing he had also turned another man into stone and dust to kill him was an effect a little easier to picture, just very hard to accept.
He had held me and stayed with me night after night; there was a time that I couldn't rest without knowing he was there. It was irrational, Dresden had explained it was the psychic wounds I had that made me act and feel things out of character. But there's no denying Harry had been there taking my fear away; a stranger that I felt I had to trust.
And he was a demon, something called an Outsider, not even from this world. So frightening that even fallen angels didn't want to cross him.
How do I tell the boy who held my hand like we had done it for years, that I thought he was wrong to murder warlocks. I can't even look him in the eye because I am so ashamed he has seen me weak and broken, and accepted me like that. How do you tell someone like that what they did was against everything you believed in? I work for the police for a reason, I believe in the law.
I had been so afraid without him, afraid for him, my demon savior, just a boy.
I felt something hot in the corners of my eyes and looked up in the hall mirror to see tears welling. I couldn't believe it. Just the thought of everything he had done for me made me emotional, and I am never emotional. I hate this curse in my mind. I have to find a cure, even if I have to ask for it. I might just have to.
I looked away from Harry, depressed by my choices. I hate needing help. I thought I was stronger and braver. I stared back at him, trying to see why fallen angels respected his power enough to stay away from me, afraid they would piss him off.
What are you really, Harry?
I couldn't stand to think about him anymore and focused on Dresden's back. A smile crept on my face, probably making me look as emotional as I felt, what with tears and a stupid happy smile. It was really disgusting, if I didn't find a cure I would lose all respect in the precinct, every man there was just waiting for me to be soft enough to kick me down.
I came back to the present and thought Dresden's awkward way of comforting and taking care of me was really sweet. He had been there for me too, as much as the other Harry, both had saved my life on different occasions.
Knowing Dresden I thought he would make fun of me for breaking down, but he's been a gentleman. Maybe he's alright then.
My two Harrys, I decided, getting up and returning to my bedroom.
One's a wizard only a week ago under suspicion of multiple homicides. The other, some kind of demon that a fallen angel harlot hit on while he was with me. I guess rules about guys and girls must be different for black denarians, she should've stayed back when she saw me with him, the hussy. Slut.
I didn't realize I was angry till I slammed the cartridge in my gun a little too hard. Its alright, a little silly jealousy is not too bad when you consider he is the one who saved my life, I owe it to him to protect him from disease ridden hell whores. But maybe, I needed to calm down.
Mother always said I had bad taste in men. She'd love these two.
Damn, I was going to have to tell her I had one of them for a room mate now. I was going to have to tell him he was my room mate now too. Even thinking of the fight Harry had put up when I bought clothes for him made my head ache, he wasn't going to like the idea of free rent.
Dresden told me to be careful of him, but I was taking him into my home. My hand went to the small cross on my necklace. It was a nightmare: demons, child sacrifices and Fallen Angels. I should be running to church, asking for divine help. Instead I have a boy who is standing between hell's agents, homicidal wizards and me; just a boy, a demon.
Mary, mother of Christ, preserve me.
I left the bedroom grabbing a small jacket and sliding my service issue side arm in a thigh holster. It was uncomfortable but I wasn't going anywhere without my weapon.
I gave my self a once over in the mirror checking that my navy blue thigh high dress covered the holster. The black of the holster was almost hidden if I just had my hips like this - no, not working. It would have to do.
I walked down stairs beginning to feel the conflict of memory in my mind, it always came with a throbbing pain behind my right eye. On the last step it hit me harder and I slipped a little letting out a hurt whimper. Harry and Dresden looked up sharply but I had my feet under me by then.
“You're wearing a dress!” Dresden actually sounded appalled. Way to make a girl feel good about herself. Harry got off the couch with that unnerving grace of his, just floating up like he was suspended from a puppeteer's strings. I sucked in a sharp breath, a little startled by him doing magic, he had done little things all day, and I hadn't gotten used to it.
He walked to me and for some reason I stayed standing at the base of the stairs waiting for him. He was a little taller than me, not that it was hard to be that, even with the three inch heels I was wearing very uncomfortably tonight he was still taller than me. He'd said he had spent time in prison and it showed, he was very thin, the bones of his face jutted out. It made him look hard, worn and frightening when he wasn't joking around and acting mad. I decided very soon that I didn't like Harry when he was serious, I couldn't look at him and not wonder what he had been through to come out the way he was.
He hadn't wanted to stop for a hair cut and it looked too long, too wild and I wished he would just smile and say something inappropriate. He had tanned in the summer sun and his green eyes looked just a little too intense on his skeletal face.
He gave a faint smile reaching me and invaded my personal space to kiss me on the cheek. He stepped back with an embarrassed look leaving me a little stunned. It had been a long time since I had been treated like that by any man. Even though he was just a boy, at least seven years younger than me, it was nice to be looked at the way he looked at me.
“You look beautiful, Karrin,” he almost sounded sad saying it, but I couldn't help feeling warmed at the compliment. He gave me his hand, thin and a little weak in my own. I did martial arts and lifted as much a woman my size could; I didn't feel too much strength in his hands. He needed help recovering and I had already planned on being the one to do that; I owed him. I put my arm through his, walking down the hall very properly and very lady like, which made me even more uncomfortable than the heels I was wearing.
Dresden was waiting at the door, looking tall and mysterious in his long coat. He was wearing a nice dark silk shirt for the night with his silver pentacle shining on it. I looked at the pendant more suspiciously than before when I didn't know magic existed. I wondered if it was only a symbol or if it was some kind of amulet or talisman. One thing was sure, I had to learn about these things very quickly. I couldn't go through my life knowing magic's existence and being ignorant of all it could do.
Dresden was still looking at me with that weirded out expression.
“What?” I demanded, losing the good mood Harry had put me in with his compliment a kiss.
“You look good, Murph. Damn, and you're wearing heels, and you're on a guy's arm.” He gestured with his hands like he couldn't believe it. Here it comes, going to have to kick him in the shins at least.
“So what?” I asked, while Harry snickered next to me, looking more of himself now that he was enjoying our conversation.
Dresden's expression changed from disbelief to mischievous, I narrowed my eyes at him, not trusting what he was up to.
“So nothing. You look stunning tonight, Murphy. Can I get a kiss too, or are you going to shoot me?”
My stomach did a little flip flop, and I wondered if I should let him flirt with me.
“Depends on the kiss.” I cocked my head and saw Dresden look uneasy, but he leaned forward and put a quick peck on my cheek anyway. I blushed and couldn't hide it. I'd always liked his mix of earnest confidence and sarcasm, and he was easy on the eyes. But so far I'd hidden it behind a professional face.
Harry tugged my jacket's sleeve. I looked at him to see him frowning. “You know, I had her convinced that you were my girlfriend. But no, you had to go let another man kiss you and she is after me again!” He gestured vaguely into space next to him.
Dresden and I looked over into the living room where Harry was pointing but other than the comfortable furniture since my childhood there was nothing there. Then it occurred to me, “Is it Romilda?”
“Yes,” he exclaimed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Um, who is Romilda?” Dresden asked confused. The moment between us had passed, of course, that is probably how Harry wanted it.
“She's a ghost, who's stalking Harry,” I explained to Dresden, editing out what had happened earlier. “Is she, you know, again?” I asked Harry, not wanting to spell it out.
“Yes she is, and you know I've been in prison for two years. She's beginning to look good,” Harry confided a little fearfully.
“I don't see a ghost,” Dresden interrupted.
“Alright, we're leaving, and later you're getting rid of this ghost,” I told Harry sternly, who was looking fixedly into the living room. I grabbed his face and turned him to me. “I told you before, no looking, and yes, I know it's rude.”
“She won't leave me until she believes you're my girlfriend,” Harry explained to me.
“How are you going to convince her of that?” I asked him, getting pissed he was using me like this.
“I did kiss you, she would have been happy with that, but then you went around to Dresden too.”
“I didn't go 'around to Dresden.'” He was beginning to really make me angry.
He sighed, tapping his foot in rhythm to something. “You know she has a new routine, this girl is creative, should I even get rid of her?”
“Can someone please tell me what is going on?” Dresden was getting frustrated.
“My old stalker, Romilda, she's doing the river dance in Murphy's living room,” Harry pointed out to where she must have been, I couldn't see her but I trusted she was where he said she was. “Oh and she's naked. Jealous of Murphy's breasts, see?” Harry pointed to my chest and I self consciously shifted the neck line so it covered more of my cleavage, remembering his blunt but nice compliments from the afternoon.
“There's a naked girl doing the river dance there?” Dresden was clearly confused. “Is she bouncy?” Dresden gestured to his chest.
I kicked him in the shins.
“Damn it, Murph!”
“Put it back in your pants, Dresden. She's underage. There's not much there to bounce,” I observed.
“You can say that again,” Harry agreed. “Can you do the river dance later Karrin, just to see how it's done right?” God! That boy is constantly hitting on me, and I can't get myself to do anything about it. I've never known anyone that unafraid of me to say things like that to my face. I suppose it's a novelty to let him say that. But from the corner of my eye I see Dresden react to Harry's lewd comments, and that is worth letting him say whatever he wants.
“He just wants to see your boobs bounce!” Dresden suddenly accused, with a look of glee on his face. “Kick him in the shins!”
“No,” I refused, knowing it would annoy him. It's flattering to see him compete with Harry. “Dresden, can you get rid of her?”
“Why the hell does he get away with that?”
Because it might make you realize you like me and ask me out? I thought to myself before coming up with something to say.
“I have these sexy green eyes, she can't say no to them,” Harry answered before I could say anything. I gulped as he looked grinning at me and realized his eerie green eyes were hard to look away from, there was something about the way they were detached.
A second later I realized I had flushed and cleared my throat looking away from him, but strongly conscious of my arm in his. That look in his eyes was the one a boy gives a girl when he wants her really badly. If I didn't know he was a good guy I would've decked him, but there I was like a foolish girl all worked up seeing his desire for me. Between Dresden and him, I was feeling like the pretty girl on the block.
“Dresden, can you get rid of the ghost or not?” I demanded changing the subject; it was probably obvious to both of them that he had gotten under my skin.
“I don't think there's a ghost, I can't see anything.” Dresden looked worried. I shifted on my heels and decided it was something I could deal with later, in the world of magic I had to get used to these things.
“Let's just go.” I pulled Harry with me who came along, smiling as if off in his little world. We walked out of the house and he waved his wand behind him when I turned to lock the door.
“It's locked,” he said, I gave him a suspicious look and reached for the knob turning it to find that it was really locked. All he had to do was just point that thing back.
Dresden was looking at my door with strange intensity; his eyes looked dilated in the dimming sunlight. Harry seemed to notice too, and we both weighted for whatever Dresden was looking at.
“There's no residue, no evidence that you did magic,” Dresden finally said in mild awe. “You have to show me how to do that.”
I felt a little put out, not able to see the things they did or do them, so I passed Dresden a little roughly going down the front stairs to his car. Harry said something to him but I didn't hear; I was already getting into his dilapidated VW Bug. Its amazing a man his height can even fit in there, I took the back seat, leaving them to sit in front and chinwag as much as they liked to about magic. I was a little bitter; I never liked being told I couldn't do something. That is exactly what Harry had said at the ice cream shop.
How was I supposed to protect him if I couldn't even see his enemies like he could? I shut my eyes, leaning my head back, smelling the age on the pealing upholstery of the car.
I saw Dresden walk down the steps and then Harry. For a moment I thought I couldn't see my house behind them. I could see my neighbors' house on the left and right but maybe because Dresden's car's windows were blurry and small I just couldn't catch sight of my familiar door. I put it out of my mind, later I would regret not pointing out that my house apparently wasn't there anymore. Soon both of them were in the car and the drone of the engine made sure I didn't have to say anything to them.