[Stories by Kattalez]
[Dresden Files/OUAT crossover story] Chapter One:
The Harley let out a low rumble as it slowed to a stop on the side of the lonely, two lane highway cutting through the forest.
The driver flipped up the face shield of the sleek black helmet, revealing a woman's face, pleasant, pale skinned with bright blue eyes. She glanced over her shoulder at her companion who rode in the seat behind her.
"This is it?" she asked, her voice tinged with skepticism.
The rider behind her pulled off his helmet and ran a hand up through his perpetually shaggy brown hair. He looked around, his lean hawkish face, more weathered and scarred than ever, creasing in a frown.
"According to the coordinates that Mab gave me, this should be the area. But she said there was a town." He scratched idly at his hair, swinging one long leg over the back of the bike as he dismounted and stretched his tall, lean frame.
The woman muttered something under her breath as she lowered the motorcycle's stand and settled the bike down while dismounting herself. She pulled off her helmet and set it on the bike's seat, shaking out her blonde hair that was squashed in several directions from the helmet and a long ride.
"I don't know, Dresden," she gave him a sideways glance, looking a bit annoyed. "This looks to be exactly what GPS and the Sat Maps say it is. Just a highway running through this part of Maine's national forest."
The man glanced down from his height, more than a foot taller than the diminutive woman and gave her a cynical smile.
"Now Murph, you of all people should know that things aren't always what they appear to be." he chided her. "Especially in the crowds you get to run in with yours truly."
Karrin Murphy snorted at that, which came out more cute than anything else in Harry Dresden's opinion. After all the years they had known each other, all the battles they had fought together, from the time she was a lowly beat cop working the streets of Chicago to becoming the head of Chicago PD's Special Investigations Unit as Lieutenant Murphy, she was still so cute he just wanted to put her in his pocket and take her home.
And despite her fall from grace and being let go by the force back home, there was still nobody else Harry would rather have at his side (or his back) when trouble came calling. There was a comfort in knowing she was there, her years of experience as a cop still showing in the way she glanced around in what seemed to be casual curiosity but Harry knew she was noting every detail, cataloging every pertinent fact in that sharp little mind of hers to reference back to later when they might need it.
"Yeah, well I also know that frosty bitch likes to play her games with you, Harry." she countered reasonably.
Harry winced at that, holding back the urge to look around and see if the insult had been overheard and find the fairy queen of the Winter court showing up to address it.
"Careful there, Murphy. That 'frosty bitch' isn't exactly fond of you either after our little vacation into Arctis Tor."
Karrin waved a dismissive hand with another snort. "She can blow me."
Harry's grin turned lascivious. "Can I watch?"
That earned him an eye roll, and she shook her head in disgust. "You're bent, Dresden."
He shrugged. "Just your lonely neighborhood wizard hoping to get laid."
"Speaking of wizard," Murphy indicated the area in front of them on the road with an inviting wave. "Make with the magic, bean pole. I'm missing out on a Red Sox game to come on this little outing of yours."
"Yep, I'm on it."
Harry straightened his long, black leather duster he wore and reached down to free his wizard's staff from the side holster Murphy had rigged onto the Harley for ease of access for him. He took a few long legged strides away from the motorcycle so that when he released his magic it wouldn't cause any mechanical difficulties to the bike and earn him an ass kicking for his trouble. Wizards and technology just don't get along.
Taking in a deep breath, Harry closed his eyes and let just a touch of his will flow out into his magical senses, blocking out any extraneous data and he Listened. Harry still didn't know if Listening was an actual wizard ability or just something he developed, a way of pushing aside all distractions and just focusing on the sounds that were out there that could be picked up by his senses, both mundane and magical.
The skill came more quickly and easily than it had in the years before, experience and necessity having honed his abilities over the last few years. The input came rushing in to his mind.
The sound of the wind high up in the trees, the rustling of branches as a pair of squirrels chased each other around playfully. A nest of birds farther off, the call of one mate to the other. He heard the sound of a rushing river off to the left, and footsteps. Human, several of them, and the bustling sounds of an encampment. Probably some local hikers or something.
And underneath it all, just at the edge of hearing, the low hum of magic. A ward of some kind.
His eyes snapped open and he focused his senses on the direction the sound came from. Just ahead and crossing over the roadway. He reached out his left hand, stepping forward a few more paces to where his senses told him the ward was located.
He heard the soft footfalls of Karrin coming up to his side, just behind him so as to not interfere with his workings. The sound of Velcro as she released the strap on her shoulder rig, pulling free the Sig Sauer she favored in a firefight, her senses on alert.
"Harry? What is it?" her voice was low, calm. Controlled.
"A ward, or barrier spell of some sort." he replied, furrowing his brow in concentration. He moved his hand forward just another couple inches until he made contact. The sensation of an electrical charge like one would experience picking up a live wire shot through him and he pulled back with a hiss of pain. "A mean, nasty ass kicking one at that."
"Humph. I guess we are in the right place after all." she replied mildly. "Can you break through it?"
"On my own humble, yet majestically masculine wizardly might? "He responded with a shrug. "Probably not. At least not without draining a good portion of my reserves. Which I don't want to do until we know what we are up against here. I'm not familiar with this type of warding."
"So we hold back on the majestically masculine wizardly might until we find out who is behind these disruptions that have Mab's panties in a twist." Karrin acknowledged with a slow sigh.
"Too true, Tonto. But luckily my new job has some really nifty fringe benefits."
Harry held out his hand toward the ward again, reaching down inside himself and calling up Winter.
A cold fire seemed to flow outward from his center, infusing his magic, his body with the icy strength that was the mantle of the Winter Knight. Both of their breaths turned into frosty mist as the air around them cooled and Harry whispered "Infrigga."
Icy webbing crackled forth from his outstretched fingers and attached itself to the magical energies of the warding. It began spreading out like watching a nature film in time lapse slow motion until the patterns of ice disappeared into the tree lines on either side of the road and shot upward out of sight.
"Jesus, Mary and Joseph." Karrin breathed, craning her neck to look around, her eyes wide as she crossed herself. "That's..."
"One helluva a barrier spell." Harry finished breathlessly. "It must run for miles, I can still feel the ice spreading out."
He pulled his magic back carefully, the icy pattern fading until only a section the size of a garage door remained in front of the two of them. He bit his lip, thinking. Whatever this was, whatever lay behind this barrier, someone with some powerful juju didn't want the rest of the world knowing it was there.
"What now?" Murphy asked him, her eyes watching his thoughts play across his face as worry creased her brow.
"Now we take a little peek and see if we can see what's behind door number 3."
Harry shifted his grip on his wizard's staff, releasing a bit of his will into the foculi and tapped into the power imbedded into the carved runes that covered the oak surface. They began to glow softly with a pale icy blue light.
He passed the staff slowly across the barrier's surface in front of them, tracing out the shape of a large window pane and breathed "Perspicatum."
The icy field shimmered briefly then cleared, forming a clear window that seemed to appear in the middle of thin air. Harry shifted to the side so that Murphy could stand up on tip toes and look with him through the glassy surface to the world beyond the barrier.
Everything on the other side of the glass appeared the same. Just an old two lane highway running down through a forested area, trees on either side, a bend in the road visible up ahead. Only one thing was different.
A large sign stood on the right hand side of the road, wood carved and painted with a scenic picture of an all American little town one would find anywhere scattered across the country. Large white painted letters proclaimed "Welcome to Storybrooke."
They both pulled back perplexed and glanced over to their right side of the road and up ahead. No sign. Just forest. Nothing.
"Hmmm. Okay." Karrin sniffed. "Well, that's a new one."
"Storybrooke?" Harry snorted in disbelief. "What and where the hell is Storybrooke? Sounds like something out of a Stephen King novel. Are you sure there weren't any towns listed on that sat map?"
"Yes Harry. For the umpteenth time, there is no town showing on the latest satellite images." Karrin repeated. "I would pull out my IPhone and show you, but you would just blow the damn thing up again, and I think the guys at the Apple store are starting to get suspicious of my constantly having to replace my 'defective' phone."
Harry rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, it appears we have a conundrum Watson."
"Do tell, Holmes. Is this some sort of portal into the Never never or something?" she sounded less than enthused at the idea.
Harry shook his head, running his hand once more over the barrier spell, probing it cautiously this time. "No, I don't think it is. This isn't fairy magic, and I don't think its White Council work either. Or vampire work. I've never encountered this type of magic before."
They stood back pondering for a second until Karrin let out a slow tense sigh.
"Alright Gandalf, this is your party." she murmured softly. "What's your brilliant master plan for this one?"
Harry glanced down at her, a slow smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, his eyes starting to glow with the icy blue of the Winter mantle.
"Why we huff, and we puff, and we blowwwwww their house down."
Epilogue:
Rumpelstiltskin looked up from an old tome he was perusing on the counter of his place of business, Mr. Gold's pawn shop. He sniffed at the air for a moment, his brow furrowing as he slowly closed the book and stepped around the counter towards his doorway, as if listening for the approach of a customer.
A sudden icy wind sent the door of the shop flying open, the little bell above the door ringing its plaintive alarm at the intrusion. Rumple leaned on his cane, the passing wind rustling the silky lengths of his hair. He stood there a moment, his gaze becoming cloudy as he seemed to be looking at something far off in the distance. After a moment the wind died down to nothingness, and a corner of his lean, angular face seemed to twitch into a grim smile.
"So," he murmured aloud to himself. "It appears that Mab has decided to enter the game at last."
Chapter Two:
"The latest encounter happened just about...here. Northwest of our encampment."
Robin Hood shifted the strap of the crossbow he had taken to carrying here in the New Realm farther back onto his shoulder and reached down to point at a location on the large map that was spread out across the counter of Granny's diner.
Prince David frowned as he crossed his arms over his chest, glaring down at the map as if demanding that it yield up the answers that he needed. His people, the town of Storybrooke, had been the target of seemingly random attacks of late. Attacks carried out by creatures that were not supposed to exist here in the New Realm. Creatures from the Enchanted Forest.
From home.
A hint of melancholy brushed past his mind, but he pushed it aside with steely reserve and focused his attention on the task at hand. He couldn't protect his people, his family, if he were sitting about thinking maudlin thoughts and being homesick. For better or for worse, this New Realm was home. And it was a home he would defend to his last breath.
He took up the red marker pen and made a symbol on the spot the outlaw archer had indicated. Then he ran his eyes over the other marks on the map, looking for any indication of a pattern, something that they could use to plan a better defense.
"That's just about where Zelena was holed up at the old abandoned farm house last year, wasn't it, Hook?"
He turned his attention to the third man at the counter, a tall figure dressed in his customary black leather. His stance as he leaned against the counter spoke of casual nonchalance, but David had grown to know the infamous pirate better and knew how to read his tells. Like the intensity in the man's vivid blue eyes as he gazed down at the map, and the way he absently rubbed at the dark beard stubble that covered his lower face with the back of the wicked looking steel hook that had replaced his severed left hand so long ago and become his namesake. Both signs told those that knew him well that he was far from nonchalance, and the casual indifference just his way of concealing his true feelings.
"Aye that it is." Hook replied is his lilted accent. He glanced up at the prince, one eyebrow raising in what David had come to call his questioning look. Hook had a way of expressing himself with his eyebrows that could've constituted a whole new language "What are you thinking, mate?"
David let out the breath he had been holding, waving at the map with a frustrated shrug. "I don't know. Maybe these mini portals popping open all over the place are some kind of residual effects of the spells Zelena was brewing up? This isn't exactly my area of expertise."
"Mine either, your highness." Robin Hood supplied with a consoling pat on the prince's shoulder. "But fear not, we shall find the answers we need soon enough."
"I've had it up to my mainsails with all this magical nonsense." Hook grumbled. "Just once I want to face something that can be dispatched with good steel, the way the gods intended."
An impatient sigh came from behind Hook and Robin, and Regina stood up from where she had been sitting perched (in that arrogant prim way of hers, David thought uncharitably) and rolled her eyes while brushing a silken strand of glossy black hair away from her perfect features.
"If and I do mean. IF." she interjected, speaking as if she were explaining something obvious to a couple rather slow children "we were going to encounter any aftershocks caused by my dearly departed sister, it would have happened long before now."
David tensed, his temper flaring but he forced himself to remain calm. Regina was frustrated just like the rest of them, and concerned for her son's safety he reminded himself. Arguing with her wouldn't solve anything.
He shouldn't have bothered. Because while he was counting to ten to control his own temper, Hook turned towards Regina, his jaw clenching as he applied a blatantly false smile to his face. He bowed his head towards the now dethroned queen, managing to imbue the gesture with equal parts courtly grace and mockery.
"Perhaps if her majesty has some as yet unvoiced information about these matters of an arcane nature, she would be pleased to share it with us. Though we are but poor uneducated peasantry."
Regina turned a look on him that said she considered him to be something she would have ordered a servant to scrape off the bottom of her shoe, sneering." No, her majesty does not have any such information. Because if she had, she would have shared it long ago.
She paused thoughtfully then added.
"Or simply destroyed whoever is behind this herself. Which is always more satisfying than wasting my time trying to educate ignorant pirates and peasantry?"
Hook looked like he was about to reply, when a jingle of bells at the door announced the entrance of the last member of their war council (as David had taken to think of it in his mind). David sighed in relief at the sight.
Emma Swan strode in, her long golden blonde hair billowing out around her as she hurried in, shutting the door to the diner behind her. She reached the counter and dropped her car keys and handgun down on it with a thud.
"Okay, Henry is with mom and Neal and the other town folks who aren't prepared for any sort of combat." she informed them in her cool, low contralto of a voice. She stuffed her hands into the back pockets of her jeans, a habit she had when she was feeling tense, and let out a breath she had been holding. "The dwarves and Robin's men are setting up watch and a perimeter around Regina's vault where everyone is hiding out until we get this dealt with. Any progress here?"
She swept the small group with her cool, calm gaze, sussing up the situation with a glance. David still marveled at the young woman his grown daughter had become, having missed all of her childhood because of the curse that brought them here to this strange new land and froze them in time. They hadn't aged while she had grown to adulthood. It was always so strange, being about the same biological age as your child, but he couldn't look at her without seeing that small babe he had placed in that magical wardrobe long ago, wondering if he would ever see his little girl again.
The way she held herself with grace and strength of purpose, the way she commanded attention when she entered a room. Yet, not just because she had inherited her mother's renowned beauty. Not the haughty, sculpted beauty of Regina, but the polar opposite of that same coin.
Where Regina was dark and coldly beautiful, Emma seemed to shine from a light within her, from her nearly waist length golden mane of hair to the emerald fire of the eyes she shared with her mother, the Princess Snow White. Where Regina was mysterious and alluring, Emma was frank, bold, and he even had to admit, she had her father's strong jaw and chin. Hers was a noble type of beauty, a beacon to those that she stood in defense of and protected from harm. A warrior princess. The savior.
Emma was the light of dawn, Emma was the warmth of the sun.
Emma was strength.
David felt a lump form in his throat at the emotion his daughter brought in him, the pride. Just her presence seemed to reassure him that they would indeed, prevail against whatever this unknown enemy was. Just as they had always done so far. Hope.
"Speaking of wasting time." Regina muttered, then said more loudly." Other than determining the ignorance of pirates and peasants, and waiting for you to return from herding the sheep? No, Sheriff Swan we haven't."
"Do ignore her majesty's barbs. Swan." Hook interjected, greeting Emma with a playful smile. "The lack of anything to lay waste to has her feeling a bit tense."
Emma shot back a scolding look at the pirate, but couldn't quite hide the smile that was tugging at her mouth, or the affection that she felt for him in it. He gave her a roguish wink in return and her cheeks colored slightly as she turned away.
"Mummy's back now children," Robin teased amiably, apparently trying to lighten the tense mood. "Time to play nice. Or you will be sent straight away to bed without your supper."
"Do we have all the attack sites mapped out at least?" Emma turned her attention to the map, running a finger between the red marks David had made. "Any common denominators? Patterns? Anything?"
"If there are, we haven't found them yet." David informed her, leaning over his daughter's shoulder to study the map with her. "I wish we knew how they were creating these mini portals. They seem to only open one way, and then only briefly. Could someone be testing them to see about opening a larger one?"
Emma looked up at her father and her eyes mirrored the concern she saw in his. "Maybe. Maybe large enough to bring an army through. Who would have that kind of power that is still back in the Enchanted Forest?'
"Rumor has it, no sign has been seen of King George since the second curse. He's a right ruthless bastard," Hook mused. "Would he have access to sufficient sorcerous means to create such a portal?"
"The only sorcery that old fool ever had was when he fought for me against Snow and Charming's army." Regina scoffed. "And that was only because I supplied it for him."
The pirate looked up at the queen, his face a mask of innocent inquiry." So, that would be a 'No' then, your majesty?"
Regina's lip curled up into a tight smile. "Here's an idea we haven't thought of, Hook. Why don't you run along and ask Rumpelstiltskin about it? After all, you two had become quite close when you worked together recently."
The room went quiet at the mention of the time Hook had spent as the Dark One's unwilling servant and assassin, forced to do his bidding while Rumpelstiltskin held his enchanted heart and controlled his actions. Given their mutual hatred and long standing blood feud, it was a subject most had chosen to forgo discussing. From the palatable chill in the air as the pirate turned a cold, dangerous glare upon the queen, it had been a wise choice.
Robin drew in a sharp breath and appeared torn as to what to do next, his loyalties in this matter divided. However, Emma stepped between pirate and queen, raising both hands in a disarming gesture.
"Enough, both of you." she stated flatly, daring them to challenge her. When they both remained silent she turned to Hook and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Killian." she said it in a softly scolding manner, forcing him to meet her eyes. She was the only one who consistently referred to the pirate by his given name. Not by Hook, the moniker of the ruthless pirate he had been for so long. But Killian, the man he was trying to go back to being, the man he had been before loss and revenge had sent him in a downward spiral of darkness and bloodlust. Emma had played a big role in that change. "Baiting Regina isn't helping things."
She turned to Regina before he could reply. "That was uncalled for, Regina. You know that. No one has thrown your actions while you were under the spell of Shattered Sight into your face."
Regina crossed her arms over her chest and looked away haughtily, but Emma could see her point struck home.
"Look, we are all tired, on edge, running on hardly any sleep and spinning our wheels in the mud here." Emma dropped her hands with a sigh. "We have enough to deal with from all these trolls, or ogres, or whatever the hell these things are..."
"Goblins." Robin, Regina and David all chimed in at once.
"Right. Goblins. Whatever." Emma agreed." The point is the last thing we need to do is expend energy bickering amongst..."
She stopped mid-sentence, her head whipping around to stare out the diner's windows as if hearing some far off noise. She pushed wordlessly past Regina to lean over a booth and looked down the road both ways, frowning in concern.
"Emma?" David asked, reaching out of instinct for his handgun he carried in a shoulder rig instead of his usual sword belt. Behind him he heard the rasp of steel as Hook's cutlass cleared its scabbard.
"Swan?" the pirate's concern was evident in his tone." What is it, love?"
"Magic." Regina said in an almost whisper. "It's not like any magic I've sensed before."
Robin already had the crossbow off his shoulder and was pulling a bolt out of his quiver to load as he crossed to the door of the diner, taking up a defensive position.
"Milady Sherriff? What do you see?"
Emma looked back at them, her eyes wide. "Something or someone is headed this way. And whatever it is," she gave a small shake of her head." It's powerful."
Chapter Three:
Robin Hood stepped out onto the porch of the diner just ahead of Emma, his crossbow held down against his leg as his eyes scanned the area. Emma passed him and gave him a nod, indicating she wanted him to remain there in a good firing position. She went down the steps onto the courtyard scattered with outdoor tables for patrons, and stopped just inside the gate, tilting her head and listening intently.
David came up beside his daughter, his gun tucked away under his jacket yet within easy reach "Huh. That sounds like an engine."
"A motorcycle, from the sound." Emma agreed. She glanced back at the others who were exiting the diner and coming to join them." Look, let's just play it cool. We don't know what this is so none of that 'shoot or stab first and ask questions later' action, okay?"
Everyone in the group cast a glance at the pirate, who held up his hand (still holding his cutlass) and hook with an innocent expression. "What?"
When he got no answer, just more warning looks, he sighed in exasperation and stalked over to one of the tables near the fence, leaning his cutlass against the edge and sitting in a chair. He stretched his legs out in front of himself and crossed his arms so that the jacket of his sleeve concealed most of the steel hook from view. Regina had just taken a seat (after making sure to brush any leaves and debris off the chair with a disdainful sniff) when the sound of the rumbling engine grew closer and a large Harley roadster with two passengers drove into view down the street.
"I thought Gold had a barrier spell up keeping outsiders from getting in here." David murmured.
"He does. He did." Emma furrowed her brow. "I'm pretty sure it's still up, but they must have found a way through it."
"Yeah. The question is, how?" her father replied.
Emma pushed open the gate to the little white picket fence that surrounded the diner's courtyard and stepped out on to the sidewalk. "Looks like we are about to find out."
Karrin Murphy noticed the couple exiting the gate of a small hole in the wall with the sign that proclaimed "Granny's diner" just before Harry nudged her to pull over in front of the place. She slowed, turning the bike and pulling gracefully up to the curb, killing the engine as the bike settled to a rest.
Harry swung off the back of the bike, casually placing himself between the courtyard and Murphy while she slipped her Sig into the back waistband of her jeans under the leather jacket she wore. When she dismounted, Harry started forward towards the couple who stood watching them with what appeared to be only mild interest. She gave his back a quick tap, and he stopped to turn back to her, feigning that he had forgotten to leave his helmet at the bike. She took the helmet from him, speaking softly while she removed hers and clipped them both to the handlebars.
"What do you see, Murph?' Harry murmured, looking around as if admiring the quaint little town shops.
"Aside from Captain Crossbow there on the porch, who's trying to look like he just stopped in for a drink after a turkey shoot?" Murphy gave him a look. "The GQ model at the table with the 'carefully groomed so as to look scruffy' thing going on has something hidden in his left hand. I caught a glint of metal just under the arm of his jacket. Watch your ass, Dresden."
"Got it. Good work, Minnie Mouse." He gave her a wink and turned back to the sidewalk, giving the gathering a friendly wave, ending with a small shake of his left arm that allowed the metal shield bracelet he wore to fall around his wrist. Just in case.
"Morning folks." he greeted amiably, going for the obnoxiously cheerful tourist bit and swinging for the fences." Nice little town you got here. Yep. Real quaint."
He stopped when he got close enough to give the couple a good going over. A man, broad shouldered, muscular, with the kind of do-gooder apple pie handsome face that made Harry want to bop him over the head and toss him in a dumpster, standing beside a stunner of a blonde who looked like she could be a relative. Same jaw, something in the way they carried themselves, spoke of a family resemblance.
The female was radiating some magical energy, but the guy with her seemed to be a null. One of the others present, a real looker of a brunette in a business power suit that would've looked more at home in Manhattan than this place, she simply radiated a cold dark magic. She sat watching them approach, analyzing him in return.
Something about that one reminded him of Mab. He decided not to turn his back on her. The other two appeared to the goon squad, vanilla with muscle and weapons.
The blonde stepped forward with a cool smile of greeting." Good morning. I'm Sheriff Swan."
She pulled aside the red leather jacket she wore so that he could see the gold, star shaped badge that indeed proclaimed her to be "sheriff" clipped to her belt. Credentials shown, she let the jacket fall back into place.
"Wow, a lady sheriff." Harry beamed, as if confronted with a novel event. He could almost hear Murphy grinding her teeth behind him. The blonde smiled indulgently.
"We don't get many visitors down this way, mostly people who get lost on the back roads. So I hope I don't seem rude to ask you where is it that you folks are headed. "
"Wow. Direct and to the point, isn't she Murphy?" Harry glanced at his companion who stood nearby, running a hand idly through her hair as if she didn't have a care in the world. "My name is Dresden, Harry Dresden, from Chicago. This here is Karrin Murphy."
He held out his hand in greeting, and after a moment's cautious pause, the woman shook his hand. She had a firm grip, good handshake, Harry noted. He felt just a tingle of energy from her, but sensed far greater power held in check. She met his eyes evenly, not showing any reaction, and he pulled back quickly before a soul gaze began. He didn't need one of those. He had already learned a couple things from that brief interaction.
One, this woman had some real power, but probably wasn't trained in the skills as she hadn't reacted to his touch the way another wizard would have. She also didn't know much about wizards because she had met his gaze evenly, apparently unaware of the possibility of a soul gaze. His first instinct was to trust her. But then, he had faulty instincts when it came to women. Especially good looking ones.
"A pleasure to meet you" she responded politely. "A bit out of your way here from Chicago, aren't you Mr. Dresden?"
"That I am. But duty calls." he swept his eyes over the small group in the courtyard. "Is there someplace we can speak privately, Sheriff...umm Swan was it?"
The woman considered this for a second, wariness showing in her eyes. She indicated the man on the walk with her. "This man here is my deputy, David Nolan."
Harry nodded at the man. "And the others there? Are those your posse, Sheriff?"
"This is a small town Mr. Dresden." she replied coolly, ignoring the sarcasm. "There really aren't any secrets in a small town after all. We were just in the middle of having a town meeting, and these are people that I trust."
"Still, I would prefer..." Harry started to say. The man Murphy had deemed the GQ model interrupted him, leaning over the table he sat at and giving Harry an icy glare.
"Perhaps that wasn't clear enough for you, mate." he said pointedly, his voice a rich accent that sounded to Harry to be vaguely Irish." The lady isn't going off by herself with a couple of strangers who just pulled into town. Sheriff or no."
Said 'sheriff' rolled her eyes and reached up to rub at her temple wearily, while her deputy just met Harry's gaze with a look that said very clearly 'don't try anything pal.'
Huh, what do you know? Harry thought, re-evaluating the opposition, Mr. Apple Pie here must be the protective older brother and the pikey giving off the possessive/jealous male aura a husband or boyfriend. Small towns, after all.
"You'll have to excuse us if we seem wary, Mr. Dresden." The sheriff continued." We've had a bit of trouble around town lately, and as you can imagine, we are less then trusting of strangers at this particular time."
"Ahhh. That would explain some things." Harry nodded sagely." Like why this town doesn't exist."
"I beg your pardon?"
"This town. Does not. Exist. "Harry said pointedly. "Not on GPS. Not on satellite images. And no maps showing any quaint little town by the name of Storybook, or whatever you call it."
"It's Storybrooke." the haughty looking brunette stood up and stepped up to the fence, her tone condescending." And I don't believe either Sheriff Swan, myself or any of us here for that matter have any idea of what you are talking about."
"Right. Of course not." Harry chuckled, shaking his head at her." Okay, I'll bite. What sort of trouble is it you've been having? Sudden surges of energy, people going missing? Random sightings of odd creatures? Any of this sounding familiar, sweetheart?"
The brunette stiffened a bit, anger glowing in her dark eyes. Harry sensed her gathering up her will, and readied his shielding spell in case things went south. But instead the sheriff took a step closer to him, watching his face carefully with that steady green eyed gaze.
"Who are you, mister? And I suggest you tell me the truth. I'm pretty good at knowing when someone is lying to me."
The words were delivered in that same calm voice, but there was no mistaking the underlying meaning. This little chick wasn't one to step down from a fight.
Good. Harry liked a straight up fight better than dancing around anyway. He never was big on patience, after all.
He leaned down closer as if to whisper a secret to her, within what he thought of as 'intimidation range'. His voice turned hard and even, all traces of friendly humor gone.
"I'm the magical equivalent of the Orkin man, doll. So you might want to tell your high priced girlfriend over there that she really doesn't want to release that spell she's thinking about throwing at me, or this could turn real ugly, really fast."
The deputy tensed, his hands balling into fists at his side, and the pikey at the table came to his feet with what Harry could only call a snarl of rage. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry noticed the man on the porch swing the crossbow up to aim at him.
But Murphy had seen it too, and moved into action. She stepped around Harry and had her Sig pointed at the crossbow wielder, the red dot of the laser sight she equipped the barrel with square in the center of his forehead.
Everyone froze. Maybe they had forgotten about Murphy, Harry thought with grim satisfaction.
"Lower the crossbow, please." Murphy told the man in her even, cool cop voice. "I'd hate to paint that cute little white porch with the insides of your skull."
"Your loyalty to your friend is most admirable my lady." the archer said in a distinctly English accent. "But I have mine as well. I will not allow any harm to come to my friends. And I should warn you, madam. I never miss."
"Good. Neither do I." Murphy gave him her sunniest smile." But you won't know that, because this .45 caliber round is going to be moving a lot faster than your little bolt, so you'll be dead by the time it reaches your target."
"It's all right, everyone." The sheriff called back, keeping her eyes on Harry. "Regina, back off on the hostility okay? Let's hear what the man has to say at least."
"I would listen to Miss Swan, your majesty."
The new voice came from directly behind Harry, and he looked over his shoulder. Standing in the middle of the road was a small, rather unimposing figure of a man. He had shoulder length, silky brown hair with touches of grey throughout. A lean, angular face, one you would see on an everyday man that you would pass in the street and never take notice. Except for his eyes. His eyes were narrow and sharp, piercing in an oddly unsettling way.
He wore an immaculately tailored business suit, an impeccably tasteful tie, and leaned on a cane with an ornate golden handle. He smiled at Harry placidly, just a passing well to do townie stopping to discuss the weather with his neighbors.
Yeah right, Harry thought to himself, and I'm Tinkerbell.
The power that radiated off this man almost made Harry take a step back. A strange alien power unlike any he had ever encountered. He recognized it as the source of the barrier spell he had managed to put a tear in so that he and Murphy could get past the ward. And it had taken him utilizing the power of the Winter mantle just to make that tear.
This little unassuming man was possibly the most dangerous wizard Harry had ever met.
"As entertaining as it would be to watch, I would caution you against pitting your magical skills against a Warden of the White Council." the little man continued. "A pleasure to meet you at last, Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. I must say, you do have your mother's eyes."
Chapter Four:
Harry Dresden was flummoxed.
Not at the casual insinuation of an acquaintance with his long dead mother, but by the fact this man, this wizard, knew his Name. Every syllable, every nuance pronounced perfectly. A cold pit opened up in his stomach and he pushed it down. He pulled up a dose of belligerent sarcasm to hide his discomfort at this fact.
"Why, isn't that just all kinds of flattering, you silver tongued devil you." he quipped, forcing a smile to his face." And not in the least bit cryptic either."
"You know this man Harry?" Murph asked, still keeping her gaze and gun on the archer. Harry could tell by the tone of her voice that she was still startled that this man had come up unnoticed behind her and was probably berating herself for it. Karrin had no way of knowing that there would have been nothing she could do even if she had. Time for that discussion later.
"I've never had the pleasure of meeting the warden face to face, Lt. Murphy." the little man said with a slight emphasis on her name, obviously enjoying his little game. "Oh, my apologies. It's just Ms. Murphy now isn't it? How awkward. But, you could say that names are my stock in trade. A hobby, really."
"Mr. Gold." Sheriff Swan said, and Harry caught the cold tension in the woman's voice when she addressed him. Her expression said she wasn't at all happy to see this man." I don't suppose you would be willing to shed some light on this situation would you? You seem to know something of Mr. Dresden here."
"And just who is this White Council you spoke of." the deputy added, shifting his gaze to the newcomer warily." Do they have anything to do with these attacks?"
"Well, Warden Dresden here can answer those questions better than I, your highness. But as an educated guess," the man called Gold paused thoughtfully. "I would assume that the White Council of Wizards of this realm has noticed the fluxuations in the magical fields created by these portals we have experienced. They, in turn, have sent the regional warden to investigate the cause and to resolve any issues resulting from it. Most likely, with extreme prejudice."
"Wardens? White council?" the brunette woman pushed open the gate and walked over to Mr. Gold, passing Murphy and her gun like she didn't even exist."What else haven't you told me about this realm, you little imp? Every time something like this comes up, I find out you've been hiding things from me."
"Careful, dearie." the little man replied. "Or I might stop feeling helpful. Besides, sharing all of my knowledge with you was never part of our original bargain. Perhaps, if you had something of equal value to offer?"
"Oh no, you don't. No more deals. I wouldn't trust you as far as I could kick you, after that little stint you pulled with the Snow Queen." the woman replied in an accusing tone.
Harry put his fingers to his lips and let out a long, piercing whistle. Everybody startled at the sudden noise and turned to look at him.
"Excuse me? Your highness, your majesty? The frigging Snow Queen?" he demanded. "Somebody want to tell me just what the hell is going on around here? Who are you people anyway?"
Sheriff Swan let out a deep sigh. "Yeah, well, that's going to take quite a bit of explaining. And I suggest combined with alcohol. Trust me, you'll need it."
Harry looked around at them all, juggling his options. More and more he was beginning to suspect that the Sheriff and her group weren't the ones behind the disruptions Mab sent him to investigate but seemed to be trying to figure them out for themselves.
But this wizard here, and whoever 'her majesty' was, they were another story. A spot in the center of his spine was beginning to feel itchy the more he looked at them.
"Fair enough. But I want one answer first." Harry turned back to the new comer." You know who I am, Mr. Gold. So I want to know who you really are. Your true name this time."
"Very well, warden. Back in the Council headquarters in Edinburgh, you may have heard of me referred to as 'The Dark One'." the man's grin grew wider, and he bowed with a flourish of his free hand. "But you may call me Rumpelstiltskin."
Harry blinked a couple of times, then broke into a chuckle.
"Okay. Sure. Whatever." he pointed to Murphy. "And this is my friend, Little Miss Muffett. She recently traded in her tuffet for a Harley. One of those mid-life crisis things."
Murphy shot him a glare but the rest remained quiet, stone faced. No laughter, no smiles.
He could almost hear crickets chirping in the background.
"Fine. I'll play along. In that case, who is Captain Crossbow there supposed to be?" he snorted. "Robin Hood?"
"At your service, warden." the man with the crossbow replied pleasantly. "I'd bow, but there is the small matter of the gun your lady has pointed at my head."
The laughter started to die on Harry's lips as he looked around at them all, turning at last to the sheriff. She met his gaze frankly, almost apologetically, and raised her eyebrow in an expression that seemed to say 'well, I told you so'.
"Aww shit." Harry grumbled. "I hope that drink you're offering is a strong one."
Chapter Five:
The sheriff suggested they go back into the diner where there would be cold beer and they all put away their weapons and stood down.
"Trust me if the beer ends up not being enough I happen to know that Granny hides a fifth of whiskey in the cabinet for when she's having a rough day at the diner." The sheriff told them as they passed into the gate. "David would you show them in? We'll be just a moment. Excuse me."
She said the last to Harry and Murphy then strode over to the table where the dark haired man was still standing, sheathing what appeared to be an honest to God pirate's cutlass into a scabbard he wore at his side under a long, black leather jacket much like Harry's own beloved duster.
"See Murph?" he teased, nodding towards the man as they passed. "El Dorado is all the rage these days. You're just behind on the fashion scene."
Murphy tilted her head in consideration, glancing over at the man before giving Harry a sideways look. "Hmmm. Maybe you're right. I actually hadn't noticed the coat."
"Really?" Harry frowned. "Too busy looking at that pretty boy face were we?"
Murphy shrugged, giving the man another look. "Actually, I was distracted by that mean looking steel hook he has where his left hand should be. But you have a point. He is pretty."
"Uh huh, I knew you were checking him out. Probably why you missed the approach of that last..."Harry stopped in mid stride as what she said caught up to his brain. "Wait, are you serious?"
"Yep." Murphy stopped and turned, nodding towards where the man in question and the sheriff stood together, speaking in low voices. It seemed to be a bit of an argument, during which the man's eyes, which were a startling shade of blue, turned a couple of times to the one they called Mr. Gold. The look he was giving him was anything but friendly, and the sheriff shot a nervous glance over at the little man herself.
As they watched, the man rolled his eyes in what appeared to be exasperation and gestured towards the diner with his left arm. Which, as Murphy had said, ended in a some kind of prosthetic apparatus that was holding a rather cruel looking steel hook. The sheriff sighed and laid a hand against the left side of the man's chest, looking at him with what seemed a sad smile and a shake of her head. He leaned closer and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek as she turned away then followed her up the walkway.
Harry and Murphy exchanged a glance, and Harry turned back to the sheriff as she approached with a grin.
"In fear of sounding like a star struck fan boy." he indicated the man coming up behind her, who was eyeing Harry suspiciously. "Pirate cutlass? Steel hook? So that means he's..."
"Yep." The sheriff confirmed as she walked past.
Harry turned back to the man as he passed him as well. "Seriously? You're..."
"Aye. That I am." the man confirmed, giving Murphy an appraising glance and a wink as he passed by her. Harry was startled to see Karrin actually blush, a smile tugging at her lips.
"Wow." Murphy breathed. "Did Walt ever get that one wrong."
Harry felt elated, like a little kid at Disneyland for the first time. "This is so fucking cool."
"Fanboy much?" Murphy teased.
"Are you kidding? Peter pan was my favorite story when I was a kid."
"So you're star struck by Captain Hook?"
"Yeah," Harry confirmed with a grin," I always rooted for the pirates to win."
Murphy shook her head. "You would. Ready beanpole, or shall we ask for autographs?"
"Actually Murphy, before we do there is one thing I need from the bike." Harry shrugged. "This is new ground for me. I want to make sure I get all the information."
Murphy groaned. "Oh no.."
She turned on her heel and walked back to the bike in resignation. Harry went up to the diner where Robin Hood (god that was weird to even think to yourself, Dresden) was holding open the door.
He gave Harry the slight bow of his head then inquired "Is your lady not joining us, Sir Harry?"
"She's just getting something for me. She'll be right in." he hesitated. "Seriously? A crossbow?"
Robin shrugged. "Trying to adapt to my new surroundings. You should see my, what's the term? Oh. Pickup truck."
Harry barked out a laugh. "Robin Hood goes hillbilly. They should make a TV show about that."
Chapter Six:
Inside the diner, Harry and Murphy walked over to the booth where the sheriff and her deputy were already sitting, setting out several tall cold bottles of beer. She indicated they join her with a wave of a hand.
The man who claimed to be Rumpelstiltskin had taken a seat at the counter on one of those old fashioned diner stools, his cane propped beside him and a cup of coffee at his elbow. He was watching the others the way a cat would watch mice, Harry noticed uncomfortably.
The woman who they referred to as alternately 'Regina' or 'her majesty' sat at a two seat table across from the booth the others sat at, her legs crossed primly and leaning back with an imperious gaze as she watched him enter. Robin Hood took a chair across from her at the table, and accepted the beer the sheriff handed to him with a murmured thanks and a bow of his head. Hook had taken the booth behind the sheriff, leaning back against the window with an air of casual wariness and his legs crossed out on the seat in front of him, his hook tapping occasionally on the leather padding. Harry noticed that the pirate and the wizard seemed determined to take no note of each other.
Harry and Murphy pointedly dropped down into the booth directly across from each other where they could watch each other's backs, Murphy setting the small black duffel bag down on the table with a soft thump.
The sheriff eyed the bag coolly. "What's that?"
"That is my research equipment. "Harry explained. "I have a feeling I'm going to be covering some new ground on this little field trip. Wanted to have any information I can get to help."
"Some kind of laptop?" The blonde frowned, looking at the oddly shaped lump in the bag.
"Nope."
She raised a quizzical eyebrow at Harry, but Murphy spoke up.
"Trust me, it's not a computer. And we should probably warn you to move away from Harry if you need to use anything vaguely electronic. He can fry a cell phone at 20 paces."
"Excuse me?'
"Wizards, like myself, we don't get along to well with modern technology." Harry explained. "I start throwing any magic around and everything with a microchip is toast. Pretty much anything built after World War II ends up malfunctioning around me."
"Ahh. I see." the sheriff frowned a bit. "That might explain some things."
"Let me guess, you start using your magic and the toaster goes nuts?" Harry inquired.
The woman looked a bit paler. "My magic? Wait, how did you know...?"
"Hello, wizard here." Harry waved his fingers in the air demonstratively. "Wizened one and all that, keeper of mystic knowledge, wearer of funny robes..."
Her brow furrowed more. "But how come Gold here can..." she mimicked Harry's hand movements. "And he has modern technology."
"My magic is born of another realm, Miss Swan. "The one called Gold interjected. "And from a different source as the warden's. Not all magic is the same."
"And that's why I brought in my research assistant." Harry reached into the bag, and removed a bleached white skull that was covered in runes and sigils. He placed it in the middle of the table and rapped it lightly with his knuckles. "Bob. Wake up."
The skull shivered slightly and then the eye sockets filled with an orange glow. "Harry? Are we there yet?" a cultured voice came from within the skull.
The sheriff and her deputy both seemed to flatten themselves back against their seats, wide eyed and staring. The pirate leapt out of the booth, reaching for his sword.
"Bloody hell! What devilry is this?" Hook demanded.
"What he said." the sheriff agreed, looking between the skull and Harry, eyes wide.
The skull bounced itself several times as it turned around to survey the room and its occupants. His orange eyes landed on Emma and his jaw hinge dropped open.
"Well, hello there! Harry, another blonde? Did you finally take my advice and start a harem?" the voice sounded disturbingly excited. "Tell me gorgeous, did it hurt when you fell from heaven? Because you must be an angel!"
"It talks." Hook murmured in amazement.
"Unfortunately." Murphy grumbled, reaching over with the butt of her handgun to rap the skull lightly on the top of its...well, skull." Bob, be civil."
"Ah Miss Murphy." Bob exclaimed, seeming to back away from her a bit." Heh, heh, I was only joking about the whole harem comment there..."
"An intellect spirit, trapped inside an enchanted vessel." the woman called Regina purred, looking at the skull with a bit more attention then made Harry comfortable. She was eyeing Bob in a rather greedy fashion. "Interesting."
Hook pointed at the skull, looking no more relieved at the explanation. "Spirit? There's a ghost within that relic?"
"One that uses bad pick-up lines?" Emma added.
"SPIRIT." Regina said slowly, rolling her eyes. "Not a ghost. The two are completely different. Not that either of you would know that, given that Emma doesn't bother to spend time learning about her magic when she has you around to..."
"Okay, spirit then. "Emma cut her off quickly. "It's a talking skull."
"He." Bob corrected, managing to make the pronoun come out as an innuendo. "I am most definitely a he. Say, if I told you that you had an amazing body, would you hold it against me?"
"If one were to kill a spirit, would it then be considered a ghost?" Hook asked, his tone turning dark.
"Not a ghost really. A ghost is the remaining energy from a being that has died. I am not alive, so to speak. At least not in the way that you mortals understand the word." Bob explained, turning himself once more towards the pirate and seeming not to notice the implied threat. "I am from Faerie, an intellect spirit as the babe with the amazing legs just pointed out."
The skull went silent for a moment as its jaw seemed to gape open then said. "I say, a pirate cutlass? A steel hook? Look Harry, its Captain Hook!" then more thoughtfully." Oh boy did Walt ever get that one wrong! He's almost Thomas pretty."
"Bob, if you're done ogling, these folks were about to explain to us who they are and why they are here in our world." Harry explained patiently. "I want you to help me remember all of this and understand what's happening so we can figure out what's causing those disturbances. You remember those? The ones we traveled all the way from Chicago to deal with?"
"Do go ahead then I'm all ears." the skull replied, chuckling at its own humor. "Figuratively, of course. But it is all rather obvious what has happened here."
"It is?" Emma asked, her brows shooting up in disbelief.
"Oh yes. Quite. This area that we are in, which I belief to be behind a rather impressive barrier spell, was created with one of the old dark curses, and you all were somehow transported here with it. From Mist haven, are we then? Or do they still refer to it as the Enchanted Forest?"
"Quite impressive," the man called Gold said from his seat at the counter." Bob was it? Is that the name you are going by these days?"
Bob seemed to start at the sound of the voice, and the skull turned slowly towards where the man sat, to the back of Robin Hood. His orange eye lights seemed to glow bigger for just a moment.
"Oh, my stars... greetings O Dark One." Bob sounded alarmingly nervous." I didn't see you there. Harry, you didn't tell me that Rumpelstiltskin was here...or did you not know? I mean, who he is?"
"I knew who he said he was." Harry replied slowly, a bit more disturbed now seeing Bob's reaction. "That's one of the reasons I brought you inside with me, for verification purposes."
"Harry..." Bob said in a warning tone, his voice high and nervous. "We mustn't insult the Dark One by questioning his honesty. Do forgive Harry, your fiendishness. He can be quite dense but it really isn't his fault. Bad upbringing, and all that. I've been trying to educate him, but you see what I have to work with here don't you? ."
Hook gave a disgusted snort. "Oh no, by all means do question his honesty. That creature has no honor."
"I'm sorry, did I hear something?" Rumple asked the room, looking right past Hook without seeming to notice him." I could have sworn I heard a 'ghost' talking."
The man called David stood up abruptly, putting a hand on the pirate's shoulder while placing himself between the two men. "Hook, Gold. Drop it, we have more pressing concerns."
"Well I'm getting the feeling there's a lot here I should know about." Harry took a sip of his beer, giving the sheriff a quizzical glance when she turned back from watching the pirate with a look of concern on her face.
"That's a very old blood feud Harry. Really, you should spend less time killing vampires and more time studying your classics." Bob scolded. "I'll tell you the whole tale later, but it would be best for all of us if we didn't bring up old grievances such as that. I for one do not wish to be in the middle of such a thing, and end up buried in the rubble of a place that looks like it served as a set for Leave it to Beaver."
"So to recap what we know so far, according to the magical talking skull. We just need to keep Captain Hook and Rumpelstiltskin from trying to kill each other and destroying the rest of the 1950s era diner sitting in the center of the town that doesn't actually exist, so that we can then find out what is going on that is creating disruptions in the fields that separate the different realms of reality and hopefully not have to battle some super demon or fairy tale demi god." Murphy mused aloud, holding up her beer bottle to examine it through the light of the diner window in contemplation. "Is that in the ballpark?"
"You gonna be okay with this Murph?" Harry asked, nudging her with an elbow. "I mean, so far this ranks pretty high on the weirdo scale, even for me."
Murphy gave a shrug, took a swallow of beer and shook her head. "Naw. What the hell. I'm good."
Harry gave her a pat on the shoulder. "That's my girl!"
Chapter seven:
"So wait a second." Harry interrupted later in the conversation as the whole tale was told to them, pointing between Emma and David "You're her dad? And you are actually the Prince Charming?"
David rolled his eyes and sighed. "My name is Prince David. Charming is just a nick name that my wife started calling me after we met. And it stuck, much to my chagrin."
"Your wife being Snow White, after she stole your ring and hit you in the head with a rock." Harry's grin grew wider. "That part somehow didn't make it into the fairytale we know in this realm. But it's much more entertaining."
A snicker came from the booth behind them and the prince sent a scathing look at the pirate.
"Oh shut up, everyone knows Emma hit you in the face with that magic compass." David groused.
"Like mother like daughter." Hook chuckled, seeming to be amused at the memory.
"Snow White started calling him Charming after he caught her in a net trap in a tree." Murphy gave Harry a sour look. "Seriously? I'm not even a wizard and I'm keeping up. Get your head in the game Dresden. Emma there is their daughter but they look the same age because of the curse that kept them all from aging."
"I must say, you are handling all this rather well, Ms. Murphy" Regina observed.
"Oh you know, fight a few automatic rifle wielding ghouls, or kill a faerie tree monster with a chain saw in a Walmart garden center and I suppose you get a bit jaded. "Harry chuckled fondly. "Right Murph?"
They tapped the necks of their beer bottles together in salute and took a drink.
"Then a goblin invasion should be right up your alley then?" Mr. Gold observed and finished off his coffee. "It seems the town is in good hands. Warden Dresden, if you should have any further questions for me, Miss Swan can show you where to find me. Good day. "
He left without another word to any of the others in the diner, strolling casually out into the street. The diner stayed silent until he had gone from sight.
"Harry?" Bob spoke up. "Whatever you do, do not under any circumstances let him talk you into any sort of a deal or arrangement."
"Yeah, just like the Sidhe. I got that vibe Bob. Don't sweat it. I take it you two have met?" Harry responded.
"Long, long ago in Faerie." Bob said quietly." Not a pleasant memory. Do you think 'she' knows of his presence?"
"She?" Emma asked the skull, her eyes flicking up to Harry. "Which she?"
Harry studied her for a moment, rubbing his jaw as he considered how much he wanted to tell them all. He glanced at Murphy who gave him her 'up to you Dresden' shrug.
"Mab." he replied simply.
"Mab?" Regina leaned over the table towards him, face incredulous." As in, the Mab? The Queen of Air and Darkness?"
"Yeah, there was a couple things I might have failed to mention around Rumpelstiltskin there." Harry gave her a dazzling smile.
"Really?" Regina snorted most indelicately. "Like somehow Mab is involved in this? We have wild fae and goblins running amok here where they shouldn't even be able to get to, and oh by the way Mab just might possibly be involved? Anything else we should know, Wizard Dresden?"
"Mab?" Emma repeated, blinking slowly. "As in Spencer's Fairy Queens? That Mab? She's real too?"
"Oh yes." Regina laughed without humor. "And she can make my mother look like Doris Day."
"Quite real love." Hook moved to slide into the booth beside Emma. "And not a lass to be trifled with either as her majesty just explained."
Emma looked at her beer, her face a bit shell-shocked. "I need something stronger."
Hook reached into his jacket and pulled out a flask. She took it without looking, popped out the cork and took a long draught, then coughed several times while handing it back.
"Thanks. That helps. "She said, her voice a bit scratchy from the burn of the liquor.
"At your service, as always." the pirate replied politely, then handed the flask across the table to the prince, who took a drink as well, then offered it to Harry.
"Let me use my wizardly vision and insight here and take a guess." Harry considered the flask. "Rum?"
He took a swig then coughed at the burn, narrowing his eyes at the pirate's look of amusement." What, do you clean your pirate ship with this stuff?"
Murphy grabbed the flask and took a sip before passing it to Robin Hood. "Wuss."
"Just for the record, if Count Dracula shows up?" Emma said to the room in general. "Stick a fork in me, I'm done."
"Nahhh... he never leaves Romania anymore. "Harry waved a hand dismissively. "He's got all his little Black Court cronies to do his dirty work. He's too busy keeping up with the politics of the Accords."
The sheriff made a sound between a giggle and a whimper and dropped her head into her hands. "Oh thanks, I feel much better."