Avalon, walked into the forensics lab of the Smithsonian Institute and looked around and smiled when she saw her friend Angela, and waved.
Angela, came over to Avalon and gave her one of her hugs. "How are you doing sweetie?"
Avalon, gave Angela a kiss on the cheek as they broke the hug and smiled. "I'm doing great, how are you doing?"
"I'm doing great." Angela, looked at her friend and wondered what she was doing there. "Not that I'm complaining-but is there a reason you're here?"
Doctor Brennen, saw Avalon come in and dropped what she was doing and started over to greet the so called psychic. Even though she thought that Avalon was a bit on the crazy side, she liked the woman. There was something about her- Well she was just so damn nice you couldn't help but like her. When she heard, Angela's, question she couldn't help herself. "Wait, I know. Our victim called out to you because he has some unfinished business." Doctor Brennen said with air quotes and a smirk.
Avalon, smiled and shook her head. She looked over Doctor Brennen's shoulder towards the platform, at the table. Thankfully the body was still in the body bag. Avalon, looked Doctor Brennen in the eyes, "No, he already moved on." She looked around the room trying to guess at what brought her here. Except for the feeling she had. "I'm here because…." She shook her head, "something told me I needed to be here."
Fifteen minutes later
Dresden, stepped out of the Way and into what looked like a museum. He looked around and saw a plaque and shook his head at what it read; 'This display was dedicated to the Smithsonian by The White Foundation.' If he wasn't so pissed off right now he would laugh. Only the White Council would hide artifacts in plain sight, in the most prestigious museum in the world.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the pendent Mab gave him to track down creature that killed one of her favorite toys and someone that he had been getting close to. He opened his hand and blew on the highly polished bronze surface and a dark blue arrow appeared above it and pointed to his left. He started walking till he came to a glass door, when he stepped through it he saw five scientists standing on a platform and surrounding a desiccated body. He blew on the pendent again and the blue arrow flew outward and struck the creature; dissipating its vial. What stood there was the creature he was looking for.
The creature stood six foot tall had a prehensile tail, covered in black fur, panther like features and razor sharp claws. Harry, sighed, he knew the shapeshifter wouldn't come with him without a fight. Who would want to face Queen Mab's justice, you would have to be really be freaking crazy and a real masochist; which isn't saying much for the leanansidhe, seeing as they are all crazy and smart, some more so. Harry, chuckled, because some where just plain crazy and some crazy smart. Who was he kidding, they are all crazy, smart masochist.
Harry slammed the end of his staff onto the floor, sending a loud boom throughout the lab. All the scientists and the creature stopped and looked his way. He lifted his hand and shook his finger at the creature and said, "Bad kitty." He wanted to give the scientists a chance to get to safety so he raised his staff and swept it from left to right sending the shapeshifter into the wall. The scientists ran off the platform, so he stalked toward the creature that was just getting up from the floor. "You have been a very bad fairy, Queen Mab, wants to have a very stern talk with you."
The shifter spat on the floor and growled, "We all know what talking to the Queen means Wizard." The shifter crouched and faced Harry, "I would rather die than be tortured by that bitch."
Harry chuckled at that, "I thought that would be your answer."
He watched the shifter prowl along the wall, and shift into another form this time one of a Gryphon. "One of us is going to die, and it won't be me Knight."
Harry shrugged, "I don't blame you, hell bells I'm her knight and I've seen what she does to those she is displeased with." Harry was watching the shifter and was ready for it when it leapt at him, he shook the bracelet on his wrist activating his shield. When the shifter hit it, it was with all its considerable wait and it tried to dig into it with its claws and hit it several times with stinger on its tail. The shifter was putting the strength of shield to the test, so he grabbed his staff at the end and swung it like a baseball, sending the shifter flying across the room and over the platform. He walked around the platform and took out his wand. He had to end this fast, he knew he couldn't keep this fight going for long. As he rounded the platform, he was being cautious with his staff ready for the attack.
When he came around the corner he had to bring up his staff to block an overhead double fist slam, it brought him to his knees. His staff withheld the impact. That's when he got a good look at the new form, it looked like a giant gorilla covered in scales instead of hair. Thanks to the Winter Knights mantle he able to not only stop the impact but also push the shifters clasped hands up and knock it and him off balance. The shifter recovered faster and swiped at Harry, with its left hand. Harry, tried to avoid it and was hit in the shoulder, making him stumble, drop to his knees. On instinct he rolled, but his leg was clipped by a scaly fist, sending pain shooting up his leg. When he landed on his back he brought his shield up. He felt the impact on the shield, even though the shield is strong he can feel the impact down to his bones. He used his staff to help him to his feet. He brought his staff up and grasped it like a baseball bat. He adjusted his stance brought is staff up over his shoulder, pointed to the far wall and swung. He dropped the shield just before the staff struck it, hitting the shifter. The shifter went flying across the lab and hit the far wall.
The shifter clung to the wall and shifted again. Its skin turned to leather, its finger started to elongate and harden into razor sharp claws. Large leather wings grew out of its back. It launched itself off the wall towards Harry, using its wings to gain speed. Harry thrust out his right hand and yelled 'vis globus'. A ball of crackling power flies through the air and hits the shifter in the head, causing it to tumble through the air, when it hits the ground it slides across the floor. When the creature came to a stop, it shifted again. This time it took longer to shift and it was having trouble when it went to stand. Harry walked up to it, lifted his staff over his head and brought it down on the shifters head with a loud crack.
The shifter slumped to the floor, then slowly reverted back to its original form. A large albino creature that had no discernable face; no mouth, just holes where the nose should be and two black eyes. Harry reached down to see if the shifter was still alive, sighed and shook his head when he found that it was. "You are so going to wish you had died in combat my friend." He stood and grabbed it by its wrist and began pulling it towards the door. "I know I wish you had died, I don't wish Queen Mab's wrath on anyone, not even rogues like you." Harry said to no one in particular.
Doctor Brennan, was sitting on the floor, her arms hugging her knees, rocking back and forth, muttering unintelligibly. Her logical mind warring with what she saw, unable to deny it but also unable to accept it. Her logical mind saying that scientifically it was impossible. 'Maybe we were dosed with some kind of hallucinogenic, that's it.' She shook her head, 'no the alarms would have gone off if that was the case.' She thought to herself. She couldn't deny what she saw, yet she couldn't accept it. Magic wasn't real, it is impossible for flesh and blood creatures to change shape, especially that fast and often. Yet she saw it with her own eyes. She felt like she was going crazy.
She felt a familiar hand on her shoulder, she turned latched onto Booth. When she felt his arms wrap around her she felt safe and grounded, yet her mind was still warring with itself. If, if what she saw was real. Everything she scoffed at was real, wasn't it? She heard that man mention Queen Mab, a mythological being from Celtic history. If she was real, what about the rest? What about God? Even though she felt grounded his Booths arms, she still felt like her mind was spiraling. She still felt like she was losing her grasp on reality. She wanted to wail, scream, cry and laugh all at once.
Four Years Later.
Bones was sitting at her desk in her office at the John Cabot University in Rome, grading exams. She sat back, looked out the window at the Roman skyline. Five years ago she would have scoffed at the mention of religion and laughed if she was told she would not only get a doctorate in comparative religion, but also teach it. But that was before the incident; as everyone who was there called it.
Now, if she wasn't with her family, she was teaching, writing a novel, or writing for several scientific or religious journals, or in the Vatican archives doing research. Every now and again she would consult with the local forensic labs on cases that stymied them.
Did she miss her old life? Sure. But after the incident, she couldn't go back, even if she wanted to. It was the place that changed her; the place where she almost had a mental breakdown after seeing…..She didn't like thinking about it.
She picked up the exams and took them to her T.A.'s office and told him to post the scores. She got her coat and headed out. Booth once told her that she was smiling more since moving to Italy, why shouldn't she. She has a loving, supportive husband, and three beautiful children that she loved very much. Tonight was a special night, it was date night and she couldn't wait.