Title: Night Charger of Benington
Author: ShadoutCarver
Book or TV verse: TV verse
Disclaimer: Dresden Files belongs to Jim Butcher and Scifi Channel
Summary: Finding pets can be lucrative

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She wanted me to find her lost dog. Well, rent was due so I said yes. Bob certainly had fun with my new case. I sat in the lab with bits of hair from the last time "Night Charger of Benington" aka "Oobiekins" had been clipped.

"You're going to hunt down a Yorkshire Terrier in Chicago?" Bob asked, barely suppressing a laugh. "his name is bigger than he is."

"Yeah , yeah Bob, laugh it up. It's my usual fee plus a two thousand dollar reward if I find him."

That silenced him. He still wanted to laugh, but at least he was suppressing that quietly.

One tracking spell later, a short ride in the jeep, a little rummaging through garbage cans behind a Cuban/Chinese Restaurant and voila! I found one lost and very small dog. I plopped oobiekins into my jacket pocket and headed home.

I returned to my apartment; put Oobiekins on the floor with a bowl of water and some kibble his owner had left me. I tried to call her but she was not in so I left a message and went into the lab.

"Success, Bob"

Bob emerged from his skull amidst a dramatic whirl of smoke and lights.

"You couldn't stretch it out a few days, Harry and get a bigger fee?"

"Bob."

He sighed.

The phone rang. I went into the office to answer it. It was Murphy, she had a case.

I took the dog into the lab

"Bob, meet Night Charger of Benington. Oobiekins, meet Bob"

Oobiekins was less than thrilled. He started barking the moment he saw Bob. He jumped up and down, his silky fur flopping and his ridiculous red bow bobbing back and forth.

Bob look less than thrilled himself. "Dresden, please, don't"

"Come on, Bob, I don't want to have to find him again."

I left a dubious Bob eyeing the small yapping beast and closed the door to the lab as I left.

- - - - -

I didn't get back from the police station until after 2 am. The case had almost eaten me alive.

Well, ok, the black court vampire hopped up on third-eye had almost eaten me alive; so had Murphy, figuratively speaking. She really didn't like face to face encounters with the supernatural. Especially when they tried to bite her neck.

I dragged myself into the office. I barely had the energy to reset the wards before I collapsed into the sofa. The sound of muffled yapping kept me from relaxing too much.

"HARRY!" Bob emerged from the wall beside the sofa. The dog still yapping behind him in the lab.

"Will you please calm this evil beast."

I looked at Bob, a bit bemused.

"I'm sure she'll call in the morning, Bob, then he'll be gone."

The yapping continued.

I was so tired I drifted off to sleep anyway.

"Harry, please..." a low, supplication.

I groaned.

"What is it Bob."

I opened one eye and looked at Bob.

A cold splash of water would not have shocked me as much as Bob's face.

"Please, Harry, what have I done? Was it something I said?" he said, pleading.

"Jesus Bob, what is it?"

He looked a bit embarrassed as well as miserable.

"I can't effect anything around me, Harry. You know that." he whispered. "The dog won't stop. He hasn't stopped since you left."

"Oh Gd, Bob, I'm sorry, I didn't think."

I went into the lab and picked up the small fierce predator who had brought Hrothbert of Bainbridge low. I slipped a small amount of sleeping potion into a bit of leftover liver and fed it to him. The tiny dog was soon asleep. Silent.

Bob shut his eyes, and sighed deeply.

"Thank you" He disapeared. What on earth?

I sat with the tiny dog curled up in my lap.

After a few minutes Bob reapeared 'sitting' next to me on the couch.

"Dogs hate ghosts" he said.

"I noticed."

"I kept wolfhounds during my life" he paused. "Winifred kept a small dog."

Bob looked at the terrier. "She would have loved this one."

A few minutes of silence.

"Your grandfather knew about that. Whenever I did something to displease him he would lock me in his kennel." Bob said, looking at the floor. "Sometimes for days."

Hells bells. There is a reason I hate my mother's side of the family.

"I'm so sorry, Bob, I didn't think."

He gave a rueful laugh.

"No , Harry. I should have said something."

"No more dogs, check." I said.

We sat for a while, with me holding the unconscious Oobiekins, until I drifted off to sleep.

The knocking on the door woke me early. Bob disapeared into the lab as I got up from the couch and, holding the still sleeping dog, I answered the door.

"OOOBIEKINS! YOU FOUND HIM!" The high pitched voice of the dog's owner nearly caused me a headache.

- - - - -

My name is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, Wizard for hire.

Lost items found. Paranormal Investigations.

Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates.

No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or

Other Entertainment.

No lost pets.