Title: Family Reunion 1/3
Author: ShadoutCarver
Rating: Some iffy language, violence
Book or TV verse: TV verse with a nod to book
Disclaimer: Dresden Files belongs to Jim Butcher and Scifi Channel
Summary: Some Morningways have survived.
For the first time ever I am posting part one before I have finished part 3. I will be going to Shoreleave 29 tomorow. I will have my computer and internet access there, but I'm not sure when I will be posting part 2 (or finishing part 3)
So until then I hope y'all enjoy:
(and if you find yourself at Shoreleave in Hunt Valley, MD, stop by the dealer's room security table from 7pm-midnight ask for 'carver' and say 'howdy')
Part I
The twins were like any other set of twins to the rest of the world. No one could tell them apart, not really. Their parents thought they could, but they couldn't, not really. The twins never bothered to correct anyone. They never dressed alike, or impersonated each other. They didn't have to.
They did not have their own language, did not share an empathetic rapport. They shared their minds. At all times. A fact they kept from everyone. The presence of Third, someone they had known since early childhood, was also a secret from the world. Third wasn't First, wasn't Second, but both. Not a hive mind, not a collective consciousness, Third was something different.
Then they hit puberty.
Power flooded their bodies. Magical power. They had a difficult time at first. The energies would leak and strike out randomly in all directions. Third was the first to learn to harness and control the power. Typical teens newly empowered by magic learned either mind control first, or veils to disappear before they learned anything else. Not the Thompson twins they learned what they had been yearning for all their lives -- to look different.
They practiced quite often. They enjoyed looking like their friends, strangers or even changing their appearance to suit their imaginations. After several months they could each change their looks with subtlety and skill. All with the help and fine control of Third. They were games of innocence.
Then their parents died. A car accident ended all their lives, that day.
They had always known they were adopted. When the social workers came to take them to a foster home, they asked to find their original parents. Pitying looks were their only answers. The foster home was a good place, they were not unwelcome or mistreated – but they did not want to stay. It was easy for the twins to escape unnoticed, since no one saw the Thompson twins, just two old men. They set out on a quest to find their birth family. They had only one name: Morningway. They knew a city. The city they had been born in: Chicago.
- - - - - -
Detective Sid Kirmani could not, would not believe, that his partner could ever be assaulted. Yet, here he was in the outside her house. Lt Connie Murphy of the Chicago Police Department had been assaulted in her own home. She had just been regaining consciousness when he pulled up in response to the cell phone call she had initiated when first attacked. Dresden. It had been Harry Dresden, she said.
She was in shock. Yet she would not change her story: Dresden had approached her as she was leaving home. He had begun to rant something about his Uncle, then he had slammed her against her own door. Using magical force he had then barged his way inside her house and thrown her to the floor. He had been such a frightening incarnation straight out of her nightmares that she had been temporarily paralyzed. Only when he ripped open her blouse did she fight back. Kirmani marveled that Dresden still lived.
- - - - - -
Harry Dresden was very much alive. He was in shock as well. An envelope had been slipped under his door. In it were photos. They froze his blood. The first photograph showed him in the midst of nearly raping Murphy in her own living room. The one that frightened him to the core was of him holding hands with Anna Murphy, Connie's daughter, outside the zoo. He had never met Anna – only seen framed photographs of her on Murphy's desk. He had certainly never assaulted Murph. He would rather die than harm her.
And yet. He looked at the photos and the note that had come with it.
"If you run they will die. If she finds out the truth they will die. Confess or they will die." Confess to what? Assaulting Murphy?
He was still trying to figure out what was going on when Detective Kirmani barged his way into Dresden's apartment. The Detective looked decidedly unhappy.
"Kirmani, wait!" Dresden had his hands up defensively.
Kirmani drove his fist into Dresden, just below the ribcage. Dresden gasped and crumpled.
"Shut up. Harry Dresden you are under arrest for assaulting a police officer. Get up. Turn around, hands behind your back. You have the right to remain silent"
"Kirmani"
"Get up. Turn around, Dresden, I mean it." Kirmani had his pistol out now, pointed at Dresden.
"Go ahead, you know, pull some wizard crap, make my day."
"I didn't do it, Kirmani, I swear."
Kirmani snorted. "Tell that to Murphy.". The pistol remained pointed at Dresden's face.
Dresden was still on his knees. He held his arms out in surrender, his hands up then called the gun to him. Kirmani paled as his weapon was ripped from his grip. He felt himself being pushed back, until the back of his knees hit the couch and he was forced to sit. An unseen elephant seemed to be sitting on him, making it impossible to get up. He saw the hockey stick fly through the air into Dresden's hands, and felt, for the first time, a deep superstitious fear of the man who called himself a wizard.
"I don't know what time Murph was attacked, Kirmani, but I have been here since noon yesterday. I didn't know anything until an hour ago, when this was slipped under my door" Dresden handed him an envelope. Kirmani looked at the photographs inside, and the note.
"You had someone there shooting photographs?" he asked Dresden, disgust in voice.
"No." Dresden replied as he took the envelope and its contents back from the detective. That isn't me. I don't know what is going on. I need you to find out."
Kirmani eyed the wizard angrily. "Why should I help you. After all Murphy has done for you, you try to rape her and threaten her daughter?"
Dresden paled.
"Because I didn't. Because whoever did this might still be a threat to her, and her daughter." Dresden's voice grew louder with each word, fear evident. Kirmani flinched.
Harry took a deep breath and leaned his hockey stick against a wall. He walked over to where Kirmani was sitting, reversed his grip on the pistol and handed it back to Kirmani..
"I need you to find out what is going on, because I am not going to be able to do that from jail. I will confess if I have to in order to prove to you I didn't do it. I'll stay in prison the rest of my life if that is what it takes to protect Murphy and her daughter."
Kirmani, finally able to stand, took his weapon back and pulled out his cuffs. Dresden turned around and relaxed his arms beside him. Kirmani cuffed him. Dresden turned back around and briefly looked Kirmani in the eyes.
"Please, detective. I am not afraid to take the blame for this, even if it means Murphy believes it but someone needs to find out who is behind it and stop them before they hurt Murphy or Anna."
Kirmani believed him now, Dresden would never be taken into custody against his will. He had resisted it only to make his point. Kirmani picked up the envelope and its contents.
"All right Dresden, say I believe you. This is your spooky stuff. How do I find the truth without hiring .. well...you?" He heard Dresden chuckle softly and saw him look at the grisly skull he kept on his desk.
"Bob, have you been paying attention? Come on out, I want you to meet someone."
Kirmani jumped as smoke began pouring out of the skull and solidified into a man.
"Kirmani," Dresden said, "meet Bob. He's my associate. Unfortunately, he is a ghost. He'll be able to help you only with information. He can be your guide into this 'spooky stuff' as you put it."
Bob began to object to...everything.
"I'm sorry, Bob" Dresden told him. "If this doesn't get cleared up you know Elaine will welcome you, we talked about this."
"Harry, no this isn't the way to.."
"Work with Detective Kirmani, Bob. Do I have to make this a command?"
Bob sighed. "No Harry, I am only concerned..."
"I know." Dresden said, turning toward the door.
"Come on, Dresden, lets go." Kirmani looked back at the ghost. "Stay here, I'll be back."
Bob rolled his eyes "My prayers are answered."
Kirmani looked annoyed and Dresden chuckled.
"He can be a little cranky." he informed Kirmani, who just shook his head.
What am I getting into?