Title: Come Together
Author: Terion
Disclaimer: Not. Mine.
Rating: Caution for mild language.
Book or TV verse: Book verse...sequel to Breakdown, Beautiful Day, Tread Lightly, Web Weaving, Life Refreshed, Soul Repair, Loss of Faith, Faerie Fire, Life Anew, Secrets, and My Defending Angel.
Summary:You survive how you can when the world falls apart. And you hope for something to change, to bring the world back together just a little bit. Sometimes it doesn't. But, sometimes, it does.


Three weeks.

It's been three weeks since Mom died. And Dad is still not really here.

Everyone has visited at least once to give their apologies again.

And I swear I am going to scream at the next one.

I'm tired of the apologies.

I'm tired of the pitying looks.

I'm tired of the whispers behind my back.

I'm tired of not having a father.

Next person that pisses me off is getting a fireball in the face. Fuck the Council and their damn rules.

I don't care anymore.

All I want is my dad back.

Can't I have that?

Can't I?

"Hey, Dresden!"

I slowed down and came to a halt, turning slowly to look at whoever had called out to me. The spell I wanted was already in my head and I was gathering the will to cast it before I caught myself.

"Fuck, Virg," I snarled as my only friend that actually believed in magic ran up to me. She was panting hard and just stood there trying to breathe as I glowered at her. "I was about to throw a fireball at you."

"You'd never do that, Dres," she said as she got her breath back and straightened. Shoving back long hair that was dyed in a rainbow of colors, she gave me a square look. "And, c'mon, you can't be that bad out of it. I know you've been pissed before but never enough to actually use magic in public."

I kicked at the sidewalk and spat, "I stopped giving a shit about it."

"Dres…"

"Look, Virg, just go away, okay? I don't need this right now."

"Don't need your friend?" she asked, planting herself in front of me as I tried to keep walking. "Dres, don't do this to me. C'mon, I'm the only one that doesn't call your dad crazy. Talk to me."

I glared at her and snarled, "I don't want to talk about it, Virginia."

"Damnit, don't call me that."

Virginia Wakefield, daughter of a pretty well off family but as rebellious as you could get, better known to the denizens of our high school as Virg. She was fifteen, lived with her nineteen-year-old boyfriend, had hair like a hippy's nightmare, and more piercing's than I cared to think about. Plus…her parents supported her and her pot-smoking boyfriend.

Makes me wonder what the heck is wrong with the world.

"Fine," I said, frowning down at her. "You want to know my problems, Virg? All right, I'll tell you my problems. I'm fourteen and feel like the whole damn world is out to get me. Though, in my case, it might actually be. With my luck and my Dad's, it probably is."

"My mom is dead and my sister is too occupied with my nephew to do shit. I have an uncle that's a freaking incubus and is the only family I have left beside my immediate. And to top that off, my dad has left the damn building and gone traipsing through the ethereal daisies!"

Virg stared at me then hissed, "Damnit, Dres, why the hell don't you ever ask for help?"

"What can you do? Break my dad out of whatever he's fallen into? I can't even do that."

"Okay, maybe I can't help. But I can be there for you, Dres." She sighed heavily and reached out to twine her fingers in my shirt, jerking me forward into a hug. I was tall enough and gangly that it worked against her average height and stocky frame. Plus my center of gravity sucks. "Jesus Christ, man, trust me to be there for you."

Sighing, I closed my eyes and nodded numbly.

"All right. All right, Virg."

"You promise? You promise this isn't bullshit and you're not going to just blow me off?"

"Promise."

She nodded and pulled away from my, reaching up to pat my cheek. "Good."

What the heck is it with me and my dad befriending women that can get us to do anything?

Virg tugged on my arm and folded it about hers, sort of like I'd seen my dad do at Lizzy's wedding. Then she started up marching down the sidewalk away from school towards my house.

I could have broken her grip – Mom had started teaching me aikido before Dad had starting teaching me magic – but I didn't. She'd have just slapped me and done it again.

I didn't have the energy to want the trouble.

So I tromped in the door with her right behind me and got to see Ebenezar looking both surprised and amused. Virg arched an eyebrow then leaned over and whispered, "Who's the old guy?"

"That 'old guy'," I replied sotto voce, "is my dad's old teacher. Be nice. Y'know, like your up 'n up parents taught you to be oh so many centuries ago?"

She punched me in the side and growled, "I know how to be nice, Dres." Then she walked over to where Ebenezar sat on the couch and freakin' curtsied, smiling politely.

It all was broken when she whirled back towards me and thumbed her nose at me.

"There yah go, Dres. Was that polite enough?"

"Yes," I replied. "But you broke the whole thing just now."

"Eh, who cares." Turning back to Ebenezar, she said, "Hi, I'm Virg."

"A pleasure, young lady," he said, smiling at her. Then he glanced at me and asked, "Friend or…"

"Just friend," I said hastily. I wouldn't date Virg if she were the last female on earth. Nice girl and I liked her as a friend but… no. Just no.

He nodded and I grabbed Virg's arm, tugging her away from him and downstairs into my room. She flung herself onto my bed and lay there whilst I tossed my backpack off to the side then crashed into my desk chair. After a moment she pushed herself up onto her elbows and looked at me, laughing. When I glared at her, she said, "Sorry, Dres. You just look so silly like that."

Scowling, I slouched down further in the chair, hooking my elbows around the arms so I wouldn't slip out. I stretched out my legs as far as they would go then growled, "Can't help it. I look silly doing pretty much anything if you hadn't noticed."

"True." Then she cocked her head to the side and asked, "So, why's the old guy here?"

"Teaching me while my dad's out of it. And to watch him."

"Huh?"

"Remember when I told you there was stuff about magic I couldn't tell you?"

"Yeah."

I looked over at her and said, "This is one of them."

Virg huffed at that. "Wish you wouldn't keep shit from me, Dres."

"Knowing this could get you hurt, Virg. Or killed."

"Shouldn't I be allowed to make that choice on my own? I mean, c'mon, I'm not going to run away screaming, you know that. Heck, I helped you and your dad with those…what were they?"

"Harpies."

"Yeah!"

Sighing, I growled, "No, Virg."

"Damnit, Dres, stop trying to protect me. I can do that myself."

"Can't."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because."

She glared at me at that then slid off my bed, picking up her bag where she'd dropped it on the floor. Stalking over to me, she hissed, "If you're going to be a dick about this, I'll just leave."

"Fine," I grumbled.

Rolling her eyes, she turned away from me with a snort and started up the stairs. As she raised the trapdoor, she looked back at me sadly.

"The world hasn't ended yet, Dres."

Then she was gone, the door banging down behind her. I dimly heard her say goodbye to Ebenezar and groaned, hurling myself from chair to bed.

What the hell was I doing?

Oh, yeah, alienating the only person I actually considered a friend. Right. Yay for me.

But what could I do? The one person I could really talk to wasn't going to respond to anything.

Guess I could always go up and just talk.

Yeah, I could do that.


"What's that noise?"

"The boy," replied Lasciel as she appeared next to subconscious Harry in the circle of light in which he sat grumpily. She still wore black but her hair was now down.

"Trying to pull the idiot out of it? That won't work," he sneered. "Not when you did whatever to knock him out."

The fallen angel sniffed and said, "I released that when he stopped screaming. It's been his choice to remain here."

"Oh goody. We're never going to get anywhere now."

"Have some faith."

The subconscious glared at the fallen and said, "Faith? This coming from you? What a joke."

Lasciel sighed and turned away from him, wrapping her arms about herself. She closed her eyes and murmured, "A joke? I fear not." Then she laughed, the sound harsh and grating on the ears. "The wizard knows the truth."

"Him? He can't figure out crap."

"He is a fool, yes," she said. "Sentimental and brave. He knows what I am."

The subconscious sniffed imperiously at that.

"Is this some kind of bullshit that you two are the same?"

"We have all been sentimental fools."

"Not me."

"You are the exception."

He grinned at that then it faded as something shifted in the dark surrounding them. Sighing, he ducked his head and said, "Hells bells, the idiot needs to come back." Then he looked at her and asked, "Can't you do anything, Miss High and Mighty?"

"No," replied Lasciel. "There is nothing that I can do."

She then tilted her head and sighed. The subconscious blinked at her and asked, "What?"

"The boy. He's crying."

"So? Block him out?"

"Someone should listen," she said softly. "Even if it isn't who he wants to hear it."

"He doesn't know you hear him. Never will if the idiot had anything to do with it."

"That doesn't matter. That someone listens, whether one knows it or not, does."

The subconscious snorted then sprang to his feet as there was an echoing, animal howl from the dark around them.

"Holy shit. And you want the kid to get through to that?"

The fallen sighed and said sadly, "No. I want him to get through to the man still beneath that. That we hear? That is grief. Even you should recognize that."

"Sue me, I never paid attention in school." He then glared at her and added, "That I never went is beside the point."

"As you say."

There was another howl from the dark then a whimper from the edge of the circle of light. The subconscious just stared at the spot while Lasciel slowly moved forward, crouching down near it.

"Do you hear that, wizard?" she asked. "That is your son, lost and alone."

The tips of three fingers slid into the circle then Harry's voice hoarsely breathed, "Hurts. Still hurts…so…much."

"It will always hurt. But will you wallow here forever? That was not what I intended when I accented to your request."

She sighed and continued, "There are still reasons for you to live."

"Nick," whispered Harry. "Lizzy."

"Yes."

The dark shifted then Harry dragged himself into the circle of light, more worn and weary looking than he had ever appeared before. Even when he had been beaten up more than once in a single day and shot.

"Okay," he said, looking from Lasciel to his surprised subconscious.

The fallen angel smiled and said, "Then awaken."

His subconscious grinned and waved.

"Later, idiot."

And I woke up.

It took a bit for everything to register itself – all I could do for a while was think. For a little while I wondered if it would be better to crawl back into that hole I'd dug myself into.

Then I heard the crying.

Hells bells, what had I done?

Opening my eyes felt like lifting a boulder. But I managed it and blinking a few times made the feeling go away. When things came into focus, I saw Nick sitting on the edge of the bed. He was turned with his back away from me and had his head in his hands, thin shoulders shaking.

I licked my lips and tried speaking. My voice was hoarse but it worked.

"Grasshopper."

Nick stiffened then turned towards me in shock, his dark eyes wide. He stared at me for a moment then his eyes narrowed with more tears.

"D-Dad?"

I just nodded and he flung himself onto me, babbling between sobs. Nothing needed to be said by me. I just wrapped my arms around him and let him go.

When he stopped and pulled away from me, I slowly pushed myself upright. I closed my eyes briefly as the grief tried to consume me again. Then I opened them quickly and looked at my son, carving his blotchy and tear-stained face into my memory.

This is what I had to keep going for.

Murph would kick my ass in the hereafter if I didn't.

Nick looked at me closely then asked, "You're here right? For real?"

"I'm here," I replied, reaching out to grasp his shoulder. "Stars and stones, I'm sorry."

He laughed at that and shook his head.

"I don't care," he said, more tears flowing. "I'm just glad you're back, Dad. That's all I wanted."

I tugged him into a hug this time, holding him tightly. As he hugged me back, the bedroom door opened and I was surprised when Ebenezar looked in.

He just smiled and nodded at me before slipping back out. The door closed behind him with a soft click and I tried to wrap my head around why he was here. Then I stopped.

That wasn't my concern right now.

My boy, too much like me for his own good, was.

Lasciel was right; the pain would never fade away. But I had to keep going – keep living.

If I gave up just like that…Murph would be disappointed with me. I could hear her now, calling me a sissy and telling me to get my ass in gear.

There were still things to do.

And I was going to do them.