Title: Family Reunion 3/3
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.
Beta'd by my friend Anysia
Part 3
The cell phone photograph broke the case. A uniform had found the girl, both of them actually, Alexandra and Samantha, at a local teen runaway shelter.
Murphy dropped all charges. With no charges against him Dresden was released and returned home, battered and bruised but relieved. He would have to avoid the police station for awhile, at least until Murphy could calm things down. She had her job cut out for her. Harry was fairly certain he would be hearing 'boohooing' sounds from other cops for the rest of his life.
The Thompson twins had been brought to Dresden's apartment at Kirmani's request. Murphy had arrived shortly before they had.
"Twins?" Kirmani asked.
"There are two of them." Bob stared.
"These children assaulted me?" Murphy was embarrassed.
"Why?" asked Harry.
The twins looked at him.
"You killed" said Alexandra.
"our father." said Samantha.
"before we could even meet him," they said in unison.
Everyone stared at them.
"Harry. These aren't twins." Bob whispered.
Everyone looked at Bob, including the twins.
"What do you mean, Bob?" Harry asked.
"There are three of them here."
The ghost was staring intently at the girls.
"You two share minds, don't you"
The twins nodded.
"We have never told anyone," said one.
"About Third," said the second.
"How did you know about me?" They asked in unison.
"I can feel you." Bob said. "I am a ghost, and you are almost like one. Except... you're somehow alive."
Murphy stared.
"Ok, you know what, this has just moved from spooky into your world, Dresden." She moved to the door. "You will make sure they don't do anything like this again, and get the help they need?"
"Yeah, Murphy, They're my family, my cousins. We'll work this out and keep them out of trouble."
Murphy headed out the door. The twins – all three of them- - addressed her.
"We are very"
"sorry"
"Lieutenant Murphy."
"We should have gone"
"to someone"
for help."
"We were afraid"
"of being ignored and put"
"in another foster home."
Murphy nodded.
"I will keep track of you, I want you two.. three... to write me and tell me how you are doing, and that you are staying out of trouble."
"We will."
"Lieutenant Murphy"
"Thank you for understanding."
Kirmani followed her.
Harry tried to thank him for his help but the detective brushed it off. "I only did my job, Dresden." he said. "You... you risked everything for my partner. I won't forget that." He looked at the girls but left without saying anything to them.
Bob was still regarding the twins.
"I served your father, you know, all his life. I served his father before him, and his."
The girls interest perked up.
"Yes. I was serving him when he probably murdered his own sister, Harry's mother, using black magic I taught him – at his father's insistence."
The ghost looked briefly in Harry's direction before turning his attention back to the girls.
"I knew he planned to kill Harry's father. I did nothing to stop it." Bob's voice was growing harder.
"Your birth mother meant nothing to Justin. He used normal women as easily as he used his socks. I am certain he treated his socks with more respect."
The twins were frowning now.
"He never knew you three existed. You were lucky. He would have killed your parents long ago had he known. He would have brought you to his mansion here in Chicago, and I would have been the one to raise you."
The girls looked at him skeptically.
"Just as I raised Harry after Justin murdered his father."
"Is that why"
"he killed our father?"
"For revenge?"
Dresden spoke up "Revenge, self defense, accident. All, none. I don't know. I didn't know then." he said in self disgust. "I still don't." He hung his head, not looking at the girls.
Finally he raised his eyes to them, grief on his face.
"I'm sorry I robbed you of the chance to meet him. You deserved that much."
"It still"
"hurts"
"you."
They said, thoughtfully.
"Is that why"
"you enslave the ghost?"
"Revenge?"
Bob started. Harry looked confused.
"I would nev..." Harry started but Bob interrupted.
"Perhaps proper introductions are in order here." he said sternly.
"I am Hrothbert of Bainbridge, cursed at death. Bound to my skull." He raised his arms so the girls could see the manacles on his wrists. "Bound to serve the skull's owner forever, forbidden to move on."
He continued.
"In life I was powerful; I had more knowledge of and skill in the use of black magic than any sorcerer alive then or since." He actually began to look quite dangerous at this point. Harry had seen it before. The girls were frightened. Heck, so was Harry.
"Bob, you don't need to.." Harry began softly.
"No matter how skilled in the black, no matter how power hungry or avaricious they became, the Morningways never approached my level. Your father tried. He was very strong in his magic, steeped in the black and far too greedy for power to notice anyone around him. That is why his sister ran away. She wanted no part in his plans. He never forgave her for it. That is why I believe he killed her – or had her killed. That is why he killed Harry's father. He wanted to control Harry. To him his nephew was nothing more than a tool. Just as you three would have been."
Horthbert of Bainbridge, in full sorcerer mode now knelt down in front of the girls to look them straight in the eyes. They watched him, hypnotized.
"Harry did not take my skull to enslave me or to take revenge for my part in his father's murder." Bob said with certainty. "He was showing me mercy. He saved me. Perhaps someday he'll even forgive me."
The girls looked thoughtful.
The ghost continued relentlessly.
"You thought all wizards and sorcerers did whatever they pleased with no laws or rules? The high council makes the laws, and their wardens enforce them. If they hadn't ruled that Harry killed his uncle in self defense they would have beheaded him right then and there. They almost did anyway. They keep a close eye on him now, they will never trust him."
Bob waited for that to sink in before he went on.
"You assaulted a human with magic. You did not do too much harm, and you didn't use black magic, but the Council has noticed. The wardens will be keeping track of you."
"It was a mistake." Harry cut in. "You made a mistake. You have apologized to the Lieutenant and she has dropped charges."
Bob went on, overriding the wizard. "You've behaved much like Morningways since you arrived here in Chicago. Now you have a decision to make. Will you serve the black, or yourselves? Will you become a Morningway like your father? Or be a Thompson like your Dad? Which do you think your parents would have wanted? "
There were tears now. The girls were crying openly. Tears of grief that had only now began to flow for the first time since their parent's deaths.
They flung themselves at Dresden, who awkwardly took them into a hug.
"We're sorry"
"we only wanted"
"to know."
"We miss Mom"
"and Dad"
"so much."
"Shhhh," Harry shushed them softly. "We have a plan; after all, that's what cousins are for, right?"
They smiled at him for the first time.
"Cousin!"
"Cousin!"
"Cousin!"
"Well I'm glad finished the introductions." Bob said dryly.
There was a knock at the door. Harry opened it to find "Elaine! You made it! You must have driven straight through."
"I came as soon as you called. Is your Lieutenant safe? Her daughter? Did you find the... oh hello. You two must be the Thompson twins."
Everyone looked at Elaine.
"Elaine, meet my cousins, the Thompson twins: Alexandra, Samantha, and Third. Cousins, this is Elaine Mallory. An old friend of mine."
"You mind-share?" she asked them.
They nodded.
"I'm Alex."
"I'm Sam."
"I'm Third."
The girls put their hands out to shake hers.
"Elaine is pretty powerful." Harry said. "She lives in Los Angeles, and she has agreed to take you on as apprentices. "
The twins studied Elaine.
Elaine studied them back.
Some silent agreement was reached. Dresden did not understand how.
"You three are going to love Los Angeles, I just know it. I have a magic shop there, and I take on clients like Harry here, sometimes I even work for the police. I also have a lot of room above the magic shop. You can have two rooms and arrange them any way you please."
The girls smiled at Elaine.
"Just be warned." Elaine continued. "I will not go easy on you. Learning magic, control, and discipline takes time and practice. You will also go to school, and help in the magic shop."
The girls were still smiling.
"Thank you."
"That sounds"
"like heaven!"
Harry and Bob watched out the window as Elaine and the twins piled into an old beat up patchwork Volkswagen Beetle and drove off, the twins waving enthusiastically out the back window.
The two watched long after the Volkswagen had disappeared.
"I forgave you a long time ago, Bob." Harry kept staring out the window.
The ghost tensed slightly but said nothing.
"What I want to know is if you've forgiven me?" Harry asked.
Bob looked at him, startled. "Dresden, what would you possibly need my forgiveness for?"
"You could be alive now. You had a chance to live again. We both know I'm not going to live out my natural lifespan." Harry paused, then his voice softer. "It hurt, when I thought you betrayed me, but you were alive and I was happy for you. That's why I didn't try to fight you. You could have kept that life, done whatever you wanted."
Hrothbert of Bainbridge laughed "Harry, you magnificent idiot." The ghost said with tremendous affection, "I did."