Thank you for all your kind reviews! I've decided I will probably continue this, but I'm still not sure where it will go. I'm pretty much making this up as I go. :) Anyways, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

It was mid-evening when Murphy arrived, and she brought with her two cups of hot coffee and a large paper bag with the Burger King logo stamped across it.

"Thought you might need it." She smiled up at me from her five feet nothing, and I had the sudden urge to hug her. Instead I just graciously accepted the proffered goods, let her into my home and said, "Thanks, Murph."

We sat down on the couch. I took the lid off my coffee and left it on the table to cool. If I went guzzling it all at once I'd be in caffeine overload and probably end up buzzing off the walls. I did, however, rip open the bag with a bit more force than was necessary and breathe in the glorious smell of fast food. I hadn't realised how hungry I was. Thinking back, I don't think I'd eaten since breakfast.

I brought out a selection of burgers and fries and laid them on the table, letting Murphy take her pick while I bit into a burger of my own. I groaned in pleasure and through a mouth full of beef said "Marry me."

She just grinned at me and ate some fries.

While we ate I told her everything, as calmly as I could. She frowned in places but didn't say anything until I asked her, "So, what do you think?"

She shook her head, her eyes full of concern. "Christ, Harry. This situation sucks."

I gave a weak smile, and said "I'd kind of figured that one out for myself."

She didn't smile. "What are you going to do?"

"I know what I want to do." I all but growled. "I want to run up to Edinburgh, pick up Maggie and go someplace far, far away. Fuck everyone else."

It was silent for a moment while I got my breathing under control again. Godammit, thinking like that wasn't going to help matters.

"Ugh." I slumped back on the couch. "Honestly I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Well then, we need to start thinking of what the options are; what can you do?"

"I can't do nothing."

She gave me a level stare. "I wouldn't even have suggested that to you. I know what you would've said if I gave the option of you sitting here and doing nothing."

"Fuck that."

She smiled at me, eyes flashing. "Exactly. You wouldn't be the man I know if you ignored this."

Her words warmed me. I sat up straighter and tried to get my brain into gear. "Okay, options."

"First things, before anything else, we need to consider about where Maggie should go. Whose apprentice she is going to be. You said this wizard-"

"Wizard Magorian."

"You said he would be an awful mentor."

I grunted. "Maybe. All I know is that I don't know him. I don't trust him. And if anyone is going to be teaching my daughter about the world and magic then they better well be someone I trust."

Murphy pursed her lips in thought. "Well that's simple then. All we need is a list of who you trust to take care of her."

"It's not as easy as that though. If I go making special requests for Maggie to be paired with another wizard then people will start asking questions. That could turn out real bad."

"Just go with me on this Harry. We'll get to that problem later." I held up my hands to her superior wisdom and she continued. "Before thinking of anything else, name the Wizards you really trust."

I frowned for a moment. "Ebenezer. Ramirez. Molly. Luccio. The Gatekeeper."

"That it?"

I gave her an oblique look.

"Okay, first off: Ebenezer. Could Maggie go to him?"

"Not really. Senior Council members aren't permitted to have an apprentice, because of the demands of their jobs. They have more important things to do than train young wizards. I doubt the Merlin would permit a bending of the rules without substantial evidence. And that would mean explaining Maggie's lineage."

"Okay, what about Ramirez?"

I thought about it for a second, then shook my head. "I trust him, and he's a hell of a Wizard. But he just isn't ready to take on an apprentice. He's too inexperienced; he's the youngest ever Regional Commander of the Wardens, and that's probably enough on his plate. Plus he's about to get married."

"Which brings us to Molly."

I shook my head straight away. "She's even younger and less experienced than Carlos. I wouldn't put something this huge on her, and I seriously doubt the Council would allow it anyway."

Murphy sighed. "Luccio?"

"I..." I bit my lip. "I don't think that would be a good idea. I trust Anastasia, but after her involuntary body trade-in she's been dealing with enough problems just trying to sort herself out. Plus, she has some serious duties with the Wardens that just aren't gonna fly with all the time needed to mentor an apprentice."

Murphy's expression was getting more worried. "So she's out. Who was the last one?"

"The Gatekeeper."

She frowned. "I don't know him."

"He's an elusive type. I trust him as a Wizard, but not for something like this. We aren't exactly close friends. I couldn't ask him to do this. Besides, he's on the Senior Council, so the same rules apply as they did for Ebenezer."

She let out a little huff of expelled air, and looked dejected. "Well," she said, "Crap."

"That's it, we're out of ideas." I threw up my hands in exasperation and fell back onto the couch with a painful thump. I leant my head back on the cushion and closed my eyes. My throat felt tight.

"Harry," Murphy asked quietly, carefully. "I can tell you've been avoiding this thought, but maybe it deserves thinking about."

I scrunched my eyes tighter and tried to ignore the pin pricks of tears threatening to form. My fists curled up. My voice came out pained and raw. "I can't."

She laid a hand on my arm, warm, reassuring. "I know you're worried about what could happen to her as a result of being associated with you. But maybe this is the best option for her."

I opened my eyes and met her gaze. "How? How could being with me be in any way good for her?" My voice cracked.

Murphy knew better than to let pity into her expression when she looked at me, but I could tell she was fighting to show it. "If you take her as your apprentice then to all the world that is all she will be: your apprentice. They won't look any further into it if they see you together because you will be her mentor."

I could feel my jaw shaking and my chest hurt so much I almost couldn't speak. "I'm a Warden, I'm the Winter Knight. Hell, half the supernatural world wants my head on a silver plate, except maybe for some of them copper would be a safer metal. Point is, I'm constantly in some sort of dangerous situation of one kind or another. How could I put her in the middle of all that?"

"You don't. Harry, I'm not going to lie to you, your life would have to change somewhat. More so than you did for Molly, simply because Maggie is so much younger than Molly was when she became your apprentice. But the truth is, she's your daughter, and if she's anything like you she's always going to be in one kind of trouble or another. People may try coming after her anyway." She reached up and touched my chin, bringing my eyes softly to meet hers. "But you could do it, Harry. You're a good man. You could be a good father, better than anyone else could be for her. You would love her, protect her, more than anyone we mentioned."

"Murph..." Tears ran freely down my cheeks. Damn, I wanted it so badly. Everything she was describing. I sighed, but it came out like a half-sob, and I rested my forehead on hers, eyes closed.

My voice whispered near silently as I said "How would I explain it to the Wardens? They'd want to know why I'd gotten involved."

Murphy's voice came out like mine, quiet, gentle, and brushing softly across my face. "Say Ebenezer dragooned you into helping out. Luccio knows about Maggie, right?"

I nodded, oh so slightly, my forehead still resting on hers. "She'll back you, if you ask her." She pulled her head back from mine by an inch and looked me directly in the eyes. "You can do this, Harry."

I closed my eyes before we could be drawn into a soul gaze. When I opened them again she was smiling softly up at me. My hand was entwined with hers, but I didn't remember it happening. "Thank you, Karrin." I placed a kiss on her lips.

"Go in the morning. You need to sleep, and it will be the middle of the night there now anyway."

I suddenly felt very, very tired. My eyelids felt heavy and I fought the urge to yawn. "I think you're right."

"I usually am." She smiled again, and stood up. She put one hand on the side of my head, and brushed some hair away from my forehead. She said "Call me if you need me." She left, leaving me sat on the couch.

After a moment, I stood up, scooped all the empty food packets into the bin, poured my undrunk coffee down the sink, and went to bed.

I had a busy day ahead me.

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