A/N: Thanks to everybody who reads, even if you don't review and extra thanks to those that do! I hope you all like it.

Previously: "Jesu," Henry just shook his head. "You will be the death of me, woman. Back in the bottle, djinn. We're going for a little ride."

Part 19

"I cannot."

"But," Vicki huffed, "you just said we freed you!"

"Yes, but there are wards around this house that prevent me from leaving."

She looked at Henry. "We need Sinead."

"Vicki, no." He shook his head, "that path leads to disaster."

Vicki smirked, "For her, maybe. You're my safety net, remember?"

She turned back to the djinn, "Look, uh, do you have a name?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"Amar."

"Okay, Amar. Sorry but you're going back in the bottle until we can get you out of here. Hopefully, it'll be before Grimm decides to let you out again."

"I hope for the same. He is an unpleasant man who wishes only money. He has no belief, no values. I will assist you in any way possible, HenryVicki."

"Uh, okay. Hop in." She held out the bottle. "We'll be back as soon as we can."

Henry was still frowning and shaking his head, "If Grimm opens that bottle before we get back, Vicki, it won't matter how much Amar wants to help us, he won't be able to because Grimm will be his master again."

"I know. That's why we're going to Sinead's right now, get the ward breaking spell or whatever and come straight back."

As they drove towards Sinead's, Henry sulked. After their last run in with the witch, he had sincerely hoped never to have to see her again, but he knew Vicki would not be swayed. She'd gotten that look in eyes that said she had a plan and she was sticking to it.

Vicki reached for his hand, and he almost pulled it away, but didn't. He finally had the relationship he wanted with Vicki and he wasn't going to blow it already by acting like a royal pain. Vicki spoke quietly, "I know you don't want to see Sinead again, but unless you know another witch we're stuck with her."

He turned his head slightly to look at her, "No, I don't, and Sinead has made it clear she is not inclined to help us, no matter what the cause. And she doesn't like you."

She smiled a little, "Because she thinks I took you from her."

"I took myself, but it wouldn't matter if you had. I could never be with Sinead again." His eyes turned back towards to road, "You know how I feel about magic."

"I know that. But we need her help, Henry."

"And we'll get it. One way or another. I just hope the consequences aren't too severe." They pulled to a stop in front of Sinead's place and Vicki said, "Maybe I should go in alone."

Henry automatically tensed up and held her hand a little tighter. "No. It's not safe."

"Fine. But let me go first. Maybe I can appeal to her girl side, you know. You wait out here and if you hear any bloodcurdling screams, come rescue me."

"Fine. I'll wait right at the door. But if you're not outside in five minutes, I'm coming in."

"You're my knight in shining armor." Vicki grinned.

Henry just shook his head. This was a place of dark magic now, he could feel it.

As she walked into Sinead's "office" Vicki felt her skin crawl. She was in the back, laying the tarot cards when Vicki walked in.

The sound of Sinead's voice sent chills up her spine, "Vicki Nelson. What do you want?"

"I need your help. I need to know how to get through wards someone's set."

"Don't you mean, we? Henry didn't come in with you? Why?" The smile was not comforting, "Is he afraid of me?"

"Please." Vicki quietly snorted. "He thought it best if we spoke alone first."

"Why would I help you?"

"You wouldn't be helping me per se, you'd be helping bring the murderer of two children to justice. If that makes it a little more palatable for you."

"And I care about these children why?"

"Because in spite of the fact that you hate me, you don't want the spirits of two dead children to haunt you for the rest of your life." She felt like the little white lie was worth it if it got Sinead to help. "And they will, you know."

"What's in it for me?"

"What do you want?" Like she didn't already know.

"What I want is not yours to give." The bitterness in Sinead's voice filled the air.

"Henry." Vicki smirked a little. "You're right, he's not mine to give. Look, we have our problems Sinead, but I'd think you would want to see to it that two children who were murdered would find peace in the afterlife."

"You believe in the afterlife, Detective?"

"More now than ever." She stepped closer to Sinead, "After having seen a five and four year stand in front of me, dead, asking for my help, yes I do."

"Will you tell Henry I helped?"

"He's right outside. He'll know."

"Fine." She shrugged, "Here's what you need." She reached up to a shelf behind her and handed Vicki a cloth wrapped around something she couldn't see."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me. I'm not doing it for you." She smirked.

"Thank you anyway. How do I use it?" She sighed. God this had been a long, long day.

"The person who needs to be free from the wards must hold it to cross them. Once on the other side, the amonet will break the ward permanently."

Vicki walked back through the front door to find Henry waiting for her.

"What's that?" He looked skeptical.

"Sinead says it's what we need." Vicki shrugged. "Let's go."

"Do you believe her?"

"I do. For now." She shrugged. "We'll know for sure in a little bit."

They made it back to Grimm's in record time, and both were silently relieved that the lights were still out with no signs of activity. Once back inside, Henry took Vicki's hand and led her through the darkness back into the bedroom. They pulled the bottle out of the floor safe and opened it again. As the smoke swirled and formed back into Amar, Vicki looked at Henry and shook her head, "I don't know how I'm ever gonna get used to this kind of stuff."

"Come on, you love this stuff. Normal's boring for you now. Admit it. You've gotten used to it because I love you and you're in love with a vampire; you'll adjust." There was that signature smirk that made her weak in the knees.

"Yeah, well, just remember. You said it first."

"I'll remember everything about us until the day I walk into the light." She didn't know how to respond to that, so she decided to take the first bus back to denial land.

"Stop that! We've got work to do."

"Yes my lady."

When Amar was a solid (so to speak) form, he said the same thing as before, only with a change in names. "What is it you wish, HenryVicki?"

"We wish you to come with us." Henry responded using the now familiar I am Royalty voice, "We're leaving."

"I cannot."

"Yes, you can. Just hold this in your hand and the ward will be broken."

"I will try."

"No." Henry's eyes started to glitter. "You will do."

Way to go Yoda

"As you say." He bowed and took the stone. As they headed towards the exit, Henry placed everything back the way it was. They were hoping Grimm wouldn't bother to check on the djinn for a while if he thought no one had been in his house, and even if he did, how would he know who took him? They got to the back door and Vicki walked out first followed by Amar, holding the amonet. She held her breath. He crossed the threshold of the house, remained solid and Vicki could hear the air squeak out of her lungs. Henry followed, carrying the bottle. He closed the door and the trio quietly headed back his car. Once they were inside and well on the way home, Vicki burst into what could only be called hysterical laughter. Henry didn't say anything because he was trying not to join her. In the end, he failed. They laughed half way back to the apartment, Henry getting a grip just a little before she did. "Okay, tell me why we are laughing like lunatics when we could have just been killed."

"Well, think about. It's like the start of a really bad tv movie." She was trying to suck some extra oxygen into her lungs. "A vampire and private eye meet ghosts, and to help them, break into a house. They steal a bottle that turns out to be housing a djinn. High jinks and hilarity ensue." Then she started laughing again. Henry was about to join her again until he checked the rear view. He saw Amar looking at the two of them, with a decidedly frightened look on his face. I guess it's not everyday a djinn sees something like this. "Would you be more comfortable in your bottle, Amar?" Any other day, that would be an odd thing to ask. The vampire's worried about how the djinn feels. He smiled. How many people can say something like that with a straight face? Vicki really had changed his life in ways he'd probably only begun to imagine.

"Yes, I would, HenryVicki. I do not like this means of transportation. It smells of something strange."

Henry nodded his head in agreement, "I know." He looked pointedly at Vicki, "That would be the shrimp."

Vicki punched Henry in the arm, and turned, opening the bottle, "Ok, here you go. Hop in."

Thank you HenryVicky. I will await your command." And he turned to smoke, then disappeared into the bottle. She turned to Henry, nodding, "This is probably better. I'd hate to try to explain to Greg why we've got a djinn parading through the lobby when we're still a long way from October."

tbc