TV 'verse
Warning: unabashed seasonal content
Dresden Files belongs to Jim Butcher and once did to SciFi Channel but they threw it away so :p
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Harry Dresden entered his apartment amidst a swirl of cold wind and snow. He struggled with several bags, finally placing them on the kitchen table.
"Bob!" he called out, looking at a rune marked old skull sitting on a shelf nearby. The ghost appeared, strolling through the brick wall beside Harry.
"What is it, Dresden?" Bob was scowling, irritated.
"I finished the job for that electronics guy." Harry said, nearly bouncing up and down.
"I'm so happy for you." Bob was indeed irritated. "and you managed to do this without destroying his inventory?"
Harry grinned.
"Not one spark." he replied smugly. "Not even the prototypes."
Bob sighed.
"Is that it? Dresden? I was in the middle of – what is that?"
Bob watched suspiciously as Harry removed a small 7 inch decorated tree from one of the bags.
"Its a Christmas tree, Bob" Harry grinned and placed the tiny tree on the table.
"Is it really?" The ghost leaned down to inspect the tree and stood with his hands behind his back. "Are you sure it isn't a Christmas branch, or sapling?"
Harry was still grinning.
"Thats not all!" he said, removing three ancient books from one of the bags. He put them down on the table.
Bob read the spines, excitement growing.
"Oh Harry! Where did you find these?"
"My client located them on the internet. I told him why I could never use computers and how hard it was to find some things. He showed me how, I didn't even have to go near his computer, he projected the image on the far wall and I was able to see what he was doing. They were delivered to his office overnight."
"Did he say anything about these titles?" Bob gestured to the rather arcane titles on the spines of the books.
"He said something about 'Harry Potter' but I think he figures it's new age stuff."
"Not that new." Bob snorted, looking at the ancient volumes.
"Thats not all, Bob!" Harry was bouncing now.
The ghost looked at him somewhat impatiently.
"What, another book?"
"Nope!" Harry reached into the last bag and produced a small mechanical device. He placed it on the table with a flourish.
"Voila!" He said.
Bob cocked his head, looking at it.
"That isn't... it can't be.. you can't afford..." Bob sputtered.
"Its a prototype, Bob! He developed it as a low cost aid for disabled or injured people. I told the guy I knew someone who needed something like this and he gave it to me for you. He said to tell you 'HappyHanukahSolsticeChristmasKwanzaa or whatever'. These won't be available to the public for a couple of years. He only asks that we give him feedback and comments about what works or any problems we encounter. I'll have to set it up somewhere I can stay away from."
Harry reached into the bag one last time. He pulled out a magazine and placed it on the page turning device. Taking the plug in one hand he pushed it gently into a nearby outlet. He turned to see Bob rubbing his face with both hands.
When Bob saw Harry looking at him again he grinned impishly. "Playboy! Is that for me, Harry?"
"Merry Christmas, Bob" Harry said, skirting around the reader as far as he could. He reached over and turned it on. The device began to slowly turn the pages of the magazine.
"Thank you, Harry." Bob said softly as he leered at the photographs in the magazine.
"I need to work on stuff in the lab." Harry said.
Another page turned, and Harry slipped quietly away while he could still pretend he hadn't seen Bob's wet face, or the tiny gesture the ghost's hand made as it almost, but not quite, touched the page turning machine.