The Power of a Name Dr Who-Multi-Crossover Series 4

by sbbigsteve

Series 4 - "Time Lord Vindicant" He took the Name of the Doctor. And the Name took him. Now he faces his greatest challenge as the Cracks in the Multiverse herald a threat that can devastate all Reality. To save the worlds and friends he cares for, he must unravel the mysteries of the Cracks and his origins. For only then will he know the true Power of a Name... His name.

12. Episode 4 - A Good Man's War

Episode 35 - A Good Man's War

I hate war.

Well, let's be honest, there aren't many who like it, and those that do only like it when they get to win. Ever see a Klingon on the losing side of a war? It can be pretty depressing. And don't get me started on the Mandalorians, half the time they mope for centuries when they lose a war.

The Kralnak actually impose a century of peace upon themselves whenever they lose a war, just to make sure enough time has passed that their war gods aren't mad at them anymore. Well, two centuries in one case. You've no idea how aggravating it is to pretend to be a Kralnak war god.

But yes, I hate war.

That might make me the Multiverse's biggest hypocrite, though, given how often I get mixed up with them.

Oh, it's not intentional all the time. I mean, when Katherine and I materialize in the Fableworlds and help some of them hold the line long enough to escape the Adversary's armies to Earth? That's just passing through. Might not even count. With the Reapers I just showed up at the end and tilted the odds against the Catalyst.

But more than enough times, it hasn't been innocent passing through. It's been me consciously jumping into a conflict because I thought I knew the best outcome to it. The Bajoran rebellion against the Cardassians comes to mind, obviously. And other bits. Like that whole mess between Mesa and Manticore. I mean, I like cats, I couldn't let all of those poor treecats get killed, could I? But that is still me openly joining one side in a war. Just as I did on Alderaan in the war between the Republic and the Sith Empire. Or when I secured the Voidstar for the Republic, helped them repulse the Empire on Denova and that one planet with the Gree ruins... okay, I participated in quite a few of those fights, yes.

Especially when I was the Time Lord Triumphant.

I don't like talking about when I was the Time Lord Triumphant. I devastated fleets and armies. I broke war ministers and general staffs. I turned entire battles.

Oh, and, I started wars. Mustn't forget that bit. I hate war but I started some. To make things better of course.

Yes, I know, that's a rather hollow excuse. It's like opposing the principle of murder while you're shooting someone in the head.

Anyway, yes, I hate wars. I try to stop them when I find them. Or make them less nasty. I just... do what I can.

But this story is about the time that I, bereft of my Time Lord Triumphant insanity, still knowingly and willingly joined a war. No, not just joined it, but expanded it. Evened it out by calling in allies who agreed to fight even when they had no practical reason or need to. I intentionally drew people I liked, people I respected, even people I called friends, into a vicious, bloody war of a single night. I put their lives, and more, at risk to accomplish my objective.

I am a hypocrite.

And sometimes... I think I can be a right bastard. Even a bad man.

But I will say this.

If you're going to fight a war, it needs to be for the right reason.

And I would do this one again. Because I had that reason. It was a reason anyone with a heart would accept, even if their heads told them it was wrong. A reason I could never turn down. Not without tearing out a part of my own soul.

So why did I do this? Why did I go to war, for how much I hated it?

To save a little girl.

One precious, innocent life, seized by monsters not for anything she did, but simply for who she was.

You like that reason, don't you? Sounds noble. Sounds worthy.

Yeah, it does.

It's a nice, bright, lovely little lie, isn't it?

Because that's not the real reason I went to that war. It's not the reason I put the lives of Companions, friends, and allies at jeopardy. Oh, I told them it was for the little girl. I even wanted to believe it myself.

But I went for another reason.

And that led me to this moment. This point in my life. The screams and shouts and battle cries of those I had brought to the killing ground echoing around me. The shrieks and furious bellows of the monsters bearing down on them and intent on our deaths. The smell of death and blood assailing my nostrils.

The terrified whimper from the little girl huddled in my arms, frightened and cold.

The blood-stained altar I had just picked her up from. The obsidian knife, still stained with blood, that would have killed her and many, many others.

I had been looking at her until the shadow fell over me. I looked up at the figure who stood across from me.

I showed no fear as he focused on me. His expression was firm and resolute. He knew what had to happen now. The pain of necessity was written plainly on his scarred face.

His brown eyes, brimming with emotion, met mine.

And for the first time ever, Harry Dresden and I looked into each others eyes, while around us our friends and allies fought for their lives in the chaos and horror that had gripped the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza.

---

Oh, what am I saying? I'm getting ahead of myself. Sorry. Couldn't help it. You need to know what I'm talking about. You need context to understand what was going on.

Alright. Fine. It began with a phone call from a desperate man.

I wasn't surprised at the call when I got it. It was one I knew I'd be getting eventually. One I dreaded.

"Doctor, I need your help," said Harry Dresden on the other end. There was no sign of the usual levity he might have had. "They've got my daughter."

I heard those words and involuntarily I made a sharp intake of breath.

"I figure you're not surprised. This is probably what you were trying to tell me about that night in Mac's a year or so back, isn't it?"

My voice was dry when I replied, "Yes. It was."

"Yeah, figured. Can't really be mad about it since I turned you down."

"You did the right thing," I assured him. "I wasn't in the right mind then, Harry."

For a moment there was no answer. "And if I'd let you tell me, my daughter wouldn't be in danger right now."

I bit into my lip. Arguing the point, pointing out that knowing about Maggie would have changed his decisions at some very crucial points - it certainly would have affected his judgement during the case of Aleron LaFortier's murder - and that it was better this way... that was not a winning argument. Not here. Not now.

"They're going to kill her," Harry said. "They're going to kill my little girl, Doctor. I've got to save her."

I wish it had been just as simple as that. But... it wasn't. I swallowed and rubbed at my eyes. "Harry," I began.

He didn't let me say anything else. As if I could have said anything else given the sick feeling in my stomach. "You've got to help me,", Harry pleaded. "If you've ever considered yourself my friend, you won't turn your back on me. Not now."

I swallowed. My mind raced. My old sins were coming back to haunt me again. Now I had to deal with them.

"Harry, listen to me. Things have to happen right now, things I can't interfere..."

"Don't you FUCKING DARE," he screamed over the line. "Don't you dare tell me my little girl has to die! That... that you have to let her die because of some Goddamned-."

"Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden!", I roared into the phone, carefully enunciating every syllable as if it had power. It didn't. I'm a Time Lord, not a bloody dragon. But it did get him to stop. I sighed and lowered my voice. I wanted to fall to the ground, but that wouldn't accomplish anything. Not when I had a terrified father on the phone. "Harry. I give you my word, on everything I hold dear, everything I believe in, that your daughter will survive this. If I must, I will blaze such a path of fury through the Red Court that the supernatural creatures of your world will speak of it for eternity. Maggie will live through this. Do you understand me?"

There was silence on the other end. "Yeah, I got you, Doc," he finally said. His voice was weary. He didn't even question how I knew his daughter's name.

"How much has happened so far?", I asked.

He filled me in. His office had been blown up, a certain little weasel of a police detective named Rudolph had gotten him arrested as a bombing suspect, he'd been shot at when the FBI cut him loose, the White Council had turned their back on him due to Cristos, and all he had going for him right now was Molly, Murphy, Mouse, and Maggie's mother Susan Rodriguez and her partner Martin in the Fellowship of St. Giles. For those of you unfamiliar with that Fellowship, they were half-vampires (Red Court-style ones) who were fighting their creators alongside the White Council and their other mortal allies. Good people. A bit scary, and that's not counting the curse of the bloodthirst from their vampiric side, but good people.

"I've talked to every spirit I've got pull with," Harry said. "All I got was an image from a fire sprite. I know she's still alive and that the Red Court's going to do something somewhere in Mexico. But I don't know where. Can you..."

"Harry, I'll get your daughter out, but there are other things that are going to happen. Things that... have to happen." I almost choked on that. I didn't want to say it. Deep down, I didn't want those things to happen, and I knew I could prevent them. But the cost... "As for where you'll find where they're going to have Maggie? I have one suggestion; get in touch with Ivy."

"She was my next call," Harry said.

"Good. Get working on your end. I have things to do on mine. I'll see you soon."

I put my phone back on its receiver. And then I promptly walked over to the stairs leading from the controls to the upper ring and the halls out of the control room, where I plopped down into a sitting position. I ran a hand through my hair while my emotions roiled through me.

It had finally happened. I was finally here. At this point in time.

And I had a decision to make.

The door to the TARDIS opened. Liara and Katara walked in, looking a bit scuffed up. "I think I may have found something," Liara said. "There was burnt grass around blackened and dried out rock in the forest near a stream, about half a kilometer away. It could have been Bolin lavabending."

"Ah." I nodded.

"If you go over there, maybe we can get a scan and..."

"I'm afraid Bolin and Mister Varrick are going to have to wait. Something has come up," I said. I forced myself to stand. "Something very bad. Now I..."

The phone rang again.

I walked over to the comm console and checked the ID of the incoming call.

My blood nearly froze. It was a code that had never called in before. A temporal beacon I'd handed out a long time ago for one explicit purpose.

I sighed and picked the phone up. "I'm here."

"Everything is going according to schedule," the voice on the other end said. "Just as you said it would."

"I see." I swallowed. "Well, that's quite good news."

"Has Dresden contacted you yet?"

"He has. Just now. So I'm already on the clock."

"Understood. I left a drop package for you with the current location and information on a viable target for your proposal. It's a private post office store in Downtown Chicago, at..." He gave me the street address and the name of the business, as well as the name I'd have to assume to get a key.

"Right. I'll get there as soon as I can."

"We won't have a lot of time, so get this quick before the target gets underway. And be careful with him. He can be slippery."

"Thanks for the warning," I replied. "I'll see you later, Martin."

I hung up the phone and looked down at the controls for a moment.

"Who is Martin?", Liara asked. "What's going on?"

I took in a breath and forced myself to focus. It wasn't easy. I was torn. Torn on what the right thing to do was. The responsible thing would be to let things go as they were going to. Don't change anything. Just... let it happen as I knew it would.

But I couldn't just do it like that. I'm the Doctor. I save people. And I could save someone if I went through with this. A good person who deserved the happiness my success would bring.

More than that, if I did things a certain way... I could save Harry too. I could save him from the horrible decision he was about to make.

But the ramifications of that decision. The things I might undo. The damage I could cause.

My head told me I shouldn't.

But my hearts told me I should. My hearts told me that a dear friend would be happier if I did... what I thought of doing. And that it was worth whatever cost had to be paid. That I would pay it, and gladly, to give Harry the happiness he'd been denied for so long.

"Doctor?" Katara stepped up to me. "Why are you crying?"

I was almost surprised to feel the hot tears pouring form my eyes. I was racked with indecision. Me, of all people. My head and my hearts were at odds and I felt... lost. I wanted to follow my hearts so much, but...

...but that was something Triumphant would have done, after all. Happily, Easily. Making things "better", even if they actually became worse.

"I may be about to do something very foolish," I informed them. "But that's not the important part."

"Then what is?"

I turned my head to face them. "Harry Dresden's daughter Maggie has been kidnapped by the Red Court of Vampires," I informed them.

They both stared in shock. "I... oh Goddess." Liara's voice almost cracked with horror. "I didn't even know he had a daughter."

"He didn't either," I remarked.

Katara was quick to say, "But you knew."

I nodded. "I did. Couldn't tell him. Not without changing things. Things that would have been dangerous to change." And just look at what that decision had wrought. Because of that, an eight year old child had been forced to watch her foster family be torn to shreds. Literally.

My thoughts flashed back to another eight year old girl, in her dirtied dress, crying beside the corpses of her brothers. An eight year old girl named Kira Nerys who had begged me to take her away from the violence and suffering of the Bajoran Occupation. And, to preserve the timeline, I had said "No".

And now, just like Nerys, Maggie Dresden was also suffering because of a decision I had made.

"They're going to kill her," I said. My voice was hoarse from the dueling emotions inside of me. "They're going to cut her open to fuel a bloodline curse against her family. They're after Harry and his grandfather. It'll make their hearts literally explode out of their chests if it goes off."

I let the shock and horror of that thought sink in. I had it in my head too. It wasn't pretty.

"We'll stop them," Katara said. Her tone was fierce. "We can't let that happen."

"We won't," I assured her. I looked to Liara.

There was no fooling Liara. "There's something else going on here," she said. "Something you're not telling us. Why are you looking so uncertain? That's not like you at all."

"Usually not," I agreed. "But it can't be helped."

"You're going to do something foolish, aren't you?", she asked.

I wasn't going to hide it. "Possibly."

"What?" Liara stepped up. "Doctor, you need to tell us."

"I will," I said. "But first, we need to get to work. Because we're tied to their timestream now, and little Maggie is running out of time." I went to the TARDIS controls. "I have a stop to make. Then I'll know our next move."

And which would, of course, bring me closer to the moment I had to choose.

My head? Or my hearts?

---

The package Martin had left for me was a dossier on one Antonio Monterro. He was, on paper, a business manager in San Salvador who oversaw the accounts for several companies operating in Latin America. He looked like a small, unassuming fellow with a small figure. Not at all dangerous.

Although he actually was quite dangerous.

In truth, Antonio Monterro was a half-vampire and follower of the Red Court. Like many others, he had been granted his vampiric half as a reward for service, and further service and displays of discipline in his bloodthirst would eventually merit him permission to become a full vampire. How, you might ask? Simple. He just had to kill someone while slaking his bloodthirst.

Yes, it's quite monstrous, isn't it?

Monterro was making preparations to leave. Martin's report, not to mention my own instinct for the situation, were attributing it to Chichen Itza. He'd been invited to attend the Red King's court there. In the same ceremonies when Maggie would be killed.

And he'd be there, all right. But I was changing his travel plans.

Monterro's office was in one of the best districts in San Salvador, a nice and built up place with high-rise buildings and everything. That would make what we were about to do a bit trickier, mind you.

"So, you're going to kidnap this man?", Liara asked me for the third time while we waited in ambush positions. "And with these?" She held up the submachine gun I'd handed her. "You hate guns."

"Well, I find them bloody annoying, but sometimes…" I held out my own. "This has to look good. I don't want the Red Court thinking there's something special about this fellow's kidnapping. This way we'll look like just another Latin American kidnapping ring snagging someone for ransom."

Liara looked skeptically at me, and on to Katara, who was still eyeing her weapon of the same make. She was evidently trying to understand how it worked. "Don't worry about it," I whispered. "Point the weapon's barrel ending toward the monster and hold the trigger.

"I guess."

"There's got to be another way of doing this," Liara insisted.

"If he just disappears, the Red Court may put two and two together. I need to establish a good why."

"Very well," Liara sighed. "But I…"

"Shhh." I pointed to the door. A trio of figures were stepping out. Two rather large men in dark suits, clearly bodyguards for Senor Monterro, with submachine guns of their own under their jackets if the remote sensors I'd laid were correct. "Remember, aim high," I said to both, after which I lowered the balaclava over my head.

Liara made a face and did the same. Katara seemed less uncomfortable, opting for a suit like that she'd worn in pursuing her mother's killer, with her hair free but her mouth and nose covered by an extension from the collar. Both readied their weapons.

I held up my fingers, counting down and waiting until Monterro and his bodyguards were about to climb into the nice four door car he owned. With the same hand I gripped the sonic screwdriver and activated it.

The car lit up with a bang, sending powerful blinding light into the eyes of the bodyguards and Monterro. We held up our weapons and opened fire into the air above their heads. No blanks of course, I couldn't afford the lack of rounds and spent casings tipping the Red Court off. But the bullets were the kind that mushroomed when they hit something and would not ricochet.

After we had them on the ground Katara and I dashed across the street and seized the startled Monterro. I pressed a hypospray full of high-powered sedative into his neck and injected him with a high dose. More than enough to knock out even a half-vampire, not enough to actually damage him. By the time we were pulling him back across the street the blinded bodyguards were trying to stand up. They went for their guns of course, but they were too professional to simply fire willy-nilly into the street.

I hadn't had the time to acquire an actual van or vehicle, so I improvised. I triggered a sound system and attached holographic viewer just in case they should open their eyes. The sounds and visual would make them think a van had just pulled up and we had jumped in with Monterro. Like any other kidnapper would in the area. Actually, not too dissimilar to what the Red Court themselves had their mortal agents do.

In reality, however, we brought Monterro into the opposite alleyway and into the TARDIS. I had a specialized room set up inside for him. A nice, cozy prison cell. Liara helped me get him into wrist and ankle restraints. "He'll be out for several more hours," I noted. "But we'll want to keep an eye on him."

"Right."

Once we had Monterro secured in the room, it was back to the control room for us. Once we were there, Liara pulled off the balaclava and threw it to the side. "Okay, you have him. Why?"

"Because he'll be vital to my plan succeeding," I answered.

"In what way?", Liara asked. "Do we need him for intelligence? I'm already scanning the remote drive he had in his jacket."

I shook my head. "No. That's not why we snatched him. I need him for something else. Something…" I shook my head. "It's important. I just need you to trust me."

"I do trust you," Liara said. "But I also know you're divided about this. There's something else going on here. Like this 'Martin' person. And why haven't you told Harry about this part of the plan?"

"Because he doesn't need to know," I insisted. "Better to keep it to myself."

But Liara knew me too well. "You're doing something wrong, aren't you?"

"I'm helping to save a little girl."

"You admitted that you were up to something, Doctor, don't think we ignored that," Liara retorted.

"What is it, Doctor?", Katara asked. "You can tell us."

I frowned. I didn't want to. I knew that what I was doing could upset things. But all I could think about was the pain that was awaiting my friend. "I'm going to change history," I said. "I'm going to change what happens."

"In what way?", asked Liara.

I walked over and sat down on the steps. I put my hands on my head and briefly considered ripping some of my hair out. They followed and sat down near me. "Harry's life is going to change now," I said quietly. "Everything will. The Red Court, by doing this, has set in motion their own annihilation. In a couple of nights, at Chichen Itza, they will attempt the bloodline curse. They'll slaughter… dozens, maybe hundreds, of innocent people to power it."

"Goddess."

Katara frowned. "Then why don't we stop them there? Why don't we save all of those people?"

"Because we'd be doing the same thing to this world that Xuandi nearly did to yours when he tried to kill Aang and the others," I answered. "An event like that? It's a Fixed Point in Time. I already investigated it back during my… darker times." I frowned. "It's why I contacted Martin."

"You said they'd cause their own annihilation," Liara pointed out.

"Yes. The curse is meant for Harry's bloodline. By murdering his daughter on the altar, the curse would transfer to all of her blood relations. Her parents, Harry's half-brother. and his maternal grandfather, the true target of this curse. Harry's just the… icing on the revenge cake for Duchess Arianna." My face became a stony mask. "But Harry will manage to save his daughter. At least, he will in normal history. But there is a cost. Maggie's mother Susan."

Their expressions bade me to continue, so I did. I laid out what Martin really was; a triple agent. Sent by the Red King to infiltrate and undermine the Fellowship of St. Giles as a double agent, but in secret harboring a desire to destroy the Red Court for their crimes. A desire he now found it possible to attain by sacrificing Susan and himself.

"Martin betrayed Maggie's existence and home to Arianna. He set this whole thing in motion as a bid to get at the Red Court and looks to take advantage of what they're ultimately doing." I held my head back and sighed. "At the critical moment, he'll reveal this to Susan Rodriguez. And she will lose her mind to rage and rip his throat out. By killing Martin, who is still a mortal, she will complete her transformation and become a vampire. The youngest vampire in the Red Court, linked by her new vampiric blood to the Red King and all the rest."

My horrified Companions were smart. They completed the logic chain without prodding. "She's the one sacrificed," Liara murmured.

I nodded. "Harry figures it out. She lets him use the knife. To save her daughter, of course." I felt tears rolling down my face. "Harry will have to kill the woman he loved, who he still loves, the mother of his child, to save Maggie's life. And that night, the Red Court dies."

"Oh Goddess," Liara repeated. Her voice was thick with horror. "You're… that is what you're going to change."

I nodded. "Half-vampires don't directly die of the curse. But their bodies shift to what their human age should be. Those who are beyond normal human lifespan will die from the rapid aging. So Martin's a dead man no matter which new vampire is on the altar. This is why I proposed to him that he be the one on it. I told him I would provide him with a half-vampire like himself, an agent of the Red Court, who would also die regardless. When we're at Chichen Itza, at the critical moment near the end, I will arrange for Monterro to be brought to Martin. He'll kill Monterro, begin transforming, and then I will put him on the altar and make him the sacrifice. The Red Court will die, as is required for history, and Susan Rodriguez will live. She will get to be with her daughter and be free of the vampire curse."

As I laid out that plan, I thought about the other temptation dangling before me. Harry's fate, specifically. What he would do out of desperation to save Maggie. If I could be there to prevent him from needing to make that deal…

"Could you do that, Doctor?", Katara asked. "Could you kill that man? Like that?"

"I…" I swallowed. "Yes," I finally said. "If I had to."

They could hear how I forced the answer out. Katara and Liara shared glances of doubt. I didn't blame them. "And that's it?", Liara asked. "There's nothing else going on?"

"No," I lied, even as I contemplated all the things I might mess up by changing Harry's fate too. Could I adjust things to account for the difference I would create if I did what I had in mind?

Was it right for me to take that chance with this world and its future?

My mind wandered. It imagined destruction and chaos. It imagined mad gods and beings freed from their prisons to wreak havoc upon the world. Mad spirits overwhelming Chicago.

It also imagined Harry and Susan at that Burger King Harry always went to with little Maggie on her father's tall shoulders laughing away wearing a cardboard crown on her brow. It imagined swing sets and playgrounds, school plays and recitals, happy laughter as wrapping paper was torn away in the shadow of a Christmas tree…. perhaps even snowball fights masquerading as magic practice and Harry having to cover Maggie's ears when Bob gets particularly lecherous during a magic lesson.

Well, okay, that last bit is unlikely, Bob being a top secret part of Harry's life and all. But imagination is imagination.

I could give Harry Dresden, the man I had come to call a friend, the thing he had always wanted. That he had always longed for, that had evaded him his whole life.

A family.

And all I had to do was endanger his entire timeline. And the world.

I remember a part of me rebelling from that sentiment. Thinking about how little it'd mean if they all died in a year after Demonreach - that creepy island in Lake Michigan where Harry had rescued the Archive from Nicodemus - exploded with the force of a naquadah-enhanced nuclear warhead. Or if the Corpsetaker's plans weren't stopped by Harry during those intervening months. How much damage might that cause?

What good would it do to change Harry's fate just to deprive him of the power he needed to save everything and everyone he loved?

You can make the difference, a part of me urged. Do it! Make that difference! Give him the life he deserves!

Which was just egotistical, when you get down to it. I mean, yes, I'm a Time Lord. I can do all sorts of wonderful, even nearly magical things with the technology I can employ. But... you need different tools for different tasks, you know? I'm not a wizard. Harry can do things I can't.

I tried to get the thoughts out of my head. But it wasn't happening. The thought of making sure Harry got to have a family. How could I just throw that away? Knowing what it meant to him?

"I need to talk to him", I muttered.

"To who?", asked Liara.

"Harry." I swallowed. "I... I need to give him the choice. It's not mine to make. It's..." I swallowed. "I need to lay things out to him. It's Harry's life. He has to decide."

My Companions looked at each other. Understanding dawned. They knew I'd lied earlier. That I had something else in mind.

I, meanwhile, was putting in the coordinates to his home. "He had to lower his wards when the FBI came to take him in for questioning," I said to the others. "So his home is vulnerable. Be careful."

They nodded as I pulled the TARDIS lever. I waited until we finished the spatial transition before going to the door and opening it.

I was greeted by the crackle of roaring flames.

Harry's home was on fire.

Between me and the boarding house Harry had called home for over a decade were first responders, busily rushing to keep the fire from spreading to the other homes in the area. There were police already on the scene as well. I saw them as I rushed closer, calling out, "Harry! Harry! Molly!"

I met neither, and the police quickly intercepted me and pushed me away. Only then did an elderly voice call out to me, and I turned to find Harry's landlady sitting in an ambulance. I walked over to Mrs. Spunkelcrief. I called her by name. She knew of me, although she thought I was Harry's English cousin.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for you," she said. "Your cousin, he's... Harry's been badly hurt."

My mouth went dry. "How badly?", I said, keeping my voice as audible as I could without screaming so that the deaf old lady could understand me.

"They carried him out on a board," she answered. "Poor brave boy. He was trying to rescue the Willoughbys. And then there was an explosion and... and he was knocked from the ladder. I think he hurt his back." She took my arm. "I'm sure he'll want to see you. I don't know which hospital they took him to..."

I drew in a breath. "I... have an idea where he'll be, Mrs. Spunkelcrief. I'm just happy to see you're okay."

"God bless you," she answered in that sort of squeaky voice the very old could sometimes manage.

The EMTs were returning, so I stepped away. The smoke was still rising into the night sky, framed by flames licking skyward while the fire crews continued to douse them with water. I started my way back to the TARDIS. Katara met me halfway. "I could help," she said. "It might..."

"It's too late," I murmured. "Too late. I can't..." I stepped back into the TARDIS and looked at the controls. "You didn't trust me," I said accusingly. "Why didn't you trust me?"

My TARDIS didn't answer.

I don't know what hurt worse. That my TARDIS didn't trust me to do the right thing... or that I might not have done the right thing if she had.

"Where's Harry?", Liara asked.

"On his way to St. Mary of the Angels," I replied. I walked over to the stairs and plopped down into them. "I was too late. They got to him. The vampires."

"Then we should go there," Katara said. "I can use my waterbending to heal whatever..."

"How quickly could you heal a broken back, Katara?", I asked pointedly. I already knew the answer, of course. As I knew there were limits to how waterbending healing worked.

They both paled. For what seemed like the umpteenth time since this had begun, Liara whispered "Goddess". Katara shook her head. "I... I can help with the pain. But a broken back..."

"...even a wizard like Harry will take decades to recover under natural healing," I answered. "And since we're locked into the timestream now, I can't take him away for the weeks he would need for spinal replacement or whatever other treatment would hasten the healing."

"But you said he is meant to rescue Maggie," Liara insisted. "How can he do that now?"

I swallowed. "By making a deal."

"What do you..."

"He's going to make a deal with Mab," I finished with some heat. "To save his daughter, Harry's going to give Queen Mab what she's wanted for years. He's going to become the Winter Knight, her enforcer and assassin in the mortal world."

Well, there was more to it than that, but that was all that needed to be said.

"So... you can't stop this," Katara said. "That was what you wanted to prevent, wasn't it?"

"I'd been tempted to, yes," I admitted. "But it's for the best. Harry... will need that power, frankly. Another burden for him to bear."

"We can still save Susan," Liara pointed out. "Knowing she's Human again and able to raise their daughter might help him deal with it."

"Will it?" I sighed. "What if saving her also causes unforeseen consequences?" I closed my eyes and tried to imagine them. But the possibilities. So many of them. And there were so many external forces at play that there was no way to know how the march of history would go. Even for a Time Lord.

"What if I'm making the same mistake again?", I wondered aloud. "I'm meddling. Like when I was Triumphant."

"That was different," Liara insisted.

"Was it?", I asked pointedly. "Good intentions can still have evil outcomes. I have a responsibility to protect history. To protect time."

"But you're also the Doctor," Katara said. "You're supposed to save people. So you have to try and save Susan."

I went silent as I thought about it.

There was a beeping noise. Liara brought up her right forearm and her omnitool appeared. Data showed up on the screen. "Doctor? You might want to see this."

"What?", I asked.

"It's from Monterro's flash drive," Liara said. "It's... it's about the Red Court's defenses at Chichen Itza."

I blinked and looked up. And then I walked over to look it over. "That's not right," I murmured. "Look."

"I'm going through the memos on the drive now." Several entries lit up on the hard-light display. Liara let out a breath. "I think I can see why."

I followed her eyes. It was a memo from Duchess Arianna to Monterro and others with managerial positions in the Red Court's financial affairs.

We must expect that Dresden will not be alone. Many of his allies are not to be concerned with. But he will certainly call for the aid of the Time Lord. Interference from the Doctor must be considered in handling the security arrangements for the ceremony. As such, you are instructed to set aside additional funds to hire the personnel needed to triple the planned security force and to ensure more of our people can make the trip to Chichen Itza. I want to make sure that even the Doctor cannot overcome us.

Below the text was Arianna Ortega's official signature and what looked like a ducal seal.

As soon as I read that, my mind flashed back to a memory.

Some time ago, I had touched the mind of a being who could see the future. Somehow my telepathy and the future vision of a fused gem-based being named Garnet had interacted, giving me glimpses of potential futures.

And now my mind came to one of those images. A grieving Harry, freezing tears flowing from his reddened eyes, as he cradled a little body.

I focused on the image as I had not before. I realized what I was seeing.

Maggie's body. With a hole in her forehead.

And now that vision became clear.

This extra force, it meant that even with all of the firepower and allies Harry could bring to bear... it might not be enough. Oh, he might actually beat the Reds, but that was no guarantee the mercenaries wouldn't keep fighting. All it would take was a sniper or a gunman in the wrong place, firing at just the wrong time, and it would all be for nothing.

I swallowed and started to think. They were going to have more half-vampires there. More full vamps. And a lot more mercenaries. Even with all of the forces Harry would have coming to his aid, even if I showed up with Liara and Katara... it might not be enough.

Maggie might still die. And Murphy, and Molly, even my plan to save Susan might be for nothing.

And it would be because of me. Because, by my existence, I had altered the correlation of forces in this world. Harry's enemies had to take my potential presence into account. It was something of a vicious cycle; every time I ended up working with Harry to redress the imbalances my own existence caused, it in turn caused other forces to take more notice of me and to create further imbalance.

This time, it was an imbalance even I wasn't sure I could safely negate.

At least, not without doing something I was rather loathe to do.

Liara's breath was slow as she read further memos. "Doctor, I..." She shook her head. "...even all three of us, and with Harry and the others... I don't think we can win this by ourselves."

I nodded. "We can't."

"Then, what are we going to do?", Liara asked. "Maybe if we slip in..."

"That place is the stronghold of the Lords of Outer Night," I remarked. "Vampiric demi-gods. Even with the stealth circuit, we would be caught easily. And remember, its a Fixed Point. I can't do anything that would jeopardize that outcome." I drew in a breath and forced myself to stand. I didn't have much time due to the TARDIS being locked onto the local timestream. That lock would eventually fade, true, but by then it would be too late.

I went to the TARDIS controls and started twisting knobs and setting switches. "Doctor, what are you doing?", Liara asked.

"There's only one way to make this right," I said. "One way to make sure that we save Maggie without ruining history."

Katara and Liara looked at each other in some confusion. "And that is...?", Katara asked.

I looked up to them. My face was locked in a grim expression. "We go to war," I answered. "A war with the Red Court. And to fight that war..." I put my hand on the activation lever. "...I'm going to need some soldiers."

And with that said, I pulled the lever to shift the TARDIS away.

---

There was no rest for me. Not with allies to find and recruit. Allies who could fight a war with the Red Court and not flinch from their inhuman power and appearance. And who could accept the outcome of the night.

So I made calls. Paid visits to allies. Every time I laid out the stakes and asked if they were willing.

Not a single one of them said no.

The TARDIS was thus set up appropriately to carry them. Arrangements were made. Supplies received, particularly from the doctors of Layom Station.

All in all, I think I did about as well as I could hope to in the time I had available.

I found myself with a little time left at the end of it all. I was standing in the TARDIS control room by myself when Liara entered from one of the halls. She was in an Asari Commando combat suit with a Locust on one hip and a Carnifex on the other. "We're all ready," she said. "I've secured Monterro for when you decide to bring him along."

"Good." I sighed. "You look ready for a fight."

"Well, you did say it would be a war," she pointed out.

"True." I almost sighed again. I've become something of a sigher, it seems. Always sighing. I should really look into doing something else. "Is this what I should be doing, though?"

"Given the circumstances, there's not anything else you can do." Liara leaned against the railing around the control floor. "We're going to need all of that help to fight the forces we're facing."

"Yes." I lowered my head. It must have made me appear to be looking at the TARDIS controls. "I've brought all of these people into a fight that has nothing to do with them. I'm risking their lives…"

"Stop it," Liara insisted. "Just stop it. Because you didn't make that choice, they did. They're responsible for anything that comes. And they're ready for it. So don't patronize them, or me, by pulling this kind of 'feel sorry for myself' act. We need you clear-headed tonight."

I stopped speaking for the moment and just let Liara finish. "Well," I finally said, "look at you. Giving good advice and all that."

"That's what we're here for," said Katara, who walked in as well. "Everything is ready."

"Well." I looked up and took in a breath. "I guess I'd better get ready. I'll be stepping out first, after all, when we get to where we're going."

I walked up the stairs and to one of the halls leading into the rest of the TARDIS. One hall here, then there, and soon I had arrived at my destination.

The armory.

It wasn't the same as the last time, of course. I wouldn't be taking everything I'd used before. But I would need the combat suit, at least, just for the extra protection.

After all, we were going to war.

---

So. How to begin this part?

I suppose a summary of what Harry had been up to should be my start.

For starters, he had indeed become the Winter Knight. Queen Mab had bestowed the mantle of Winter upon him, healing Harry's broken spine and busted leg and imbuing him with power and resilience he had never known before. And she had given him until noon the following day, at which time she could summon him for whatever purpose she deemed fit.

In the ensuing time before the festivities began at Chichen Itza, he had been attacked by a gunman, forced to fight his way out of the FBI building against a Red Court hit squad, and then he and Susan had to defeat said squad to avoid getting gutted and likely eaten by the Erlking and his monstrous followers. That little trip to the Nevernever had nearly cost him due to differences in the flow of time, but now he was on his way to Chichen Itza by way of the Nevernever and its myriad paths and relationships with the normal world. He'd be bringing every ally he could find. Murphy, Molly, Mouse, his White Court vampire half-brother Thomas, the atheistic Knight of the Cross Sanya, Susan and Martin, and even his fairy godmother the Leanansidhe, attending by order of Queen Mab.

And then would come some violence and a diplomatic discussion as Harry tried to bargain for his daughter's life by agreeing to kill Duchess Adrianna on behalf of the Red King. Through a completely unnecessary translator, though, which would let the King get out of honoring his word once the deed was done.

Which is when I came in.

The stadium was packed with members and functionaries of the Red Court. Harry and his allies were facing the stand upon which the Red King and the other Lords of Outer Night were standing with members of their entourages, surrounded by jaguar-skin-wearing vampires. They were all in costumes out of pre-Colombian times, with gold masks for the Lords of Outer Night. The combined power of the Red King and the Lords was weighing down on Harry and his allies, driving them to their knees, while the Red King was preparing to hand the sacrificial dagger to a subordinate warrior. Presumably with orders to kill Maggie.

That wasn't going to happen.

I didn't hide the presence of the TARDIS. Its arrival would be distracting; let it do just that. I opened the door and stomped out, alone, while behind me Liara and Katara remained to fulfill my instructions. I was clad in my combat suit with sonic disruptor in hand. I brought it up and used it as a voice amplifier. "Well," I said, my voice booming throughout the stadium. "I see I'm just in time for the festivities. So, let's pretend that I gave you a chance to give up and you said 'no' and get on with it, eh?"

"Time Lord." The Red King's eyes turned toward me. And I felt it. A powerful force slamming down on my mind. My body quivered in reaction, but I did not fall. Harry seemed to tremble a little; the Red King was shifting target to contain me. "Your arrival was anticipated. Now another enemy of the Red Court will fall this evening."

"Quite… impressive…" My voice was hoarse as I spoke in resistance to the psychic attack. "But not enough." I raised the sonic disruptor toward him and prepared to use the neural stun setting.

And then I was on my knees. Several more of the Lords of Outer Night turned their direction to me as well. Against that much power, I had to go down. It was like fighting the Borg Collective in my head again. But instead of a constant droning voice, it was just a few sources of will. Powerful, malignant will, all pressing down on me.

And then I scared them. I brought a foot up so I was only on one knee. Regardless of the pain in my head was starting to move the other leg to. Straightening the one so the other could also be brought up and I could be on my feet again.

This prompted another Lord of Outer Night to turn his direction toward me. That held me in place. I was facing the wills of at least six evil demi-gods of slaughter and bloodthirst. Even as Time Lord mind had its limits. I mean, given time I might have tired them out, or adjust, but for the moment their wills had me pinned down, while their compatriots fought to keep Harry and his allies contained.

All according to plan.

There was movement behind me. Harry had used the distraction to summon Bob from his skull. The spirit of intellect's power was giving him a cushion against the remaining power directed at him, allowing Harry to move again. And I knew just what he was going to do.

That's why I was ready when Karrin Murphy's voice boomed across the stadium.

Her voice range with an authority and power that wasn't quite Human. Indeed, I knew it wasn't even her's, but another speaking through her. "False gods! Pretenders! Usurpers of truth! Destroyers of faith, of families, of lives, of children! For your crimes against the Mayans, against the peoples of the world, now will you answer! Your time has come! Face judgment Almighty!"

I wasn't facing the bright light that came when Fidelacchius was pulled from its scabbard. The Holy Sword turned night into blinding day. In a single slash at the air, Murphy struck the Red King with the power of the Sword of Faith. He recoiled from the blow and let out a scream, his hands coming up to cover his eyes. His other hand pointed toward Murphy and screamed a command at his lieutenants. The gold-masked Lords all turned their attention on Murphy to bind her.

Harry set his hand down on her. I barely heard him urge Bob to protect her. The halo around his head shifted down as Bob moved over to protect Murphy. The white light of the sword permeated her, turning her clothing equally white. With Bob appearing as a halo, Murphy fit perfectly the image of an avenging angel sent to smite the wicked.

Which wasn't too far off from the truth, come to think of it.

The pressure was off me and the others now. I began to stand.

With a shout and a movement to stand, defying the power of all of the vampiric godlings to keep her restrained, Murphy slashed Fidelacchius in the open air once more.

The Lords recoiled as if struck. Several of them had their golden masks ripped right off.

Harry called out to me. "Doc, I hope you weren't just planning to come…"

Before he could finish that sentence, I played my hand. Namely, by raising my actual right and giving the thumbs up signal.

The head of the warrior holding the sacrificial dagger exploded.

So did the heads of three of the Lords of Outer Night. In one case a bolt of blue light appeared for a microsecond before the impact that claimed said Lord.

And in the earpiece hidden inside my right ear, several voices spoke, one after the other.

"Target down," reported Garrus Vakarian.

"Target down," added Gibbs. As in Agent Gibbs, of course. Yes, the American federal agent of retirement age. Amazing what specialized optics can do for faltering eyesight.

"Confirmed kill," stated the third sniper. Lieutenant Aric Jorgan, of the Galactic Republic's Army SpecForce Division, to be exact.

"I got mine," was the last one, out of place from the lack of military bluntness. But of course. Yoko Littner wasn't trained military like the other three snipers.

"Good job," I said. "Pick your targets as arranged."

Safely established with protective elements - including a few squads of Jorgan's fellows in SpecForce and attached regular platoons, General Garza owed me a few favors for saving that squad she nearly lost to the stupid decision to implant Rakata technology in them - the snipers rained fire down from their protected locations. I'd dropped them off first, taking advantage of the preoccupation the enemy had with Harry's duel with Duchess Arianna.

The Red King shrieked in rage, a bellowed order included that sent the forces of the Red Court packing the stadium directly at us with blood and fury in their eyes. Given his senses, I'm not surprised he ducked in time to avoid a shot - given the brief blur of blue, it was probably Jorgan's - that would instead kill the Red Court functionary behind him. He scooped up the dagger and started running with the other Lords. Two more of them went down to headshots before they got out of range.

Of course, that left us facing an advancing army of hundreds or even thousands of vampires and half-vampires in jaguar skins, not to mention the mortal mercenaries that were sure to be rushing in shortly. Given the sight of them, I was sure that this was larger than the one Harry and his force would have faced otherwise. And they were all bearing down on Murphy by the hundreds.

A good thing I brought my own army.

I snapped my fingers and the TARDIS door opened. The moment it did, a single rough voice called out, "There they are! Alright you little pyjaks, let's show 'em what you're made of!"

And with that a battering ram made of rampaging Krogan emerged, Urdnots Wrex and Grunt at the tip. Mass effect shotguns and assault rifles barked out as they closed the distance with the roaring Red Court vampires. Bat-like claw and fang went up against Krogan strength and armored hide. I heard Wrex's hearty laughter come from the middle of the fray, accompanied by the roar of his super-sized Claymore shotgun. A vampire promptly exploded into gooey bits. "It's good to be in a scrap again!", Wrex roared triumphantly. I thought I saw one vampire try to bite him, just for its fangs to catch on the armored flesh of his head's armored plate. He immediately fired his shotgun and literally blew the vampire to pieces. "I almost forgot how fun this was!"

Not to be outdone, Grunt shouted "I AM KROGAN!" while headbutting a vampire so hard its head was crushed by the impact.

As the Krogan broke the ranks of the vampire charge, the enemies to either side kept coming. To meet this, my Companions emerged from the TARDIS.

And they weren't alone.

A lone female figure in full-body combat gear nodded at Liara and turned back to the advancing vampires. She pulled a shotgun out from behind her back and started to run forward, blue energy gathering around her. There was a flare of biotic energy and a moment later the woman shot forward like she had been shot out of a cannon. Several vampires were thrown back by the waves of biotic power that came when she impacted their line. The head of one vampire exploded from having an N7 Crusader-model shotgun go off under his chin. The vampire behind that one took the butt of the shotgun to the face and another shot to the chest that blew his torso to chunks.

Commander Shepard herself had taken the field.

Liara plunged into battle alongside her, alternating between shots with her Locust and biotic bursts to coincide with Shepard's own waves of biotic power. It was astounding how coordinated they looked, especially given how long it had been - especially for Liara - since they had fought together.

And theirs weren't the only biotics flaring. "I'm going to fucking destroy you bastards!", screamed Jack as she unleashed her own immense biotic fury, added with her own fury at what had been done to little Maggie. Behind her Lieutenant T'Goni and several of her fellow Asari Commandos - courtesy of Matriarch Aethyta, who described herself as "too old for this sort of shit" when prompted - came out with guns blazing and biotics at the ready.

Besides them, a grizzled, scar-faced old soldier came out with an old M7 mass effect assault rifle in his arms, flanked by a couple of Humans and Turians with more recent armament of their home cosmos. "Alright, you God-amn beasts, I ain't afraid of you child-killin' bastards!" Zaeed Massani and his mercenary squad poured fire into the flank, taking care to not shoot their biotic-using allies.

With a press of the sonic screwdriver the TARDIS turned itself to present the door toward another side. There was an inhuman roar and another force started coming out of the exit. An unending flood of brown fur.

Harry hadn't made much of the Krogan, but I could see his eyes widen at the sight of a tide of Wookiees coming up on the enemy and one of the Krogan flanks. The TARDIS was starting to spin again when Harry finally got close enough to shout, "Holy crap, Doc! You brought Wookiees!?"

"Courtesy of Zaalbar," I answered. "He was most grateful when I helped him locate a few shipments of his people taken by slavers." I looked at Harry and grinned. "Would you have preferred Ewoks?"

"Oh, ha ha, very funny…" Harry lifted his blasting rod and shouted "Fuego!", setting fire to one (un)lucky vamp that got past our allied line as he (or she) fell dead before us in a splatter of black. Behind him I could see Molly pulling off her rave technique to slow and stun an entire segmentof the horde while Thomas Raith literally breakdanced around her, sword and submachine gun spinning in the process to cut down the enemy. They did this in support of Sanya and Murphy, busy as they were hacking their way through jaguar warriors with their holy swords. Sanya's Esperacchius resembled a cavalry saber compared to Murphy's Fidelacchius as Japanese katana, creating an interesting diversity in the swordplay. "I just hope it's enough…"

A massive bolt of light purple energy in the form of an arrow flew out beside Jack and blew up into multiple smaller arrows in the midst of a group of jaguar warriors, taking them all down. Homura jumped into the air, somersaulted, and fired another rain of magic energy arrows down on our weak side to further stymie the enemy. In the resulting hole in the Red Court lines, Sayaka and Kyoko dashed in, saber and spear swinging, and soon it was limbs and dark blood flying from the hordes of the Red Court. The thunder of magic flintlocks told me Mami was engaging from near the TARDIS entrance, providing support fire.

"The girls from Mitakihara?", Harry asked me.

"Madoka couldn't come, her power is limited to her home cosmos," I confirmed. "And Nagisa… isn't really of the right mental age for this fight, I thought. But the rest… you helped save their city, after all. Given the stakes…"

For a moment, I thought Harry would fully tear up. His voice was hoarse with emotion when he said, "Thanks, Doc. Thanks for coming."

"Don't thank me yet, Harry," I replied. "We haven't gotten Maggie out." The image popped in my head. Harry holding his dead little girl. I couldn't let that come to pass. To try some levity, I said, "You look ridiculous. Like a bloody game character."

"Thank my fairy godmother," Harry sighed... after which his face turned tense and he shouted "Down!" I dropped, bringing my sonic disruptor over, but I was too slow to hit the vampire before it slammed into Dresden. I blasted a couple off him, but it was clear that more were getting in by the moment, and Harry was flat on his back and seconds away from getting his head ripped off.

There was a blur then. An object slammed into one vampire so hard that it probably cracked the creature's skull. An object ricocheted off, slammed into another of the vampires overwhelming us, and then a third, before flying into mid-air and being caught by its owner before he landed and slammed his weapon into the face of the other vampire trying to tear Harry apart. I used the attack to send our other attackers to the ground with a specially-keyed sonic emission that the Red Court was vulnerable to.

Despite everything, it was amusing to see how wide Harry's eyes went when he looked up at his rescuer. A red glove came down to offer him aid. "C...C...Cap?!"

"Come on, Mister Dresden," answered Captain Steve Rogers. His shield and uniform were already splattered with the ichor of the Red Court. "Let's go get your little girl."

The mention of Maggie focused Harry's thoughts. He took Cap's hand and accepted the super-soldier's help in pulling him up. Cap looked around and nodded in a direction. "The young lady with the lights is getting flanked," he said. "Let's go."

And like that, Captain America charged once more into the fray, coming to the aid of Molly's weak side.

Harry stared at me with complete surprise on his features. "You recruited Captain America?!"

"This is a war," I pointed out. "I needed soldiers. He's one of the best."

"I think I could kiss you right now."

"Oi, Harry, and what would Mrs. Spunkelcrief say?!"

But now was not the time for witty banter. The battle was still raging furiously about us. There was a roar as Mouse leaped in to help Thomas protect Molly's front while Katara was protecting her opposite flank with shards of ice, all four working to keep the numbers from becoming too much for Murphy and Sanya. I set the sonic to wide kinetic dispersal and joined Harry in the fight. I had to keep moving, spinning about and sending kinetic blast after kinetic blast into their ranks while my sonic screwdriver stunned any that got too close with sonic shrieking that debilitated them.

Despite everything, there were so many of them...

"Dresden! Doctor!" Martin ran up to us, turning back to fire a burst from his gun into a half-vampire jaguar warrior trying to pursue him. A second took a magic bullet in the head from Mami Tomoe and fell as well. "Look!"

We turned to follow Martin's hand. The Red King and the Lords of Outer Night - the eight of them left, anyway - were standing in a circle, while what looked to be other Red Court sorcerers and sorceresses were creating magic fields strong enough to repel the sniper fire from my sniper teams. I could feel the gathering energy in the air.

And, just to make things worse, some of the mortal mercenaries working for the Red Court began to fill the stands of the stadium. Once they were in formation, they'd pour fire into us. From high ground.

Harry called out "Lea!" With his attention diverted to dealing with his fairy godmother, I had a moment to get closer to Martin. He asked, "So what is your plan?"

"Monterro's in the TARDIS," I answered. "We retrieve him now, if we hurry I can have us at the altar before the Red King realizes it."

"Right." Martin unloaded a clip into a vampire that got too close. I followed up with a kinetic blast that threw another one away from his back. "Lead the way."

As we fought our way back to the TARDIS and Zaeed, the Leanansidhe dealt with the reinforcements... by summoning more of our own. A green emerald flew into the sky, where it shattered, creating lightning that grew in intensity until twelve distinct flashes struck the ground. From those flashes came twelve figures in grey robes.

The Grey Council.

One of them - Ebenezar McCoy, I was certain - smacked his staff on the ground and thundered, "Remember Archangel!" The tip of his oaken staff pointed toward the Red King and his lieutenants.

Force, massive force, simply came from McCoy and slammed into the structure of the old Mayan stadium. The field that had been thwarting the snipers simply collapsed from the sheer strength of the blast. Stone screamed and disintegrated. The Red King and his Lords went flying into the night air from the sheer shock of the impact.

The fighting stopped. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, stared in surprise at the devastation wrought by a single senior wizard of the White Council.

This is why I try not to provoke them, kids. Maybe tweak their noses a bit. But never provoke. Wizards of Harry's cosmos are frightening with the amount of power they can unleash. The older they are, the scarier they are.

Harry let out a primal scream of joy. The Krogan and Wookiees took it up and went back on the attack,pushing the vampires back further.

By this time we made it to the TARDIS. Zaeed looked at me. "Gettin' your God-amn money's worth, aren't you Doctor?"

"That I am, Mister Massani," I replied. "Bring your men in. I'll need you on watch."

"Right."

Zaeed whistled and his mercenaries stepped into the TARDIS behind myself and Martin. I went to the controls. Nearby was Monterro, still knocked out cold from the last tranquilizers we'd given him. I mused that it would be a more merciful death than a man like him probably deserved, given all of the suffering he had wrought for his masters.

I reproached myself for that thought. That's not how I should think. I was just trying to justify the killing I was about to assist in. "Just a quick tweak..." I changed a few coordinate lines and reached for the activation lever.

But nothing happened.

I frowned. And I checked things again. Then I pulled the screen over. "Oh, you bastards," I growled.

"What?", Martin asked.

"The Red Court. They're having sorcerers on the property utilize the ley line currents that run through Chichen Itza to put up some form of dampening field. I'm not sure how, but it's keeping my TARDIS from dematerializing." I reached for the flight controls. "Fine, we'll go directly."

I lifted the TARDIS into the air and pulled it up over the stadium. Underneath us, I imagined Ebenezar McCoy had pulled out the Blackstaff. The black magic artifact that let him be the assassin for the White Council without corrupting his own soul. And soon the kenku would be brought in from the Nevernever, giving our side another boost in reinforcements.

But that wasn't the important part.

The important part was getting Martin and Monterro to the top of the main pyramid and fulfilling our plan. Before the Red King and his Lords showed up.

We started to move toward the temple.

And that was when the TARDIS was abruptly jolted by a powerful strike of energy. Several. The consoles began sparking and I found that some force was trying to compel us to land.

The Lords and the Red King. It had to be.

"Bloody hell," I swore. "So much for that plan." I started playing with the controls while speaking into the radio receiver in my lapel. "Snipers, our fellows who used to be in gold masks. I need support."

"Sorry Doctor," Garrus apologized. "But our nests are under fire. It's everything we can do..." I heard his sniper rifle fire. "...to keep those troops you gave us from getting overwhelmed."

Bloody hell, I repeated again, in my head this time.

Another console sparked. They were pulling on the TARDIS. Undoubtedly aided by the ley lines and whatever other energies they had at their disposal.

I had no choice. I had to land.

I looked up at Martin and Zaeed. "Gentlemen, I'm afraid our plans have to change."

"Ain't that always the God-amned truth?", Zaeed muttered.

"We go on foot," I answered.

Of course, that meant having to fight through probably another army of vampire and half-vampire jaguar warriors to get there.

---

So, plans went awry. Again.

Zaeed and his mercenaries started shooting as soon as they stepped out of the TARDIS. Martin joined them and I came out last, pulling along the unconscious Monterro. The bodies of dead Red Court jaguar warriors were around us. From here it wasn't far to the main pyramid, where Maggie was being held beside the altar on which she was to be killed.

Harry and a body of the others were coming up to meet us. Behind them, fighting was still raging in the court. Molly, Thomas, and Mouse were not among them. "Molly?", I asked.

"Hurt. Bad. Stray round." Harry swallowed. "Thomas and Mouse are guarding her."

I put a finger on my lapel. "Jorgan, as soon as you can, I need Sergeant Dorne in the court. Wounded girl."

"We'll do what we can."

"Right." I took stock of who was with Harry. Murphy and Sanya, covered in slight wounds and Red Court blood, were standing with him. Katara and Liara of course, and Shepard, Jack, and several of the Krogans led by Wrex.

And between us and the pyramid? Another bloody army.

Harry noticed my prisoner. "Who's that?", he asked.

"Red Court account manager," I answered. "Senor Monterro provided me with the data that told me I'd need this army. And I have something in mind for him, but we need to get to the altar and Maggie."

"Right." Harry drew in a breath and walked beside me, a new staff in hand. He still looked completely ridiculous in that getup. "Hey, look."

We did so. On the other side of the army, on the fifth level of the pyramid, was one of the surviving Lords of Outer Night who still had a mask. "There," Harry said. "We take him out, I think these guys will break."

Murphy nodded. And then she let out a yell that could stun a mob, raised Fidelacchius, and charged into the Red Court forces like a swimmer rushing eagerly into an ocean wave.

Sanya laughed. "Tiny, but fierce!"

Wrex added his own laugh. "I like her! She reminds me of you, Shepard."

Shepard replied to that with an amused smirk before turning to the horde. And then boom. One biotic charge and a half-dozen flying jaguar warriors later, she was in the thick of the fighting and keeping vampires off of Murphy's right side. Wrex laughed as he followed her in with the rest of his Krogan. Sanya joined them, Esperacchius shining as he plunged heartily into the horde and pursued Murphy.

"You're all insane," Harry shouted at them.

"Don't be such a pussy, limp dick!", retorted Jack before she ran in, blasting away entire groups of jaguar warriors with her biotics.

"Well…" I shrugged and looked at Harry. "When in Rome…"

The rest of us charged in.

Harry was right. We were insane. Here we were, twenty or so when you counted the Krogan and Zaeed's squad, and there were hundreds of vampires and half-vampires between us and the pyramid, with a Lord of the Outer Night leading and empowering them.

And we were charging them like they were nothing.

But we had advantages in that. The sheer power we held, for instance. The vampires forced to recoil from the power of the Holy Swords before they were cut down anyway. Biotic energy flaring and sending the vampires flying, rendering them helpless before they were blown away by Wrex and the Krogan.

And while they had not worked with each other before, everyone in this group knew their business, and by instinct they worked well together.

I saw Cap throw his shield, catch a vampire about to take Sanya's head off, and then slam into two more when it reached his arm again. Shepard came up on his back and fired her shotgun directly into the blood reservoir of an attacking vampire. Her fist flared with biotic energy a moment before she slammed it into another jaguar warrior with enough force to snap his jaw and cause an inhuman shriek. She twisted away from a swipe at her head, and the attacker instead took Cap's shield into the side of his head. Cap and Shepard swiveled positions and freed Shepard to plunge ahead again with a biotic charge that knocked away another half-dozen jaguar warriors before they could hit Sanya's weak side. Wrex came charging up behind her and blew apart one jaguar warrior with a shotgun blast. Not to be outdone, Cap jumped on top of Wrex and threw his shield out again. It ricocheted off several vampires, during which Cap had jumped off Wrex and smashed the face of a vampire coming at Murphy's side with a punch, and when he caught his shield he immediately launched into a spinning move that delivered a punishing blow to the face of a second warrior. He ducked and rolled, opening up the vampires in front of him to get cut down by Murphy's slashing blade. The vampires before them were then blown away by an exploding fireball thrown by Harry. Sanya and Jack rushed into the gap, sword and biotics lighting the way, and more vampires and half-vampires fell. The vampire ranks tried to fill that gap and were blown away by another biotic charge from Shepard. Liara caught several of them with a singularity that trapped them in mid-air, making them sitting ducks for Jack to blast away with additional biotics.

And that was just ahead of us. On the sides, Krogans roared as they shot or smashed vampires to death. Ice shards flew out and impaled the limbs of several of the vampires, all from Katara. Katara's arms whipped around, trailing streams of water from the bottles at her waist, and the water was congealed into something forceful enough to hit with a thunk whenever she slammed the "water tentacle" into a foe. Kyoko and Sayaka - having barreled their way through the enemy to catch up to us - flew into view and turned about, back to back, saber and spear dismembering jaguar warrior after jaguar warrior, vampire or half-vampire. They drew close enough to the front that Sayaka briefly took up position behind Sanya, their sabers looking quite similar save for Esperacchius' customary light as they slashed through limb and torso belonging to the beings of the Red Court.

From behind, Zaeed and his troops were maintaining continuous fire into the enemy behind us, protecting our rear, while Homura and Mami provided supporting fire that kept the enemy off their sides.

See what I mean?

And all the while, we drew closer.

As for what I was doing? All I could do, which was lug along the sedated half-vampire that was going to make my plan possible while Martin gunned down any enemy that managed to get past the effective barrier posed by my allies and Companions.

When we were close enough the Lord of Outer Night lashed out with his will. Invisible force seemed to ripple in the air around us and drove Harry and Sanya to a stop. Cap took a few more feet before going down to a knee, although he looked ready to keep going.

But it did nothing to Murphy.

She kept going up the stairs, the halo that was Bob glowing ever brighter around her head. She bobbed and weaved to avoid the sorcery thrown toward her. The shots instead deflected off of Cap's shield, keeping Harry and Sanya from getting hit.

Without stopping, struck down the Lord of Outer Night, slicing right through his head with Fidelacchius. Silver fire burned and soon engulfed the dead creature, leaving nothing but ash and a smear mark.

But we still had enemies coming up behind us. Harry and I looked back and surveyed the fight back at the ball court, where the kenku and Grey Council were still fighting, and the ones around the other structures that had been used as guard towers and which my sniper teams had taken for themselves. I could even see the distant green and blue bolts of blaster fire from the Republic units - and one particular battle droid that I thought I could even now hear berating the Red Court as "enemies of the Republic!".

The sheer size of the Red Court's forces, mercenary and jaguar warrior, could still overwhelm us in time. I heard Harry curse. He'd seen the same thing.

I cursed too. If only I'd had more time. Time to bring in other allies.

A shout from Murphy jolted me back to attention. "Harry, go!", she shouted. "We'll hold them!"

Harry took off, rushing up the stairs and toward the altar at the top. And his daughter.

We took up places around the fifth level, using the narrower ledging to hold the line. Mami and Homura on one end and Zaeed and his mercenaries on the other to watch our flanks. Everyone else kept up the fight on the stairs, sending jaguar warrior after jaguar warrior down in defeat, half-breed and full vampire alike. Back toward the court the Grey Council and our sniper teams with their guards were still locked into ferocious battle with the other forces brought by the Red Court, occupying their sorcerers and forcing them to divide their massive force and keeping us from being completely overrun by sheer numbers.

This was indeed a war. And it was a war that could still go either way.

I drew in a breath. It was time. Time to implement my plan, while Harry would be occupying the attention of the Red King and the half dozen or so Lords of Outer Night still alive. I looked to Martin and nodded. We would have to get him a little closer before we began. Just to make sure.

He nodded back. He was rather calm for a man who expected to get his throat cut in the next ten minutes.

I started to go up the stairs with my prisoner still slung over my shoulder.

I felt a sudden shifting of weight on my shoulder. I began to shift to adjust when an elbow smacked into my head. Pain exploded in my skull and I went down, dropping Monterro in the process.

He hit the ground, turned, and broke the restraints on his wrists. An impressive feat given the metal they were made of. I darkly wondered if he'd been wearing them down when nobody was looking. Oh well, no time for that now...

An inhuman roar came from Monterro's throat and he lunged at me as I struggled to get my sonic disruptor out. He sent me sprawling away from the stairs and pinned me to the ground. Teeth snapped at me as he tried to sink them into my face. I turned away and did everything I could to avoid getting any of the narcotic saliva on my skin. I'd administered the counter-agent I'd made for the saliva already, but a big enough dose could still impede my mental functions at a time I needed clarity.

As a Time Lord I'm stronger than a Human being. But even half-vampires are inhumanly strong, so long as they don't mind calling upon the energies that require they feed. Monterro had leverage on me in our current position. I had to change this.

I shifted a leg, then the other, and put everything i had in twisting his weight off of me. This earned me a punch to the ribs. He growled at me. "I'll have your blood for this! And then I'll ascend!"

I shifted my arm slightly and freed that arm below the elbow enough to get my sonic screwdriver pointed toward Monterro. He wasn't as susceptible to the sonic setting I used on full vampires, but as he was mortal he was still quite susceptible to some of my tricks. A sonic pulse into his ear lobe drew a pained scream from Monterro that weakened him and let me slip out from under him.

Unfortunately, he recovered more quickly than I thought he would. He grabbed me as I tried to get up and dragged me back down. Even worse, he had me in a worse position before, with an arm locked around my neck. I gasped for air as the crushing pain cut off my windpipe. I raised my arm to use the sonic screwdriver on Monterro. But he was too fast. He swatted it out of my hand with ease. "Don't struggle," he insisted. While his arms kept me pinned I saw his shadow loom. A droplet of liquid touched my bare neck and I felt a tingle there.

He was going to kill me.

And then the sharp and painfully familiar sound of a Carnifex came to my ear. I'd heard it before, of course. I'd been bloody shot with one.

Monterro's head exploded.

His arm loosened for the moment and I doubled over, gasping for breath. When I looked up, I saw Liara was looking at me. She'd swapped to her Carnifex pistol, which was still in her hand. "Are you alright?"

I nodded instinctively before my eyes widened in realization. "Wait… no." In horror I looked over to where Monterro had fallen. I scrambled for the sonic screwdiver as I ran over, but I didn't need a scan to tell me what the Carnifex had done to his skull.

He was dead.

I looked back to the stairs. Martin was staring at us with a resigned look on his face. "Sorry, Doctor," he said. He started ascending the stairs. "One way or another, this ends tonight."

"Wait, no!", I shouted. "Martin, there are plenty of others here, let me get a replacement! Don't do this!"

He didn't stop. "You and I both know how unlikely that is," he replied over his shoulder while taking another step.

Heaven help me, I almost blasted him with the sonic disruptor right there. As foolish and stupid as that would have been, I still almost did.

Because I didn't care how unlikely it was. What I cared about was the little girl who was going to lose her mother. What I cared about was the good friend who was going to have to kill the woman he had wanted to share his life with.

What I cared about was that Susan Rodriguez didn't deserve to die. Not here. Not like this.

In my anger I turned to Liara and shouted, "Look what you've done!"

Liara stared at me for a moment. A flash of irritation at ingratitude came to her face, but she relented from saying anything about. "I did what I had to," she finally answered. "I'm sorry."

Horror and anger coiled within me so strongly that I wanted to scream. I wanted to berate her for what she had done. For shooting Monterro fatally without trying something else. And yes, I know. She had just probably saved my life. But I couldn't help the feelings I had.

Before I could give vent to that, Murphy's voice rang out. "We need everyone, now!"

The jaguar warriors, perhaps emboldened by what Monterro had done, or perhaps in psionic connection with the Red King, had gathered for a renewed charge. Liara and I raced into formation with the others. Her biotics flared up and that Carnifex barked again and again, after which she swapped it out for the Locust. My sonics alternated; the sonic screwdriver allowed me to debilitate Reds that got close enough, the disruptor let me protect my allies on their weak side.

Above the roar of the combat, I heard a scream of rage from the top of the pyramid.

I knew where it had come from.

And I knew I had failed.

As by his plan, Martin had just confessed the truth to Susan. That he had told the Red Court where to find Maggie and who her father was. That he was responsible for the fact her little girl was going to die. And she had lost her mind to rage and ripped his throat out. She had killed another mortal being and taken of his blood, and due to her nature this meant her human half would be gone. She was one of them now.

Which meant that Susan was going to be the new Red Court vampire that would be sacrificed on the altar.

I felt the familiar congealment in space-time at the edge of my senses. A Fixed Point in Time was coming into form. The course was set. Susan Rodriguez had to die.

Tears flowed down my face. It had all been for nothing, hadn't it? All of this planning and preparation and soul-searching, my endless struggle within myself on what I should and shouldn't do, and it didn't matter. I hadn't changed history. I'd only shuffled a few pieces.

I realized I needed to get up there. I said so.

"I want to go help Harry too," Murphy insisted, "but we're a little busy here!"

She was right. I couldn't leave the line, as much as I wanted to. I held the sonic disruptor out to keep a jaguar warrior from sinking vampire claws into Shepard and gave her the opening to blast the offender back. I moved the deflector screen partially to protect myself from the hammer blows of another until Liara shot it in the head.

Cap's shield sliced across my vision, bounced off one vampire's head, and was promptly grabbed by Sayaka, who used it for a moment in its more obvious application by blocking a swipe from a slavering full vampire before she buried her saber into the torso of the vamp. She twisted in mid-air, slashed up another to send it flying back down the pyramid, and then threw the shield back at Cap as he jumped to intercept a vampire trying to get on top of Murphy and Sanya. He kicked the vampire down, grabbed the shield in mid-air, and threw it down the stairs with enough force to catch four of the vampires, bang bang bang, before it bounced back to him now that he was on the ground.

As I looked out at the gathering slaughter around us, I thought of how there had to be some way to…

There were bursts of biotic power along the flanks of the vampires, compressing them inward as they took losses while coming up the stairs on our right flank. More mass effect weapon fire echoed and came from that direction. I took a glance and saw Zaeed and the others changing their targets, no longer focusing on the stairs. "Our Asari friends are here, Doctor!", Zaeed called out.

That meant Lieutenant T'Goni and her squad of Asari Commandos.

But they weren't alone.

There were other Asari coming with them, carrying weapons of their own and fighting with even greater ferocity than the Commandos. The two groups came along the fourth level, blasting through the ranks of the jaguar warriors with mass effect weaponry and biotics, until they were close enough to jump up to our level with biotics. The trail of destruction they left had further thinned the enemy ranks. There were so many corpses that the attack was slackening from the need to roll the dead down the sides of the pyramid. The vampires were focusing on regrouping now.

One among the second group of Asari stepped forward with T'Goni . The latter was bruised and wounded already, but still standing. I pulled out of the line briefly and looked to them. She saluted. "Doctor. We saw you needed reinforcements."

"Indeed," said the other Asari, an older one. "Our mission was a success, Doctor. The prisoners have been freed and instructed on where to run."

"Thank you, Samara," I replied. "And thank you for the prompt arrival."

T'Goni looked at her with respect. "We never could have fought through if we hadn't met up with the Justicars."

"You fought well, Lieutenant, I cannot take that from you."

Sounds of fighting were coming from the top of the pyramid now. Blasts of energy, magic. The Leanansidhe, I figured. Always leave it to the Fae to go for the sneaky approach.

I looked that way and then toward the gathering army of the Red Court. They were letting off only for the moment, clearing the dead for a big push. Most of our side had stopped firing simply to exchange overheated heat clips or otherwise reload or take a breather; they would be taxed when the push came.

"I can see what you must do, Doctor," Samara said. "Go to your friend. My Justicars and the Commandos will stay here and help everyone wage a fighting retreat up the pyramid."

"Thank you, I breathed." I gave them a final nod and started to run up the stairs.

As I got to the final steps, an inhuman scream came from the pyramid, one of the loudest I'd ever heard. Similar screeches of rage erupted from below.

The Red Court's army surged up the pyramid again, driven by what looked to be crazed ferocity. They were being drawn to their King.

Harry was winning.

So I picked up the pace and got to the top. I entered the temple through that door.

Martin was dead, and obviously so, lying on the ground with a bloody gap where his throat used to be. Susan was writhing on the ground nearby, her skin bulging and rippling and fingernails lengthening as her body transformed into that of a Red Court vampire. Amoracchius, the Sword that had once been Michael Carpenter's, lay still beside her. And Leanansidhe was tearing through what was left of the Lords of Outer Night.

As for Harry? He was busy snapping the arm off of the Red King.

As quickly as I could I brought the sonic disruptor to bear on one of the remaining Lords of Outer Night. For all their power, a surprise attack could still work wonders, especially if it's from setting I normally used to disrupt energy beings. The Lord screeched and fell, momentarily stunned, and a shot from Liara finished him off. Shepard charged another of the Lords and sent that one flying, although he - or she? - recovered quickly enough to throw Shepard backward. Katara came in and faced down a third.

I watched Harry finish taking down the Red King, and I walked on.

There was only one more thing I could do for Harry this night.

Another foe, a servant I thought, interceded, and I had to take a moment to evade a couple of attacks before I simply whacked the creature in the side of the head with the sonic disruptor. He fell to the ground in a stupor. I'd hit him so hard the disruptor's housing was dented. I'm quite surprised I didn't break his skull.

Several more steps and I was where I needed to be. The smell of old blood offended my nostrils. The altar before me was caked in it. The remains of all of the victims of the night's sacrifices, including one young woman who'd had the blade driven into her face as the means of killing her.

I felt a shudder at the entire thing and what it stood for. Lives snuffed out. Destroyed in the name of further destruction. All to sate the needs of a race that fed on sentient beings, on Humans, and treated them like cattle.

I'd told Samara what would happen tonight. I felt it right to be honest with her, to see if it would still conflict with the Justicar Code and to release her from joining us if she and her sister Justicars deemed it unacceptable.

And I'd told her what the Red Court was. What they did. The lives they took and they destroyed.

Samara's reply, and that of the others, was that if Harry or I didn't do it, she or another of her fellow Justicars would. That the Code demanded the complete obliteration of the Red Court for the scale of their horrific crimes.

Her certitude about the rightness of that, about the sheer evil of the Red Court, was more clear to me now than ever before. All of these poor dead people. All of those destroyed dreams.

This had to stop. The Red Court had to end. I was more than ready to see them destroyed.

But at the cost of an innocent life? That was what I was uncertain of.

Speaking of innocent lives. For the first time I saw Maggie Dresden. The poor girl should have been adorable, but as messy and scuffed up as she was in her torn dress, it was enough to break my hearts. And that wasn't counting how her face was locked into the rictus of terror that should never appear on a child. I put away the sonic disruptor and used the sonic to unlock the chain holding her to the altar. even as she whimpered in terror.

I reached down and gently lifted Maggie into my arms. Just contacting the altar like that made my hairs stand on end. The energy wasn't like anything I had felt before. Hot like blood and cold like death, oily and just malicious. This was the energy of a death curse, waiting to slaughter untold numbers of beings.

"It's alright. You're safe," I said in my attempt to re-assure her. I brought Maggie up and shifted her to hold her in one arm. Her little legs dangling from below the knees that were supported by my hand

A shadow fell over the altar. I looked up a bit as Harry laid Susan upon it. There were tears in his eyes and in her's. Her skin seemed to be tearing under the stress of the monstrous form starting to grow within her Human body. She was in horrible pain as her Humanity was literally being ripped from her being. From what had once been her soul.

Her eyes, growing black, focused on Maggie. She seemed to calm. The sight of her daughter reminded her of what she was about to die for.

The obsidian knife was in Harry's hand, recovered from the shattered arm of the Red King himself. The knife meant for Maggie. But now it would be Susan's throat cut open. Cut open by the man she had loved. The man with whom she had brought the darling child in my arm into this world. All to destroy the monsters threatening her daughter's life.

I had tried to save her.

I wanted to save her still.

I felt it. The Fixed Point was formed around us. History itself had rendered its verdict and even I, a Time Lord, could not change it now.

But there was one thing I could still change. A little mercy for my friend and a horrible burden for myself.

I reached out with my free hand and grabbed Harry's wrist. "Harry," I said softly. "Wait."

"No time," he answered. His voice was subdued. In pain.

From beyond, his words were proven quite accurate. Murphy cried out, "Harry! They're coming! They're coming and we can't stop them!"

Cap's voice rang just as loudly. "Everyone, stand firm! We can hold them!" But I could sense the desperation in it. They couldn't hold out for much longer. They were being overwhelmed.

I swallowed and shifted to hold Maggie toward him. "Let me do it," I said. My throat was dry as I spoke. "Take your little girl, Harry. I'll do it."

He looked at me and I could see the temptation. He wouldn't have to be the one with the knife. He wouldn't have to kill his daughter's mother. He wouldn't have to fear that she would hate him for what had to be done. He already had the guilt of the idea on his heart and soul, why add the act too?

Harry's eyes fell on his daughter, who was barely conscious of what was going on. Such was the state the fear left her in. And then he looked at Susan.

"It doesn't have to be you," I urged him. "Give me the knife. It'll be me. Susan's blood will be on my hands, not yours."

He looked up at me. And I looked at him.

We had always been careful about this. Especially given our similar height. We had never let our eyes meet before, not directly. Some close misses, certainly, but we'd always broken eye contact before it was too late.

Because when you look into the eyes of a wizard like Harry, it's not the same as another person. As the saying goes, eyes are the windows to the soul, and in the case of a wizard of this cosmos, that saying was quite literal to practitioners of magic. If you met eyes with one, whether you used magic or not, you could initiate a soulgaze. The barriers between you and the other person would fall and you would get a look at who they truly were. What was inside of them, if you will. And they would get to see the same of you.

And the memory was etched into your own being. You could never forget a soulgaze.

I'd only soulgazed once before. A poor orphaned boy named Dustin had been using some magic - necromancy - to try and keep his brain-dead brother Lonny alive. I would never forget it. Never. I would never forget the heartbreak of a child who, bit by bit, had lost everything in his life until no hope remained. A boy who had thrown himself onto the sword of Donald Morgan because he wanted his family back more than he wanted to live.

Time Lord memories are as persistent as wizard memories, it seems.

This is why Harry and I had always been careful never to soulgaze.

But here in Chichen Itza, in the middle of furious battle, with our friends and allies' lives in danger…. the time had apparently come.

I looked into his brown eyes without flinching away.

He didn't flinch either.

And the soulgaze began.

---

It's... very difficult to describe this kind of thing. Soulgazes, from what I know, can be very different depending on both yourself and whom you are gazing into. Sometimes you get memories. Sometimes imagery showing how the soul developed. It could be anything.

With Harry, it wasn't so much imagery as... feeling. I could feel the warmth of his spirit, the fire in his heart, and now, the numbing cold of the Winter mantle that had been placed upon him.

I could feel pain. Loss. Yearning. Bits of memory about a man long dead.

Malcolm Dresden. His father.

Harry had never known his mother. He'd never attained an attachment to a maternal figure, and its loss had not left its mark on him. But his father had died when he was old enough to feel the loss. A child's pain, long scarred over, at that.

And from there other sensations. I felt the emotions of his time as an orphan, going between orphanages, and the beginning of his need for a family.

Elation. Acceptance.

Justin DuMorne.

The first pangs of uncertainty and anxiety from a young Human boy in puberty, and the soaring spirit when it becomes something.

Elaine Mallory.

Then the darkness. More pain. Betrayal. Disbelief. Rage.

Agony. The Leanansidhe's early "lessons" to him.

A burning body. Justin DuMorne's death. The loss of Elaine. Darkness permanently grafted into the wounded soul of a teenage boy who, in terror for his life, believed with his whole heart he had the right to burn another man alive, not realizing that he was leaving a permanent stain on his soul. Not able to foresee the prejudice that would be laid upon him.

Terror at the Grey Cloaks. The strange voices speaking in a language he could not fathom.

And then it abated. It became replaced with more certainty. Understanding. Reflection. Ebenezar McCoy's tutelage until Harry was of adult age.

I followed the sensations down Harry's life. The feelings that others had left planted within him. Respect for Nick Angel, who had mentored him as a private investigator who searched for lost children. The trust and bond with Murphy. The lost love with Susan. Warm regard for Michael Carpenter. The special bond only siblings could have as Thomas Raith's parentage intertwined their destinies.

Affection for Molly. Camaraderie with William, Georgia, and the other Alphas.

Harry had been alone as a child, and so as an adult, much of his feelings could be found in his bonds with others.

But there was more. I felt myself go underneath that to the core beneath the feelings. The wounded soul, blackened in one corner from his brush with magical corruption. Another mote frozen, showing the presence of the freshly-laid Winter Mantle. And within it...

Iron.

Steel.

The strongest steel.

The feelings there were determination. Stubbornness. Courage. A refusal to yield to the dark things that took the lives of others. I felt, more than I ever had, the belief anchored in the soul of Harry Dresden. The belief in the power and gift that was magic, and how it should be used. Magic as the forces of creation, made manifest by the will of the wizard wielding it, and directed towards the right causes. To aid. To create. To protect.

And all at a cost. Few would ever know what this man did. How many times he had been hurt, how many times he had nearly died, to protect and defend the blind from the threats that lurked in the shadows they doggedly ignored. They did not appreciate him. They did worse, in fact. His world denied what he really was. His world mocked him, pitied him, abhorred him. Con artist. Crank. Witch. Satan worshiper.

And among his own kind, tolerance was not to be found either. Warlock was the word from them. Killer. Black Magic user.

But as much as it might hurt, it didn't change what was here. Nothing could. Criminals. Vampires. Fallen Angels. Monsters. Demons. Faeries. Gods. Harry would stand up to them all and spit in their eye if they dared to threaten an innocent. He would resist whatever must be resisted, no matter how powerful, how indomitable, or even how inevitable.

And if there was to be a cost for this? Any cost to be paid... then he would pay it. Though the cost was his life, he would. Or if it were even worse. It didn't matter; if it had to be done, it had to be done.

Because that is who he is.

That is what Harry Dresden is.

And he... is, if you will, in such a way that the power of it could overwhelm.

The smell of blood was on my nostrils again. I forced myself to take in a breath.

"They're breaking through!", I heard Katara shout.

"I've got them!," Liara replied.

Harry and I stared at each other for a moment. He was regaining his breath. "W... wow," Harry managed. He swallowed. "Well."

And that was all that needed to be said.

We each understood each other now, on a level we never had before.

I knew what I had to do.

I took my hand off of his wrist.

"It needs to be me," Harry said. "Susan deserves that much."

I nodded. I knew he didn't want to do it. He knew he didn't want to do it.

But he wasn't going to force me to take the burden of his choice.

He had been the one to give the idea to Susan. He would be the one to bear the burden of what happened to her.

Wordlessly, I turned away. I laid Maggie out in my arms and ensured she would not see what came next.

Harry and Susan said their goodbyes. I heard their lips touch. I heard Harry sob.

I heard the soft noise that came from Susan's throat in her final seconds. It was faint, more a movement of lips than an exhalation. But I could still make out what she had said. "Maggie."

And then I heard the pained gurgling that came when someone's throat was cut open.

Energy surged around us. Dark and malevolent. The forces of pitiless destruction.

But instead of being directed against the Red Court's enemies, they were now directed at the Red Court itself. And it would be their doom.

I held Maggie against my chest so she wouldn't have to see the additional blood and mangled bodies that came as a result of the bloodline curse.

We had done it.

The Red Court was destroyed.

Maggie Dresden was safe.

And maybe, just maybe, one day I'll find a way to make it up to her for failing to save her mother.

---

I left Harry with his daughter. With the mission complete and the battle winding down, I needed to handle my own side of things.

I returned to the ball court, where Katara and the other medics were going through the wounded. I walked up to where Thomas and Mouse were sitting. Molly was unconscious between them and being treated by a woman in the armor of a Republic soldier, with sandy blond hair pulled back into a severe bun. When she was done inspecting Molly she looked up at me and saluted. "Sir."

Thomas made a face. I shook my head. "That's.. that's quite alright, Sergeant Dorne. I'm not to be saluted at. Or called 'sir'."

"Respectfully, sir, by regulations we are indeed required to, under Republic Army standing orders regarding temporary transfer of command to allied forces," Dorne answered. "However, if you insist, Doctor..."

"How is she?" I looked down at Molly.

"The wound caused severe damage to her leg. I've stabilized her for the moment, so she should be fine. I would recommend time in a kolto tank to ensure full healing, sir... Doctor."

"Right." I'd have Katara deal with it later. Quicker than a kolto tank. Less likely to cause... issues. Although it was unfortunate neither would deal with the real wound to Molly; her psyche. "Everyone else?"

"The Major instructed me to issue you the after action report, Doctor. I haven't had time to write it down, so..."

"...a verbal report will be fine," I confirmed.

"Havoc Squad casualties were limited to minor injuries to Specialist Vik and Sergeant Jaxo," Dorne answered. "Several other squads and the ranger platoons suffered wounding, mostly. One death from one of the... enemy managing to get to the throat of the deceased." Dorne seemed to shudder. "The Wookiees have many wounded. Four fatalities. And these... 'Krogan' you brought with you have suffered about as many wounded and two known fatalities. Allied forces indigenous to this... world... suffered no losses among the grey-robed individuals, although many of these 'kenku' were also lost. I am happy to report the near-complete destruction of the foes wearing the animal skins and the rout of the other forces. The mission was a complete success."

"Yes. Very good." The word 'success' made me feel cold.

I shouldn't have felt this way. I'd gathered what forces I could and without them... Maggie would have died. The bloodline curse would have wiped out Harry and everyone else related to her, and this world would have become far darker.

We'd stopped that. Even without saving Susan, we had stopped that.

Several Krogan tromped up, bearing the TARDIS under Grunt's direction. They plopped it down at the south entrance of the ball court. "Wrex said you'd want this close at hand," Grunt told me. "Figured I'd bring it for you."

I looked him over. We were all grungy, dirty, and bloody, but Grunt was especially so. "Thank you, Grunt," I answered, without remarking on the fact I could have summoned the TARDIS easily.

"We're the ones who owe you thanks. Aralakh Company's been needing a good scrap to stay in shape." Grunt bumped his fists together. "This was a battle they'll talk about for a long time."

"Right." I nodded and looked around. The sun would be coming up soon. People in the area would be waking up. I thought it best not to give them the sight of a large number of non-humans milling about the wrecked site of Chichen Itza. I brought out the sonic and used it to remotely set the TARDIS' door to the large chamber I'd made for everyone to gather in. "Grunt, please, get your men inside." I snapped my fingers to open the door.

"Right." Grunt turned. "All right you pyjaks. Fight's over! Fall in so we can get home! Hey, you two, you're on stretcher detail..."

"Sergeant Dorne." I turned and watched her begin to treat one of the Republic wounded. "Get the Major. I want your people in right behind the Krogan."

"Right away, Doctor."

I made sure the Wookiees had similar orders and helped oversee the transfer of the wounded to the TARDIS. Thomas insisted on going with Molly. He pressed a set of keys into my hand. "For Harry," he said. "Tell him to help himself."

"Right." I nodded. I had already realized there would be no bringing Harry back as well. The TARDIS was still locked to this world's timestream, and would be for another day or so. And he had to be back in Chicago. "Make sure everyone gets inside," I said. "I'll go get the others."

---

While I was on my way back to the main temple, everyone still there was watching the Grey Council depart in a Way. Harry was still holding Maggie and letting her sleep in his arms.

"She's a beautiful little girl." Liara stepped up to him. Like everyone else, she was wounded, bruised, and completely exhausted.

"Yeah."

Liara sat down next to him. "I'm sorry about what happened. With her mother."

"Yeah." Harry nodded. "So am I."

For a moment there was nothing said. And then Liara asked, "What was she like?"

"She was... full of life. Passionate. She never took 'no' for an answer and always kept digging." Harry laughed bitterly. "And there was a time I thought we would be together. I was going to marry her. Had the ring and everything. But then things happened."

"The vampires."

"Yes. And now, whenever I think about Susan, I can't help but think of how little time we actually had together."

"Right."

"He was trying to save Susan, wasn't he?", Harry asked.

Liara nodded. "And I... I'm the one who ruined it."

At his curious expression, Liara quickly told him about what happened with Monterro. "Of course," Harry said. "Sounds like something he would have thought of. Especially back when he was going nuts. Get Martin to be the one on the altar. And he'd have done it too." Harry took in a breath. "You saved his life. The Doc would've... hell, you know how arrogant he gets, he would have tried to subdue Monterro until the bastard ripped his Time Lord face off."

"I took away your child's mother," Liara said. She had tears in her eyes.

"Doc was the one who underestimated the Red Court prick, and you had to save him from that," Harry pointed out. I can imagine his voice grow weary, in that way it could, as he sighed. "You want to make it up to me?"

"How could I?"

"Simple. Take advantage of what time you've got." Harry nodded his head toward the side of the temple. The side where Shepard was showing her shotgun off to Sanya and Murphy. "You've got some pretty good chemistry with the Commander. Don't let it go to waste."

"I..."

"Trust me, Liara," Harry said. "Time runs out faster than you can imagine. Don't let it run out for you. Not like it did for me and Susan. Please."

Tears glinted in the growing dawn as they rolled down Liara's face.

"He's right." Katara stepped up and joined them. She trailed a stream of water that she started to use in healing a scrape on Liara's forehead. "I know what he's talking about."

Faced with the harsh truth of their experiences, Liara nodded in acceptance of their wisdom. She remained silent as Katara treated her injuries and Harry's, and took the time to complement Maggie to her father and heal a bruise on Maggie's face, before Murphy came up and they excused themselves.

---

By the time I got to the temple, Harry and the others were ready to go. "I always wondered what it would be like to meet you, Doctor," Sanya said to me. The big dark-skinned Russian offered me his hand, and I took it. "Harry said you were the one who saved us from Nicodemus' anti-air fire back at that island in Lake Michigan."

"Yes." I felt a small chuckle come from that. As much as I remembered it, that had been ages ago for me. Far longer than it'd been for Sanya and Harry. "Yes, that was quite the night."

"He said you were keeping the situation balanced." Sanya nodded. "Just as you did tonight. I'm grateful for your assistance, Doctor."

"And I am grateful for your being here for Harry and the others," I replied.

"Although, i am wondering why you brought little girls to fight?" Sanya's expression shifted to confusion. "It was most strange. They were very strong for being so small. And the blue-haired girl, it was very curious to see her using a saber so well. How long could she have trained?"

"Um... that's a... special case," I said haltingly.

"Really? That is very odd. But I suppose there are many things in this world that are odd." Sanya shrugged and gave me his goodbyes. He stepped into the Way that would lead back to Chicago.

Harry and Murphy came down with Shepard behind them and Liara and Katara behind her. The others were still further up on the other levels of the pyramid. Maggie was in Murphy's arms now while Harry was carrying her gear.

"Doc," Harry said to me. He gave me a nod.

"The timestream is still fixed to the TARDIS, but I should still be back in Chicago by a little past noon," I said. "We can talk."

"Yeah. If I'm still there, I guess." Harry looked at his daughter. "If not, Murphy knows my wishes."

"Indeed." I stepped up to him and pulled out Thomas' key. "From Thomas. He said to help yourself."

Harry looked it over. The letters WB are on it. Presumably for the Water Beetle, the houseboat that Thomas lived on in one of the marinas of Chicago. He pocketed the key.

Before he could step into the Way, a voice called out, "Mister Dresden!" We all looked up to the pyramid.

On the fifth level, Cap and the other allies I'd brought were standing. They all nodded at him. Cap brought his right hand up in a salute. "It was an honor fighting at your side, Harry Dresden," he said. "The same for you, Sergeant Murphy."

"Oh yeah, because we really kicked butt, didn't we?", Kyoko declared.

Harry, given the situation, couldn't help but chuckle. Murphy had a sort of tired grin on her face. Given the situation, the incredulity of being saluted by Captain America was something they just had to laugh at, not to mention Kyoko's addition. With their hands full, they could only give friendly nods in reply before they stepped through the Way.

The Leanansidhe closed the Way with a move of her hand. "Doctor." She bowed her head. "I must see to the burial of Susan's remains. Would you have any suggestions?"

I drew in a breath. "Yes, yes, I think I might."

And with the others helping, we soon set aside a place for Susan on the grounds, far from where any might disturb her rest.

---

The speed with which I returned the others home varied, but since I wasn't marching out whole armies, it didn't take long at any location. Sometimes it was quite short.

Our last stop was to the Citadel, near the hospital. C-Sec and other onlookers watched in surprise as the Krogans emerged with their injured.

Since Wrex was a head of state and Commander Shepard was... Commander Shepard, I left them to handle any issues with the Citadel Council. Not that I imagined there would be much. Instead I was in the control center preparing for the return to Chicago.

I saw movement up by the hall entrance opposite the main door, or rather where the main door would normally be, and looked up to see Liara enter the control room. "Doctor," she said, "I'd like to talk to you."

I watched her walk. The body language, the tone of voice, the way her eyes looked, and what had just happened... well, I didn't need to be a Time Lord with some feeling for the future, didn't I?

I nodded. "Ready to go home?" I kept my voice gentle when I asked that.

She stopped halfway down to the control room. "Of course you'd..." Liara sighed. "I just... I..." She tripped over the words she was trying to say.

"Between Katara and... this... I suppose it is enough to make one introspective about the issue," I said softly. "These things remind us that there might not be as much time left as we imagined."

"Yes, I suppose," Liara agreed. For a moment she looked thoughtful. "But I didn't want to just walk out. I know you're in the middle of things. We still haven't found Bolin and Varrick, and the situation with Kuvira..."

"Oh Liara." I let out a sigh, smiled, and shook my head. "Liara, you have no obligation. This has always been on your time, not mine. If you're ready to go home, then that's that."

There was uncertainty in her face. "Are you... sure?"

I nodded. "Yes, I'm quite sure. Honestly I never intended for things to get quite so mad around here with all of these Cracks and everything. Not like they've been. My intention was always to give you time to think about yourself and what you wanted, give you some sights to remember, that sort of thing. Without losing actual time in your home galaxy, if you get my meaning?"

"Yes. Yes, I think I do." Liara nodded. The hints of a smile finally started to form on her face. "Well. I guess that's that?"

"Yes. That is that. Want help packing?", I asked. "You could pick out a few souvenirs too. I've still got to get that Muntab mating totem to Glyph."

Liara chuckled at that. "Yes, I suppose."

I started walking up to greet her. "Come along," I said. "Let's get you packed. Just remember to frequently remind Shepard how lucky she is to have you."

"If you insist."

It did good for me. Seeing Liara smiling like that. I appreciated it, and I helped her pack up and followed her to the chamber where the TARDIS door was currently located.

Because it was her time. Liara had done more than her fair share as my Companion. She had joined me while trying to figure out her thoughts - about her job as the Shadow Broker and what it was doing to her heart, and about her feelings for Commander Shepard - and she'd spent that time saving worlds at my side instead.

I could never have asked for a finer Companion. And as much as it might hurt to see her go, I was happy to do so anyway. I wanted her to get on and have a long and happy life.

I must also add that it was quite amusing to see Commander Shepard's utter surprise when Liara turned a hug into a romantic dip and full kiss. That one got a lot of cheers from the assembled.

I even gave a playful whistle.

Granted, I got knocked on my arse from the pair of biotic bursts they tossed at me, but it was still well worth it.

---

I returned to Chicago in the proverbial knick of time.

I left Thomas at the front door to the Raith mansion. I could tell he was hungry, and being around so many tired and wounded mortals had been a strain on his control. I suppressed a shudder at the thought of what would happen to the thralls his sister would undoubtedly feed to him tonight. He wasn't dying so a lethal feeding wasn't likely, of course, but still...

One predator species down, so many to go, it seemed.

Katara had collapsed into the library recliner after finishing the healing work, so I was the one who carried Molly to the Carpenter home. Hope and Matthew answered and were quick to get their parents. "She's just exhausted," I assured them the moment they came from upstairs. "Wounded and tired. She'll be fine." Physically, anyway...

When she was safely to bed, I returned with them downstairs. "Doctor, you look awful," Charity said. "Are you sure you can't stay the night? I can make the spare bedroom for you."

"I'm alright," I lied. In truth I wanted to collapse. But I knew I had one more spot to make before it was too late. I went to the front door. "I'm a damn hypocrite," I finally said, admitting the thought in my head.

"Excuse me?", Michael asked. Even a lesser curse like "damn" was one that could draw a bit of a tic from him.

"I'm a hypocrite, Michael," I said. "I hate war. I hate killing. I always work to stop them and force peace. But last night, I didn't. Last night, I went to war. I brought people from other worlds who felt debt toward me and I drew them into a fight that wasn't their fight," I answered. "In short, hypocrite. Me."

"I can see why you would think that, Doctor." Michael stepped up and laid a hand on my shoulder. "But consider... have you ever heard of the idea of a 'just war'?"

"I have. Usually found it to be an utter lie."

"Usually it is used as a lie, yes, but not always." Michael kept that gentle grin on his face as he spoke. "What you did last night was the definition of a just war. It was the kind of war a good man can fight. That a good man has to fight if he is to remain good."

I said nothing to that. It didn't entirely make me feel better. But it was something. "Thank you, Michael," I said. "And you, Charity. I'll see you again shortly." I checked the time on their mantelpiece. "But I've got somewhere else to be, and my TARDIS is still fixed to your timestream for another day or so."

We exchanged goodbyes, and I returned to the TARDIS.

---

I had reasons for materializing the TARDIS where I did. Even if it meant a walk that was agonizing on my spent body.

I walked along the piers of the marina until I found the ship I was looking for. "Ahoy there!," I cried out. "Permission to board, sir?"

For a moment there was nothing. And then I heard a small chuckle from just within the door of the Water Beetle. "Come on in, Doc," Harry answered.

I winced from my aches as I boarded the boat and walked into the cabin. The tattered ruins of Harry's iconic duster was in one corner. It'd been magically enchanted by the Leanansidhe for the battle, but now that said magic had worn off, all of the abuse it had endured had come back with a vengeance and wrecked the garment.

It seemed a fitting icon for what had just happened to Harry's life.

Harry actually looked freshened up now. He'd showered recently and given himself a shave, and had on a fresh set of clothes; jeans, t-shirt, and fleece-lined denim jacket. I was self-conscious of my unchanged clothing as I took the seat he indicated. "Hot date?", I inquired.

"Murphy and I are going out."

"Ah." I sighed and winced. I was finding I was aching far more than I thought I would. "So... here we are."

We simply looked at each other. Meeting eyes wasn't something we needed to avoid anymore. We had soulgazed, after all. We'd seen what was within each other.

"Yeah, here we are," Harry agreed. "Three days ago it seemed like my life was running along smoothly. Molly was being a good apprentice, bills were paid, business reasonable..."

"Things often seem like that before things shift under you," I said. From experience, of course.

Harry nodded. "You were trying to save Susan."

"I'm sorry," I said. "I... back when I started cackling, to borrow the phrase from Granny Weatherwax, I called Martin. I gave him details. Told him what I knew about his allegiances."

"You're lucky he didn't kill you."

I allowed myself a small smile. "Oh, he tried," I chuckled. "But eventually I got through to him. And I made the arrangement with him. He called right after you did to give me the information I needed to pick Monterro." I chuckled softly. "I was going to go for broke. I tried to come and warn you about the Eebs' plans before they burned your house down." I shook my head. "My TARDIS had other ideas."

"I thought you were fixed to our time?", Harry asked.

"Not forwards," I answered. "I could skip hours if I wanted, relative to you. Still wouldn't speed things up on my end, though."

"Wow." Harry shook his head. "Well, I guess it worked out for the best, mostly?"

"I'm not sure," I admitted. "My forces took a few losses. Not many, but a few. And I failed."

Harry shook his head. "No, you didn't," he insisted. "If you hadn't brought friends last night... hell, I doubt we would've made it to the main temple."

"Oh, you might have," I said. The image, now disproven, of him holding his daughter's dead body briefly blipped into my mind. "You might have. The question is, would you have been able to fight off an army of angry mercenaries who just had their employers killed?"

"Either way, that's exactly my point. You changed the balance back to our side."

"I suppose, yes." I nodded slowly. "In the end, even a Time Lord could only do so much. I had to learn that lesson with Katherine. Never ceases hurting, though."

"Huh." For a moment he said nothing. "Maggie," he finally said.

"Yes?", i asked.

"I told Murphy I wanted her somewhere far from me," he said. "I'm going to be Mab's little monster now, I don't want her around that. And I figure... if anyone can find somewhere she'd be happy, it'd be you."

I swallowed. "Harry, are you...?"

"Find her a happy home, Doc. Please. As one last favor, and I know I already owe you big time for last night." Harry swallowed. I saw a tear on his eye. "You can find her with Father Forthill. I've told him what I want. Please, find her somewhere that she'll be happy, and where nobody can hurt her. Mouse will be with her too, find them a nice home."

"I see." I nodded. "I promise, Harry, that I'll make sure Maggie has a good home. And that I'll make sure she's protected. Mouse will help, too."

"Yes he will."

We had silence again. Finally Harry checked the clock. "Murph should be here soon."

"I hope you enjoy your date," I said. Even though I knew what was about to happen. Knew it. Hated it.

And couldn't do a damn thing about it. Not without ruining things.

I got up to leave. Before I got to the door Harry called out to me. He was standing as well. "Hey Doc, before you go."

"Yes?"

"The soulgaze." He stepped up to me. "It's hard to describe these things. I've never seen a soul like your's before. All that Time Lord stuff... it was like trying to wrap my head around a galaxy. But I can say... deep under all of that Time Lord stuff, you're a Human being."

I stared at him. "You're... serious?"

"I am." Harry nodded. "I saw it. Buried under locked memories and all of the Time Lord-iness in your soul. You're Human. You always have been."

I simply stared for a moment. I... could it be? Was I...?

I know how true it was now, of course, but at the time... it had been so long since I'd ever considered the possibility. It seemed ridiculous. I was once Human? That was silly.

But I could see the certainty in Harry. He knew for sure. He'd seen my soul. He knew what he was talking about.

I'd once been Human.

I'd once been Human.

And then, as I stood there shocked, Harry and I... hugged. Like two old friends saying goodbye for possibly the last time. A full on hug. "Thanks again, Doc," he said. "Take care of my little girl."

"I will. And thank you," I croaked. "Thank you for... that. And I'll find Mister. I promise."

"Thanks. I think Murph could use the company."

There was nothing more to say. I left. I just started walking, my head full of thoughts and feelings. Down the dock, constant motion on the wooden and metal planks, all the way to the exit and my TARDIS.

I almost forgot what was about to happen. I heard the distant little crack. Like a thrown rock.

And back by the Water Beetle, I heard a splash.

A sudden impulse seized me. To run back. To jump into the frigid water and pull Harry out.

But that'd be silly. The sniper was watching. He'd see me. He'd probably shoot me in order to stop me; he was fulfilling a debt here, after all, and wouldn't see it go to waste.

And... this had to happen to.

I kept walking. I returned to the TARDIS.

And just to make sure, as soon as I got there, I stopped at the door. I faced outside and I imagined a circle in my head. Only in my head. Just enough to exchange some words.

I muttered the following words.

"Mab, Queen of the Unseelie. Mab, Queen of Air and Darkness. Mab, Queen of Winter, I, the Doctor, bid you come forth."

She didn't appear physically. But in my mind, I saw her visage appear in the circle I kept in my head, and with her the Leanansidhe. She regarded me with curiosity, and through Harry's godmother she said, "Doctor, a pleasure. I have heard much of your deeds in destroying the Red Court."

"It was a hectic night," I replied. I was verbally mumbling the lines. "I'm not here to talk long, but I wanted to make sure you knew that your new Winter Knight is dying in the waters of Lake Michigan."

Mab stared at me. Her expression contorted into some surprise, and then realization. "Why do you tell me this?", she asked. "This was clearly a machination of Dresden to deny me his services. Why would you, his friend, foil that?"

"For one thing, I'm sure you were about to find out yourself," I said. "Secondly..." I narrowed my eyes. "I am his friend. And I know he has friends and loved ones who still need him. People he is only abandoning because he fears what you'll make him into. But I know the limits on that. You want Harry Dresden as your Winter Knight, fine. But that means you can't change him so easily. Not unless you want to ruin the tool you crave."

"He will change under the mantle. He will be mine. That is inevitable."

"Is it?" I shook my head. "Because I've seen what he's made of. I think he can take it. I have trust that he can remain himself. And I know that you'll not stop that, because if you were to destroy what he is, you'd just break your own weapon. And you're not going to do something like that." I drew in a tired breath. "This world still needs Harry Dresden. His friends still need him. His city. And his daughter. So save him, Queen Mab. Save your Winter Knight. Use him as is necessary to fulfill the duties of Winter. But remember who he is and what he is, and respect that. Such is my friendly advice to you."

"You," Mab said through the Leanansidhe, "are being rather insolent."

"Well." I smirked. "It's no wonder Harry and I get along so well. Go on ahead, then. I thank you for that moment of your time, Your Majesty."

I could have been even more insolent, maybe with something like "The clock is ticking", but sometimes, you just have to play it safe and be diplomatic.

Mab and Lea disappeared from the circle in my mind. And I was alone again.

And I knew I had one last thing to do.

I went into the TARDIS and came back out. With a notepad. I flipped it open and started scribbling.

Ivy, please listen to me.
Whatever you hear, don't worry about it.
Harry Dresden is still alive. He's going to be okay.
He'll just be gone for a little while.
Don't worry about it.

Sincerely,
The Doctor

And then, after thinking about it, I quickly added...

P.S. When you see him again, please tell Kincaid I'm grateful about not getting shot. He'll know what I'm talking about.

"There," I muttered. "All done."

I trudged back into the TARDIS, shifted us into a nice quiet early universe somewhere for the peace and quiet, and promptly fell into my hammock for much needed rest.

---

By the time I woke up, the timestream lock had faded.

And no matter how exhausted I was, I still had things to do.

I checked on Katara, who was still sleeping soundly, and started by returning the TARDIS to Harry's neighborhood. I sighed deeply at the charred remains of the building he'd lived under. With the fire it had finally collapsed, burying Harry's old basement apartment in blackened wood and debris.

I still had memories of that place. Good ones.

As I stood and looked at the ruins in the dawn light, I took out a catnip-laced chew toy and held it out.

After a short while, a four-legged furry form bounded out of what was left of the stairwell. Said form nearly knocked me over as it slammed into my shin, upon which the cat started trying to jump up and bat the toy.

"Hello there, Mister," I said amiably. I turned and tossed the toy in, prompting Mister to chase it inside. "Murphy will be glad to see you. Yes she will."

I took one last look at the ruins of Harry's home before I gave my final goodbye to it.

---

After dropping off Mouse at Murphy's empty house, with some cat food and a water dish and a prepared litter box, plus a note, I made arrangements with Father Forthill for Maggie. With his broken jaw it took us a bit of time as he wrote out his replies, but soon enough we found ourselves in complete agreement on the subject of a good home for her. I left her with Forthill for the time being, letting him do the honors of the initial arrangements, and then I would come along and secure things.

In the meantime, I was relaxing in my hot tub, trying to get the aches and strain of the last couple of days out of my bruised body. Katara sat on the other end to indulge in the same. "So that's it?", she said.

"It is."

"Liara's gone." Katara nodded. "I'm happy for her, though. She's found someone to be happy with."

"I know." I laid my head back. "It's going to be strange around here. Just you and me." In a way, I found I already missed Liara. She tended to have a... focusing effect on me. She kept me grounded.

"Maybe you'll meet someone else who wants to travel with us?", Katara asked.

"Maybe. Possibly. Who knows? And by then you might want to go," I pointed out. "Still thinking of Beach City?"

"Well... I'm still not sure. Maybe?" Katara shook her head. "But with everything going on, the thought of leaving you alone..."

"Oh, don't worry about it, I'm a big boy," I declared. "It's not a big deal."

Being alone again. Huh. I hadn't been alone in... well, in a while. It'd be strange. And empty. And hollow. And I really didn't want to be alone again.

After that exchange, we remained quiet for a bit. Katara finally decided to change the subject. "Harry asked you to find a home for Maggie?", Katara asked.

"Yes." I nodded. "I've made the arrangements."

"What world are you taking her to?", Katara asked. "Where do you think she would be happy?"

"Oh, I've got a pretty good idea on that." I reached over and looked over my new project. "As soon as this is done and tested, I'm going to visit her and see how she's settling in."

Katara nodded. And then she looked at my quizzically. "Isn't that a...?"

"It is," I chuckled. "I thought it fitting."

At that, Katara smiled and let out a laugh.

---

I stepped up to the door. Katara was following behind, but she was just going to observe. She wanted to see what happened.

After the knock, I was met by the Carpenters. "Charity, Michael, this is Katara," I said, making sure to get the introductions done.

Once we had accomplished that, it was on to my purpose. "We just moved her into the spare room," Charity informed me.

"I see. How is she faring?"

"She's starting to talk with us," Michael answered. "Mouse is keeping her company."

"I see. Well..." I looked to the stairs. "I'd like to see her."

"Of course."

The Carpenters led me to the bedrooms upstairs. Charity's old sewing room had been turned into a bedroom, with a bed for a child and a small desk with a chair already set up. A few toys, at least one of which I knew to have belonged to Hope at one point, were in a box near the bed. An old dresser was at one side of the room and a clothes hamper beside it.

Maggie Dresden was sitting on the bed. She was wearing a shirt with some very familiar-looking, if now cartoony, ponies on it, and a little knee-length skirt underneath. Mouse was on the floor beside her and letting her run a hand through his leonine mane of fur. She looked up at me with big brown eyes and I thought a small flicker of recognition went through them. "Hello," she said. Her voice had that typical little girl's cuteness to it, without intending to be cute.

"Hello Maggie," I said. "Do you know who I am?"

"I saw you in the pictures," she answered. Undoubtedly she had seen a picture down on the mantle of me in a Santa suit, from when I'd brought Christmas gifts to the family. "They said you're the Doctor and that you're really nice and you have a magic box you fly around in." She blinked at that. "Doctor who?"

I chuckled. "Just the Doctor," I answered. I stepped in and got down onto my knees beside the bed. Given my height, I was still high enough to make eye contact. "How are you settling in? Do you like it?"

Maggie nodded. "Mister and Missus Carpenter are really nice. And Hope gave me some of her toys."

"She did, huh? That was awfully sweet of her."

"Uh huh. And Harry makes me laugh."

I nodded. The youngest Carpenter had been named for Harry, who had saved Charity's life just before he was born. "Well," I said, "I'm glad you like being here. Your dad asked me to make sure you were happy."

She blinked at that. I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out an image. It was my copy of when Molly had presented my vest to me, the image Liara had made. "This is him," I said. "Your father, Harry Dresden."

Maggie nodded.

"And here I am. Your dad was having a few chuckles at my expense, you see." I indicated where Harry had, mischievously, given me bunny ears with his fingers.

That prompted another nod. Mouse let out a low whimper. I reached over and ruffled his fur. "Ah, don't worry about that, Mouse. Trust me. Things will work out."

Mouse accepted that with a chuffing noise.

"You'll never be pleased will you? Oi." I reached into my pocket and pulled out another Layom Station-provided super doggy biscuit. "Here, boy."

Maggie finally smiled thinly while Mouse wolfed down the biscuit. I chuckled and looked back to her. "He's a big softie," I said. "Don't let him fool you."

She nodded again.

I looked back. Katara hadn't entered, but she had heard enough and I could see her from the doorway. Wordlessly she seemed to be agreeing with me on what the problem was, given the concerned expression on her face.

I looked back to Maggie. "Maggie, I know you went through something awful, and I'm so, so sorry about that," I began. "But you're safe now. The monsters who took you can't get you anymore."

A quiver went through her little body. She started rubbing her arms together as if she were cold.

My hearts felt like melting. The poor dear was still scared. Traumatized severely, and in a way no therapist of this world could ever help her deal with.

"Maggie, I promise you, the monsters are not going to touch you again," I continued. "Because that's what I do, Maggie. Your father and I, we both fight monsters. We fight them and we beat them."

Tears were forming in her eyes. She nodded softly.

I reached into my jacket pocket. "Now, I want to give you something." I pulled the item out. "May I see your left hand? Please?"

Maggie held still for a moment. Her little arm came up and extended, presenting her left hand.

I gently took her left forearm with one hand, while with the other I placed the object I'd pulled from my jacket onto her left wrist. There was a little tone as the blue material conformed to fit her wrist without being too tight and then promptly snapped shut. "It's a watch," I said. I showed her how to take it off if she ever needed to. Not that she would, since it was waterproof and all the other -proofs you could imagine.

After I finished with that important informtion, I pointed to the clock face with the ticking hands. In the middle of the watch face, with its white background and blue numbering, was a likeness of the TARDIS. "And that's a picture of my magic box. It's called a TARDIS. It's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. And it can go anywhere."

"Anywhere?" She seemed confused by that.

"Anywhere," I repeated. "All sorts of worlds and places. And all sorts of things to meet. It's what I do. When I'm not fighting monsters."

Maggie nodded.

"Now, Maggie, I need to tell you something." I took her hands and put them together, and held them together with my own. "Your father was one of my best friends. And he made me promise to look after you. To make sure you were happy and that you were safe. And I meant that promise." I looked her in the eye. No need to fear a soulgaze there. "Now I know you're still frightened a little. You're scared that the monsters can still come back and they might take you away again."

The little one was honest. Maggie nodded her head slowly.

"I understand." I patted her hands with my own. "It's okay to be scared. But I want you to know something. You don't need to be scared of the monsters anymore. Because you see this watch?" I moved my hand and touched it. "See this button?"

Maggie nodded. "I do."

"I want you to press and hold it. Okay?"

Maggie nodded and did so, by which time I had the sonic out of my pocket. The watch suddenly lit up, bright blue. A skin-tight energy field popped into existence around her. And my sonic screwdriver's tip started flashing. Three short flashes, three long, three short. "You see this?" I indicated the sonic screwdriver. "When you hold that button on the watch, you're sending me a signal saying that you're in trouble. That monsters or bad guys or something like that is after you. So if you're alone and scared, if monsters are after you and Mouse or the Carpenters or anyone you're around, you just need to hold that button down. Because I'll know you're in trouble then. And I'll come right away." I smiled and vowed, "And then it'll be the monsters and bad guys who get scared and run away."

Given the look in her eyes, Maggie was taking in my words. And her expression seemed to brighten up. She nodded at me. "You promise?", she asked.

"I promise," I vowed.

Maggie looked at Mouse, who let out a happy bark and nodded his head enthusiastically. She turned back to me and a lovely little smile crossed her face. "Okay," she said. She wrapped her arms around my neck. "Thank you Doctor."

I patted her on the back. "Oh, it's quite alright, Maggie, quite alright. Now..." When the hug ended I looked down at her and winked. "Are you hungry?"

"A little."

"Well, we can't have that, can we?", I said. "We need to get you something to eat before you end up all shriveled up, eh?" I laughed as the perfect idea came to me. I looked through the door, where the Carpenters were now standing. "Any plans for dinner yet?", I asked them.

Michael looked toward Charity. She shook her head gently. "I haven't put anything in yet," she admitted.

"Ah. Well then, how about Burger King? Anyone up for one of those whoppers?"

Katara blinked. "But I thought you..."

I put a finger over my mouth quickly, without Maggie being able to see it. "I say Burger King. What about the rest of you?"

Charity let out a maternal little chuckle and nodded. "I'll get the children."

"Excellent. Most excellent. It's all on me!" I picked Maggie up, who finally let out a giggle for the first time since I'd met her. "And happy meals... wait, those are that other chain. MacGregor's... MacDiarmid's, no, McRonald's. Whatever. We'll get whatever Burger King calls a happy meal, how about that? And those paper crowns..."

Mouse followed behind as we left the room, tail wagging.

We all went to Burger King. Me, Katara, Maggie, the Carpenter clan, even Mouse. Which I thought was fitting. Sure, gastrointestinal menace and all that, but sometimes... well, sometimes there are things more important than that, you know?

And what can I say? It felt good. Ultimately, at the end of the day, after all of the blood and violence, the pain and uncertainty and all that horrible death, it was good to just sit back and watch a little girl begin to put her life back together.

And so there we were, Katara and I, fresh from a horrible night of war, and now watching Maggie smile and laugh as Charity set the paper crown on her brow.

That, my dear readers, is what I call victory.