When I came to, I was very confused.

I know, I should probably have expected something to be confusing about stepping through a rip in space and time, but it's one of those things you just don't plan for.

I groaned and sat up, rubbing my head while I looked around. I was lying in the middle of a very large room, metal floors, metal walls, metal catwalks... The lights were dim enough to hide detail, but I could make out the forms of boxes and crates.

…

I stood up, looking around. The room was empty. No sign of River, or Bob. Strange…

I decided the best thing to do would be to do a little snooping.

It took a little bit to even out my steps, something I always had to deal with after taking a blow to the head, but I managed to make it up the strairway and onto the catwalk. It led off in two directions…I chose left.

The door held me up for a minute, before I figured out you had to slide it open. Not weird at all…

Down the corridor I went, heading toward the slightly brighter light at the end. I entered into a large room, of normal height. A kitchen and dining room, with a little alcove in one corner, seats with safety harnesses.

I heard a clunking and spun around, eyes wide.

A woman stood there. She was dressed in coveralls, pulled down to her waist, and a tank top covered in oil stains. Her hair was messily pulled back in a ponytail, bits of it still falling over her freckled face.

She frowned. "Well, what're you doin' in here?"

I blinked, holding up my hands defensively, and was about to respond...

...when she moved past me, picking up what looked to be a wrench from the table.

"Been lookin' for you for awhile now. Wonder how ya ended up in here…"

She walked off, down another hallway.

I stood there, eyes wide.

Had she…had she not seen me?

I walked after her, trying to keep up. When I reached her, my jaw dropped open.

She was wiping at her brow, pulling at a bolt with the wrench. The bolt was attached to some kind of component, which was attached to the wall. Wiring from all over led to the center of the room, where a large, very complex looking machine spun wildly.

"What the hell is that thing!"

There was no answer from the other occupant of the room. I turned, and frowned again. Could she really not see me? Or hear me?

I reached out to tap her shoulder, try and get her attention…then pulled back with a jerk as my fingers passed through her. My eyes went wide and I quickly wrapped my other hand around them as much as possible. At the same time, the woman spun around, looking surprised.

"Hello?" She called out after a second.

"Can you hear me?" I asked quickly, sounding hopeful.

"Hellooooo?"

That would be a no.

"Come on…this isn't funny…who's there? Wash?"

When no answer came, she turned around, shuddering slightly. "Downright creepifyin'…"

Wonderful.

I turned and headed back down the corridor to continue my exploration. I passed through the dining room again, this time choosing a door on the right. I walked slowly, keeping an eye out for more people.

There were several sections of the wall with ladders that led nowhere, names painted on over them. More confusion.

There was another door ahead, and I pulled it open, stepping into the room.

Two seats, surrounded by consoles of what looked like navigation systems. I was surprised they were still running…I tended to wreak havoc on things like this, especially from this kind of distance…

That thought was expelled when I caught sight of the windows.

"Stars and stones…"

Outside stretched a black void, sprinkled with pinpricks of light.

Stars.

I was in space.

On a ship…in space.

I was in a space ship.

I was in a freaking space ship.

The kid hadn't been lying. She really was from the future. And she'd cut a hole in reality to get back home.

That mind-numbing realization spawned several questions.

Like 'how did she end up in Chicago in the first place?', or maybe 'how am I supposed to get home now?' and, of course, everyone's favorite, 'Why couldn't that person see me?'.

The most immediate question, of course, was 'Who is this guy kicking back in what is probably the pilot's seat, fiddling around with Bob's skull?'.

Ah, the glorious life of a professional wizard.

"Captain?"

I jumped aside as a young man appeared in the doorway. The one in the chair turned around, standing. "She awake?"

The newcomer nodded. "You told me to come get you…"

"Right, then what're we waitin' for?"

They walked out and, after a moment, I followed them.

Down the halls, through the dining room, down another hall I hadn't yet explored. They turned a corner, went down a small flight of steps, and entered a room with large windows looking in.

River sat on what looked to be a hospital bed, in the center of the room. She seemed uneasy, but her eyes held a sharpness I'd only seen a couple of times.

I slid inside, skirting the wall to stay out of the way of the men. The younger was smiling slightly, approaching River like you would a skittish animal. "Told you I'd be right back." He said, voice low. "How're you feeling?"

River took a deep breath, looking around. "It feels less fractured. Serenity binds." She gave a twitch of a smile to the man in front of her. "Missed Simon."

The younger man, Simon, I assumed, smiled back. "I missed you too, Mei mei."

"Doc? If you don't mind?"

Simon frowned, but stepped back. River turned to the man, her smile still there. "Malcolm Reynolds. There has been no change. She was successful in her failure."

The man, Malcolm, blinked. "What now?"

River nodded. "Due to a miscalculation, had to reroute through Serenity Valley. The possibility stood for a change of outcome." She turned to me. "Serenity Valley was a loss, and our presence could have swayed the tide of battle. Changed history."

My eyes bugged out, and I coughed. "You can see me!"

River nodded again, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Of course."

Malcolm looked past me, then to Simon. "Can you conjure any particular reason for her conversin' with the wall?"

Simon frowned. "River, are you feeling well?"

River nodded yet again. "Yes." She looked back to me. "They can't see you. Not equipped. Brains are filtering your aura."

Translation: There's weird stuff going on and my explanations are cryptic and useless.

"Okay Doc…I think maybe she's not quite up to being awake yet."

Translation: I don't think she's stable, put her under.

I growled and stepped forward, ready to stop them if they tried something.

"Don't worry, Mr. Dresden. Simon is trusted. Only wants me to sleep."

Simon blinked as he dug in a bag. "I think you're right, Captain." He pulled out a syringe, slowly approaching River and sticking her arm with it. Her eyes fluttered, and she slumped. Simon quickly caught her and lowered her to the bed.

Malcolm rolled Bob's skull around in his hands, looking thoughtful.

"Not a word." He said suddenly. "Don't need to go worryin' the crew none. Best they're left in the dark for a spell."

Simon looked uncertain, but nodded. "Of course."

I glared at him as he walked out, but followed anyway.

DMT

The 'night' passed. I quickly became familiar with the layout of the ship (obviously due to my years of detective work). I realized something very strange, however, the first time I tried to search a room. I opened the door, rifled around for a bit, then turned away. When I looked back, the door was closed. I turned a quick circle to see if someone had snuck in, and found room untouched.

Through a bit of deductive reasoning, and a bit of wild speculation, I guessed I didn't actually interact with anything. I just thought I did.

That could get annoying.

But it also made a good point of research. Maybe that was how ghosts felt…

The crew stirred eventually, and I got to know them over breakfast. A breakfast I neither wanted nor needed to take part in. A part of it was that I wasn't hungry.

A bigger part was what the food looked like.

Being insubstantial had its perks, I guessed.

Kaylee, the mechanic I'd scared, was just as bubbly as she looked. And quite obviously (though maybe I'm biased, being a detective) had a thing for the doctor on the ship.

Zoë, second in command. Held herself well. Disciplined. Pegged her for a cop or soldier, if they still had those things.

Jayne, the resident weapon nut. Didn't really scare me. I'd seen bigger monkeys…

Inara, a woman of masked expression and unspecified duties (I tried really hard not to speculate. Really, I did.).

Wash, Zoë's husband and pilot. Definitely a joker. Reminded me a little of Ramirez, actually.

'Book', the 'shepherd' (I figured priest from the collar). Reminded me a lot of Forthill.

Simon hadn't shown up for the meal. The Captain, (Mal, apparently. I can't blame the guy for wanting the name shortened), was there, and answered questions on River's condition.

Said she hadn't woken up yet.

The 'day' went by slowly, as I had nothing better to do than shadow some crew member as they performed some menial task or passed the time. Apparently, space travel was mostly about patience.

Impatient, I went back to see River.

I was sitting next to the girl when she woke up again. Simon rushed over, careful as usual, like she was a china doll.

"River." He smiled at her, helping her sit up. "Did you sleep well."

River glanced at me, and I put my finger to my lips, shaking my head.

She smiled and nodded. "Feeling better now." Her stomach rumbled, and she looked down, frowning. "I require sustenance."

Simon blinked, raising a brow as he processed that. "Oh…right. I'll just go get you something to eat." He started out, but paused at the doorway, turning back. "You're sure you're okay?"

River nodded again, smiling disarmingly. "You shouldn't worry so much."

Simon smiled back and walked out. River's expression slid off her face.

"He doesn't know what to do. It frustrates him."

I shook my head. "It's obvious he means well."

River gave a slight nod. "He's still like the crew, though. They tiptoe around, for fear of being notice. Kaylee, Inara, Wash, and the Shepherd are full of pity. Simon is worry. Mal is watchful." She paused, tilting her head. "Jayne thinks they should put a bullet to me. Collect the bounty."

I nodded again, quiet for a moment. "You're much more lucid than before."

River gave an almost contented sigh, a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth. "Serenity helps. Sings to me. And it's much more quiet out here, in the black. Easier to ignore the whispers."

I fell silent again, then shrugged. "So…care to explain how nobody can see me?"

River sighed. "It is complex."

"Try me."

She swung her feet for a moment. "You aren't here."

I blinked. "What?"

"Your mind is here, but you are merely a reflection. Held together and tethered to your body by your power."

I blinked again. "So I'm…like a ghost?"

River nodded.

"And I left my body…back in my apartment."

River nodded again. "Temporal variation will ensure survival. You need not worry."

"Damn…"

"Resonance is the deciding factor." She held up a hand to stave off the question on the tip of my tongue. "I'm receptive to your aura, so I can perceive you. They cannot."

"So you're definitely a psychic."

River sighed. "They stripped away at the layers, removed the filters. I hear, but I hear all. Can't choose, like they wanted."

I shook my head. "Who?"

River blinked several times, a sort of haze drifting into her expression.

"Two by two." She whispered. "Hands of blue."

"River?"

We both turned to see Simon standing in the doorway, a tray of food in his hands.

"I brought you your favorite." He said, sounding slightly sarcastic. "Protein packs."

River made an 'ungh' face, and I was suddenly glad I didn't need to eat.

I sighed, and took a seat, resting my head in my hands. It seemed like the only way to get out of this was to talk to River about it.

I was going to have to wait it out.

DMT

I was becoming rather irked at my current predicament. It was 'irked' and not 'pissed' because I'm a wizard, and we must maintain some kind of mystique...it really isn't important. Nevermind.

So far, the only idea I had on getting home was to talk to River. After all, she'd been the one to get me here. But it seemed like somebody upstairs (downstairs? Sideways? Space travel, mucking with perception since 21-something or other) was against me, because she was never alone.

I couldn't believe it. If it wasn't her overprotective brother, it was another member of the crew. Even when she tried to sneak away, she was caught. It was starting to get ridiculous. It didn't help that I couldn't contact Bob. The Captain, Mal, seemed to find the skull a curiosity. The fact that River refused to say anything about what had happened, or why the skull had been found next to her, only made it worse. Apparently, the man liked a mystery.

I sighed as I looked down at the crew, bustling around in the hold, playing some sort of game with a ball and a hanging hoop. There appeared to be teams, but as to rules…I just couldn't figure it out.

"There aren't rules."

Can't deny it. I jumped.

River had a bad habit of sneaking up on people. Apparently, I was one of them. She was sitting on the catwalk, her feet swinging in the air, chin resting on the lower bar. But for the life of me, I couldn't tell you how long she'd been there...

"You want to talk with me." She said simply, not looking away from the game. "Weren't able to."

I ignore the 'creepifying' feeling brought on by her foreknowlege, shake my head. "It'd be nice if I could figure out how to get home."

River sighed. "It's not as simple from this side. Before, there was already a rift. The construct merely tapped into it. But it closed. The door must be opened again. This is…Problematic."

"Why?"

Another sigh, and River glanced up at me. "Strings are frayed. Need to rest. Straining…tearing. Traveling through the rift is not good."

I thought for a moment, then frowned. She couldn't filter things, she said. And traveling through something like that…there was every possibility…

"I'm sorry."

River shook her head. "It's not your fault. The blue sun did this. The school that wasn't. Made her a reader. She wasn't meant to be." A sigh. "And now the whispers wear her down, take her energy."

I scuffed my heel, watching the game for a bit before deciding I should probably get things back on track.

"So you need to rest? And then you can help me with the spell?"

River nodded again, but then shook her head. "Need supplies as well. From this side, the construct must be far more solid."

I blinked.

"So it's not going to be easy?"

River smirked. "It's never easy, is it?"

I gave a wry smile. "Never." I looked around. "So what do we need? And where will we get it?"

River tapped her heels together. "We're stopping on Persephone in a few days. It is probable that we will be able to find what is needed there."

I paused for a moment. "And this…Persephone…it's…"

"Another planet, yes. There are many terraformed in this system."

"Yea…I'm not going to be getting used to that."

River just smiled some more.

A second later, I heard boots on metal, to my right.

"And who're you talkin' to?"

I looked around to see Mal, looking past me with a raised eyebrow.

"Harry Dresden." River answered from behind me.

Mal's raised eyebrow went a little higher, and he stepped past me, to lean on the railing next to River.

"Got yerself an imaginary friend there?"

River shook her head. "Not imaginary. Just not here."

Mal shook his head. "You know, I never understand half of what comes out of your mouth?"

River smiled enigmatically. "Do you not? Or do you just not want to?"

Mal blinked. "Um…no?"

River shook her head. "Malcolm Reynolds…" She looked up. "You are being rather rude."

Mal frowned now. "Because I don't understand what you're talkin' about?"

"No. You didn't greet my friend." She gave a pointed look in my direction.

Mal's expression became amused and he looked around 'at' me. "Oh, well, forgive me." The sarcasm was subtle but still there. "I suppose a friend of yours would expect a proper greetin'." He held out a hand. "Nice to meet you."

I glanced at River, who smirked at me.

Well…it would be rude of me not to…

I reached out and wrapped my insubstantial hand around his, holding it just right, so it would connect but not pass through.

The guy's reaction was priceless.

He jumped nearly a foot in the air and yanked his hand back, letting out a stream of some oriental sounding language.

River just smiled at him as he whirled to glare at her, shrugging. "I told you."

Mal fumed for a moment before walking off, muttering. "Gorram crazy is catching…"

I laughed then, and River laughed with me.

DMT

I remember SplatterCon! (Never forget the three exclamation points).

A giant building packed with hundreds of people. Hot, more than a little stifled. Lots of weird sounds and sights.

Turns out, Persephone was just like that. Only with more grit, and spaceships. And making it even more confusing was the fact that every other sign was written in Chinese, and every other person spoke it.

I, of course, neither read nor spoke the language. It was like being a tourist. A very confused, insubstantial tourist.

"Come on!" River called, causing the others to look at her strangely. I very much appreciated the call, however, and rushed forward, sliding past people as much as possible, throw them when it was unavoidable.

A few minutes of walking, and everyone stopped at an intersection.

"Right." Mal glanced around, nodding. "Jayne, you're comin' with me to see Badger. Zoë, take River around, find some supplies. Kaylee's got the mule ready for when you need pickup."

"Got it cap'n." Zoë put a hand on River's shoulder, looking down at the girl. "You ready to haggle?"

River smirked. "Yes."

"Right then. Meet back at the ship in three hours."

We split up. I followed River and Zoë, despite my curiosity toward the captain's business.

"River?"

"Mmhmm?"

"…What is that?"

River looked up, then back down at the object in her hands. "Metallic representation of air."

"Looks like it costs a pretty penny. Why don't you put it down so we can move on?"

"We need it." River said simply, clutching the piece closer.

Zoë raised an eyebrow. "We need a gold plated feather?"

River nodded.

I nodded too.

Zoë blinked. "Is this one of those things you're going to not let go?"

River nodded.

"I'm not paying for it."

"All right."

"…You're not leaving it here, are you?"

River shook her head.

Zoë sighed, then nodded. "Come on then. And hide the thing well enough."

River smiled and tucked the feather away in her dress. I smirked and followed them out.

"What in the Gorram hell is all this! I sent you out to get supplies, not blow our funds on trinkets!"

Zoë looked up, hefting a small crate off the mule. "Didn't spend a dollar on them."

That didn't seem to calm Mal very much. "You sayin' you stole all this stuff?"

"It is necessary." River spoke up from where she sat, her acquisitions for the day set up around her in a little semicircle. The golden feather, a bottle of wine, an elaborate candle, five smaller, simpler candles, and a crystal that, when set on it's base and placed in the sunlight, sent little spots of rainbow flying all over the hold.

And those were only the necessities. There were about twenty other odds and ends, most of them small and difficult to identify.

Mal blinked. "For what, exactly?"

River smiled at him. "That would be telling."

Mal opened his mouth for a retort, obviously thought better of arguing with her, and quickly turned to leave. Zoë shook her head, looking a little amused. River looked to me and giggled. I went ahead and laughed, too.

This wasn't so bad.

DMT

This wasn't good. Something about this plan just made me uneasy.

"I thought the plan was to send me back."

River nodded, but continued to write on the floor of the hold (I wasn't exactly sure when she'd gotten the chalk).

"So why is this array elaborate enough for two people?"

River looked up, then around at the array.

Most of the floor was covered with equations and symbols, with some of the odds and ends scattered in key places. The circle in the center was almost complete, the elemental representations in place. I'd only just now noticed it was far too complex for just snapping me back into my body.

"I'm going too."

Okay…

"Why!"

River shook her head. "I cannot tell you. There are balances that must not be upset."

"We just got you back home!"

"And I will be able to return easily."

I sighed, then nodded. Best to just go along with it…

"What about Bob?"

We both froze at the realization, and shared a look, surprised. Well, I was surprised. She had this expression that sort of said…'I'm the genius, but I can't handle everything. You're a slacker, now let's hurry up and fix the problem you caused.'.

Don't look at me like that, I call 'em like I see 'em.

…

Whatever…It was there.

River stood, padding easily across the floor, managing to avoid all the chalk lines. I just walked over it. Couldn't affect it.

We made our way through the ship until we reached Mal's door. River turned and shushed me, to which I rolled my eyes. She glared, then turned and pushed the door open, dropping inside without a sound.

I took the ladder.

The lights were dim, but I could make out Mal's sleeping form on the bed, the covers tossed and rumpled. Guy must not be a quiet sleeper…

River glided around the bed, snatched Bob's skull off a shelf, and moved back towards the door. I let out a sigh of relief, turning to go back up the ladder.

Then the lights came on.

We turned, and stared wide eyed at the bed. An alarm went off.

"Its morning!" I hissed, looking around.

River gave me a sheepish smile. "Preparations took longer than expected."

I groaned, then turned to rush up the ladder. When I reached the top, I heard Mal snuffling, and a quiet "River!"

River hopped up after me, and we ran through the halls. River took and impressive leap from the catwalk to the hold floor, turning and freaking flip in the air before landing in a crouch.

I went down the stairs. Action hero, I am not.

She was already starting up the array when I got there, and the lines had started to glow.

"You must go through first." River said quickly, looking around. "I'll follow with Bob."

Bob, who was currently awake.

"BOSS!" He cried, eyes flashing to life. "It's so good to see you! I wasn't sure what I'd end up doing if I was stuck with that guy for another day! Tossing my skull around like some sort of ball…I was getting seasick! Seasick! Can you imagine..."

"Bob! Not now!" I looked around, willing the thing to work.

The rip formed, and I smiled.

There was a long stream of Chinese cursing from behind us, and we turned to see Mal and Zoë, Jayne stumbling in behind them.

"What are you doing!" He shouted, eyes wide.

River just sighed and looked to me. "Go!"

I didn't need to be told twice. I jumped through.

DMT

Malcolm Reynolds was pretty secure with the laws of nature, even to the point of being fine with the fact he didn't know everything about them. He knew that you couldn't survive in space because of the vacuum. He knew that something heavy would fall hard, and that something light would fall soft. Mostly because of air resistance.

But when confronted with a hole in the air, he was speechless.

River ignored his question, instead turning to speak to someone who wasn't there. The hole flashed a moment later, and started to close.

River glanced back up at him, then leapt through the hole. It vanished.

A few details made their way into his mind at that point, such as the fact that she had been carrying the skull. And that all the things River had stolen were sitting around, amidst a bunch of chalk.

"What the…"

He looked to Zoë, who shook her head. Jayne was just staring stupidly. A quick shake of the head, and he moved down the stairs to look around.

A few minutes of useless searching later, he stated the obvious.

"She's gone."

"Noticed Sir."

Mal nodded, then looked around. "Any idea's how she did it?"

Zoë raised an eyebrow, then scuffed at some of the chalk markings with her toe. "Looks like math."

Mal blinked. "She made herself vanish…"

"With math." Zoë finished.

Mal was quiet.

"That Gorram math go'se is just creepy."

Zoë and Mal jut stared at him, and his frown became defensive.

"What!"

Mal shook his head, the looked around, rubbing the back of his neck. "All right…Let's go find Simon and let him know his sister vanished again…"

DMT

I woke up feeling fuzzy. I think I may have mentioned not liking head injuries? Yea…there's a reason for that.

"Urk…"

That's about as coherent a sound I could make. Apparently it was enough. I pinpointed some movement nearby, and heard the snuffling of my dog. I took that as a sign that I was safe.

A moment later, I felt a cool hand on my forehead, and heard a quiet voice ask if I was okay. I couldn't tell who it was at the moment, my jumbled thoughts not really allowing for much in the way of, well, thinking.

"Harry…come on…I know you're awake…"

Ah. Murphy. Okay…

I opened my eyes, blinking as the world blurred.

"That's right…come on…"

I blinked again and focused on the blur that Murphy's voice was coming from. "Whas goinon?"

She seemed about to answer, but then something snapped by head to the side. I groaned again, but after the stars stopped flashing in front of me, my vision cleared. I could see Murphy, and she was glaring at River.

The girl looked sheepish, shrugging. "There was a problem with visual reception…a jolt was necessary."

Murphy opened her mouth, but I reached out to poke her hand. "Kid knows her stuff." I got my arm under me and pushed myself into a sitting position, looking around. We were in my house, in my bedroom, to be exact.

I was home…

"What happened?"

Murphy shook her head. "I was coming to check on you. Hadn't heard anything in a couple days, couldn't contact you. I got worried. You were passed out, on the floor, completely unresponsive, with almost no pulse and barely breathing. Then all of a sudden, River and Bob come flying through some sort of portal thing, and she said you would be fine after a few minutes. So we moved you here."

River nodded, looking to me. "The influx of energy caused an overload in your synapses. I was unaffected due to the presence of my physical body."

"Right." I glanced at Murphy. "My mind was temporarily misplaced. There was bound to be trouble getting everything reconnected."

Murphy gave me a sideways look, then nodded. "Alright…always figured you'd lose your mind some day. Guess I'm just glad you found it again." I roll my eyes, and she shifts. "Now…where the hell have you been?"

I opened my mouth to start what was bound to be a long story, when the phone rang.

Huh…talk about timing.

Murphy glanced at me, then picked up the receiver and passed it to me.

"Dresden." I grumbled.

"Harry! Thank goodness! I've been trying to contact you for days…"

I blinked, reaching up to rub at my eyes. "Ivy? What is it? What's wrong?"

The girl on the other side of the line sounded like she was going to cry. "It was the Red court. They were the ones who put down the contract for Lieutenant Murphy."

My blood ran cold.

The Reds had tried to kill Murphy.

"Are you sure?" I said quietly, cold anger on the edge of my voice. "They're trying to kill her?"

"Yes." Ivy replied. "They…just wrote you a letter. Telling you that they did it…they hope to goad you into attacking, so they have the excuse…they think you wouldn't bother to check..."

"Where are they?" I whispered, eyes closed.

"They rebuilt Bianca's mansion…their base is there." Ivy seemed to suddenly grasp what I had said, and hurriedly added. "Wait…Harry…"

I hung up, and stood, ignoring the questioning look from Murphy.

Those damn Reds…they'd taken Susan, killed so many wardens, recruits…and now they were after Murphy.

Well, I wasn't going to let them get away with it. No more Mr. Nice Wizard.

As I walked past them, I reached out a hand, and pulled my staff to me with a whispered spell. The runes that ran the length of it lit with bright orange light, and the scent of brimstone and burning wood filled the room.

I kept walking.

"Harry…" Murphy's voice held a warning, and I felt her grab onto my arm. "Harry, what is it? What do you think you're doing?"

I turned to her, my expression hard.

She let go of my arm, taking a step back and averting her gaze. I could see fear there. Just a flash of it.

"I'm going to go and kill these guys."

Murphy's expression grew dark. "I'm guessing you found the bad guys…"

I just turned, picking up my shield bracelet and duster, slipping both on. My blasting rod was still secured on it's loop, and it bumped lightly against my hip as I moved.

"This is my town, Dresden..."

"They're out of your jurisdiction, Murph." I cut her off before she could rehash that old argument. "These guys wouldn't be going to jail."

Murphy didn't move, but suddenly River was in front of me, standing her ground, staring me down.

I looked away first.

"I'm going with you." She said quietly, and I started. Caught a glance at Murphy, behind me, and she looked like she'd been kicked in the stomach.

"No, you're not." I said simply, taking a step forward.

I was on the ground a half second later, a particularly large boot (I'd forgotten she'd been wearing those) resting on my throat. River was glaring down at me.

"I am."

A moment passed, and I coughed. "Hell's bells kid…fine. Lemme up."

She did, turning to Murphy as I stood.

"Don't worry…he'll come back. And you'll be safe again."

Her smile was creepy.

I grunted and turned to the door, shoving it open and walking out. There was a scraping as it closed a few moments later, and I heard the crunch of combat boots on gravel.

"You sure you know what you're doing?"

River drew even with me, expression blank as she spoke. "I'm doing what is necessary."

I shook my head, but didn't say anything.

I got into the driver's seat, she got in the passenger side.

We were away.

DMT

I can't say the Reds didn't do a good job at rebuilding the place. If I hadn't been the one to do it, I'd never have been able to tell it burned to the ground, taking every monster inside with it.

Then again, it just made me want to burn it more. Probably not smart on their part.

Not that they were known for their common sense…

"You ready kid?"

River just gave me a Look.

"I mean, you sure you can handle this stuff?"

Again, with the Look. Jeez, cut a guy a break...

"Okay…" I pushed my door open, scrunching out. "Just me then."

See, anger is a funny thing. It can spur you into action with a fiery blaze…then smolder down by the time you get around to whatever it is you were trying to do. I had been all up and ready to squash these guys not ten minutes ago. Now I was just on the edge of nervous.

My staff, shield bracelet, and blasting rod were ready. The rings on my right hand were still charged. My heavy revolver was loaded and tucked in a pocket inside my coat. And…

River had a knife.

Where the hell did she get the freaking knife from? It wasn't even one that had been in my house!

I debated for a second whether or not to ask, then decided I was probably happier not knowing.

"Let's go greet the neighbors, shall we?"

She drifted forward. So did I.

The door was big, ornate, and made very nice, little, toothpick sized splinters all over the place when I blew it off its hinges.

"Heerreess Harry!"

About ten abnormally pale people turned to stare, for about half a second. Then the black, slimy, bat-faced monsters they really were clawed their way out of the fake skin.

Yea, that part is always creepy...

They were on us in a second. Two went after me, but were slammed into a wall by a blast of pure kinetic energy. Another pair split off, heading for River. I almost turned, but instead kept an eye on the other eight.

Kid was beyond good.

She took them down hard.

They weren't getting back up.

Hell, why couldn't mine ever not get back up?

That was about the time a good twenty more vampires joined the fray, and it was too frenzied to think.

I have…flashes of memory. Explosions of force, burning flame, hissing vampires.

And, off to my side, a whirlwind of death that was River.

It was a tense moment when the vampires had died. Both of us looked around, obviously still lost in the haze of battle. River, dripping with blood, knife gripped tightly in one hand. Me, hellfire blazing through my staff and power sparking from my shield bracelet.

Then…someone was clapping.

"Bravo…quite the display of violence."

My attention snapped up towards the un-ruined portion of the stairs. A fairly nondescript man stood there, grinning broadly.

And, behind him, on the ceiling, on the walls…More vampires.

Way more.

Damn.

"It's almost a shame to have to kill you both."

Had to say…I saw that coming.

DMT

So there we were, standing in the middle of a massacre, me and some skinny little girl who looked like the next bit of wind would knock her off her feet. The two of us covered with blood, almost none of it ours.

And above us, on what was left of a second floor landing, was a Red Court vampire, still in his skin suit and surrounded by snarling, vicious, bat-ape-mutant things.

Let it never be said that I do things halfway.

"Well before you kill us." I spoke up, managing to find some bit of wit amidst the blind panic that threatened me. "Can you at least tell me your name? I'd like to know, so I can refer you once I get to hell. There must be some sort've rewards deal, right?"

The creepy guy just smiled. "Um…no. I don't think so. All you really need to know is that I was sent to kill you."

"Ah…Well…Can't say I haven't heard that before…" I glanced over at River. She was giving the guy her scary blank stare, searching. He didn't seem to notice the way she was holding her knife…

"So..." I yawn, make a show of stretch out my arms. "Here's my counter-offer. I don't burn you all alive, and you just walk away. How does that sound?"

The guy looked thoughtful, tapping his chin and staring up at the ceiling. "No…no, I'm sorry. It's no good." He glanced to his side. "Kill them both. And make sure you keep Dresden's head intact."

Ah. Wonderful imagery.

They leapt.

I lifted my shield bracelet, catching two and throwing them to the side before stopping an attack from another.

River blurred, slicing and dicing with that mysterious knife, and doing some pretty insane damage with her free hand and feet.

Fighting is never fun. It's hot, sweaty, painful, and takes way too long. That's why I don't like stand up fights, unless, you know, I have an edge.

These guys had a definite edge this time.

"Perhaps I can help."

The jolt of surprise caused the vampire I hit to fly extra far.

"My my, you certainly are excitable lately…"

"Are you kidding me!" I hissed, casting a gout of flame at a tight packed group of vampires. It missed, and dissipated against the hardwood flooring. "You don't bother me for nearly a month, and now you decide to show up!"

"Why of course. Does it not work in my favor?" I could almost see the fallen angel smiling. "And look to your left."

I growled and swung my staff around, blocking a snarling vamp and throwing it back with a blast of wind. "Neither of us benefit if I'm dead!"

"The stress must be getting to you, Mr. Dresden!" The guy called from above, obviously amused. "You're talking to yourself."

I couldn't help but snort at that. If only he knew.

"Why don't you show him?"

Would that really be so bad?

"You could exact your revenge against him. He tried to kill Lieutenant Murphy…"

He did…

I hissed and forced an extra large helping of will into my next attack, scattering the vampires in my way like bowling pins.

"Not today, Lash."

A sigh. "You are so very stubborn…at least take a bit of my help. You are tiring rather quickly."

I scowled when I realized she was right, but ignored her and swung my staff. No magic, but it bashed the vamp sneaking up on me pretty good.

"Just a little…boost. For the duration of the fight…"

"Not…today." I hissed, before throwing another bit of fire.

"…Well, it would seem it's not necessary…"

Because the fighting was suddenly over. There weren't any more monsters trying to kill us. Well, one, but he didn't look very monstrous yet…

The guy was furious, and he let us know.

"I knew you were formidable, wizard. I just had no idea how much of an annoyance you are!" He raised a hand, and it was surrounded by a freezing aura.

"Jeez…" I hissed. "Never learn, do you?"

I reached into my coat, pulled out my revolver...

And cried in pain as a blast of cold hit my hand, forcing me to drop the weapon in order to shake it uselessly.

Guy laughed. It made me mad.

"I suppose there's no other choice now." He called down. "I'll just have to use my…talents…to kill you."

This time I saw it coming, and leapt to the side. I still felt an uncomfortable numbness in my toes.

Yay.

"Oh, and don't think I forgot about you little girl."

I turned in time to see him throw one of those cold blasts at River, who stood there, staring, till the last possible second, before throwing herself to the side. She was a bit more graceful than I had been, turning a one handed cartwheel.

There was a flash of silver as she was upright, and I frowned. Hadn't she been holding a knife?

"Grah!" I looked up at the sound. Vampy guy was clutching his gut, holding the knife, dripping with fresh blood.

Ah. So that's where it went.

"You'll pay for that!" He cried, throwing the knife down and aiming a hand at River. I noticed he looked a little shaky, and smiled. He may be pretty good at that spell, but it was still bound to be draining. Especially being wounded.

River nimbly dodged his attacks, and I was temporarily mesmerized by the way she moved.

But then I remembered there was fighting going on.

I looked around…This was a perfect opportunity. He was so preoccupied with River, he wouldn't notice…

I spotted what I was looking for and scrambled for it. The revolver was fine, even after the little drop.

The hammer clicked back, and I brought the weapon to bear, squinting down the barrel.

Just as I got a bead on his head, he noticed.

Too bad for him.

One shot, and his head jerked back a little, his expression shocked. Another five shots, less practically aimed, and he went down.

Pretty obviously dead.

I just stood there, breathing for awhile. I tucked away the revolver, and sighed.

River walked up to me, frowning as she stared.

"Then burn it."

I looked up, blinking. "What?"

"Answering your question. Do not question the answer."

She drifted out.

I watched her go, and reached up to wipe the grime and blood away from my eyes.

A relatively small spell, and a few of the bodies caught fire.

I walked out, just as it started to spread to the furniture.

DMT

"So you took him down?"

I nodded, staring down into my can of coke.

Murphy sighed, settling a hand on my shoulder. "Good job."

I looked up, frowned. She just gave me a tired smile. "You beat the bad guys. Again. And you saved me, and probably a bunch of people who would have been eaten by them."

I took a deep breath before nodding. "Right. I know that."

"Then what's bugging you?"

I dragged my hand over my face. "The fighting. It always gets to me. You know what it's like."

Murphy sobered, nodded. "Right."

I was quiet for awhile, then shrugged. "Besides. I wasn't the only one there."

She blinked at me. She had forgotten...

We both looked up.

River was, again, hanging by the rafters, this time with an expression of frustration as she attempted to open the can of coke I'd given her.

"This container is contrary." She grumbled quietly.

I shook my head. "Pull the tab."

She stared at me, then at the can. A moment of searching, and there was a pop and a hiss.

Cola went flying everywhere.

"Gah!" I rushed to the bathroom for a towel or five. "You weren't supposed to open it upside-down!"

Murphy and River laughed.

DMT

"You ready?"

River nodded, looking around at the vast expanse of concrete, covered in chalk markings. "The equations are almost balanced."

I looked around. "So…this is it. Last time we'll be seeing you."

River gave an enigmatic smile, reaching down to scratch in a few numbers.

The portal ripped open, still disturbing to watch. River glided over to it, smiling the whole time.

"Goodbye, Mister Dresden."

I waved slightly, blinked as the portal flashed, then stepped back. The chalk was being pulled up off the ground and into the hole. Within moments the entire thing vanished had vanished, leaving an empty warehouse floor.

I packed up and left.

Time Traveling Psychics, spaceships, and assassination plots. New, but definitely not the weirdest thing I'd ever seen.

Because at the end of the day, even that stuff just doesn't compare to what's out there.

"Come on Mouse."

My faithful dog trotted up to me, from his post by the door, and we headed to the beetle.

I looked up at the stars as we walked, and smiled slightly.

"Let's go home."