"Uncle Harry"
Chapter 2
Authors Note: I wanted to thank you all for taking the time to read my story and hope you enjoy reading it as I do writing it! Please read and review, I appreciate your thoughts and opinions.
** Disclaimer: The Dresden Files is copyright Jim Butcher. This story is licensed under the Creative Commons as derivative, noncommercial fiction.**
I woke up to the bed bouncing as if hit by a small car, and then furry, warm, wet doggy kisses as Mouse laid across my shoulder and chest. Having slept alone last night I guessed he felt I needed some extra attention. I hugged him and gave his neck and back a solid scratching only to have him roll over onto his back with his horse like legs sticking up in the air.
"Fine, you've been a very good boy." I told him as I proceeded to scratch his chest and rub his tummy, receiving happy moans and growls from the oversized pouch. I patted his chest and sat up, stretching and feeling revived as Mouse rolled over and then dashed out of the room. "Well someone's in a good mood." I thought to myself as the aroma of fresh coffee, bacon and toast wafted into the room.
"Good Morning..." came a timid voice from the door, the small girl was mostly hidden behind the mountain of fur that was pandering for more pets and attention. "Auntie Lash wanted me to tell you that breakfast is almost ready."
"Auntie?" I asked yawning and kicking my feet over the edge of the bed and rubbing my stubbly face.
"Well, I don't feel right calling grown-ups by their first name. So Lash suggested I call her auntie until I get older." She said timidly fidgeting with her hands and looking at the floor.
"So that would make me Uncle Harry then?" I said slipping my feet into my slippers. "I like it, that works for me. Tell Lash.. Auntie... that I'll be there in a few minutes" I said heading towards the large bathroom. The sinks and mirrors were on one side, a small room with the toilet across from the sinks and the bathing area separated by a wall and a sliding glass door. My tooth brush and razor were in a cup next to the sink that was designated as mine. Cotton hand towels hung from brass rings next to the sink. I opened the drawer and retrieved a tube of tooth paste and my shaving cream.
Simone, dressed in a white and blue frock, white tights and a pair of patent leather Mary Jane shoes, smiled at me from the door. "I'll tell her." She said brightly before dashing off to the kitchen, followed by Mouse, who was probably hoping for a piece of bacon or sausage to find its way to the floor.
Simone looked like a different person. Her light brown, shoulder length hair flying behind her as she ran happily down the hall. Although still shy and timid, she seemed to smile easily today. Maybe it was the bath and clean clothes or maybe it was just a warm house on a sunny morning that brings that out in children. Either way I was happy to see her smile honestly for the first time since I met her.
I finished with my morning grooming and closed the bedroom door. I changed into my jeans, boots and a flannel button up shirt and then headed into the kitchen.
As I entered the kitchen I was met with an aroma very similar to that of the Carpenter's kitchen, on the many mornings I had dined there in the past. I also smelled something distinctly cinnamon and sweet coming from the oven. I stopped to peek inside but was pulled aside by Lash.
"It's not done yet, you'll have to wait." She said with a teasing smile and then gave me a soft quick morning kiss.
"Ewww..." Simone groaned from the kitchen, holding a serving plate in both hands as she made her way towards the table. Once again giving me flash backs to the Carpenter's home. Once again, making me smile to see her acting more like an average kid.
"No comments from the peanut gallery." I snorted towards our guest, then catching Lash around the waist, pulled her close and returned the favor, only much slower this time.
"Harry... There's a child present." Lash said softly, her pink soft lips still next to mine. I could feel the warmth of her breath on my cheek and smell the musky scent of her body wash as she halfheartedly protested. I felt her arms wrap around my neck and her body melt against mine as she looked into my eyes smiling. "We don't want to teach her bad things." She said and hugged me tight, then gave me a peck on the cheek, wiping the lipstick off with her thumb before turning and heading back to the counter, her hips swaying as she walked and her steps bouncy.
Simone rushed to Lash's side and happily chatted, asking questions as Lash finished preparing our morning meal. I walked to the side of the counter and found my large coffee cup setting next to the hot pot of coffee. I grabbed the sugar bowl and milk from the oversized ice box. It was a large side by side refrigerator freezer that had been delivered defective to one of the Carpenter's job sites. I was able to purchase it for little more than the cost of hauling it away. Once at home Lash and I worked on enchanting each side to remain at a constant temperature, 37 for the fridge and 25 for the freezer. Aside from having to charge the charms every few weeks, it was working flawlessly. I was especially happy that although the cooling system was broken (and later removed) the lights still worked inside. What can I say, I'm easily amused.
I was about to put the milk back as Simone walked up to me and stopped a few feet away, looking at me shyly and yet expectantly. We regarded each other for a few seconds and she lifted the empty glass she was holding, looking at the bottle of milk, hesitantly.
"What coffee's not good enough for you?" I asked half jokingly.
"I'm a child, I'm not allowed to drink coffee yet." she said honestly, in her small voice, looking at her shiny shoes.
I chuckled and ruffled her hair with my free hand and gave her a smile that probably looked more like a grimace. "Fair enough. How about I bring it to the table with me?" I said diplomatically.
"Okay... Uncle Harry..." she said squirming away from my hand with a bit of a self-conscious smile on her face and headed to the table, with a floral table cloth hanging down a few inches on the sides. She set down her glass and looked back at Lash bringing over the last of the food, then slipped into the chair.
Once we had all sat down, Simone folded her hands in front of her and glanced at Lash and I expecting us to do the same. Now, it's not that I don't believe in God, but I've met some people that work for him so I'm still a little skeptical about him. Lash on the other hand is in a bit of a touchy situation being an Ex-fallen angel. Having read some manga that Molly, my apprentice, had left lying around I thought of a quick solution to this problem. I put my hands together and bowed my head and clearly said, "itadakimasu!"
Simone gave me a puzzled look and lash gave me a sly smile and graciously pressed her palms together, bowed her head, and repeated, "itadakimasu". Then she looked at Simone and explained, "It's like a prayer, it basically means Thank you for the food, in Japanese. It's giving thanks to the cook who made it, whoever bought it, the farmer who raised the food and the food itself." Simone smiled and tried her best to repeat it, getting it mostly right. Then she beamed at Lash, happy to have learned something new.
As we ate Simone and Lash talked cheerfully about things that they liked to do and places they wanted to visit. I sat mostly quietly listening to them chatting and enjoying the happy atmosphere, munching on the omelet, link sausage, bacon and whole wheat toast. Simone was carefully eating her breakfast, cutting the meat and omelet into proper bite size chunks and chewing it properly, much in contrast to how she ate last night. I can only assume she'd missed a few meals in the last few days. I was happy to see she was feeling more like herself.
About that time something sparkled in the backyard sending a rainbow of refracted light through the room. Simone smiles and watched as the light moved through the room and disappeared, looking out the back window, where the early morning light was shining on something just under the bushes in the backyard.
"That was pretty." She said with a bright smile as another flash of light bathed the room in multicolored light. "What is that?" she asked, seeing something shining brightly in the bushes.
"That's a fairy house." Lash said glancing out the window happily. "We have a few setup around the house, in case a fairy needs a place to stay for the night or a few days."
"Fairy's?" Simone asked, her eyes lighting up. "Real fairies? Can I see one?" She asked excitedly.
"Maybe." Lash said with a sweet smile. "But only if you're very good and promise to be on your best behavior." Lash said seriously. "They are very shy and you have to let them come to you. If you try to find or catch them, you'll scare them away."
"Then what should I do to get one to trust me?" Simone asked seriously, yet enthusiastically.
"Well, maybe if we leave some cinnamon rolls out for them?" Lash suggested.
"And maybe some tea?" Simone offered.
"They like Pizza better." I said frankly.
"Pizza?!" Simone said giggling.
"Hey, you'd be surprised." I said honestly.
"Tea would be a very good idea." Lash said ignoring me, with an earnest smile.
Lash knew that I had a relationship with the fairies and that I'd often order a large amount of pizza's that were left in the back yard but gone by morning. However, especially with young girls, sometimes the traditional ways are best. I'm sure she wanted this to be more magical than mundane for Simone and mixing this young girl up with the fae might not be the best of ideas. However, that didn't mean she couldn't believe in them and have a nice tea party. I knew Lash knew what most of the fae were like and even fairies could be dangerous, if you made a deal or accepted a gift from them. However, the fairies that lived around my house were of the dew drop or pixie variety and kept my house and yard safe from pests and warned me of predators in exchange for a frequent supply of pizza and a safe place to stay when they left the nevernever. It was an arrangement of convenience instead of a pact and any favors or gifts were carefully offset so as not to indebt either side.
I helped to clear the plates as the two continued to chat, Simone explaining who Tinkerbelle was that she had several movies out now and then went on to describe the plots of the movies. Meanwhile I gathered my staff, rod, shield bracelet and duster and headed for the garage.
"Lash, I'm going to go visit Thomas for a bit and then stop by to chat with Murphy." I said standing by the back door with the keys to the truck in hand.
"Don't you go flirting with the waitresses." She said giving me a teasing smile.
"Yes dear." I said in my best hen pecked voice, giving her a boyish smile as I slipped out the back.
It was still early so I hit some morning rush hour traffic on my way across town to my brothers club. For most of the time I'd know Thomas, he wasn't what you'd call an early riser. Since he opened his club White Lace, the trendiest club in town, he started keeping more businesslike hours. Meeting with vendors, doing the books and scheduling staff during the mornings and managing the club until one of his sisters showed up in the early evening to preside over the establishment.
I pulled into a spot in front, the lot still empty except for the white firebird parked in the spot with the sign 'Manager Only' in business like block letters, clearly set on a post in front of the spot. I smiled and slid out of the truck, the cool morning air giving me goose bumps and turning my breath to steam as I headed for the door.
"I'm sorry sir, we're not open yet. You'll have to come back later." The pretty woman in her early twenties said to me as she tried to wave me off. She was dressed in the standard uniform for this club, a white silk top and skirt, trimmed and embellished with white lace. Although she filled out the uniform quite properly and it did cover most of what it was supposed to, I couldn't help but think her father must be very worried.
"Beverly, it's okay. He's my brother." Thomas called from the door to his office, giving the fresh faced waitress a dazzling smile that made her blush all over. "He takes after his father." Thomas told her walking down the hall, his perfect hair bouncing with each step but never moving out of place. He stepped close and slapped me on the back a little harder than was necessary dismissing his staffer.
"So what brings you down to my place Harry?" Thomas asked, ushering me back to the manager's office and closing the door.
"I've got a strange case that I thought you might be able to help me figure out what I'm up against." I told him, sitting in the high back leather chair across from the desk.
Thomas half slid and half fell across his plush, overstuffed chair, his knees over one arm, softly kicking his feet and his back against the other, his long golden hair cascading over his shoulder as he gave me a sidelong glance. "So you want my help, little brother?" He asked overly inquisitively. Then without giving me a chance to continue, he rested his head against the arm of the chair and turned to look at me. "Then I have a favor to ask as well. Is it a deal?" He asked in an overly formal tone.
"Thomas, your acting strangely, is there something wrong?" I asked my weird meter pushing into the red. "What is it you need?" I asked more to the point.
"I want to kill Laura and take over the family." He said in a matter of fact tone with a wolfish look on his face. His blue eyes narrowed and his teeth showing a little too much as he smiled. "I want you to help me." He said with the same tone, as if he were ordering a case of wine.
"Thomas, you're starting to scare me." I said leaning back in my chair, grabbing my blasting rod discretely. "You've never wanted to run the family, in fact you opened this place to make a place for yourself where you'd be able to support the families 'needs' and be their showpiece without having to get involved with the politics and infighting. Where is this coming from?"
"I've changed my mind. I'm the rightful heir and my sister's in my way. Daddy isn't doing too well lately and I think now's my time to make a move." He said swinging his legs around to sit up and put his palms on the desk, leaning across the ornate antique nearly drooling. "Help me Harry, we can run the family and this town together. You and me, what do you say?" He asked, his eyes wide but not crazy as he spouted insanity from his mouth.
"First of all, this isn't like you. You've never once said anything about wanting to take over the family, leave it yes, run it? That's always been the last thing you wanted. As for me, I have no desire to become an evil overlord of the city. We already have one, his name's Marcone and I can't believe you'd want to become anything like him. It's just not who you are. Now tell me what the hell is going on here Thomas!" I said pushing my chair back and putting some power into my shield bracelet.
About that time the door swung open with a loud thud. Thomas stood in the door way, his hair perfect but his shirt slightly torn and his eyes were a light shade of silver as he stared past me at himself leaning over the desk.
"What the Hell do you think you're doing?!" He shouted slamming the door and moving to the side of the desk in a blur of motion. He grabbed the Thomas leaning over the desk and shoved him back into the overstuffed chair with enough force to elicit loud crack and popping sounds from the sturdy chairs joints.
"It was just a game little brother..." The Thomas in the chair chortled and shimmered, his form blurring then coming back into focus as a beautiful woman. She wore a white silk dress with small ruffles running down the dress, outlining her perfect curves. The top barely contained her curves and her white, smooth skin. Laura's platinum bold hair fell around her shoulders and danced down her sides as she shook her head.
"Laura, what are you doing here and why's Harry here?" He asked as his fingers began to dig into the soft supple flesh on her shoulder.
"I had some questions so I came to see you, but when I saw Harry... I thought I'd double check my suspicions with him first." She said giving me a coy smile.
"Suspicions? About what?!" Thomas asked in a cold tone of voice taking a step back but still on his guard, his eyes shone silver and followed every move she made and still managed to watch the room. I pushed my senses around the room and out into the hallway. Except for the very human waitress bustling in the store room, there was nobody else nearby and the only magic I could pick up was the faint and subtle magic Laura had used to disguise herself.
"As you know my dear brother, there has been a bit of tension in the family for some time now. Right of succession, territorial disputes, income distribution and so on." she said blithely waving her hand as if it was all such trivial and mundane happenings. "However, there have been rumors lately. Very ugly rumors." She said glancing at me and then my brother.
"You think we're plotting to overthrow the white court and take over this territory?" I asked in disbelief. Thomas's head jerked towards me, his silver eyes wide with shock.
"What? She thinks that?" Thomas asked in the same bewildered tone as I, turning to Laura and quickly releasing her, "You think that? Seriously?!" He said like a school boy who's feelings have been hurt. "Laura, really, your paranoia has gone seriously off the deep end now."
"I'd thought the same thing until I saw this." Laura said pulling a small packet from her handbag under the desk and dropping it on the blotter, pictures spilling across the desk. The pictures were from last night. They showed me sitting in the diner with Simone and then more with Lash and I eating with Simone. There were others with Simone and Lash shopping and finally with all of us in the truck on our way home.
"Why are you following me and what does this have to do with anything?!" I asked quickly becoming angry.
"Harry," Thomas said in a calm even tone, turning to give me a very serious look. "Why are you with this girl and when were these taken?" He asked his voice soft and his tone low.
"I was with her because she was frozen, starving and in trouble. She was on the street asking for money so she could sit in a cafe and warm up. I couldn't leave her there like that. She was scared and alone. I called Lash to come reassure her until we could decide what needed to be done." I said outraged. "In fact, that's WHY I'm here! She saw something she shouldn't have." I said turning to Laura, letting my blasting rod slip from my duster, clearly visible and glowing an amber golden color. "Just what Exactly is going on at Easton Academy Laura? What are you doing to those girls?!" I said accusingly but not overtly threatening.
"Harry, stop..." Thomas said calmly, leaning forward to put his face between mine and Laura's giving me a serious look. "This is serious." He said giving me a meaningful look. "She's my niece."
"What do you mean, in trouble and saw something she shouldn't have?" Laura asked her voice ringing with a rarely heard tone of genuine concern. Her body moved to the edge of the chair, she leaned forward looking up at me around our half brother. Her skirt had slid up her thighs as she slid forward and her top hung open exposing her exquisite body from this angle. I only took a glance but that was more than necessary for my body to have a distinctly male reaction. I focused on my brother and took a deep breath before continuing.
"I mean when we got her home and washed up, she told us why she ran away from the Academy. Before we get into that, you need to tell me what's going on." I said returning my blasting rod to its place inside my jacket. I sat down in the chair and looked at Laura's face expectantly.
"What's going on is of no concern to you Wizard. Return the child now and nothing further will be said on the matter. However, if you do not return the child... I can't be held responsible for the consequences." Laura said in a cold tone raising one eyebrow slightly.
"Bring it Lady!" I said meeting her gaze, feeling the fire raising in my belly. "I'm not turning her over to anyone until I know what's going on. For all I know it's your people she's running from. I'm not about to let her walk back into that school without making sure she'll be safe. That goes for the rest of the students as well. I don't know what you've got going on there, but I'm sure as hell not letting you use or feed on little girls." I said in a cold even tone, my gaze not wavering one bit as Laura and I regarded each other, wondering who'd blink first.
"Yes, yes, you're both master and mistress of your domain." Thomas said in a condescending tone. "We don't have time for drama or genital measuring right now. If you two would put on your grown up pants for a moment, maybe we can get to the bottom of this." Thomas said holding up pictures of the small timid child to Laura and I in turn. "There are more important matters here."
Laura and I both glanced from the pictures to Thomas then to each other. "Truce?" I asked begrudgingly.
"For now." Laura replied with a pout and bit of a snarl.
"Why did you think Thomas and I were plotting a takeover?" I asked shaking my head, trying to process everything that'd happened in the last few minutes.
"Because you had her and she's... Important." Laura said smoothly, telling me very little.
"Important to the house of Raith?" I asked Thomas.
"Important to the White Court." Thomas replied correcting me giving me a serious look.
"Thomas! You've overstepped your authority, you've said too much." Laura said eyeing me dangerously.
"Okay, so you want to protect her. Good to know. That doesn't explain what's going on at Easton Academy." I said casually glancing from one to another to see if I'd struck a chord. Unfortunately they both gave me blank stares.
"Easton Academy is a normal girls boarding school, one of the finest in the country its run and overseen strictly by humans. The security is top notch by all standards as the children of dignitaries from around the world also reside in those walls. The children there are from the most notable families from around the world, human and non-human alike. The last part is kept secret from all of the humans there and the students powers and alternate forms are bound while at the school. This is so they can learn to live in human society as a normal human. It's necessary for them to be able to move in human circles without notice, for their sakes as well as humanity's." Laura told me, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs, exposing her silky thighs.
"So if it's overseen by humans, then who's doing the summoning in the basement?" I asked half to myself.
Laura and Thomas both looked shocked and alarmed, which for these two is a rare thing, much less both at once. This disturbed me, along with the revelation that we had a monster training facility in my back yard. I often wondered how many non-human species that were not invasive or overtly dangerous lived on the fringe or even in mainstream society along with humans. I only tended to meet the more nasty violent ones. However, I'd seen a few here and there that were quite harmless and only wanted to live quiet, simple lives without being hunted by humanity or studied like a lab rat. So long as they didn't try to eat, hurt or control anyone in my town, then I was happy to live and let live.
"What do you mean, 'summoning'?" Thomas asked in a concerned tone.
"Just what I said. That's what Simone saw that spooked her bad enough to run. She ended up sleeping in an alley and living off handouts for two days until I met her." I told them, giving them the reader's digest version of the story.
"That shouldn't be possible..." Laura said looking up at her brother.
"There are wards and seals all over the school to keep out any sort of magic and to block it from functioning. It's a safeguard that was added to the school over years of renovation and as upgrades were done to the school. in case one of the students lost control, the wards would make them unable to use their powers or change form also to protect the school from an outside attack. The school is even recognized as neutral ground by the accords." Thomas explained.
"Since Simone was at the school and in our territory, protecting her falls to our family. With the school being neutral ground and by mutual agreement to be run only by humans, there is little we can do but protect the school as a whole from the outside." Laura finished explaining with a begrudging tone.
"So if anything were to happen to her, you'd have a target painted on your back, is that it?" I asked Laura, starting to understand what this was all about.
"Something like that and when I received these photos of you spiriting her away to your warded and sealed home, I had to wonder." she said giving me an honest look.
"I see. That much makes sense then." I said scratching my head and glancing at Thomas.
"How old is the Academy?" I asked, the wheels turning slowly in my head.
"It's over a hundred and fifty years old. The original building on the site was a mansion built by a land owner who made it rich selling off land to the Rail Road's in the 1800's I believe. Why do you ask?" Thomas gave me a quizzical look.
"It may be nothing, let me do some research and see what I can find out." I told him.
"Then you'll return the girl?" Laura half asked, half demanded.
"If she's your niece, why didn't she come to you when she ran away?" I answered her question with a question of my own.
"She doesn't know yet Harry. She doesn't even know about us. When her parents were killed, the family thought it best to have her sent to the Academy. Given her status and the chance that she may be attacked by the same faction that got her parents killed. It was the safest option." Thomas explained.
"What happened to her parents?"
"I happened to them." Laura said in a stern voice. "Her mother was my sister and next in line after me to take the throne, when Daddy dies. Her husband's family decided to shorten the line of succession. In the heat of the moment, she stood with him and took what was supposed to be his death blow. It did no good, he fell shortly after. It's not something I'm proud of, but I won't be belittled over it either. I did what needed to be done and have continued to do so since that day." Laura said her eyes showing silver sparks and becoming slightly glassy as the memories played in her head.
"Since then, her husband's family has tried to lay claim to the child on a few occasions, but nothing's come of it." Thomas explained. "If they can't have her, then maybe they'll settle for the next best thing, revenge on us for killing their son." Thomas interjected.
"I can see where you're coming from there's just one thing that doesn't fit. Simone wasn't initially targeted. She followed her friend to the room down, 'an old tunnel' she had said. Her friend was the one that was involved in the summoning along with about ten other girls from what she said. She may have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time." I said glancing between the two.
"Either way, it's going to be hard to look into this. If the White Court were to send people onto the grounds, it would be viewed with suspicion at best and possibly an act of aggression." Thomas said shaking his head.
"Maybe we don't have to..." Laura said smiling sweetly at me. The sweet smile didn't give me warm fuzzies. In fact I got a cold chill up my spine suspecting what she had in mind as Thomas gave me an appraising look. I sighed and rolled my shoulders..
"Hell's bells, it's going to be one of those days..." I said to myself.