Fic: Circle Unbroken | Justified/Dresden Files
Justified. Dresden Files. Mostly Gen.
Set during 2.12.
~1000 words. PG.
Short disclaimer: All characters and scenarios belong to Elmore Leonard and Graham Yost and Jim Butcher and NOT ME.
Summary: An unexpected guest arrives for Helen's funeral
Written for jbkr73 for the holiday gift fic meme. Happy Holidays, lady. I hope you enjoy!
Circle Unbroken
The yard was full of people Raylan only half-recognized. It was sort of funny, how often Raylan was in Harlan nowadays and still, he rarely laid eyes on the regular people, the people Helen would know, the people that would come to her funeral.
Instead, Raylan was subjected to the outlaws, the criminals, the underside of a place that Winona could actually be right about; it could be a great place to live.
Raylan pulled Winona just a little closer as he scanned the crowd and spotted a face that looked much more familiar than any of the others. It was an older, craggier face, he thought, than maybe it should have been, despite all the time, but it looked like--
“Raylan,” the subject of his scrutiny met his eyes and called out.
Raylan started walking and so did the very tall, skinny man, wearing the requisite funeral attire plus a heavy leather duster. “Harry Dresden?” Raylan asked, holding out his hand. “Jesus Christ, what are you doing here?”
Harry smiled sadly and Raylan shook his head, saying, “Nevermind. I just can’t believe the... the news got to you so fast.”
“It’s good to see you, Raylan,” Harry said, then raised his eyebrows when he saw Winona come up from behind.
Raylan turned to her and smiled, again supremely glad that she came to meet him here, to be with him for all of this. “Harry, this is my ex-wife Winona. Winona, this is Harry Dresden. He’s an old friend of Helen’s, I guess you’d say.”
Harry took Winona’s hand when she held it out, but Raylan noticed he didn’t look right in her eyes. “Ex, huh?” he asked, glancing back at Raylan.
Winona grimaced and said, “It’s complicated.”
Harry laughed and it was just like Raylan remembered it, a little bit of a bark and fairly wild, but good-natured to say the least. “Isn’t it always?” he asked then seemed to sober himself a bit and he said to Raylan, “Listen, I’m really sorry about Helen. I know...” he paused, shaking his head, then continued, “She was really good at holding things together.”
Raylan thought that might be the most accurate and best possible way he had ever heard anyone describe his aunt and he was about to say as much, but Harry turned as though someone called his name and Raylan looked as well to see Boyd and Ava walking up the drive.
Raylan saw Ava spot Harry right away. Her eyes grew wide and she stopped walking abruptly. Boyd stopped as well a few paces ahead, turned back to look at her, then followed her gaze to Harry. There was a strange mix of distrust and anger in Boyd’s eyes as he gazed at Harry and Raylan was perplexed. He didn’t think the two had ever met when Harry stayed in Harlan.
Harry looked back at Raylan and Winona, tight smile a little too polite, “It was good to see you, Raylan. I, ah, need to do a little more catching up, though. Nice to meet you, Winona.”
Harry walked away from them with real purpose in his stride, but he broke it slightly when he reached Boyd. The shorter man brought a hand up and murmured something low and angry that Raylan couldn’t quite make out. Harry shook his head in response, keeping his eyes on Ava.
Ava said something and Boyd looked at her hard, nodding and walking again towards the house. He gave Raylan a strange look as he passed and Raylan couldn’t prevent question from taking over his expression. But Boyd just shook his head and walked on, with a look that told Raylan he didn’t want to know.
When Harry reached Ava she enveloped him in a big hug, smiling as though there had been no confrontation.
“So, how do you know him?” Winona asked, keeping her voice casual, though he could tell from her expression she was extremely curious. “He’s... imposing.”
Raylan smiled, remembering, and replied, “He wasn’t when he was sixteen. He was even skinnier than now and always sulking in a corner. At least whenever I saw him. He spent a summer with staying with Helen. She was friends in some way with his grandfather, or uncle, I can’t remember the relation. I didn’t see him much, he was always holed up at her place and I was working a lot by then. Now that I think about it though, Ava was there too sometimes, her and her gran.”
He watched as Ava and Harry’s greeting devolved into an intense discussion. She rolled her eyes at him and he spread his hands out helplessly. Raylan was about to go over there, but Winona held him back. “That’s not your business, Raylan, whatever it is,” she said.
He worked his jaw and glared at her. He had always wondered what Harry got up to that summer at Helen’s, what could be so engrossing the boy would never come out of her holler? What could those two be arguing about so heatedly if they hadn’t seen hide nor hair of each other in twenty years?
Finally, Ava broke away from him, walking a little ways up toward the house, then turning back to Harry. “I told you I would keep it up, Harry, and you know I didn’t lie,” she said loud enough for the yard to hear. “But I’m not doing it for you and I sure as hell ain’t doing it for your goddamn council. I’ll hold it for Helen and for these hills. You can tell them to keep their snooty noses out of it, all right?”
Harry blew out a breath and got this shifty look in his eyes when he saw how many of the people there were looking and had heard what Ava said. Boyd came loudly out of the house, slamming the storm door behind him and something in the air made Raylan put his hand on his holster. He saw Harry register the motion and consider his options. “Okay, Ava,” he said carefully.
“You’re always welcome here, honey, but not with their words on your tongue.”
Harry spread his hands again. “I’m sorry, Ava. And, my sincere condolences. To you as well, Raylan.”
“Harry,” Raylan said, putting his wary thanks in his tone instead of the words.
A guilty expression, mixed with hurt, anger, and frustration came over Harry’s face and he seemed about to turn away but he stopped, and looked directly at Raylan and then at Boyd. He held Boyd’s gaze and his eyes grew distant for a split second, then he shook his head and said, “You both need to keep an eye on this woman. I know you will,” he said to Boyd, “But you too, Raylan. She’s... also really good at holding things together.”
Raylan worked his jaw again, nodded, and watched the man turn on his heel, duster fanning out dramatically behind him, and walk down the hill to a beat-up, rusted-out old Beetle.
He told himself he wouldn’t ask Ava anything about it until after the funeral was over.
Set during 2.12.
~1000 words. PG.
Short disclaimer: All characters and scenarios belong to Elmore Leonard and Graham Yost and Jim Butcher and NOT ME.
Summary: An unexpected guest arrives for Helen's funeral
Written for jbkr73 for the holiday gift fic meme. Happy Holidays, lady. I hope you enjoy!
Circle Unbroken
The yard was full of people Raylan only half-recognized. It was sort of funny, how often Raylan was in Harlan nowadays and still, he rarely laid eyes on the regular people, the people Helen would know, the people that would come to her funeral.
Instead, Raylan was subjected to the outlaws, the criminals, the underside of a place that Winona could actually be right about; it could be a great place to live.
Raylan pulled Winona just a little closer as he scanned the crowd and spotted a face that looked much more familiar than any of the others. It was an older, craggier face, he thought, than maybe it should have been, despite all the time, but it looked like--
“Raylan,” the subject of his scrutiny met his eyes and called out.
Raylan started walking and so did the very tall, skinny man, wearing the requisite funeral attire plus a heavy leather duster. “Harry Dresden?” Raylan asked, holding out his hand. “Jesus Christ, what are you doing here?”
Harry smiled sadly and Raylan shook his head, saying, “Nevermind. I just can’t believe the... the news got to you so fast.”
“It’s good to see you, Raylan,” Harry said, then raised his eyebrows when he saw Winona come up from behind.
Raylan turned to her and smiled, again supremely glad that she came to meet him here, to be with him for all of this. “Harry, this is my ex-wife Winona. Winona, this is Harry Dresden. He’s an old friend of Helen’s, I guess you’d say.”
Harry took Winona’s hand when she held it out, but Raylan noticed he didn’t look right in her eyes. “Ex, huh?” he asked, glancing back at Raylan.
Winona grimaced and said, “It’s complicated.”
Harry laughed and it was just like Raylan remembered it, a little bit of a bark and fairly wild, but good-natured to say the least. “Isn’t it always?” he asked then seemed to sober himself a bit and he said to Raylan, “Listen, I’m really sorry about Helen. I know...” he paused, shaking his head, then continued, “She was really good at holding things together.”
Raylan thought that might be the most accurate and best possible way he had ever heard anyone describe his aunt and he was about to say as much, but Harry turned as though someone called his name and Raylan looked as well to see Boyd and Ava walking up the drive.
Raylan saw Ava spot Harry right away. Her eyes grew wide and she stopped walking abruptly. Boyd stopped as well a few paces ahead, turned back to look at her, then followed her gaze to Harry. There was a strange mix of distrust and anger in Boyd’s eyes as he gazed at Harry and Raylan was perplexed. He didn’t think the two had ever met when Harry stayed in Harlan.
Harry looked back at Raylan and Winona, tight smile a little too polite, “It was good to see you, Raylan. I, ah, need to do a little more catching up, though. Nice to meet you, Winona.”
Harry walked away from them with real purpose in his stride, but he broke it slightly when he reached Boyd. The shorter man brought a hand up and murmured something low and angry that Raylan couldn’t quite make out. Harry shook his head in response, keeping his eyes on Ava.
Ava said something and Boyd looked at her hard, nodding and walking again towards the house. He gave Raylan a strange look as he passed and Raylan couldn’t prevent question from taking over his expression. But Boyd just shook his head and walked on, with a look that told Raylan he didn’t want to know.
When Harry reached Ava she enveloped him in a big hug, smiling as though there had been no confrontation.
“So, how do you know him?” Winona asked, keeping her voice casual, though he could tell from her expression she was extremely curious. “He’s... imposing.”
Raylan smiled, remembering, and replied, “He wasn’t when he was sixteen. He was even skinnier than now and always sulking in a corner. At least whenever I saw him. He spent a summer with staying with Helen. She was friends in some way with his grandfather, or uncle, I can’t remember the relation. I didn’t see him much, he was always holed up at her place and I was working a lot by then. Now that I think about it though, Ava was there too sometimes, her and her gran.”
He watched as Ava and Harry’s greeting devolved into an intense discussion. She rolled her eyes at him and he spread his hands out helplessly. Raylan was about to go over there, but Winona held him back. “That’s not your business, Raylan, whatever it is,” she said.
He worked his jaw and glared at her. He had always wondered what Harry got up to that summer at Helen’s, what could be so engrossing the boy would never come out of her holler? What could those two be arguing about so heatedly if they hadn’t seen hide nor hair of each other in twenty years?
Finally, Ava broke away from him, walking a little ways up toward the house, then turning back to Harry. “I told you I would keep it up, Harry, and you know I didn’t lie,” she said loud enough for the yard to hear. “But I’m not doing it for you and I sure as hell ain’t doing it for your goddamn council. I’ll hold it for Helen and for these hills. You can tell them to keep their snooty noses out of it, all right?”
Harry blew out a breath and got this shifty look in his eyes when he saw how many of the people there were looking and had heard what Ava said. Boyd came loudly out of the house, slamming the storm door behind him and something in the air made Raylan put his hand on his holster. He saw Harry register the motion and consider his options. “Okay, Ava,” he said carefully.
“You’re always welcome here, honey, but not with their words on your tongue.”
Harry spread his hands again. “I’m sorry, Ava. And, my sincere condolences. To you as well, Raylan.”
“Harry,” Raylan said, putting his wary thanks in his tone instead of the words.
A guilty expression, mixed with hurt, anger, and frustration came over Harry’s face and he seemed about to turn away but he stopped, and looked directly at Raylan and then at Boyd. He held Boyd’s gaze and his eyes grew distant for a split second, then he shook his head and said, “You both need to keep an eye on this woman. I know you will,” he said to Boyd, “But you too, Raylan. She’s... also really good at holding things together.”
Raylan worked his jaw again, nodded, and watched the man turn on his heel, duster fanning out dramatically behind him, and walk down the hill to a beat-up, rusted-out old Beetle.
He told himself he wouldn’t ask Ava anything about it until after the funeral was over.