Faerie Fire
Title: Faerie Fire
Author: Terion
Disclaimer: Not. Mine.
Rating: Caution for mild language and cute daughters.
Book or TV verse: Book verse...sequel to Life Anew, Secrets, and My Defending Angel.
Summary: Harry picks up his daughter for a day while Murphy's unable and gets a surprise along the way.
“DADDY!”
A tiny wraith-like figure with a long braid of dark hair came rushing at me and slammed against my knees with the same amount of force as Mister as I entered her classroom. Luckily I’ve had practice with the cat doing that and can keep my balance.
Well…most of the time.
“Hi, munchkin,” I said warmly, crouching down next to her. “You ready to head back home?”
“Uh-huh,” replied my six-year-old daughter, her dark eyes bright. Then she rose on her tiptoes, one finger in her mouth, to peer over my leather clad shoulder. “Where’s Mommy?”
“Mommy had things to do,” I replied. Couldn’t exactly tell my daughter that her mother was currently on a murder scene, now could I?
“Okie. Lemme go get Booka!”
I nodded and watched as she skipped off to go get her stuffed orange pony. The thing was starting to get ragged around the edges but she didn’t care and dragged the thing around wherever she went.
She ran back a moment later with the pony dangling from one hand and I swept her up, making her giggle wildly as I spun around in a brief circle. Then I hugged her close against my chest and waited until her little arms wrapped around my neck with Booka hugged between her and me before I started moving out of her school. When we reached the outside, a cold wind made her shiver and I tugged my coat forward so she was covered by it.
“There you go, munchkin. Warm now?”
“Uh-huh,” replied Elizabeth with a nod and I smiled before setting off down the sidewalk. My office was actually only a two-block walk from her school so I’d parked the Beetle in front of it and headed to pick her up. Hopefully my client for the day hadn’t decided to arrive early.
There was no one waiting outside my door when we got there and I let Elizabeth down as I dug out my keys. As I got it open, there was the sound of heels on the stairs behind me and my daughter let out a little squeak. My coat was pushed aside and I felt her arm wrap around my leg where she hid underneath it.
When I turned towards the stairs, I saw a tall and buxom redhead standing there. She wore a crisp gray business suit (the kind with a skirt, not pants) with a white shirt underneath and dark heels. Cool gray eyes looked at me then glanced down at where Elizabeth peeked out at her from underneath my coat.
“Mister Dresden?” she queried, looking at me again.
“That’d be me,” I replied. “And you are…”
“Meredith Evans.”
Ah. My client.
“Let’s go inside the, shall we?” I said as I pushed open the door with one hand and reached into my pocket with other. As Meredith passed me, I pulled out a bent nail and moved to brush it across her sleeve.
When she hissed and blurred away across the room, Elizabeth gasped and hugged at my leg harder. I reached down and patted her head where it rested against my thigh.
“Don’t worry, munchkin,” I assured her, glaring at the faerie. “She’s not going to hurt you.” Then I glared daggers at ‘Meredith’ and snarled, “What do you want? And what Court are you?”
“Summer,” she snarled in reply as tiny patterns of green ivy began to spread across her face. “I came here in peace, Dresden.”
“You came here in disguise and lied to me. I don’t take that as peace.”
‘Meredith’ hissed as the patterns of ivy completed their pattern in a spiral that curved over each cheek. She held out her hands towards me, palm up, and said, “I am here as a messenger of the Queens of the Summer Court.”
“Messengers of the Court don’t need subterfuge,” I growled. My hand touched my daughter’s head again as I asked, “What’s your unofficial reason?”
Gray eyes stared at me then flicked down to Elizabeth, who ducked back out of sight but not away from my hand in reaction. A-ha. Thought so, bitch.
My eyes narrowed and I snarled, “You and none of yours will ever touch my daughter. And if you try it, I promise that I will kill every faerie that tries.”
‘Meredith’s eyes widened at that.
“You would risk the wrath of the Summer Court over a child? Dresden, I had heard you were a fool but not a sentimental one.”
“My child. Now get your official business over and get out.”
She stared at me for a moment then sniffed and nodded.
“Very well,” she said in an icy tone. “The Lady bids you salutations and congratulations on your wedding and getting of a child. And she apologizes for her lateness in giving them and for not being present for either.”
I nodded. So Lily had sent me a messenger…a messenger who had other goals as well. Hmm…and who in the Summer Court would be out to get me?
Possibly the Queen for me killing Aurora a while back. Although…could be a linking between the Courts again like was had with here and the Winter Knight. There were more name in Winter that hated me than there were in Summer; well, at least that I knew of.
“You’ve given your message,” I growled. “Now shoo.”
‘Meredith’ bared her teeth at me and I smirked at the neat rows of pointed teeth. She sneered, “You would be so dismissive of a messenger?!”
“Nah, I’m not that crass. Now…people that come in and try to make with the nice while their plotting something extra? That I’m not too fond of. Oh, and nice teeth.”
“You will regret this, wizard.”
“I have a lot of things I regret, faerie,” I replied. “Take a number.”
‘Meredith’ hissed again then, for a moment, flashed into her real form. I saw patterns of leaves and ivy just barely covering the essential parts then she vanished in a burst of white petals. As they fell to the floor and vanished as they went, I look down at Elizabeth.
“Munchkin?”
She sniffed and wriggled out from behind my coat with Booka hugged close and a finger in her mouth. I crouched down next to her then and pulled her close, rubbing a hand reassuringly over her back.
“Its okay, munchkin. She’s gone now.”
Elizabeth sniffed and flung her little arms around my chest as far as she could reach. “Daddy?”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t like faeries anymore.”
I smiled and looked down at her, brushing her hair with my gloved hand. When she looked up at me, I said softly, “Me either.”
Author: Terion
Disclaimer: Not. Mine.
Rating: Caution for mild language and cute daughters.
Book or TV verse: Book verse...sequel to Life Anew, Secrets, and My Defending Angel.
Summary: Harry picks up his daughter for a day while Murphy's unable and gets a surprise along the way.
“DADDY!”
A tiny wraith-like figure with a long braid of dark hair came rushing at me and slammed against my knees with the same amount of force as Mister as I entered her classroom. Luckily I’ve had practice with the cat doing that and can keep my balance.
Well…most of the time.
“Hi, munchkin,” I said warmly, crouching down next to her. “You ready to head back home?”
“Uh-huh,” replied my six-year-old daughter, her dark eyes bright. Then she rose on her tiptoes, one finger in her mouth, to peer over my leather clad shoulder. “Where’s Mommy?”
“Mommy had things to do,” I replied. Couldn’t exactly tell my daughter that her mother was currently on a murder scene, now could I?
“Okie. Lemme go get Booka!”
I nodded and watched as she skipped off to go get her stuffed orange pony. The thing was starting to get ragged around the edges but she didn’t care and dragged the thing around wherever she went.
She ran back a moment later with the pony dangling from one hand and I swept her up, making her giggle wildly as I spun around in a brief circle. Then I hugged her close against my chest and waited until her little arms wrapped around my neck with Booka hugged between her and me before I started moving out of her school. When we reached the outside, a cold wind made her shiver and I tugged my coat forward so she was covered by it.
“There you go, munchkin. Warm now?”
“Uh-huh,” replied Elizabeth with a nod and I smiled before setting off down the sidewalk. My office was actually only a two-block walk from her school so I’d parked the Beetle in front of it and headed to pick her up. Hopefully my client for the day hadn’t decided to arrive early.
There was no one waiting outside my door when we got there and I let Elizabeth down as I dug out my keys. As I got it open, there was the sound of heels on the stairs behind me and my daughter let out a little squeak. My coat was pushed aside and I felt her arm wrap around my leg where she hid underneath it.
When I turned towards the stairs, I saw a tall and buxom redhead standing there. She wore a crisp gray business suit (the kind with a skirt, not pants) with a white shirt underneath and dark heels. Cool gray eyes looked at me then glanced down at where Elizabeth peeked out at her from underneath my coat.
“Mister Dresden?” she queried, looking at me again.
“That’d be me,” I replied. “And you are…”
“Meredith Evans.”
Ah. My client.
“Let’s go inside the, shall we?” I said as I pushed open the door with one hand and reached into my pocket with other. As Meredith passed me, I pulled out a bent nail and moved to brush it across her sleeve.
When she hissed and blurred away across the room, Elizabeth gasped and hugged at my leg harder. I reached down and patted her head where it rested against my thigh.
“Don’t worry, munchkin,” I assured her, glaring at the faerie. “She’s not going to hurt you.” Then I glared daggers at ‘Meredith’ and snarled, “What do you want? And what Court are you?”
“Summer,” she snarled in reply as tiny patterns of green ivy began to spread across her face. “I came here in peace, Dresden.”
“You came here in disguise and lied to me. I don’t take that as peace.”
‘Meredith’ hissed as the patterns of ivy completed their pattern in a spiral that curved over each cheek. She held out her hands towards me, palm up, and said, “I am here as a messenger of the Queens of the Summer Court.”
“Messengers of the Court don’t need subterfuge,” I growled. My hand touched my daughter’s head again as I asked, “What’s your unofficial reason?”
Gray eyes stared at me then flicked down to Elizabeth, who ducked back out of sight but not away from my hand in reaction. A-ha. Thought so, bitch.
My eyes narrowed and I snarled, “You and none of yours will ever touch my daughter. And if you try it, I promise that I will kill every faerie that tries.”
‘Meredith’s eyes widened at that.
“You would risk the wrath of the Summer Court over a child? Dresden, I had heard you were a fool but not a sentimental one.”
“My child. Now get your official business over and get out.”
She stared at me for a moment then sniffed and nodded.
“Very well,” she said in an icy tone. “The Lady bids you salutations and congratulations on your wedding and getting of a child. And she apologizes for her lateness in giving them and for not being present for either.”
I nodded. So Lily had sent me a messenger…a messenger who had other goals as well. Hmm…and who in the Summer Court would be out to get me?
Possibly the Queen for me killing Aurora a while back. Although…could be a linking between the Courts again like was had with here and the Winter Knight. There were more name in Winter that hated me than there were in Summer; well, at least that I knew of.
“You’ve given your message,” I growled. “Now shoo.”
‘Meredith’ bared her teeth at me and I smirked at the neat rows of pointed teeth. She sneered, “You would be so dismissive of a messenger?!”
“Nah, I’m not that crass. Now…people that come in and try to make with the nice while their plotting something extra? That I’m not too fond of. Oh, and nice teeth.”
“You will regret this, wizard.”
“I have a lot of things I regret, faerie,” I replied. “Take a number.”
‘Meredith’ hissed again then, for a moment, flashed into her real form. I saw patterns of leaves and ivy just barely covering the essential parts then she vanished in a burst of white petals. As they fell to the floor and vanished as they went, I look down at Elizabeth.
“Munchkin?”
She sniffed and wriggled out from behind my coat with Booka hugged close and a finger in her mouth. I crouched down next to her then and pulled her close, rubbing a hand reassuringly over her back.
“Its okay, munchkin. She’s gone now.”
Elizabeth sniffed and flung her little arms around my chest as far as she could reach. “Daddy?”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t like faeries anymore.”
I smiled and looked down at her, brushing her hair with my gloved hand. When she looked up at me, I said softly, “Me either.”