The Dresden Files/Codex Alera is copyright Jim Butcher. This story is licensed under the Creative Commons as derivative, noncommercial fiction.

"Harry!" Michael said, greeting me at the door. "What an unexpected but pleasant surprise!"

"Hey, man," I said.

"Come in, come in." He ushered me into his house.

Michael is a carpenter by trade and a Carpenter by name. He built his home, and every piece of it shows the love and devotion he shows for his craft and his family. Wood staircase with tongue and groove connections perfectly matched the paneling, which perfectly matched the flooring. He continually strives to make it as safe and inviting a place as he can.

"What brings you here, Harry."

"Any word from Molly?"

His face fell, and he shook his head. "It's like she never existed. I thought maybe someone would show up at our doorstep, but it's been almost a month now since I last saw her."

"I know."

"Everyone else is doing so well. I assume Maggie has integrated into your home appropriately?"

"She's awesome." I felt my heart swell as I thought about my daughter. "She and I play all the time, I'm teaching her to read and write, and Murphy has already started basic self-defense training with her."

Michael gave me a warm smile. "That's wonderful to hear."

I nodded.

"So is that what you came over to ask? If I'd seen Molly?"

I shrugged. "Murphy is starting to feel…"

Michael watched me struggle for words for a bit. He had that gift, the one of authentic listening, knowing when to be quiet. He also knows when it's gone on too long. "She feels their loss and is concerned for their safety."

"Yeah." I sat down on his couch. "Goodman Grey and her had a thing a few years back, and she's worried about him and some of the others."

"Goodman Grey was a terribly violent and destructive creature."

"Agreed. But he saved Murphy's life. Hell, he saved mine. Not to mention the million and a half times Molly saved my life."

"Including the time that in order to save your life first, she had to take it?"

I chuckled. "Exactly."

"So, what do you need from me, Harry?"

"You got a Coke? I could use something to drink."

"Of course." He walked into the kitchen while I looked at all the pictures of his kids. Pictures of Charity with Daniel, Charity with Mathew, Alicia, Amanda, Hope, and of course, Harry. All the Carpenter family was smiling and happy in various places, doing fun things.

All except Molly.

He came back and handed me a can.

"So, what is it you're avoiding talking to me about?"

I took a long pull on the Coke, draining it completely in one gulp. I set the empty can on the table. "Mac."

Michael grinned nodded. "You mean the physical manifestation of Our Lord and Savior?"

"Yeah, that."

"What do you want from Him? And why do you feel I could help with that?"

"Well, you used to be a Knight of the Cross. I thought you might have some way to, uh…communicate with him or something."

"I do communicate with him. Every single day. Sometimes multiple times a day."

"Oh? And what is his explanation of all this?"

"He doesn't explain things, Harry. I speak to Him. In Prayer."

"Ahh."

"You could try praying too, Harry."

I frowned, crossing my legs. "The big guy and I usually don't see eye to eye, but now that I know he's Mac…"

"I imagine if he needed or felt you deserved knowledge of this situation, he would impart it to you. Similar to me regarding my daughter."

"So you're taking it on faith that she's okay?"

Michael nodded, wiping a tear away. "It's why it is called Faith, Harry."

"So how does one do that, exactly?"

"Do what?"

"Pray."

Michael chuckled. "It's the most natural thing in the world, Harry. Open your mind to Him, and let him know what you desire."

"You don't need an incantation, or spell, or alchemical solution?"

"Nope." He chuckled. "You know this, Harry."

"Yeah," I sighed. "I'm just…well. Don't get me wrong; I want to know Molly is okay. But on the other hand-"

"You've been given a gift. Even though you've been stripped of your magic, you have everything you could ever want right here, right now."

"Yes."

"Well, I can't promise you anything, Harry. But I can say, the Lord always answers prayers. It may not be in the way you want them answered. But they are always answered."

"So if I prayed for a million bucks, I'd get it?"

"Absolutely." Michael patted me on the shoulder. "But perhaps he would give you the strength and the clarity to see the path to earning that million bucks for yourself, Harry."

"Yeah, I get it. The genie's curse."

"I wouldn't call it a curse, Harry, God works through us to achieve His design."

"Like Covid19?"

"COVID has nothing to do with God, Harry. And you didn't come here for us to go down that rabbit hole."

I sighed, "Okay. You're right. I thought I'd ask if you had anything from…before. I mean, are the swords still in existence?"

Michael shook his head. "Much like Excalibur, they appear to be legends and only real in the minds of those who were at the event. Waldo Butters remembers his Sword, but Fidelacchius is only a high-end lightsaber prop."

"So, that'd be a no then?"

Michael bobbed his head back and forth, his mouth staying closed.

"So, that'd be a yes then?"

He sighed. "Harry, some things surrounding being a Knight of the Cross are not accessible to the realm of Mortals."

"Can you lay off the cryptography, man, and cut to the chase? All I want to do is ask Mac if Molly and the others are okay. I don't think he's going to hear me if I try to pray, because that hasn't been working so far."

"God listens to all our Prayers, Harry."

I sighed. "Okay, well, if you ever want me to try to find out about your daughter, let me know, okay?"

"What's going on?" Charity said, coming into the room.

I shook my head. "Nothing. Michael has something regarding being a Knight of the Cross that he's keeping from me. I want to ask Mac if Molly and the other fae are okay — as I assume they are, but he says I should just pray about it."

"Michael, go get them for Harry. He's obviously forgotten about it."

Michael stared at his wife. "No."

"Get what?"

Something about that rang a bell. I'd been involved in a case where Nicodemus Arcleone had raided the vault of Hades. I'd recovered five items…what were they? It was like they'd been erased from my—

"He erased my memory of it, didn't he."

Michael nodded.

"What did I bring back?"

Michael sighed.

"Dude, this is important."

"If it was important, I think you would remember the items, Harry."

"Do you want to learn the location of your daughter or not?"

Charity looked at him with a pleading expression on his face.

Michael shook his head. "We have to go to St. Mary of the Angels."

Father Forthill was getting on in years. He still opened the side-door for us and embraced each of us warmly.

"It's so good to see you, boys. What adventures have the two of you been having?"

"Oh, you know us. Never a dull moment, Father," Michael said.

He led us into his small, sparse apartment. I knew it well, having spent quite some time healing up after having my back broken.

"So what can I do for you?"

"Can't old friends just see each other every once in awhile."

Forthill nodded and winked. "Of course we can, Harry. But I know you never use the side-door unless there's something you need and don't want the Community to see."

"Father, we need to see the…artifacts, Harry brought to you a few years ago."

Forthill frowned.

"Do you remember me bringing you certain items, Father?"

He nodded. "I do indeed, Harry. But those have been forward to the Vatican, of course, for safekeeping. Those were priceless relics, and they are still being studied."

My shoulders slumped. "Well, shoot."

Forthill nodded, standing up. "Sorry about that, boys. Will there be anything else?"

Michael stood very still. He was always a little eerie when in the grip of the Holy Spirit back when magic actually worked. It was like sound didn't exist around him when he communed with the Spirit.

"Father," Michael said. "I'm going to tell you a story."

"Very well, my son."

Michael took a deep breath. "Charity and I were pregnant before having Daniel."

Forthill nodded. "I remember."

"Do you remember what happened with that child?"

He frowned. "Of course. Mo…" he blinked. "A girl, correct?"

"Yes, Father. You christened her right here in this very Font."

"Why can't I…her name started with an M."

Michael nodded. "Molly."

"Yes! Molly. Of course. How could I forget her?"

"Where is Molly now, Father?" I said.

He looked at us, confused. "I assume she was…she was your apprentice for a time, right, Harry?"

"Yes, but apprentice as what?"

Forthill leaned forward. "Oh, my old age…of course, I should remember this."

"Well, let's go down the list. I'm currently a teacher, so was it in education?"

He nodded. "It was definitely education of some kind…but, not English…was it a foreign language?"

"No—"

The Priest looked at us, his face cast in a frown as he considered it.

"I can see her. She used to go around here a lot back when…Formula? When some formula happened, and it was causing chaos?"

"The Fomor."

"Yes!" Forthill nodded. "She protected the city from the Fomor!"

"How did she do that, Father?"

"Well, with Magic, of course…Magic…why would I ever think…"

I put my hand on his shoulder. "That is what Molly studied with me, Father. Magic. I was a Wizard."

He shook his head. "That couldn't be…wait."

He sat down, staring at me. "Yes. You were. A Wizard. Very powerful one, too, weren't you?"

"Yes, Father."

"And yes, I remember. You raided the Vault of Hades. And brought back the relics."

"Yes."

Michael nodded, rubbing his scruffy chin. "So, you can see why we need to see the relics, Father. Magic has disappeared from this reality. And so has Molly."

"Oh, my boy!" Father nodded, getting up and embracing Michael deeply.

I watched them hold each other, and they both wiped a tear after a few moments.

Father Forthill touched the side of his nose and went to his secret compartment. He touched a special place on the wall, and it opened to display a shelf with several items within.

"I couldn't have sent these to the Vatican, they'd never believe me and would have destroyed them."

"It's okay, Father," Michael said. "You had the best of intentions."

Michael bowed his head, then made the sign of the cross. He withdrew several items and set them on the desk.

First was a piece of cloth. White, appearing to be made of silk. It was a shroud of some kind, well, not any shroud, THE Shroud of Turin. Second, a spear, with a wooden handle that looked ancient with an iron tip. Third, a sign or placard reading 'King of the Jews' in Aramaic. Fourth, a circle of what appeared to be rose stems. They'd been preserved somehow, but still brittle and ancient, and I realized they were The Crown of Thorns.

"Of course, the fifth item was stolen."

I blinked. "The fifth item?"

"The Grail, Harry."

"Right," Memories came flooding back. We'd quested for the grail, specifically. It was what Nicodemus Archleone had wanted, and what he'd stolen at the very end.

Father Forthill unlocked another box and took out a black satin bag. "I also still have all of these." He opened the pouch careful not to touch them, laying them onto the desk still nestled in the velvet of the bag.

"Careful with those, Father," Michael said.

At first, I thought it was a bag of money since that is what it sounded like. But then I noticed it wasn't money but coins. My mind finally congealed enough to remember they were the Coins of the Blackened Denarius. I counted the coins without touching them.

"Nine." I sighed. "Lasciel and Uriel should still be in Hades' vault.

"If someone hasn't recovered them, yes," Michael said.

"I wonder what would happen if someone were to pick it up now?" I mused. "I mean, considering the absence of Magic."

"Let's not perform any experiments." Father Forthill said, closing the satin bag with the drawstring. He put the bag back inside the locked box, inserted his silver key, and locked it carefully.

"Agreed." Michael smiled.

"So, apparently, not all supernatural objects have been removed from this reality, or continuum, or plane of existence." I stroked my growing beard.

"Perhaps one of the relics could assist you in reaching out to Mac?" Michael said.

"Possibly. Or it could have some other effect. I have absolutely no idea what these might do. Do you, Father?"

Father Forthill shook his head. "No, Harry. Other than knowing they must be quite powerful considering their source."

I nodded. "What's the holiest part of a church?"

Michael shrugged, looking at Father Forthill. "The Sacristy?"

Father Forthill continued. "If you are looking for the area where the most Holy of objects is held, the Sacristy is where we store our vestments and anything we might use in a service. It's where we bless ourselves with holy water, and where we go before and after each ceremony. The Altar is where we perform our ceremonies and is the focus of all our Masses."

I nodded. "Let's go to the Altar then. And bring these relics."

Both Father Forthill and Michael knelt before entering the Hall. I awkwardly did the same, following along behind.

Father Forthill gathered each of the boxes containing the items, and we carried them into the main hall. He set them on the altar, reverently, crossing himself after touching each one.

Churches always made me feel a bit uneasy as if God were looking down into my soul from above and peeling back every layer to find the interesting bits in the middle. I felt like if I sneezed or otherwise caused some kind of noise, lightning might strike at any time.

He set the items on the Altar, laying them out and opening each of the containers.

"Now what?" Michael said.

"Well, when magic worked, and if I were performing a summoning, I'd need some kind of circle on the floor.

"Would a piece of chalk work?" Father Forthill asked.

I shrugged. "Who knows. Yes, it would in normal circumstances. Silver, gold, or platinum is best, but I used to use chalk out in the field.

"There's some chalk in the classroom, Michael."

Michael nodded and left to go get it.

Forthill sat down with me on the front pew, laying a hand on my shoulder. "How have you been holding up, my son?"

I smiled. "Wonderful, actually. Murphy and I are married now."

"Oh!" Father smiled. "I would have performed the ceremony if you had wanted."

"Well, it was a spur of the moment thing, and we had…well, the Big Guy himself."

Forthill nodded and smiled. "I'm happy you two have found each other."

"It's wonderful, Father. And Maggie is with us."

"That child is special in the eyes of God."

"And me!" I said, hearing footsteps behind me.

Michael returned and handed me the chalk.

I drew a circle around the altar, feeling somehow sacrilegious as I did it.

"Is there anything else you'd require?"

"Well," I said, dusting my hands off on my pants. "Invocations or evocations require three elements; A summoning circle, something symbolic that is tied to the person being summoned, and a catalyst. Usually, I use a potion or powder for the catalyst…not sure what I might use in this summoning."

Michael smiled. "I suspect incense and holy water might do the trick for us," Michael said.

Father Forthill nodded and prepared the thurible, a container at the end of a chain.

"In my ceremonies, I walk around the Altar, blessing it with the smoke from the Thurible." Father Forthill said.

I nodded. "Please proceed."

Father Forthill swung the smoking container, and I smelled the burning incense. He murmured softly as he walked all around. Then he took a pitcher and poured out a little blessed water, closing his eyes and murmuring over it as it sprinkled over the altar.

I stepped up, placing my hands on the shroud and the crown of thorns.

"I summon thee, McInally, Lord of Lords, God of heaven and Earth to attend—"

Mac appeared abruptly in front of the altar. He shook His head. "Harry, you didn't have to go to all this trouble, you could have just called. He held up a mobile device in his hand.

"But I didn't have your number?"

"Look at your phone."

I pulled out my mobile phone and unlocked it. After pulling up the contact list, I scrolled through it.

"Really?" I said. "Big G?"

"Hey, what did you want me to use?" Mac said.

"I don't know, maybe McInally?"

"And if someone happened to get your phone?"

"Well, okay, for future reference now, I know."

He chuckled, and we hugged each other. He shook hands with Father Forthill, who goggled at him, and I thought he might have a heart attack right there. Michael knelt on one knee, murmuring and clutching the cross around his neck.

"Arise, my son." He placed a hand on Michael's shoulder, and Michael stood up, abject adoration on his face.

"So, what why have you summoned Me?"

"We just want to make sure Molly and all the other Fae creatures are okay, Mac. We weren't prepared for them to be gone from this reality."

Mac nodded, a serious look on his face.

"So, are they okay?"

He sighed. "Define okay for me, please."

Michael spoke. "That my daughter is happy, healthy, and unharmed and is able to fulfill her life's potential."

Mac nodded. Then he sat down, putting his head on his fist. "Then, no, they aren't okay at all."

I felt my stomach turn to water. "What? We thought since you took away magic…"

"Harry, I didn't do this. I didn't take away anything."

"But, I can't perform anything magical, and there are no supernatural beings at all on this plane."

Mac nodded. "The Universe has been fractured."

I sat down next to him, as Michael and Forthill did the same.

"Hells Bells," I said.

Mac nodded. "Exactly."

The Dresden Files/Codex Alera is copyright Jim Butcher. This story is licensed under the Creative Commons as derivative, noncommercial fiction.

Mac shook his head. "So, there's a lot, of course, I can't share with you. Things happen on planes unseen, dimensions unfathomable, that which is Me is only a fraction of a fraction of what I am et-cetera."

"I get it."

"There was a Cataclysm in one Dimension. And it has led to a fracturing of nearby Dimensions, causing…oh…"

Mac looked thoughtful, crooking one corner of his mouth up. "Pocket realities."

"I see."

"Anyway, of those realms with Magic," he spoke with his hands, clasping them together. "A force that combines many cosmic forces into one sheared off from the natural universes, those where Magic doesn't exist." He moved his left open hand against his right in a shearing motion.

"Like this one."

"Yes." He smiled. "And, it caused all supernatural beings to be contained within a few cosmic dimensions. We're still sorting it out, but wait times might be extended while we fix the glitch."

I chuckled.

"But, Molly is okay?" Michael said.

Mac sighed. "Molly and the individual you call 'Mab' had been combining agencies for awhile now, as you know."

"Agencies?"

"Yes, Harry. Let me explain. Each of you, Harry, Father Forthill, Michael, Molly, are representative of an agency. You are a collective of many things, including your body, mind, spirit, soul, energy, talent, personality, and many more. Your perception of 'you' is represented by your corporeal body, but you are far more than just a pretty face, as you well know since your agency combined with Lara's in the last entanglement."

"Yes, but I'm back to being myself, or at least it seems that way."

"Correct." An ice-chest materialized in Mac's hand and he opened it to pass out his special Ale to us all.

"This is how I know you are the Lord." I toasted Mac's bottle, and he grinned.

"Yes. When the fracture occurred, it solved your entanglement problems. However, in the magical realms, the entanglements actually increased. Mab and Molly are so entangled now it will be difficult to disentangle them completely, and it might be impossible."

"That's not good." Michael took a pull on his ale. "I hate the thought of my daughter being caught spiritually with that creature of Darkness."

"It's worse than that, unfortunately. The longer this fracture occurs, the more entangled they become. I fear we may have already passed the Inception point."

"Inception point?"

"Correct. You and Lara were near that point, Harry. You 'became' Lara and your soul anchor had swung so far I wondered when you materialized on the Spiritual plane of existence a few weeks ago if you'd be her or you. I was very happy to see you as you should be."

"So the Inception point is where a soul—"

"When an Agency ceases to be one identity and assumes another as an amalgamation, combination, or evolution."

"Is there anything we can do to help her?"

Mac shrugged. "Well, if we could get you over to the Sidhe realms, possibly. You'd have to appeal to Molly inside Mab, and there might be a way to extract what is left of her back into her…well, vessel. We have other issues in that reality that you could also help with."

"Such as?"

"Oh, where to start. What do you think would happen if the never-never suddenly had no boundary to the Demon realms? Creatures of Demonic might and magic have run rampant, capturing and enslaving those sidhe less fortunate and less powerful. I'd love to see the balance righted a bit until we can get the Never Never, and this reality conjoined again."

"When that happens, won't I be entangled again?"

"I don't think so. Lara, the agency, is now whole again in the form you last saw. Sadly, she's been enslaved by a demonic creature in that reality."

"Maybe she deserves a little enslavement," I said.

"Mmm, not on this scale. Basically, every ounce of magic Lara produces with her Sprite body is being harvested for another entity. She's locked and secured in a bell-jar along with Toot-Toot and all the other Sprites."

I stood up. "Not Toot! He's helped me too much in the past to let him suffer!"

Mac nodded.

"Murphy is also concerned about Goodman Grey and how he might be faring."

Mac nodded. "Mr. Grey is a secretive creature. He is more Demon than sidhe, but has fallen in with a 'bad crowd' I guess would be the best term. He has adopted a very aggressive form and is, unfortunately, one of the beings preying on the weak."

I sighed. "Murphy's not going to like that."

"So how can we help, Lord," Michael said.

"Well…I supposed I could bring you over."

"Always a danger," I said. "And I'm sure something hideous happens if we stay too long."

"Not hideous, but you will Incorporate there the longer you exist in that state."

"Incorporate?"

"Yes. Your agency will associate with the vessel, and your mind, body, spirit, and all the rest will be aligned. If Incorporation happens, you won't be able to return here in the form you now occupy."

"Great."

"How long before that happens, Father?" Michael said.

"Hard to say. Less than a week. I'd give it three days, but you might make it four."

"Not much time," I said.

"Yes, well. If you'd like to wait, we do expect to have your realities back and coordinated shortly."

"How long is short?" Father Forthill said.

Mac shrugged. "Less than a thousand years. Maybe in the next several hundred. Hard to say, really. It's a very complex problem."

"Great, so, if we don't save them in three days, we run the risk of Incorporating in that reality and stuck as we are for the next several hundred years."

"Yes," Mac said. "Do you wish for me to perform this now?"

I held up my hands. "Not without talking to my wife. And I probably should see if Thomas wants to go along with us since his sister is in trouble too."

"Sounds fine. Just know that one hour here is about a week there. So the less time spent here dilly-dallying, the better."

"We'll keep the dally to a minimum," I said. "The dilly is a different story."

"What time shall I, the ever present God of all, attend to you, then, Harry?"

"Say around seven ish tonight?"

Mac rolled his eyes and nodded. "Bring whoever you'd like, and meet me here. Be it known, however, I won't have much control over the vessel you are cast into on the other side. You can make a request of the sidhe or demonic forms, and I will do my best, but the details may be lacking."

"Of course," I said.

"So, we shall return at seven tonight?" Michael said.

"Agreed," Mac said. "I will be here."

Father Forthill nodded. I'll make sure the Church is empty by that time."

"Thank you, Father," Mac said.

I glanced down at my watch, then at Michael. "Can you run me home?"

"Of course, Harry."

I walked out of the Hall and gave a breath of relief.

"Feel better?"

"Yeah, Churches always make me nervous."

"Pity," Michael said, as we made our way outside. "They bring me such peace."

I reflected on that as we sped toward my home. I also wondered what I'd tell my wife.

Shaking my head, I hit the dash in frustration.

"I know," Michael said.

"Just when things were normal, finally. I mean, I want to save Molly, believe me, Michael. She doesn't deserve that."

"No, she doesn't. And frankly, you owe me."

"I do."

"So, buckle up, buttercup. I suspect Charity might be in on this one too."

"Charity, Thomas, and Murphy, I imagine."

"Why do you suppose Lara and Molly weren't incorporated into this reality, but Bob, Billy, and Andi were?" I said, not really expecting an answer.

Michael shrugged. "Maybe because they were had a more 'human' intellect?"

"That doesn't track, though. Bob has been a spirit of intellect for hundreds of years; Molly has only been a sidhe for three."

Michael nodded, and I could see him wiping tears.

"Sorry, man, that was insensitive."

"Guess you're not the only buttercup that needs to buckle up."

"Yeah…I'm sorry, though. I can't imagine how frustrated you must be."

He smiled. "I know a certain someone who performed an extinction event on the last group that threatened his daughter."

"Geez, that guy," I said as we pulled into our driveway.

"Need some backup on this?"

"Nah. I got it. And I'll call Thomas. Meet you back at St. Anthony's tonight?"

"I'll be there, Harry."

"Drive safe."

I gave him a fist bump and got out of the car.

Maggie and Murphy were in the back yard. They each had a tatami mat, and Murphy was leading Maggie through some tai-chi moves. Interestingly, I remembered those moves from when I was in Karrin's body and could almost feel the way her muscles would be pulling.

"Hey, you two!" I waved as I stepped out of the house and onto our small back porch.

"Daddy!" Maggie said and ran to me with her arms outstretched, ready to play airplane.

I zoomed her around the yard a bit, over the swingset and around Murphy, who was still finishing her tai-chi.

"How are you?" I said, kissing my wife after she finished up.

"Good. Your daughter is learning this easily."

"She's got the best teacher." I grinned, setting Maggie down.

"Learn anything?" We sat down at the outdoor table. Murphy had a pitcher of lemonade sitting on a tray with three glasses. She poured each of us some.

"Yeah."

"Doesn't sound good."

"It's not," I sighed.

"Fuck," Murphy said.

Maggie immediately said; "ummmmm, Auntie said the F-word."

"Auntie is allowed to because she is an adult," I said.

"No, Auntie isn't. Auntie will wash her mouth out with soap later."

Maggie giggled, taking a sip of the lemonade.

"So, lay it on me, hoss," Murphy said.

So I told her. Afterward, she nodded.

"So you and Michael and Thomas are going to go?"

"I figured you might want to as well."

"What about this little munchkin?"

"Yeah, Daddy! I want to go!"

"Honey, we're going to be fighting monsters. You're still a little too young for that."

"Awww," Maggie said, crossing her arms and sticking out her lower lip.

"Charity might come as well," I said.

Murphy rolled up their mats. I could tell she was thinking things through, the muscle at the corner of her jaw pulsed a bit. She finished rolling them and sat next to me on the outdoor chairs.

"Maybe you should sit this one out, Harry."

I frowned. "Wait; what?"

"Look, I'm going in after Goodman, Thomas is going for Lara, and Charity and Michael for Molly. Why do you even need to be there?"

"Well, in case there's any magical gunslinging that needs to happen."

"You'd be in the body of a sidhe, Harry, and only as magical as that body might allow."

"But what if something happens to you? I'd never know?"

"Then, you can get Mac to have you come to rescue me," Murphy said. "You have a daughter now who needs you. Let me handle this extraction, this time. For once."

"But you've never even been to the never-never. How will you—"

"Give me a little bit of credit, Harry. You've told me about it how many times now?"

"So, what? All of you go in, and I'm here?"

"Yep. Have you ever considered how many times you've put me through that exact same thing?"

I crossed my arms, much like Maggie.

"Are you going to pout now, too?"

"Three days," I said.

"Three days?"

"Yes. Mac said you'd Incorporate as whatever you go in as after three days, and might not be able to get out. So, three days, Karrin. If you're not back in 72 hours, I'm coming to find you."

She wrapped her arms around me, nodding. "You better."

"Have you given any thought to what form you might select."

She nodded. "Probably best not to tell you."

"Tell me you're not considering going in as a Naagloshii. Please tell me that."

She shrugged. "How best to find one than to become one?"

"Karrin, they're demons. They aren't Sidhe. They live off the power from consuming practitioners or other creatures of Magic."

"Goodman seems to do okay with it."

"Please, Karrin? Anything but that."

Murphy sighed. "Harry, I don't see that I have any other choice. It's only for a short time, I promise I'll be back when the clock strikes 72."

I swallowed. I didn't like this, not one bit. Naagloshii were skinwalkers, semi-divine beings that could morph into the general shape of any animal, or human. They were walking demons, incredibly strong, incredibly powerful, and as dark as they come.

"If Goodman doesn't come with you, Karrin, you promise to return."

"I promise, Harry."

I sighed trembling. "I don't like this."

"I know," She looked up at me, smiling as she hugged me. "But you love me, anyway."

"I do."

"I do too."

We shared a kiss, but I couldn't stop the butterflies that had set up and decided to have a party in my stomach.

---

Author's Note: There was a question about Butcher's forthcoming Dresden Files novel: Peace Talks that drops on Tuesday (squee!) . This story will NOT contain spoilers for that novel and has been written prior to its release. This has always been my fun little romp with Butcher's characters and will need to be considered an alternate universe, non-canon fanfiction

The Dresden Files/Codex Alera is copyright Jim Butcher. This story is licensed under the Creative Commons as derivative, noncommercial fiction.

We arrived at St. Anthony's. I'd left Maggie in the hands of Alicia, Michael's daughter. We'd had a long strategy session where they identified objectives, made plans for who would go after whom, how they would create spendable income, a priority list for what needed to happen first, second and third. Seventy-Two hours here meant approximately sixteen months in the never-never…a land full of fairies and demons. It would be a harrowing time, but exciting.

And all without me.

I grumped through the whole meeting, feeling a sick oily feeling in my gut. I was still angry about being relegated to the babysitter position, but on the other hand, Maggie was no one's responsibility except mine.

They all left. Many kisses and hugs, and the waiting period began.

I picked up Maggie and took Mouse to the park where they ran and chased butterflies, while I sat on the park bench and sulked, staring at my phone as the hours ticked by. Each hour, a week in the Never Never. It gave me such anxiety I thought I would snap Maggie's head off when she accidentally tripped a little boy who was going to the slide, and he hit his head on the step.

"I'm sorry, daddy!" Maggie said when I had gripped her arm in a fury. The look of fear in her eyes made my heartbreak.

"It's okay, honey. You just have to be more careful, okay?" I said through gritted teeth.

"I will." And she started to cry. I picked her up and held her tight to me; the mother of the other child was furious and pulled her son over to one of the benches.

"She's not even wearing a mask!" She seethed as she passed by.

We got hamburgers at Burger King and went home to watch some kids' shows on Netflix.

After a few hours of watching, I was about to tear my hair out. So I called Susan.

"Well, hello, stranger. I was wondering when I'd hear from you."

"How are things?" I said.

"Not bad. Getting used to having a family has been nice. How about you?"

"Peachy."

"Uh-oh. That doesn't sound good."

I sighed. "Murphy has gone into the Never Never to try to extract our friends. Lara, Molly, and Goodman haven't done the translation to our reality."

She nodded. "I knew Magic had taken some kind of holiday. The Paranet has been defunct, and is basically a bunch of conspiracy theorists now."

"Anyway, I agreed to sit this one out because…Maggie."

"Oh!" She giggled. "That must be excruciating for you."

"You don't even know," I sighed, once again, raking my hands through my hair.

"You know, Harry, we can take care of Maggie. We're going on a camping trip this weekend, and I'm sure Melissa would love some time with her half-sister."

I hadn't even considered that. "Wow, really? I don't know when I'd be back. Might be a few days."

"She can live with us as long as you need."

I glanced down at Maggie, who was disconsolately braiding Mouse's hair. "Let me talk with her about it, and I'll get back to you?"

"Of course." She paused. "I have dinner on the stove, so give me a call when you know what you want to do."

"Okay, thanks, Susan."

And we hung up.

Maggie looked at me. "You're going away, aren't you?"

I sighed, pulling her up into my lap. "I'm super worried about Aunt Murphy."

She nodded, looking sad.

"I don't have to if it will make you sad."

She shrugged. "I just wish I could go. Maybe I could help in some way."

I thought about demons rampaging around the never-never, and shuddered. "There are a lot of monsters there."

"I'm not scared of Monsters, Daddy. I have a Mouse!"

Mouse gave a woof at that.

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to spend some time with your mother and sister and maybe go camping with them this weekend?"

She looked at me with those huge dark eyes. "Can Mouse come too?"

"Absolutely!"

She smiled. "That sounds really fun, Daddy. But I'd rather you took me camping."

Ugh, my heart. "Daddy, will, I promise. But first, I have to make sure Aunt Karrin is doing okay. Can you be super brave while I do that and stay with your Mom?"

She nodded, tears spilling out of her eyes.

I hugged her tight and close to me, feeling her little sobs.

I was caught. On the one hand, I wanted Murphy to feel the empowerment of our marriage, and she knows how to handle herself. She was in charge of weapons in the Never-Never, identifying them, gathering them, and training with them for future use. Murphy excelled at that category in the Real-world, so I knew she would also excel in the Never Never.

However, that was if the tables stayed fair. Beings of magical might and power had ways of changing the odds in their favor. They didn't play by the rules of man, well, or women, and took advantage of weakness. Murphy had a kind heart deep down and would always err on the side of life, giving people a chance to surrender or otherwise relinquish the evil path they had created. She wouldn't take a life unless there were no other options necessary.

Sometimes, though, you took life when it was the necessary option.

People like Marcone understood this. Over countless battles with creatures great and small both in and out of the supernatural realms, I'd learned this stark fact too. If the being before you could regroup and come at you from a different angle knowing your strengths and perhaps your weakness, you may never get a chance again to erase said creature from the future.

And this was my problem in a nutshell. All the friends who had gone to the Never Never would use death as the last possible option. Michael wanted to save souls, not extinguish them. Charity liked to give people the benefit of the doubt. Hell, she'd done that all the years I'd known her with me. Thomas felt the guilt of using his Hunger and wanted to allow any spiritual being the opportunity to rebuild the spirit elements he took from them.

Goodman knew that death was sometimes the necessary option. So did Mab. Molly had grown to such a level she understood this as well, but they were the ones being saved.

I looked at my daughter and stroked her hair. I'd been forced into that situation when I'd rescued her from the clutches of the Red Court. It had been the necessary option.

I glanced at the clock. It had been four hours since they'd gone in. A month in the Never Never. They would have had time to locate a base of operations, an income source, and hopefully quarters to stay in. Reconnaissance would be the order of the day, with the team venturing out into the world in twos and threes to discover the location of the targets and possible methods for retrieval. I could hook up with them, and be a fourth, thereby creating two recon teams instead of just one. When you transitioned to the Never-Never, Mac did what he could do at least identify a species, but you couldn't take any tools, implements, or even any clothing over. I'd need to give him some kind of an option with that, something useful, with innate abilities.

I considered my options.

Under Sidhe, there were two courts or factions; Seelie and Unseelie. Mab was the Queen of the Unseelie court, Titania of the Seelie.

There were gnomes, goblins, and trolls. Greenies, Brownies, Giants, Dwarves, Pixies, Orcs, sprites, Elves, Hags, Dryads, Fauns, Djinn, Kelpies, Kobolds, Leprechauns, Banshees, Boggarts, Mermaids, Ogres, Centaurs, Pucks, REdcaps, Selkies, Sylphs, Wights, Wraiths and many more I couldn't remember.

Demons were different. There were three or four circles, with each one being more powerful than the last. Imps, hounds, boars, Infernals, Minions, and those types were from the fourth Circle and could usually be easily defeated. Anything above that was complicated. Goolies, Ghosts, Hellboys, and a Naagloshii was a type of ifrit on the third level. Devils, Creepers, Incubi, Succubi, Balrogs, Screeches, Maalks, and others were of the second level. And the top level, each individual demon had almost unlimited power but was also the ultimate in corruption.

I sighed. I didn't want to even think of the demon natures and didn't want to become another being like in Ifrit. I'd stick to something of the Sidhe, hoping I could retain enough of self. It would be nice to fly, though. The problem with flight was the fragility of the being with wings.

"Let's go get you packed, okay?"

Maggie gave me a smile. "Do I get to sleep in a sleeping bag?"

"Totally."

She giggled, and we both ran downstairs to put together her backpack.

After another hour packing, and another hour shuttling her out to Susan's, I was back at St. Anthony's.

"They haven't returned, my boy." A bleary Father Forthill said, after opening the door to the rectory.

"I know, but I've decided to go across too, Father."

He nodded and ushered me inside.

I repeated the process of drawing a circle around the Altar. Then I summoned Mac.

"Are you sure?" he said.

I nodded. "Look, I know I promised Murphy to watch after Maggie, but you and I both know when push comes to shove, Murphy, Thomas, Charity, and Michael will all give an adversary the benefit of the doubt.

"That is why they work on the side of the Light, Harry."

"Well, I know that Light can also be Grey at times too, Mac. Sometimes it's necessary to make the choice that is right instead of the right choice."

He sighed. "Yes, indeed."

"Of all of them, I think I'm the best qualified to do that."

"You have made some hard choices, Harry."

I nodded, thinking of the times I'd needed to kill someone who didn't deserve to die, but because it was necessary.

"Any thought to a species?"

I nodded. "Warrior Elf, I guess. Unless you have a better suggestion?"

He shrugged. "I'll do my best, Harry. You know you'll be naked when you arrive?"

"Yeah, not looking forward to that."

"I'll put you in the same glade that I left the others. It will not be the Evacuation Zone, we agreed to a spot in Aos, the capital city."

He pulled out a map, and I studied it. A city was laid out, with a green spot over a clearing to the north of the city that said LZ, and another red spot near the southern wall that said EZ. I memorized the map as best as I was able.

"Sure wish I could take a cellphone."

He grinned. "You could probably make a magical communication device over there and sell it for a lot, Harry."

"Good idea."

"Once you are in there, you are on your own. I will have zero communications with you. I do, however, monitor the Evacuation Zone, and once you or anyone from our team enters the Zone, I will be notified and will extract you as quickly as I am able."

"Thanks, man."

He nodded. "While you are there, I will give you the same message I gave them: the more Light we can cast, the better. The Adversary has a large contingent on that plane of reality, unfortunately, and has taken direct action in contrast to my actions here. It's only because of this; I am able to perform these actions; if they had not broken our Agreement, I wouldn't be able to allow this to happen. Since you are a Deputy of the Light on that plane, I expect you to help others as you would like to be helped. Does that make sense?"

"So, act no different than if I was here? Help old ladies cross the street?"

He grinned. "Exactly. Because that old lady you helped across the street might save someone's life someday."

"And so on and so on. I get it, Mac."

"Perfect."

"Anything else?"

He smiled. "Good Luck, Harry. May the Force be with you."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks."

And with that, he put his arm on my shoulder. With a wink, we were gone.

---

Author's Note: There was a question about Butcher's forthcoming Dresden Files novel: Peace Talks that drops Today! This story will NOT contain spoilers for that novel and has been written prior to its release. This has always been my fun little romp with Butcher's characters and will need to be considered an alternate universe, non-canon fanfiction
This story will also be on HIATUS for a bit. Go out and buy Peace Talks!