The shrill ring of the phone woke me up, and I blinked blearily as I stumbled down the stairs. The clock by the door told me it was a little after nine, and I wondered who had the gall to call me so early in the morning. I ignored the fact that I was still in my boxers and t-shirt as I grabbed the receiver.

"Dresden." Or at least that's what I think I said.

"Harry Dresden?" Okay, maybe not.

"Yeah, that's me." I shook my head a bit to clear the fuzz. I'd had a late night at Mac's following possible leads for my latest case, and I'd had one (or four) too many of his delicious brews.

"Mr. Dresden, my name is Barbara Cranston. I'm an assistant principal at Palmer Elementary." She paused for a moment before continuing in a rushed voice. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but you're listed as an emergency contact for Anna Crowley." Crowley? A buzzing at the back of my mind supplied the name of Murphy's ex-husband - Derek Crowley - which made Anna her daughter. My brain kicked into gear and several thoughts raced through my head all at once. Was Anna alright? When had Murphy made me a contact for her daughter? Most importantly, why had she done so?

"Mr. Dresden?" Barbara Cranston sounded worried, so I cleared my throat and tried not to sound too shocked.

"I'm here. Is she alright?"

"She's got a fever, and she's been throwing up. We tried contacting her mother, but the department said she was out on assignment. Her father is out of town for a few weeks, and you're the only other person in Anna's file."

"Um…alright," I answered lamely. "What do you need me to do?"

She made a sound that could probably be construed as frustrated, but she managed to stifle it. Mostly. "We need you to come get Anna. She cannot stay at school when she's this ill." The reminder that Anna was sick jolted me into action, and I looked around for my shoes even as I thanked the woman.

"I'll be there as fast as I can." She thanked me in return and there was a split second of silence before I shouted her name. "Sorry," I rushed on, "can you tell me how to get to the school?" After I scribbled down the directions on the notepad I kept by the phone, I hung up and called for Bob.

"You bellowed?" he drawled as he stepped through the wall separating my lab from the back of the building.

"Hold my calls," I told him. "I have to go pick up Murphy's sick kid from school." I made it back up the stairs, tripping only once, as Bob's voice called after me.

"I'm sorry," Bob shook his head, "I thought you just said that someone has entrusted you with their child."

"Hey, talk to Murphy. She's the one who put me on Anna's emergency contact thingy." I found my discarded jeans from the night before and pulled them on before grabbing my jacket and keys. Bob was waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh dear," Bob sighed. "Shall I prepare a list of things you'll need to care for a sick child?"

"Uh…"

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Shut up, Bob." I slipped my jacket on and locked up behind me before jumping into the Jeep.

Traffic was good, and it only took me fifteen minutes to reach the school. I parked in a visitor's space right up front and walked purposefully toward the door. I realized with a start that I had absolutely no idea what Anna looked like, and if the girl was awake and lucid this could get awkward. Murphy didn't seem the type to talk about work with her kid. It was likely the girl had no idea who I was, and might freak out about going off with a stranger. The upshot was that the policeman who would no doubt show up in such a situation would probably verify that I worked with Murphy. Probably.

"Mr. Dresden?" A matronly woman of about fifty was waiting in the foyer, and her crisp pants suit screamed elementary school principal. "I'm Barbara Cranston, we spoke on the phone." I shook her hand quickly and she turned to lead the way to the front office. "Can I see some identification, please?" I dug out my driver's license and handed it to her, waiting patiently as she glanced at the photo then at me. She nodded once and handed it back before motioning toward a clipboard chained to the desk. "Please fill that out, and I'll take you to the nurse's office." I filled out all the spaces necessary to take Anna out of school, finishing with a hastily scrawled signature. "This way."

"Is she awake?" I asked, trying my best to sound concerned about her health and not at all about her potential freak-out.

"No, poor dear. She exhausted herself with her latest bout of sickness. She fell asleep ten minutes ago." I tried not to sigh in relief as we stepped through an open doorway. A younger woman in scrubs, probably in her thirties, sat behind a desk filling out a form. Through another door I could see a darker room and a small bed-like structure against the far wall.

"Ms. Cranston?" the woman had looked up at us when we entered, and Assistant Principal Cranston gestured toward me.

"Mr. Dresden is here to pick up Anna." The nurse nodded sympathetically and pointed toward the darkened room. Ms. Cranston looked at me expectantly, and I realized she was waiting for me to go get the girl. I stepped quickly into the room and let my eyes adjust before moving over to the bed.

Anna Crowley took after her mom quite a bit, with dark wavy hair and angled features. She had the roundness in her face that all children had, but the length of her arms and legs spoke of a future height she did not inherit from her mother. She was covered with a standard issue hospital blanket, and I tucked it carefully around her as I contemplated the best way to do this. I had never been around a sick kid before, much less had to carry one.

I slipped one arm under Anna's shoulders and the other under her knees and tried to lift her, but she stirred slightly and I lost my grip. She coughed a bit, a sick, wheezing sound that made me wince, and I tried again. This time I managed to pull her up into my arms and she leaned against my body. Her arms came up around my shoulders and she maneuvered around until she had her legs around my waist and her head on my shoulder. She took a rattling breath and I tightened my grip on her smaller frame as she shivered. The blanket had fallen off, but I didn't care; I had plenty of blankets at home. I thanked the ladies quietly and walked back to my Jeep. It took some careful logistics, but I finally managed to get her settled into the backseat without too much hassle. I let her use my jacket as a pillow and turned the heat up higher than I normally would have it in October. By the time we got back to my place I was roasting, but Anna had stopped shivering.

I raced to open the door before going back for Anna, settling her on my hip like before. Bob was quiet as I walked through the storefront to the back. I settled her on the sofa and covered her in an old afghan and then a quilt. Her eyelids fluttered and dark eyes settled on me for a moment, but they were unfocused and blurry.

"Hey kiddo," I kept my voice soft and non-threatening. "I'm Harry. I'm a friend of your mom's. How are you feeling?"

She groaned in response and I frowned, unsure what to do. I looked up at Bob helplessly and he sighed.

"Check her temperature," he whispered. I settled my hand on Anna's forehead, unsurprised to feel the heat coming from her.

"Too warm," I started to remove the quilt but she whimpered again and I left it.

"Probably best to leave it, Harry. The fever's helping her fight off whatever it is she has." I left it there and stood, drawing the shades around the windows to block out the mid-day sun. I turned in place slowly, completely out of my element. Fighting of supernatural bad guys? Easy. Providing witty, smart-assed remarks whenever Murphy dragged me along for a case? Totally in my wheelhouse. Caring for a sick ten year old? Help!

"Just let her rest," Bob's voice was softer than I'd ever heard it, and I spared a thought for him. He'd dealt with children before – namely, me – and so became my go-to-ghost on the subject of sick kids. I moved back to the storefront, keeping my ear out for any noise from the back. Bob checked on her periodicallly, but didn't report any change.

I'd just filed the last of my paperwork for my latest case when I heard a soft whimper. I jumped from the desk and strode quickly through the corridor. Anna was looking around wildly, and when she saw me she let out a cry.

"No, Anna, it's alright! You're safe, I promise. I'm a friend of your mom's. My name is Harry Dresden." She seemed to calm down then, peering at me through heavy eyelids.

"Harry?" she repeated, as if recalling the name from a dream.

"That's right. I help your mom out sometimes with cases. Look." I pulled out the ID card Murphy had made for me that labeled me a consultant for the Chicago PD. It didn't give me free reign, but it saved me the hassle of a full body search every time I went to the office. "She talks about you a lot," I said, unsure of what else to say to her.

"Mom says you think you're a wizard," Anna muttered. Her voice was raw, probably from throwing up, and she looked paler than I thought was healthy.

"I am a wizard," I answered quickly, with only a hint of indignation. This was no time to get into a debate with a ten year old. "You feeling better?" She shook her head and lurched forward, spilling whatever had been left in her stomach onto my floor. I looked away quickly and fought my own gag response to the sound of the girl retching. When she was finished she started crying, and I moved around to the other side of the couch to comfort her. She leaned against me still crying, and I settled one arm around her awkwardly. Bob was watching, but I didn't have the presence of mind to glare at him.

"It's alright," I told her. "You'll feel better soon. You just need to rest. You think you can get a little water down before you go back to sleep?" She shook her head and burrowed further into my chest. Recalling a long-forgotten memory of my father caring for me, I patted her back for a moment, occasionally lifting my hand to run it over her sweat-soaked hair. Finally, after ten minutes of this, she sagged bonelessly against me and I knew she was out. I settled her back down onto the couch and quickly cleaned up the mess with a spell I normally used in the lab.

"She'll need to eat something soon Harry. She'll grow weaker."

This time I did glare at him. "What do you want me to do? She doesn't want to drink anything, much less eat."

"Perhaps one of those sports drinks you're so fond of? They're supposed to replenish what the body needs." I did have a Gatorade in the fridge, but I had a better idea.

"What about a potion?" I asked him. "There's got to be something for this."

"Not a good idea, Harry," Bob shook his head. "Children's bodies are constantly changing and growing. Ingesting too much is easy enough for an adult trained in the arts. I wouldn't dare risk it with Lieutenant Murphy's child."

"Okay, good point. We'll save that for Plan C."

"What are Plans A and B?"

I smiled back at him as I walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. "Bananas are good for you, and they taste the same both ways."

"I do not even want to know how you know that," Bob shuddered.

"So I'll give her some Aspirin with the Gatorade and a banana."

"I weep for your future children."

"Hey, I'm doing the best I can here!" I set the items on the counter and reached into the medicine cabinet. I kept a few painkillers on hand for obvious reasons, and the Aspirin rattled in the small bottle as I pulled it off the shelf. "Let me know when she wakes up."

I went back to the lab to gather the necessary ingredients for a replenishment potion. I used half of the remaining Gatorade as the base, tossing in a coffee bean, root of echinacea, and the laughter of a child. I'd been saving that particular ingredient for a special cause, but this seemed like as good a time as any. As it simmered I thought about the girl sleeping on my couch and what her presence meant.

Did Murphy really trust me that much, to trust me to take care of her daughter? I knew we were friends despite the rough patches we'd hit this past year. The whole mess with Munzer and her father had sealed the deal, and perhaps had even opened the door to something more. She still wasn't completely sold on the magic thing, but her father's miraculous recovery (i.e. resurrection) had changed something inside of her. She still got this funny look on her face whenever I mentioned something supernatural, but she no longer questioned it. I had gotten a glimpse of what cluing Murphy in would be like, thanks to Mai and that dragon of hers. Still, it was a far cry from the real thing and super-dangerous to boot. If the Council found out that Murphy knew more than they wanted her to, it could be bad.

"Harry, she's stirring again," Bob's voice rang down the hall, and I covered the potion quickly before grabbing a bucket. I set it on floor in front of the couch as I knelt down to feel Anna's forehead. She was warmer than before, and I knew that if it climbed too high I'd have to take action.

"Bob, I need to know her actual temperature," I told him, and he settled a hand on her head. Well, more like through her head, but I didn't care. I needed to know.

"Thirty eight point three," he recited calmly, and at my blank stare he sighed heavily. "About one hundred and one Fahrenheit Really, Harry, you should learn basic conversions. We've been having this argument for twenty years."

"And we can have it for twenty more, Bob. Right now we need to make sure it doesn't get too high." I went to the kitchen to retrieve the aspirin and the remaining Gatorade before returning to Anna's side. I shooed Bob away and shook the girl lightly. "Anna? I need you wake up." She groaned and rolled away from me, and I heard Bob's unsuccessful attempt to stifle a laugh. "Come on, Anna. Just take this and you can go back to sleep."

"Can't," she mumbled. "Don't feel good."

"I know, sweetie. Just sit up a bit." I slipped an arm under her shoulders and helped her sit up. She took the pill like a champ and laid back down with a flop. I covered her back up and stood, setting the drink down on the table within her reach. My own head was pounding so I took two aspirin myself before returning to my lab to bottle and store the potion for later use.

An hour later, a loud crash echoed down the hall and I rushed out the door fast enough to bounce off the wall. Anna had tried to stand, kicking over the bucket in the process. Thankfully nothing had been in it, but the bucket had jostled the side table enough to send the lamp to the floor. I looked at the broken pieces scattered around Anna's feet, then up at the girl.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, and lifted her foot to take a step.

"No!" I lurched forward and she halted her progress. I stepped carefully over the porcelain pieces, wincing as they crunched under my shoe, and lifted the girl up. Once we were safely out of the debris I set her down. She swayed a bit so I kept a hand on her shoulder just in case.

"I need the bathroom," she whispered, and I took a deep breath.

"There's one upstairs. You think you can make it?" She looked at the staircase and nodded, but I followed her anyway just to be safe. I realized for the first time that she was still wearing her school clothes, including jeans and the sequined blouse she'd no doubt picked out herself that morning. While she was in the bathroom I searched my drawers for something more comfortable that would fit her small frame. I finally fished out a pair of athletic shorts complete with drawstring and an old t-shirt that had shrunk in the wash. I knocked on the door after I heard the toilet flush.

"Anna? I've got some clothes here that might be more comfortable for you to rest in. They're probably way too big, but they should work." She opened the door and accepted them with a grateful smile, and I frowned at the dark circles under eyes. She wasn't getting any rest on my couch, and according to Bob she needed it. Time for a change of plans. While she changed I quickly stripped the bed, tossing the old sheets into the corner. I pulled new ones out of the bottom drawer of my bureau as the bathroom door opened.

"You feeling better?" I asked, but I knew the answer already. I'd heard her throwing up again and realized that the aspirin she'd taken earlier probably wasn't in her system anymore. I wasn't sure if I should give her more, and my only resource on the matter was currently hiding in my lab. She shook her head and crossed her arms over her body to ward off a chill. "Here, climb in. It's probably way more comfortable than my couch." She obeyed wordlessly and I covered her with my heavy comforter as she settled back onto the pillows. She turned her head to cough violently a few times, and I could hear the deep rattle in her chest as she did so.

"Where's Mom?" she asked finally, and I sat on the edge of the bed.

"Out on a case, I guess. The school tried calling her, but they couldn't reach her. So they called me."

She seemed to accept that answer, but took another breath to speak. "Mom says you saved Pop's life."

I frowned at her for a moment, remembering that night at the restaurant. "Yeah, I guess so. Your mom did most of the work, though. She started the CPR when his heart stopped, I just took over." It wasn't a total lie, but I was pretty certain that Murphy didn't want me telling Anna I'd used magic to save her grandfather's life.

"Mom says you help her with cases sometimes."

Apparently I'd been wrong before; Murphy seems to talk about me a lot.

"Yeah, we're a pretty good team. Why don't you try and get some rest." She took a wheezing breath and closed her eyes. I stayed a few more minutes to make sure she was resting before retreating back downstairs. Bob was waiting in the hallway.

"I take it the young lady is still feeling ill?"

"Gee, Bob, what gave it away? The vomiting or the whooping cough?"

"No need to get tetchy," Bob held up his hands in surrender. "I was merely pointing out that you still have an active case to work on, lest you forgot."

"I can't follow any leads right now, Bob. The best I can do is some phone work." It wouldn't win me any points with my client, but I didn't care. It would have to do for now. I returned to the storefront and tidied up a bit before sitting down at the desk.

I made a few calls, tracking down another possible lead in the case before giving up for the day. I moved back into the living area and grabbed the trash can, and Bob disappeared back into the lab as I set to cleaning up the smashed lamp. Once I was sure no pieces were hiding in wait for my unsuspecting bare feet, I slid the trash can back into its corner and sank down on the sofa. The bucket was still overturned, so I grabbed it and set it on the table before sinking back into the cushions.

I must have dozed off because the next thing I felt was someone shaking my shoulder. Thinking it was Anna, my eyes shot open and I sat up before turning around. Connie Murphy did not look pleased.

"You wanna tell me why my daughter is asleep in your bed without so much as a phone call?" I blinked a few times, trying to find words to explain anything at all, but my brain was being uncooperative. I knew I'd forgotten something.

"Thought the school called you," I managed to mumble, wiping my eyes as I stood up.

"I left my cell in my desk all day," she replied shortly. "They did leave a message with the department that my daughter was sick and someone needed to come get her. Only when I called them back they said that Harry Dresden had already come for her this morning. Funny how the department didn't give me that message." My brain seemed to have finally jump-started because I could finally see she wasn't really angry at me for not calling. She was upset that her daughter was ill and someone else had had to take her because she'd left her phone behind.

"Hey, I'm sorry I forgot to call." I rubbed my face and checked the clock, surprised to see it was after four. I must have really needed the nap. "She's upstairs."

"Yeah, I already checked on her. I left her sleeping."

"That's fine," I waved off her unspoken question. "Let her rest." There was an uncomfortable pause as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Finally she spoke.

"Thanks, Harry."

"Don't mention it. What are friends for, right?" I shook my head once to let her know it wasn't an inconvenience before stretching. As I did so my stomach let out a loud grumble. I dropped my arms quickly and let out a chuckle.

"Have you eaten today?" Murphy asked me, and I shrugged. "Jesus, Dresden. You need a nanny." She turned away and strode back toward the front door. "Deli alright?"

"Yeah," I answered quickly, not bothering to hide the shock in my voice. She turned at the door and gave me a half-smile.

"You took care of my daughter today, Harry. Least I can do is feed you." She disappeared before I could reply, and I stared after her for a moment longer. A small voice in my head told me I was still in my clothes from yesterday, and I cringed as I looked down at my appearance. No wonder she thought I needed a nanny; my shirt was rumpled and stained from whatever I'd spilled on it last night, and my jeans were sporting a few holes. I crept up the stairs, careful of the still sleeping child in my bed, and grabbed a quick shower. I threw on fresher jeans and a clean shirt, tossing the old clothes into the pile with the sheets. By the time I got back downstairs, Murphy was walking back through the door.

We ate in silence, my sandwich disappearing in half the time it took her to eat hers. I noted a plastic bag on my counter that hadn't been there before, and I lifted my chin in its direction.

"What's in the bag?"

"Decongestant, cold compresses, chicken soup, children's Tylenol and juice pouches," she recited easily. "Anna's a bear when she's sick, and if she doesn't get fruit punch and chicken soup she won't eat."

"Huh," I huffed. "I guess you've dealt with this before."

"I guess you haven't," she returned with a smile. "You were never sick as a kid?"

I shrugged. "Not that I can remember. I traveled around a lot with my dad when he performed. After he died, I lived with my uncle. I was schooled at home, so I was never really around other kids."

"That sounds...horrible," she replied honestly. "No friends? Sleepovers? Summer camp?"

I lifted my shoulders again, uncomfortable at the pity I saw in her face. "Didn't know any better, I guess," I joked, hoping she'd drop the subject. She did, thankfully, and we moved onto her latest case.

"Good, old-fashioned drowning," she sounded relieved, and I didn't blame her. "Guy had a lot of enemies, so we're not ruling out foul play. Butters thinks he found marks on the man's neck that could be strangulation, and there are indications of defensive wounds on his arms." I nodded along, happy that it didn't seem to warrant my help.

"How's your dad?" A year ago - hell, a month ago - I wouldn't have felt at all comfortable asking that question. But we had an understanding, Joe and I, and I knew she was trying to reconcile things with him. Her face lit up a bit and I knew I'd done good.

"He's good. Got rid of that tart he was dating. He's getting involved with a retired police officer's group out there. Hopefully he'll meet other people like him.

"There are other people like him?" I only half-faked a horrified expression, and she laughed.

"He's...challenging," she agreed, "but worth it. He's coming back up in the summer for Anna's birthday."

"That's good," I smiled back. "Listen, Murph," I cleared my throat, unsure of how to tell her what I wanted to say. She leaned forward a bit, and for a second I thought I saw anticipation in her eyes. Hell, that made me more nervous than I already was. It shouldn't be this difficult, I mused. She'd already sort of asked me out. Okay, so it was months ago and I'd asked for a rain check I'd never actually claimed. Not only that, but I wasn't entirely sure that it hadn't been just a professional thing between colleagues. Still, the mere prospect of spending more time with her when we weren't being targeted by sorcerers, demons, crackpots, and everything in between was both exciting and terrifying.

"Harry?" She was waiting patiently, and I realized I hadn't actually finished my sentence. I looked at her then, and every reason I'd ever come up with why this was a bad idea came back tenfold. We worked together, we argued a lot (mostly about work), not to mention the fact that we were from completely different worlds. She'd be in so much more danger, and so would Anna for that matter. Remembering the sick little girl upstairs sealed the deal, and I took a deep breath.

"If...if you need help on this case, you know, just give me a call. I'll see what I can do." Her face fell just a fraction before she schooled her features and sat back in her chair.

"Yeah, sure." She took a long pull from the beer she'd snagged from my fridge and fell silent. Way to go, Harry. Harry Dresden Mood Killer.

"Mom?" A groggy voice broke through the tension, and I was never more thankful for an ill child in my life. We both stood, but Murphy was the only one who moved closer to the stairs as Anna descended slowly.

"Hey, sweetie. How are you feeling?" She pulled the girl against her, feeling her forehead and offering comfort all in one move. It was such a motherly gesture that I had a hard time believing my eyes. Murphy radiated the tough girl image so well, it was easy to forget she was also someone's mom.

Anna had grumbled her response, but she seemed to be feeling well enough to join us at the table. I sat back down to finish my beer as Murphy rummaged through the plastic bag she'd brought in. The juice box went to Anna first, and the girl sipped on it as her mother pulled out the chicken soup and various medicines.

"Harry, you mind if I use your kitchen?"

"Oh, no, not at all." I stood up quickly and fetched a clean pot for her to cook in, as well as a bowl and spoon for Anna to use. "I'm gonna go do some work. Make yourselves at home." I left mother and daughter alone, retreating back to the storefront in the face of all the domesticity going on behind me.

"Are you enjoying playing house?" Bob slipped through the wall enough to shoot me an amused smirk, but I ignored him.

"Go away, Bob."

"She's right, you know," Bob answered. "You do need a nanny. I wonder if she wants the position."

"Not helping."

"I'll say one more thing before I leave to your misery which, by the way, uses 'miser' as its root word." I glared at him, but he just looked back at me sadly. "Every day, I think about what it would be like to spend just one more day with Winifred You don't want to look back with regrets, Harry." He sank through the wall and left me alone as promised, but I didn't feel any better. In fact, I felt worse. I knew he was right, that there was something here worth exploring; something that had so much potential. But I couldn't do that without telling Murphy everything, and that was simply not a risk I could take. Morgan had made it quite clear what the Council thought of the subject (though I had done a fair enough job detailing what would happen if they so much looked at Murphy sideways). She dealt with enough of my crap without being directly involved in it.

"Pretty lame, Harry," I muttered to myself, but I didn't budge. She was safer being my friend than anything more, and I repeated it over and over in my head until I'd almost convinced myself.

"Harry?" I was flipping the open sign to closed and locking the deadbolt on the front door when Murphy appeared behind me. I jumped in place and whirled around, ignoring the amused look on her face. "Sorry, did I scare you?"

"Startled," I replied defensively. "Didn't hear you coming. Everything alright?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking it's getting late and I really should get Anna to bed."

"Yeah, no, absolutely. Did you get her to eat anything?" I was sure she had; all moms had a long list of superpowers when it came to their kids.

"A few bites," she answered. "She's about to fall asleep in the chair, though." She paused then, as if wanting to ask a question but unsure about it. I took a few steps toward her and took a guess.

"She can keep the clothes; they don't fit me anymore."

Murphy smiled in response and sighed. "Thanks, Harry. But...do you think you could get her out to my car? She's grown up so much I can't lift her anymore, and I'm not entirely sure she's awake right now." I looked over Murphy's shoulder and down the hall. Sure enough, the girl was slumped over in her seat, her head pillowed on her arms on the table.

"Sure thing, Murphy." I patted her arm warmly as I passed her, moving quietly toward the girl. I'd managed this earlier with some help from the child herself, but with Murphy watching it felt so much more like a test. I gripped Anna's arm lightly and tugged, earning a heavy groan from the girl. "Come on, kiddo," I whispered. "Let's get you to your mom's car." Anna cooperated then, allowing me to lift her up to my hip. Her head fell to my shoulder and I followed Murphy out into the cool night air with her kid in my arms. It took a little over-stretching, but I managed to lower the girl into the backseat with only a little difficulty. Murphy had started the car and gone back inside to gather her things, including Anna's clothes that had been discarded at the foot of my bed. I watched the girl sleep until then, murmuring a quiet spell that would heat up the seat around her for a while.

"Get some rest, kid." I closed the car door just as Murphy came back out carrying the clothes and the plastic bag.

"Where's her backpack, Harry?"

I blinked back at her comically, and shrugged. "Uh, she didn't have one when I got her from school. Guess it's still there."

"Right," Murphy let out a dry chuckle. "Well, I guess I'll be going." She moved around to the driver's side and leaned in to start the car before standing back up. She peered at me over the top of her car, and I lifted my arm in goodbye. "Thanks again, Harry. I owe you one." She looked like she wanted to say something more - or wanted me to - but finally she seemed to accept that neither of us was going to speak. She waved once more and slipped into the car, peering over her shoulder to check on Anna once more before driving away. I watched her tail lights disappear around the corner before I went back inside to lock up for the night.

Fin. Please take a few seconds and drop a review if you liked it. I thought about turning this into a little series of snippets with Harry and Anna. I'm actually sad that we didn't get to see any in the show; Dresden was exceptionally good with kids. Ah well, pointless lamentations will get us nothing. Anyway, let me know if that's something you'd be interested in reading! Ta.

PS - I don't own Dresden. If I did, this show would still be running.

PPS - Look for the next fic in this series, "Taken." Please check it out!

PPPS - I am also delving into the book-verse with some fics, so go check those out as well!