friends3

With Friends Like These ...

Rolling sleepily onto his back, Harry immediately became aware of a few aches and pains in areas of his anatomy where he wasn't accustomed to feeling them. His right shoulder felt kinda stiff, too. It took a moment for last night's activities to return to him, leaving him smiling, and starting to think about a re-match.

He opened his eyes, expecting to find the pajama-clad ghost beside him as he had every morning since ... well, since they had become lovers. Before he could spare too much thought on that pleasant idea, it registered that Bob was nowhere to be seen.

"Bob?" he called out softly. Then again louder. "Bob!"

When the ghost didn't immediately appear, Harry started to worry. Not that Bob could have gone far; he was bound to the skull. Which sure as hell ought to still be downstairs on Harry's desk. Recent events made him a bit more prone to panic, although if he'd thought about it he'd have realized that nobody could have gotten in without setting off his wards, and it wasn't like he'd been passed out drunk or anything. He'd have heard the ruckus.

But his not-quite-awake brain wasn't capable of that level of thought yet. So instead he ran down the stairs and over to his desk, relieved to see the skull still sitting there. Picking it up, he muttered the ritual words: "Hrothbert of Bainbridge, I summon you!"

Bob immediately emerged from the skull, dressed as nattily as ever. Today it was a shirt of an iridescent purple, with a necktie that picked up the greenish accents from the iridescence. He had taken to changing up the colors and patterns of his shirts and ties on a daily basis.

Looking deeply worried, and maybe just a bit pissed off, he turned to Harry. "Harry? What's wrong? Why did you summon me?" It was highly unusual for Harry to use the formal summoning. He usually felt like it was like ordering Bob around, not something you did to a friend.

Of course just yesterday they had used it, ant it hadn't worked. When Bob had ventured out into the other-side material that surrounded their home as Mai had tried to kill the green dragon. Harry had been a nervous wreck for the hour that Bob had been missing.

Bob's expression altered as he realized Harry was standing in his office, stark naked, holding the skull. Harry was obviously all right, and the indignity of the situation won out over Bob's irritation at being Summoned. A smirk spread over Bob's face as he tried to bite back the laughter. "Um, Harry ... don't you think you might want to get dressed?"

Harry blinked and suddenly he realized where he was. He wasn't sure whether to run upstairs for some clothes first, or to yell at Bob. Yelling at Bob won out on the virtue of not taking as much exertion.

"Where the hell were you? I woke up and you weren't there ...!"

Never mind that Bob really wasn't mad at that point. When Harry started yelling at him, he answered in kind. "Where I've been most of the night ... researching Mai's little clue. Or had you forgotten about that?" the ghost snapped back.

Harry just blinked at Bob, not quite sure what to make of the snippiness in his voice. Slowly his brain eased into gear. OK, it was the first morning they hadn't been together when he woke up. After nearly losing Bob again yesterday, maybe he was just a little clingy. And a whole lot not fully awake yet. But finding the answer to making Bob human, or a reasonable facsimile thereof, yes that would be a priority. Should be for both of them. He felt like a jerk. He needed coffee.

"Oh," was all that he managed to say. But since he was down here anyway, he went into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee before going back upstairs without saying another word.

Bob realized that Harry's lack of response indicated his admission that he had overreacted. His momentary irritation vanished as he enjoyed the view of Harry climbing back up the stairs. The poor boy just wasn't a morning person. He thought about going upstairs and joining Harry in the shower, but decided that after last night, perhaps Harry's poor abused body could use a rest. Instead, he decided to dive back into his research, literally. His body dissolved and his essence streamed out of the room, poured into the large volume of oriental legends buried somewhere deep in the bookshelves down in Harry's lab. But this time he kept his attention partially out of the book so that he'd hear when Harry came back downstairs.

Sure enough, about half an hour later, he heard Harry coming down the stairs. He materialized in the kitchen area, wishing that he could have Harry's coffee ready for him. It seemed to be the kind of thing you'd do for your lover in the morning. Coffee was another of those things that had gotten to Europe just a little too late for Bob to have experienced in his life. But he supposed that the wonderful rich brew that Harry drank today would bear little resemblance to its earliest antecedents. He was probably better off not having had to endure the original version.

"Morning, Bob," Harry mumbled a bit sheepishly as he poured himself a cup.

Bob graciously allowed him the 'do-over.' "Good morning, Harry. I trust you slept well?"

Harry spooned some sugar into his cup and stirred it, avoiding Bob's eyes. "Too well, I guess, had some trouble waking up there ..." Finally he looked up, his displeasure with himself written all over his face. "Sorry about the Summons, Bob ... "

Whatever anger may have been left vanished with that look. "Hush, Harry. It's nothing."

Harry shook his head. "It's not nothing. I swore I'd never do that ... and especially not now. I just ... panicked when you weren't there ... "

Bob reached out, his hand ghosting over Harry's face, drawing his eyes up. "Harry. First of all, it's not that big a deal. Second of all, yesterday was a very stressful day. And third of all, you're not exactly a morning person. I'd hazard to guess that you weren't even completely awake when you came charging down here without a stitch on ...�

Bob couldn�t suppress a smile at the image, and Harry had to admit he could see the humor in the situation now. They both started laughing.

�OK, you�re never going to let me live this down, are you?� Harry asked with some trepidation.

�Never,� Bob answered with a smirk.

Harry sighed and downed the rest of his coffee. �So, did you find anything?� he asked as he poured a second cup.

�I�m very close to something, Harry. Tsukata appears to be a person at the center of a myth. I�m still translating the details. Oriental languages can be so � alien. They have an almost totally different way of thinking than we European apes do.�

Harry shook his head. Bob knew all about evolution, but couldn�t place Lake Michigan. He�d stopped trying to keep track of the weird assortment of knowledge the ghost considered �important.� �If you can come up with some specific search terms, maybe Murphy could dredge the internet for us? Maybe somebody else has already translated it.�

Bob frowned. �But translated it correctly? With *our* world in mind?�

Harry shrugged. �Hey, can�t hurt to ask. At least you�d have something to compare your translation to. And it�d be an excuse for Murphy to come over.� Harry suppressed a grin, anticipating Bob�s sudden 180 �

�Well, you know, Harry � that might not be such a bad idea after all.� Bob tried not to look too eager.

Harry burst out laughing. �Uh huh. Sheesh, you *are* a sucker for a pretty girl, aren�t you?�

It occurred to Bob that if he�d been human, he�d be regretting his fair complexion right about now. Luckily in his current state his skin stayed as pale as ever. �Harry, if you hadn�t had anybody to talk to for the past several hundred years except the Morningway sorcerers, you�d be eager for such delightful company as well!�

The memory of his Uncle Justin sent a shudder down Harry�s spine. �You�ve got a point there.�

Bob decided that a change of subject was in order. No need to dwell on Justin. �So are you going to work on her protection amulet today?�

Harry nodded. �I think I�ve got everything I�ll need.�

�Do you want my assistance?� Bob knew that Harry didn�t need him to do this, but somehow he wanted to be a part of it anyway.

Harry was about to say no, go back to your researching. But then it occurred to him that Bob and Murphy were the two most important people in the world to him. They didn�t know each other that well yet, but he had a feeling they were going to become fast friends. The more emotion he put into crafting this protection, the more powerful the result would be. He needed to draw on that emotion, and Bob seemed to be good at triggering it in him.

�Yeah, if you don�t mind �?�

Bob beamed happily. �Not at all. I want to protect her too, Harry.�

With that, they picked up the necklace from Harry�s desk and headed off to the lab.

Protection magic wasn�t real flashy. It was more about gathering power, focusing that power onto the physical representation. The mindset of the spellcaster had more to do with it than anything else. So the physical components of the spell tended to also serve to soothe the caster.

Under Bob�s watchful eye and occasional instruction, Harry rummaged around his supplies and pulled out a variety of dried herbs known for healing or protective powers. He crushed them together in a small marble bowl then dumped the contents into a small brazier. Then he took the brazier and the necklace and sat down crosslegged on the floor, placing them on the floor in front of him. He quickly scribed a chalk circle around himself to help contain the power that he was about to access, and sent a tiny pulse of magic out to give it life.

Another pulse of magic set fire to the herbs, creating a pleasant-smelling incense. Harry settled himself, his wrists resting lightly, palms up, on his knees. His eyes closed and his breathing slowed as he called up thoughts of peace and serenity.

�Good, Harry.� Bob�s voice was at its soothing best. �Feel the goodness in the universe. Gather it to you. Safety, warmth, love. This is what you want to imbue here. Think of Murphy, her warmth, her affection for you, for us. Her sweet smile. Keep it safe. Protect it. Concentrate on the symbolism of the necklace; the circle of life, the purity of gold. Let them add to the power.�

Bob�s voice trailed off as he could see the power starting to coalesce around Harry. The more power they could gather, the stronger the amulet�s protection would be. Time to nurse it along a bit.

Harry heard Bob�s voice fade away, then was surprised when it came back. But this time he was not speaking. The ghost was singing in a beautiful baritone. The words sounded odd � Gaelic, Harry eventually realized. The melody was lovely, lilting as only an old, old Irish melody could be. It had to be a blessing. The Irish were so good at them. And Harry knew that music focused emotion, and emotion focused power, so he gave himself over to the melody, letting it move him. His thoughts turned to Murphy�s Irish heritage. Strength, power, beauty, they were all part of that heritage. Let it keep this daughter of Eire safe from those who would harm her.

As Bob�s voice faded softly into quiet, Harry knew it was time. He gathered the energy that pulsed around him, adding his own to it, guiding it into the circle of gold. The metal flared briefly as it absorbed the magical energy.

Harry just sat there for a few moments, feeling drained. He�d put almost all of his energy into that last burst. He was feeling wiped out, but in a warm, mellow sort of way. He looked up at Bob with a tender smile.

�That was beautiful. What was it � an Irish Blessing?�

The ghost nodded. �Very old, very powerful. I think our dear girl will be very well protected indeed.�

Harry smiled. �Yeah.� He reached out and brushed aside some of the chalk, breaking the circle. As he stood up, his legs almost went out from underneath him.

�Harry!� Bob called out anxiously moving to his side as if he could help support him.

�Whoa!� Harry wobbled unsteadily to his feet. �I�m ok.�

Bob hovered close as Harry stumbled back toward the kitchen. His hands shook as he reached into the fridge for a can of Coke. He knocked back half the can in one long draught, stopping only to breathe before finishing the rest. It seemed to steady him.

�You put too much of yourself in that working, Harry. Didn�t keep enough back.� Bob�s words were harsh, but his voice belied his true feelings. It was for Murphy; of course Harry had put all of himself into it. He wouldn�t have expected anything less.

Harry heard the understanding under Bob�s churlishness and just smiled. �Yeah, I know. Just gotta recharge. The sugar rush isn�t gonna last long. Let�s go get some lunch.�

Bob shook his head. �You go, Harry. I�m not going to take a chance with you this wiped out.� It cost him to give up the chance to share a meal with Harry, but Harry�s well being was far more important to Bob than the fleeting pleasure of a meal.

Harry met his eyes and realized Bob was right, so he just shrugged and headed for the door, grabbing his jacket on the way.

�Eat something nutritious, Harry. Not that unhealthy � but delicious � crap you�ve been feeding me lately �� Bob couldn�t resist calling after him.

The ghost sighed softly as he watched Harry disappear down the street. Did they dare dream it possible that some day they could walk side by side? That he could truly live again? One thing was certain; if it came to an infusion of magical power like the one he�d done today, Harry would again push himself to the limit for Bob, just as he had for Murphy. Bob realized he�d have to be very careful if and when it came to that point. When Harry Dresden cared about somebody, there just weren�t limits to what he�d do for them. It was probably a good thing for Harry that he�d not truly opened himself to very many people; if he had, there just wouldn�t be anything left.

A rattle at the door distracted Bob from his musings. He looked up and broke into a delighted smile seeing Connie Murphy at the door. Unfortunately, Harry had locked it on the way out, and they hadn�t yet had time to reconfigure their wards to allow her access.

Murphy had seen Bob inside, so she�d rattled the door to get his attention. The smile that erupted at the sight of her almost made her blush.

�Bob? Is Harry here?� she called out, knowing he could hear her through the glass panels of the door.

Bob walked over to the door and cast a glance out at the street. Not a lot of passers-by just at the moment, so he waited until the coast was clear before stepping out through the door, startling poor Murphy.

�Connie, my dear, how delightful to see you! I hope my little trick there didn�t startle you too much? Harry locked the door on his way out a little while ago, and unfortunately �� he reached out and let his fingers brush through the doorknob � �I can�t open it.�

Murphy wasn�t sure if her heart was pounding because of Bob�s sudden appearance � or Bob�s appearance. The man was simply stunning. And so charming � that accent � // Murphy, get a hold of yourself! // she admonished herself. She still wasn�t quite ready to admit to herself that she had stopped by more in the hope of seeing Bob than to talk to Harry.

�So he�s not here?� she asked, more for something to say than anything else.

�If you were looking for a luncheon companion, you missed him by a matter of minutes. He headed down that way,� Bob pointed in the direction Harry had gone. �You might find him at the deli a couple of blocks away. After this morning�s activities, he needed a heavy dose of protein.�

�This morning�s activities?� Murphy wondered what a wizard did that required protein. Or was Bob referring to �. No. He was a ghost. His hand passed right through the door. How could they �? No, she was *not* going there �

Was that a hint of a blush coloring the lovely lieutenant�s face? Bob wondered what she was thinking those activities might be. Could she possibly know? He thought Harry would have told him if he�d told Murphy. For the moment, he decided to rescue her.

�Harry was working on your amulet of protection. When a wizard casts a spell like that, it takes a tremendous amount of energy; the more energy, the stronger the protection. We both wanted it to be very strong for you.�

�Oh.� She liked that both of them wanted to keep her safe. �Are you a wizard too?�

�Not any more, really. I was in my life; but a ghost cannot access the energies needed. At this point I�m more like an encyclopedia of magical knowledge that Harry can consult. But in my day, I was a very powerful wizard.�

�And now you�re a ghost.� It wasn�t a question, but it implied one.

Bob cast a glance down the street. It being lunchtime, there were a fair number of people about. �A long and painful story, my dear, one which I am reluctant to discuss so � openly, if you know what I mean.�

�Oh, of course ...� Murphy responded, a bit disappointed. �If it�s too personal ��

Bob favored her with a gentle smile. �No, Connie, not that. Just � there are too many people around who might hear a stray word that they shouldn�t.�

�Oh, right � the whole �don�t ask, don�t tell� thing.� This �other world� of Harry�s still creeped her out a bit. But if it had people like Harry and Bob in it, it couldn�t be all bad.

�Exactly. Believe me, Connie, I would not hesitate to tell you under different circumstances. Harry trusts you implicitly, and although we have only just met, I fully understand why.�

Murphy felt herself blushing at the ghost�s kind words. The look in his eyes as he smiled at her warmed her heart. And other places.

�Thank you, that�s sweet of you to say.�

Bob beamed at her; he really was quite taken by this lovely lady. And it had been so long �

�No, my dear; it is sweet of you to take the time to chat with a lonely old ghost.�

Her smile faded slightly as she thought of the implications of that. �You really haven�t had any friends except your � ?� she struggled to find the right word.

�Masters. That is the nature of my curse, Connie. I am bound to obey the one who owns my skull. And until Harry, I don�t think you could consider any of them to have been my friends. It was always clear who was the master and who the slave. Any camaraderie that may have developed was purely accidental.�

Murphy frowned. �But weren�t they Harry�s family? I�d have thought they�d be more � decent than that.�

�Our Harry is more his father�s son than one of the Morningway line. Trust me; his Uncle Justin was a right bastard, if you�ll excuse my language.�

Murphy tried to imagine what it must have been like for Bob; living all those years; no, *centuries* without the warmth of human companionship. No lovers, not even a true friend. Her own dry spell seemed pale in comparison. And her isolation was more by choice. She had chosen a profession in which a woman had to stay hard to survive. There was a certain amount of surface camaraderie among cops, but she could never let her hair down, so to speak, around them. Harry was really the first person in years she�d felt any level of comfort with. And she�d almost lost that thanks to this stupid business of not talking about magic to �civilians.�

She sighed. �Sounds like you�ve had a rough time.�

Bob shrugged. �Given 500 years, a soul can get used to almost anything.�

�But you�re not alone anymore.� She gave him a hopeful half-smile.

That got a gentle smile in response. �Thank the gods, yes. Harry � I � don�t know what I�d do without him now.�

She began to have a glimmer of understanding what these two were to each other. �You love him very much, don�t you?�

Bob arched an eyebrow at her. But his thought to protest died aborning. Her face was so open, so accepting, that he couldn�t lie to her. �You are a very perceptive lady, Connie,� he said with a wry grin.

She grinned back at him. �I�m a detective, Bob. I�m trained to read people. And in this case it wasn�t hard. It�s pretty obvious how much he means to you. And you to him.�

Bob bowed his head to hide how much that last bit affected him. After a bit, he looked back up. �He cares greatly about you too, Connie. Harry doesn�t let many people in, but once he does, there are no limits to what he will do. That protection amulet � the wizard�s intention when forging it has a great deal to do with how effective it will be. He almost drained himself this morning; that was why I sent him out to eat. He had no reserves left; he gave it all for you.�

Murphy blinked. She hadn�t expected that. �Oh!� was all she could say.

Bob wished heartily that he could reach out and touch her face. She needed to be distracted from that line of thought. It was too much for her to absorb at once. Instead he used the only tool he had � his voice.

�I only wish that I could have contributed myself, but alas I have no power of my own anymore. Believe me, the intention was there.� He smiled at her sweetly.

Murphy felt herself blushing again at that smile. She knew Bob and Harry had something special. But she really wasn�t sure if it was familial or something more � and Bob was so charming, she couldn�t help liking him. �I believe you, Bob.�

They stood there for a moment, smiling at each other like a couple of shy teenagers, until the shrill tones of her cell phone interrupted the moment. With a scowl, she ripped it from her belt.

�Murphy,� she barked in an irritated voice.

Bob watched with amusement as she listened to whoever was on the other end. Finally she gave an exaggerated sigh. �OK, Kirmani, calm down. I�ll be right there.�

She snapped the phone shut and replaced it on her belt holster before looking up at Bob. �Duty calls,� she said with a disappointed look in her eyes.

Bob nodded. �Again, it has been a pleasure, Connie my dear. Please stop by any time; I promise this afternoon we�ll adjust the wards to let you come in next time so we don�t have to be so � circumspect � in our conversation.� There was a sparkle to the ghost�s eyes that made Murphy wonder just what he was thinking. �If you would be so kind as to give me your hand?�

Bob held up his right hand in front of her, palm up. Murphy was confused; he couldn�t touch anything. But she cooperated, and was surprised that when she placed her hand over his, he bowed over it and placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. It didn�t feel like a kiss; more a brief touch of coldness. But the visual image of this handsome, elegant man bowed over her hand more than made up for the strangeness of that �touch.� She had to bite back a giggle.

�Good day, my dear. I will tell Harry you stopped by,� Bob said as he straightened up, taking his hand back, a warm smile on his lips.

Murphy couldn�t stop smiling herself. �Thank you, Bob. I�ll see you again � soon.� There was a definite spring in her step as she took off down the street.

continue to Chapter 4

Send me some Feedback

Back to my Dresden Home page

Back to the Jade Palace Home

Disclaimer: I don't own them, just borrowing them for fun, not profit.

Chapter 3