For lilorphanmaggie - Take Your Daughter To Work Day

[dresdenforhire]

When you're a wizard that used to be on retainer with the Chicago PD you don't get called in for the fun cases. It's never, "Dresden, someone has delivered a bunch of cute puppies at the all you can eat buffet during a supermodel luncheon and we need you to investigate". No, it's always something that's gone really horrible. Not just weird but usually violent and gory. When that happens I put on my wizard hat and go earn my paycheck. Only I don't actually have a hate. Well, I do but it's a Cubs hat so not really all that magical.

I haven't been on retainer with the Chicago PD for a while, though that doesn't mean I still don't get asked to look at cases on the down low. The down low comes with considerably less cash but as the Winter Knight I don't have the cash flow problem I used to have. It's not exactly a job but seeing as how Mab shudders at the idea of her Knight being homeless and half starved unless it's because she wants them to be I get something of a stipend. I'm not sure what the limit is because my needs are pretty simple. Clothes, a vehicle, and a place to heat up SpaghettiOs on the stove.

I kind of wish I'd forgone the SpaghettiOs this time though since the scene was a particularly gruesome one. A lot of people don't know how much mass a human body has, especially when you spread it all out. And someone spread these bodies out all over the 16th hole of a golf course in the suburbs. I feel bad for the foursome that was the first to run into it because they clearly didn't know what they'd found until they'd taken several steps into the muck.

The police wouldn't have even had any way to identify the victims until DNA came back except they found a few phones among the remains. They hadn't given me the names exactly but I just happened to overhear what they were saying when I'd planted a magical bug (it was spider) by the command tent that relayed what they were saying. I'd recognized the names instantly as a gang of magical bullies that lived in the surrounding areas. Kind of like the Alphas only the opposite. The Omegas maybe? Bad Alphas? Assholes? Yeah, I was going to go with the Assholes. They were small time, too small time to ping the White Council but still trouble. Not so much trouble that they deserved whatever happened to them. I can think of only a few people that I'd wish a fate like that on and even then I'd feel a bit bad about it.

I needed to find out if everyone in the Assholes had been killed though but I wasn't exactly sure where they'd go to ground after this. People tended to not be particularly open when talking to the Winter Knight/Warden/Rogue Wizard/Me. Fortunately I knew someone that just might know something like that.

I had one of the members of the Za-Lords army send a quick message to Molly (I refused to think of her as the Winter Lady because she deserved to be remembered as a person) and asked her to phone my daughter. Cell phones don't play very nice with me but Molly and Maggie can handle them just fine. Once that was done I headed to Mac's to have a drink and wait for Maggie to show up, assuming she would.

We had a complicated relationship. Really complicated. If they could keep the cameras from exploding we would have been on the E! network with the Kardashians. But I loved her more than she might ever understand, even if I was terrible about showing it, and hoped that she wouldn't resent me for asking her to come along. Selfishly I hoped she would take it as a sign of faith that I thought she could handle this sort of thing.

Comments

[lilorphanmaggie]

"Take off that silly ass hat," which is probably not what most children say to their parental unit - strained relationship or not, but it's such a visceral reaction. And it's not aggressive, it's more of a tongue in cheek joke, a tease about his choice of hat, but out of all of the hats in all of the world he had to pick that one.

Ugh. The Cubs. Perhaps even more insufferable since they've now won a world series in the last 100 years. Good games though, a hard match up between them and the Indians who deserved to win as much as the Cubs - racist af mascot aside.

She's got some Isaiah Rashad bumping on the stereo, Margaret bent over her latest creative endeavor when the music dips: a text. A glance over to see the notification which provokes an eyebrow raise and a reach. McAnally's? Sure, she's got some time before work and these days, more often than not, she responds to messages and calls about Harry. There are times when communication is brief, or nonexistent but that's just Margaret in general: internal, quiet, arms length. Everyone gets that treatment, and everyone probably thinks it's them only, but it really isn't.

McAnally's is a groovy place, not her kind of groovy place, too old school. All wood and twists, that break up so energy can't accrue like interest. The accords still posted where they always are.

She feels out of place, with her black sunglasses, cut off jean shorts, muscle tank shirt (graphic: a pile of books with the text Stay Lit) and general under the age of 1,000 attitude. "You rang?" Which is probably, generally, a better greeting than a comment about a Cub's hat, but speaking first and thinking later is kind of a trait they share.

[dresdenforhire]

When Maggie walked into the bar I was glad that it was empty. I've been with her in public and she turns heads and the father and Winter Knight in me wants to make those heads keep turning until they snap. She had all the natural grace and beauty of her mother with the height and "I don't care all that much about my appearance" attitude of me.

I took off the Cubs had as requested but since I know my daughter (if only because I know myself) I took the sailor's hat I had folded from newspaper where it lay on my lap and placed it on my head and tilted it at a jaunty angle. Not too jaunty though, because this was Mac's pub and it deserved a certain amount of class.

"I've got someone here who is excited to see you, kiddo," I said, the last word slipping out before I could catch myself. She's never said anything about it but I can't imagine she enjoys the term of endearment from her old man. Ah well, c'est la vie and all that. Reaching into one of the pockets of my duster I pulled out a brown wooden skull and set it on the table. Immediately the eyes lit up with a bright green energy.

"Maggie!" the skull called out. Or rather Bonnie- Maggie's little sister that lived inside the skull- called out. Even though they were about the same age maturity wise (spirits of air and intellect mature differently, it's a thing) I noticed Bonnie always sounded more childlike in the presence of her big sister. "You came!"

[lilorphanmaggie]

If heads turn, Margaret seems completely unaware of it which probably adds to the allure. There is something about looking good and not holding it against everyone that is appealing. Plus, people who know they look good always take themselves too seriously and that's just annoying.

Thankfully Margaret never has to worry about Harry taking himself too seriously. She can't help it, she gives a sort of a sputtering giggle at the sight of the hat. It's a surprising choice and a ludicrous choice and she loves it. But her lips get pressed together to stifle any other outward signs of merriment before a nod. "Much better." Classy.

With that nod and lip press it's easier to hide her reaction to the skull. Like all things her feelings toward Bonnie are, well, complicated, highly complicated. There's just always someone, something else, and after all these years she should probably get used to being the middle child of the universe, but goddamn it's tough sometimes.

"'Sup," a tilt of the chin at the skull because Margaret is not rude and enjoys stuffing emotions down deep. "Lookin' good, Bonnie. Just make sure he keeps you shined and clean, gotta keep look fresh and fly."

Finally she slips the sunglasses off and folds herself into a chair. "I am assuming we are gathered here today to talk about our favorite hats?"

[dresdenforhire]

I caught the bit of giggle but didn't let it register on my face. Can't let her know that I've seen a crack in her "I don't care" attitude or it might vanish forever. Or at least that's what my "everything is the worst case scenario with your daughter" brain tells me. It's a part of my brain that occupies a very large part of my thoughts for the last dozen years or so.

"Oh, this is just my travel skull! I have a much nicer one at home," Bonnie said. If she was put off by her big sister's lack of enthusiasm she didn't seem to show it. Bonnie is smart and I know that while she wishes the two could be closer she understood why Maggie may not want that. Doesn't mean it probably doesn't hurt on some level but I can't force them to like each other or get along.

"Well, that and I need to know where all the bad magical kids go these days to get away from the police and, well, from people like me."

Because even if I didn't think Maggie was one of those kids, because I don't, she's observant and knows things. You didn't face a heck of a lot of trauma at a young age without developing a hyperawareness of things and knowing all the hidey holes. That's something I knew first hand.

[lilorphanmaggie]

"Damn, if that's not luxury, I don't know what is. Is it all bejeweled and stuff? Because a little bling never hurt anyone." Pause. Consideration. She looks away. "Midas being an exception to this, of course." Tough that one, being cursed or blessed to turn everything you touch turn to gold.

While commenting, Margaret reaches down into her bag and pulls from it a tangerine. Settling back in her chair she digs a thumbnail into the puckered flesh where the stem was and then completely stills in her action. Very slowly she lifts her head and gaze up to the man across the table from her and starts to laugh. "Wow, that's, I don't know what that is." Like, should she be offended? She's not, oddly enough. Maybe that speaks to her knowing those bad magic kids, kinda, tangentially and certainly not because all predators need to know where the potential threats lie.

The tangerine beautiful, it's scent is bright and floral. It's skin peels from it's body with ease, as she delicately works to unwind it in one long strip. "Who are you looking for and why are you looking for them? Bad is subjective, running under the radar of you or the White Counsel, and especially the cops doesn't make a person bad."

[dresdenforhire]

"No, but it's a real, human skull!" Bonnie said, sounding way more excited about that than she probably should. As much as Bonnie isn't like most people she's not like Bob either. She's only ever been around me and other people so I know she likes presenting more as a person and I guess having a human skull helps with that. "He still won't get a monkey to let me ride around in though."

Yeah, that's not going to happen, mostly because I don't want to deal with living with a monkey. It's a discussion we've been having a lot lately. Hopefully Maggie doesn't get dragged into though because I'm pretty sure I now who she'll throw her weight behind and it's not me.

"Trust me, as someone who has been hunted by the police and the White Council multiple times I realize that," I said. Just because the "good guys" want to know where you are doesn't make you bad. And I'm not after these people because they're "bad" but because they're either murders, know about the murders, or might be next.

"But these Assholes- sorry, I think their actual group name is the Brotherhood of Anarchists of Magic- are connected with a murder. Because about 3/4 of the members of the group are spread over the putting green of a golf course and have the consistency of soup. Either the rest of the members were responsible, know something about it, or are next. These kids might not be saints but they didn't deserve to have that happen to them."

[lilorphanmaggie]

"Oh now that's bad ass, I have never been carried around in a real human skull before. I have a buddy that collects bones and stuff, center of his collection is a real human skull." And he is suuuuper excited about it and never misses an opportunity to show it off to guests and people who have seen it before actually. There is some other cool stuff in his collection, and Margaret digs it, but she doesn't really appreciate looking into empty eye sockets.

Clicking her tongue at the lack of monkey, she glances over at Harry. "Well that's just a shame. But ultimately monkeys are just miserable humans with less self control so maybe you've lucked out." Ugh, monkey smell, even Margaret isn't into terrorizing Harry that much. Not like she would have to deal with that mess.

Once the peel is completely off, she sets it aside neatly and halves the tangerine and starts on the pieces. It is what she is doing when he mentions the Brotherhood and for a beat her hands completely still with the rest of her. A beat. A beat. A beat.

"Interesting," she comments before eating the citrus. "I wonder what it is with people who gather under the banner of 'Brotherhood' being trash. Do you know which three I should give less of a shit about?"

[dresdenforhire]

"Isn't that what you do all the time? Your brain is you and you carry it around in your skull," Bonnie asked and I couldn't help but give Maggie a grin. Bonnie was still very literal about things although she'd gotten better over the years. When she was first "born" it was both hilarious and trying. "You can just take your skull to parties."

I was grateful that Maggie back up me up on the monkey thing even if she was probably just saying what she felt. There was a sort of security in knowing that someone wouldn't pull their punches just to spare you feelings. Of course, it was a lot easier to say that when one of those metaphorical or literal punches wasn't hitting you square in the face. Maggie was a good kid/legal-adult-but-still-a-kid-in-my-eyes though and if she punched me in the face I usually deserved it.

I watched as her hands stilled and my heart sank into my stomach and then kept going all the way down to my knees. I hoped that didn't mean that either she'd just lost a friend or a friend was a potential murderer. If it did I just hoped that she would let me help and not try to fix it herself. Whatever issues she had with me I hope she knows that I want to do the right thing. This isn't Court or Council business... this is just something horrible happening to people that don't deserve it and I want to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone else.

"It's not a very inclusive name, is it? 'Siblings of Anarchy of Magic' just isn't the same though. But as far as the police know Marcellino Novak, Amir Ruskin, Andrei Henriksen, Michael Foth, and Morgaine Snyder are all probably dead. Their phones were found among the remains. I'm pretty sure there's at least two more members of the group that are hopefully alive and safe for the moment."

[lilorphanmaggie]

"Oh, I always leave my skull at home when I go to parties. It just ends up getting in the way." Which is more truth than jest. Her brain does get in the way when she goes out into the world and so whenever she can she tries to just leave the whole thing behind. Life is a lot easier when you are only marginally yourself.

It's hard not to let that look of just complete 'are you kidding?' come over her face at his wish that the rest are safe. There are filters that she just doesn't have as much as she tries to control thoughts, expression and words, sometimes she just fails so hard. Thankfully people seem to accept her despite, or because of this flaw, but it's still one that she is trying to work on. Not because she wants to become a better global citizen but because she doesn't want to keep giving things away.

"Margot Leman," Margaret finally says after doing some contemplating and peeling away another orange slice. "She's a hedge witch, which is, especially in this case, a magic junkie. Minor actual talent, but has weaseled into a sort of loose network of people who steal and do awful shit for spells and magic. Margot is incapable of actually applying eyeliner and is just a goth version of Mean Girls."

A pause and Margaret fishes a seed from a piece of tangerine before continuing on. "The other person is a mild mystery, like, I've seen him around, but I'd have to talk to Optimus for more information."

[dresdenforhire]

Bonnie gave a little laugh at Maggie's comment at leaving her skull at home when she goes out. I really wished that the two could spend more time together, I knew Bonnie would like it and I thought that Maggie would too but that would be complicated. Being one of Maggie's least favorite people always complicates things.

But, we have a case to talk about so I tried to focus on that. Of course, the idea that my little girl is plugged into that side of the magical community isn't a great thought but I have to remind myself that she can take care of herself and make her own friends and acquaintances. To be honest I'm kind of proud of her in a way, she knows her world and isn't trying to hide from the uglier parts of it. Probably because the uglier parts threw themselves in her face but still. Proud.

"I know her. She used to be part of the Paranet until she was kicked out," I said, drumming my fingers on the table in thought. I was probably going to have to pay her a visit which was going to be tricky. People aren't usually in the mood to have a calm and rational conversation when I show up. I can't really blame them though.

"Well, I think we should go have a little chat with her then."

[lilorphanmaggie]

"I heard that rumor. I am completely and utterly shocked." Narrator: Margaret was not, in fact shocked at all.

With one half of the tangerine left, she peels free a piece and offers it to Harry in between thumb and index. In case he wants a piece. He should eat citrus, it's good for you, keeps the scurvy away and vitamin C is the way to go. Plus they are just absolutely delightful to eat. There is something easy about peeling the fruit, a meditative process, almost primitive. People actually eat them in the shower and they say it's amazing.

No idea where that came from.

"We?" Maybe the idea of the orange is easier than the idea of we. Because the question is: who is we? Almost instinctively Margaret does not believe that she is included in the we. Not only in this situation but in every other one as well. "Like you and, um, Bonnie?" Man Jesus one of her violently erotic fantasies is a normal, boring home and family life.

"And do you even know where she's at now? Like as much of a bitch as she is, she's not entirely stupid. If four of my friends bought it in a highly graphic way I would chuck deuces and peace out." Deuces are actually thrown as an example and she shakes her head. "If she's not already dead that is."

[dresdenforhire]

I carefully took the slice from her and popped it in my mouth. Every time I eat citrus fruit I'm reminded how much I really like citrus fruit and that I should buy some more. I never get any because I've forgotten by the time I go to the store but I should definitely eat more citrus fruit. Except for grape fruit, that stuff is terrible and the rest of the citrus family should get rid of it Hunger Games style.

"Well... I was mostly thinking you and me," I said, looking down at the table and scratching the back of my neck sheepishly, like suddenly the condensation rings on the table were really, really interesting. They weren't interesting at all but I wasn't sure I could take it if Maggie looked disgusted or offended at the offer. Harry Dresden; Winter Knight, White Council, Grey Council, Grandson of the Black Staff, Son of Margaret LeFay, One Time Leader of the Wild Hunt, Coward.

"I can't be taken into the field. Too valuable. This is a special exception because it's family," Bonnie said and I applauded myself for not wincing. We would have to have a talk about the use of the f-word around her sister.

"And I know some people who will know where she is. I figure we've got a day, day-and-a-half max before she's completely out of town."

[lilorphanmaggie]

Grapefruit is the creepy uncle of the citrus world.

"Ahhhh," there is a look between Harry and the skull and then back at Harry and finally to the tangerine. "Well, thankfully I am expendable, so it's all good." Putting the remaining tangerine down she wipes residue from her fingers on to shorts before checking the time.

"Yeah, I think I can manage a trip to find Margot. I mean it would be a real shame if she were busted for doing black magic and I wasn't there to see it." Going back to the fruit Margaret considers what she does and doesn't have in her bag that may be helpful in dealing with a warlock. Assuming that's what Margot is. Though Margaret has a feeling (for whatever reason) that in stead Margot is probably dead.

[dresdenforhire]

"You are the partner that looks unassuming and like the 'good cop' but is actually 'just as bad cop'. As a meat shield you're entirely too small to be effective," I reassured her with a grin. This was almost sort of comfortable. It's not like we have experience working together like this but it's familiar enough ground in general to me that I can feel a bit more comfortable. Of course trying to find the balance between "I must protect Maggie from all harm" and "Maggie is an adult who can take care of herself in a lot of situations" will be tough. In general though I'm feeling kind of excited about it in an incredibly ominous way. Because we're Dresdens, there has to be an ominous feeling to go along with anything.

"Alright, then it's settled. We can work our magic, both literal and theoretical, to try and find Margot and either save her or stop her."

[lilorphanmaggie]

"It's true, my youth allows me to blend in and to appear harmless. But I am a striker, I do not tank on this game." She is a dex-based character for sure, go in quick, dump damage and then disengage. A rouge for sure. Maybe an archer? If we're in the world of DnD. She has given the bow a test but that was mostly fooling around. Maybe it's worth picking up again, but that's one of those thoughts that Margaret never knows what to do with.

Finishing off the tangerine, she collects all the pieces in the palm of her hand. "Easy as all that, huh?" Getting up she gives a scan around the room and finds the trash can by the end of the bar and goes to dump the peel and seeds.

[dresdenforhire]

"Well, I purposely left out the part where everything goes horribly wrong, people try to murder us, the inevitable betrayal of someone we trusted, the beatings, and then narrowly defeating out enemies. I didn't want you to hear all that and then get overly excited," I said, only half joking. Obviously I wouldn't bring Maggie into something that I thought was truly dangerous that she couldn't handle but she could handle a lot. And the sooner I acknowledged that then the closer I can come to helping her deal with everything else she had to handle.

Most parents face the challenge of "protecting your child from the world vs teaching them to survive in it" and it's difficult. I have the advantage of the fact that if I don't teacher Maggie how to handle herself (more than she's already learned) the world will spit her up and chew her out... possibly literally. That's the easy part, the choice is made. The hard part is all of the ugly things she'll have to learn to deal with.

"But if we do this we have to trust each other. I say jump, then you jump. You say jump, then I jump. Once we've jumped over whatever horrible thing tried to eat our feet, then we can ask the other person why we had to do that. Deal?"

[lilorphanmaggie]

"Oh I just assumed that was what was going to happen. It's just kind of a thing for us, it makes for good story telling at least, bad for insurance premiums." There has to be a database where they have a long list of people they are just waiting to deny for insurance and on that list is the name Carpenter and Dresden. Their preexisting condition doesn't have a fancy medical name but it does come with lots of broken bones and weird injuries. Well maybe Dresden isn't on that list, but still.

Margaret knows, kinda, what is going to go down. It's not like you walk up to someone who has had a substantial number of friends suddenly violently die and expect them to be chill. Which is why she is more still than usual. Heart thumping and humming in her chest, hands cold, palms slightly sweaty. Mom's spaghetti.

"Yes," is all she says to that. It's weird to agree with an authority figure but this isn't like staying out late at night, or getting a piercing, it's not like that at all. Reaching down she slings her bag over her shoulder and slips on the sunglasses. "We ready to go?"

[dresdenforhire]

I'm relieved that she knows what we're getting into but wish that she wasn't in a position to just assume that. But wishing only goes so far and then it's all about actions. I've done a lot of things to that Maggie and people like her (ie: people not me) don't have to deal with those things. I'm not talking morally grey things, there's only one of those things I've done and I hate myself every day for it, but just things like this. Rolling up on a mass murder suspect who turned several kids into soup so that other people don't have to take these types of risks.

"Let's roll," I said, standing up from the table. I heard Bonnie giggle from inside my pocket and I was pretty sure it was mostly her laughing at me rather than laughing with me. Heading out of Mac's I held the door open for Maggie before nodding to my ride. The Blue Beetle had been gone for years but part of me still looks for that first when searching for my vehicle. The parking lot had exactly two vehicles. one of them was an old army jeep and the other a pristine white Escalade. "What to guess which one is our ride?"

[lilorphanmaggie]

Pausing in the parking lot Margaret looks at the two choices, both raise eyebrows for different reasons. Holy shit can she not picture Harry behind the wheel of an Escalade. "You going for some White Court or pimp aesthetic? But then I repeat myself." The White Court isn't something that Margaret is very sure about, but like all vampire groups, gets the super hard side eye from her. Vampires are vampires no matter what the Court. No matter how beautiful and shiny.

Arianna was beautiful.

"I am assuming it's the white Escalade that makes me want to sip lean and ride real low. If I am correct it better have an amazing stereo in order to make up for the fact that it looks like it should be in a Lil Wayne music video."

[dresdenforhire]

"No, that would be Mac's car. And I think he was in a Little Wayne video with it. Can never get the full story out of him though," I said. The white Escalade was a good guess and the Winter Court had a whole fleet of vehicles like that but it both wasn't my style and came with strings attached that I wanted no part of. Sure I could probably rationalize it that I deserved something nice while trying to fight the good fight from inside the White Court but once you start rationalizing that you deserve nice things for fighting the good fight it's no longer about the good fight. Maybe some people could enjoy the comforts and not feel like they were letting their soul be sucked in to the White Court little by little but I wasn't one of those people.

"You get to ride around in army green bumping your tunes from an AM radio while sitting on cracked leather seats. Everyone who sees you will be envious."

[lilorphanmaggie]

Margaret is having one of those moments when she is mentally painting one hell of a picture in which a hard looking white man just stands in the background while Lil Wayne does whatever it is he does. The Carter albums are pretty dope but those were a really, long time ago. What a dated reference. "That is something," she finally says in a slow, voice that is not sure of how else to categorize the idea that a grown ass man is driving a pure white Escalade.

"Thankfully," Margaret begins as she starts toward the car. "I have no dignity, so this isn't so horrific. The worst part is the AM radio, which one could argue is only radio in the technical sense of the word. Though I do appreciate anything that can provide a platform for conspiracy theorists because the truth is out there and will not be repressed." As she walks she unzips her bag and takes out a heavy-ish denim jacket with black leather sleeves. The thrift store find is almost practically covered with carefully stitched runes and protections.

[dresdenforhire]

"It's either that or static, awkward silence, or we make real conversation on the ride," I said, not sure which one she would prefer. Probably the awkward silence, although I have a feeling it wouldn't be terribly awkward for her. While she has the gift of gab like her old man I had a feeling she spent a lot of time just with her own thoughts. It would be awkward for me because I always feel like those thoughts are full of judging me and finding me wanting. Which... fair enough I am wanting but also unfair of me to assume she's thinking about that all the time. Not everything is about me. For the most part, very few things are actually about me.

"Nice jacket," I said, impressed with the magic she's got worked into it. It's not as cool as a duster- it is in fact much, much cooler than a duster- but that pretty much sums us up; one of us much, much cooler than the other. Well, metaphorically Maggie is cooler and literally I'm cooler. Oddly enough, I'm willing to bet that neither of us care too much about that sort of thing.

Stepping up to the Jeep I pause for a moment and glance over at her as a thought occurs to me. If I'm entrusting her to have my back with this case then...

"Want to drive?" I asked, pulling out the keys and handing them to her. I'm fairly certain she knew how to drive a stick. The Carpenters are good people like that.

[lilorphanmaggie]

"Geez, all Lady or the Tiger over here, huh?" They could sit in non-awkward silence. Despite her love for music, Margaret actually doesn't mind silence and she rarely feels awkward just sitting next to Harry not speaking. He would probably have mixed feelings over the fact that Margaret doesn't spend a whole lot of time thinking about Harry, and that's not to be insulting, he does come up quite a bit but it's not like she dedicates a set number of minutes thinking of how Harry is a shitty dad. She doesn't think that actually, it's more that he doesn't necessarily feel like a dad to her.

Which comes with it's own issues.

"Really?" But oh my god, he compliments her on the jacket and for a moment she very obviously lights up with pride and pleasure. A lot of time and effort was spent on the jacket, something cool but protective and she is insanely proud of how it turned out. Sure, it could be tweaked a bit but such as it is it's not too bad. Ducking her head to hide that immediate reaction she runs her hands over the sleeves and then the denim chest. "Thanks, I spent a lot of time on it, I think it's pretty cool looking." And the jacket itself cost like, five bucks, so let's give a shout out to thrifting.

He's just knocking them out of the park here today. Head lifts and hungry eyes widen, hand automatically shooting out. "Heck yeah, I would love to drive." She can, stick, automatic, all of the above, but since she doesn't have her own car she doesn't get to drive as much as she'd like. "Thanks!"

[dresdenforhire]

Being an absentee father is hard. Not as hard as being an actual father probably but it comes with its own hardships if you wish you didn't have to be an absentee father. It will never feel as good as being a "real" dad, I know that. I know that and I'll still never stop trying to be the best father I can- within the boundaries that Maggie will let me because obviously she had a say in all that. She's her own person and can make decisions about that and some of those decisions keep me at arms length and that hurts, even if I understand why and agree that in ways it's probably best.

But there are times when all the effort pays off. Times like when she lights up at my compliment and my heart soars and hurts all at once in the way that only love can do. The sort of love that is bigger than anything you can even comprehend but leaves you so vulnerable. Completely worth it though.

"It's very cool looking. Getting one with a hood is a really good idea. Good enough that I kind of want to steal the idea," I said, tossing the keys at her with a weird sense of pride. She's a smart girl and I knew that most of that had to do with her mother and the Carpenters but I'm still proud. "Also, try to not get a ticket otherwise the Winter Court will make it disappear and I hate letting them have anything like that over my head."

[lilorphanmaggie]

As cool and withdrawn as Margaret is there a pretty significant portion of her that desperately wants to have all his time, all his attention. To be the utter center of his world. Little Maggie was the same way, with him, with The Carpenter's. But there are more things in Harry's world that are more pressing in a way that a forest fire ten miles from the center of town is more pressing than a child waiting to spend time with their parent at home. It's an easy but difficult decision to make.

It just so happened that the world was going to shit when she showed up and Michael was retired and there. Even he was, through no fault of his own, arms length as well. Unwilling to overstep or overshadow Harry. And that was kind of him. But there's this gap and it's so hard to speak up and say: I need this. At least for Margaret.

When he's proud of her, oh boy does it reminder her how desperately she wants his love and approval. Now, with the compliment still fresh, and that tingling feeling crawling over her skin, she loves it, wants more. Later, when things have cooled down it will seem like a moment of weakness. If that assessment is correct or not it depends on your point of view.

"By all means," she catches the keys and moves over to the driver's side. "Though it can get in the way, obscure side vision, so that's something to keep in mind. Looks cool af though." Unlocking the door she wrenches it open and then crawls over to unlock his side. "Fuck the Winter Court," Margaret agrees. "Give the Fae nothing and take nothing from them. Don't worry," she grins at him from over the center console. "I am a fantastic driver."