InsaneJournal

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…”

“Dresden, kindly shut up,” chided Morgan stonily. He didn’t turned his head towards the other wizard, instead keeping his eyes on the woman in front of him. “And you, madam, I dare say, are as much a fool as him.”

Murphy snorted between two pained grunts from where she lay on the grimy floor on top of one Warden cloak and Harry’s coat.

“Thanks. Harry, God damnit, get over here!”

The tall wizard gave a yelp and very nervously came over to crouch down next to her, wincing as she grabbed his hand tightly in hers. He leaned down towards her and she growled, “You got me into this so you had damn well better stay right here. Understand?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, nodding frantically. Then he nervously reached out and laid his hand over her swollen stomach before looking at Morgan. “You sure you know what you’re doing?”

“I will be surer if you shut up and watch the door, Dresden,” growled Morgan as he ducked his head to peer between Murphy’s legs. “Hmm, the head is crowning.”

“Wonderful!” exclaimed Murphy as she tightly squeezed Harry’s hand through a harsh push. “You fucking bastard!”

“Sorry,” apologized the wizard, bending to kiss her forehead before he turned towards the door. He eyed it nervously before asking, “You sure those spells will hold it?”

“So long as you stop bothering me so my concentration can hold between this and them,” replied the older wizard. He lifted his head to frown sternly at Harry, adding, “We will be fine, Dresden.”

Harry scowled at that, snapping, “I’m not worried about us, Morgan,” as he cast a frightened look down at Murphy.

“That, Dresden, was obvious.”

“Will the both of you shut up?!” screamed Murphy. “Or so help me, I’ll shoot you both!”

Morgan stoically turned back to his new baby delivery job while Harry snapped his teeth over the statement that she didn’t have her gun. He then spun around, reaching for his staff on the floor next to him at a harsh thump and scream from the other side of the door. Murphy looked up at it, sweat beading on her forehead, then glared at the both of them.

“If we don’t get out of here,” she growled, “I swear I’m going to haunt the two of you in the afterlife so much you want to be dead again. And where’s my gun?!”

“If we die then,” said Morgan slowly, “but since we are not yet, I suggest you push more. Dresden, eyes on the door, not me.”

“Right, right…shit!”

The single thump at the door had suddenly turned into a cacophony and Harry hefted his staff, still holding onto Murphy’s hand as he shifted to face the door. Behind him he heard her groan through another push and the low, firm urging of Morgan’s voice.

“Again. But one more, one more…”

“Morgan!”

The older wizard looked up as a crack appeared in the door then said, “I either make sure this child is born or I keep them from getting in, Dresden.”

“The baby,” growled Harry. He forcefully pulled his hand from Murphy’s, kissing it before he laid it across her chest, then rose to his feet. Settling his staff in both hands, he faced the door grimly and watched the door begin to buckle in. “You just make sure the baby’s born, Morgan. I’m not going to let anything happen to them.”

Morgan frowned then ducked his head calmly as Harry began to trace a wide circle around them with a magic marker he pulled from a pocket. He watched out of the corner of his eye as the younger wizard closed the circle just as the ghouls on the other side of the door broke through. Watched him spin in place, staff in hand, and strike out with all he had against the ghoul’s.

He had never thought that much of Dresden but lately he had given the wizard a little slack. And now, seeing him so desperately defending a woman he loved, he found a little bit of respect for the man.

He was still a damn fool, though.

“You! Can’t! Have! THEM!” roared Harry as he planted a foot on the shoulder of the last ghoul, who was on the ground with its body torn in half. It snarled at him right before he shoved the end of his staff through its stuff then a lusty wail filled the air, causing him to turn.

“Well,” said Morgan as he wiped his hands on the cloak on the floor, “congratulations are in order it seems, Dresden. You have a son.”

The wizard blinked then stumbled forward as Morgan scuffed away part of the circle, sinking to his knees next to Murphy before pulling her up so she leaned against him. She tilted her head back to look up at him then back down at the blotchy red face peering up at them from the comfort of Morgan’s Warden cloak.

“Hell’s bells,” he breathed.

Murphy laughed and reached up to tug his head down to hers with a smile. As he pulled back, cocking his head to the side to look at the baby, she said, “Merry Christmas, Harry. Not exactly how I’d hoped to spend it but…it could’ve been worse.”

Harry smiled and reached out to touch their son’s cheek before glancing at her watch. Christmas Day it was indeed; and here he’d thought it was going to be a horrible Christmas after Murphy was kidnapped.

“Merry Christmas, Murph,” he murmured as he leaned his head against hers. “And Morgan?”

“What, Dresden?”

“Thanks. And Merry Christmas.”

The Warden blinked then chuckled, shaking his head.

“Merry Christmas, Dresden.”