by Christy Shorey and you

ARCHIVE: NOV. 29 edited for spelling and grammar

4529 words

Lacey called in sick to work, and was tempted to tell Rocky the real reason she wanted the day off was because she was actually sick, that a combination of tuna and peanut butter had sent her into a horrendous dream and a horrible stomach ache. When he answered the phone, however, she told him that her brother needed some help moving, that living with her parents had been too much on him, and he was stressed to the point he was considering enlisting for a second tour. Rocky asked if she needed a hand when he got off shift, but she said they should be done by then, but thanked him for the offer.

Logan was called in to go to work, even though it was Saturday, because professor Thomas was in a panic about not having tenure ensured. Lacey got up long enough to hold his hand for a few minutes, though he didn't really talk to her. She supposed he was mad that he had to take part of her insane dream from the night before, but she was thrilled that her experiment had worked. Logan WAS able to see her dreams, there was just some safety set up in the device to discourage it.

Lacey went to Dresden's house after Logan had left in a rush, Professor Thomas having called again to make sure he was on his way. She remembered Dresden mentioning he was a high-school teacher, and knew he would have the day off.

This time Guido opened the door. He looked as surprised to see her as she was to see him.

"My tattoo artist making house calls now?" he asked.

Lacey shook her head. "I wanted to congratulate you on your store. I stopped by the other day, but wasn't able to catch you. Do your subordinates run the store on weekends?"

Guido shrugged. "I was running low on stock, so I took the day to get more. Put signs up it was a store holiday, celebrating the birthday of the woman who donated the shoes."

"Is it?"

"Dunno. Would have to ask Dresden that, it was his grandmother."

Lacey perked up at the opening Guido had given her. "Oh, can you ask him?"

"Nah. He's not here."

"Oh," Lacey said, trying to not sound too disappointed or too interested. "Maybe next time, then."

"You have the day off, then? I called yesterday and they said you'd be in today making up lost time."

"Yeah, I traded with someone. I wanted to surprise Randall with a picnic lunch, and am killing time until he gets off."

Guido grunted. "How's the building coming?"

"Okay, the foreman is so pleased with Randall's work, though, they try to keep him around more hours. I put my foot down, and insisted he only work half a day today."

"That's good. Well, I was just headed out to get more stock, and I was thinking to get new ink, the store logo."

"Okay, well congrats on the store. I'll go find something to do for a few hours."

"Take care."

Lacey headed out and looked around. She needed a way to find Dresden, but didn't know where to go, so she headed towards the university. Along the way she realized the streets resembled streets in one of her earlier dreams, the first one where Logan had appeared. She knew she had seen them in passing on some of her bus trips, but this was the first time she had walked down them.

She closed her eyes and pictured where the cloaked figure had fled in her dream. She opened her eyes and turned down the street where he had disappeared. She followed the memory of her dream Logan, and found herself at the front of a house that seemed familiar. She noticed shuffling around in a front room a familiar gray-haired man.

She smiled, glad that her dreams were as useful, if not more so, than the ones the Logan had collected. She noted the street and house number, and headed to the university to gather Logan for what should be a very enlightening lunch break.

****

Margot watched Dresden pacing back and forth in the dining room. He was getting anxious for answers, and the hints she had given him about her past weren't satisfying him any longer. She let him have his rant, about how he was graciously giving up his weekend to help her; the least she could do was tell him what he was looking for.

*But you are getting free labor out of it* Margot said, and indicated at Kyle, who sat in the corner, surrounded by papers and a grading key. Kyle was unaware of the conversation, as he was gleefully clutching the red pen that Dresden had given him, and going through the papers one by one, looking for errors.

"But that's not the point. You promised, it was part of the deal that I would work with you only if you told me more about WHY you need my help."

Margot curled her head on her paws. She was in her golden retriever form because it was still too exhausting to keep her human form for long stretches of time. If she could smile, she would. Apparently her attempts to hold power over Dresden in means not connected to her magic were not as effective as she hoped. It did mean, however, that this pet of hers was smart, and that was something she could use right now.

*Okay, if you'll sit down, I'll tell you. I get dizzy watching you walking back and forth and back again."

Dresden sat in the nearest chair with such force that he almost knocked it over. He quickly realized that he couldn't see Margot from that seat, and moved to one closer to where she was curled on the floor near Kyle."

*As I have told you, I am loosing power. This is because of a person in my distant past. I told you that she cursed me, and that because of it I have grown weaker. *

Dresden nodded, but didn't say anything.

*Dragons are very long-lived creatures, if we put our mind to it. My kind developed the ability to travel in time and space to prevent us from outliving the planets we occupied in a handful of generations. Needless to say that in our travels have taken us to places of a variety of levels of civilization. One of the worlds I found myself on had a power that worked well for the young dragon that I was, which I can best describe as magic.*

*So I took human form, and joined one of the institutes that honed these particular skills. I excelled at it, and eventually surpassed even my teachers. Only one person was able to match my skill, and she became my rival for every challenge I undertook in my training.*

"Is she the one who cursed you?" Dresden asked, unable to stay silent any longer. He leaned closer to her, putting his elbows on his knees.

Margot picked her head up, and pushed herself up on her front paws. She shook, and settled into sitting so her eyes were closer to Dresden's. *Yes. There was an...altercation, and she cast a curse at me that reduced my power.*

"How, if she was as good as you?"

Margot paused, wondered how much would be enough to satisfy his curiosity, and how much she would be able to keep from him without seeming to. *Our skills were strong in different areas. Some of my weaknesses were where she had her strengths and vice versa. When she inflicted me with the curse, I wasn't prepared for it, and it was something that was not my forte.*

Dresden nodded. Margot noticed the sound of shuffling paper had also ceased, and Kyle was now listening in to her conversation as well. She let the pause draw out long enough that Dresden finally asked, "What did she do to you?"

*So hard to put into words the actual process, the curse, but I can tell you that as a result of her power I was, well, aged significantly. I had been a youngling for a dragon, only three hundred years old. As a result of her spell my age was equivalent to that of a dragon of two thousand years. Unfortunately for her that put her at the peak of my biological capacity for use of power, and magic. Unfortunately for me, it has been all downhill since then. I am now so drained of power, due to the accelerated aging, that it is getting harder and harder for me to maintain a human form.*

*As you have realized, most of what I have you searching for is stories of people who have been affected by some outside force that has changed them biologically, changing shape and such, looking desperately for any clues as to how such processes are reversed. It is urgent, now that my own power is waning.*

Margot waiting for the hesitation, the doubt of her explanation, and it was all she could do to not send out her power, to influence the man before her to believe her story as she told it, and not ask questions. She could tell from the look on Dresden's face that he was thinking through her explanation, and that he felt there was something missing from it. Before he had the chance to speak, however, Kyle had crossed over the papers he was grading, and had thrown his arms around Margot.

"I didn't know all that. I'm sorry it happened. That woman was really mean to make you so old."

*Thank you, Kyle.*

The youth buried his face in her fur, and she sat still, and put her head on top of his. She was surprised to find he was crying, and she asked him why.

"Because I can't help you get younger again."

Margot looked up to the sound of Dresden standing. He still looked a little uneasy, but she was pleased to notice a determined look on his face, as well. When he finally spoke, he turned to Kyle. "Go get the leash," he said, and Kyle hugged Margot tighter, suddenly worried.

*It's okay, Kyle. I think Dresden has a lot to think about, and he wants to go for a walk to do it.*

Dresden nodded. "Yes, I think a walk would do us all some good right now."

****

Logan followed Lacey through the streets. He didn't really have a choice as she had one of his hands in hers, and he feared if he stopped she might make off with his arm, even if he stayed put. To be honest, he was glad to be out of the office. Professor Thomas was in a panic, and giving him instructions that contradicted each other, and yelled at him if he pointed it out or failed to complete both, mutually exclusive, tasks.

Lacey came in and proclaimed that it was time for their first visit to the obstratician, to make sure their baby was out to a healthy start, and that he had promised to be there. The look on his bosses face changed to one of panic, to worry. He clearly wanted Logan to stay, but also was torn, having missed the steps leading up to the birth of his own children in the mad dash to earn tenure. Finally he said "Go, don't come back until Monday, and skulked off to his office and slammed the door behind him.

Logan had expected Lacey to gently point out what a lie had earned them, and feel self justified at him, but instead she hurried him out the door. I wasn't until they were several blocks away from the university that she finally offered any sort of explanation.

"I found that teacher, the one with the dream that you were so interested in."

"Really?" Logan was impressed that she had found him so quickly, but before he could ask how she managed it, or what exactly she was planning in going to where he was, she was dragging him down the streets.

She suddenly slowed. "It's around the corner here, third house on the left, that is, across the street from us, we'll turn left, and it's across the street."

"Okay," Logan said, still uncertain if Lacey even had a plan at this point. She fell into step beside him, tipping her head to his shoulder, and caught her breath.

"Just a couple going out for a leisurely stroll," she explained.

Logan didn't bother telling her again that he didn't like being part of her lies. This time he was interested to see what she had found. They turned the corner, and saw another group of people out for a walk in the middle of the afternoon.

Approaching up the far side of the street were two men and a dog. Lacey gave a small gasp, and Logan had to force his feet to keep moving. They had both recognized Dresden in an instant, his gray hair in contract to young features a dead give away even at the distance. The younger blond boy was also familiar, from the dream they had witnessed.

But it wasn't the familiarity that almost stopped Logan in his tracks. It was the sense of deja vu. It was as if each of the past life memories suddenly hit him with the instant the past hims had finally found the foe they had searched for all their lives.

He knew that the person who had doomed him to life as he knew it, over and over again, was mere meters from him. Lacey clutched his arm in excitement, pulling his awareness sharply to the present. She slowed their pace and hissed, "I don't want him to recognize me."

But Dresden wasn't paying attention to them, neither was the blond youth. They appeared to be in a heated discussion, though only Dresden seemed upset. The other man must have been responding very calmly, as practically no emotion showed on his face in the breaks between Dresden's ranting. They weren't quite close enough to make out the words. It seemed a private conversation, that while heated, was still under control of volume by its participants.

The men and dog crossed the quiet street and went into the house that Lacey had indicated she had seen the man. She kept their pace slow until the trio was in the house, then picked up the pace to get them to the far side of the street.

"So, now what do we do," she asked.

Logan was tempted to turn the question around on her, but found he was speechless.

"What's wrong," she asked.

"I got this feeling..."

"Yeah?"

"I just saw the person who did this to me."

Lacey turned to look back at the house. "Really? Dresden? He didn't seem like the mean type, more, I don't know, pathetic, actually."

Logan shook his head. "No, I had him in my dream file from before you did. I met him some time in the past, touched him and collected him as a subject. I would remember this feeling."

"Ah," Lacey said. Logan was so lost in thoughts of his own that he didn't notice she was equally quiet the rest of the way home.

****

Three days had passed since Margot had revealed that she had been made older by the curse. Kyle was still sad every time he looked at her, and he could tell that Dresden was more determined than ever to help now.

Kyle looked at the note in his hand, Margot had left a grocery list for dinner. He had finished his cleaning chores and had eaten lunch. He was supposed to go get groceries before Margot got home, so he left, making sure to lock the door on the way out.

When he got to the street he saw a familiar car. But instead of Dresden driving, there was a tall man with black hair, and another man in the passenger side of the car. Kyle got to the sidewalk, and saw there was a bird on the lap of the man in the passenger seat. The man waved Kyle over, and he walked up to see if they needed help.

"Get in, ya bum."

Kyle blinked, and looked at the bird. It cocked it's head and looked at him, then said again "Get in, ya bum." The man in the seat shook his finger at the bird, which squawked in protest, but then said "Please."

Kyle got in the car.

***

Lacey rushed out when she got the call from Lional that he had found, and collected her mentally ill "Little brother" from her newest venture in to the Big Brother/ Big Sister program. She had made it in to work early, and had worked through lunch, knowing that Lional would be fetching the blond youth for her. Logan had assured he that he would be okay without a lunch session, as his memories had pretty much ended the day they saw Dresden and his friend.

Rocky thought she was headed to take her mother to a yearly exam, and was more than happy to trade the opening shift for the one that stayed into the evening. Lacey took the bus to the community center where she told Lional to bring the boy. She warned him ahead of time that he blond boy had a schizophrenia, and might react violently, though she truly hoped that Lional didn't have too much of a fight to get him. She worried that if he had strong-armed the boy that her prize might be of no use any more to Logan.

They had agreed that Lacey should be the one to get him, because if he realized too soon that Logan was who he was through time, then this life might be terminated as suddenly as the past ones seem to have been. Lacey had assured Logan that she had sufficient means to subdue the youth, and wondered what powers he had retained through the various lives he must have lived to plague Logan through the years.

When she got to the community center, she saw Lional sitting in the car with two other men, and an odd looking bird. As she approached she looked for signs that the blond was unconscious. He appeared to be arguing with Lional, and she wondered if perhaps they had bound him, instead.

As she got to the car, however, she heard what he was saying. "It'll be okay, I'll still have enough for the groceries. I know gas is expensive right now. Dresden complains about it a lot."

Lacey got into the car, taking the seat next to the boy. He turned and looked at her, a pleading look in his eyes. "Tell them to take the money for gas."

Lacey blinked, and looked at the boy more closely, wondering if her story of mental illness was not just a story. "That's okay. I'm paying for gas today. You can keep your money for groceries."

"But we drove a long way, and gas costs so much," the boy protested.

"But I already paid for the gas," Lacey said. "So if you give him money, then it won't go to gas, since it's already been bought."

"Oh. Okay."

Lacey looked up to Lional, but he seemed unfazed by the boy's proclamation. The bird in the lap of the other man, Lional's other roommate no doubt, gave a squawk. "Shut up, please."

The boy nodded, and sat back. Lacey asked Lional to take them to her townhouse where she could make dinner for her little brother.

They were halfway there when the prisoner turned to Lacey, his face scrunched in concentration. "You're my sister?"

The bird squawked "Shut up."

Lacey gave him a smile. "Yes."

They made it the rest of the way to the townhouse in silence.

***

Dresden shifted the stack of papers in his arms as he headed out to the parking lot. The students were glad that he had moved to multiple choice quizzes on the reading, and he found that Kyle liked looking at the little bubbles better than essays, though he graded both equally well.

Dresden slowed as he approached his parking space. He cursed under his breath, and lost his grip on the papers. He managed to gather most up from the empty spot where his car should have been, but had to spend about fifteen minutes catching the others which had been carried away on the breeze and were dancing around the empting lot as if to taunt him.

He took the papers, trying desperately not to loose any, and headed to the bus stop.

***

Logan hesitated outside the door. Lacey should have gathered the blond boy by now, and he would be waiting on the other side. It was hard to gather one's courage when uncertainty of future presented itself like this. Would simply meeting Marcus after all these years end this cycle? In the past lives, did he have to battle with Marcus, and lost, thus being forced to start all over again. He wished he knew what was going to happen, or that he had some guidance from his past selves. The silence over the past few days, the absence of potential for the memories, had bothered him. Even when Lacey managed to keep the memories away, he had always felt them pressing at his mind, waiting to overtake him.

But that pressure was gone.

He took a sigh, and straightened his shirt. If he was going to face his fate today, again, the least he could do is ensure he looked good.

Steeling himself, he opened the door. Lacey was in the living room, and there was the blond boy, asleep on the couch.

Logan was angry that Lacey hadn't taken his foe seriously, hadn't done something more to secure this version of Marcus. Unless she had drugged him, and thus neutralized the threat that way. He stepped into the room, and George hopped up from where he had been curled up next to Marcus, and walked over to rub Logan's legs.

The blond boy stirred, and Logan felt a shock of panic course through his veins. Then, nothing. He turned to Lacey. "This isn't him," he said, and realized it was true. The boy in front of him had none of the power that he had felt and recognized.

The boy looked up at him, and rubbed his eyes. "Hi. I'm Kyle." he said, and extended a hand to Logan. "I'm Lacey's brother, but we only found each other today."

Lacey gave a small shake of her head, and a look indicating that she would explain later.

Logan was relieved that he was still intact, but frustrated that he had failed to secure his foe. Unless the boy had realized who he was going to see, and had suppressed his aura, somehow. But even as he considered it, he knew that it wasn't true.

"I have to go soon," Kyle said. "I have to make dinner for Dresden and Margot."

Both Logan and Lacey looked up at the statement, and Logan realized she had the same thought as him. "No worries," Lacey said. "We'll pick up some food on the way."

****

When Dresden got to Margot's house, he found her pacing the house, her heals clicking on the wooden floors. "My car was stolen. Again," he said, and dumped the papers on the dining room table. "Any luck with your search at work?"

"Kyle isn't here," Margot said, not breaking stride.

"Maybe he got lost. Or forgot he wasn't a student again."

Margot shook her head. "No, this feels different."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. It's just different. I knew as soon as I came home."

"Was there a break in?"

"No. Everything in intact, and he even remembered to lock the door."

Dresden looked around. "Did you give him any chores outside the house?"

"Grocery shopping, but I told him to be back before we were. He was going to cook."

Dresden sat down at the table behind the stack of papers. "Maybe there was a long line at the store or something."

*No* Margot's voice rang through his head with such vehemence that he started, knocking some of the papers off the table.

"Okay, maybe not."

"I've been having those dreams again, but I'm not ready this time."

"What dreams?" Dresden said, leaning over to pick up the spilled papers. "What aren't you ready for?"

The doorbell rang.