Battles of the Isonzo Puns

There would be enough battles to fill a whole album

"Where are the reinforcemints"

It was against all odds

That someone being >!Carlos!<.

The scene is the two of them in the graveyard after Dresden has buried Murphy.

This isn't a full-fledged fanfic, just one conversation that I wish had gone differently. I wish that Dresden hadn't treated Carlos as An Authority Figure, but as a good man trying his best to navigate an impossible situation. Here goes:

Point of departure:

&gt; ‘“The Council has spoken,” he said, just as tiredly, and turned to go.'

“Wait, Carlos,” I said. He turned his head slightly.

“Look,” I said. “I get it. You’re playing Council politics now. And of course, they made you come and deliver the news. Maybe they hoped I’d start a fight and you could bury me right here. But I’m not going to bite. Not today. I'm too tired, man.” I shook my head.

“You’re right, I’ve gotten mixed up with some dangerous people. If I hadn’t, maybe we wouldn't have survived. And yeah, I’m not telling you everything. Maybe that's for the best. When people get close to me...” My eyes traveled to the open grave.

“I miss Murph, Carlos. She was my best friend. And the thing about Karrin was, she’d always give it to you straight. If I was really going all dark side, she’d slap some sense in me. It hurts losing a friend like that.” I looked at him. “Two friends, I guess.” I sighed.

“You already know I’m going to keep doing my thing here. I’ve got obligations, and I’ve got people who need me. And if the Council has something to say about that, they know where to find me. And, if it comes to it, I think you have a sense of who will be standing by me,” I said, gesturing at Michael. Carlos shifted uncomfortably.

“But forget all that for a minute. At the end of the day, you’ve been a better friend to me than I have to you. I’m sorry man. You deserved better, and I owe you for that. I know you don’t trust Harry Dresden the man. So that’s why I’m saying this as the Winter Knight: there’s an imbalance between us. And Winter pays its debts.” That got his attention. I took a bean out of my pocket.

“You’ve put your chips down on the Council. I can respect that. But you know full well that Peabody wasn’t the only person working to bring it down from the inside. So to you, to make things square between us, I offer exactly the same thing I offered Donald Morgan when he called: shelter, if things go sideways. If you need a haven, come find me, and I promise to hear you out. And if you just want to talk to someone about it, someone who’s not in the thick of it, the