Alright, I realised it's never really explained how Midnight knew her father was still alive. Don't own Skulduggery Pleasant.
"I spy with my little eye, two words, C and D."
"Closed Door?"
"Damn, your turn."
"I spy with my little socket, something beginning with E."
Lottie adjusted her position, still staring out of the window, "Endless boredom?"
"We've been at this too long."
The two had been waiting in the Bentley for most of the night, taking turns to watch an excruciatingly normal mansion, practically begging someone to move. Midnight shrugged slightly, taking a sip from her flask, "How do we know he hasn't just gone to sleep?"
"Because the front light is still on." Seeing his partner slump, Skulduggery started up the game again. "I spy..."
"You're serious? Not even the slightest movement?" Audrey gaped, bringing a mug over to her friend. Brown curls poked out of her hat, bouncing with each movement.
"Not even a wave. I don't even know why Skulduggery's bothering. Nightshade's a petty thief, responsible for a few fences." Midnight scowled, writing up her report. "Sorry I had to cancel girl night."
"Don't worry about it. Old Deirdre down in the Archives wanted to come. You cancelling gave us a viable reason to say no." Both girls grinned at the thought of Deidre, a fairly portly woman, on the dancefloor, swaying to the latest jazz.
"I'll say this much." Audrey mused, running a hand through her hair, "I'm eighty-two, and you're forty-something, but we still manage to pull on the first lap!"
Midnight spluttered slightly, hot chocolate splattering the table.
That night, both were back in the Bentley, armed with several board games and a deck of cards. "Alright, chess, chequers or poker?"
"Skul, no offence, but you get impatient with chess, we ran out of chequer pieces at the last party and I can't play poker." Midnight sighed, slumping down in her seat again. "Don't forget, in my time it was considered unladylike to gamble."
"And since when have you acted like a lady?" Skulduggery teased, taking another peek out of the window. "Hello!"
"What is it?"
"We have movement."
"What're you selling?"
"Depends, what're you buying?" The two men glared at each other for a few moments, then simultaneously reaching into their pockets. Drew Nightshade withdrew a small box, gently tapping his finger against the catch. It sprung open to reveal a beautiful heart shaped locket, lying on a velvet bed. "Fine quality silver, hand tooled engraving and the best enchantments known. I'll take nothing short of fifty for it."
"That's daylight robbery!" The buyer swore, English accent well clipped. Near the door, Nightshade's partner cracked his knuckles in a threatening manner, moving closer to the sale. The sound of the front door banging open made all three jump.
"Sanctuary Detectives! The lot of you are under arrest!" Skulduggery yelled, looking into the room. Next to him, Midnight listened carefully.
"Bloody hell! Who led them here?" Drew shouted, racing for the closed door. "Dawn, if this was you, you're a dead man!"
"What have I told you about checking the stairs?" Midnight huffed, tripping up on the last step and into the study. In front of her, Drew was attempting to open the window, only to turn at the sight of the downed fledgling.
"Well, well. If it ain't a vamp!" He came to kneel closer, twisting the girl's face around. "We don't like vamps, do we Hatter?"
"No chance."
Drew smirked, flicking out his switchblade, and holding it close to Midnight's throat. The click of Skulduggery's gun changed his mind.
"I could add murder of a Sanctuary operative to your ever growing lists of crimes. But our jail space is unfortunately reserved for that long a sentence. So put down the knife, and step away."
Unsurprisingly, the blade dropped.
Audrey heaved another box onto the table, various gem piling out. She picked up an impressive ruby, holding it to the light. "How about we flog this, and live out our lives in luxury?"
Pale hands snatched it away, placing it in one of the large heaps in front of Midnight. "How about we document the evidence and find out who half this stuff belongs to?"
"We'll be here for days."
Five minutes later...
"Well that was painless!" Audrey smirked, seeing each piece slowly fade away into piles of their own, each marked by a name and address. Next to her, Midnight frowned, looking closely at the one piece left behind.
"I used to have a locket like that. My dad brought it for me." Her fingers reached out to stroke it, only to pull away at the last second. "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!"
Meanwhile, in the interrogation rooms, Skulduggery was indulging in some light humour.
"Name?"
"Taken: George Dawn. Given: Gregory Dawson."
"Wow, no variety there. Discipline of magic?"
"Adept, I can constrain an individual's magic and seal it within them." Unseen by George, Midnight had entered, a fiery scowl on her face.
"You would know all about that, wouldn't you?" She whispered, clenching and unclenching her fists. George swung round, receiving a sharp slap to his cheek. He rubbed the sore spot gently, staring into the emerald eyes that mirrored his.
"Funny, that was the very same thing you mother did when I told her I was leaving."
Sorry it's so short, but I wanted it out before Christmas. Now for loose ends!
Audrey: There to say 'Hey Midnight, let's go have a drink and lead some blokes on!'
Nightshade and Hatter: Not really sure about them.
The jewellery sorted itself out because Nightshade wanted to know whose gear he was flogging and keep it organised. And Midnight's magic was blocked as a direct result of her father's meddling. Anything else, send a PM or review.