HAPPY NEW YEAR!
A/N: Takes place directly after bonus chapter for Goliath. If you haven't read it, check it out at Scott's website or this will not make sense.
If I owned Leviathan, I would not be in this fandom, I would be in the news.
Alek and Deryn broke off, both smiling like the two teenagers that they were. Picking up Bovril, Alek suggested that they return to the hotel to celebrate the new year. Deryn agreed. They found Dr. Barlow by the refreshments sipping punch, Tazza and her loris both under the table enjoying some water and tea respectively. "Dr. Barlow, where is the count?" Alek asked. "I should think in the bathroom, but he had a large lump in his pocket." "He's probably refortifying himself." Alek muttered." Deryn got a look on her face that meant she was having an idea which was what Mr. Rigby would call, 'barking brilliant.' "Dr. Barlow, is Volger escorting you back to your hotel room?" "Yes, why?" "No reason. By the way, I'm feeling a bit queasy, so Alexa and I are going back to the hotel." "Very well, Deryn. Now run along, here comes the count." "Give him my regards, will you, Dr. Barlow?" "Of course, Alexa." "Goodbye."
"What was all that about Alexa?" Alek asked when they got back to the hotel. "That's your name." "Did I consent to that?" "No. But it suits you well enough." "Fair enough. And what was that idea you had, and why did you ask Dr. Barlow if Volger was escorting her?" "My idea is to hang mistletoe just behind the doorframe and take a picture of it. With them under it."Deryn said with a grin on her face. "Good idea, except for one thing: we don't have a camera. Even if Eddie Ma-" "No, we can't. Although I didn't really think that through. We've a couple of hours to find one though." "Very well. We need to change though, dresses are not good for covert operations." "What would we change into, your ex-princeliness?" "Do you have a spare middy uniform? I'm pretty sure you have at least one extra." "That I do, that I do." "Now then, let's change and we'll find ourselves some mistletoe and a camera."
Their room was next to Dr. Barlow's room, so after acquiring the necessary materials, the trick would be easy. The problem was acquiring said necessary materials. Mistletoe was easy enough to get, they just asked for a branch at the front desk where there was a bellboy with an odd habit of hanging it when he saw a couple coming down a corridor, then taking it down as soon as the couple had finished. Alek and Deryn had found that out the hard way, but enlisted his help anyway as neither of them had a key to the lady boffin's room. The hard part was finding a camera and a good place to hide to get a good picture. They decided that they would have to hide in Dr. Barlow's room and escape by way of balcony. Alek would send a message lizard to Deryn who would prep the camera they had borrowed from a bum-rag reporter from the New York World, (They had had no choice in the end, as he was the only person they knew with a camera.) then escape. She would then fake a stomachache until Volger came in to interrogate them.
At 20 till midnight, Alek spotted a large reptile and an angel walking towards the hotel. It could only be the one and only Barlow and Volger, Alek thought. Picking up the message lizard, he snapped in its face to wake it up and said, "Bridge, this is Middy Ferdinand. We have a Clanker-Darwinist hybrid approaching. Ready yourselves. End message." The lizard scampered off, and Alek ran up to the hotel to get ready to watch the fireworks. He put on a mask that he pulled from his pocket, and also pulled out a bottle of brandy. When he reached Dr. Barlow's room, he stood across the hall with his cap, mask, and brandy, and grabbed his rigger's knife to pop open the bottle. He saw the count and the lady boffin coming and made sure his face and hair were hidden. Seeing that they were, he took a sip and settled in to watch.
"Gute nacht, meine liebe." "Good night, Volger." Alek, in a fake deep voice, said, "Look up, you daft ninnies." They did, and Volger scowled. "Gott im Himmel! Get out of here, dummkopf." "Nicht, Graf. Not until you follow the rules." "What rules, you trickster? And how did I you know who I am? Are you a spy?" "No, just a lowly middy, your countship, lady boffin. And I won't leave until you follow the rules." "Very well. Volger, apparently he won't leave until we follow the rules. And I know you've been dying to do this." At that, Dr. Barlow pulled him close and they followed the rules. There was a loud flash, and Volger broke off, screaming, "You little brat! I'll get you if it's the last thing I do!" He began to run at Deryn, who was already halfway out the balcony door. Alek smirked and pulled of his hat and mask, smirking. "A bit too fortified, are we, Count Volger?" "ALEK!" He immediately went into the room he shared with Mr. Sharp and locked the deadbolt. Deryn crawled into the room through the balcony and smiled. "We're going to catch hell from Volger and Barlow tomorrow,"Alek said. "Oh, well," Deryn said, "the look on their faces was priceless." "That it was, that it was." Bovril blurted in Alek's fake voice he had used to talk to Volger, "Look up, you daft ninnies." They did, and, of course, there was a piece of mistletoe. "I'm gonna get that bum-rag bellboy. That's time number two he's got us," Deryn muttered.
There was a loud rapping on the door, Volger, it had to be, as Alek knew no one who could knock that furiously. "Alek, Mr. Sharp, I know you're in there, so open up." "Quick, hide the camera," Alek whispered. Deryn shoved the camera under her bed and stood by Alek as he opened the door. Busted, Deryn thought. We should have changed. Volger opened the door the second it was unlocked. Volger glanced up and immediately began to drive them back. He stopped when they were underneath the mistletoe, but they didn't realize it. Or at least, Alek and Deryn didn't. Volger started scolding them; he really let them have it. "Is this your idea of a joke? This perverted scheme? I don't believe you. And on top of that, follow the rules!" "Look up," Bovril muttered. They did, and Alek muttered, "Touché, Volger, touché." "And by the way, thanks. She was right. I had been dying to do that for a long time," Volger said. "But I'm not leaving until you follow the rules." "Alright, alright," they said together. They leaned in, and the bell tolled twelve. Volger smiled, remembering past New Years' with Franz and Sophie and when he had caught them under the mistletoe when they were both young. And against Deryn's lips(for they were still entwined), Alek muttered, "Happy new year, liebe. Deryn said back, "Happy new year, dummkopf.
Happy new year, everyone.
A/N: I apologize for all the Clanker-talk, but Volger is drunk and Alek is being a bit of a smart-alek.
Gute nacht, miene liebe: good night, my love
Nicht, Graf: no, count
Dummkopf: fool, idiot, in context, fool, Deryn uses it endearingly.
Gott im Himmel: God in Heaven
Liebe: love