Original Author's Note: Thank you amything1 for your kind words :) they made my day! This chapter is pure Valentine and Jocelyn fluff, because I thought it would be interesting to write about before everything bad starts to happen. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

She Brings in the Light Where There is Darkness

"Valentine!" His wife's light, lilting voice called him from downstairs and he groaned, shifting onto his side. He blinked sleep out of his eyes and sat up slowly, every muscle aching from his fight the night before. A figure with dark, curling red hair appeared in the bedroom doorway, her green eyes looking at him with mock disapproval.

"What happened to your motto of getting up with the dawn and making the most of the day?" she asked.

"It got thrown away in a fight with rogue vampires."

She walked into the room, seeming to bring the light of the day in with her despite the closed curtains. "Did the iratzes I gave you work alright?" This time her voice was gentle, her eyes sympathetic as she looked him over and sat on the bed next to him. He smiled at her, pulling her closer to him and kissing the top of her hair. Her hand reached out and cupped his face, the wedded union rune on the back of it reflecting the light from the doorway.

"Yeah. It's just the regular ache of the day after battle." She smiled back at him, and he noticed there was a small box on her lap. "What's this?" he asked, pulling his arms away from her waist and lifting the box up.

She laughed, the golden sound echoing around the room. "Our wedding photos. Mother dropped them off a short while ago."

He chuckled, lifting the lid off of the box.

"Father got them developed in a mundane shop for us after his last mission." Jocelyn leaned in and put a delicate hand on his shoulder as Valentine picked up the first photo.

"This one is awful. Look at Luke's face! He looks all blurry! With his mouth open like that, he looks a bit like a Drevak demon, don't you think?"

Valentine laughed again. "Do not tell him that."

"When he sees this photo, he'll probably make that comment himself."

They moved through the rest of the photos, laughing and commenting about each one before placing them carefully back into the box. The last photo was undeniably the best one. Evening sunlight reflected off of Jocelyn's gold dress and Valentine's wedding gear. Her head was bent up towards his, his bent down towards hers, both of their faces wearing a soft smile. Jocelyn slid off of the bed and raced downstairs soundlessly, returning with a black edged frame and a breathless grin. She took the photo out of the box and placed it into the frame, laying it on the bedside table just where sunlight from a gap in the curtains turned the black into a blazing gold.

Jocelyn looked back towards the bed to see her husband yawn widely.

"Valentine, I know how busy you are, but you've been out all night. As your wife, I'm saying that you are going back to sleep for a while." She held up a hand as he began to protest. "No arguments or I'll be forced to hit you back to unconsciousness. I have to go out for a while to look at decorations with Amatis, and I'll be back later in time to wake you up for the Circle meeting. It is fine for you to rest, love. Even you need sleep."

Valentine sighed. "My wife, you are indeed a force to be reckoned with."

"It's why you married me. Now lay back down." She dropped a kiss on his forehead. "I love you." She walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Valentine rolled over to face the photo, letting triumphant memories of his wedding day fill his thoughts as he drifted back off to sleep.

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