We sit in the Bentley silence drifting for a long time now. I knew deep inside that Gothica was Valkyrie's daughter, but something just didn't want me to believe it. I glance towards the sixteen-year-old girl sitting in the passenger seat, and can't help but think about all the times I did that with Valkyrie. I was feeling sadder than normal thinking about my old partner.
I realize for the first time what today actually is.
May 25th- exactly eight years ago was the last time I saw Valkyrie alive.
I sigh quietly and try to think about something other than her. Gothica looks at me, but I keep my eyes on the road. "Where are we going?" she asks me. I didn't tell her when I picked her up from her house this morning. After yesterday's argument, I didn't think it would be wise for me to tell her right away.
"I'm taking you to some places important to your mother," I say flatly.
"Why? Won't that just make you upset?" Her words sound like they're full of poison aimed at me. The truth is, I need to get my mind to distinguish Valkyrie and Gothica as two very different people. I need to be reminded of who Valkyrie was and what was important to her compared to who Gothica is and what's important for her. "I guess you don't care if it makes you upset or not."
One thing I can distinguish is that Gothica is a lot darker than her mum. Even when Valkyrie was fighting with Darquess for control, Valkyrie wasn't this dark, this negative, this . . . mean. At least she wasn't around me.
Gothica also gets offended a lot easier than Valkyrie. She just doesn't take a joke as well. I feel the sadness creep up again, and this time, I let it in. "Skul?" Gothica asks after a long silence.
"Gothica?" I respond.
"I remember you from that day," her voice is week. "I remember listening in on your conversation with her."
"And why were you listening in on our conversation? Did your mother ever tell you eavesdropping is a bad thing?"
"I had to go pee and that was the only way to the bathroom." I laugh a bit at this. I look outside the window and see the sky is a dark gray- perfect weather for this 'anniversary'. I take a left down the next street and stop. "Where are we?" she asks me.
"The place I would pick your mum up every day." I got out of the car and look at the bay. Nothing's changed. The sea still smells of salt, the sand is still that sand color, and the rocks haven't moved. Nothing's changed, but at the same time everything has. This was always our place. I think about all those times we would meet up here in the middle of the night, just to see each other. The times that we would sit on the hood of the Bentley look at the stars, and she would tell me everything about her family.
I remember the night she told me she was pregnant.
We were sitting on the hood of my car like normal. I held her close to me mainly because I could tell she was scared. "Skulduggery?"
"Yes?"
"I have to tell you something I haven't told anyone, not even Fletch." I looked at her and even in the dark night I could see the tears in her eyes.
"What is it?" She sat up and I propped myself up on my elbows. When she didn't say anything, I sat up and put my arm around her shoulders. "Tell me, Valkyrie."
"I'm pregnant." I remember being surprised, happy, and sad all at the same time. She and Fletcher had only been married for about two months and she was already pregnant.
"That's great!" I said, trying to make it sound convincing. I guess I would never get a chance with her.
She shook her head. "I don't think I'm ready. I mean, what if something bad happens and I can't take care of her anymore?"
"Her?" I asked.
"Yeah, I just have this feeling that it's going to be a girl. I guess it's mother's instincts. But would happen-"
"I could take care of her if it ever got to that, Valkyrie." I saw her smile at the thought of me taking care of her daughter. "I've been a father before, Valkyrie." She looked at me and suddenly started crying.
"I'm scared. Everything will change, Skulduggery! I don't want it to change."
"It's not going to change," I told her sternly. "Trust me."
I couldn't have been even more wrong.
"Skulduggery?" Gothica asks. I look at her. "Are you alright? You kind of went into Skeleton World there for a moment."
"Skeleton World?"
"You spaced. You alright?"
"Yes," I lie. She looks at me with suspicion on her face.
"It's beautiful here. I can see why you two met here." She looks out at the sea.
"She killed her boyfriend here." I say. Gothica whips around to look at me as if I was crazy. "Her boyfriend Caelen was a vampire. She actually cheated on your father with him."
"She cheated on my father!?"
"When they were teenagers yes. Then somehow they got back together, got married, had you, and then he was killed."
"One question; why did she cheat on him with a VAMPIRE?"
"No clue. Anyways, let's go. I have another place I want to show you and somebody I want you to meet." I turned from the bay and the memories and got back into the driver's seat of the Bentley. A few moments later, Gothica got into the passenger's seat.
"Are you going to ever come back here?" she asks me.
"Probably not," I tell her. I start up the car and drive down the street. I slow down when I get in front of Valkyrie's parent's house. "There's your grandparent's house." I saw a young woman step outside of the front door. She turns around and shock appears on her face. She runs over to the car and I roll down the window.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Alice Edgily asks.
"Ah, so you remember me, Alice," I tell her. She's probably 21 now, and is absolutely stunning.
"If my parent see you, they're going to freak!" Last time I saw Alice she was probably 13. I had gone to see Gordon and saw Alice there alone at his house. She's the only one in her family that doesn't hate me because of my magic.
"May I say, you are looking stunning, Alice dear."
"Skulduggery, I may not hate you like my parents do, but we aren't friends." Then she looks past me to see Gothica. "Who's this?"
"Ah, this, my dear Alice, is your niece Gothica Rose," I tell her.
"Niece?" both girls ask at the same time.
"Yes, niece." I could see Alice's face go sad.
"I didn't know that Stephanie had a daughter. I knew she was dead, but when did she have a daughter?"
"Eight years before her death," I tell her. Alice chuckles a hard laugh.
"You look a lot like her," she tells Gothica. Gothica nods a thank you but stays silent.
"Alice?" I hear Desmond call.
"Hold on, dad!" Alice calls over her shoulder. She turns back to us. "Have a good night, Skulduggery Pleasant."
"You too, Alice Edgily. She looks at Gothica.
"It was nice to meet you."
"You too," Gothica says gently. Alice waved and stepped away from the car and I drove on to our next destination.
