A/N Part 2 from NightcatMau and I!
Enjoy!
Valkyrie smiled as she looked at Dillen. He was a happy child; she remembered that, even in their past life nothing had stopped him from being happy. She didn't know where his father was but she resolved to go Darquesse on him if she ever met him. The thought made her shiver slightly. What if she was Darquesse as a sort of protection, a way to deal with her past life?
She looked over at Skulduggery. "Thanks for doing this, and I mean that. You didn't have to, you know."
He smiled at her gently. "Of course I did, Valkyrie. Until the end, remember? We will always be together, forever. Nothing is ever going to change that." He took her hand and squeezed it gently, bringing a smile to her face. Valkyrie squeezed back, happy just to be with him and Dillen for the moment.
Dillen looked up at her. "Mum, is he my new dad?" He asked and Valkyrie blinked in surprise. How on Earth did she answer that one?
"Do you want me to be, Dillen?" Skulduggery asked. The boy nodded eagerly. That made Valkyrie and Skulduggery smile even more. The fact that her supposed child thought of Skulduggery as a Dad was enough to make her happy. Dillen leaned into Valkyrie and fell asleep almost immediately. She played with his short dark hair whilst he rested while Skulduggery rubbed her hand with his thumb. She laid her head on his bony shoulder and succumbed to the much welcomed sleep.
Skulduggery looked down at his partner to find her sleeping peacefully. In his opinion she looked gorgeous when she slept. Peaceful even. An air hostess asked him if he wanted a drink. He politely declined and asked for a blanket instead. The woman nodded and went away only to come back again in a few moments with a rather big blanket. Skulduggery nodded his thanks and the woman went away. Carefully and delicately, Skulduggery placed the blanket over Dillen, Valkyrie and then himself. After taking a few moments to look at how peaceful Valkyrie and Dillen were, he slipped into his meditation state.
Darcy had just came home to find Dillen laying in the corner unconscious and blood trickling down his face. He looked like her was barely breathing. She ran over to him in a frenzy saying, "Baby, Dillen, Sweetheart, please baby, don't leave me. This can't be happening!" She frantically checked his pulse to find only a faint on was present. She picked him up and ran out the house and into her car to take him to Kenspeckle Grouse. It was fifteen minutes later when Kenspeckle came into the waiting room, hands covered in blood and a grim expression on his aged face that made Darcy think the worst. "There was a shard of glass embedded into his temple only just missing the vital parts in the side of his head. He is stable and I put some healing gel on the wound but he probably won't wake up for another fifteen minutes but if he's anything like you, which I can only imagine he is, then he will be right as rain in a few minutes. You may go in and see him now." Those last eight words were the ones she had been waiting for the whole time she was there. She shot up and was about to enter the room in which her son was situated when Kenspeckle put his hand on her elbow, stopping her.
"Why don't you just leave him?" Kenspeckle asked quietly. She knew he meant her husband and as he looked into her cunning eyes, he knew she was going to as soon as they got back. He let go of her elbow and she continued into the room where her son was lying awake on a gurney awaiting her arrival. At the sight of her son alive and well, a smile lit up her face. Dillen mirrored it as she scooped him into a hug. Avoiding the gooey gel healing her son's wounds, she kissed him repeatedly on the head until the little boy released a cute giggle. "Mummy," Giggle "stop kissing me." Giggle "it tickles." She sat back and looked at him. "Oh, Dillen, I thought I lost you." Dillen hugged Darcy and didn't let go until she asked him a question, "Dillen, did daddy do this to you?" He nodded and tears brimmed his eyes threatening to fall. She looked at the clock and then back at Dillen. "Hey, do you want to go on holiday?" She asked him. He nodded eager to go. "Is daddy coming?" Darcy shook her head and he screamed "YAY!" She smiled in delight and told him to stay put while she spoke with Kenspeckle. Having being excellent at persuading him, though he had been reluctant, Kenspeckle released Dillen. They had been home and packed everything they owned and left half an hour before Darcy's husband was due home. Dillen was complaining of hunger and Darcy's stomach was growling at her so she stopped at a petrol station to fill her car up with gas. Across the road was a McDonald's so she bought an adult meal for her and Dillen to share. Darcy needed to go to the toilet so she told Dillen to stick to the seat like glue while she was gone.
Dillen was sticking to the seat like glue when a pretty lady came up to him. She had dark curly hair and pretty pinky purple eyes. She wore a black cape around her joint at the neckline with a golden pin. "Hello ma'am." Dillen said politely. The woman in the cape smiled and sat down in Darcy's seat. She handed Dillen a passport and said, "Whatever you do, don't show your mummy this until tomorrow, okay?" He nodded and tucked the passport into his jacket pocket. The lady smiled and then walked off as Darcy came out of the bathroom.
"Let's go, sweetie." Dillen wiggled round in his seat then said, "But mummy, I'm stuck to the seat like glue. I'm going to have to stay here all day and all night and eat all the food." Darcy laughed then said, "Well I guess if you're stuck then you won't be able to eat the ice cream in the car." That made Dillen shoot up and over to the counter where Darcy giggled and ordered his favourite coned vanilla ice cream with a flake sticking out of the top. Darcy and Dillen made their way back to the car and tightened themselves in. About twenty minutes later, Dillen was asleep in the backseat with ice cream all round his face. She was so focused on looking at him; Darcy never saw the oncoming car and was too late to swerve. The compact of the crash killed both Darcy and Dillen.
Valkyrie shot up in her seat, waking Skulduggery. "Val? what's wrong?" she was covered in sweat and she looked to her right to find Dillen still sound asleep.
"Nothing, Skul, it was just a nightmare." knowing what to do next, Skulduggery put an arm round Valkyrie's shoulders and he let her settle back down and into sleep.
When the plane landed and they'd gotten through customs Skulduggery led them to a car rental place and handled the negotiations. Valkyrie was content to let him, and she enjoyed getting to see him with Dillen. The boy already loved Skulduggery and seemed to have forgotten his fear and he clung to Skulduggery, begging to be picked up. Skulduggery obliged him, even carrying him to the rental car.
"You're really good with him, thank you, Skulduggery." Valkyrie said once they were all settled and Skulduggery was driving.
"Think nothing of it. I don't suppose you'd like to tell me about the nightmare?" He asked hopefully.
"I will, I promise, just not when Dillen can hear. I will tell you that I saw the mysterious woman he met in my dream."
"Anyone we know?"
"No and I can't remember if I knew her. This is just so strange, Skulduggery. Do you think these are my real memories, that he is my son?"
"Real memories or not, he is your son now, Valkyrie. Our son. We won't let anything bad happen to him. Will we, Dillen?" Skulduggery raised his voice slightly and Dillen giggled. They hadn't eaten on the plane so Valkyrie was happy when Skulduggery suggested stopping. It was a change for him.
He'd never let her starve, but not eating himself he could forget at times. She had never mentioned anything to him before and was wondering how to point out growing boys needed regular meals and snacks. Skulduggery seemed to read her mind. "We'll be stopping more often now, perhaps picking up things to keep in the Bentley. Growing boys need to be well fed." The smile on his face was gentle and Valkyrie realized that Skulduggery had wanted a son for a long time.
"Where do you want to go, Dillen?" Skulduggery asked the boy.
"Oh, can we go McDonalds?" Valkyrie took a sharp intake of breath that didn't go unnoticed.
"What's wrong Val?" Skulduggery asked worried.
"Nothing, let's go McDonalds." She said quietly. She then turned round in her seat and asked Dillen, "What do you want from McDonalds, kiddo?" Dillen smiled and gave her an answer, "Can we have the same as we did yesterday?" Valkyrie nodded and turned back round to see Skulduggery's head tilted to the left in thought.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Valkyrie asked him patient for the answer.
"What did you have last time?" It took a moment or so for Valkyrie to realize they were at a drive thru.
"Oh, adult size nugget meal, a large vanilla shake and a flake 99 please." in the back seat, Dillen was bouncing up and down in his seat in anticipation for a meal he hasn't had in 40 years. Skulduggery drove round to the second stage where he paid. "I'll pay you back, I promise." Valkyrie spoke up having sunk into her seat, deep in thought.
"No, don't worry, Val."
"Thanks Skul." With that said, they drove round to the third and final stage where they received their food. A few miles down the road they stopped at a hotel. After they checked in, Dillen and Valkyrie sat down and enjoyed their meal. Once Dillen had finished his ice cream, he had gone to sleep in one half of the double bed and seeing as Skulduggery didn't sleep, Valkyrie had the other half.
Skulduggery's facade was down and he and Valkyrie sat on the sofa speaking in hushed tones.
"Do you want to tell me about your dream now?" Skulduggery spoke quietly, careful as to not wake the sleeping seven year old. Valkyrie looked over to Dillen to make sure he was asleep then nodded. Valkyrie moved up to Skulduggery so she wouldn't have to make too much noise speaking and began.
"It was horrible, Skul. I came home from doing something and," tears brimmed her eyes and threatened to fall. "Dillen was unconscious in the corner of the room. I took him to Kenspeckle and-"
"Whoa. Hold on a sec, did you say Kenspeckle?" Valkyrie nodded.
"Maybe that's why he was always nice to me and never you." she grinned at the thought which earned her a poke in the ribs. She stuck her tongue out at him then continued telling him her dream. "Anyway, I took him to Kenspeckle to find out he had a shard of glass embedded into his temple. It was his father who did that to him, Skul. I don't see how I could've married that man. He used to beat us to near death and he was a mortal. Me and Dillen were and still are sorcerers. Anyway, we got home while He was still at work, whatever that was, and we packed a bag and left. We stopped off at McDonald's where we shared a meal and I went to the toilet and a woman in a black cape pinned together with a golden pin came up to Dillen and told him to give me his passport the next day. She looked just like he said. Dark curly hair and pinky purple eyes. Then she left and we got back in the car. I was looking through the mirror at Dillen and then a car crashed into us." By the end of the story, Valkyrie had tears streaming down her cheeks. Skulduggery put an arm around her shoulders to stop them shaking and pulled her close.
"Don't worry, Val, I will not let anything happen to you or Dillen! I promise you that. Until the end."
"Until the end." When she said that, she shifted until she was comfortable and drifted into a dreamless sleep.
Skulduggery was angered by the story but didn't show it. How dare anyone hurt her or Dillen like that?! He looked down at the sleeping girl in his arms and carefully carried her bridal style over to the other side of the double bed where he laid her gently and tucked the blankets around her. He looked at Dillen and Valkyrie when a thought crossed his mind. This isn't just the little girl who followed him around like a lost puppy when she was twelve and her son from another life. This was Skulduggery's family. He tapped the tattoos on his collarbone and his facade flowed into a face. He then kissed Valkyrie on the cheek and a smile appeared from her lips. "Night Val." He said.
"Night Skul." he then did the same with Dillen but getting no response. He stood at the foot of the bed and looked at his family then a few moments later he went over to the sofa and laid down drifting into meditation.
Valkyrie awoke in the morning to the sight of Dillen watching TV and eating a small bowl of sugary cereal. "Continental breakfast." Skulduggery said and then gestured to her own awaiting meal. A blueberry muffin, coffee and some fruit. Valkyrie happily got up and started in on her meal.
"Thanks so much, Skul. You're a lifesaver." She said and he smiled at her.
"That I am. We have until noon and I'm thinking if you go down as young and lovely as you are you can get some more boxes of that cereal Dillen is enjoying and suchlike. I already helped myself to some, but extras never hurt." He tapped his chest and Valkyrie laughed. She'd forgotten about the pouch he used to carry things and could only imagine how many things have disappeared from the breakfast bar into the pouch.
But she did take Dillen down after they had showered and they got plenty of the little cereal containers, muffins and fruit. There were even cold cups of covered fruit juice and milk and she took some of those as well, not feeling in the least bit guilty. Dillen helped pack the car by putting the small ice bucket filled with the cold drinks and ice carefully on the floor, wedged between all the other foods they'd gathered.
Skulduggery grinned at them both as they got into the car. "Is my family ready?" He asked and Valkyrie hugged him tight in response. He laughed, and then ruffled Dillen's hair as he came up to hug him too. Skulduggery decided he could get used to this. He made sure everyone was buckled then they were off.
A few hours later they had managed to find a house to be sold in the middle of nowhere. It was a two story house but the second story was the attic and very spacious. It was also deserted so they decided to live on it for the night while they made their way to L.A. As soon as you entered, there was a hallway leading to several doors. At first sight Valkyrie thought it was beautiful. There was a rich red carpet leading the way to the end of the hallway and pale wallpaper with golden swirls. The doors were a dark wood that lead to the living room, kitchen and dining room, bathroom, master bedroom and 2 kid's bedroom. At the end of the hall was a stairway leading to the attic. It had a pattern of flowers engraved into the hand railing. Skulduggery helped Valkyrie bring the food in and put them away in the pristine white kitchen while Dillen went off to explore.
The first room Dillen went in was a boy's room. It was fairly big and had royal blue wallpaper and glow in the dark stars stuck on the ceiling. The wardrobe reached the ceiling and was empty. The bed was a little bigger than a single bed but smaller than a double bed. The floor was made of mahogany wood with a fluffy blue carpet laid on top. He laid down on the bed to test the mattress and found it to his liking.
The next room was the living room where he found a flat screen TV. He sat there gaping in awe having never seen one that big before. Skulduggery came in and laughed at the look on Dillen's face. The rest of the room was amazing. It had a sofa that was red stitched patterns on it and a coffee table sat a few feet in front of the sofa with a bunch of bookshelves lined the flower printed walls. A few books in particular caught Skulduggery's eye...socket. He wondered over and pulled one out then yelled, "Hey, Gordon's books made it in America!" to Valkyrie. She came running in excitedly saying, "Ooh let me see. Let me see." Skulduggery passed her the book he was holding called 'Brain Muncher'. Behind the two, Dillen asked, "Whose Gordon?" Valkyrie smiled at him then sat on the sofa next to him and began to explain. "Gordon was my uncle and he wrote books for a living. This is one of them." Valkyrie finished handing the book to Dillen. She kissed him on the forehead then went back into the kitchen where she carried on putting the food away. Dillen turned to Skulduggery. "What are these books about, Daddy?" Skulduggery's tilted his head to the right in happiness that Dillen called him daddy and answered the question. "There about magic adventure those sorcerers have done and one of them is about mummy's best friend."
"Will I have a magic adventure one day?" Dillen asked.
"Count on it." was Skulduggery's reply. That made Dillen smile. "Have you explored all the rooms?" Skulduggery questioned. Dillen shook his head and told him that he had only explored the living room and one of the kid rooms. "Why don't you go and look at the other room to see if you want that one instead." Skulduggery suggested. Dillen nodded then said, "Okay Daddy." that made happiness surge through his bones as Dillen ran off leaving the book on the sofa.
The second kid's room was massacre of pink frills. Dillen was about to close the door and walk away when he caught sight of a little girl sitting in the corner. She was wearing a pink frilly dress and had brunette curls and brown eyes. She looked exactly like the china doll she was holding.
