A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Valkyrie, China, Erskine, Tipstaff or Ghastly.
Skulduggery's elbow flew back at lightning speed, catching China by the chin and sending her sprawling. She was out of her chair and cuffing China before I could move. "I say you're under arrest, China. Now you can either tell us nicely where our friends are or I can beat it out of you." She snarled, her gun out and menacingly pointed between China's eyes.
China went pale with shock, but she called her cronies as ordered and we made sure Erskine and Ghastly were safe and her lackeys rounded up. Cleavers were sent to our location and we sat back down to await dinner, a glaring China vowing revenge as the Cleavers drug her out. "That didn't go the way I expected." I said and Skulduggery smiled at me and shrugged.
"Just her being here was a threat to you. I told her to never threaten you, ever." There was a growl in her voice and I took her hand. "I mean it, Valkyrie. I care for you, as your friend and partner first. And nobody hurts my friends, ever." I nodded. Skulduggery was ferociously protective of me. She would have literally fought China tooth and nail if she had to to protect me and that only made me love her more.
Our dinner arrived and Skulduggery smiled at me. "I must have scared you good by not moving at first. Sorry about that, and about not giving you a warning but everyone knows our code. Trust me, I'd rather have had spiders crawling all over me." She shivered in distaste.
We had a wonderful dinner, then lingered until closing time over coffee. We decided to stroll the quiet streets and admire the shop windows and we enjoyed the lighted displays. The wind grew colder and it started to snow. I looked at Skulduggery in surprise. "It's snowing. I mean real, actual, covering-the-ground snow." I looked at the ground and trees, already dusted in white.
"Yes, and it's almost Christmas." she said, clearly amused at my wonder. It wasn't as if snow and ice never happened in Ireland, I'd seen them before, but this looked like something out of Hollywood, too perfect for words. There was a soft hush as the snow fell, almost like music and we stood and admired it, arm in arm before walking quietly back to the Bentley.
At the cabin Skulduggery got a fire going and we stretched out contentedly before it wrapped in blankets with hot coco she made over the fire. Skulduggery seemed dreamy, happier than I'd seem her in a long time. She looked over at me and spoke. "I would honestly like to retire, Valkyrie. We're not gods, sooner or later one of us wouldn't be coming back and we both know that. Besides, I was thinking this would be a great place to start a family."
I sat up straighter. "You mean that?" She nodded happily and opened her blanket so I could go snuggle closer. I was letting her lead on wearing the façade. It felt strange, compared to the bones I was used to, but nice. "I'd love that, but do you think we're the retiring kind? You came alive tonight, don't snort laughter, you know what I mean." I gave her a light tap in the arm and she snorted harder.
"You hit like a girl." She jeered, clearly pleased with herself.
"And you kiss like one." I teased back, and a wicked gleam came into her eyes. "Now, Skulduggery Pleasant, we're not married yet, you get the look off your face." I squealed and tried to scoot away but she took me in her arms.
"So I kiss like a girl, do I?" She asked, her voice a husky purr and I nodded, suddenly feeling dizzy. Very dizzy. Then her lips were on mine gently. It always surprised me when she kissed me. China's non-revelation aside, I kept expecting her to be repulsed by the idea. I returned the kiss gently and only then did she pull back, content with herself. "Careful, Detective Cain. You know I'll always meet a challenge." She said softly, then released me to stare into the flames. I cuddled into her and she glanced happily at me.
"What is that perfume you're wearing?" I asked and she grinned.
"Yours. I found a sample vial in your coat pocket. You like it on me?"
"I do. It smells better on you to be honest."
"But you're prettier." I blushed deeply at her praise and she grinned. "I mean it, Valkyrie. I haven't told you that enough lately. But you're beautiful. I've been basking in your praise and enjoying myself because it isn't easy on a woman to get older. Why do you think China is so hysterical and bitter? We may look young, but we feel a mage can tell, and it hurts." She said softly.
"Did you ever think that being older makes you more attractive to me?" I asked and she looked surprised, and pleased. "And I knew about China, you know. I just didn't care. Well I care, but I'm not going to let her ruin what we have together. Change of subject, but can we get a tree or am I rushing things?" Skulduggery laughed softly.
"We can get a tree, and presents. I want that with you. Not a Christmas wedding though, those are just tacky. Speaking of weddings, what would you like?"
"Not something big, but you in a bridal gown would be nice. And a veil. I was thinking of the kind with some silk roses sewn on." Skulduggery started laughing so hard she fell over.
"I'm sorry, Valkyrie, it sounds perfectly charming. But me? In roses?" I gave her a swat and she giggled helplessly. "Next you'll want me to carry a bouquet." She snickered then stopped. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean- Sorry."
"Never mind." I said, stung. She titled her head, dropping the façade, trying to draw a smile out of me. "I- Valkyrie, come on now. You know I love you. I'm just not the girly-girl type. I wear dresses to please you, but honestly. Can't we just elope? No dresses, no fuss?" I nodded and she looked content. We went to bed soon after, Skulduggery in her chair for the sake of decency, she said, and I lay in bed a long time wondering about the future.
I was subdued the next morning and our drive back was quiet. Skulduggery had decided she wanted to spend some time at her house and offered to drop me at the mansion after we reported to the Sanctuary. I nodded and was there for our report, but I hardly heard Erskine's voice as he debriefed us. Ghastly came in and escorted me to his office. "Tea? And what's wrong?"
"Yes, and don't ask or I'll start crying in your office." He came and bundled me into a hug. "She wants to elope. And I'm not a girly-girl either but-" I shrugged and he led me back to my chair.
"But she's beautiful and seeing her in a wedding dress would be wonderful. I know. She's a hard woman to figure out, Valkyrie. You may never see her in a dress again. She may change her mind. She's always been impulsive and hard to know. She isn't denying you to hurt you. Skulduggery always has what she feels are good reasons for everything she does." I nodded, wondering briefly as he handed me my tea if he'd ever been in love with her.
I wasn't about to step aside, but I felt bad if he had been or still was. "You said she's impulsive, is this a mistake? Being together?" He shook his head.
"No, if she wants to marry you, she knows what she's doing. She isn't just satisfying her curiosity or adding to her life experience list. But she's never been the girly-girl type, but neither have you. Would you wear a wedding dress to please her?"
"I'm not pretty enough for a wedding dress." I protested.
"Yes, you are!" I turned at the trio of voices and found Erskine, Tipstaff and Skulduggery in the doorway. I reddened slightly and hoped they'd find something other than me to talk about.
"I thought we were eloping?" Skulduggery asked, confused.
"We are, we were just talking."
"About dresses?" She asked, skeptically.
"I'm a tailor, Skulduggery. Getting to torment Valkyrie with a girly-girl dress to wear was going to be the highlight of my century." Ghastly said, saving me and I shot him a thankful smile. "But if you want to marry her dressed in the clothes I know you tell her are ugly, it's all the same to me."
Tipstaff gasped, perfectly scandalized. "Her clothes are beautiful, Skulduggery! But so not right for getting married in." He sighed. "Will you girls at least take dresses? For me? Please?"
"But I like Skulduggery in a suit." I said and she nodded smartly.
"And I like Valkyrie just the way she is. Hideous fashion sense and all."
"Shut up, Skulduggery." Ghastly growled and she managed to look as contrite as was possible for her and he snorted. "Besides, I know very well you'd like to see her in a wedding dress."
"Wait. What?" I asked, feeling confused.
"That is why you ordered wedding dresses, isn't it?" Ghastly asked with a grin and I looked back and forth between them for an explanation.
Skulduggery held out her arms to me and I went to her, she cradled me into her then looked at me sweetly, no facade between us. "Sorry to put you through last night, Valkyrie. But I didn't want you to know about the dresses or the wedding until I was sure we had both set."
"Would you like to see your dresses?" Ghastly asked gently. And I nodded from my position in Skulduggery's arms. He opened the closet in his office and two of the most amazing dresses I'd ever seen were revealed.
One was silky and demure with a cut that clearly would flatter Skulduggery in her new façade or out, and white silk roses that matched those on the dress she'd worn on my birthday. What had to be mine reminded me of snow and winter with delicate lacework on top studded with inset pearls. Both dresses had generous full skirts and matching shoes and veils. Gloves accompanied Skulduggery's and I knew she'd be everything I'd dreamed she be on our wedding day. "But how?" I asked in wonder.
Skulduggery held me tighter. "I've been wanting to marry you for a while now, Valkyrie Cain, and I think you know that. I love you and only you, but I didn't want you to know about our wedding until it was set. It will be on Christmas, because it will be the first Christmas in a very long time that either of us has had cause to celebrate."
I turned in her arms to caress her skull, drawing a pleased growl from her. "You sneak. I had no idea. I wasn't even sure you still wanted to get married." I said, my voice trembling slightly. Skulduggery sighed, stroking my face slowly and I knew it had hurt her to have hurt me.
"I know, and it killed me to hide this from you, it did. But you would have never known about the dresses or even the wedding if you hadn't wanted me, just as I am. When I saw you loved me enough to elope with me, to take me as I am, to accept that I'm never going to be comfortable with flouncing around in dresses, I knew you were the one for me." I could only smile in reply and she continued.
"And I accept you, Valkyrie Cain, in your tight trousers, and your protective clothing that looks absolutely hideous compared to my finely tailored suits because you are perfect just the way you are, and I don't want you becoming some mincing little princess to try and make me happy." She leaned in and kissed me then and I closed my eyes, happy that we'd get the wedding we'd both dreamed of at last.
A wedding, squee!
