A/N: I don't own Valkyrie, Skulduggery or Anton. I can't promise everything will make it in, kittens, but sometimes suggestions or comments fit in nicely. There's a tad of violence implied in this chapter, enjoy!
The men looked delighted with lasagna for dinner, and I had to good sense to say nothing as they voraciously tore into second and third helpings. Skulduggery crooked a finger at me, then led the way back to the room. "Not quite dead, not yet. That room can keep him alive forever. I don't suppose you'd watch the door? The others know the truth, but, I can get a little enthusiastic about my work." There was ice creeping into his voice, and shadows starting to seep out from him. I nodded and he went in and closed the door.
When Anton appeared in the hall I shook my head. He just smiled serenely. "Come have dessert, Val. We all have other work to do." He said, though he gave the door a rather dreamy look. So I did, and the men mobbed me with affection, praising me for working so hard and continuing to put dinner on the table every night. Though they all would look in the direction of the room from time to time and smile.
When Skulduggery appeared later that night he decided on an impromptu tour of his room. "Simply lovely, isn't it?" He asked me and I agreed. "Coffee?" He offered and at my nod he got the small machine going. "I won't go into the messy details, but Lord Vile is a rather devoted father." He said, tilting his head in a smile.
I laughed and bundled him into a hug. "Thanks for coming to my rescue, Dad. I thought for a minute Anton might think the worst and leave me with him."
"You screaming blue murder convinced him it wasn't a romantic elopement. Besides, nobody likes Billy-Ray. Well, when there's a blow torch and shackles involved he can prove most amusing."
"Dad!" I said swatting him, and he chuckled. We chatted for a while, then I went to bed, not finding Anton, but not too surprised. He entered our room when I was nearly asleep and slipped into bed beside me, I turned sleepily and snuggled up against his warmth, then his lips found mine as he started to tremble.
"Shh, it's all right, Anton. I feel safer here now than ever before. You protected me as a husband should. I'm glad you realized it was an abduction. The only thing that scared me is that you might leave me with him." I admitted.
"Never." Anton said, then as we often did, we picked up where we had left off earlier in the afternoon. And by morning it was as if Anton Shudder were a new man. He doted on me all day, not letting me do much of anything.
"Anton, I can still help. I think exercise is good for the baby." I said, but he shook his head happily.
"Valkyrie, I wasn't kidding when I said about never being with a woman before. You wanting to have my child only makes me love you that much more. You deserve a few days rest after your ordeal and had he hurt either you or the baby Billy-Ray wouldn't be dead and gone now."
I looked at him and smiled in response because there really wasn't anything to say to that.
I think we'll jump ahead in time to the baby next, but I wanted to get a certain Texan in the ground where he needed to be.
