AN: It's been a while, but I may pick this up off and on again.

Earth-2

"You're welcome."

Jonny's head shot up at the wry voice.

"What?"

"I put Gail back to sleep all by myself," Vickie said, pushing herself off the wall and standing behind his chair. "So you're welcome."

"She was—?" Jonny groaned. "Jesus, I'm so sorry, I didn't even hear..."

"Oh, it's all right. I know what you're like when you get in your 'zone'. But now you owe me." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and peeked over them. "So what are you working on, anyway? I thought you sent in Blue already?"

"I did. This is something new."

For the first time, Vickie truly saw the page layout on the drawing table. She squinted. "Kind of dark. And gory. What happened to making comics our daughter can read?"

"She can read this. Just... when she's older."

"Uh huh." She leaned in a little closer, their cheeks caressing. "Werewolves?"

"Yeah. Vampires and zombies are so overdone these days. Besides, it fits in with the story."

"What's it called?"

"True Night."

"Ooooh, how grim and badass." Jonny shot Vickie a not entirely serious glare. He watched as her eyes roved over the hooded figure swinging twin katanas. "Let me guess: the werewolves stuffed his wife into the fridge, and now he's driven to take vengeance by his rage and his manly pain."

"Stop it." Vickie laughed as he lightly punched her shoulder. "For your information, it's his brother, and he's alive, just infected. True Night's mission is to find a cure and stop the werewolves from infecting other people." He paused, looking back down at the black and white drawings in front of him. "It's about being human, and how much effort takes to be human. It's about fighting your inner darkness and being someone you can be proud of. It's about keeping your sanity when all it takes sometimes to drive you off the edge is—"

"'One bad day'," Vickie quoted softly.

"'One bad day'," Jonny echoed. "The brother is the werewolf, but True Night may be the actual monster. This story isn't going to be like all the Dark Age crap we make fun of, Vickie. It's real, in a way those weren't. It's going to show what a 'real' Dark Age hero would be like... Tragic and horrifying."

There was a moment of silence.

"Okay, I can see that," Vickie finally said. "But why now?"

Jonny shrugged. "I feel like I'm being... I dunno, typecast, in a way. I want to show people what I'm really capable of. That I'm flexible."

"That you are," Vickie said coyly.

"Shut up. I just... I want to show another side of me to the world. If it's a little darker than what they're used to, well..." He shrugged. "That's their problem."

"You know Bobby is going to hate it."

"The only thing Bobby likes is a safe, steady stream of checks. I'll self-publish if I have to. I did it with Blue."

"Well, you know I'll support you. Fix your spelling mistakes. As usual." Vickie kissed him on the cheek; he reached up and squeezed one of her hands. "Just as long as you finish the Senior Prom arc. I'm dying to find out what happens next."

"You and everyone else."

A piercing wail shot from the other room.

"It's your turn," Vickie said into his ear. "As for that favor... I wanna go out with the girls Friday night."

"Go out and live your life, huh?"

"You know it."

Jonny groaned in mock pain, extricating himself from Vickie's embrace. As he stepped into the hallway, his last sight of her was her stretching out on the couch.

The nursery was mostly dark, gently lit by the globe nightlight on the dresser. Jonny reached into the crib and gently picked up his screeching daughter. "Okay, okay, it's okay, Daddy's here..." There was no response except more crying — not that he expected it. "I'm always here..." he whispered, kissing the baby's forehead.

Outside, it was true night. But in that home, in that room, with his family, it felt to Jonny as bright as the shining summer sun.