A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Valkyrie Ghastly or Erskine.
I had the roast ready along with potatoes, celery, carrots and onions by the time Ghastly arrived. The moment I saw him a flood of memories came back and I hugged my older brother to me tightly as he spoke. "Oh, Alanis! I've missed you so much. I thought I'd lost you forever. I mean, sorry, Valkyrie, I don't know what I mean." I pulled back to take his scarred face in my hands and his expression softened like it always had.
"Hush. You've been a wonderful brother to me and now a best friend as well. Thank you. And thanks for watching over Skulduggery when I couldn't." I said gently and he nodded happily.
"You always were a wonderful sister, and here's my sweet little nephew." He said, taking Joshua into his arms. I watched them together, happy Ghastly was getting to hold my son. I'd always thought he'd have centuries as an uncle and now at last he could.
Skulduggery watched them as well, clearly proud his son was getting another loving protector. "He's a handsome boy, don't you think?" He asked and Ghastly nodded.
"First one to say anything else I kill." I growled. Ghastly laughed and handed Joshua to Skulduggery, then insisted on helping serve dinner. I remembered him doing it before, the three of us eating as a family.
As we ate Ghastly talked about what he knew of the case. "That's about it, Valkyrie. Except of course that the Dead Men who knew you as Alanis are going to come have a look at you themselves. Just be patient, they mean well."
"And they think Valkyrie is lying?" Skulduggery asked, a dangerous note to his voice.
"No. On the contrary. They know things only Alanis would know. They're coming to help." He turned to me. "Don't worry, Valkyrie, sweetheart. It won't be something impossible. You're reacting to everyone based on your past life now, so you'll do fine. It's good to see you with Joshua and Skulduggery again, you know. This explains Skulduggery's attraction to you."
Skulduggery looked embarrassed as Ghastly continued. "He's waited for you, all this time, you know." He said gently and Skulduggery wouldn't look at me.
"Skulduggery?" I asked tentatively.
"Yes, Alanis? I mean, Valkyrie."
"Do you still feel guilty about waiting for me when I'm sitting right in front of you?" I asked, amused. "You always were a strange man. You know you can't cheat on your wife with your wife, right?" He gave a shaky laugh and looked at me.
Later when we were getting ready for bed he hesitated before getting in. "Valkyrie, my wife in a past life or not, I'm not about to just bed you-" He paused and ducked his head, "but I would appreciate if we could all sleep in the same room like we used to." I nodded happily.
"Skulduggery, I'm going through the same thing you know. I remember our time together from before. But I'm still Valkyrie, and I remember this life too. Wait, now I'm confused." I grumbled and he laughed.
"Mmm. Then to avoid confusion let's stick to calling you Valkyrie most of the time. You do realize I am a skeleton, right? I don't know what you remember, but I can't please you the way another man would." I blushed slightly at his words, but cuddled in close. Skulduggery smiled at me fondly, then brought Joshua in, crib and all. He smiled down gently at our son and it warmed my heart.
I loved Skulduggery, had loved him for two lifetimes now, so I was content. And I wasn't ready, his wife or not to make love to him so I was glad he was willing to wait. Skulduggery, I realized, knew me better than just about anyone else in the world.
The next morning I awoke to Skulduggery's arms wrapped around me as he nuzzled me affectionately. "Morning." He purred, and nuzzled in again, finding a ticklish spot that made me giggle. I thought he did it on purpose and when he found that spot again I knew he did.
"Skulduggery, naughty skeleton!" I scolded, still giggling. He chuckled and released me. I sat up to look at him. He was dressed in a fresh suit, dark blue with pinstripes and from the smug look on his skeletal features he knew how good he looked. "You're lucky you're so handsome. Coffee on yet?" I asked with a yawn.
"Indeed. And some of the other elements of our case, and let's admit it, proving you are who we know you are should be treated as a case, are going to be showing up later. I know how you are about making Joshua travel, so I suggested they come here or I'd shoot them."
"Lovely, and we still have jobs after all this?"
"We do, by the time you shower and dress, I'll have breakfast ready. I'll see to Joshua as well. Don't you dare protest. He and I need time to make male plots against the lady of the house." I snorted and shook my head, then went in for my shower.
Skulduggery was being wonderful and it was good to see him content again. I knew it had to be hard on him as well. I had no idea what happened to me after I'd died but the centuries of separation gave me a bittersweet pang in my heart. But perhaps it was for the best. I wanted to think I'd have stood by him, that he would have accepted my love had I somehow lived and he had not. But perhaps he'd have never returned. I shook my head dispelling my gloomy thoughts.
I had a giggly, super cute baby to see to. And Joshua as well. The thought made me grin. Skulduggery could be childlike, but in a good way. I found him in the kitchen, singing to Joshua. I smiled and put my hand to my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. It was just too cute for words and I didn't want it to end just yet. At last I giggled and he turned with a grin.
"You look lovely, Valkyrie. I'm entertaining our son."
"I see that. I never knew "Fly Me To The Moon" was a song for babies. You are a man of many talents." I teased and he blushed furiously, dipping his skull shyly. "You really do have a wonderful singing voice, Skulduggery, and it's good to see you love Joshua so much."
Skulduggery looked startled. "You're father never sang to you?"
"My father sounded like a tom cat being drug through a wringer washer. Mom said I used to hit him as a baby when he tried to sing." I grinned at the memory.
"What a violent child you were! Well, breakfast is almost ready." He said, smiling fondly as I picked Joshua up out of his high chair. My baby clung to me, cooing happily.
"Hey, little man. Has daddy been singing to you?" I asked and he squealed happily. I nuzzled him, enjoying having my son close to me. My son. I looked down on his sweet little skeletal face and stroked his skull softly. Skulduggery made a contented sound and I looked over at him.
"You were always a loving mother, Valkyrie. Nobody dared look at our child wrong. That's what I never understood, sweetheart. How did they capture you?"
I hesitated, then answered. "I was pregnant, my powers weren't working right." Skulduggery gasped, then turned off the stove to come hold me close.
"I never knew. I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. I just- I miss our daughter. One more reason for me to kill China, and slowly, if I ever find her." I growled. Skulduggery nodded and gave me a wan smile.
"You're paying for my sins, Valkyrie. I was never serious, not until I met you. This is all my fault. Mine, entirely."
"No, it's not, Skulduggery. If you ever left me I'd be heartbroken but it wouldn't give me the right to kill your new family, now would it? This is China's fault entirely. Now come on then, we're letting her win. We're getting upset which is exactly what she'd want. Enough of that evil woman. If our daughter is meant to return, she will. You know that." Skulduggery nodded.
"You're right, of course. Then you always were the brave one. I'll finish up breakfast then, all right?" I nodded. A thought came to me and I dug out my mobile to call Erskine.
"Hello, Valkyrie? How are you?" He asked.
"Great, look, I know you won't want to do this, but I need you to have my tomb checked. Find out if I'm there and there should be another baby." I heard his horrified gasp. "I know. I know, but you have to do this for me, all right? For both of us. I don't want some nutcase using my daughter in some ritual. Check the temple again while you're at it, they might have her hidden or my animated corpse shuffling around." Erskine agreed and I rang off. Both Joshua and Skulduggery were tense and I sighed softly.
"Joshua, sweetie, I wouldn't be being a good mom if I didn't check on your little sister, all right?" He blinked at me as if he understood. "I love you bunches and I'm thinking the bad people who brought you back might have tried me and her as well."
Skulduggery shivered, but nodded grimly as he served us. "I always said you were a lioness. How aren't you falling to pieces right now?"
"If I'm a lioness my cub may be in danger and nobody touches my cubs, ever. But some mother I am. I wasn't even aware Joshua was back until I stumbled across him. What if they-" I was cut off by my mobile. I listened to Erskine then rang off with a pleased grin.
"I might have crumbled to dust, but my wee sweet Fianna is just fine. They tried with her first and she's bit five rescuers already." I said fondly.
"You picked out Fianna? You do know that would mean she'd be a warrioress."
"Of course, I wanted a son, he was going to be Lorcan. I swear Fianna took his place, but that's my girl, fighting everyone already. I told her to be a boy though, she doesn't listen to anything I tell her."
"Mmm. Wonder where she got that from." Skulduggery said dryly. "How did you know she was a girl?"
"Sometimes a mother just knows. She's stubborn and brave. They're bringing her to us she'll be here in about a half hour if she stops biting and scratching people." It turned out I had to go to my daughter, but I didn't mind. As soon as my sweet little preemie saw me, and that's how I though of her because she was far too small to have been born she unclamped her jaws from around a would-be rescuers finger and squealed, waving her tiny hands to be held.
"Hello sweet, Fianna. Mommy missed you." I cooed, bundling her close. Joshua and Skulduggery gathered in close and we admired her. She was tiny but perfectly formed, and clearly a scrapper. I loved her with all my heart and held her to me contentedly for the ride home.
I did not have another baby planned, she just sort of snuck in while I wasn't looking. The Fianna were legendary warriors and hunters, and yes, Celtic women used to fight alongside men, though we have no way of knowing if there were any women among the Fianna. But it is a girl's name.