A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Valkyrie, Ghastly, Erskine, Anton, Gracious, Dexter or Saracen. Last chapter alert! And yes, somehow Skulduggery has gained the ability to eat. Um, magic, that's it, magic.

Skulduggery was in such a good mood as we drove along that I couldn't believe the change in him. It increased as we settled into a little roadside eatery for mages where Skulduggery could eat without his disguise and ordered. I realized how proud he was to be seen with his wife. My mobile rang and I checked the caller ID, Ghastly. "Hey, everything OK?" I asked.

"Yes, it is. But you won't kill the babysitter if a few of his friends dropped by, will you?" He sounded amused.

"Depends on the friends."

"Just Erskine and Anton, and the rest of the Dead Men. Gracious, of course. And, you know, maybe another visitor. She's tiny though, Val."

"How tiny?" I asked.

"Oh, baby-sized." He said and I heard the hopeful note in his voice. He'd never dare ask but he wanted us home to see if we'd accept the baby.

"OK, hold the fort, raid the fridge, we'll get take away and be home soon." I rang off and Skulduggery stared at me, he'd been absorbed in the menu and missed the conversation. "Dead Men, our house, tiny visitor." It was all I had to say and he lit up with joy. We got enough take away for all of us and sped home.

As we drove I remembered something. "Ghastly was meant to move in with us after the war, wasn't he?" I asked.

"Yes, he wanted more than anything to be near you and Joshua, Valkyrie. He still does."

"Can he?" I asked hopefully.

"He better, I told him I'd talk to you during breakfast." Skulduggery said, grinning. I smiled back in relief. When we got home Erskine met us at the door, eager for us to see the baby. She was being fussed over by the Dead Men but refusing to settle, I picked her up just to hush her and she nestled in.

"Frightened, are you little one? It's all right." I soothed. I turned to Erskine. "No family?"

"They didn't want her, not like that. They asked me to- To get rid of her." He said, tears in his voice.

"That's why I despise most people." Anton growled and I nodded my agreement. The baby cuddled in tighter still.

"OK. I love you too, but let's see how you do with your father." I said it naturally and realized she was already mine in my heart. I handed her to Skulduggery who rocked her gently. The baby took to him instantly and he looked over at me. I knew he wanted her, we'd planned a huge family. I also knew he was frightened I'd reject her since she wasn't mine. "If she's staying she needs a name, Skulduggery." I said gently and a pleased grin spread over his skeletal features.

"How about Hope? Because she has it now?" He offered and I nodded happily.

"Hope Pleasant, I like it." Mages of course didn't have to take the name of the man of the house as the family name, but we did. Erskine gathered me in a hug so tight I squeaked.

"Thanks, Val. I just don't know how people can be so cruel. She's the last one. A few others didn't make it, sadly, but I'll be entombing them in my family vault. Don't be sad, you've become a mother to an orphan who needed one desperately. She is, as as far as our doctors can figure several centuries old. She might not grow like your own will, but she's a lovely baby, isn't she?"

"Sounds like someone is ready for his own." Ghastly pointed out mildly and Erskine smiled gently at Hope, who was now cradled in his arms in response.

"Maybe. Seeing these babies made me realize what I'm missing. But I think getting to come over unannounced and scarf down Val's cooking and be a good uncle is enough for right now." We all laughed. The Dead Men agreed to stay for breakfast and I looked at Gracious.

"You didn't all return just for a baby, what is it?" He shrugged and looked at Erskine. Erskine looked away but not before I saw the look in his eyes and I remembered a promise I'd made to them a long time ago in my past life. And that promise covered all the men there because Gracious was one of us now. "I made a promise to all of you a long time ago, didn't I?" I asked gently and Erskine nodded, still not able to face me. I locked eyes with Skulduggery, seeking his agreement and he nodded.

"I promised all of you a home after the war, I knew none of you would marry and I was worried about you being on your own. Go on then, get your bags. I suspect they're in the van." I said, unable to keep the smile out of my voice.

"You mean it, Val, honest?" Dexter asked and at my nod there was a happy chaos as some men got the take away for us and the rest brought bags in. "I missed you, all of you." I said and was smothered in hugs from first one brother, then another. They were like my sons as well, in a way. I'd always dreaded them going to war and not coming home to me. The current level of chaos was one I remembered well.

As we ate, the babies safely tucked into their cribs, I caught Ghastly's eye. "You know, Ghastly, I'm still wondering what happened to all the bread I baked for the fair." He laughed and blushed. "You boys were home on leave and it had been set out just before you returned. I cam back in from the garden and mysteriously it was all gone, so was the fresh butter and cream. What was it you all told me happened? Pixies?" I asked and several of the men giggled boyishly.

Skulduggery was laughing helplessly. "I remember that now, and you didn't even yell at us. You just started in on healing and making more bread. You always were my treasure, Valkyrie." I blushed and looked away and he grinned, pleased with himself and our family that had exploded in numbers.

The men somehow managed a few additional rooms, they got settled in and life took on a sweet rhythm. Someone would fetch the paper or get up early and make breakfast, or we'd swap out chores so no one felt they carried all the load. And honestly being trained warriors the Dead Men were a lot neater than some women, never leaving a trace of themselves or needing picked up after.

The babies blossomed under all the steady affection, little Hope fitting in just as if she'd been born to us. And Erskine proved to be a very doting uncle, and now living with us vied with the others for the chance to watch the babies or help me in the kitchen. When the men who had jobs at the Sanctuary were off at work one of the others helped mind the little ones and soon it was December.

I didn't mind staying home, all things considered, nor did Skulduggery. There was always something to do and we'd meant to spend the centuries together in peace. I didn't feel boxed in like I had expected to either or like I was 'just a housewife'. Keeping my brothers, well, my older children, happy and well fed was plenty of work. Even more when all of us piled into Ghastly's van, babies and all to pick out the tree. It was fun watching grown men become young boys again and we spent hours getting the tree, enjoying hot drinks and picking out ornaments from the treasure troves every man had brought with him when they moved in.

It was sweet watching them hang lights and ornaments and I was happy to admire from the couch while Christmas programs played on TV. Saracenn who gone from fine cuisine to home-cooked meals looked the happiest of all. Skulduggery looked amused at all the activity and followed me into the kitchen where I removed tray after tray of cookies from the oven. "Let them cool!" I said, laughing as I batted his hand.

Skulduggery's solution was to lower the temperature of the room, his hands worked in the air as the temperature dropped. He snagged a handful of cookies and grinned at me impishly. I shook my head, amused. It was nice getting along with him. The old me, before I remembered my past life would have brained him with the cookie tray.

But he helped me plate up the treats, again showing off his magic, and we took them into the rest of the family. The days went like this, along with daily training between Skulduggery and myself. We also play fought, much to the dismay of Anton the first time he saw it, and I had to rescue Skulduggery from his steely grasp. "Easy, Anton, we were playing. Skulduggery wouldn't come after me, you know that." He nodded and set Skulduggery down with a soft smile.

"My apologies, Skulduggery. Valkyrie, would you mind if I had had Fianna for the day? I want to show her how to make eggnog, the nonalcoholic kind of course." I nodded and he was soon in the kitchen working away while he held Fianna in a carrier Ghastly had developed for her. I watched, the sight of the huge warrior fussing over her too cute for words, then left them to it.

Gracious joined me on the couch and I knew the men had elected him to ask for something. He had a sort of nerdy charm to him that usually got him what he wanted. "Yes, Gracious?"

"We were wondering if, you know, being a family and everything-"

"One present for each of you. Already bought, wrapped and hidden so no looking." I said, touched by his happy smile. Then the men were taking off on a shopping expedition en masse and I felt rather sorry for the shopkeepers. Skulduggery chuckled as he joined me in front of the fireplace.

"Is this our house? It's way too quiet. You know they'll put the fear of God into the staff of any shop they descend on."

"I know. They remind me of when our teachers used to hold a Christmas store for us children. Pure chaos." I looked over at the babies, all three slept peacefully and it was a beautiful quiet moment for the two of us. "You don't mind taking them in, do you? I know we don't get much privacy."

"No, I don't. We promised them and we honoured that promise at long last. They needed this, Valkyrie, but so did we. We both came from large, noisy families, I rather like it."

"So do I. And they are the best built-in babysitters ever. You don't mind not taking cases anymore?" I asked looking into his eye sockets, meeting what passed for his eyes and his tender gaze.

"Never." He said, pulling me into a kiss that made my heart explode into a million fireworks. He pulled back to gaze at me adoringly. "I don't mind that my partner and best friend is now sweet and thoughtful either. I wondered when you'd stop hiding behind your anger."

"I wanted to be brave, like you."

"If you were any braver you'd be a lioness."

"Did you just quote Aslan?"

"Did you quote Simba?" He countered, amused. "We need to watch something other than family films, I think." He said with a laugh.

"Tell Anton. He's sure Fianna's wee ears understand everything. God, he's a good uncle, they all are. We're really lucky, you know?"

"We are at that." Skulduggery agreed. We heard the sounds of motors approaching and happy male voices, then the chaos as they reached the front door. "Our children are home." Skulduggery sighed in mock annoyance and we both rose to go greet them.

Finis. This story just took the train to cute land and got stuck there. Though I think it would be awesome to see all the Dead Men shopping at once, no case ever came to me.