A/N: I still don't own Jack, Val or Skulduggery. Story is still in Val's POV. Enjoy! Thanks go out to BethShadows for the fave and review!

I awoke the next day still wrapped in Jack's arms. He was warm and I kept my eyes closed enjoying his scent and him being close. I half expected to wake up and find him snatched away from me, and the thought made me tighten my arms around him. "Mornin', poppet." He said, placing a soft kiss on my forehead as he cradled me into his chest. "Strange question, love, but did last night really happen? We are married, we did-" Jack hesitated, unable to complete his question and the gentlemanly trait made my heart sing.

I smiled up at him. "Yes, we were married, and yes we did, Jack. Though to tell you the truth I thought it was all a dream myself." I brushed back his wild black hair and was rewarded with a shy smile.

"Good dream, I hope. But now I better be seein' to your breakfast, poppet. What would you like? Order anything."

I looked at the bedside clock. "Good Lord, Jack. It's past four! I doubt they'll serve us breakfast now, but I'll see if the chef will serve us anything, hopefully if I ask for something English again he'll do a good job. Let me get dressed first though."

Jack nodded, and he had coffee waiting when I returned from my shower and dressed. I picked up the phone and got the same chef as before. "Hello, I know it's rather late, but I don't suppose you could send up an English breakfast?"

"Hello again, love. You want a full English breakfast then, with everything?"

"Er, yes." I said realizing I had no idea what it was but I supposed it wasn't all that different from an Irish breakfast.

"Well if your gentleman's there, perhaps he can give me a better idea."

I handed the phone to Jack and shrugged. "Hello?" He said.

He listened, then answered, frowned and looked at the far wall then rang off. He looked at me, still frowning. "You didn't mention him being a bit funny in the head, poppet. Not sure if I fancy the idea of him comin' up here himself, but he insisted, he did."

"What on Earth did he say?"

"He got all quiet like when I answered. Then the foods he suggested, more like he knew what I'd like, or almost as if he knew me, but I couldn't place the man. Then he told me my voice reminded him of his son, and as how the boy is missin' he'll bring up the food hisownself. A right proper nutter, that's what he is." He grumbled.

I ruffled his shaggy hair, and he grumbled again then ducked away, laughing.

"Come on, Jack. The man misses his son. Take it as a compliment that you remind him of his boy."

"Knowin' my luck I killed his son." Jack sighed. "There was somethin' about his voice that bothered me, love. Somethin' familiar like." He shrugged.

"Then it isn't just me. Would be be from the same part of London? You could have run across him some time, Jack, and you just remember one another." We were interrupted by a knock at the door. Jack got up, then opened the door to let Skulduggery in. Skulduggery joined us at the table, shedding his façade with a sigh of relief. He engaged Jack in small talk, and soon enough the food arrived.

I looked at the man coming in and gasped in quiet shock as did Skulduggery, his new façade a picture of astonishment. The chef was big, he was rough-looking, and the resemblance to Jack was uncanny. He looked at Jack and the two men stared at one another for the longest time. Jack shook his head no, retreated slightly, but the big man simply stared at him, then came forward and grabbed him in a bone-crushing embrace. "Jack, Jack, it is you! We've found you at last. Why did you run, Jack? You were always welcome at home son, even now. Your our son, Jack. Our son."

I felt my eyes mist up then Skulduggery's arm was around me. Jack's father was in tears, as was Jack, who also looked rather stunned. He pulled away at long last, shaking his head. "I can't- Not after what I've done, and I'm not sorry, mind you."

"Why should you be, Jack? You always did take after your uncle more than me as far as killin' went. Where are my manners? You must be the missus." The big man came over and clasped me to him. "Thak'ee for keepin' and eye on old Jack for me, love. You're as good as a daughter to me now, mind you."

I returned him hug, unable to say a word at first. "Thank you, sir. I had to give up my own family." I finally managed.

He pulled back, horrified, but with eyes full of sympathy. "Non-magical, were they? Sorry about that, poppet. You're the woman of the house now. Would you be mindin' if I brought the rest of the family in to see Jack?"

"What? Of course not, please, bring them."

Jack's father nodded. He titled his head to Skulduggery, and soon the men had brought the table and chairs from Skulduggery's room as well, setting it up beside ours, making one big table. Then I realized there were five covered trays, not two. Jack's father set up a white tablecloth smartly, then turned with a worried head tilt to Skulduggery, who simply tapped his collarbones and let the façade flow away.

Jack's father nodded then. gave both Jack and I a final hug and left for his family. Jack sat on the bed heavily, looking at me. "It all came back in a flash when I looked at him, poppet. He's my father. I have a sister and a mother as well, but so do you, now. Why didn't you tell old Jack you'd have to leave your family?"

"Why didn't you tell your partner?" Skulduggery grumbled, and he sat beside me as I sat beside Jack.

I shrugged helplessly. "You both came from magical families, I was going to tell you, I was. Both of you, but I figured it was my own problem to deal with." Both men murmured sympathetic replies and Jack swept my into his lap, cuddling me close.

"You have a new family now, poppet. We can never replace your old one, of course, but we aim to try." He held me tighter and I buried my head in his shirt front. I'd relaxed by the time his family arrived, and was able to greet his mother and sister.

Where Jack had got his looks and build from his father, he clearly got his grace from his mother. She dressed simply, but she was a tall, graceful woman with her long hair piled in a bun on top of her head. She swept past Jack who was embracing his sister, and buried me in a hug. Considering she was every bit as big as Jack's father, I wasn't surprised at the squeak she drew from me.

Skulduggery had tried to edge out of the room, but she turned to him next, sweeping us both over to meet Jack's sister. She was extremely beautiful, and Jack was fussing over her as any brother would. She looked up from her wheelchair, sweeping her long blond hair back and grinned at me. "I always wanted a sister. Here, let me up, Jack, I can walk just fine and stand to see my sister." She batted at Jack, them rose to hug me tightly. She was smaller and slim, but every bit as strong as the rest of her family. "I'm Sarah, you met mum and dad already. Who's your friend?" She asked, letting go of me and wrapping Skulduggery in a massive hug as well.

"That's Skulduggery. My partner, best friend and the man who more or less raised me."

"I like him best of all, then." Sarah said happily. And indeed she managed to sit across from him at breakfast, which it turned out, was breakfast for them as well, and I realized when Jack got his late hours from.

The breakfast was excellent and Jack's father beamed at him. "Do you remember when I used to take you across the rooftops, son? You always did love ridin' on my back when I'd leap from roof to roof." Jack nodded.

Jack turned to me, looking rather proud. "My father is a genius, he is. Taught himself to read and write, mum and Sarah and me as well. Invented boots, he did, that let him go anywhere he liked across the rooftops of London. Had a great deal of fun landin' in the papers, but they never caught him, ever."

I looked at his father. "You're the original Springheeled Jack?"

"That I am, love. Only they never caught me because I retired early from my ways when I lost my son. But he's back now, and that's all that matters."

Jack looked at his father, and I could see the same idea in both their eyes. "You still have your boots, father?" He father nodded, then both men looked at the rest of us hopefully. Skulduggery knew the guard in the cargo hold area, it turned out, and not long after we were watching a fully dressed Springheeled Jack Sr. and Jr. racing across cargo tops and leaping as if on the rooftops of London.

Sarah sighed wistfully. "It must be fun to be able to do that." I shrugged, but Skulduggery, having planted himself near her chair assured her leaping wasn't everything as fine as it was to watch. I caught my new mother's eye and we walked a bit away to watch the pair.

"Well, I'll be." She said faintly. Skulduggery was leaning down to listen to something Sarah said and it was clear the two were smitten. Skulduggery confirmed it when he took her hand and patted it, drawing a blush from Sarah.

Mum, as she insisted I now call her, looked at me. "He's a good man, then?"

"The best. Even if things didn't work out, he'd still be a loyal friend to Sarah. But I know him and he looks serious, even if this is sudden." As if on cue the couple strolled away, Skulduggery walking beside Sarah's chair, and they soon left the cargo hold all together.

Both Jacks appeared at the edge of huge block of wooden crates to grin down at us. Jack leapt down smoothly, picked me up and was back up on the crate in a powerful leap that left me breathless. He father took him mother up in the same fashion to an adjoining block of crates. I settled back into Jack's chest, perfectly content with him and my new family.

Several nights passed. We soon found out that Jack's family, our family, had been headed to America in search of him, so it was only natural when Skulduggery offered to have them live with us. "I got the cabin for seven years and there's plenty of room, six bedrooms, I think." He offered, and so it was agreed we'd all live together.

Jack took me for a walk on the deck alone that night. "You sure, poppet? This must be a lot on you, considerin'."

"Are you kidding, Jack? You gave me a family, I love them like my own already. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier about mine, they would have liked you, you know. I miss them, but this is the safest thing for them. People have tried, you know, but it almost always ends in disaster. A normal family member says something about magic in public, or to the wrong person and-" I shrugged helplessly.

"Hey now, we're as normal as they are, poppet, and don't you be forgettin' that, ever. We just have magic where they don't is all. Speakin' of which, you sure an Adept's good enough for you, poppet?" He asked, shyly.

"Of course, Jack! I adore you. I hate it when people keep trying to compare Adepts to Elementals neither is better. Not that I haven't met utter snobs of both types."

Jack paused, then looked at me again. "I can understand my family not bein' frightened of me, poppet. But what about you? You had to find Jack ugly at some point."

I hugged him tightly before speaking. "That night you save me on the beach, Jack, yes you frightened me, but you were trying to. I also thought you were one of the most handsome men who'd ever lived because you rescued me. I'll admit I didn't like you much when you turned up at the cabin, and yes, I thought you were the ugliest man alive, but you were snarling at me, Jack, and fixing to kill me."

Jack nodded. "What changed your mind then?"

"You did, you let me get to know you. And when you killed the vampire I realized you had it in you to repay a kindness. You weren't the scary, scary man you tried to show me on the beach, or even on the roof that night, not after that, you weren't."

Jack smiled and we stood by the railing only to be joined by Skulduggery and Sarah. He stood so close to her that I laughed when Sarah grinned over at me, and she and I both grinned at Jack who ducked his head and mumbled something like 'Cor, poppet.' blushing furiously.

Both men walked off together, shooting us rather indignant looks, and our laughter only doubled.

Sarah turned to me, smiling. "Do you know if- Is Skulduggery as serious as I hope he is about me?"

"I'd say yes, especially if he's told you so."

"You don't mind me, takin' away your best friend then?"

"Sarah, you've given me a wonderful man in Jack, the way you cared for him. I get a new family, including you. Skulduggery and I will never stop being friends, not ever, anymore that you and Jack will stop being best friends."

Sarah smiled, then looked away. "It's none of my business, but did you and Skulduggery ever- No. I'm sorry, none of my business, like I said."

I put a gentle hand on her arm. "Of course it is. Skulduggery and I never felt that way towards one another. He's not a father to me, either. He's my best friend, my soul mate, but not in a romantic sense. But Jack's my true soul mate if that makes any sense, my missing half, the one I didn't even know I was searching for."

Sarah asked how we met so I told her about the beach, then the cabin, editing out any events where we had fought. She asked tentatively as I helped her back to her chair if Skulduggery wasn't well, a little crazy.

"Skulduggery's a lot crazy, but in a good way, like Jack is, and I suppose your, our, father is as well. They'd never hurt us in a million years though, and that's the main thing. It's a good kind of crazy."

"Then he's marryin' into the right family. He asked. But I can't keep house for him."

I hugged Sarah tight. "Sarah, if he's that serious, and you are too, don't worry about the housework, we'll have plenty of people about to do things. Besides I'm sure with a little practice we can learn to use Elemental magic for those things as well."

We soon parted and I met a bewildered yet pleased Jack back at the cabin. "They're gettin' married, the are. He's goin' to propose and they're gettin' married. He's takin' her to look at rings now. How'd that happen so quickly?"

I shrugged. "Had I been older when we first met it might have happened for us too. She couldn't go to a better man, Jack. Skulduggery will treat her like a queen. I haven't known Sarah for long, but I can see they're in love."

"Sort of like us then?" Jack asked, scooping me up and carrying me to a chair where he cradled me into his chest. I snuggled in, enjoyed his warmth.

"Exactly like us, Jack, exactly."

The next night the captain seemed surprised to see us again, but he smiled at Skulduggery and Sarah. His uniform was blue and gold that night, and his eyes had gone a golden colour, and his teeth seemed slightly shaper. He gave Skulduggery a wink, so Skulduggery let the facade melt away and the capitan nodded happily.

Sarah's father gave her away, and the rings Skulduggery had picked out with her were stunning, the ceremony was simple, the captain's rich Haitian accent breaking into patois at times, but easily understood. I realized uneasily that he'd spoken English jut fine a few nights ago. The man winked at me after the ceremony, and I got the faintest impression he wasn't even human to begin with.

He confirmed this by simply disappearing as he walked away. Skulduggery and Sarah hadn't even noticed as Jack just shrugged when I looked at him. "Adept I guess, poppet. Though there was somethin' about him that makes me want to behave for the remainder of our trip."

I agreed and we left the happy couple in peace, though Jack startled me when he said he wished his uncle could have been there. The third Jack of the family, but a little too homicidal towards women to be trusted, even with family. Jack spoke fondly of his uncle, the fine dress clothes the man wore and the scalpel or straight razer he always seemed to have on hand. When he mentioned his uncle had even went to medical school I felt my blood run cold, wondering just how much Jack did take after his uncle, and hoping Jack the Ripper wasn't as fond of Jack or family reunions as his father was.

Don't ask me, having Jack the Ripper related to the original Springheeled Jack made sense at the time. Be glad I didn't work in distant cousin Sweeny Todd. But if anyone wants more I'll put something together. I already have ideas, mind you, and no they don't include every nutter that ever ran around London being in Jack family tree, though that would be fun.