A/N: I don't own Valkyrie, Springheeled Jack, Skulduggery, Black Annis or Scrannel. Jack of course gave me some rather bad dreams so he could have his well-deserved chapter. Val's POV, but you hear me, right?
I pulled to the side of the road in a flood of tears. Weeping I clutched the steering wheel. "Jack. Jack." I whispered. I shivered, remembering so many things that had happened between us. But only the good things, somehow, and I felt a warm glow starting inside me. I remembered the night he'd saved my life on the beach, the night I'd saved his at the cabin. His long recovery, our growing fondness for one another. I smiled, remembering our first night in London, remembered too the rides Jack would happily give me across the rooftops.
I could still fell how good our first kiss had been, could still remember how wonderful it had felt when he proposed. I was lost in these memories when there was a sharp rap on my window and I jumped. I looked out into the night to see Skulduggery. I got out and he held me tightly to him as a flood of tears and a broken explanation came. "Black Annis has them, Skulduggery. Jack and my baby. I'll never see either one again."
Skulduggery tilted my head up to look at me. "You're panicking, Valkyrie. Forgetting your magic. It will work now, you know. When she took the baby she opened up your powers."
"How did you know I was pregnant and about Annis?"
"When you panicked earlier tonight I knew you tried to raise your shadows to flee and couldn't. There's only one reason that happens to a woman. As for Annis, did you forget I never go back into meditation after a nightmare?" He asked gently. "I must have been lost in my thoughts the first time you left, or I taught you well, but you were careless when you came back. I knew she had to have done something to you."
He escorted me to his rental and we both got in. "I knew we'd been attacked when two couples at least were troubled. Annis or whoever cast the spell on us wanted you primed to give up the baby. You couldn't resist her later also because of enchantments. This isn't your fault, Valkyrie. She stole your child, and your man, but we'll get them both back, you'll see."
"But the baby-" I began and Skulduggery soothed me.
"Will be fine. Think, Valkyrie. She's far too old to carry her own child and needed to put him in something. She no doubt had a pouch of some sort enchanted for the purpose. Magical women use them when they can't carry to term. I thought you knew. Sorry."
We soon came to a probable lair, Skulduggery explaining that Scrannel couldn't have moved all that quickly and Annis had to be away from sunlight before sunrise. "What's our plan?" I asked, taking in the ruined castle, wondering why on Earth anyone would want one in America.
"She's most likely holding him in the dungeon. We're going in and she is giving him to us or you are going Darquesse on her. Sound like a good plan?" Skulduggery asked.
"Excellent plan." I agreed. And it was until we go into the dungeon and we felt out powers dampen as we entered a large central area lit by torchlight. A gate slammed down behind us, trapping us inside. Annis looked over, rather unconcerned. Jack lay in a corner not moving. Annis followed my gaze and shrugged. "He didn't love me so I got angry. You can have him if he's still alive."
I walked to him warily. Jack's pulse was steady but he seemed groggy and confused when my touch stirred him. "Poppet?" He asked.
"Yes, Jack. I'm here." I said, helping him sit up the best I could and he drew me to him, towards the warmth I'd missed so much. Then the lips I thought I'd never feel again found mine and we were both crying happy tears. Jack rose to his feet smoothly, pulling me with him.
"We'll be havin' the ring back now, and the baby." Jack said, looking at Annis steadily and she laughed.
"Why? So you can eat it, Jack?" She asked and apparently it was the wrong thing to say. A look of utter rage crossed Jack's face. He was on her in an instant, his hardened nails raking at her, drawing blood.
"Enough! Enough fighting! Please! I love her, don't hurt her." A voice begged. I looked over to see Scrannel looking at us. Jack gave the man a look of utter pity and stopped his attack, letting a bewildered Annis retreat. "Give them the ring and the baby, Annis, and for once I'm not asking. They're in love, can't you see that?"
Annis laughed bitterly, but gave back my ring and a small pouch. "She doesn't love him."
Skulduggery answered her. "And yet she came here to get him back. She was carrying his child, she married him. I'm still not sure how it happened since they normally should have tried to kill one another, but the night they met at the cabin they didn't."
Annis perked up at this and so she got the hear the whole story, and to her credit didn't fly into a rage. As we talked I realized something. Annis had been dead and I could think of only one person to bring her back. I looked at Scrannel. "You really must be in love, to bring them both back and help her kidnap him after you lost him." I said and he nodded.
"Brought him back only knowing she had worked with him. Not that she wanted him. But I'm not a man to her, just the half breed. So I thought if she had a man who didn't love her, perhaps she'd see how much I loved her. I'm the one who used the magic on you, sorry about that."
"That's fine, Scrannel, no real harm done." I said gently as he tended to Annis' wounds, murmuring words of adoration to her, his homemade armour clanking. "He's in love with you, Annis." I continued. "He brings you food, he takes care of you when you're hurt. He's not a half breed, he's special, highly gifted in magic and he showers you with it. Maybe you haven't seen enough of the world, but Scrannel's rather handsome taking after his troll mother the way he does." I said and he swelled up with pride.
Somehow, I'm not even sure how, the event was resolved without further bloodshed. Scrannel let go of the dampening effect he was using and our magic returned. I looked back at the pair as we left and smiled when I saw what had to be the first kiss Annis ever gave Scrannel.
We were soon home in time to see dawn break, Jack choosing to ignore that we had two rental cars and I had a bag packed in the backseat of mine. I sighed and apologized as we got in the house. "I'm in love with you, Jack, but Scrannel's magic-" I shrugged helplessly and he nodded and smiled at me gently.
"I understand poppet, believe me I do. It was all a bit much on you, findin' out about Sabine and all. But you're the one I want, my lovely. You're my beloved moon." He took me in his arms again, kissing me tenderly. He broke the kiss to gaze at me adoringly, then swept me off my feet and carried me up the stairs.
Jack sang to me as we nestled up together in bed and I was happy to hear my beloved husband's voice once more. I knew very well it was a high and strained voice, but it was the voice of my beloved so I though it was the most wonderful voice I'd ever heard.
Jack giggled and was cuddling me into him when a soft knock came to the bedroom door. I put on a robe and found Skulduggery. He had the pouch with him and asked us to join the rest of the family downstairs.
Weary as we were we did. Skulduggery handed me the pouch assuring me I'd know what to do. I took the pouch in one hand and pressed it gently up against my abdomen watching the tiny jelly bean sized lump dissappear and feeling my baby inside me once more. Jack came over and stroked my belly. He cooed softly to our little one. "Got you a good mother there, rescued us both, she did."
He cradled me into him carefully and we sat down on the couch to listen to what Skulduggery and Sarah had to say. "As we could all see there are more ways for mages to have children than most. Sarah and I want a child of our own." Skulduggery said, a loving arm wrapped around Sarah.
"That's wonderful, son." Jack's father, well, our father answered.
Sarah spoke up shyly. "But with me in a chair-"
I looked over at her in dismay. "That won't keep you from being a great mum, Sarah." I said and she blushed.
Skulduggery cleared his throat nervously. "The thing is, if all else fails, we were hoping the two of you might-" He trailed off helplessly and I craned my head up to look at Jack questioningly who smiled at me and nodded happily.
"As long as the missus is up for it, we'd be honoured." Jack said and they embraced in response.
Dad insisted on cooking breakfast for everyone. "Seeing as how we're all up anyhow. Valkyrie, will you give me a hand, love?" He asked and I happily agreed. He was a sweet man and I figured that is where Jack got it from.
As we cooked dad looked at me. "Gave us a fright to wake up and find you lot gone. We've got the bedroom heavily warded for privacy and such, so we missed out on all the excitement. Skulduggery explained what happened and no harm done. She had you dead to rights, she did. Never thought for a second it was anythin' but love between you two."
I blushed. "The thing is neither Jack or I can figure out how it happened."
"You gave each other a chance for once is how it happened. Jack told me about the night on the beach, that's when it all started, innit?"
"I guess so. I was in awe of him. Of course he was trying to scare me half to death, but that is just Jack being Jack." I said fondly. Jack joined us, trying to look as innocent as possible but we knew he'd been listening.
"Takes after me, he does. Nothin' wrong with impressin' the ladies." Dad teased and Jack giggled his manic giggle. I went to him and held him close.
"You were ready to fight for me, Jack, thank you. That makes three times now you've saved me. Getting to be a habit, is it?" I teased and he giggled again.
"That it is, poppet. You had a chance that night to kill Jack, to be rid of him once and for all but you didn't take it." He paused to caress my face, minding his nails as always. "Made at least two times you were a right proper lady towards me, and it made Jack like you, it did."
"I liked you too, Jack. All the times I was asleep you could have gotten to me, but you didn't. You protected me." I said the best I could over the lump in my throat. Jack crooned and kissed me tenderly. I still was amazed we were in love, but in a good way. Jack was the most handsome of men to me and I made sure he knew it.
The day passed well enough when we could at last return to bed we were happy to do so, Jack singing to me again. I looked at him. "I haven't heard you sing like that in a long time, Jack. What made you so happy?"
"You did, Valkyrie. As many times as we fought, as many times as I tired to kill you, you still loved me enough to come get me." He said, tears in his voice.
"Hush, Jack. That's all behind us now. I'm glad we met that night at the cabin." I said sleepily as he drew me into the sheltering warmth of his embrace.
"Me too, poppet. Me too." He agreed.