A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Valkyrie, Springheeled Jack, Scrannel, Annis or Darquesse.
We awoke later, refreshed and looking forward to our time together. Jack, who seemed to follow the cycles of his beloved moon was had gotten more and more excited as the full moon approached and now as she was set to grace the sky he almost hummed with energy. I knew he longed to stare at her from hours and he could from the cabin roof, but I knew it didn't beat the city and being on rooftops.
I smiled at him fondly, stretching, not ready to leave his warmth. "I think you should make a night of it, Jack, you need to get out. It's been a while since you've been out enjoying yourself." Jack nuzzled into me in response and I could feel his terrible grin against my neck as he giggled.
"Old Jack's been thinkin' of gettin' out, love. If you don't mind I'll leave at nightfall, then. I have spotted a few nearby areas. Was even thinkin' of seein' if dad might want to go into the city with me. I know we said to avoid them and the like, but I miss the rooftops."
"Then off with you then." I said as I got up to get ready for the day. Jack grinned happily at me, that rather manic look he got every full moon that I found so attractive. I had to make myself go get a shower and dress, then passed Jack on his way in.
"Mm, you look ravishin' you do." Jack purred, then drew me into a lingering kiss, his long arms wrapping around me protectively. When we at last parted he gave me another affectionate nuzzle before going on his way.
Downstairs I found the rest of the family up and about, getting ready for breakfast. That is was past four I thought was rather nice. I was getting used to our late hours and enjoyed our freedom. Skulduggery of course exchanged a worried glance with me, but dad caught us. "What is it? Some sort of trouble?" He asked, instantly concerned.
"It's just that if Scrannel and Annis tracked us down, others could too. I don't think we should run myself," I said, "but there is a possibility some old enemies of ours could show up." I said, joining him in making a proper English fry up for breakfast.
"Well, you're in a magical family now, love. We all got our skill sets and ways of takin' the bad guys, well, the other bad guys down." He said and giggled slightly. I smiled he was proving to be a wonderful father and he happily filled me in on their skill sets.
"I'm an Adept like Jack, only my weapon is light, throwin' it and such. I'm decent in a scuffle as well. Your mum over there is an Elemental like yourself an a good one too. But Sarah's best of all. Telekinetic, that's what she is."
"Sarah, that's amazing!" I said and she blushed. This seemed to be news to Skulduggery as well. "Then we have a very strong mix in case of attack." He said and eyed me, the eyebrow of his façade raised. I knew he wanted to see if I'd tell them the truth. True my powers were on the fritz, but I was still Darquesse.
Jack entered and we sat down to breakfast. I pondered telling them, then knew I had to, but how in a way that wouldn't alarm them? Jack gave me an opening. "Dad, I was thinkin' maybe the two of us could go into the city proper tonight, have a look about and such." Dad nodded but then looked worriedly at me.
I looked at Skulduggery who shrugged ever so slightly, leaving the choice up to me. "We'll be fine. One, most of the people here still are at full power and two, if something became a big enough threat, I'd just have to go Darquesse on it."
Jack looked up his eyes shining, nearly at a full blaze. "I knew there was somethin' special about you, poppet. Somethin' secret like. Consider me impressed." I exchanged grins with him. Dad just smiled rather proudly at me as did the rest of the family. I blinked. I'd never figured out exactly how they'd supported themselves through the centuries but figured they'd just worked for a living.
Mum seemed to read my private thoughts because she answered me. "We're all a bit outside the law. Your father there is a master forger, he made all our passports and the like. I'm a pick pocket of the magical variety, and were both excellent cat burglars." She said and dad beamed with pride.
"What do you do, Sarah?" I asked and she smiled shyly.
"I'm a hacker and I go after mages stupid enough to be doing magical business online. It isn't like they can go to a Sanctuary when such things are forbidden." She said and grinned at Skulduggery. He smiled at her and I knew what he was thinking. We'd married into the right family and now had a much broader skill set at our disposal.
Our family wasn't evil. Despite what people thought of him Jack wasn't a cannibal and he didn't eat babies. Yes, he was a homicidal maniac, but he seemed to have a talent for picking out people who deserved it. Mainly because criminals couldn't go to a Sanctuary for help, but still. I loved Jack and was terribly proud of him.
He was being an excellent protector and provider to me and our unborn child. He was a doting husband, loving to do whatever he could for me. I adored him and was happy he was getting a night out. I'd understood when we'd fallen in love that there was no changing the man. Jack needed to kill. It served some purpose for him, brought joy to his life, helped him make sense of the world. That, and when he disliked you was one of the meanest criminals I'd ever met and he'd have done it out of pure spite if for no other reason. Still, I hoped the men would enjoy themselves and from the manic grin Jack flashed me I knew they would.
Jack and his father left shortly after nightfall, planning on lunch on the way, then to hit the city proper. Dad hesitated, looking at me. "Are you sure, poppet?" He asked and I nodded happily.
"As long as we don't spook ourselves out with scary movies we'll be fine." I assured him. Both men gave men terrible grins of delight and were off. Sarah and I went into the kitchen to make tea sandwiches with mum and hatched a terrible plot. We knew Skulduggery hated scary movies, and we knew the prefect one to watch with him.
As soon as we were settled in Sarah cuddled into him. "Skulduggery, I know you don't like scary movies, but I have a favourite I've always been too afraid to watch all the way through. But with you here I could." She cooed sweetly. Skulduggery, realizing holding Sarah protectively would be involved happily agreed.
He held up well at first, but as "Lake Mungo" continued to play he found more and more reasons to look away from the screen. We all did of course, since it was a terrifying film, complete with scary tonal music that frightened us all half to death. By the end all the lights in the living room were blazing, but that is half the fun of a scary film. Skulduggery switched on the late news and we were just settling down when a knock came at the front door and everyone jumped. "You're the man of the house, Skulduggery. You can go get it." I generously offered and he looked at me.
"Ladies first, by all means, Valkyrie. You can go get it." He countered. Mum sighed and got up to answer the door. I followed a bit behind, keeping to the shadows of the hallway. I could hear the cultured English accent of our speaker as Mum barred him access. I got closer and saw who it was and stopped dead. Jack the Ripper.
Not the historical figure, but an Adept who had an eerily similar background. He was said to have an endless hatred for women and him being there did not bode well for us. Still he did dress every bit the gentleman with opera clothes in a style that went back over a century complete with a long flowing cape and silken top hat.
He carried a medical bag, no doubt filled with his favoured blades and a walking stick I knew he'd use as a melee weapon if given a chance. He tried a charming smile on mum and spoke. "You've become a dear sister to me, Violet. I'd never dream of harming you or Sarah. Let me in then?" He asked and she hesitated. Clearly she loved him like a brother but she had us girls and herself to worry about. The man carried an air of menace about him.
I tried to draw my shadows and failed. I cursed myself for not getting the ubiquitous pump-action shotgun, axe, or other handy weapon cabins always seemed to have in movies. I walked out of the shadows to where he could see me. "Hello." I said politely.
"And a most felicitous evening to you, my dear. You must be my dear Jack's wife. He never said how beautiful you were." He said doffing his top hat politely. "Please allow me to introduce myself. I am-" But he never got the chance, Skulduggery interrupted him.
"We know who you are, Jack. And I'll be thanking you to leave my partner alone if you please." He growled dangerously, drawing his revolver and cocking back the hammer.
"She is like a niece to me already, Detective. She is also clearly with child and I am a doctor. You need me. I mean no harm." There was a tense standoff but at last Skulduggery holstered his gun and Jack the Ripper entered. He treated me to a smile. "You may call me Uncle, my dear child. I'm quite harmless to the women of this family, despite the stories you might have been told to the contrary. The only woman I slew was shaming her husband with her paramour."
"Good on you then." I said and meant it and he smiled again. Jack retired to a bedroom with Skulduggery and Sarah and Mum looked at me worriedly. "He's OK." I sad. "I'm usually able as Darquesse to sense things and I sense no danger from him."
Skulduggery joined us after a bit. "As dangerous as that man can be you women will be fine. He used to be a brilliant doctor, Valkyrie, the gentlest of all men. Then his wife not only betrated him but she- She-" He stopped too upset to go on.
"She said she didn't want any child of mine, so she had it 'taken care of' out of pure spite and I went insane shortly after." Uncle Jack said from the doorway, he was looking at me steadily, but the gaze wasn't a hostile one. I knew how deadly the man was and how rather unstable but I knew he'd had his heart broken too.
Determined not to show him any fear I went and cuddled into my uncle, just as I had with another uncle once. "I'm sorry, Uncle. I'm very sorry that happened to you. Please tell me you're staying a while, Jack will be so happy to see you." I said and he patted me slightly.
"Thank you, my dear. I will. You're pregnant and clearly in no position to seek medical treatment. I'll stay, do what I can for you. Jack wouldn't have married you if he didn't trust you, and Jack doesn't give his trust easily so I know you're a good woman. Plus I can sense these things." He said with the slightest hint of a smile. I returned the smile, hoping Jack would arrive home soon.
I was up in bed, hoping nothing bad had happened to Jack, but telling myself both he and his father had mobiles and knew to ring us when I heard a scratching sound at the window. I looked over to see a rather chuffed Jack perched outside the window the way he used to in London and went to let him in. "Your uncle's here, sweetheart." I said after greeting him with a kiss and Jack broke into a delighted grin. "He's staying until the baby is born and we're getting along famously. I like him."
Jack smiled, then looked at me. "Well, climb on then." He said offering me his back and I did willingly. Somehow he managed to snake out the window then made the roof in one smooth leap. A sack of take away awaited us, earning Jack another kiss.
"Jack, you're a wonderful husband and a good provider and I mean that." I said as we settled down on the roof. He smiled shyly at me. Jack was a total sweetheart with me, still shy and I liked that about him. He didn't take me for granted and I liked that even better.
We ate our dinner and talked quietly but mostly we gazed up at the full moon far above us. "That's a beautiful sight, it is, but not as beautiful as you, poppet." Jack murmured, takin me into his arms and kissing me in a way that made giving him a night on the town more that worth it.
"Thought I recognized a bloke in the city. Don't think he spotted me, though." Jack said and I felt myself grow cold. More than likely he had been spotted and was lying as he always did when he was in trouble.
"Who?" I asked and he winced slightly then looked at me.
"Well maybe he did recognize me on account of me goin' after him an' all. But I couldn't help it, poppet! He said how he's all single and was thinkin' of lookin' you up and the like."
"Who, Jack?" I asked and he took something out of his jacket pocket and handed it to me. A pair of broken sunglasses. I sighed, wondering how long it would take him to show up.