Last Chapter.

"For God's sake, Billy! Answer the bloody door!" Violet shouted down the stairs. There was another knock and Violet's eldest child, 49 year old Larrikin, groaned.

"Dad! Just get the goddamn door! I've got a headache!" Larrikin said, his blue eyes and blonde hair appearing from his room.

"You answer it, I'm changing the little one's nappy!" Billy replied, coming out of the baby's room, holding his 6 month old baby, Mollie, who was giggling.

Violet rolled her eyes. "You act like multi-tasking hasn't been invented." She was holding the newly ironed fairy costume and Gracen, her ten year old daughter, was running around her.

"And Auntie Jade said she'd bring me a fairy doll from China and Uncle Anton said he'd buy me a kimono from Japan. And Rosie's going to tell me all about China and Japan." Gracen burbled.

"That's nice, darlin'." Billy smiled.

Then Skulduggery and Valkyrie emerged from the bathroom.

"Why were you both in there?" Violet frowned. Elizabeth appeared too, her cheeks bright red. Elizabeth was their 7 year old daughter - named after Skulduggery's wife.

"Lizzie had a minor malfunction." Valkyrie whispered as Skulduggery greeted everyone.

"Ah." Violet smiled.

"Is anyone in?" Came a loud voice and Dexter ran up the stairs. "Thank God, I thought you were all dead."

"Hey, Uncle Dex." Larrikin sidled towards him. "Your advice kind of worked. With Sky."

"What advice about Sky?" Ghastly appeared, glaring at them.

"Nothing." Larrikin muttered.

"Nothing, Bespoke, chillax." Dexter said then snapped his head up. "Shit. The kids are in the car."

He ran downstairs, yelling, "don't worry kids, I'm coming!" The whole Ghanith crew, complete with Tanith and her four daughters, passed him.

Sky was their daughter, a pretty blonde with dark brown eyes and a gentle smile. Hope looked the same but Imogen and Tonya were both dark-haired with their mother's fighting skills and their father's kindness.

"Hi Sky." Larrikin smiled.

"Hi Larry." She said casually but Violet could see the way she looked away then looked back at him. She smiled.

"That's a stupid nickname." Larrikin said.

"Oh come on, Larry, it's not that bad." Jack Jr, came leaping up the stairs, grinning. "Hey Sky. You're looking hot." He winked. Larrikin glared at him and Jack gave him a wide-eyed innocent look.

Hopeless and Rosie ran up and hugged Gracen at the same time. "How was Japan and China?!" Gracen squealed as she led the siblings to her bedroom, where Elizabeth was showing her the photos from the Bentley Convention in LA that she went to with her parents. The adults all wandered downstairs. Dexter and Saracen's adopted kids -4 year old Queenie and Archie and 7 year old Willow and Sam- were giggling in the pet room downstairs. Hope, Imogen and Tonya had retreated to the garden to flirt with the hot college boys next door.

Larrikin smiled at Sky. "Should we go to my room then?"

"That'd be lovely, honey." Jack said and bounded into Larrikin's room. Sky rolled her eyes and followed him. Larrikin held back an irritated sigh and settled for a quiet groan.

Jack was rifling through the wardrobe and pulled out the tuxedo. "Remember this, Larry? From Mum and Dad's wedding?"

"It was twenty years ago." Sky sighed.

"Good day. Sky got..." Jack grinned.

"Plastered. Hammered. Off her head. Crapped off drunk." Sky sighed.

"You know me so well." Jack said, hand on his heart. "I'm touched."

"You shouldn't be." Larrikin glared at him. "How's the job?"

"Oh Dad's being really great. He got me my own office at the Sanctuary as well. Well, I share it with this really great guy called Max but-"

"Who's Max?" Jack interrupted her.

"What?"

"Who the fuck is Max?"

"Language." Jade stopped by the room and leant in. "Hello, Sky and Larrikin, you two look very fitted." She smirked. "Honeys, Saracen's here if you want to see him and so is Erskine."

"Uncle Erskine!" Jack cheered up and shot off downstairs. Larrikin paused, glancing at Sky.

"You want to come see them?"

"I just need to talk to Jade for a moment." She blushed. Larrikin shrugged and went off downstairs.

"What's up, sweetie?" Jade sat on Larrikin's bed, frowning. "Is it Jack? He can be a bit, you know, up himself."

Sky gave a shy smile. "It's not Jack. It's Larrikin."

"Oh?" Then, "OH!"

"He asked me out the other week. Like two weeks ago. And we went on a date."

"That's great, honey."

"But I don't know if I want him to be my boyfriend."

"And he's always fallen in love very quickly. He's like his Uncle Anton that way. You know he proposed to me at least three times before I proposed to him."

"I know. I've heard this tale from Mum many times." Sky sighed.

"Sorry. Well anyway, Larrikin doesn't give up easy. He's always been a stubborn bugger."

"That's my son, woman." Violet wandered into the room. "I agree. Is this about the advice Dexter gave him? To just follow his heart and shit like that?"

"Yeah. Larrikin keeps asking if I want to be his girlfriend. I mean, he lives with his parents and he's 49!" Sky sighed.

"He's moving out soon, Sky, you know it's only temporary. I mean, he travelled the world for around twenty years and he and Jack are getting an apartment together soon." Violet said.

"That's another problem. Jack." Sky said.

"Jack?"

"He fancies me."

"He does?"

Jade was wide-mouthed. "How? Why? Why didn't he tell me? Or his bloody dad?"

"Tell me what?" Anton asked.

"For fuck's sake, Anton, go look after the kids." Jade shooed him away.

"Fine! Bitch." He muttered.

"I heard that!"

"Good!"

"You're a bitch!"

"Oh you're a bigger bitch, sweetie." Anton stormed down the stairs.

"Sorry. He's being a selfish pig at the moment just because he can't hack the fact that Erskine might be making me an Elder." Jade sighed.

"Does he still think that Erskine fancies you?" Sky asked.

"How do you know about that?"

"I work at the Sanctuary, idiot. And my dad's an Elder."

"Oh. Yeah. How's the job?"

"Met a boy called Max."

"Larrikin's nicer."

"Jack's nicer."

"Larrikin!" Violet yelled.

"Jack!" Jade yelled back. Then they stared at each other and laughed. Sky smiled at them.

"I think I'll choose, thanks, guys."

Violet went downstairs ten minutes later and saw Larrikin, Jack and Sky discussing something in the corner. Dexter and Saracen were chasing their kids around the garden, screaming and "catching kisses". Skulduggery had taken Elizabeth to McDonalds in the sacred Bentley (Elizabeth's full name was Elizabeth Bentley Pleasant).

Thrasher and Clarabelle's triplets were dutifully playing with the other kids. At eleven, Gerrie (short for Geranium), Jean and Rupert were all tall and gangly with blonde hair and freckles. Scapegrace and his fiancee, Doctor Lynda Merry (the doctor who gave him a new average-looking body) were watching films with Fletcher and his girlfriend, Ersketta, in the living room. Dusk and Jack Senior were talking about the latest gossip in the crime world much to the amusement of Erskine who was listening in, promising not to set his detectives on them. China was mysteriously absent.

China reluctantly moved away from the memorial she had built in Roarhaven - a tall grey statue naming those who had heroically died. Larrikin, Hopeless and Gordon were the biggest names. Although, Gordon was having Sunday lunch with Melissa, Desmond and Alice and was well and truly "alive", she put him on there out of respect.

She got into her car and drove off.

Skulduggery pulled up in the Bentley with Valkyrie, Ghastly, Tanith and Fletcher. They went up to the memorial, smiling sadly. Underneath Gordon, Larrikin and Hopeless, was a few other names that Skulduggery had made only visible to a few people : Darquesse. World breaker who turned to world maker. Died in alternate world in 2054.

Lord Vile. Thank you for your service to our Sanctuary. However secret it was. Tesseract. For your legacy carries on.

The Other Ghastly Bespoke. Thank you for protecting Valkyrie in your world.

Moloch. Because Dusk respected you never mind that he killed you. Then, Valkyrie suddenly teared up as she saw the other names : Fergus, Beryl, Carol and Crystal Edgely, for protecting the magical community.

Donegan Bane and Gracious O'Callahan. Who died protecting each other.

Frightning Jones. Who died in the arms of Aurora Jane, his beloved wife.

Aurora Jane, wife, mother and friend.

Solomon Wreath. Who died with his cane in his hands.

57 years later...

Violet stared at the memorial, tears dripping down her cheeks as she read the names of her friends. Beside her, Billy put his arm around her.

"It's okay, darlin'," he kissed her head and drew her into a hug.

"I love you, Billy."

"I love you too, Violet." He kissed her lips and wiped away her tears. "Remember when we first met?"

"You saved me."

"I risked my life for you then and I'd do it now. Without any hesitation. If one day, my name is on that memorial, I hope it is because I saved you."

Violet and Billy kissed again and she traced the names. "Goodbye, friends." They walked away and the names faded from sight.

When they reached the car, Billy took one last look behind him. Next to the memorial, a tall girl with dark hair and glimmering green eyes gave a cheeky smile and winked at him. Then she touched the memorial and two names became visible again.

Anton and Jade Shudder, who died protecting each other in battle. Loved by everyone.

Then a man with dark grey hair and a huge grin appeared next to her. Billy nudged Violet but Jade put her finger to her lips and shook her head.

"Yeah?" Violet asked, tears still dripping from her face.

"I love you. And I know it's hard but we'll all manage to cope in time with all the deaths."

"I love you too, Billy-Ray."

They drove off and the ghosts behind them laughed.

Jade kissed her husband and watched her best friends drive off.

"Goodbye, Jade." Violet whispered as she slipped out of her house, Billy obliviously sleeping. She went to the memorial, on her bike, and got there an hour later.

It was 11pm when Jade emerged. Violet was crying. Jade stared down at her and Anton came to stand behind her. "Reveal yourself to her if you want." He whispered in her ear. Jade jumped.

"But I think she's just got over us dying." Jade said. "And I don't want to disturb her."

"Whatever you choose, remember I love you. We only have a minute left until we go." Anton reminded her. "This is your last chance for a year."

"I know." Jade paused then stepped out. Violet looked up and saw the pale figure of her best friend but when she blinked, Jade was gone.

Violet went home to her husband. Billy was lying awake in bed. "I was worried." He said.

"I thought I saw Jade."

"Violet..." He took a deep breath. "I saw her. Earlier. Her and Anton, they were pale, and Jade shushed me when I was going to tell you."

"They're ghosts?"

"I'm not sure."

"Next year I'm going back, Billy, and every year after until I see her again."

"Okay."

"I love you."

"I love you." The couple went back to sleep.

The End.