A/N: I don't own Tanith, Valkyrie, Ghastly, or Skulduggery. Val is about 28 here, story is in her point of view. There isn't much plot here, just cute babies.

Ghastly and Skulduggery were out of town and Tanith and I were getting some much-needed catching up time. We sat on the couch in their apartment talking about married life, when Tanith brought up the babies. "Dathùil and Breá seem to have taken to one another, look at that." She cooed. I looked and it was a sight to melt any mother's heart. Dathùil was cuddled up next to Breá fast asleep. The two were fast friends, and always enjoyed seeing one another.

Even though Skulduggery had been worried I'd pointed out that Dathùil adored Breá, and she had loved him from the instant she saw him as well. If she could tell skeletons were different from other people, she clearly didn't mind.

The babies seemed to feel us watching and Dathùil raised a sleepy head in my direction, his eye sockets begging to be held. I picked him up gently, laughing softly as I remembered my father once saying you scruffed babies by the neck like kittens. Dathùil squealed happily, settling in, somehow blinking the eyes he didn't have at me, and I was lost in that sweet face for the longest time. I gently stroked the delicate facial bones, then brought him up closer, kissing his tiny skull. He giggled, reaching up to grab my hair.

"Hey, Mister. How are you today?" I asked. I didn't expect an answer of course. I looked over to see Tanith feeding Breá. I enjoyed watching them, but it was nice having a baby that didn't eat or need changed. Of course he didn't sleep much either, but Skulduggery was good at singing him to meditation.

"How is Ghastly holding up?" I teased.

"He's fine, he actually loves the late night feedings, and I've had to convince him Breá is safer in her crib. He even wanted her crib in our room, can you imagine?"

"Oh, don't even suggest that to Skulduggery. They say we women are overly protective. I had to make him go with Ghastly, and the whole time he just got more and more worked up. I honestly thought with his attention span he'd get bored with Dathùil, but he adores his son."

"You're underestimating him again, sis. You know he wanted children with you so badly. Dathùil is a Godsend to both of you. To be honest, I couldn't believe it when Ghastly called me that day and told me you'd taken him."

Dathùil sat up slightly and fixed me with a stare. There were times when I swore he understood what was going on around him. I thought he COULD tell what was going on so I spoke to him. "Hush, Dathùil. You know I love you. You are my son, and I adore you. Aunty Tanith is right though. I never wanted any babies, until I saw you. You look so much like your father, I can get over it." I stroked his face softly as I spoke, and at the mention of his father, he got upset. So he did understand something at least. He was never a baby to cry, but he was giving me his equivalent.

I dug out my mobile, thankfully Skulduggery answered on the first ring. "Valkyrie, what is it? Is Dathùil all right?"

"He's fine, Skulduggery, but he wants to speak to you. Here, I'll put him on." I held the receiver close to where Dathùil's ears would have been and watched his expression change as his father's velvety voice reached him. Skulduggery soothed and praised his son, then raised his voice slightly so I would speak to him again. "Valkyrie?"

"Yes?"

"We're coming home, don't be angry but we couldn't concentrate. We already have replacements on the way. You aren't angry, are you?"

"No Skulduggery, I'm not angry and we've both missed you. Though I thought the two of you would last longer than four hours. Come home, we want you to." Skulduggery sighed in relief and was going to ring off, but I could hear Ghastly talking to him. I shook my head and handed the phone over to Tanith who had just finished feeding Breá. She assured Ghastly that Breá was fine, and to come home because he was loved and wanted. She rang off and we couldn't look at each other without smiling.

Several hours later I was back home with Skulduggery who had taken Dathùil as soon we'd gotten inside. He traced the bony features that so resembled his own with a skeletal finger. He spoke softly, lovingly to his son. "I missed you so much, Dathùil. You and your mother both." He paused to shoot me a beseeching glance and I abandoned my book to go sit next to him. "You and your mother are my entire Universe now. Four hours was far too long to be gone, even if I did spend a lot of it shopping."

"You went shopping?"

"Yes, Ghastly and I knew the babies could use some new things. Some toys, and clothes and the like."

I didn't say a word. I let Skulduggery overindulge Dathùil because he needed to. His son was the center of his Universe when he wasn't devoting his time to me. Six months in and he still couldn't get enough of Dathùil. At last he saw how sleepy his son was and took him to his crib so he could meditate.

That night Skulduggery held me stroking my hair softly as we lay in our bed. I could tell he wanted to talk about something, but wouldn't. I knew him enough by now however to know what it was. "I was happy you came home, you know. I missed you, so did Dathùil. I mentioned you and he sat up looking for you, I swear. Should a baby his age even be able to sit up?"

"He sat up? I wish I saw that."

"I'm sure he'll do it again tomorrow."

"I know, but still. Valkyrie, I know I've been underfoot for a half a year now, and I don't want you angry with me, but I don't want to go back to work, not yet."

"Then don't go back."

"You're serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious! You act like I've been suffering the last six months when I can't recall ever having been this happy outside of the day we were married. God, Skulduggery, I'd keep you home forever if I could, but I thought you wanted to get out of the house and back to work."

"I'll admit that was our plan, but we just weren't ready yet. Ghastly has never had a family, so he resigned as an Elder to be with Tanith and Breá. I - I never had a child last this long-"

"Oh, Skulduggery! Dathùil is safe, you know he is! But you want him in here tonight, don't you?" Skulduggery nodded. I sighed, knowing one night would lead to many nights, but Skulduggery was clearly upset and needed both of us with him. "But he stays in the crib." I said, and Skulduggery was happily out and back, wheeling the crib in gently.

Dathùil seemed to enjoy the ride and looked at his father in awe. He held out his skeletal arms, and Skulduggery happily picked him up, purring something I couldn't catch in Gaelic. He rocked him slightly, the looked at me hopefully. "Fine, yes, bring him to bed, but he has to stay up near the pillows. I don't want him getting rolled on. You know it isn't safe for a baby to be in bed with adults, right?"

"But they always did it in my family. He'll be safe. See? He likes being here." Dathùil promptly crawled down from his position of the pillows and onto his father's chest. Skulduggery put a protective hand on him, cooing softly. He cocked his head at me and I shut out the light before I went to him, putting my head on his shoulder and wrapping an arm around him below Dathùil. Skulduggery looped a protective arm around me and I felt him relax.

We fell asleep that way, and I awoke briefly at dawn with Dathùil cuddled on my chest and Skulduggery nuzzled into me, his arms wrapped tightly around me. I couldn't recall being that happy in months so I closed my eyes again and drifted back to sleep.

When I awoke there was a video from Tanith on my mobile. She filmed Ghastly with Breá and the sight was heart warming. Ghastly held his daughter in his arms, his large, strong boxer's hands tender with her. His face was serene, and you could bee how this man few woman would have thought of as an ideal father because of his scars made an ideal one. I realized as Tanith walked into the shot she had hidden her mobile somewhere.

Ghastly looked at her happily and drew her into a kiss, then led her to the couch. He wandered out of the shot but soon came back with tea and a bottle of formula. The video ended, and I smiled to myself.

Yeah, not exactly action-packed but these were meant to be fluffish one-shots.