Skulduggery – Crow

Anton – Bear

Ghastly – Panda

Dexter – Wolf

Saracen – Weasel

Erskine – Snake

Solomon – Raven

Corrival – Pa

Chapter 93

Nadia didn't stay the night, but she did stay until the very, very end of the party and then Bear drove her home with a warm smile. Valkyrie watched her go from the front door, feeling giddy, happy and a little sad because she was leaving.

"You did really well Cub," Wolf smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder like a proud dad. "I honestly didn't expect you to get back together so quickly."

She shrugged a little. "We both still liked each other the same, we just had to talk about what had happened. It turns out we spent our time very similarly, so it was easy to move on."

"Oooh, so she kissed someone else too?" Weasel grinned from next to her.

"She went on a few dates with someone and they were horrid when she didn't want to go on any more. I'll be getting the full story another time," she promised. Wolf nodded his understanding and Weasel grinned. "But for now we're seeing how everything goes. No promises, but I think we'll be alright."

"Mr Vinay did surprise me," Crow said, coming up behind them. He had an arm around Raven's shoulders who looked to be a little tipsy. "But his mother surprised me more. I expected her to just take Nadia and leave, not watch and stay silent."

"Me too, actually," Valkyrie admitted. "She was surprisingly neutral in all this. I wonder if she was just holding it in as a family thing rather than something to do at a party. It would make sense, right?"

"That may mean there are double the people about to crucify Nadia at home, or perhaps her grandmother will be so busy shouting at Mr Vinay for causing a scene here he won't have a chance to start on her," Wolf mused. "We'll just see in the morning I suppose. But before that, I would like to take a long moment to point out that your little talk would not have taken the best part of three hours, young lady!"

"Oh my God," she complained and started going upstairs.

"Excuse me, what do you think you're doing? You didn't happen to mush faces for some of that time, hum? I'm waiting," Wolf grinned at her, following Valkyrie up the stairs.

"Shut up!"

"I can run faster than you!" He said, and she didn't get halfway down the hallway before Wolf grabbed her and spun her around before kissing her cheek from behind. "I love you, sis. You did amazing."

"Thanks, Wolf," she grinned.

.*****.

Valkyrie woke up the next morning and was able to restrain herself from talking to Nadia immediately by leaving her phone in the bedroom when she went to the loo, but after that, she decided it had been long enough.

It was just past ten in the morning and Nadia had left the house at two last night alongside the late guests. Eight hours was a long time not to hear from her after everything.

She decided to give her a simple text in the end. It read 'Good morning. Are we allowed to talk today?' She sent it and washed her face while she waited for a reply.

That reply took a good long time, so Valkyrie went downstairs with her phone and sat at the table for breakfast where everyone else was too. It was impressive how they all knew to wake up together. Tanith looked very tired still, and Snake was dealing with a hangover, but it was okay other than that.

They also had Corrival and Solomon at the table, who'd both stayed the night with them. Pa had his own room a floor above them as promised, but she could only assume Raven was staying in Crow's room on nights he stayed. This must have been the fourth time he'd been at the table for breakfast, but there was a good chance he'd stayed overnight on other occasions.

They all gave her a smile when she came in and put her phone on the table.

"Oh, memories," Weasel said wistfully. "Don't you all remember Cub texting all through our meals? I finally feel back to normal."

They snickered at her so she stuck her tongue out and poured herself a bowl of cereal, getting cornflakes everywhere when her phone buzzed. They laughed at her and she left the box lying over her bowl to read it.

'I think so,' it read.

'How were your parents last night?' She asked.

A moment later Nadia sent, 'They were in bed already. I didn't think they'd wait. Daadii was awake though.'

'What she say?' Valkyrie asked.

The message was long enough for Valkyrie to sort her food out and eat a spoonful. 'She just asked about how much I spoke to my dad and how he was acting at home and if I was listening to him. She said I was being naughty for not listening but she also said I was growing into a woman so I should have leniency but then she said I was still a daughter of his and had to listen. So I don't know. Does that mean I have to do what he says to be good, or just listen and tell him no each time? Or should he be more lenient and that make me good by itself? I don't know.'

Valkyrie chewed thoughtfully. 'You listened last night and was polite saying no, and you went home and stuff, so I would say it's on him. She didn't say anything at the party so you can't be doing that bad.'

'True.'

'Have you seen anyone this morning?' She asked.

'I saw mum but she didn't say anything. She looks really tired, I don't think she slept. Maybe she didn't see me.'

'You could try talking to her?'

'I tried for weeks to talk to her and make her listen. It's her turn,' Nadia sent, and Valkyrie could feel the resentment in the text. She'd been right when she thought this would happen. She just had to make sure Nadia didn't change because of it, at least in any holding onto her issues type of ways. She was a good person, she just needed to stand up for herself and make her parents see she could make good decisions.

'I'd probably feel the same,' she sent. Then in another, she said: 'When can we see each other next?'

There was a long pause and Valkyrie took her bowl and spoon to the kitchen, almost walking into a door because she was staring at her phone intently, not wanting to miss the message for even a second. She heard laughter behind her. 'I don't know. Maybe tomorrow. I'll check'

'I'd like that,' she grinned. She stood there staring over her phone until another one popped up saying she was allowed out with 'friends' tomorrow for lunch. Valkyrie grinned and did a happy dance in the kitchen, and knocked the bowl and it shattered on the floor.

"What was that?" Tanith asked warningly.

"A bowl," Valkyrie said. "I'll clean it, I promise."

She cleaned quickly and thought of what they could do. How would she get to Nadia's? How could she get Nadia away? What would be the best thing to do? Should she knock on the door and say it was happening, or ask permission? She was taking her out anyway, so permission was just a formality she didn't care about.

Maybe she shouldn't do that. Should she just tell Nadia to meet her outside, or help her sneak out unnoticed? She was meant to be seeing a friend after all.

She could assume Nadia didn't want to spend the night at hers since she hadn't last night when it was easier for her to do it, so she wanted to see her sooner rather than later as there would most likely be a time limit on them. So she said, 'I'll pick you up at 1 and get food?'

It only took a few minutes for the text to come. 'Family lunch is 1. Have to be earlier or after.'

'12.30 then.'

They sent a few more messages but Nadia had decided she would go talk to her mother while her grandmother was out with other family so they agreed to stop talking until Nadia texted her again.

She put her phone in her back pocket, knowing there was still a slight change in their relationship but nodded to herself as she pulled the full binbag out the bin and tied it up. It made a lot of sense. They couldn't go right back into saying they loved each other every minute after over seven months of not talking. That made her laugh a little. Dexter always did say the number seven was lucky.

Speaking of Wolf, she pressed the binbag into his chest with a cheeky grin and ran off as soon as he took it, his hungover mind taking it before he realised what she'd done.

"Hey Val," Tanith said breathily from next to her brother, her biological one that is, who'd gotten up, worked out and eaten way before the rest of them. Tanith had her head back on the sofa and looked pale. Being pregnant really wasn't healthy for her. "What's your plans today?"

Valkyrie shrugged casually and sat opposite her sister. "Oh, you know. A few chores. Eat. Nap. Get excited about seeing Nadia tomorrow."

She grinned. "Lover girl," she mocked.

Valkyrie picked some lint off the sofa. "I have nothing kind to say to you."

"If you were going to say I'm fat, you can go fuck yourself," she murmured and then groaned as the thought apparently brought on nausea. Her brother patted her leg kindly.

"I'm glad I'll never have to do this," he said.

Valkyrie wrinkled her nose. "I'm hoping I won't have to."

"And leave poor Nadia to do all the work?" Snake winked before closing his eyes and settling in to sleep off his headache.

"Hey! I barely left the womb myself, give me a minute before we start on the babies, okay?" She said, holding her hands up. "I'm sixteen for Christ's sake."

"You could get pregnant," Tanith mumbled. "Old enough."

"What, with Nadia?" She said with a tease in her voice.

"I ask no questions," Tanith smirked back.

"Please, god, don't," Crow said, coming up behind her and putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not, we just had this conversation!" She said, throwing her hands up.

"But if you keep trying really, really hard it might just work," Wolf insinuated with a smirk. "Think about it."

She stuck her tongue out at him and he chuckled to himself as he took his seat. The whole family was now in the living room being lazy. "The question is, who else is going to have a baby? Because Tanith's doing her bit, and I've said no. The baby needs cousins, guys!"

The men groaned and leaned their heads back to avoid eye contact. She looked around the room with a smirk. "Snake?"

He grunted. "That's the last thing I want right now. Try Anton."

"Bear? Any little feet coming along?" She grinned, leaning in and resting on his shoulder.

He chuckled deeply. "Unlikely in the near future. Perhaps one day."

"Ooh, I think that's the best we're gonna get! Unless anyone else wants in on this?" They shook their heads and Crow squeezed her shoulder. "What about you, Crow? Should I be preparing?"

"Do I look like I'm getting pregnant?" He asked in a deadpan voice.

"Maybe," she said back and he swatted her ear and sat in his chair. Raven squeezed in next to Valkyrie on the sofa. "So, unlikely then. Too bad I guess."

"What makes you want to have babies around?" Raven asked.

She shrugged. "Dunno. I like the idea of nieces and nephews more than the baby's part," she said. "Like, if you all went and had babies right now, I'd have to move out of here, but when they're, like, seven or eight I could come back. I don't want to be around that many crying humans, you know?"

He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, giving her a squeeze and letting her go a moment later. She had a vague memory of her father Desmond doing that when she was a very little girl. It was nice.

"I say we order lunch," Tanith said, raising a hand. "I want food. Not more babies. If I have to push one out, I want at least a year before one of you takes the spotlight."

"No one's getting pregnant," Crow declared and pulled out the takeaway drawer and all the menus within. "Now that's decided, what do you want?"

"A baby," Wolf grinned and got hit in the stomach by Weasel.

Just a little family time after all the fun of the ball and Nadia and stuff! I keep writing about the baby, but it's a baby, I have to keep going on about it. It's hardly going away. That's my excuse for continually writing about the same stuff anyway. I just hope you like it! :D