A/N: Second chapter of the Blood and Chocolate Re-Write on deck! This will take place from Lila realizing she is pregnant, to Jerome's bond with his unborn sister, and her dislike of Jeremiah.
Chapter Warnings: Language, graphic depictions of birth, and a mention of the Nazi party.
Also, since Lila Valeska's actress was never named, I have chosen Alanna Ubach, who portrays Suze Howard in Euphoria, as her face claim.
From everything I have read – and I have scoured every inch of the internet – Lila was not always abusive. In fact, I would wager she may have been a decent mother before Jeremiah opened his filthy trap and started spewing venomous lies.
Nika was born October 31st, 1980 and the boys were born April 10th, 1978
One of the purposes of this re-write was to add more detail and, in this chapter, I have done so.
Lila's description of Nika's birth is exactly what I felt giving birth to my son.
"I feel like a part of my soul has loved you since the beginning of everything. Maybe we're from the same star."
Emery Allen
Lila could hardly believe it. She had known many lovers in her life—several within the circus itself. But by some strange miracle, or perhaps a cruel twist of fate, the only one of her lovers who had managed to get her pregnant was Paul Cicero, the blind fortune-teller from the sideshow.
Two years ago, she had given birth to twin boys, identical down to the last freckle—Jerome and Jeremiah.
Now, with another little one growing inside her, she felt the same mixture of excitement and disbelief. Her hand drifted to her still-flat stomach, rubbing absentmindedly as a sigh escaped her lips. Much like with the boys, she couldn't imagine parting with this child. Her feelings toward the twins had often been turbulent, but the thought of this new life felt… different.
"Mama?"
The soft voice broke her out of her thoughts, and she looked down to see one of her toddlers, Jerome, gazing up at her with his wide, emerald-green eyes. As always, his gaze held that unquenchable spark of curiosity, a look that was both eager and intense. He seemed full of questions, but this time he managed to settle on just one.
"Yes, Jerome?"
"Sick?" he asked, peering up at her with genuine concern.
She chuckled and lifted him onto her lap, his small fingers immediately reaching up to toy with her dark brown curls, a striking contrast to his own flaming red hair. She ran her fingers through his, ruffling his soft curls before pressing her nose against his in an affectionate nuzzle.
"No, sweet boy," she murmured, enjoying his warmth against her. "I'm not sick." She paused, her gaze softening. "How would you feel about having another sibling, Jerome?"
The question lit up his face, his eyes shining with excitement as he processed her words. He glanced over his shoulder toward his twin, Jeremiah, who was watching them with an expression of mild disinterest before returning his attention to his drawing. But Jerome was enraptured, the curiosity in his eyes intensifying.
"Nother brother?" he asked hopefully, casting an irritated look over his shoulder at his bespectacled brother.
Lila thought for a moment before shaking her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. She couldn't explain it, but somehow, she knew.
"No," she replied, a certainty settling over her. "I think this one might be a girl. A little sister for you and Jeremiah to love and protect."
Jerome's eyes widened at the idea, and he turned back to look at her belly with newfound fascination. Gently, he pressed a tiny hand against her stomach, his fingers splaying over the spot as if he could feel her already. He poked her belly lightly, an almost reverent expression on his face as he whispered, "Sister. In here?"
Lila nodded, a warmth filling her as she watched his innocent wonder. "Yes, love. She's growing here, just like you and Jeremiah did."
Jerome's face lit up, a grin spreading as he patted her stomach. "Sister," he murmured, his voice full of awe. "Play soon?"
Lila chuckled, kissing his forehead. "Not for a little while, sweetheart. She'll be here before you know it."
Jerome nodded with a look of serious concentration, his small fingers still resting on her belly, like he was making sure his sister could feel him there.
"How?" he asked suddenly, his gaze lifting to meet hers, wide and inquisitive.
Zach, who had been lounging on the couch with a beer, choked, nearly spilling his drink as he held back a laugh. Lila rolled her eyes and shot him a warning look before standing and gathering Jerome in her arms, twirling around with him as he giggled. Jeremiah's cold gaze flicked toward them before returning to his drawings, unconcerned with the conversation.
"The 'where do babies come from' talk can wait until you're older, my love," she teased, planting a playful kiss on his nose.
Satisfied, Jerome snuggled closer, resting his small head against her shoulder as she danced around the room with him, unaware of the watchful, unblinking gaze Jeremiah fixed on them from the floor.
Over the following weeks, Jerome's excitement only grew, his curiosity becoming a daily ritual. Every day, he'd press his hand or cheek against Lila's belly, babbling about what he would do with his sister when she finally arrived. Each time he talked, he was rewarded with a gentle nudge or flutter from within, a feeling he met with delighted claps and wide, beaming smiles.
One evening, two-year-old Jerome pressed his ear against her belly with an air of utmost seriousness. A moment later, he gasped, his small hands clapping with glee. "She kicked!" he shouted, his face lighting up as he looked at his mother. "Did you feel it, Mommy?!"
Lila smiled at her exuberant son, brushing a soft strand of red hair from his forehead. Jerome had been over the moon ever since he'd learned he was going to be a big brother again, and that joy had only grown tenfold since finding out it would be a sister.
She'd already decided to name her daughter Nika—a name of Slavic origin that meant "Bringing Victory." Little Nika already seemed drawn to her brother, responding to his voice and fluttering near his hand whenever he touched her. What worried Lila was that Nika did not extend the same affection toward Jeremiah. Whenever he tried to place his hand on her belly, she would go still and unresponsive.
Nika's Point of View
She could hear him again—his voice, his thoughts. Bright colors and warm shapes filled her tiny consciousness, something joyful that sparked like firecrackers in the dark.
Jerome. His name was Jerome.
He was her brother. One of two.
Though she hadn't yet entered the world, she could feel Jerome's love, a warmth that reached into her heart even from the outside. And she loved him back. She would often send him images when he touched their mother's belly, colorful shapes and bursts of light that made him laugh, a feeling she delighted in.
Then the warmth would fade, replaced by an emptiness, something cold and vacant that seemed to stretch in endless twists and turns.
Jeremiah.
Even unborn, she didn't like him. His mind felt hollow, a place full of walls and dark corners, a maze that wound on and on without warmth or feeling. He was different. He felt… wrong. She sensed no light, no spark, only an empty void that chilled her to her core.
She couldn't explain it, but she knew one thing: Jerome would keep her safe. She was excited, counting down each tiny heartbeat until she could meet him.
Lila woke from yet another strange dream, her heart pounding as her gaze adjusted to the dim light. The nightmares had become almost routine, but this one had been so vivid it still felt real. She remembered walking through an endless whiteness, until finally, she'd seen them—the red-haired boy and girl. The boy's arm was wrapped around the girl's waist, holding her close as he pressed a protective kiss to her head. Her fingers clutched at his shirt, and her head rested against his chest, calm and still.
But the girl's eyes had suddenly snapped open, her vivid green gaze locking onto Lila's in an unblinking stare. Lila tried to speak, her voice barely a whisper. "W-who a-are you?"
Before she could react, the boy turned sharply, his expression dark and furious. She saw the flash of a hatchet swinging toward her face, and then—
Lila bolted upright, her hand instinctively covering her rounded belly. The twins, thankfully, slept undisturbed beside her, Jerome nestled into her side as always. She brushed her damp hair from her forehead, the sweat cooling in the night air, and slowly eased herself from the bed, instinctively cradling her stomach.
As the pregnancy advanced, the dreams grew stranger, more intense. She sighed, heading to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face. She studied her reflection in the mirror, tracing her dark curls and wondering where the boys had inherited their fiery locks. She wondered if her daughter would have the same, if she'd inherit the same brightness as Jerome.
A sharp kick from within jolted her back, and she winced, rubbing the sore spot with a soft murmur. "Come on, Mäuschen," she cooed, using the same German endearment her own mother had used when she was little. "Mommy needs sleep."
Behind her, she heard stirring, and she turned to see her mother, Petra, wrapped in a shawl, her graying auburn hair pinned up in a braid.
"Another dream, Bärchen?" Petra's voice was soft, but her expression was serious.
Nodding, Lila followed her mother to the kitchen, sipping tea as she pondered the oddity of it all.
As Lila sipped her tea, her mother's gaze grew distant, as if lost in a time far removed from the present. Petra Valeska had lived a life Lila could barely imagine—a life shaped by shadows and secrets.
"My mother had strange dreams while she was pregnant with me," Petra murmured, stirring her tea slowly. "She would tell me how they were sometimes so beautiful they brought tears to her eyes, and other times so horrific she'd be sick for days."
Lila watched her mother with wide eyes, transfixed.
Petra paused, her face darkening as memories seemed to settle over her like a shroud. "I was born in Nazi-occupied Germany, on April 16, 1936, to Alice Valeska and her husband, Klaus. My father… he was, for a time, a loving father and husband." She exhaled, her voice tight. "But I eventually learned the truth. He was a member of the Geheime Staatspolizei, the Gestapo. A man who did terrible things in secret."
She gripped her teacup tightly, her knuckles white. "I discovered his secrets through my own strange gift, an ability to see echoes of the past, shadows that lingered. And in those shadows, I saw him as he truly was, and my mother as she tolerated it all."
The weight of her words hung in the air, and Lila felt a chill run through her, a strange and unsettling link to the abilities her own daughter might one day wield.
Petra shook herself out of her thoughts, her expression softening as she reached for Lila's hand. "Jerome told me his sister shows him things," she said quietly, cutting off Lila's instinctive protest with a gentle but firm gesture. "I believe him. Nika… she will have great power, Lila. Powers like I once had, but stronger."
Her voice grew quiet, almost wistful. "But what she chooses to do with it—that, I cannot say."
As Petra rose, Lila sat silently, the weight of her mother's history mingling with the uncertainty of what her own daughter might inherit, what her family's legacy truly meant. And as she made her way back to bed, her thoughts lingered on the future, on the power growing within her little girl, and on the strange dreams that seemed to weave their family's past into her daughter's unknown future. As the sound of her mother's footsteps faded, Lila realized something that sent a shiver down her spine: she hadn't told anyone the name she'd chosen for her daughter. She had only shared it in her dreams, murmured softly to the unborn child herself.
With a shudder, Lila stood, returning to bed and slipping beneath the covers with a silent prayer for a dreamless night.
It was a cold, stormy Halloween night when Nika Valeska decided to grace Haly's Circus—and the world—with her presence.
Zachary gritted his teeth, thankful for the crashing thunder, which muffled his sister's pained screams. Across from him sat Petra Valeska, cradling a sleeping Jerome in her arms. She glared at him, her disdain palpable without a single word spoken. She'd never hidden her loathing for him, the product of her husband's infidelity. And she'd made sure he knew it, had even convinced Lila to hide the truth from her children. Jerome, Jeremiah, and now Nika would never know their father was Paul Cicero, the blind psychic.
He sighed, tearing his gaze from Petra to glance down at his feet, where Jeremiah sat quietly, doodling away, lost in his own world. The boy had become obsessed with mazes after seeing one on a library poster, drawing them everywhere, a curious intensity in his silence.
"How long does this take?" Zach grumbled, shifting uncomfortably.
Petra raised an eyebrow, brushing a soft hand over Jerome's hair. "With the boys, she was in agony for days," she replied, her tone laced with both empathy for her daughter and a certain quiet reverence for Jerome, who snuggled deeper into her hold, unaffected by the noise. Zach rolled his eyes, noting her favoritism. Even he couldn't deny Jerome's magnetic presence compared to his more aloof brother, Jeremiah. "Perhaps Nika will be kinder to her mother."
Inside the trailer, Lila was wracked with pain, the kind of agony that words couldn't capture. It was unlike the labor she'd endured with the twins—this was sharper, deeper, an unrelenting wave that felt like it would tear her apart from the inside. Every bone, every muscle felt on fire.
"I'll die on this bed," she gasped, gripping the sheets as a wave of pain stole her breath.
Madame Natasha, her closest friend, dabbed her forehead with a cool cloth, her touch bringing a small relief. "No, my love. You will give life to your little girl on this bed," she murmured soothingly, rubbing a hand over Lila's swollen belly. "A sibling for Jerome at last."
Lila managed a weak smile, though it quickly turned into a grimace as another contraction tore through her. "I believe he already has one," she rasped.
"One he can play with, Lila," Sarah Lloyd chimed in, seated beside her on the other side. "Jeremiah doesn't care for childish things. Jerome needs a playmate."
Any retort Lila might have had was lost in a scream, her vision blurring as she fought through the agony. She could barely focus on the doctor's words as he knelt between her legs, his face tense.
"I can see her head," he said. "You have to push, Lila."
She shook her head, the very idea feeling impossible. "I can't."
Natasha and Sarah shared a look, each taking one of her hands. "Just one big push, Lila. You can do it."
Outside, Zach and Petra both looked up as the unmistakable wail of a newborn split the air. For the first time, Jeremiah looked up from his drawings, seeming almost interested. As the sound registered with Jerome, his sleepy eyes widened, and he scrambled off his grandmother's lap, darting toward the trailer as fast as his little legs could carry him.
Inside, Lila cradled her newborn daughter against her chest, marveling at the small, perfect form nestled in her arms. Little Nika, with the same fiery red hair as her brothers and the brightest green eyes she had ever seen.
Jerome pushed himself onto the bed, his eyes wide with awe as he gazed at his sister. "She's so little," he whispered, reaching out to stroke her cheek with the gentlest touch, making her turn her head and meet his gaze. "Hi."
"Nika," Lila murmured softly, smiling at her son. "This is your brother, Jerome."
Nika's tiny hands reached out, patting Jerome's cheeks, making him chuckle with delight. But as she looked past him, her expression changed, her little face scrunching up in discomfort. Seconds later, she began to wail, the shrill sound piercing.
Jerome turned to see what had caused her sudden distress, and his smile faded when he saw his twin standing behind him, watching with a blank expression.
"Go away, Miah!" Jerome barked, his small fists clenching protectively. "You're scaring her."
Turning back to Nika, he gently rubbed her cheek, cooing to soothe her. Her cries quieted almost instantly, her wide eyes fixed on him with a sense of peace. Lila watched as Jerome held her, her heart swelling with an emotion she couldn't name, but one that left her with the strange certainty that her son would always protect this little girl.
Jeremiah watched the scene in silence, his gaze dark and unreadable, a shadow of something unfathomable flickering in his young eyes.
A/N: Well, that was longer than I intended. But I re-wrote it six times. I'll try to update more often but without reviews, I'm not sure if anyone is reading it. And without reviews, I also don't have any motivation to keep writing.
I got the idea for the Valeska siblings to have a German background while I was re-watching Gotham Season 4, episode 17 "Mandatory Brunch Meeting." Freeze raises his hand to ask a question and Jerome says for him to put all questions on ice until the end. When Freeze concedes, Jerome says, "Danke schön," which is German for "Thank you, kindly."
German words I used in this chapter, though they are technically terms of endearment.
Mäuschen – Little Mouse
Bärchen – Little Bear
Hopefully, I can get the next chapter out relatively quick.