Valkyrie unlocked the door to her mansion and quietly stepped inside and Skulduggery followed "Harlow is probably asleep." she whispered and Skulduggery nodded "So we need to be quiet." he pulled her too him and kissed her gently "Mommy?" she heard a little voice call from the other room so she pushed him off her and walked into the living room where Harlow was stood with a teddy in her arms. Her blonde hair was all messy on top of her head and her blue eyes looked tired "Hi, honey." Valkyrie smiled and walked forward to her daughter and picked her up "I cant sleep." she yawned and Valkyrie grinned at the little girl "Do you want me to read you a story?" Harlow was about to nod when she spotted Skulduggery in the doorway "Mommy? Who is that strange man?" she pointed to him and Valkyrie turned and laughed "Harlow, this is Skulduggery Pleasant. Skulduggery, this is Harlow." Skulduggery stepped forward a little bit "Hello, Harlow." he greeted and the little girl smiled "Hello, Skuluggery!" Valkyrie laughed "No, honey. Its Skulduggery."
"Skulduggery?"
"That's right." Harlow started to laugh "You have a silly name!" she giggled and Skulduggery laughed "Yes I do."
"Mommy?" Valkyrie tore her gaze away from Skulduggery and looked at Harlow "Yes?"
"Can Skulduggery read me a story?" Skulduggery smiled widely "You will have to ask him."
"Skulduggery, will you read me a story?"
"It would be my honour Harlow." he grinned.
Harlow ran up the stairs as fast as she could while Skulduggery took two at a time keeping up with her. She ran into her pink room and jumped onto the bed where she sat up waiting for Skulduggery to walk in "Skulduggery! Do you like my room?" she asked and he laughed "Its very pretty, Harlow!"
"You don't have to call me Harlow if you don't want! You can call me Harls! That's what mommy calls me sometimes!"
"I like Harlow better."
"So do I! Can you read Cinderella to me, please?" she begged and Skulduggery chuckled "Of course. Cinderella it is!"
-
"And they all lived happily ever after." Skulduggery finished and looked at Harlow who was fat asleep clutching her teddy. He gently swiped a strand of hair out of her face and smiled warmly at her sleeping form "Your good with kids." Valkyrie said from the door and Skulduggery walked towards her "I had a few years of experience." he said and they stepped out the room and shut the door behind them "You don't need to feel guilty about it Skul! Your family loved you very much, it wasn't your fault."
"I cant help but feel like it was. Harlow...she looks just like my daughter...her blonde hair and her blue eyes. When I look at her all I see is my little girl, running around laughing as I chased her." he laughed sadly "All I wanted was for her to live a happy life." a tear rolled down his face and Valkyrie wiped it away "You know...since Fletcher is gone...Harlow Is in need of a daddy, and she seemed to have taken a liking to you." he looked up at her "Are you asking me to be Harlow's daddy?" he breathed happily "I am."
"Of course I would!" he hugged her tightly and kissed her when he pulled away. He loved his Valkyrie...and he loved his daughter very much.
HELLO! I'm just gonna warn you that there will be heart breaking things in the next chapter! Trust me imma cry writing it!
Have a lovely day!
-Blake!
