Operation Ludendorff: a Leviathan fanfic

Chapter Two

A/N: Updates should be a few days apart, since most of this story's already written and posted on fanfiction.net. Oh, and the awesome cover was made by

Dawn was just breaking over London when Alek was roughly shaken awake. He was still blinking away sleep when he remembered what was supposed to happen.

The Admiralty was sending them to Germany today.

Alek bolted out of bed. In the dim light that filtered through the curtains, he could make out Deryn, pulling his pre-packed suitcase out from underneath his dresser. Alek turned and pulled on the clothes he'd laid out for himself on his desk. Decency was lost to him and Deryn ever since their last mission.

"G' morning, your princeliness," Deryn beamed up at him, pulling one drawer open. "Here. Best not to leave it behind," She hands Alek the hunting knife he'd gotten back in Italy. It was too dangerous to bring a fencing saber.

"Hurry it up, Mr Sharp!" Dr Barlow's voice came from down the hall.

Alek grabbed Bovril from the foot of his bed. The Loris yelled something akin to: "Barking spiders, that's rude!"  Before scrambling into Alek's coat and digging its little claws into his jacket.

"Come on, Alek!" Deryn yelled, grabbing her suitcase and heading out the door. Alek grabbed his own and followed her out.

He'd never seen her excited about a mission before. Probably happy to be in the air again, Alek thought, stepping into the parlour. I know I am.

Joan and Thomas were on Dr Barlow's lap when they reached the parlour. Alek still thought it odd that the usually calculating and commanding lady boffin was a mother. When he was still a guest in the Leviathan, he'd already known about the two toddlers she had back home, but she'd never mentioned them, not once.

"You two are up early." Deryn smiled down at them. The ex-midshipman had been tasked with babysitting the toddlers when no one was available, and they'd grown quite fond of her.

"Mommy's leaving!" Joan, the older of the two screamed and pulled on Dr Barlow's necklace until Mr Barlow had to lift her up into his own arms.

"Vermin," Bovril said, quite loudly, and then cackled. Alek gave the Loris a hard look when its head popped out of his coat.

"They are a bit difficult to handle," Mr Barlow smiled and bounced Joan in his arms. "But far from vermin, Bovril." Alek smiled unsteadily.

When Alek met him, he had guessed that Mr Barlow was even more secretive and calculating, what with working as a civil servant and your wife being a boffin. But Alan Barlow was far from that. The man was open to any idea, and made it a point to show what he thought about an idea no matter who he was speaking with.

Alek thought it very strange that the man married a woman like Dr Barlow. But then again, he did give up an entire empire for Deryn, so maybe not that strange.