Skulduggery Pleasant Fan-fiction- Love Amongst The Cain (Sequel to The Cradle Of Magic)

Screaming at Midnight

-Trissiana

I punched hard, my cut and raw skin slamming into the soft material of the bag. Sweat formed a thick layer on my neck as I swung fast and accurately much to my standard. I was good, I knew I was good, but I had to be better. I had to be 'The Best'. I continued to punch, a storm of anger forming in the depths of my chest as the punches became laboured and my breath became thicker. Unknown tears sprung to my eyes and I stopped, feeling the sharpness in the bridge of my nose and a hot line a of water streak my cheek. I glanced to the floor, the tears clouding my vision as my face dripped ever so often from sweat and thawed heart.
Everything I had ever done had been worthless.
I heard footsteps on the stone floor, quickly rubbing the tears off with the back of my arms and running my hand over my neck before throwing a punch at the bag as an act of faux fatigue.
"Triss?"
I looked up to the vivacious eyes of my partner, his glance tired yet concerned.
He came forward, running a hand through his dark hair and tilted his head a fraction noticing the redness in my eyes.
"You oka-?"
"I'm fine, Schwartz." I snapped, punching hard into the layered material and letting the bag swing beside me as I stared into space; my arms too weak for more.
There was a substantial pause as he watched me, a loose strand of hair falling from my topknot and into my eyes casually.
"Let me fix that." He murmured, and I suddenly felt his hand touch the cut skin of my cheek as he brushed the hair from my eyes. Our noses touched for a split of a second and I caught his gaze, turning away before anything could become of it.
"Schwartz. Leave me alone." I spat, taking the gloves from my hands and throwing them into a pile of combat gear in the corner of the gym. I ran my hands over the back of my neck and exhaled a long breath, biting down on my cracked lip to which leaked blood over my tongue rather casually.
He turned to leave. My head turned a fraction to his as he hesitated and returned to me, wrapping his thick arms around my waist.
"I don't bloody care, Devonair. Shut up." There was a loving smile in his voice, something I hadn't heard since we were children.
I gave myself a quiet smile before previous thoughts came to play and I quickly forced his arms from my body.
"SCHWARTZ! I DON'T LOVE YOU! I NEVER WILL! JUST... JUST STOP TRYING!"
His face slackened and a sheen of sweat developed over his neckline, his handsome jawline shining ever so slightly in the light from the ceiling.
He flinched a little and chuckled shaking his head, looking down at his hands and then back to my eyes. I watched him, feeling my eyes change and let my eyes scan him. Anger rose in red heat from his chest and heat formed in his eyeline. Tears.
"You're a b*tch, Devonair." He chuckled again and turned to leave, "You really are."
I watched him leave, turned and faced my punchbag.
The only friend I had left.
This was what I did to my friends-
I punched the bag hard and it swung back, hitting me in the chest.
-I hurt them.

***
-Skulduggery

A firelight light dappled the room; across the cream tinted settee, the soft carpets and the fine oak furniture. We sat together, my toned arms wrapped tightly around her bulging middle as she slept softly; her faintly golden locks straying loosely over my shirt and her breath soft against my neck, the hairs prickling lightly. The tree glittered with fairy lights in the corner, red ball-balls catching the light of the fire as they spun faintly on the tree branches. Three delicately wrapped presents sat under the cloaking pines, harnessed with ribbon and adorned with intricate bows.
She turned softly in her sleep, adjusting her head into the lower crook of my neck, moving down from my shoulder and sighing deeply as her blue eyes fluttered open.
"Nice sleep, beautiful?" I muttered, lifting her chin to kiss her lips softly as she blinked a few times to wake herself up. She gave a stretch and rubbed a hand fainting over her loose, knitted jumper.
She smiled, nodding, and shifted herself to wrap her arms around my neck and kiss me back, her legs parting either side of mine. She tasted heavily of brandy and mince pies with a faint lick of strawberry lingering on the edge of her lips. She tasted of her. I pulled apart and nuzzled her nose, placing a hand softly to her stomach and smoothing the skin with my thumb.
Grinning, she looked down and placed a hand over mine before kissing my neck.
"That's our little baby in there." She muttered, peppering kisses up to my cheek and looking into my eyes softly, a smile etching her tired features. Tracing my jawline, a soft hum escaped her lips and I watched her intently as the fire flickered contently in her eyes as she kissed me once more but far more delicately.
I smiled, my heart warming and pushed her back a little into the soft cushions before lifting her top delicately to dapple her bulging and pregnant stomach with kisses. She giggled and stroked my cheek, looking up unto me and kissing me softly.
"I love you, Skulduggery."
I rubbed my hand over her stomach and felt a light kick from inside, placing my cheek to her skin and closing my eyes.
"I love you too, Vin."

The world faded away into another and I felt her hand on mine, fingers entwined and pulse beating fast as the wind whipped fiercely at our faces on the peak of where we stood, lashing like bullets at our skin. The sea lapped below, it's tempestuous waves breaking into the rocks with a great force. We were on a cliff edge, it seemed so close and so real from where we stood; fifty feet above the waves. I found my gun heavy to my hand and watched as the figures ahead narrowed closer, forcing us to a tight corner: the edge.
A baby cried, her soft wails merging with the storm as she clung to her mother and whimpered softly through her hushes. I gave a fraction of a look behind me and saw her face next to the one of my wife's. She was dark blonde and ever so small with piercing blue eyes and little hands outstretching towards me. Tears filled my eyes and the bridge of my nose stung. This was my daughter. My little girl.
She looked no older than two, her long hair down to her shoulders to which was covered in a small blue dress that met at her knees.
"Daddy!" She cried, tears wetting her red cheeks. Vin stroked her head and hushed her, kissing her head and finding tears of her own as her hair whipped across them both.
"Skulduggery..." She murmured quietly, tears streaking her face as she looked from myself and to our daughter.
My heart leapt to my throat as the shot fired from far off, I turned and fired hearing Vin's screams from behind. I outstretched an arm to keep her protected, aiming my torso to protect them both. It was too late.
I heard the shots ring in my ears before the scream came.
Vin's voice hit my ears, a bloodcurdling and harrowing scream that would wake any dead man. Serpine's malefic laugh cackled in the distance as she crumpled to her knees, hot blood soaking her torso and licking across her shirt in a wave of burgundy.
I looked down into her eyes as a tear slipped from her cheek. The dead body of my baby lay in her arms, the same blue eyes looking into the sky; lifeless but finally at peace.
My body shook and pain filled my head, I let this happen again. I could not stop it again.
She cried into my hand and shook, her eyes dimming as she fell away. Her body fell and I felt weightless, pain filling every essence I could feel.
I was drowning, unable to breathe.
I felt myself dragged down, down into blackness once more.
The world died out light a snuffed candle and I fell.

I lurched forward in the bed, panting hard and stopping the scream that escaped my trachea hoarsely.
The moonlight dappled the upturned bed covers lightly, shining through the raindrops that lay adorned on the window. I caught her piercing eyes in mine, her soft hands planted on my chest as she wiped away tears and pulled me close only to sob into my bare shoulder. She had woken me from my visions. She was scared of what I saw.
"You were screaming... You were screaming." She gasped, her body shaking against mine as I felt the bone become wet.
I shook my head, running a shaky hand up her bare spine and kissed her softly, soothing her as I steadied my thoughts . My facade was still on and a thin layer of sweat had formed over my neck and forehead, pictures flashed before my eyes. Pictures I never wanted to see again.
"I-I'm... I'm sorry." My voice trembled as did she, her head shaking repetitively as she continued to cry into my shoulder, "Shh... S-Shh Vin..." Stroking her hair I felt my voice trap and I cleared my throat of a thick heaviness as she pulled away and face me, her pulchritudinous beauty illuminated in the moonlight as liquid silver trickled down her cheeks. Steadying my breath I rubbed a shaking thumb over her cheek bone, clearing the heavy droplets and kissing her softly.
"Only a nightmare. I'm fine."
She shook her head and avoided my gaze, her body shaking and still in shock.
"You don't dream, Skul. Y-You can't."
My eyes flicked to hers out of shock and I quickly hid the pain and confusion in my gaze and kissed her softly, touching my nose softly with hers. "Only a nightmare. I'm sorry I woke you."
She shook her head softly and rested her head in the crook of my neck, letting me slip down the mattress and pull her closer to me as she pulled the duvet back over her cold body. I rested my head on her shoulder and kissed her neck softly, humming in her ear and running my hands up her bare torso.
"Don't forget you my love, my love."
I felt her smile and place her hands over mine, kissing my cheek.
"I won't forget you my love, my love."
And she fell asleep in my arms once more.
But there would be no dreams for either of us tonight.

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