Work Text:
What if Lockwood was Kanej’s child?
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Ketterdam. Eleven years after Crooked Kingdom.
“He looks like your twin,” Inej mused, staring down at her son.
Kaz made a hum of acknowledgement to his wife as he looked down at their child.
“Jessie looks more similar to you, so it’s only fair,” he said softly.
Inej let out a small laugh. “Where is Jessie?”
“She’s waiting outside with Jes and Wy,” Kaz answered.
“We should name him first,” Inej readjusted her grip on the baby.
“Anthony,” Kaz said. “Jordie’s middle name,”
“Perfect,”
Ketterdam. Seventeen years after Crooked Kingdom.
“Look after him, Jessie,” Inej pressed a kiss to her daughter’s forehead.
“Mama, please,” the girl grabbed hold of the woman’s wrist. “Don’t let us go,”
“I have to, my child,” Inej pressed her forehead to Jessica’s. “For your safety,”
“I don’t want to go,”
“You’ll be protected in your new home,” Inej promised.
“Don’t trust anyone, especially adults,” Kaz instructed, one hand still clutching Anthony’s. “Be careful for who you let in,”
“Yes, daddy,” The six year old nodded. “Why aren’t you coming with us?”
“We’ll see you again, Tony,” Kaz kissed his son’s head.
“We love you,” Inej hugged her children goodbye before they vanished into the portal.
Kaz wrapped an arm around his wife’s waist. “They’ll be okay,” He murmured.
“Doesn’t stop me worrying,”
“Wylan said he was going to try and make sure they ended up in the best-,”
“Kaz! Inej!”
The couple looked around as Wylan sprinted into the room.
“You haven’t sent them through yet, have you?” He asked wildly.
“Yes, just now,” Inej frowned.
“Shit. They’re in the world with the ghost epidemic,” the merchant cursed, rubbing at his eyes. “I can’t do anything to help them,”
“No,” Kaz for the first time in years, had a visibly terrified expression.
London. Three years later.
He heard Jessie scream. Their nanny, a lady he still wasn’t sure he liked, was fast asleep in the living room so he scampered up the stairs to Jessie’s room to see what had happened.
His heart leapt when he entered.
Jessie was frozen on the bed, and a ghost was floating beside her.
Ketterdam, at the same time.
“She’s dead,” Inej said.
“Inej?” Wylan looked over at her, from where he was holding his son.
“Jessie’s dead,” the woman said, starting to shake.
“Owen, go find your dad and uncle Kaz,” Wylan nudged his son out of his lap so he could hug Inej.
London, eleven years after Jessica’s death.
“What are you thinking so hard over?” Lucy asked cheerfully, sitting down on the arm of his chair.
“My parents,” he said.
“What were they like?”
“Besotted with each other,” he chuckled.
Lucy shifted down the chair so she was perched in his lap.
He ran a hand down the small bump of her stomach.
“They’re also criminals,” he mused.
“What? Celia and Donald Lockwood?” Lucy raised an eyebrow.
“No. They were my adoptive parents,” Lockwood leant into his chair.
“You never said,” she said.
“I don’t like remembering my time in Ketterdam,”
“Is that where you were born?”
“Yeah. My parents were Kaz and Inej Brekker-Ghafa. My dad was a mob boss, and my mum was a pirate,”
“Wow,” Lucy’s eyes flew open. “That’s pretty cool,”
“My mum used to take over slave ships and kill the slavers,” he mused. “My dad was very protective. He hates touch, you know. An experience from his past, I think,”
“Where are they now?” Lucy started fiddling with his hair.
Lockwood leant into the touch. “Ketterdam, I suppose. With my uncles and aunts and cousins,”
“Where’s Ketterdam? Maybe you can see them,”
“It’s another world,” Lockwood closed his eyes.
“Like the ghost world?”
“Yeah. Magic’s real there, you know. My godmother- she used to be able to control bones,”
“Tell me about them,”
So he did.
“My uncles Wylan and Jesper adopted a few children- orphans, I think they had five before I left. The eldest one was older than Jessie, she was fifteen when I left. They had a twelve year old too, and a pair of twins who were my age. And another boy, he was a baby when we left. Topaz, Lavender, Matthew, Courtney and Owen,”
“Did you get along with them?”
“Matt and Court, the twins, they were fun to play with. They were my age, after all,” Lockwood mused. “I had other cousins, too, my Godmother Nina had a daughter with her partner. Matilda, she was eight when we went,”
He frowned. “They’ll all be in their twenties now. Owen will be almost an adult,”
“Isn’t there any way you can see them?”
“No. I can’t remember how I got here in the first place,”
Ketterdam, at the same time.
“I think I’ve managed it,” Topaz said. “How to keep the portal open 24/7, to where Tony is,”
“Really?” Wylan perked up. “Paz-,”
“Dad. We can get him back,” Topaz grinned widely.
“How did you work it out?” Wylan peered down at her calculations.
“Danny helped me last night, I just finished the last equation,”
“Let’s get to work then,” Wylan ruffled his daughter’s hair. “Hopefully it works, and we can get Tony back,”
London, six months later.
Lucy was in the sitting room, massaging her lower stomach when the door appeared. Lockwood and George had gone out to Arif’s for donuts, leaving her alone in the house.
A middle aged man and a young woman entered the room.
“Who are you?” She narrowed her eyes, still leaning heavily on the wall.
“Do you know Anthony?” The man asked.
“Who are you?” Lucy said again.
“Wylan Fahey. This is my daughter, Topaz Kostyk,” The man said.
“Holy shit,” Lucy straightened. “I’m Lucy. Anthony’s my fiance,”
“Oh! You know where he is?” Topaz’s eyes lit up.
“He’s out with George at the moment,” Lucy said before groaning again, rubbing her stomach. “You have got to be shitting me,” she cursed. “I’m really sorry, but I think I’m having a baby,” she grimaced.
“Oh,” Wylan’s eyes widened. “Paz-,”
“Let’s get you to a bedroom, dad, get a towel and some water,” Topaz rushed forwards and put her arms around the younger woman.
Lucy didn’t know when Lockwood appeared by her side, but it seemed to have happened in no time at all.
“It’s gonna be okay Luce,” He assured her, gripping her hand tightly.
“Did- did you see-,”
“I saw Uncle Wy, yeah. Paz is here now,” He smiled softly. “George called the midwife,”
“Would you like a cup of tea, Wylan?” George offered.
“That sounds lovely, thank you,” Wylan gave him a tired smile. “Did Tony tell you about us?”
“About six months ago. I’ve been trying to find a way to get to Ketterdam since, but no luck,” George handed the man a mug.
“Thank you. I’m not his father, but it was my fault he was sent here. To the ghost world,” Wylan said.
“We thank you for that. He may be a prick, but we love him. I don’t know what would’ve happened to us all if he wasn’t here,” George grinned.
“Maybe it was fate then,”
“I am a man of science, but that does sound right,”
“The baby’s been born,” Topaz walked into the room. “He’s healthy. Jesse Damian Lockwood,”
“I’ll go find Kaz and Inej,” Wylan stood. “They’ll want to know,”
“I’ll come with. I shouldn’t leave Amber for too long,” Topaz said.
“Shout when you’re back. I’m going to go see my nephew,” George said, bounding out of the kitchen.
Lockwood nestled next to Lucy, letting her rest on his shoulder as he held their son.
“He’s beautiful,” He murmured.
“You think that because he looks like you,” Lucy retorted.
“He has your eyes, you know,” He chuckled, kissing her head.
“Guys!” George crashed into the room.
“Be quiet!” Lockwood hissed as Jesse started fussing in his arms.
“Sorry,” their friend grimaced as he edged closer to the bed. “Your uncle went to get your parents, by the way,” He added, looking at Lockwood.
“My parents?” He murmured softly.
“Can I hold him?” George asked.
“If you drop him I will cut you,” Lucy said as Lockwood carefully put the newborn into George’s arms.
“Noted,” George said.
“Have you called Holly, Kipps and Barnes?” Lockwood questioned.
“I called them whilst you were in labour. They’ll all come over tomorrow,” George answered.
Ketterdam.
Inej was perched on Kaz’s desk when Topaz rushed in, looking harried.
“Paz? What’s happened?” Inej asked softly.
“We did it,” the woman answered. “We found Tony,”
Inej jumped off the desk and Kaz stopped writing.
“Why are you covered in blood?” Kaz said slowly.
“I had to deliver a baby,”
“Who’s baby?” Inej blinked.
“Tony’s,”
“We’re grandparents?” Kaz said.
“You are. As of half an hour ago,”
“We have to go. Where’s the portal?” Inej demanded.
“Dad’s front room,”
London.
Lockwood had helped Lucy down the stairs so they could wait in the living room for Kaz and Inej.
They were curled up on the sofa, Lucy leaning against Lockwood’s side holding Jesse.
“He’s a tiny little thing,” Lockwood murmured, letting the baby grab one of his fingers.
“I bet he looks just like you did as a baby,” Lucy retorted tiredly.
“I’ve got tea! And biscuits,” George called, walking into the room holding a tray.
“Oh thank god. Lockwood, take the baby,”
“Love to,” He chuckled, picking Jesse up and nestling him against his neck.
George handed Lucy a mug and a biscuit.
She ate the biscuit in rapid time before nestling back into Lockwood’s side to sip her tea.
That was when two people stepped into the room.
Lockwood looked up from his son’s face to meet his parents’ eyes for the first time in fourteen years.
“Tony,” Inej said softly.
“Mum. Dad,” Lockwood blinked.
Inej let out a low sob, clapping her hands to her mouth.
“Go,” Lucy said, sitting up so Lockwood could stand.
He pressed a kiss to her head and got to his feet.
“You’re so tall,” Inej reached up to touch his face.
“Hey mum,” he smiled down at her. “Do you want to meet Jesse?”
“Is that his name?” Kaz stepped forward.
“You can hold him,” Anthony offered.
Inej took Kaz’s cane so he could hold the baby.
“Come here,” Inej instructed, throwing her arms around her son.
“I missed you,” He said, squeezing her tightly.
“We missed you so much,”
He let her go.
“Are you gonna introduce us to your parents Locky?” George piped up.
“Oh. Yeah,” Anthony swallowed.
Lucy got to her feet and put a hand on his shoulder.
He wrapped an arm around her waist.
“That’s George Cubbins, my best friend. Without him I’d have died a long time ago,” Lockwood gestured to George who waved cheerfully.
“He had a death wish for years. Then we managed to knock some sense into him,”
“You’re too much like your father,” Inej sighed.
“Rude,” Lockwood grumbled.
“Anthony,” Kaz warned, letting Inej take their grandchild.
“This is Lucy Carlyle. She’s my fiance,” Lockwood squeezed Lucy’s waist.
She leant further into him, eyes fluttering tiredly.
“You should sit back down, darling,” He murmured. “Please,”
“I’ll be fine,” She retorted. “You’ve done much worse things with much worse injuries,”
“Have not!”
“Have you forgotten your bullet wound?” George called.
“Or when you got ghost touched?” Lucy added.
“I get it,” Lockwood groaned.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Lucy,” Inej offered a smile. “Your son is beautiful,”
“It’s because he looks just like Lockwood,” Lucy chuckled. “It’s lovely to meet you too, though,”
“You’ve got my necklace,” Inej said.
“Oh! Lockwood gave it to me three years ago,” Lucy touched the sapphire at her throat.
“I’m glad,” Inej smiled. “I see you used your father’s set of clothes,” She added, raising an eyebrow at her son.
“Is that where the coat’s from?” George’s eyes lit up. “That explains so much,”
“He loves that coat like its his first born,” Lucy explained at Kaz and Inej’s baffled looks.
“I do not!” Her partner protested.
“You’re right. Your rapier is your first born, the coat is your second born,”
“Fuck off,” He whined.
“No,” she retorted, smiling widely.
“Thank you. Lucy, George,” Kaz said gruffly. “For looking after our boy,”
“Especially after…” Inej faltered. Kaz put an arm around her shoulders.
“Jessica would’ve loved to see you so happy,” Kaz said firmly.
Lockwood gave his parents a sad smile.
Jesse started fussing in Inej’s arms.
“Oh!” She startled, letting Lucy take the babe into her arms.
“Hey little one. What’s up? You hungry? Yeah. Let’s go into the kitchen,” Lucy patted her son’s back as he started crying.
“Do you need anything?” Lockwood murmured.
“I’ve read all the books Holly’s found. I’ll call if I need anything,” she assured him.
He squeezed her hands and pecked her lips softly before she left the room.
“Come on George, it’s your turn to clean the dishes,” she called.
“Oh! Right!”