-Skulduggery's POV-
The thermometer read 103 degrees Fahrenheit. There were heavy bags under her beautiful dark eyes, but they just seemed to make them stand out even more. She sneezed again and rubbed her nose. The dark hair that framed her perfect face had been pulled into a careless bun and some of it hung loose. Beads of sweat trickled down her neck and glistened in the winter morning sun. To me, Valkyrie Cain was even beautiful with the flu.
She shivered and pulled the covers tighter around her naked body. Partly because she was cold, and partly because she didn't want me to see her. Valkyrie's teeth chattered and she closed her eyes.
"Feeling better?" came the question from my mouth. The weak shake of her head was followed by a cough and a groan. I loosened her bun and stroked her hair. She fell asleep again and I decided to go. Four straight hours of kneeling and bending over her, though I was of bones, was beginning to hurt my knees and back. Really.
I walked out of the house into the the chilly February air. It's so cold, I thought to myself. No wonder she caught the flu. My phone started to ring. I picked it up, wondering who was calling me today. I had taken the day off, after all...
"Hello?"
"Skulduggery," came Ghastly's urgent voice. "I need you to pick something up that I left at home."
"What would that be?" I asked, taken aback by the panic in his voice.
"I left so fast that I didn't remember to bring Tanith's soup."
"Not her too!"
"I know! She's having tea, of course—"
"Of course. I wish I could have some of your tea."
"Skulduggery, focus!"
"I'm sorry. What were you saying?"
"I need you to pick up the soup!"
"Alright. To Tanith's house, I assume?"
"Yeah."
"Of course. I'll go."
He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks."
-Ghastly's POV-
Tanith slept soundly, and she was still doing so when there was a knock at the door. I bid Skulduggery in, something in his hands still emitting steam.
"It's still warm," he said as he passed me the soup.
"Thanks." He cocked his head in a smile as the tea kettle whistled. He followed me to the kitchen. "Well?" he asked as I poured myself a cup of tea.
"Well, what?"
"About Tanith and Valkyrie. Don't you think it's a bit of a coincidence that they both got sick at the same time?"
"I don't know. You're the detective, you tell me."
"Very funny, Ghastly Bespoke."
"Is this the main idea of our conversation? Because then it's going nowhere." I raised the tea to my mouth and started to drink.
"No, actually. I wanted to ask you... How far are you with Tanith?"
I choked on the tea, literally, choked. By the time my face had turned blue, Skulduggery pounded me so hard on the back that I swallowed properly, tears in my eyes. Tanith stood in the doorway of the kitchen, a sickly, amused smile on her lips. It didn't meet her eyes.
I smiled at her, my face too red to darken any more. She yawned, covering her mouth with the sleeve of her pajamas (the ones I made her that I couldn't help staring at from time to time, she looked so cute in them), and waved and then went back into the bedroom.
"You still haven't answered my question," Skul mused, sitting in a chair and unfolding his newspaper.
"I was a little busy," I said with a grin.
He didn't reply but turned the page absently, waiting for my answer. I sighed.
"I don't know, Skul. I think we..."
"Mmm?"
I leaned in closer, my eyes quickly flashing towards Tanith's bedroom.
"I think she's pregnant."
A/N: Hi! Okay... the beautiful bit... is not Valduggery... in that relationship way. It's Valduggery, the way Derek Landy writes it in the books. Okay? Thank you.