Part One, set after The Dying of The Light, but Ghastly is still alive :)
He paced his office, he had Tanith back! Some good did come from Darquesse after all, but he wasn't sure where Tanith stood. Valkyrie had told her what Billy-Ray was to her and he'd sacrificed himself for her – for Christ's sake how could he compete with that? Yeah he made her a pair of boots but she doesn't remember him giving her them or the way they laughed and joked with each other.
Ghastly decided he had to do something, with Valkyrie going off to Canada Tanith might not want to come back to Ireland – in short he would never see her again! Leaving his office he walked the long walk to the infirmary wing. He'd been to visit some of his friends there but he hadn't seen Tanith yet. For the first time since the war he saw the damage the war had caused, he had yet to see outside but he suspected outside was worse.
"Ghastly" a female voice called to him he turned hoping it would be Tanith but was slightly disappointed when he saw it was Valkyrie.
"Hi" he said to her.
"Hi" she looked like she was going to say more, but just hugged him instead, he hugged her back.
"What's the matter?" he said to the side of her head.
"Ummm, I'm going away for a while"
"I know" he pulled out of the hug.
"You know?"she seemed shocked.
"Skulduggery told me"
"Oh well I just came to say goodbye"
"You'll be back before you know it" he wasn't sure what to say. Valkyrie was like the daughter he never had, he was sad she had to go but she needed to do what she needed to do.
"Yeah, I hope your right"
"When are you leaving?"
"Fletcher's teleporting me in an hour"
"Oh okay, be safe and don't forget to writ" she couldn't help but laugh at him.
"What's so funny?" he asked
"Don't forget to write" she said between giggles
"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"
"I could just phone you"
"Oh" now he felt stupid
"Anyway" finally getting over her giggles "Tanith's looking for you" he perked up a bit Tanith was looking for him.
"Where is she?"
"Canteen"
"Thank you, have a nice trip" he shouted over his shoulder as he raced towards the canteen.
He stopped abruptly in the doorway to the canteen looking at the beautiful woman sat in one of the booths
"Tanith" he called to the girl, she turned her head to look at him and a brilliant smile over took her face. Tanith looked at him like it was the first time she had ever seen him, he came looking for her or Valkyrie had seen him and told him where she was.
"Ghastly" she stood and ran to him, when she got nearer she didn't stop running and just collided with him, hugging. He kept whispering things she couldn't understand. He squeezed her and she brought in a breath. She'd forgotten she had broken her ribs. He instantly let go and looked down at her.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah" she waved off his concern "Just y'know a couple of broken ribs" she tried to make light of it, but Ghastly didn't say it that way
"Broken ribs? How?"
"I had a fight with the cleaver"
"The cleaver?" he didn't know what she was on about
"Y'know the cleaver
"Sorry I don't know what you're on about?"
"The one that turned you to stone all them years ago"
"Oh, the cleaver" realization hit him in the face like a lead balloon.
"Yeah" she smiled
"Have you been to the hospital wing?"
"Yeah Yeah they gave me some cream to put on it"
"That it?" he was surprised
"Well yeah, there has just been a war!" she was really happy for someone who had just found out her fiancé had just died.
"You seem happy" Ghastly commented.
"I know, it's the medication I was given" oh so she wasn't happy to see him then Ghastly thought "I know about me and Billy-ray but I can't remember any of it. I think in that last moment part of me knew, but it was too late" she bent her head in shame "I'm happy to see you too" she mumbled and that was all he needed to hear. He scooped her up into another hug, resulting in her yelping because of her rib.
"I'm so glad you're alive Ghastly" she said into his chest "I don't know how I would cope with out you"
"I'm glad you're alive too" he smiled "This might be the wrong time to ask but" he broke away from the hug and continued "do you want to go to dinner with me?"
She looked up at him and nodded,
"Yes" she smiled "Yes, Yes I will" after she said the words a round of applause erupted around them. Ghastly looked around seeing everyone in the canteen was looking at them and listening in to their conversation. Tanith nudged him and he looked where she was looking. In the corridor there was more people looking in, apparently Valkyrie had been going around telling everyone to go to the canteen to see the reunion.
"Ummm" Ghastly said uncertain on what to do with the audience, Tanith started laughing it was the most beautiful sound Ghastly had ever heard, eventually he joined in too. And together they both laughed which started everyone off around them. The world needed a good laugh especially after what it had just been through.
Thanks for reading :)