Skulduggery stepped out of his 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental and walked over to Bespoke Tailors, wrapping his scarf around the lower half of his face and dipping his hat down below his eyes. Ghastly Bespoke had made Skulduggery a new suit, as he was getting tired of the ten others he had. Ghastly was the best, most intricate tailor around, and a very good friend of Skulduggery's; but he still charged him full price for his suits. Skulduggery had spent the night before with Valkyrie at her house after her parents had gone out. He'd climbed in through her bedroom window and they'd spent the entire night laughing and joking. The other reason Skulduggery had decided to go see Ghastly, was because Valkyrie had told him some interesting information.

Skulduggery walked into the tailors, and removed his disguise. Ghastly looked up from his desk and smiled.

"Here for your suit I presume?" Ghastly said, standing up.

"How do you know I didn't just come for a friendly chat?" Skulduggery replied, and Ghastly raised an eyebrow. "But yes, I would also like my suit." Ghastly grinned and moved into the back room, taking Skulduggery's new suit and handing it to him. "Wonderful." he said, his voice like velvet. The two of them stood together, Ghastly swayed slightly with his hands in his pockets. To say they had been best friends for over 400 years, they still found themselves in awkward situations that neither one of them could get out of.

"I heard you had yourself a little date last night." Skulduggery began. "Who was the lucky woman?"

Ghastly glowered. "Valkyrie." He muttered.

"What?" Skulduggery replied, sounding a little alarmed. Ghastly's eyes widened. Skulduggery, if he had eyes, stared at Ghastly. Skulduggery knew himself and Valkyrie were nothing more than close friends, but to have possibly lost all of that to Ghastly had scared him. Ghastly was Skulduggery's best friend, but he hated the thought of Valkyrie being in the arms of him, instead of his own.

"Good God, no." Ghastly exclaimed. "I meant Valkyrie's obviously told you." Skulduggery's shoulders lowered as relief flowed through him.

"Ah yes," he said. "That she did."

"You're not here to talk to me about it, are you? Because, you know, that probably wouldn't be such an exciting conversation, for you."

"Oh, of course not. That's a conversation I think I'd gladly miss, it'd be quite awkward." The two of them stood in silence for a moment. "So how was she?"

"Skulduggery!" Ghastly said, his head snapping towards him. Skulduggery raised his gloved hands and Ghastly calmed down. "Pretty good." Ghastly mumbled. Skulduggery tilted his head; if he had lips, or a face, he would be grinning.

"Going to marry her?" Skulduggery asked.

"I think it's a bit too early to be asking her."

"You've thought about it for the past 6 years, I don't really think it's too early." Skulduggery said and Ghastly glowered.

"I don't know how she feels." he murmured.

"You've done the dirt and she stayed in your shirt and your home all day, according to Val, and you don't know how she feels? I think it's pretty clear to me." Ghastly was silent for a moment.

"Yeah, you've got a point."

"I always do." Skulduggery said, picking up his suit. "Right well, I'll leave, before this conversation gets any more awkward. Thanks for the suit." Skulduggery put his disguise back on and walked out the shop.

"Skulduggery? Thanks." Ghastly called after him and Skulduggery nodded. He walked back to the car, chucking the suit into the boot. He stopped for a moment to register the conversation he'd just had with Ghastly, and the thoughts he had about Valkyrie during it. He got into the car and just sat there for a while. He and Valkyrie had been partners for six years, and the whole time she'd been his best friend, his partner, his little girl, but now he was getting worried that he might lose her to someone else? He shook his head. Since when did he care for who she was with, or who she dated, or who she liked. He didn't. All Skulduggery wanted was for her to be safe. Why did he now care for who she may end up with? Skulduggery started the car and sped off, soon arriving back at Valkyrie's. Her car was in the drive but her parents car wasn't, so he parked the Bentley, and walked around to the back of her house. He splayed his hands and pushed at the air, landing softly in Valkyrie's room. She was on her bed sleeping, curled up in a ball, her dark hair covering her face. He tilted his head and walked over to her. Skulduggery gently scraped her hair back behind her ear and pulled a blanket out from her wardrobe, putting it over Valkyrie. He removed his disguise and sat cross legged on her desk chair, just sat watching her sleep. If he had lungs and his lungs had a breath, he would've sighed. But instead, all he could do was drop his shoulders and tilt his head. He found himself, for the first time, confused. Skulduggery couldn't work out what he was feeling and he hated it. Was he undeniably close to being in love again? Was it the fact that Ghastly had finally got Tanith after all these years and he had no one? Skulduggery sat back. He didn't have no one, he had Valkyrie. But for how long? How long until someone else came along and took her away from him? How long until she decided she'd had enough of being around him, and left without a trace?

Skulduggery ran his thoughts rapidly through his empty skull, his memories and his emotions playing over one another. He thought of his darling wife and child, and how much he'd loved them-

He looked up. That was it. Skulduggery realised right there, right then, exactly what it was that was torturing him. That was closing him in. He looked at Valkyrie who was lying asleep on her bed. He knew.

Skulduggery Pleasant had fallen in love with Valkyrie Cain.