Echo looked over the younger girl again as she washed off her brushes and palette in the kitchen sink, making sure that all the paint that didn't go down the drain on it's own was scrubbed down: This stuff stained, and she didn't fancy paint marks in her sink. She would have to scrub the floor in the living room anyways… or not, because it might actually look nice. She'd have to see. Echo returned to her observation after making her decision.

The girl- Valkyrie- had dark hair and dark eyes, and looked like she was ready to go the mall with her friends. However, the way she watched Echo, and occasionally looked at Skulduggery, but mostly looked at Echo as if calculating something… Well, calculating might be putting it too highly: the girl looked completely confused. Echo wasn't surprised at all, and looked over at her old friend.

Skulduggery had finally taken it upon himself to remove his disguise, and was currently folding his scarf and placing it in one of his pockets. She had missed the sight of his pale skull: she had to admit, but disguised her smile as a cocky smirk. "So, what took you so long?"

"Hmm?" Skulduggery took extra time in carefully sliding the over-large over-dark sunglasses into yet another concealment in his clothing. Skulduggery understood the question, but was stalling. That was a bad sign. A little red flag went up in the back of her mind and she turned to face her friend.

"To find me. What took you so long to find me?" There was a pause, and the density of the air around them seemed to increase exponentially. "Please tell me you got lost." She said teasingly, tried to lighten the mood. She knew why he wasn't talking. Valkyrie was here. And Valkyrie didn't know.

He paused, before saying slowly, "You know, most people don't wish their friends got lost." Okay, she had succeeded in lightened the mood. But he wasn't answering.

"I know."

There was a moment of silence that Echo used to grab a towel and dry the pan haphazardly. "I'm not most people," she explained once she was done. "So why did it take you so long to find me?" She repeated, but with just enough steel in her voice to let him know she would not take 'I'll tell you later' for an answer.

Skulduggery seemed to think for a moment and then said, "I was busy."

Echo picked up on the ever-so-slight hesitation in his voice, concluded that he was hiding something from her, and decided to play a one-sided game of "Hot and cold." He would tell her when she was close to her target, or when she was not. She could read him well enough, she was confident in that.

Now, what would he try to hide from her?

No, not what. Why.

Why… Because it would mean she would be injured? …No. He would be even more likely to tell her then. She pretended to inspect her work as she pondered. No doubt it was fooling no one: Valkyrie was rocking forwards and backwards impatiently just out her line of sight.

Because he was afraid of what she might say? That… was probably it. And if that were it, then he would be afraid of what she might say because she might react badly… Echo looked at herself from his point of view, and figured it out while she set the pan to dry on the window, with her brushes inside of it. Valkyrie stopped moving, and Echo suddenly realized what it was that he was trying to hide, or soften.

Her eyes flicked to Valkyrie for an instant, who was watching the two of them suspiciously, and then back to Skulduggery.

His shoulders tensed.

Bingo.

"Busy with your student? Wow, that's lame." She intoned it as if she was teasing, to set him at ease. I'm not mad, Skulduggery, you can relax.

Skulduggery seemed to pick up on the note of 'You paranoid idiot' in her voice, or her body language, or something, and relaxed slightly. "Lame? Valkyrie is not lame!"

Valkyrie looked at him as if he was on drugs. "Are you on drugs?" she demanded.

"…Except for when she says things like that. Valkyrie, I don't think it's even possible for me to take drugs."

Echo snorted at his answer as though she did not believe him, even as she agreed with him. "You don't think it's possible?"

"I never tried," he said loftily. "What, have you?"

Echo's eyes widened, almost of their own accord, and then she turned her head away as if blushing. Oh, the glories of the theatre.

Skulduggery stood straight up- did he believe it? She would have given him her 'Skulduggery you are an idiot' stare, but that would have ruined the act.

Valkyrie stared. "Miss Fated-"

"Echo, please."

"-You take drugs?"

"No… Yes… it was only once!" Echo looked at Valkyrie again, eyes wide, and the lack of a blush on her face must have given her away because Skulduggery seemed to pick up on the fact that she was putting on a show.

"It only takes once to get addicted, you know," he drawled, leaning against the counter. Echo heard the slight tremble in his voice as he struggled not to laugh.

Valkyrie had picked up on it as well, and her head snapped to look at him so fast Echo almost got whiplash just by watching. Valkyrie looked at Echo, then back, then at Echo again.

"…Well, this is good news. Skulduggery found a friend that is just as crazy as he is." Her tone was condescending and sarcastic, the same way Penelope's would get when someone was lying in front of her.

Echo's lips trembled, and then she laughed girlishly, leaning against the counter in a way that was scarily similar to the way Skulduggery leaned. She loved acting. God, she loved it.

"Yes, I may be crazy, but I'm also very good at playing pretend!" She smirked.

Skulduggery snickered, and Valkyrie stared. "You… You're laughing?"

He stopped abruptly. "No I'm not. I never laugh."

It was Echo's turn to snicker. "Liar," she accused.

Valkyrie stopped everything and seemed to be thinking hard. Echo could almost hear the gears turning behind her eyes, and had an inkling of why Skulduggery had agreed to teach her. Finally, the young student queried, to confirm whatever thoughts she had. "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did," Echo commented, unable to resist being a smart-ass. "You can ask something else, though."

"How long have you and Skulduggery known each-other?"

Echo looked at Valkyrie curiously. "You know, you're the first person your age I've ever met, with no previous knowledge of my existence, to come to that conclusion so quickly. But, then again, I was hardly careful to hide it."

Valkyrie blinked, and blinked again. "You didn't answer my question."

"It would be rather hard to do so… or do you want a rough estimate?" Echo asked, teasing.

The brunette turned around, seeming to look out the window, but leaned back far enough that she could see Skulduggery without tilting her head his way.

His arms were crossed, and he was watching them silently. His way of saying it was up to her.

"A pretty long time, Valkyrie." She murmured, watching the neighbor's kids play in their driveway across the street. "A pretty long time."


The strange woman puzzled Valkyrie. Echo seemed to forget she was there at times, even when looking directly at her- or through her, as it were. Her eyes went from focused and direct to dreamy and elusive in an instant, and her smiles ranged from sarcastic to quietly sad.

But most of all, even when Echo forgot Valkyrie was there, the most troubling thing was that Skulduggery had not forgotten. Valkyrie had a feeling that if she had not been there, the whole day would have gone much smoother for both adults. It was just this unmistakable air of awkwardness, especially during that one part…

"Hey, Skulduggery?"

"Hmm?" Skulduggery asked, not bothering to use real words.

"What did Echo mean when she asked you why it took so long for you to 'find' her?"

Skulduggery was silent.

"Hey, Skulduggery?"

"I heard you. It's impossible not to."

"…And?"

Skulduggery sighed, pulling up next to Valkyrie's house- it was surprisingly close by, barely a mile's walk… He turned off the engine, and when she didn't move he sighed again. "It's a long story."

"My reflection can wait."

"…Alright. I guess I'll start with the fact that even though it's nearly impossible for me to be as old as I look, I'm pretty old. Echo is as well. Just getting that out of the way. You know, in case you hadn't figured it out-"

"Get with the story."

"…A couple years back, I came back from the dead, and Echo and I got into a couple of fights. Nothing seriously, just… I think she was jealous of me." (Bullshit.)

He paused. Valkyrie leaned forward, and then wiggled side to side impatiently. "Go on."

"Oh, right. Sorry. Anyway, eventually she left the army-"

"Army?"

"Yes, army. She left the army-" Valkyrie got a sense that he was mocking her by the lilt in his voice, "-and set up shop somewhere in London. When I found her, she told me I was being stupid and left again. Imagine, calling me stupid…" He trailed off.

"…That's it?"

"Oh, no. I had a realization unlike any other and we became friends again, but that's not interesting."

Valkyrie was about to sigh and leave the car, to go try and pick the truths from his overly skimpy tale, when she realized he didn't answer her question. "…And why did she say that it took you a long time to find her?"

"The habit stuck with her- plus, she has to move around a lot, because she ages very slowly. The crazy woman's been moving around for the better part of six centuries, and every time I find her-" He looked at her strangely, or seemed to, and nodded towards her house. Valkyrie sighed- his next words would tell her to leave. "You should go inside, before I'm forced to drive off with you because your parents call the cops."

Valkyrie took the hint, and closed the car door behind her gently. Next time she saw China, she was asking about that.

…Wait, did he say that Echo had been moving around for six centuries?!


A/N: So, what did you think? Much better then the OLD chapter 2, ne? Chapter three coming soon, right after I finish it and make sure I get started on chapter four...

OH, and, random question.

Should I change my name to 'And The Plot Thickens...'? Because that's a really bad-ass name. I want it.