A/N- Hey everybody! Another chapter just for you! Don't forget to review! (OMG that rhymed XD)

I do not own Skulduggery Pleasant, Derek Landy does. Because he is awesome.

"See you later, Stephanie!" my mum called from the door. "Desmond! Come on! We're going to be late!"

My dad hurried down the stairs, fixing his jacket. Mum insited he wore something formal for the occasion.

"Desmond... Where are your pants?" she asked.

Dad looked down and noticed he wore only boxers.

"Oh! I knew I was forgetting something!" he said while rushing back upstairs.

"Sometimes I do worry about him," she sighed.

I smiled. It was at rare times like this when I could truely appreciate how loony my family was.

"Okay. All ready," dad said as he arrived back at the door.

"Bye, Steph," he called out while getting into the car.

As the taxi sped down the road, Alice started to cry. I grabbed a milk bottle, put it in the microwave and tested it. I went over to Alice's cot and tried to feed her but she refused it. I set the bottle down and tried rocking her to sleep.

Then I saw a shadow outside the window.

I gently put Alice back into her cot and crept to the window.

Another shadow.

My necromancer ring started turning as cold as dry ice.

I rushed outside, looking for the source of the shadows. I couldn't find them.

Then I heard rustling in the bushes.

I slowly crept towards the sound, drawing shadows into one of my hands. With the other hand, I pushed at the air, parting the bush's leaves.

What I saw there nearly made me scream.

A man lay there, in a pool of his own blood. His eyes were still open, staring unseeingly at the twinkling of stars just beginning to show in the early night sky.

I immediately rushed inside to check on Alice. Thankfully she was still in her cot.

I whipped out my phone. I had to get to the sanctuary.

"Fletcher?" I said. This wasn't a time to be an arguing ex-couple. There had been a murder. Right outside my own home.

"What's wrong?" came his reply. He knows I only call when it's urgent.

"I need to get to the sanctuary. Now."

"I'm on my way."

I hung up and went into defensive mode. The killer might be still out there. If he is, I'll put up a bloody good fight before he gets to my baby sister.

There was a soft 'pop' and Fletcher appeared in the room.

"What's wrong?" he asked me again.

"No time. We have to get to the sanctuary. Can you get Alice's pram? I can't leave her here with the reflection. It can't fight for it's life, let alone Alice's."

He nodded and disappeared with another soft 'pop'. A minute later he reappeared with Alice's pram.

I softly lowered Alice into it, buckled her up and held onto the handle, my other hand I put on Fletcher's shoulder. A moment later we were in The Elder's council room. Alice immediately started crying.

Three cleavers sprang at us.

"Damn, didn't think that through," Fletcher whispered to himself.

Erskine Ravel looked over and saw us.

"Cleavers, they are welcome here," he called. The cleavers immediately went back to their posts.

"Ah, Valkyrie, Fletcher. So nice to see you. This must be Alice," he said, striding towards us.

In spite of the situation, I smiled.

"Hello, Erskine," I said, "It's nice to see you too."

"Well, let's get to business," he said, "why have you come into the council room unannounced with a baby?"

"I would like to know that too," Fletcher said.

I told them the whole story of the shadows, the rustling in the bush and finally the dead body.

"Hmm," Ravel said, digesting the information, "did you know this person?"

"I don't think so," I said, "But then again, I might not recognise him with blood covering most of his features."

"'Okay. I'll send out some people to pick up the body. We'll get back to you if we figure out the person is. I think you'll have to pause the search for Sanguine and Tanith. This is a more pressing matter."

"How is it more pressing?" asked Fletcher.

"It's happening right here, right now. Whilst Tanith and Sanguine have been relatively quiet the past couple of weeks. Plus, it can't be a coincidence the murder just happened to be right outside Valkyrie's house."

I mulled it over. He was right, of course.

"Okay. I'll call Skulduggery and tell him to pause the search," I said.

"Good," Erskine said, "is there anything else you would like to discuss?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"Well, it sounds like you have a baby to attend to," he said with a hint of a smile. I realised that Alice was still crying.

"Oh, yeah, well thanks Erskine," I said, putting my hand on Fletcher's shoulder again.

In a flash, we were back at my house. I picked up Alice, who was now crying even harder. I don't think she likes teleporting.

"Ahem," Fletcher said.

I forgot he was in the room.

"Are you sure you're gonna be okay on your own?" Fletcher asked.

I smiled and nodded.

"This isn't the first time danger's followed me to my home," I pointed out.

"Oh. Yeah," Fletcher replied.

We continued to stand there awkwardly, just staring at each other and me clutching a screaming baby.

"I-" he began, but then stopped himself. "See you soon," he said instead.

"Kay," I replied, giving him a small smile.

He replied with a week smile of his own, then vanished.