"…And that's how Skulduggery became…this." Valkyrie says, gesturing to the affectionate Detective…

With her on his lap.

"My dear Valkyrie, I have always been the same. Clearly, you have a confused mind because that did not happen." Skulduggery speaks softly, placing his chin on her right shoulder. Ghastly raises a brow when he notices Skulduggery rubbing his teeth against her neck, almost as if he's kissing it…

"Oh yeah? And what do you think happened?" Valkyrie retorts, which is quite hard to do so when she feels Skulduggery 'kissing' her neck.

"You just happen to be in peril, like you usually do, and I saved you in a heroic fashion, like I usually do."

"I'm surprised his ego hasn't changed." Tanith says, smirking a little. She sits across the two detectives, sitting next to Ghastly, with her right elbow on the table and her right hand holding her head.

"Let me go, you abomination!"

"Pipe down or I'll shove that bow of yours down your throat!"

Everyone turns to the werewolf dragging a tied-up Frenchman who's wearing a black version of Robin Hood. Freya growls warningly before the criminal, not wanting his precious weapon down at the place where he eats, whimpers pathetically. Freya sighs before turning to Erskine and Ghastly. "So have you collected some data on that arrow?"

"We're trying to but it seems like a work of great craftsmanship. Like it's made from the gods…" Valkyrie moves her head a little, her eyes staring at Ghastly.

"Does this weapon involve the Ancients or Faceless Ones?" Ghastly's brow furrows before he shakes his head.

"Not possible. This weapon is what causes a person to…um…" Ghastly gestures to the cuddling detective, making Valkyrie blush. "…fall for the person they first see. They call it Cupid's Arrow because of that effect. I doubt the Ancients OR the Faceless Ones have anything to do with love."

"Then who do you think made it?" Tanith asks, raising a confused brow. Erskine rubs his chin a little.

"We're not sure. The arrow, before Arrow stole it, was in a museum for display or attractions. An archeologist found it deep within the grounds of Cythera."

"Then you're looking for Aphrodite." Everyone turns to Freya.

"Afro who?" Valkyrie asks, not used to the name. Arrow glares at Valkyrie.

"How dare you not know the beautiful Madame?! Stupide!" Freya glares down at Arrow before looking back at Valkyrie.

"She's a Greek Goddess. She was born out of…um…foam." Freya coughs a bit, blushing a little bit.

"Foam?"

"Don't ask. You seriously don't want to know. Trust me. One of the myths says that she was born near the sea of Cythera. She's known as the goddess of beauty, sexuality and-"

"Love, I presume?" Ghastly asks, intrigued.

"Yep. Some say Cupid is the son of Aphrodite's Roman counterpart, Venus."

"So we need someone who has study the vast knowledge of mythology." Valkyrie says before letting out a gasp. Everyone in the room turns to her. Tanith grins a bit mischievously while the rest blushes with embarrassment.

Skulduggery has moves one of his bony hands onto her right thigh, the other on her left hip. He leans his teeth towards Valkyrie's ear, whispering ever-so-softly.

"You're a beautiful vixen; you are…How I would wish to ravish you every night." His smooth, velvet voice whispering with strong lust and love in his tone. Never has Valkyrie heard it. His normal velvet voice is sexy enough, this one is intoxicating.

"Ahem. Skulduggery?" Erskine clears his throat, getting the skeleton's attention.

"Hm? Oh, yes?"

"Please resist your…desire for Valkyrie for now. You got hit by an arrow so you shouldn't do anything…drastic." Erskine said, his face holding a look of disturbance with him being a bit loss for words due to the public display of affection.

Skulduggery stares at Erskine with his eye sockets, almost like he's glaring at him but his arms wrap around Valkyrie's waist, his hands lay on the sleeves of his bony arms harmlessly.

"Anyways, I believe the Asian Sanctuary mention Freya having a friend who knows almost every mythology in the world."

When everyone stares at the new girl, they were shock to find her eyes filled with such sadness…

With her hand that's gripping on Arrow slowly growing claws, digging them into the shirt of it.

"M-Mademoiselle, release me! Sacre bleu! M-My arm!" Freya grits her teeth before she shakes her head and softens her grip.

"Sorry…" She looks at the slightly ripped shirt but the claws almost sink into the skin. Her hands transform back into normal ones. "But I can't help you contact him."

"H-Huh?!" Valkyrie almost sprang out of Skulduggery's lap, if it weren't for his arms. "Why not?!"

"Did something happen?" Tanith asks, Freya shudders a bit.

"I don't like talking about it. I'll give you his name but with a condition. Never tell him that I'm here too." She takes out a card out of the pocket of her jeans and passes it to Ghastly.

Howler Moon

Werewolf mythologist and Adept fighter.

Phone No.: 014-xxx-xxxx

"Howler Moon is the best mythologist I know. He's two years older than me, so he's quite the prodigy. He used to be in the American Sanctuary but he moved to the Asian one for…personal reasons."

"Any reason you wish to hide from him?" Skulduggery asks, tilting his head a little. Freya stares at the ground silently before shaking her head.

"I just think he's forgotten about me." Valkyrie notices the look on Freya face…it seems quite familiar.

"Alright…But as for Skulduggery…" Ghastly looks at the detective, who is still cuddling the poor girl. "Well…maybe Valkyrie should handle him, along with Tanith and Freya for extra help. A few hundred years of solitude seems to increase the chances of him violating his own partner…"

"W-Wait, how long will this guy come?"

"About 3 – 4 days. But if we're lucky, maybe 2 days." Valkyrie blushes bright red.

"W-What!? Ghastly, h-how can I survive if S-Skulduggery keeps…keeps…" She can't even speak those words out. Instead, Tanith tries to finish her sentence.

"Keeps trying to pop her cherry?"

…Well, I did say try. I didn't say it was a good one.

"Tanith!" Valkyrie exclaims, embarrassment written all over her face.

"Then it's settle. Skulduggery," The Skeleton Detective looks at Ghastly with a small tilt of his skull.

"Hm?" Skulduggery hums, as if he hasn't been listening to the conversation of the meeting, thinking if it has nothing to do with Valkyrie or the end of the world, it wasn't worth it.

"Do you mind if you stay with Valkyrie for a few days? We're worried Valkyrie might be attacked as we're searching very crucial things that she knows." Valkyrie gave Ghastly a look that says 'he's not gonna buy that'.

"Seriously. He knows that I'm not getting targeted and also, he doesn't take direct orders from anyone who doesn't prove their authority."

"Sure. Not like this is any different from the usual days."

Valkyrie winces a bit. She and Skulduggery. In Gordon's house. If Freya and/or Tanith isn't with them…

"Good lord, this is going to be a looong day."

Well, sorry for the long wait (and very bad chapter T_T) but I plan on joining a Writers' Award contest so, It'll be awhile before I update any story…

Kuro: I'm just surprised you managed to go crazy into buying Book 5 – 7 of Skulduggery Pleasant.

Me: damn lucky too…almost took all of my savings. ^^"

Mii-kun: *facepaws* I feel bad for this story already…

Me: but I'm still a bit pissed by the fact that Tanith is a remnant and Ghastly is…well…the readers know what happened…

Kuro: not everything is happy and mushy.

Me: == heartless cat.

Kuro: Dreaming idiot.

Me: Killer lover.

Kuro: Crazy author.

Mii-kun: Okay! Enough with the name callings! =w= Read and Review, everyone.