A/N: I don't own Monk, Trudy, Skulduggery or Valkyrie.


Monk stared around the Sanctuary infirmary impressed. The doctors had examined the enchanted plastic (he still had problems believing it had been enchanted) and had treated Skulduggery. The skeleton lay on a bed unmoving but Valkyrie said he'd be fine. "He'd fall apart if he died. I've seen it happen." She said softly. "The bit of plastic at the end of the cord had a sigil drawn on it. I don't know how he missed it, but when he touched it he activated it."

"Then it could have made any one of us ill?" Monk asked. She nodded and his mind whirred into overdrive. So much of this seemed like a setup to make Skulduggery look bad. The planted evidence, the sigil (whatever that was) that he'd missed. He was being made to look like a fool and Monk felt sorry for him. But he felt more sorry for Valkyrie.

She was young and beautiful and magical. She didn't deserve this. To have two neurotic detectives to care for. She deserved a handsome partner who was brave and bold, everything he wasn't. Wait. Why was he even thinking like this? It had to be stress. Valkyrie was too young for him, surely. Even if her wonderful smiles and tender care were melting his heart. She'd make such a wonderful partner.

The skeleton stirred and looked at Valkyrie. For a moment a look of infinite tenderness passed between the partners and Monk expected them to hold one another in relief. Then a look of utter rage came over Valkyrie's face and she slapped Skulduggery so hard that his skull rocked to the side. "Ow! What was that for?" He whined, rubbing his teeth and cheek as if the blow had hurt.

"For not paying attention, Skulduggery! You played with a sigil, really? How stupid are you?" She was roaring at the top of her lungs and Monk felt bad for Skulduggery but everyone around them ignored the display of anger like it was normal.

"I heard a voice. It told me if I touched the sigil I'd-" Skulduggery cut off and looked away, clearly ashamed. Valkyrie seemed torn between love for her partner and anger. Mostly anger but Monk understood that type of anger. She hadn't been able to protect Skulduggery any more than he had protected Trudy. She stormed off and he knew she was going to cry. Not because she was a woman, but because he remembered tears following his own rage too.

The skeleton sighed and Monk turned to him, watching him sit up. "I've failed her. I used to be her hero, you know? A long time ago. Her world revolved around me. Lately I'm lucky if she even has free time for a craic on the phone. She doesn't need me anymore, Detective Monk, and I'm not sure how to handle it." Monk couldn't belive what he was doing, but he stood up and patted Skulduggery's shoulder, trying not to think of the germs and wishing he had hand sanitizer.

"I'm sure you're still her hero, she was scared she was going to loose you. The whole way here she was blaming herself. She cares about you a lot, she- Valkyrie has the idea you'll think she is weak if she shows it. She needs you." He said and he could have sworn the skeleton smiled at him even without the façade. "What did the voice say you would get? It could be important."

"That the woman I love the most would be back in my arms." Skulduggery said and Monk knew exactly how he felt. Exactly.


Whoa! So many dramas! Is Monk falling in love with Val? Does Skulduggery want his wife back?