I know it has been a long time and I'm sorry for not updating. You're reviews motivated me again and this is what came out of it. Hope you enjoy. I have another chapter but I am not going to put it up just yet. Also I am going to start making more short chapters instead of less long ones. Thanks for your patience everyone! Also I am going to start dedicating the capters to my reviewers, but if there are multiple reviewers to each chapter you might have to share =P (for this chapter I am putting up everyone that has reviewed so far.

~Dedicated to milomeepit, FiFiZeeeFlowertot, SymetricallyObsessed, Blaze Repose, Deactivated. Ciao, Mademise Morte, and Chrysanth Florence

Fletcher's Pov

I could barely contain my laughter as Skulduggery stepped out the door pouting. If his skin had been real in the first place it would have been bruised and battered all over. Not even the great Skulduggery Pleasant could stand up to the intimidating presence of Kenspeckle Grouse which meant that when Kenspeckle wanted to hit him with a stick, then Skulduggery would have to sit there and be hit. I chuckled again as I stepped out behind him.

"I have to admit Skulduggery, it is good to see you being the one beaten up for once after all the times you have done it to me." I chuckled and he glared at me viscously and for once I wasn't scared. I smirked.

"You had better wipe that smile off your face Fletcher or it will be wiping the floor in less than a second." He threatened. My grin got even wider.

"But I don't think your partner would like that too much Skulduggery, after all we are going out now."

Skulduggery shivered.

"And a more horrendous thought I couldn't imagine. Also does that mean you need your girlfriend to protect you?" He jeered triumphantly.

"Yes." I said simply and Skulduggery frowned.

"Well that didn't work out quite how I planned it."

"I know."

"But I'm still going to hurt you."

"Try."

Skulduggery's façade gained a wicked smile and that was the warning I needed to teleport as Skulduggery's fist flew through the air where I had been less than a moment before and appearing behind him.

"No teleporting, you could at least fight fairly, porcupine boy."

"Well guess what? I don't fight fair, bone head."

"Obviously."

He threw another punch and I dodged again easily, amazingly calm. Before I knew it I was teleporting every half second and laughing hysterically. Skulduggery just seemed to get madder as I laughed that when he finally got a hit in I got massively winded and doubled over in pain. Now Skulduggery laughed and went to hit me again, only to have his fist meet solid shadows. He cried out and pulled his hand back, hopping up and down and whining.

"Enough." Val said in a no nonsense voice and I held back a smirk.

She crouched down beside me and held up my head.

"You okay Fletch?"

"Fine."

I started to stand and pretended to hold in my pain in a weak attempt at false bravado. Val face immediately changed into one of concern as she held him down.

"Don't get up Fletch, I'll deal with him."

At the last statement Skulduggery's façade paled and he ran away.

"Chicken." She muttered.

As soon as Skulduggery was out of sight she dropped my head in disgust.

"You are such a girl." She muttered as I winced in pain.

"I thought you wanted to help me?"

"Um no, just because we are going out, it doesn't mean I have to save you from every fight."

She got a wicked glint in her eye as she said this and grinned.

"Uh oh, I know that look. What are you planning?"

Val didn't answer but dragged me unwillingly out into the back yard.