CAUTION: THIS CHAPTER MAY BE A BIT AWKWARD!

Hope ya guys can take "awkward". It actually is awkward…ya know?

~Val's POV~

As we sat, waiting for our call for our appointment, Skulduggery was giving me a rundown of how to make a "proper" excuse.

"First thing to keep in mind is that only use excuses when desperately needed. And also when you know that the excuse isn't awkward," he said.

"Define awkward," I muttered back.

He sighed. "Do I really need to? I mean, you are awkward yourself so you should know."

I stabbed his foot with my heel but he stifled his howl since Matty and the Administrator were giving us the evil eyes. Skulduggery groaned quietly.

"I have a perfectly good "excuse" for my actions," I said giving him an innocent smile. He started to grumble.

"Fine! We'll save excuse lessons for later!"

"Fine by me," I said as I took my ipod out and settled down into the chair. I have to admit, even though I hate the grand mage, I like his style in furniture. Shiny leather yet so comfortable. I looked up at Skulduggery to find him eyeing my ipod.

"What?"

"Nothing," he muttered and went back to grumbling. I stared at him for a long while until he caught me staring.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" he asked

"I'm trying to figure out if you have any ears."

He started at me and I'm sure that if he had eyes, they would be blinking. "Er…no. I don't have ears but I have…uh… holes? Ears aren't actually very strong bones so they decompose easily. Why?"

"Oh…erm… well I was wondering if you wanna listen to my ipod. You could, er… stick the earphones into your ear hole?!"

We stared at each other for what seemed like ages. "Sure. In my ear holes…ok-ay," he said unsurely. I passed him one of the ear phones while I stuck the other into my ear. I gazed back up at him to find him fiddling with the ear phone while trying to stick it into his ear hole,-I don't think it was going very well.

After many attempts of poking and twisting, he sighed and gave up. "How about I just hold it to my ear?"

"But you don't have one, remember?" I replied.

"Oh, fine! Ear hole then!"

"Right," I said as I turned my ipod on and pressed play.

I KISSED A GIRL, AND I LIKED IT!

I froze and then quickly pressed pause as I saw Skulduggery twitch nervously. I turned to him and gave him a shaky smile. "Er…I didn't know it was on pause! But I'm not lesbian either!" I quickly added. I then pressed next and prayed that this song wasn't disturbing. My prayer wasn't accepted.

I'M GONNA TAKE YOU BACK TO MY HOUSE! I LOVE TH-

Once again I pressed pause and babbled explanations to Skulduggery. He then cleared his throat. "Do you have…uh…song from the…erm, 30s or 40s?"

"Oh yeah! I have the Beatles and um...Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson?"

Before Skulduggery could reply, the Administrator strode up to us.

"The Grand Mage awaits you in the meeting room," she said as we stood up and then she led us back to the meeting room. On our way, we passed Miss. Strange.

"Ah, it was nice meeting you! Hope we see each other again," she said giving us a quick nod and then she hurried past before we could reply. She seemed to have recovered her politeness.

Skulduggery and I looked at each other and then kept on walking. Finally we came to the big meeting door again and the Administrator nodded at us and then left. Skulduggery knocked three times but on the second knock the door swung open. Thruid Guild stood there glaring at us but then sighed and made way to let us in. I noted in my head about his strange behavior. So unlike the Grand Mage I know.

"No small talk, I just want to get to the business and over with it," he grumbled as he sat down. He sounded strained and tired.

"Well then, Grand Mage. What is it you want with us?" asked Skulduggery as he sat down. But Thruid ignored him and turned towards me.

"A man, unidentified, broke into the sanctuary three days ago. He was looking you."

I stared at him. "Me? Why?"

"I do not know. He melted away before we could capture him," explained Thruid rubbing his brows.

"Melted? As in literally melted?" I turned to Skulduggery who was tapping his hat.

"Yes. There are some mages who have the ability to melt away or form into any other shame they want." He then turned to Thruid and asked "Could you please describe him to me?"

"Well," said Thruid. "I only arrived there halfway through his mutation. He had long scraggly black hair as if there were leaves, twigs or even seaweed stuck to him. He was in all black and was dripping with some type of black liquid. Oh! And his teeth were yellow."

"Remind you of anyone?" Skulduggery asked me. I shook my head. A maniac leaking with black liquid and seaweed for hair? Nope. Not in my book.

"Oh yes! I almost forgot!" Thruid suddenly exclaimed. He reached out from underneath his desk and pulled out 3 broken pieces of a rod and a small disk like object. When he handed them to me, I realize it was the broken pieces of the scepter of the Ancients!

"When the…*ahem* "maniac" melted away, he left the broken pieces of the scepter behind. I think there is a book about the ancients that may also help you try and reattach it. China Sorrows currently owns it."

I gently took the pieces and put them in order alongside the grand mages desk. Sure enough, the pieces formed the scepter. I looked up at Skulduggery.

"Did the man say anything?" he asked Thruid.

"No, he was actually screaming and laughing…in a really disturbingly evil way," Thruid replied. Fascinating.

Suddenly, our deep thoughts were disturbed by a loud buzzing and "Hello Motto" ringing out from the grand Mage's cell phone. Thruid fumbled for his phone and snapped it open and grimaced as loud yelling's and screaming blasted out from the phone.

"Yes, yes. I'm sorry, I was busy-" Thruid mumbled into the phone.

Who ever called, they sure were angry. Skulduggery and I leaned in to catch a better hearing of what was going on but then Thruid frowned and glared at us and we retreated back into our seats.

"Yes, I'm coming. I'll be there right away," grumbled Thruid and shut his phone.

"I'm sorry but I have to leave now," he muttered as he stood up and grabbed his coat off the chair and car keys from his desk drawer. He led us (or more like dragged us) to the door and locked it behind him.

"I'm sorry for not being much of any assistance but it's all I got," he said nodding to the broken scepter in my hand.

I was about to thank him when Skulduggery intercepted in front of him, blocking his way.

"Why exactly are you helping us?" Skulduggery demanded.

Thruid grumbled again impatiently. "Oh I don't know. I guess it's because I owe you for helping me…and it's what Bliss would have wanted," he added bowing his head. We all bowed our head. Thruid straightened up again and nodded to us and hurried down the corridor in quick strides.

Skulduggery and I then made our way back to the opening and are greeted by the vulture like stares from the Administrator and a teary eyed look from Matty.

"Well we'll be off then," Skulduggery told them.

The Administrators eyes narrowed. "Why were you so quick with your appointment?"

"Oh, the Thruid had to leave due to a call," I explained. "He seemed really troubled. Do you know what's up?"

"Oh that," the Administrator muttered. "It's because the Grand Mage's wife just had triplets, and a whole hand full they are alright. I mean just the other day, Thruid had to be called off from a meeting for another "baby disaster". He came back late the next day with dark circles under his eyes."

"The Grand Mage had triplets?" murmured Skulduggery. "Well you give him our congratulations."

The Administrator grimaced. I nodded at Matty. "Cheer up Matty. It will be alright!"

Matty frowned at me and straightened up. "That's Mr. Flint to you…or maybe not… well at least until the divorce papers come!" And he started up his fountain or tears again. The Administrator gave me a "Gee, thanks a lot" glare and I sheepishly smiled back as I followed Skulduggery through the hallway and out the door. When we were out he turned to me and tilted his head.

"I love the way you handle things sometimes," he said.