A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Valkyrie, Ghastly, Gordon or Erskine.

I settled into a routine with the baby. He never needed fed, but I did change his clothes in the mornings and evenings. I had no idea if his clothes even needed cleaned but I was certain they did. Didn't Skulduggery have a dry cleaners? I sighed. I'd been wanting to call him, to ask a million things I didn't know about babies or skeletons but I knew both type of questions would hurt him. So I sought out Uncle Gordon who just shrugged. "The nice thing about being an uncle is you can beg off changing or taking care of a baby. You seem to be doing fine. But you're a new mother, so of course you'll worry." He said kindly.

I nodded and wandered back out to check on the baby and realized I needed something to do. He went with me almost everywhere in the mansion that I thought it was safe, only returning to his cribs for naps but other than housework and taking care of the baby I had no life. I sighed. "You need a name, cutey." I said, picking up the squirming bundle. Doctors had assured me he was male so I needed a good name. Instantly I thought of Skulduggery as a name and rejected it just as quickly. I was trying to think of a name when my mobile rang. Erskine.

"Do you have any news on the baby?" I asked eagerly.

""Hmm. I was expecting something more like 'Hi, Erskine.' or 'How are you?'." Erskine grumbled and I sighed.

"Sorry, I'm just loosing my mind. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Val. How's the little one?"

"OK, I guess. I have no idea. He seems happy at any rate."

"But you're not. Val, honey, tell me you didn't adopt him just so Skulduggery would come calling. Please?" Erskine asked and I sighed.

"I guess I thought I was getting a mini Skulduggery, but I'm going to pieces, Erskine. He'll never age, he'll be a hundred and still a baby. What kind of life is that for him?"

"Val, don't talk like that. We don't get to play God with him. He'll live as long as he'll live. I still have no idea why they were afraid of him. It isn't like he will be growing on you anytime soon. I called to see how you are and if you'd like to meet some old friends for lunch." My stomach dropped.

"I guess." I said faintly and Erskine said he'd pick me up in an hour before we rang off. I sighed, made sure I was presentable and took the baby to Uncle Gordon and was just about ready when the doorbell rang. I checked carefully and it was Erskine. He pulled me into a brief hug.

"Good to see you, Val. I miss having you at the Sanctuary. Our friends are in the car. Are you ready for this?" He asked gently and I nodded. Erskine escorted me to the car and I got in back with Ghastly while a frigid Skulduggery sat in front. I still had no idea what I'd done to offend him and he clearly wasn't in a mood to tell me.

"So, Val. How's the baby?" Erskine asked.

"Fine, except he still doesn't have a name. Did we find out what tomb he came from? I'd rather give him his real name if I could." The car got eerily quiet. "What?" I asked warily.

It was Skulduggery who spoke up, bitterness in his voice. "We found the tomb, all right. He's my son."

It turned out that was the reason for lunch. A very frigid Skulduggery wanted his son back. "If that's all right with you, Valkyrie." He said bitterly. I wanted to slap him. I really did.

"Now you listen to me." I hissed. "You were my partner and best friend. You are the one who walked away, not me. You want your son, fine. Take him. You already took his father away from me." I snapped. Skulduggery sat back in mild surprise.

"Because it is better this way, for both of us." He said, the anger draining out of his voice. Nothing more was said and lunch was finished in tense and miserable silence. I refused to cry. I knew I had to look like either a fool or the bad guy or both for wanting to keep the baby. When we arrived back at the mansion I shut myself in my room after Skulduggery left with the baby and his things. The silence that settled over the house when they left was deafening, no soft coos, no happy giggles, no nothing. But Skulduggery had his son back and that was all that mattered.

Skulduggery tried ringing me repeatedly the next day until I pulled the battery out of my mobile and took the phone off the hook. I had no idea what he wanted to talk about, but the man had my baby. No, his baby. He was the last person I wanted to see. Late that afternoon I heard the front door ring and went to answer it. It was Skulduggery and the only reason I opened the door was because it was raining and the baby was with him. The baby was screaming in anger from getting rained on. "Get in here, you idiot. Taking a baby out in the rain? Really, Skulduggery!" I growled as he stepped in, dripping wet. But Skulduggery never got wet, he hated water.

I steered him to the living room and turned on the fireplace to warm and dry him and the baby, then displaced the water from them and bundled them both in blankets. Skulduggery appeared to be in shock and I went to him. "Skulduggery, I'm sorry I yelled at you, OK? You're a wonderful father. I just- I got attached. It sounds stupid, but he was like a son to me. I'm really sorry, OK?" I asked and he nodded dully. "What brought you over?" I asked gently and he started to cry.

"Valkyrie, he died because of me. Now he is back and there's nothing I can do for him. He can't eat, he'll never grow up and it's all my fault." His sobs shook him and I went and took my best friend in my arms.

"You tried to feed him too, huh? He bit me when I did it." I said, remembering the unfortunate incident with the bottle of formula with a fond smile. "He hates getting wet. In my defense I thought as a baby he'd need food. I don't know why, it made sense at the time."

"Mother's instinct, to provide for your baby. I'm sorry, Val. I didn't have to just rip him from you. But he's my son, do you understand that?" I nodded and Skulduggery wrapped his arms around me. "I came over because he's been crying for you. He misses you. We both do." Skulduggery said quietly.

The baby fussed and I went over and picked him out of the crib I hadn't been able to bear moving out of the living room. "Hey, little man. Isn't it your nap time? I bet it is." I cooed to him, rocking him gently. His tiny fists grabbed onto me and he settled in, going to sleep. "Now you stop that." I said, settling into the couch beside Skulduggery. Skulduggery reached out and stroked a tiny cheekbone.

"He needs you, Val. We both do. I went away so you wouldn't learn the truth. But I love you. I'm in love with you, and I need you with me."

Aww. That was a whole bundle of cute, at least the last part.