Sorry guys, I took a long break from writing cause my school stuff was catching up on me. Anyways, let's continue. Starting in the story:

Tanith glared at Skulduggery as she grasped Ghastly's hand.

"I don't trust her." Skulduggery sighed, crossing his arms.

"You shouldn't. After we get Valkyrie back, I'm gone." Tanith said, plain and simply.

Ghastly glanced between them both. "Please, guys."

"I do not trust her."

"I do not trust him."

"Guys!"

"What!" They said, in sync with each other.

"She might turn back into the remnant!" Skulduggery seemed to plead.

"You can try and kill each other after! We need to find Val." Ghastly said.

Tanith nodded slowly, still glaring at Skulduggery.

"Plan?" Ghastly questioned, glancing at Skulduggery.

"What plan?" Skulduggery chuckled.

Ghastly's face turned into a worried mess. "Oh boy."

"Look, just grab Val and go." Tanith concluded.

She clicked her phone a few times, calling an old friend of hers.

"'Ello lil' darlin'." The voice said.

Sanguine.

"I'm sorry for running off like that. I just needed some air, babe. Take me back?"

His hesitation was obvious.

"Come to the warehouse. I'll pick you up there."

She flicked the phone down and glanced at the others, nodding.

REALITY:

"Ah, the big fight?"

"Yep!"

"Hah, can't wait!"

"Anyways…"

"Hm?" He walked over and sat on the cushioned chair, leaning on his thighs in a physiatrist's fashion.

Valkyrie hesitated momentarily. "Where'd you think… they… are?"

"China and Skulduggery? Ah, don't worry about them, Steph, they'll be fine."

"I know but…"

"They'll be fine."

She sighed.

She missed him so badly, his comforting and secure embrace. He shouldn't have left her here just to sit here and type. She needed to find him but until they had any leads she couldn't go to work.

STORY:

"Baby, I've missed you so much these past few days!" Tanith exclaimed, pulling the admittedly slightly dazed man into a warm embrace.

"I've missed you too, babe." He said, relaxing back into her whilst wrapping his arms around her. "Your carriage awaits lil' darlin'. Wanna go see your old pal Val?"

Tanith grinned devilishly, whereas her mind raced ahead, planning what she would do and how she would get Valkyrie away.

Sanguine sank slowly and cautiously into the ground. Dirt flew past the duo when suddenly…

CLANG!

Sanguine's face turned a shade of red, as Tanith looked down. He'd hit a sheet of metal, most probably part of a bigger underground structure.

"OPEN UP!" He screamed.

The sheet of metal seemed to whirr and retract into the dirt.

Sanguine and Tanith dropped down.

"Where are we?" Tanith said, dazed and confused.

"An underground metal bubble, love."

"A metal bubble? What if they're a fire or a flood!"

"Don't worry, lil' darlin', we thought of that. There's this secret hatch, right here, ya see?" He crouched and gestured to an outline going deeper into the ground."

"A set o' tunnels under 'ere. Leads back to that warehouse."

Tanith looked at Sanguine, admirably. "Well done, babe."

"Aww, thank you honey. Shall we go see Nye, Scapey and Val?"

She nodded, smiling. Sanguine grasped her hand gently and lead her on. Another part of the magnificent bubble opened up, revealing...

That thing and her.

Valkyrie was attached to a shining metal testing chair with pieces of leather wrapped around her pale naked body, holding her in place and her was face blank and devoid of all life. Nye was what seemed to be hunched over her, making cuts and notes on how her body worked. She couldn't really tell as it wasn't human.

"Wow…" Tanith gasped.

"Our friend Nye 'ere has been busy takin' your old pal apart."

Tanith stared, zoned out. How could she get Valkyrie back together? What would Ghastly do if she couldn't? Or, more importantly, what would Pleasant do to her if he found his partner in crime in pieces?

She shook her head, scattering her thoughts only to re-gather them later.

"Is Nye going to put her back together?" She whispered, minding her tone of voice.

"Maybe. Maybe not. I'll ask." Sanguine pulled away from Tanith and walked over to the thing called Nye, strong arms and standing straight. "'Ay, Nye," He spoke like an authoritive man, as if addressing a subject or servant. It was obvious Nye did not like being spoken to in that tone of voice. "Are you going to be putting poor Miss Cain here back together?"

"Why should I?" He snapped back, immediately, what were most probably its eyes gleaming with the shine of the metal bubble. "She tried to kill me and then ran out of my reach. She deserves to be in pieces."

Tanith felt an urge in the depths of her stomach, trying to punch its way free. It felt terrible. It was taking control her and it wouldn't leave her alone.

She proceeded forwards, punching the living daylights out of Nye. She cursed his name a million times. A sigh was heard from behind of her. Click.

Sanguine was aiming. Sanguine was aiming at her.

She froze to the spot.

"One more punch- no, one more step and I will fire!" The anger strived in his voice. "I thought you came back for me, babe! I thought you wanted to be together!" He was almost in tears.

"I'm sorry…" She mumbled. Guilt hit her like a knife in the heart. It darted around her body, making it pulsate.

He glared at her. "I knew… I knew you wouldn't come back for me!" He bellowed, tears rolling down the side of his face. The gun shook in his hands allowing the soft but terrible rattling of the chamber and bullets float to her ears. "You… You don't care a-about lil' old Sanguine, do ya! You never did! It's only that god damn Bespoke in your head…" His voice trailed off slowly. "Why?"

Her mind was as blank as blondes should be. She never intended to hurt him… This reminded her of Valkyrie's situation with Fletcher before. She didn't want to hurt him on purpose but… She did…

She needed to get the guys here! Now!

She turned and sighed. "Sanguine, I-"

"NO! NOT ONE WORD!" He screamed. "I LOVED YOU, TANITH! This is how you repay me?" He dropped the gun and fell to his knees in utter despair. His heart ached and his gut twisted into funny positions.

I was never good enough for her. All's lost for me now... His thoughts taunted him.

"I'm sorry, Sanguine." She ambled to the distraught man before her. She knelt at his side, resting her hand on his shoulder. "I really did love you at some point…. But… I…" She trailed off, curiously. "I guess I don't know… I'm sorry."

Suddenly, a certain skeleton detective and Elder vaulted through the escape hatch in the floor. Skulduggery's bones made an awful racket against the shining steel. They gasped for air, then rising to their feet and taking up arms. Their faces seemed troubled and shrouded with confused feelings as they saw Nye shivering in the corner, begging for mercy, Tanith with Sanguine on the floor crying and Valkyrie on a testing table naked and in pieces.

In… Pieces!

Skulduggery made a horrendous war cry as he made his way over to Nye. Nye cowered in the corner, begging for his life whereas Skulduggery was screaming at him, letting all hell break loose and all heavens unleash their fury on Nye.

It was terrified, poor thing. Skulduggery demanded over and over he put her together again but Nye was too busy sobbing into what they thought were his hands and quaking in fear.

Ghastly stood, looking sheepish and pale, glaring at Tanith whom was comforting Sanguine.

Well, my chances were down the drain anyway with that thing inside her… Skulduggery was right. His thoughts seemed to mock him, leaving him desperate to grab Sanguine by the neck and rip him to pieces. Ghastly set his mind to looking for Scapegrace. He was no-where in sight. Dumb zombies.

"No sign of Scapegrace." He sighed.

"NYE YOU SON OF A BITCH YOU PUT VALKYRIE BACK TOGETHER NOW!" Ghastly overheard Skulduggery screaming.

"P-P-Please! I-I don't wanna die! Not yet! Not now!" Nye pleaded.

"Sanguine, I'm sorry… I'm with Ghastly now…" Tanith comforted.

"You never loved me! You never did!" Sanguine shoved her attempts to comfort him right back in her face.

Ghastly could sense how his heart had shattered into a million billion pieces by now. Poor bloke.

LIFE:

"Drama!" Gordon chuckled. "It's like watching Eastenders at Christmas!"

"What? Skulduggery's Phil Mitchel, I'm Roxy, Tanith's Ronnie… Like that?"

"Yeah, but hyped up!"

"Is that possible!"

"Probably" He giggled. "violence and arrogance. Perfect blend for the Skulduggery Pleasant cocktail!"

"So, I should start thinking about the ending, shouldn't I?"

"Bit short…"

"No, I mean so I know what I'm writing and who I kill off."

"Oh, makes sense."

Gordon stood and started to pace the wooden floor yet again. He put his hand to his chin and rubbed it. "Is Skulduggery going to die?"

"No!"

"Tanith?"

"No…"

"…Ghastly?"

"Nah."

"China?"

"She's not even in this story!"

"..Good point."

They both paused for a minute, considering how they should go about things.

"Erskine?"

"Maybe…"

Valkyrie re-thought.

"I think Scapegrace, Sanguine and Nye should die. You know, in the final stand-off."

"Hm… Good idea."

There was a knock on the study door.

"Uncle, make yourself scarce!"

The door flew open and who should be standing there but a woman, whose un-natural beauty would blow the mind of any man, woman or child.