When they arrived back at Skulduggery's house with a takeout bag of Chinese food, Skulduggery mentioned the whereabouts of the Tame.

"It's in my room," Valkyrie assured him.

"I only have I request for this relationship," said Skulduggery as he opened the door for her.

"And that is?"

"No one knows about us. What would people think if they knew I was having an affair with my young assistant?"

"An old pervert?"

"Exactly."

She placed the food on the kitchen counter. "Actually, Skulduggery, I couldn't agree more. What would Tanith say? It would be against her better judgment."

He laughed. "Well good, as long as we're on the same page."

She leaned on the counter and smiled at him. She watched him move forward and loom over her. She never took into account how incredibly tall he was to her. Tall, dark, and mysterious.

"You re looking at me that way," he moved away.

"What way?" she asked slightly insulted.

He hung his jacket on a hanger. "Like you're really clueless," he joked.

"Oh ha ha. I forgot to laugh."

He began to roll up his sleeves, presenting the bone underneath. "Ready for dinner?"

"Yeah but it's not like it s new to me," she smiled and made her way to her room. When she returned, she had the Tame in her hand. Skulduggery reached for it but she pulled it away from him. "First, I need to establish some ground rules."

Skulduggery crossed his arms, "Oh?"

"Yeah, one: no drinking."

He nodded.

"Two: no suicide attempts."

"Valkyrie, this isn't really necess-"

"Three: no close intimacy without my knowing."

He laughed, "Close intimacy?"

"Got it?"

"Yes, I got it."

"Promise?"

"Promise." He put a hand over where his heart would have been.

She smiled, "Then lets have dinner." Valkyrie opened the Tame.

--------------

Skulpoint of View

It was weird feeling food run down his throat again. The way it sat in his empty stomach. He wondered where all the food would go when he turned back to his skeleton self. It didn't help that Valkyrie was staring at him either. "What?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "It's just weird seeing you human and eating with me."

Skulduggery merely shrugged. The food was good...

"How old were you when you died?"

He paused in his eating. "I was 24."

Her eyes widened. "You were 24 and you had a wife and child?"

He nodded, "I did. I was young and foolish but I did love them very much."

"Exactly what age were you when you got into magic?"

He thought for a moment. It was so long ago. "I was, if I remember correctly, 13. I was an apprentice."

"You too?"

"Aye. His name was Kane Gregous. Good man even if I never treated him as such."

"You didn't like your teacher?"

"It's not very good table conversation."

She was silent as she looked away.

She is so beautiful. Cursing himself, he got up to put his plate away into the sink. He would wash the dishes in the morning. He soon felt Valkyrie join him by his side to place hers down. He looked down at her and looked away quickly.

"It's okay," she whispered, "You don't have to be embarrassed to look at me the way you used to with your wife."

"No, it's not okay. If we are to be together than this is considered our first date."

"Well then I should at least get a kiss," she blushed.

He smiled at her rose colored cheeks. With a single hand, he lifted her chin up slightly before placing a small kiss upon her lips. He began to pull away but she reached up to place one on his.... and he kissed her back..... that's when a phone rang.

Still staring at each other, he asked, "Is that mine?"

Valkyrie nodded, "It's in my room." She walked away to retrieve it.

Skulduggery ran his fingers through his hair. Stupid phone. She brought it to him and he looked at the caller ID. Stupid Sanctuary. He answered it, "Crux."

"Pleasant?! Why haven't you picked up your phone all damn day?! Not to mention I tried calling you last night!"

"What is it, Crux?"

"There has been two more murders. Solomon Wreath and the White Cleaver."

Skulduggery straightened his posture, noticing Valkyrie worried glance.

"I thought the Cleaver was-"

"Impossible to kill? Yeah, we did too."

Skulduggery sighed, "Where?"

"Believe it or not, they were found at Kenspeckles place. We brought them down to the Sanctuary."

He hadn't spoken to Kenspeckle in years. Valkyrie had been the only one to visit him. "We're on our way."

"What's going on?" Valkyrie asked.

He put his phone in his pocket, "Wreath and the White Cleaver are dead."

More valduggery to come! Please comment =)