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

Skulduggery looked weary as he drove. I swear I saw him blinking his eyes, which, admittedly, he did not have, several times. He shook his skull and rolled down the window. "Skulduggery pull over before you crash."

"No, no, I'm fine." The Bentley weaved slightly.

"Skulduggery pull over. You're going to get hurt." His skull dipped forward and I grabbed the wheel, steering the Bentley to the shoulder. Now what? Luckily his foot had come off the gas, so I reached over and shifted into park. I could either sit here with a living skeleton in the car and hope the police didn't arrest me, or I could drive the Bentley. I groaned.

I knew we had to get home. I'd always had the fear he'd be arrested by civilians and taken away to a lab somewhere. Stupid perhaps, but I wasn't letting that happen. I got out and opened his door. Using the air I lifted him and carried him to the passenger side and buckled him in. I drove us home slowly, to Uncle Gordon's. I managed to bundle him inside, then up to Uncle Gordon's bedroom without a second thought. I got the hat and scarf off, laying them to one side. I'd never seen him just collapse before. I tucked him in, then went and grabbed Uncle Gordon's Echo Stone. He seemed shocked to see Skulduggery so deep in meditation.

"Uncle Gordon, he terrified me. He just slumped over while driving. We were fine at Ghastly's he seemed fine, but then he...what, passed out? I don't even know how often he should meditate, he never said." I realized my voice was shaking and didn't care at that point.

My uncle looked at Skulduggery then at me. "How long since he last meditated?"

"I don't know, but he's only been meditating around me, I think. So maybe a day? I don't know, my own hours are so confused."

"Only around you?"

I nodded. "I don't know why, but yes."

Skulduggery stirred briefly and groaned, then fell still again. My uncle shrugged helplessly. "I honestly don't know what is happening. He hates to meditate around anyone, but I think he does it as often as other people sleep. Or he should. We have to let him rest and recover. I'm not even going to ask you to leave him, but go find something to eat and drink, and a way to entertain yourself, I'll stay with him."

I reluctantly went down the stairs and found the rest of the Chinese. Had it only been a day or so ago I'd been eating it, watching over him? He'd meditated extremely hard then too. If fact the last several times he's meditated so hard I'd worried. I grabbed a Coke as well and padded back upstairs. I got a book from my uncle's study and arranged myself the best I could in the chair. Skulduggery groaned again, his skull thrashing back and forth.

Without thinking I reached out and touched his forehead. He instantly relaxed and sank into the bed. I looked at Uncle Gordon and he made a 'come away' motion toward his study. Reluctantly I picked up the Echo Stone and returned him there. "What?" I asked, nervous.

"I think you know what. He's only meditating around you, he refuses to leave your side, he's nervous and jumpy when he isn't with you. Now your touch calmed him."

"And?" I looked at him blankly.

"You call yourself a writer. What would those symptoms mean in a character?"

"Oh. But he said-"

"Men say a lot of things we don't mean, my dear, often to spare our pride. Keep watch, don't say anything when he awakens about this. I don't even know if you should accept an opening if he gives it, just do your best. He needs you right now. So go watch over him." Uncle Gordon did his level best to hug me. "Godspeed." He said.

I smiled and hurried back to Skulduggery. He'd shifted slightly, his neck bent at what looked to be a painful angle. I gently laid his skull back on the pillow, slightly loosened his tie. At my touch the pain etched on his skeletal features went away. I read and ate, got tired around noon, but kept my vigil. He'd move every so often and a touch to his brow or arm would calm him. He started to mutter at one point, clearly annoyed. "Shh, Skulduggery, I'm here." I said.

My voice could calm him too. That was interesting. I only got up when I needed to and was slightly worried when four rolled around and he still hadn't risen. But I went and grabbed dinner. I was beyond sleep at this point.

No, I told myself. that's spoiled. You have a good seven hours last night, now your job is here with him. Wow, I was scolding myself, that was new. But it made me smile. Night closed in and he seemed much more relaxed, as if he were sleeping lightly. I was almost nodding off myself when his skull turned towards me. "Valkyrie!" His voice was soft, still muzzy with sleep. He sounded happy though, and he looked happy to see me.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" I asked with a smile.

"Mmm, good I think. Did I meditate long?" He asked, stretching, then seemed to realize where he was. "How did I get into bed?"

"Uh, I put you there. You looked so tired I didn't have the heart to wake you."

He sat up, clearly fully rested. "Valkyrie, how did I get here?" Skulduggery asked.

"You- You passed out. I brought you here."

"I what?"

"What''s the last thing you remember?"

"We were at Ghastly's. I hadn't meditated in so long, I was so tired. I was driving us home and-" He stopped, buried his skull in his hands. "I fell asleep at the wheel, didn't I?"

"Yes, but we weren't going that fast, no harm done."

"You drove the Bentley home?"

"Slowly. She's outside in one piece. I was too nervous to drive any further, sorry."

"Then you kept vigil."

"Yes."

"I ask a lot of questions, don't I?" He asked with an amused chuckle.

"Detectives tend to do that."

He smiled. "You look tired."

"Mmm."

"When's the last time you slept?"

"Last night some time. I'll get some sleep soon." I stretched in the chair, and got up. Skulduggery got out of bed.

"Can I get you something? Coffee perhaps?" He offered.

"I can get it."

"You get in bed, young lady. Hungry?"

"A tad."

"I'll see what I can do." He left and several minutes passed. He returned with coffee and toast. Skulduggery shrugged slightly. "Sorry, I'm not much of a cook."

"Toast is lovely. You didn't have to make anything, you know."

"I wanted to. You drove me home, you watched over me. It's the least I can do."

"If you insist."

"I do. I think we both need a day or so off, but we can't afford it right now."

"Well we had all of today off, it was lovely."

"Yet you let me sleep through it."

I stifled the smart remark that came to mind. "That's what was nice about it. You look adorable when you're meditating. Like you must have when you were little." Skulduggery smiled, and I continued. "It was nice, all things considered, like camping out with you." He chuckled slightly. I'd finished the toast and put my coffee aside, settling back with a sigh into the pillows. "Is it just me, or has this case hit us like a freight train?" I asked.

"It has at that."

"I'm considering early retirement after this case, Skulduggery. Twelve years is a good long run for a Sanctuary detective." He laughed, hesitated, then came to sit on the edge of the bed opposite from me. "Oh, lie back." I encouraged.

"If you insist. This is nice. I think it's been, well, centuries since I've lain down in a bed. Very soft. I swear I could meditate again."

"Go ahead, we're on our unofficial day off."

"You sure? This isn't exactly proper."

"I hate proper. If you don't, I'll stay awake too, how's that?"

"Oh, Valkyrie, that isn't even logical."

"You sound sleepy."

"Mmm."

"Well, meditate then. Are you warm enough?"

"Before seemed warmer, but I'm fine."

"Get under the covers then before you freeze."

"Valkyrie, that's hardly proper."

"Again with the proper. You. Under covers. Now." He grumbled sleepily, but managed to get himself under them without getting up. "There you go. Warmer now?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Then meditate, I'll put out the light." I clicked off the light and settled deeper into my own pillows.

"Valkyrie?"

"Yes, Skulduggery?"

"This is nice."

"It is."

"Valkyrie?"

"Yes, Skulduggery?"

"I didn't want to admit to not knowing what it is, but what on Earth is 'Soft Kitty'?"

"A lullaby."

"I don't recall it."

"It's from TV, Skulduggery, the thing you won't watch."

"Oh, right." A pause, then: "Valkyrie?"

"Yes, Skulduggery?"

"Sing 'Soft Kitty' to me."

I suppressed a laugh. "I would, but I can't sing, Skulduggery."

"Please?" So, doing my very best not to laugh I sang him 'Soft Kitty'. I could tell he was meditating even before I finished.

I woke up the next morning to find Skulduggery up and reading Gordon's novel. "Ah, good morning, Valkyrie. Did you sleep well?"

"Extremely."

"It was nice of you to sing to me."

"My pleasure."

"You ought to do it more often, if I can't meditate at least."

"I'll think about it."

"Please?"

"OK. But only for when you can't meditate." I got up and got a shower and dressed in the bathroom. I was happy to see Skulduggery well rested, but I knew he'd sink back down, and so would I, if we didn't sleep in the same room. That sounded seven kinds of wrong, but I could be brave enough to suggest it through a closed door. "Skulduggery?"

"Yes, Valkyrie?"

"I have a theory."

"Which is?"

"I sleep better if we're in the same room."

"It would seem you do."

"Well, for the case's sake maybe we should try that, at least until the case is over."

"That would be the sensible thing to do."

"It would?"

"Yes, you need the rest, and clearly you feel the need to be protected by me. So I'll sacrifice my privacy until the case is over and the bad man is in jail."

I opened the door and looked at him. "That's very sweet of you."

"Mmm. Get some coffee and breakfast. Luckily Ghastly was busy all day yesterday with his van, but I assume we will have a chance at the crime scene today."

"You take me to the nicest places."

"Don't I just?"