A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Tanith, Ghastly, Vile, China or Valkyrie. I'm well aware nobody is still reading at this point, so from here on out this story is posted purely to please myself, because I'm narcissistic like that. Thems the jokes people, lighten up. Valduggery and some Vilkyrie ahead.

I awoke several hours later and could tell by Skulduggery's relaxed body that he was meditating as he held me, his arms wrapped around me protectively. This gave me a rare chance to think about us. There was so much about Skulduggery's past I didn't know, and it could come back to hurt us. Well, to hurt me. He'd said he loved me and I believed him. I also believed he'd never been with China because I trusted him. But had he been in love with her? Was there out there, even now a woman he'd felt more strongly for, one who could waltz back into his life and take him from me?

Cú Sídhe growled, and I looked over in surprise. He was glaring at me hard. I shook my head to show him I didn't understand what he was so angry at, and he stared into my eyes deeply. He'd been reading my thoughts, and apparently they disgusted him. I shrugged at him helplessly, and Skulduggery's arms fell open and to the side. I got up, looking at Cú Sídhe, hoping he'd follow and he did. It felt very strange to be taking advice from him, but I knew in his own way he wanted to help.

I made sure we were far enough away that even Skulduggery couldn't hear us if he awakened, and sat down in the tall grass. Cú Sídhe sat across from me, his expression grim. "Look, Cú Sídhe, I'm not stupid, I know that is over four hundred years there had to be someone at least, someone he likely loved more than me, someone with more to give. He's right in that I've matured and I know we want to be together, but maybe it just isn't meant to be." I said, keeping my voice soft and low.

Cú Sídhe raised his lip in a silent snarl. His glowing red eyes met mine, making his anger clear over my lack of trust.

"Cú Sídhe, please, listen. I don't even know his wife's name, or his child's. I never will either, doesn't that strike you as the least bit odd?" The massive head shook slowly, there was something I wasn't understanding here. Cú Sídhe looked at me, clearly asking me to trust that whatever Skulduggery's reasons were for not telling me, they were good ones. His eyes were imploring now, asking me to trust Skulduggery to be faithful, to take him at his word when he said there was no one else.

I shivered, and it had nothing to do with the cold. "I'm frightened." I said. Then his massive body was pressed into mine, the canine version of a hug and I wrapped my arms around him, burying my head in his shaggy fur. Cú Sídhe moved back, pressing his forehead under my chin in silent encouragement. He sat back at last, clearly worried. "Cú Sídhe I want to trust Skulduggery more than anything, and until I realized I was in love with him, I always did, but now there's so much more to loose. What do I do? You know Skulduggery, he won't tell me anything he doesn't think I need to know until adult children show up on our doorstep."

The anger was back on his face and I looked away. I was struggling with myself then. I wanted to run, to protect myself. I was frightened of the idea of trusting Skulduggery completely, but the thought made me pause. Where were these ideas coming from? I felt worse than when I'd had Lovegate's tea. I looked at Cú Sídhe helplessly, and he came forward, his glowing twin jewels of eyes willing me to fight back.

I nodded, teeth gritted. I knew this was some sort of attack, somebody was close, hoping to separate us. I stared at Cú Sídhe in horror and we both sprinted back to Skulduggery's side. I shook him hard, we had to get out of there and now. Cú Sídhe started a rumbling war song in his chest, pacing, guarding us the best he could. Skulduggery wouldn't wake up, and I felt fear flood through me. I got him to the Bentley once again getting in the driver's seat, making sure Cú Sídhe was in before starting the engine and racing towards home.

I was well aware our attacker could be lying in wait for us, or a confederate working for him, because I knew without a doubt the killer was after us. I tore up the lawn parking as close as possible to the front door, figuring Skulduggery's wrath would be worth it if only he'd ever wake up again. I opened the front door hurriedly, bundling Skulduggery in, Cú Sídhe's growls growing to thunderous proportions. We got inside and I slammed and locked the door behind us, my heart thundering. I took out my mobile and dialed Ghastly, sitting on the floor cross-legged, rocking a still prone Skulduggery in my arms.

It seemed to take forever, but Ghastly answered at long last, muttering a curse when I told him what had happened. He told me he and Tanith would be there soon, and he would call the Sanctuary, so to expect Cleavers to be there as well. Now I only had to handle a god-like killer on my own until then. I rose, struggling to take Skulduggery up to the bedroom, liking our odds better when attacks could only come from the door or window. I laid him down on the bed, agitated. He didn't look well. He like he was in pain. I cursed myself for ever doubting him for an instant, for leaving his side.

I knew I didn't deserve him and I never would, but I'd die fighting to protect him. I was aware now that the panic within me was from the feeling of being drained of my magic, and looking at Skulduggery I realized he was hanging on by the barest thread. He'd never make it until help arrived. The power cut out, and the knob of the locked bedroom door started to turn tauntingly. I thought I heard a voice and scratching at the window, but turned, seeing nothing. I realized I was going to die then. Die at the hands of a man who so hated Lord Vile for letting him live that he was going to kill Skulduggery in revenge.

While I couldn't give him Lord Vile exactly I could and did call my armour to me. I felt it pass through the killer's power, felt his dismay as the armour flowed on and the power flooded through me. If just I frightened him, I couldn't wait to see what Lord Vile himself could do. Intuitively I called upon the power Vile had hidden in me, touching Skulduggery, willing Vile's armour to appear. It did and Vile sat up, his gaze fierce behind his visor. He felt the killer, and he clearly wanted a chance to fulfill the man's death wish.

I nodded in agreement and we both felt the killer retreating, but Vile was in no mood to let him flee. He got up, grabbing me, and his shadows swirled around us. We shadow-walked onto the side lawn, Vile releasing me as we approached the killer. I let him take the lead, repressing my own rage and desire to kill, but barely. Cú Sídhe had appeared to the killer's back, and we closed in on him, Vile's shadows shooting forward to contain him. The killer howled as the shadows touched him, then in an explosion of light he disappeared.

I could sense Vile's rage as his shadows writhed. We'd been so close and now the killer was gone, no doubt back in the cave, laughing at us. Lord Vile turned towards me, and time seemed to stop. There was nothing of Skulduggery left in the Vile that stood before me. He seemed to be a much younger man, the god-killer reborn. The gaze I felt upon me from the visor was cold, unfeeling. He stalked towards me, his shadows writhing in his evident anger. I drew up my own, ready to defend myself, though I knew if he desired my death now it would be over in an instant.

He came to a stop and I felt his cold amusement at my shadows, and his head tilted mockingly. He raised a gauntleted hand, clearly preparing to attack. I did the only thing I could do. I reached up and touched my jaws, shedding the armour. Vile paused, seemingly unsure. Then he shrugged and raised his hand again, his shadows traveling up his armour to mass in his palm. Vile wanted me to see my death coming, he was enjoying taunting me with it. "That's it Vile." I said calmly. "Prove you went to the right side after all. Kill a woman, you've seen it done before, I'm sure you know how. I apologize there is no child present, but I'm sure Cú Sídhe is about the right size."

I felt his fury increase sevenfold, but I wouldn't back down. "What do you know about loss? I had to give up my entire family so I could stay at the side of the man I loved. I can never see them ever again, they might as well be dead. I have no family, no partner, no friend left. I just saw the only man I ever fell in love with die to anything good in him to save his life, I got to watch any hope of a future with him, of a family with him, die. I've got to watch the you I fell in love with die too. You don't even realize I'm in love with you even now, do you? So don't you start with me, because I am not afraid of you."

I expected him to kill me then, but he titled his head to one side, his shadows calming. Something of his humanity seemed to be seeping back in, because he stepped several wary paces back. He looked at me through the visor and I could feel his despair. Before I could react he gathered his shadows and was gone.

Ghastly and Tanith arrived to find me on the lawn. I was aware they were there and were speaking, but I couldn't seem to hear them or react. I realized I was in shock, because I knew if Vile had gone off on his own he was as good as dead. Then the tears came and Tanith held me soothingly as Ghastly spoke into his mobile, issuing orders. I could hear him order a search for Skulduggery and knew detectives and agents would be looking everywhere.

They took me inside, Ghastly looking at the coffee pot in evident distaste. I knew he needed tea, we all needed something. Both he and Tanith looked frightened. I got up starting the coffee, telling Ghastly where the kettle was so he could put water on for tea. There was tea thankfully, but I half suspected he carried some on him just in case. I told them about the attack, and luckily Tanith knew about Vile. Her eyes widened when she heard about him leaving, and I could tell she was ready to cry.

"Tanith, do you realize how much self-control Vile showed?" I asked. "Normally he kills the nearest target when he's thwarted, he could have killed me, he was ready to because all of his humanity disappeared for just a moment. He wasn't even Vile anymore. But when I challenged him it was Vile who stopped his attack, Vile who felt despair at the thought of hurting me. In his own way. Lord Vile loves me, and that is the only thing that kept me alive."

"Lucky you, and that just makes it worse." She sniffed. I busied myself with coffee and tea so Ghastly could take her into his arms, kissing her tenderly, reassuring her everything was going to be all right. I almost told him not to lie, but bit my tongue. We all knew the truth.

We were all dispirited, our heads hanging low, when I heard a familiar voice rising up from the front lawn. A torrent of what must have been Gaelic curses met our ears, and we all smiled at each other in blessed relief. I ran out to see Skulduggery, and he looked at me, continuing to rave, gesticulating at the mud-smeared Bentley and the ruined lawn, his curses growing louder. I leapt off the porch and ran to him, tackling him hard. He stopped in mid-curse as I brought his head down to meet mine, kissing him hard. His arms wrapped tightly around me, and he deepened the kiss, walking me backwards to trap me against the Bentley.

His hands roamed and his growl at my responding touch was equal parts desire and annoyance. He pulled back, looking down at me severely.

"The lawn! The Bentley! My Bentley, my car! Valkyrie!"

"I saved you from a killer and your worried about some grass and a muddy car. A fine husband you'll make."

"Be that as it may, Valkyrie- what killer? Oh, dear, Lord Vile." He sat heavily on the fender and I realized he had no idea what had happened. He listened dully, shaking his head. "I don't remember anything after slipping into meditation. God, Valkyrie, you were alone with Vile, the REAL Lord Vile, and you taunted him? You're lucky he does love you, that even the worst part of him desires to be with you, or you'd be dead right now, because what makes me myself was completely gone."

I sat down beside him, thunderstruck. "You don't remember anything, anything at all?"

"Not a thing. God Valkyrie, Vile could have killed you, he should have killed you. I have no idea what saved you, especially considering you were foolish enough to shed your armour."

"Skulduggery, I didn't tell you that." I said gently, and he looked away in shame. So he did remember and I'd seem him at his worst. He hadn't wanted me to know, had wanted to hide the awful truth from me. I turned him to face him, feeling the tremors that had started to shake his body. He was crying in the only way he could. I gathered him to me, searching for the right words.

"Skulduggery, you know I love you, I love Lord Vile as well, and I will never stop loving either one of you for as long as I live. Even beyond that. You don't know how badly I wanted to stop you, to trap you with my own shadows, to hold you there I so I could show you I loved you. I wanted to kiss you so badly, Skulduggery-"

Then his teeth found my lips and we didn't separate until the first van of Cleavers showed up. Skulduggery pulled back looking at me benignly. He caressed my hair, before speaking softly. "It's what I wanted too." He whispered.

The Cleavers had fanned out, making doubly sure the killer wasn't still lurking in the area, then came back to stand silent guard, Ghastly insisted we needed both vans of Cleavers there. I knew they were a token defense at best, but nodded my thanks. Ghastly and Tanith withdrew from us, both needed at the Sanctuary and we retired upstairs. I didn't know where Cú Sídhe was, and I could only hope he was all right. I'd walked to the window to gaze outside and when I caught movement behind me, Lord Vile was standing there. His visored gaze caught mine in the glass and I turned to meet his approach.

Vile brought an armoured hand up to caress my face, and the other came to rest on my shoulder. Then both hands were moving, caressing and drawing me forward. I felt him react as he pressed me tightly against him and his visored head came down to meet mine. Vile kissed me as deeply as possible, refusing to let go, only shifting the position his armour met my lips at, and pressing down urgently. His caressing increased, and he pulled me tighter still to hold me flush against him. I felt his entire body stiffen, heard a gathering growl as I reached up to caresses his armoured head, then he pulled back long enough to lift his visor, and his teeth met my lips.

Skulduggery's armour fell away, but still he kissed me, calmer now, clearly restraining the desire to go further. He opened his arms at last, gently pushing me away so he could gaze wistfully at me. "My my, aren't we the popular one with homicidal maniacs?" He teased. I laughed and let him gather me in his arms loosely, pressing back when he brought his forehead down to meet mine. "What did I tell you about running?" He scolded gently.

"Uh, Skulduggery you told me distance wouldn't matter if Vile was after me."

He sighed and nodded. "For one blinding moment I was as I used to be, I didn't even see you Valkyrie. I only saw the person I wanted to kill because I couldn't reach the killer. You are damned lucky to be alive, I hope you know that. Of course, now that you know what kind of monster I really am, I don't expect you to marry me."

"Skulduggery Pleasant, I want to marry you now more than ever before. Because even at his worst Vile caught himself, he couldn't kill me. I- I couldn't kill him either, and I think he knew it. I won't be able to stop him if he looses control again, Skulduggery. Please don't ask me to."

Skulduggery gathered me to him and we went to bed silently, neither one of us truly sleeping. Because we both knew now that if either one of us lost control the other would step aside, letting the chaos begin, unable to attack their lover even at his or her worst. We also knew we wouldn't tell anyone. Most importantly, we knew we'd defend our lover to the death falling at his or her side, both of us unwilling to live on if our beloved fell beside us.