I don't own Skulduggery or Valkyrie but Cain and Val are my babies. Sorry to take so long getting back into gear, my dears. But I needed time on my own for a bit. Many thanks go out to UnusuallyPeculiar, awesomeadvice, battleaccessory, chatterobyn, MysteryFlame101, Justrockzyxxx and three Guests for the reviews, faves and follows. This chapter gets a little gory, but it's great to be able to write again. What? You all know I've always dreamed of a story that never ends. Some time has passed since this and the last chapter, obviously.

I sat in the passenger seat of the Bentley, gripping the leather and wondering if this was finally the end as Skulduggery stepped down on the accelerator and the engine roared as the Bentley shot forward. The problem was, the van behind us was keeping up just fine and I heard an answering rumble that promised the bad guys weren't even trying. I looked in the rear view mirror and couldn't see inside the van with the tinted screen and wondered where a cop was when you needed one.

Skulduggery was driving with absolute concentration and I knew it meant we were in for it. "Is this it?" I asked in a small voice as the Bentley started to make ominous sounds and smoke started to drift from under the bonnet. I flicked my glance away from him and watched the van fill the rear view mirror. Then it nudged our bumper teasingly, jolting us forward in our seats and Skulduggery cursed. "Not quite yet." He hissed. "Get ready, we're going to have to stop soon."

"Skulduggery-" I tried but nodded grimly. We were going down fighting. What was in that van could kill either one of us. I felt shock settling over me and it had to be as I heard the roar of another Bentley engine. It wasn't possible. I knew that. But as I twisted in my seat and craned my neck around I saw a Bentley the exact double of ours roaring down the highway, Skulduggery at the wheel. "I'm loosing it." I said as the Bentley pulled alongside the van.

Skulduggery grunted in reply, still concentrating on driving. The Skulduggery inside the other Bentley waved cheerily to the van, blaring his horn and drifting over to bump into it. The van bumped back and he blew them a kiss and took off laughing. The van followed in hot pursuit and we slowed down to watch the van pursue him. I felt helpless as they closed in then yelped in surprise as a black mass formed into a portal in front of the van and it vanished with the black mass nipping at the Bentey's bumper before it disappeared.

Skulduggery braked hard and we slid sideways before coming to a stop, barely avoiding going into the portal ourselves, but as the portal closed we watched the Bentley ahead of us swerve and do a u-turn then stop. The Skulduggery inside got out and bowed theatrically to us. "I'm going to kill him. He's going to die a slow death." Skulduggery muttered as he got us straightened out and started forward, our Bentley now making ominous clanking noises.

"You're going to kill yourself?" I asked doubtfully and he looked at me.

"Don't recognize your own son, do you?" Skulduggery asked and I immediately felt stupid, and ready to kill Cain. He wasn't supposed to be anywhere near this case. We pulled up to him and got out, both of us crossing our arms as he tossed his fedora up in the air repeatedly.

"That was awesome, we have to do more cases together!" Cain said cheerfully.

"What did you do to your mother's Bentley?" Skulduggery growled.

"It's magic paint, she can have any colour she wants now. And it is my care now, remember?" Cain tried and I looked at him and his shoulders sagged. "No, really, technological magic, see?" I went and looked at the new device in his car. Well, it had been given to him and was now his, and I reminded myself of that. "It uses technology to change the colour of the outside of the car, can't say I understand how it works, that's Mel's job."

"You could have been killed!" I growled and Cain looked at me beseechingly.

Mel's van rumbled up behind us and she got out to look at us. "Everyone OK?" She asked and we nodded tightly. She sighed. "He is an adult, you know, and why is it OK for you to be detectives and face danger on a daily basis but not him?"

"Because he's our son." I growled, still frightened for Cain. "Anything could have went wrong, had he been a second too slow-" I broke off and Skulduggery continued for me.

"He can be a detective, he's just not allowed to do anything dangerous." He said in a reasonable tone and I nodded my agreement. I had expected to be the cool parents, but lately Cain seemed more and more reckless as if he had to live up to Skulduggery's legend.

I sighed and stepped forward to catch him in a hug.. "You could have been killed. How did you even get out here?" I asked and he waved his mobile at me as I stepped back. I cursed, forgetting he'd picked up my habit of putting tracers in everything.

"Sorry." Cain said sadly.

"No, we are." Skulduggery sighed. "But when you have children you'll understand." There was a bang behind us and we all jumped and looked behind us. The Bentley was stone dead, smoke billowing out from under the bonnet. Cain guided us to his Bentley without a word.

"You can have it back, we have Mel's van." He said as Skulduggery and I got in. Skulduggery nodded numbly and Cain said some comforting words about getting the Bentley fixed by his mechanic and Skulduggery nodded just as numbly as before as we drove off, back the way we came.

I waved to Mel as we passed her and wondered if there was any mechanic who could fix the Bentley. "Are you all right?" I asked gently even though I knew he wasn't.

"My Bentley, Valkyrie, my Bentley." He managed sadly and I knew even the gift of the Bentley he was driving would never replace that car. We drove home sedately and I wondered if Skulduggery would ever feel like himself again.

The next morning he was shaking me awake excitedly. "Valkyrie, it's back, the Bentley is back!" I wanted to tell him that was impossible, but got up to look out the window. There, parked beside my Bentley that was back to its ivory colour was his. But it wasn't possible. I dressed as Skulduggery stared out the window longingly, then we were out the door and he was fussing over the car, kissing it reverently.

Under one of the wipers was a note. I pulled it out gently and found out that the car had been repaired by Cain's mechanic, free of charge. I watched Skulduggery slide behind the wheel. "Take my best girl to breakfast?" He asked happily. I nodded as I got in. "How about a long drive to the diner we took Ryan to?" He asked and I agreed. The Bentley started with a purr and I couldn't help staring at the car's interior as we drove.

"It looks brand new." I said and he nodded.

"I need the number of his mechanic." Skulduggery agreed. "This is wonderful. I wonder how he worked such miracles so fast."

"She." I corrected and he glanced over at me. "Mel's his mechanic, remember?" I asked and Skulduggery nodded absently. Although we were fairly well off, Cain hadn't expected to just be given a fortune. He had been given a place to live and a car to drive, but other than that he and Mel were making it on their own.

Skulduggery switched on the radio and we both whistled in appreciation. Everything had been subtly upgraded and the rich sound that poured into the Bentley prompted me to ring Mel. She answered cheerfully "Hey, no problem, sis. I've told Cain not to drive like a maniac, but from the stories you've told me he inherited it. You are never driving my van." She teased and we both laughed.

"But how? So fast?" I asked and she chuckled.

"I'm a super weapon, remember? Where's the good in a superweapon that can't repair her own vehicle?" She asked and we left it at that. I knew she'd been changed into a superweapon, a sort of über vampire, with all their strengths and none of their weaknesses. She would never shift and salt water had no effect on her. Yet again I was thankful she'd remained one of the good guys.

Skulduggery glanced over at me. "Why do I think a case just snuck up on us?" He asked as I rang off. I shrugged.

"I feel it too." I admitted. "It's like I keep expecting America to come and claim their weapons back." I didn't add that some in the Sanctuary still saw the American mages as plants, war heroes for our side or not. I didn't believe it for a second and knowing Mel I knew better. Still, it was like there was darkness on the horizon. And I didn't like the feeling one bit.

We got ourselves a booth from which we could admire the Bentley and I smiled at Skulduggery. I loved the car as much as he did but it was clear he'd been given the rarest of gifts. Bentleys were still made to be sure, but they didn't have the class of the classic 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental. That other diners were admiring the car only made him more chuffed with himself.

Our coffee arrived and he grinned at me before taking a sip. Skulduggery wore his necklace twenty four seven now, and he reveled in his freedom. The other diners saw a handsome man sitting with me, but I saw the skeleton somehow sipping his coffee. It still fascinated me and now he didn't even need a straw. "How do you do that?"

"Talented, I guess." He said with a shrug. "You know, Valkyrie. I feel like our partnership is just starting again. With all the adventures we've been through, it still feels fresh." I nodded, knowing what he meant. We'd been together for decades and every day still felt like the first day of our partnership and marriage. "And just think, we have two Bentelys again."

I smiled. After Cain's stunt driving he'd handed over the keys for good. It wasn't anything either of us wouldn't have done, but there were certain things you did not do to a Bentley in Skulduggery's presence and that flourish of a u-turn had been included. That and he'd been sore that his own Bentley had died. "You know, Cain should have his own car."

"Why do I think you have one hidden away for him?" Skulduggery asked and I blushed.

"Secret garage." I admitted then paused as our plates came. "I had a few upgrades done, and it's not anything special, so there's no use of us driving to Gordon's mansion to see it." I said and Skulduggery snorted.

"What did you do, hang a bacon-scented air freshener in the Oompa Loompa?" He asked and I shrugged, smiling slightly. I knew he'd take the bait as he always did and Skulduggery was suddenly rushing us through breakfast and hustling us out to the Bentley. I smiled to myself, wondering what his reaction would be.

We went into the secret garage and I flicked on the lights. "Now, this is car is nothing special, I'm not kidding. I don't want you to be disappointed." I said, but he was standing transfixed.

"Where did you find her?" He asked, taking in the outline underneath the cover.

"I have my ways." I said and he looked at me then back at the covered car, then back at me. "Remember how I told you my Bentley had a sister?" I asked and his jaw dropped open and he made a beeline for the car.

I laughed and watched him uncover her carefully then reverently run his hands over her gleaming black surface. I decided not to mention adopting the twins as I thought of them had cost me selling of a lot of Uncle Gordon's antiques, but it had been worth it to see his utter joy. Skulduggery cast me a quizzical look and I nodded, getting the keys from their hiding place and tossing them to him.

He opened the Bentley and got behind the wheel, sighing happily. "She's wonderful. Are you sure we can't just give him the Oompa Loompa?" He asked teasingly and I laughed. "You know I am proud of him, right? And having a double with the same car could come in useful." I nodded my agreement, watching Skulduggery run his hands reverently over the steering wheel.

"He could and I'm proud of him too. Let's face it, Cain takes after you, Skulduggery. He's just as daring, just as brave, and he certainly can charm people." I said and Skulduggery chuckled in that deep velvety voice of his that Cain had inherited.

"True, he gets it from me, of course. Because I'm so dashing." Skulduggery said as he adjusted his tie in the rear view mirror. "Just as Val gets being beautiful from you." I smiled fondly at him.

"No regrets after all these years?" I asked and he looked at me.

"None." He said, bringing up a gloved hand to touch my cheek gently. Skulduggery leaned in to kiss me and from the way he did I believed him.

Skulduggery and I decided to resume exploring the mansion and I winked at him and Echo Gordon as I dug my mobile out. I giggled then sobered and dialed Cain's number. "Yes, mom?" He squeaked into the phone.

"Don't you mom me!" I growled. "Lucky for you I have a replacement car for you. Come get the heap of bolts you never managed to discover. In your own home yet!" I tried to keep the laughter out of my voice and failed. "Relax, Cain, I do have a new car for you, it was here all the time, sweetie." I heard him breathe a sigh of relief. "Right in the home of two Sanctuary detectives." I added and heard Mel's laughter in the background as we rang off.

Skulduggery shook his head in amusement. "You know. I'd have expected him to find it by now and I can't believe he hasn't bothered exploring the mansion." He turned to look at Gordon who just shrugged.

"Those two are home less than Valkyrie ever was. Now that things are back to normal and there are so many cases they don't get much time off."

Skulduggery grunted. It was hard on him that newer detectives like our children were getting some of the more choice cases. Erskine made noises about holding us in reserve, but the truth was people still wanted us back as Elders and would often clam up when we were in the field. Skulduggery's mobile rang and he stepped away to answer it. He grunted his way through the call then came back to me, pleased with himself. "Exploring will have to wait, so shall watching Cain get his Bentley. Duty calls, my most loyal and beautiful combat accessory." He said brightly.

I jumped up excitedly and after hurried goodbyes we were in the Bentley, roaring off towards the Sanctuary. "Seatbelt." Skulduggery said, then looked at me. "I knew they couldn't get along without us, and not as Elders either." He chortled happily.

"I know. That job was fun for about five minutes. I liked helping people and everything, but punching them is a lot more fun."

"Except when they punch back, that part I don't like." Skulduggery said. He cast a look over at me. "I told you it felt like we were starting over. Now we can gwt back to saving the world on a daily basis, no more small cases."

"Right!" I agreed though I hoped we were right and hadn't just been tricked into awaiting Elder robes.

There were no Elder robes awaiting us, instead Erskine shooed us out of his office and over to see the newly installed Elder. "He is in a really bad mood, but he won by a landslide. So, you know, don't say a word, OK?" He asked and we nodded and went over to the next office where we found the Elder sitting at his desk with a frightening looked of quiet rage on his face.

He glanced up at us. "I blame you two for this." He rumbled ominously. Then he smiled suddenly and we figured out why when Tanith grabbed me from behind. "Tea?" He offiered as I squealed and broke out of her happy embrace.

"Yes, please, and we're really sorry?" I managed but he shrugged.

"The kids are grown and we want to start over. Not to mention business has been a tad slow with Skulduggery not needing new suits all the time." He chuckled as he set tea down for all of us. "But I suppose you are here about the case."

"We are, but how are you really?" Skulduggery asked and Ghastly shrugged.

"It's different here now. Things are back to normal, and some of our reformed detectives have gone missing. That is your case. Erskine knows you two won't showboat when looking for them. We never did find out who made them leave. They even had Sensitives test Tanith." He sounded angry but I didn't blame the Sanctuary.

Tanith had made her outright hatred of them all clear and as I scanned my file I noticed Erskine had been questioned as well. I raised my eyebrows at Ghastly who shrugged. "Just about anyone who could be thought of was questioned."

"Then why call us in if you already have detectives on the case?" I asked but knew the answer before I finished asking the question.

"They're dead." Ghastly responded flatly.

Skulduggery and I noticed a lack of files concerning their bodies so we went to the mourge next, Skulduggery humming to himself cheerfully. "Sorry." He mumbled when I looked at him.

"Don't be. If the situation was reversed and they were replacing us they'd likely be crowing about it." I said as the elevator slid downward, Skulduggery winced then nodded as the doors opened. Doctor Galen Morgagni looked pleased to see us as we entered his domain.

"Yov'e come to see the autopsies? How wonderful!" He enthused as we donned garb to keep us from contaminating the evidence. Apparently he'd stepped up his cleanliness regulations and I wondered why until I saw the two corpses they wheeled in.

"Here you are." He said, handing over the small jar of Vick's and I applied some though Skulduggery declined. "And you can call me Galen, detectives" He said cheerfully. "It's so rare any of you come down here."

"This is the place where the dead rejoice to teach the living." Skulduggery deadpanned and the doctor roared with laughter. He took out his slim recorder and began dictating.

"A preliminary view of the bodies shows that the skin and bodies appear to have been mummified." He drew back one sheet and his hands glided over the male corpse, probing gently. "In a system similar to that of putting a body in a bog. There are no marks or wounds on the body, other than the obvious removal of the skin and it's reconstruction into a jacket.." He waved us slightly closer, flipping the recorder off.

By taking the sheet down further he showed us the skin jacket, a duster type, neatly folded. It was the same colour as the corpse and I looked at him questioningly. "This is strange, detectives. The way they are preserved I'd swear they were in a bog for centuries. I'll run tests of course, but you can see from the skin texture they've been preserved and it isn't tanning or any other method of embalming. And yes, before you ask, they were skinned, then preserved, the skins tailored, well, raw and preserved with them."

I looked at the corpse before me. Young and fit he'd been preserved in every detail only now he seemed to be made out of a dark leather. His expression was peaceful as if he'd met his fate willingly. "Drugged?" I asked.

"They could have been. They certainly weren't lured out there and some of the detectives are saying." He paused. "It's not a púca or a fairy light or any of that nonsense." I didn't mention the corpses that had reanimated themselves on one case during possession and neither did Skulduggery.

"A púca?" I asked and the Doctor shook his head.

"A type of fairy, Detective Cain, only they don't exist, do they?" I said nothing and we left him to the examination, Dr. Morgagni mumbling he'd need more time before proceeding further. I frowned at Skulduggery as we returned to the elevator, leaving our smocks and caps in a bin marked for them.

"Don't exist?" I asked as we were being whisked back up.

"Mm. Strange attitude from a Sanctuary doctor of all people, but there are mortals who don't believe they ever went to the moon either."

Ghaslty looked surprised to see us both so soon and winced when Skulduggery mentioned the púca theory. "That's all we need. Usually we leave them alone as they don't seem to answer to anyone, but could it be?" He shrugged. "The obvious problem is the púca is Irish and the nearest bog that can preserve anything isn't in Ireland. So we either have someone tanning people after death or-" He broke off with another shrug.

"We've seen them." Tanith put in before I could ask how he knew and I repressed a shiver. As a tailor he'd have been a good suspect but I didn't think Ghastly had suddenly gone barmy and started making jackets out of people. He seemed to read my mind.

"I was asked as soon as the bodies came in, and while you can pierce living skin or recently dead you'd end up with a dreadful mess if you didn't cure it before tailoring anything out of it and from what I saw those were tanned and cured jackets, as gruesome as they are. Had our killer simply used the flesh without curing it would have either rotted or as it cured it would go out of shape, shrink and the like. And no process I know of could tan them and their skins perfectly in a few days' time."

"So, you're saying an expert did this?" Skulduggery asked and Ghastly nodded.

Skulduggery looked at me cheerfully. "That means a trip to the Hall of Magical Cabinets. The place where you come alive." He teased. I tried to punch him. Hard. But he'd ducked out of his seat and I missed. I followed him out of Ghastly's office with a growl but we didn't speak until we'd reached the fabled room.

"Well I guess this narrows down our suspect pool." I said as Skulduggery started pawing through the filing cabinets. He nodded. "Care to fill me in? I could help." I offered. And Skulduggery turned to look at me. "What? It's in alphabetical order, so just tell me who we are looking for."

"P for púca would help. If we've had rouble with one before you'll find it, though they aren't noted for pranks this elaborate." I stared at him.

"You call skinning people alive a joke?"

"I'd wager they were stone dead by the time they were skinned. We just need to make sure we don't have malicious sidhe running around, though likely our killer is another maniac hellbent on world domination." He said cheerfully. I shook my head and got to it, wondering how close Lord Vile was to the surface, but I knew I wasn't being fair.

We were needed again, and with Ghastly back as an Elder things were serious. I found nothing and turned to look at Skulduggery. "A bog couldn't do this right away, right?" I asked.

"Goodness, no. We have a clever criminal using science and magic or it's a warning. Did you notice their coats?" He asked. I shook my head. "Turned inside out. Either our detective betrayed us or someone powerful but it was a warning to someone, we just need to figure out who."

I nodded. "It all goes back to the person who made the reformed detective leave, right?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not. Funny how we don't know who it is, isn't it?" He peered at me carefully then closed the filing cabinet to stare at me. "Lord Vile isn't much for talking and Darquesse tends to kill those she has a problem with and this wasn't her style. Who do we both know that's sneaky enough to do this? To make them all leave twice or simply vanish?"

"Well, we've crossed Tanith off the list and everyone else. The only person who could imitate me would be my reflection but she's dead."

"That we know of."

"What did she do, make a reflection of a reflection?" I asked.

"Exactly, you can't copy a reflection, but you can copy a human, even a mortal will do if you know the words. What if she made her own double, sent it out and that's what met an untimely demise. We'd be none the wiser."

"So now she's gone even more mental and is making fashion out of people?" I asked doubtfully.

Skulduggery looked at me closely. "You're forgetting something. She is also Darquesse's reflection." He said steadily. "Imagine if Darquesse never redeemed herself, if she'd stayed dark and only got worse when she didn't get to keep her magical powers. Worse still, Valkyrie," He said, his voice hushed. "What if Darquesse was clever enough to hide in that reflection all this time and is finally emerging?"

Now, there's a cheerful thought for you.