Finally an update! I am so sorry that it's taking so long, but I have been in Greece for a week with my family and I haven't had a lot of time to write when I was over there. But I got home yesterday and managed to finish this chapter today! Please leave a review and tell me what you think so I can improve. I always like hearing what you guys think :)

Valkyrie walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where the smell of newly made tea met her. She smiled at Skulduggery that stood with a steaming cup in his skeleton hand. When he saw her he walked over to her and handed over the cup. Valkyrie took it and drank a deep sip. The teas warmth spread quickly in her body and the last of the anxiety and the worry that had put its claws around her disappeared. She took a deep, cleansing breath and could finally relax.

"Does it feel better now?" Skulduggery asked and took her free hand in his.

"A lot. Thanks, Skulduggery. You always know what I need before I do."

"One of my many talents. Furthermore I would be a pretty bad boyfriend if I can't after five years together read my girlfriend and know what kind of needs she has and what she needs from me when she is sad or depressed."

"You're right. I will confess that I have had significantly worse relationships than you."

"Thank you, Valkyrie, but I believe that what you meant to say was that I am the best boyfriend you have had and that you will never want to separate from me."

Valkyrie laughed and put down the teacup on the kitchen table next to her. She lay her arms around Skulduggery's cervical vertebra and pushed against him. She let her lips touch Skulduggery's teeth in a tender kiss while she caressed the back of his neck. Skulduggery kissed her back and laid one of his hands on her back while the other dug down into her hair. He pressed his teeth harder against Valkyrie and shivered when her fingers caressed his bones.

Despite that they had been together for five years he still enjoyed feeling Valkyrie's hands on his body as much now as the first time they had had their first intercourse. He always became equally happy over that Valkyrie wanted to touch him despite him not being anything else but bones that was kept together by magic. Sure, he could evoke a temporary body whenever he wished to, but he only did it the times Valkyrie asked him to. He didn't use his human body every time they had intercourse, since Valkyrie had made it clear to him very early on that she had fallen in love with him as a person and not his looks. His human body surely had a lot of advantages, but she thought it was just as interesting to explore his true form.

"I think that it's cool that you can show so many emotions with just your skeleton, Skulduggery. I find it exciting being able to see that I can give you pleasure even though you don't have any nerve fibres that can make you feel. I think it's fascinating to study how your body moves without any muscles and tendons. I think that you are beautiful just as you are and you never need to be afraid that I will find you repulsive in any way. I love you for the one you are, Skulduggery. I have always done that and always will", Valkyrie had told him the first time they had slept with each other in Skulduggery's natural form.

Valkyrie moaned slightly when she felt Skulduggery's body against her own. She did not know how or what he did to her, but he always made her want to be close to him. To always want to feel his body push against her own, to always want to feel him explore her body. He was like a drug she couldn't get enough of and she never wanted to get rid of this feeling.

They were soulmates.

"Valkyrie..." Skulduggery whispered in her ear and felt how Valkyrie shivered under him.

"Yes, Skulduggery?"

"You are so beautiful."

Valkyrie laughed and looked into Skulduggery's eye sockets. "You're pretty good looking yourself."

"Thank you. But I of course already knew that."

"Of course you did." Valkyrie laughed again and gave Skulduggery another kiss before she pulled herself away from Skulduggery, to his great chagrin.

"Come here. I am not done with you yet."

"May so be, but I would like to drink my tea before it gets cold. Furthermore I need to call Synecdoche and schedule an appointment." Valkyrie bit her lip and looked up at Skulduggery. When she did like that Skulduggery knew that she was nervous over someting.

"You are nervous about something."

Valkyrie stopped biting her lip and looked up at Skulduggery. "How do you know that?"

"Valkyrie, we have been a couple for five years and have known each other for 23 years. Do you really think that you can hide anything from me?"

Valkyrie laughed. "Okay, you got me. I was just wondering how Synecdoche will react over the news that I am expecting your child?"

"As everyone else you are going to tell it to: shocked. It is not unheard of that sorcerers gets children in a magical way, but it is not exactly common either."

"So you think that our child has been made through magic?"

"How could it be any other way? I am not human anymore and hasn't been for a very long time. I will never be either."

"Maybe, maybe not. We simply have to wait and see." Valkyrie sat down on one of the chairs that stood around the kitchen table and took another zip of her tea before she took up her mobile phone from her pant pocket.

"Do you want me to stay here while you call or should I leave you alone?"

"You can stay. It is after all your child as well, Skulduggery. You have the same right as me to hear the information Synecdoche will give me."

Skulduggery nodded. "Very well."

Valkyrie took out Synecdoche's number and pressed "call". She started the speaker and listened to the signals. Just as she thought that she wouldn't answer, she heard a voice that said "Synecdoche".

"Hi! It's Valkyrie."

"Valkyrie! How nice to hear your voice! It was quite a while we last saw each other. How are you? You aren't in any trouble again I hope?"

"It depends."

"'It depends'? Now you'll have to explain yourself."

Valkyrie took a deep breath and looked up at Skulduggery. He took her free hand in his and pushed it. "I… I am pregnant."

It became quiet on the other end. Valkyrie could hear how Synecdoche was breathing. She cleared her throat before she said: "Pregnant you say? I have to congratulate you! Who's the father?"

"Skulduggery of course! Who would it otherwise be?" Valkyrie asked surprised. "I thought it was common knowledge that we have been a couple for years."

"Yes I am aware that you two are together, but considering his inhuman state I was thinking that you two maybe had found a donor."

"Never!" Valkyrie said angrily and clenched her fists hard. She saw in the corner of her eyes how Skulduggery flinched when her hand closed around his skeleton hand, but he didn't say anything.

"I apologize if I have been rude, Valkyrie. I have to congratulate once again. Does Skulduggery know about this?"

"Yes, I do", Skulduggery said. "I can hear everything you're saying, Synecdoche. You're on speaker."

"Hi, Skulduggery! How are you?"

"Just fine, thank you for asking. We are calling because we would like to book an appointment with you where you can check on Valkyrie. We would really like to know how this can be possible, since I am 'inhuman' to use your own words."

"Of course. But why aren't you going to any of the doctors in the Sanctuary? China would make sure that you would meet the best doctors and get the best treatment, Valkyrie."

"I know that and even if I trust China completely, I don't trust the ones working for her. I haven't exactly been well taken care of by them in the past."

"I understand. You are of course welcome to me with open arms. Do you have something special you have to do the next couple of days? I could see you the day after tomorrow in the morning. Would it be okay if you came in around 10?"

Valkyrie looked at Skulduggery that nodded. "We'll be there. Thank you, Synecdoche."

"Oh, no problem at all, Skulduggery! It will be fun meeting you again, especially now when you don't have any wounds that needs taking care of."

Skulduggery laughed and Valkyrie smiled. They said goodbye to Synecdoche and ended the call. Valkyrie put back the phone in her pocket, drank the last of her tea and walked over with the mug to the dishwasher where she put it together with the rest of the dishes. Then she just stood there a couple of seconds while the insight of that she maybe would become a mother in a couple of months sank in.

Was she really capable of taking care of a little version of herself for 18 years? Was she capable of offering big parts of her life to another human? What would become of her job? Would she really be able to sacrifice the thing she loved doing most of all for at least a year? Would Skulduggery be able to work alone again after working together with her for 23 years?

"God, I'm going crazy…" Valkyrie muttered to herself.

"What did you say Valkyrie?" Skulduggery wondered and walked over to her. "Is something the matter?"

"No, I'm just talking to myself. I was thinking about all the sacrifices I will have to make if I keep the child."

"Like what?"

"I won't be having much of a private life first of all, especially not under the first six months when the baby will only be breastfed. Secondly I won't be able to work for at least a year. How will I be able to be home for such a long period of time? I will be going crazy of hearing all the fun you'll be having while I am home and taking care of a baby…"

"If you are going to keep the child, which I think it sounds like you're starting to consider, I will be home together with you as often as I can. I am sure that China can put others on cases that we usually would accept, unless it isn't something that needs to be solved fast or that's threatening to destroy the world, that is."

"Do you think that? And you won't become self-important and talk about all the exciting car chases, fights and the cool one-liners that you've said to the bad guys before you arrested them?" Valkyrie wondered and smiled.

Skulduggery lay his hand om the spot where his heart would have been if he'd had one and said with a pained voice: "I would never dream about it, Valkyrie! Have I ever said something that has made you upset?"

"More times than I can count", Valkyrie answered and laughed. "But I still love you."

"Good." Skulduggery walked over to Valkyrie and gave her a hug.

The waiting room in Synecdoche's clinic was clinically clean and consisted of white walls, a brown table with some magazines on it, two brown sofas and a brown armchair. On the walls hung a few paintings with nature motifs that Valkyrie supposed would make Synecdoche's patients feel calm before they got called in to her. It didn't help Valkyrie though that had a hard time sitting still and that had a restless leg that refused to lay still against the couch she sat in. It jumped up and down and Skulduggery had on more than one occasion put his hand on it in an attempt to make her stop.

"My body feels like jelly and I have butterflies in my stomach. What do you think Synecdoche will find out when she examines me? What if there is something wrong with the child? What if something is wrong with me?"

Skulduggery pushed Valkyrie's hand. "Everything will be alright. You have nothing to worry about. You are healthy and in good physical form, Valkyrie. You are also still very young, which also speaks for that everything is in order."

"I really hope that you are right, Skulduggery…" Valkyrie mumbled, mostly to herself.

Before Skulduggery had time to answer her Synecdoche walked into the room. She wore a white coat, a white shirt and black pants. She had a warm smile on her lips that made Valkyrie's racing heart calm down a little. "Welcome Skulduggery, Valkyrie. If you would be so kind and follow me into my office."

They followed Synecdoche to a small room with a window on the left side, a brown desk that stood in the middle of the room, a desk chair and two visitors chairs that stood opposite the desk. Synecdoche sat down on her stool and let her hand wander over the visitor chairs before she said: "Please take a seat."

Valkyrie sat down and Skulduggery positioned himself behind her. He laid his hands on her shoulders and pushed them. "Thank you for being able to see us with such a short notice. We are both pretty chocked which you probably understand. Me more than Valkyrie since I thought it would be impossible for me to procreate considering my non-living condition."

"I will try to answer how this can be possible, Skulduggery. I guess that you already have understood that it can be so that the child has come into being through magic. Considering how much you two love each other it's not entirely unlikely."

"That possibility we have discussed many times already. None of us can think of another alternative, unless someone has impregnated me in my sleep", Valkyrie said, smiling dryly.

Synecdoche lifted an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Instead she took out a folder from one of the desk drawers and turned a page that she looked through. When she had found what she was looking for she looked up at Valkyrie. "From what I can see there is nothing that indicates that your pregnancy will have any risks, Valkyrie. You are healthy as a horse and keep in good shape. However with that said I still want to tell you that if you want to keep the baby there might still occur something further on. All pregnancies are risky and anything can happen, often from one second to the next."

"I am aware of this. I have read a lot about what I can expect under the months to come if I choose to continue with the pregnancy."

"Good. Then we can start the examination", Synecdoche smiled and stood up. She pointed to a bed that stood to their right and Valkyrie lay down on it. "I will lay my hands over your stomach and you will feel a warmth radiate from my hands, similar to the times I have healed you. I want you to tell me if you feel the tiniest bit uncomfortable, okay?"

Valkyrie nodded and took a deep breath in an attempt to make the nervousness she was feeling go away. She saw how Synecdoche lifted up her t-shirt so that her stomach became visible before she put her hands over it. A warmth spread around her stomach and Valkyrie closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. She felt how a hand closed around her own and she smiled. Skulduggery's presence got her to calm down and she thought that whatever Synecdoche discovered she and Skulduggery would get through this together.

Until the end.

"Hmm…" Synecdoche mumbled and let her hands wander over Valkyrie's stomach. Sometimes she stopped for a second on a place before she continued to another part of Valkyrie's stomach. Sometimes she pushed or stroked, but for the most part she let her hands wander above Valkyrie's skin. "Interesting…"

"Is something the matter?" Skulduggery asked but Synecdoche just shook her head.

"Everything's in order. I'm just double checking a couple of things. Now lets see… There we have the little fellow!" Synecdoche smiled and carefully clapped the part of Valkyrie's stomach that lay in between her belly button and her womb. "You have a healthy little fellow in there, Valkyrie. If you want to continue with the pregnancy I can tell you that it is a strong chance that you will be able to keep the child. You are pregnant in week 12 and most miscarriages occurs before that, even for us sorcerers. Many young women in the magical community think that just because they can use magic and live a lot longer than normal, mortal women it means that they have some kind of protection inside their body that keeps them from miscarrying, but so is definitely not the case."

"Week 12?!" Valkyrie said surprised and stared at Synecdoche. "But… how haven't I been able to realise sooner that I am pregnant if I am so far gone? I thought that you could be able to notice it around week six, seven already?"

"What does your menstrual cycle look like?"

"Menstrual cycle?"

"How long time would you say that goes in between your menstruations?" Synecdoche clarified.

Valkyrie thought for a while before she answered. "It is different, but if I would take a guess six, seven weeks. Sometimes four, five. It is different. It depends on how much I've had going on."

"And there you have your answer, Valkyrie. You have an irregular menstrual cycle and it is not at all unusual that women with irregular menstrual cycles discovers their pregnancy much later than those who have a regular cycle. Then you should also have in thought that you have a very hard work that probably makes you not keeping track of what is happening with your body compared to other women with a more calm and normal work."

"I guess that you're right, Synecdoche. I have actually not thought so much about when and how often my period comes."

Synecdoche smiled and sat down behind her desk. She started to write something on her computer while Valkyrie pulled down her t-shirt and sat up. She looked up at Skulduggery that tilted his head in a way that told her that he was as surprised as she. He leaned forward towards her and whispered: "Everything will be alright, Valkyrie. I am here for you all the way, remember that."

Valkyrie smiled and gave his cheekbone a kiss before she took his hand and guided him to one of the visitors chairs. She made him sit down in it before she sat down in his lap and leaned her head against his bony shoulder. Skulduggery stroked her back while he looked at Synecdoche that was still writing on her computer. "So what did you discover more than that the child is healthy and which week Valkyrie is in, doctor?"

Synecdoche lifted up a finger while she continued to write with the other hand. The sound of computer keys that is being pushed down and released was the only thing that could be heard.

"There we go!" Synecdoche smiled and turned towards her two patients. "I must start with once again congratulating you both to the little miracle that just now is growing inside Valkyrie's uterus. I understand that this is a big occurrence in your life's and that much will change for you going forward if you want to become parents. With that said I will be here all the way to answer all eventual questions you might have under the course of the pregnancy."

Valkyrie laid a hand over her stomach and stroked it slowly. She had a wrinkle in between her eyebrows and she sounded confused when she said: "I can still not understand how this can be possible... It should not be possible, but here we are."

"I understand that you are confused."

"Has the child been created through magic and if so will there be any danger to the child and/or Valkyrie that we should know about?" Skulduggery asked.

"How does your façade work, Skulduggery? I know that it at the beginning only gave you a face that you only could wear for a very short period of time but that it has evolved over time."

"That's correct. China managed to prolong the time that I could have it active. From only being able to use it one hour per day she managed to get it to work as long as I wanted it to. We had discussed improving it even more by giving me a fully functional body, but the furthest we came was giving me an upper body."

"And you haven't done anything else about it since China last worked on it?"

"I haven't needed to. Ever since Darquesse saved us all seven years ago I've had a fully functional façade with a complete human body."

Synecdoche lifted both of her eyebrows. "Really? How is that possible if I may ask?"

"She touched my façade tattoos seconds before she died. She said that she had left a goodbye gift to me and hoped that I would be happy with it. When I then used my façade the next time I discovered that I had a complete human body instead of just a face and a torso."

Synecdoche nodded and thought for a while. When she spoke again she had a smile on her lips. "I now think that I know how this is possible. Since Skulduggery's façade gives him a fully functional body since Darquesse touched him before she died seven years ago I am relatively sure that Valkyrie has become pregnant in a natural way since I can't find any trace whatsoever of magic. This also means that you will have a completely normal pregnancy if you want to keep the child, Valkyrie."

"Wow…" Valkyrie said, laughing uncertainly. "I guess that this is yet another thing I have Darquesse to thank for."

"I understand that this news is a bit overwhelming, Valkyrie."

"You could say that again…" Valkyrie mumbled to herself.

Skulduggery stroked her hand slowly while he put his teeth against her hair in a tender kiss. "I will admit that I am a bit shocked myself. I didn't think that Darquesse had given me a 100% working body."

"I guess that I have to congratulate even you, Skulduggery. If you want to you can experience what it's like to be human once again."

"I truly enjoy the way I am now, but thank you anyway."

"Not to be rude, but if there isn't anything more that you wonder over I think that we have to end things here. I have more patients that awaits and that needs my help." Synecdoche stood up and walked over to the door. She opened it before she turned towards Skulduggery and Valkyrie that had stood up. "Do not hesitate to call if there is anything you wonder over. I will check my calendar and book you in for a revisit in a couple of weeks when its time for your ultrasound, Valkyrie."

Valkyrie nodded absentminded and was just about to walk out through the door when Skulduggery's voice got her to stop. "I have a question. If Valkyrie decides to not keep the child, how much time does she have before its too late to regret it?"

"If she wants it to be as painless as possible I would advice her to do it as soon as possible. The easiest way to do an abortion is by being given a medicine that rejects the baby. We can also do a scraping, but that's usually done before week 12."

"Thank you, Synecdoche. We'll be in touch if we have any questions." Skulduggery shook Synecdoche's hand and then led Valkyrie out of the room and out to the waiting Bentley.

Valkyrie sat down on the passenger seat and put on her seatbelt before Skulduggery had time to remind her. She laid her hand on her stomach and stroked it slowly. When she had heard Skulduggery ask Synecdoche about abortion a lump had formed inside her stomach and she had become nauseous. Could it be that she seriously considered keeping the baby? Did she really want to become a mum now that she had had a couple of days to think about it?

Yes I want to. I want to become a mother.

Valkyrie glanced at Skulduggery while he drove them home. What would he say when she told him? Would he really be as happy as he had told her he would be, or had he started to regret becoming a father once more? She knew that the only way to get some answers to her questions was by asking him.

She waited until Skulduggery had parked the car and they had walked into the house again. They hung of their jackets in the hallway and Valkyrie took Skulduggery's hands in hers. She took a deep breath and looked into his black eye sockets. "Skulduggery, I have made a decision."

"What kind of decision?"

"I'm going to keep the child."

Skulduggery didn't answer at first but just looked at her. "Are you really sure about this, Valkyrie?"

"Yes, I am really sure. I want to build a family with you, Skulduggery."

Skulduggery grabbed Valkyrie's waist and swung her around in the hallway before he put her down and touched his facade tattoos. As soon as a human face appeared over his skull he kissed her before he carried her to the sofa. Skulduggery gently put her down before he let his human hands stroke Valkyrie's stomach.

"My little darling…" Skulduggery whispered lovingly and kissed Valkyrie's stomach at the exact same spot that Synecdoche said she had felt their child.

Valkyrie smiled and stroked Skulduggery's cheek. "Our little darling."

Skulduggery looked up at his partner and mother to his future child. "What made you change your mind? I hope you're not doing this to make me happy."

"No, this is something I want to do. When you asked Synecdoche about abortion... I can't explain it, it just felt so... wrong. I guess it was an early motherly instinct that poked up its head."

Skulduggery smiled and took her hand ni his. He looked Valkyrie in the eyes and in his for the moment blue eyes, Valkyrie could see how much he loved her. Skulduggery cleared his throat before he said "Valkyrie, I can not with words describe how happy you just have made me. I had originally planned to do this at a much later opportunity, and with a much later opportunity I mean several years ahead in time, but considering the current circumstances that we right now are finding ourselves in, this feels like an extra good time."

Skulduggery took up a small blue box from the back pocket of his suit pants and opened it. Inside the box lay a ring with a little diamond inside that glittered in the light from the living room lamp. "My dear Valkyrie Cain, would you like to do me the big honour of marrying me and become Mrs. Pleasant?"

A cliffhanger! I know, I am evil! X) But I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! In the next one we will finally meet Alice, Desmond and Melissa.