So I just couldn't help myself. I had to write a short story of things that Skulduggery and Valkyrie might have been doing with Sylvia under her first six months. I didn't know how to put this into the original story "Pregnant", so I wrote a whole new story instead :) Sylvia is born at the beggining of June, so I guess you can figure out how old she is in every small story. I put the months on when the things are occuring, so in case I haven't flat out said how old she is then you can figure it out anyway. And I hope you will forgive me if both Skulduggery and Valkyrie are a bit OOC in this, but I really believe that Skulduggery has a soft side that we haven't really got to experience yet.

June

"Is she done? I'd be happy to take her for a while."

Skulduggery stretched out his arms towards Valkyrie where she was sitting on the sofa. She had just nursed Sylvia and was now in the process of making her burp. Unusually, she hadn't fallen asleep after the meal and Skulduggery was happy to take any opportunity, he could get to hold his daughter.

Sylvia let out a powerful burp and Valkyrie gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Good girl. Do you want to go over to dad for a little while?"

Sylvia looked at Skulduggery and his outstretched hands. She let out a little gurgle and Skulduggery laughed. "I'll take that as a yes," he answered his daughter, taking her from Valkyrie.

The moment Sylvia was in his arms, she stretched her arms towards him and touched his skeletal face. She looked very focused, and Valkyrie asked her daughter "Do you see anything interesting, Sylvia? I know your father doesn't have soft skin to snuggle up to, but you'll get used to it."

Skulduggery let his nose bone touch Sylvia's little nose and Sylvia laughed. She grabbed her father's nose bone and tried to pull it off him, causing Valkyrie to laugh so hard she had to wrap her arms around herself to keep from falling to the floor. Skulduggery in turn gently but firmly grabbed his daughter's hands and pulled them away. "You could hurt yourself, Sylvia. Dad has a lot of sharp edges that you can cut yourself on."

Sylvia tilted her head and looked at her father curiously. However, her expression quickly changed, and she furrowed her brows before tensing her whole body and turning red in the face. It didn't take many seconds before a wet, sloppy sound was heard and a foul odour filled the living room.

"I think someone just soiled themselves," Skulduggery said.

Valkyrie stood up and extended her arms. "I can take her back now so I can go and change her."

"No, I'll take this. It's time for me to take on my fatherly responsibility and change my first diaper on my daughter. What would be better than a poop diaper as a first attempt? If I can handle this, I can handle a pee diaper without any problem."

"If you say so…" Valkyrie replied in a hesitant voice. "Shout if you need help. She can be a bit fussy when you must dry her, especially when she's just pooped."

"This is going to be like a dance, isn't it, Sylvia? You're not going to splutter and be unhelpful when your daddy changes you, are you?"

Sylvia gurgled and grabbed Skulduggery's chin. Skulduggery turned and went to the bathroom. Once inside, he laid Sylvia down on the changing table and unbuttoned her body before opening the diaper. The smell was even stronger now and Skulduggery couldn't help but think that right now he wished his sense of smell hadn't returned with him when he came back from the dead.

"My God, Sylvia! That wasn't a bad charge you laid."

Sylvia didn't answer but just looked at Skulduggery while kicking her little legs. Skulduggery hurried to place a tissue under Sylvia's bottom before removing the diaper. He wet another napkin under the faucet and began to wipe Sylvia clean. She continued to kick her little legs, but otherwise lay relatively still. She continued gurgling and looking around while her father cleaned her.

"So, it wasn't that dangerous, sweetheart? I think we are done now. Where are the diapers now again? Ah, there they were!" Skulduggery picked up a new diaper and opened it before putting it around Sylvia. "Let's see, there must be a small piece of tape here somewhere... Where is it?"

Valkyrie entered the bathroom. "How is it going for you?"

"Excellent, but I can't find the tape to hold the diaper together."

Valkyrie looked over Skulduggery's shoulder and couldn't help but laugh. "Skulduggery, you've put on the diaper back and forth. The tape is on the other side."

"That explains a few things." Skulduggery lifted Sylvia's leg so he could remove the diaper before turning it over and placing it back under her bum.

"By the way, before you fasten the diaper... You cleaned everywhere, right?"

"I've wiped her bottom and around her groin."

"Not to sound disparaging in any way, but you haven't forgotten that we women have a few more folds than you men do that also need to be dried, or at least checked. It's easy for things to get stuck in there that can cause discomfort if you don't remove it." Valkyrie walked over to her daughter and parted her legs before showing Skulduggery what she was talking about.

"Oops. I'll admit one thing to you, Valkyrie. When my first daughter was alive, I didn't change many diapers, but my wife took care of that part. It was simply the way it was done back then. I wasn't home as much as I wanted either, as we were in the middle of the war against Mevolent."

Valkyrie smiled. "It is okay. Look at this on the bright side: now you will be more prepared for the next diaper change."

Skulduggery fell silent and Valkyrie could tell he was thinking about something. When he hadn't said anything for a long time and Sylvia was getting tired of lying on the changing table, Valkyrie picked her up and gave her a kiss on the nose. "Don't worry, sweetheart. We haven't forgotten you. I suppose you, like me, wonder what your father is thinking."

Skulduggery looked Valkyrie in the eyes while tilting his head in a way that told Valkyrie that what he was about to say amused him. "Given how many times I've gone down on you, I should know what a vagina looks like, which in turn should have made me understand that I need to clean my daughter properly."

"I don't know whether to laugh or be mad at you right now, Skulduggery."

Skulduggery made the decision for her. He leaned forward and pressed his teeth to Valkyrie's lips in a kiss.

July

It was almost midnight and Valkyrie was walking around like a zombie in her and Skulduggery's bedroom with Sylvia in her arms. She had just fed her and was now trying to get her daughter to sleep, but Sylvia had completely different plans it seemed. She whimpered and rubbed in her mother's arms and had a hard time calming down.

"Sylvia, honey, what's wrong?" Valkyrie asked in a calm tone.

Sylvia just continued to whimper, and Valkyrie sighed deeply while closing her eyes. She was exhausted both in head and body. Sylvia had refused to sleep in her bed for the past two nights and had instead slept with Valkyrie. She wouldn't have been so sore if it weren't for the fact that Sylvia promptly wanted to sleep on her, chest to chest. As soon as Valkyrie tried to lay Sylvia down next to her, she had woken up and started screaming and didn't go back to sleep until Valkyrie put her back on her stomach.

She also hadn't been able to get any help from Skulduggery since these past two nights he had been forced to go into Roarhaven on some important mission that he had been assigned to China and that he hadn't been able to postpone. This night, however, he was home and had promised Valkyrie that, if nothing threatened the world, he would be there for her if she needed him.

He was currently standing in the doorway watching his wife and daughter. "Why don't you go lie down on the couch, honey? I'll take Sylvia tonight so you can get some sleep. I don't get tired like you and I don't need any sleep either. I only wake you up if she needs food, but I think she'll be fine for a few hours as she's just been fed."

Valkyrie gave Skulduggery a grateful smile and handed Sylvia over to him who immediately calmed down and stopped whining. She looked up at her father and gave him one of her famous irresistible smiles, which always made her parents melt. Valkyrie stroked Sylvia's cheek, gave Skulduggery a gentle kiss on the cheek, and then went downstairs where she made the sofa.

She was asleep within five minutes of putting her head on the pillow.

Meanwhile, Skulduggery had sat down in the rocking chair that stood in one corner of their bedroom. They had acquired it shortly before Sylvia was born, as Valkyrie wanted something to rock Sylvia in if she was too tired to carry her around during one of those nights where she would be restless and have trouble settling down.

Skulduggery began rocking back and forth as he held Sylvia close to his bony body. She looked at her father the whole time and didn't want to let go of him, even though she was exhausted and could barely keep her eyes open. Skulduggery ran his index finger across Sylvia's cheek and began to sing a lullaby his mother had sung to him when he was a little boy.

It had always calmed him down when he was worried.

Sylvia listened intently to her father's voice and even though she fought with everything she had; she fell asleep after a few minutes. As her eyes closed, she pressed herself against her father, resting her head against his bony shoulder. Her breathing became heavy, and her body relaxed.

She was safe.

Instead of putting her back down in the crib, Skulduggery remained in the rocking chair and continued rocking himself and his little daughter. A thought had struck him at the same moment Valkyrie had told him about Sylvia's reluctance to sleep alone in the crib when he wasn't home. He suspected that the reason she had been so worried was because she hadn't been able to sense his presence. He had both noticed it himself and heard from others that when he was not near Sylvia and she could neither hear nor see him, she became worried and restless.

His suspicion was only strengthened even more now that he was sitting here with Sylvia in his arms. She was totally relaxed and had fallen asleep relatively quickly after he had started singing. She had also stopped whining as soon as Valkyrie handed Sylvia over to him. He looked down at his daughter and if he had a pair of lips he would have smiled.

"Daddy's little darling. You don't have to worry; I'm not going anywhere. I am here for you and will be until the day I die." Skulduggery put his teeth against Sylvia's cheek, and he could see her lips twitching, as if she wanted to smile but was too tired to lift the muscles needed to smile.

A few hours later, Valkyrie woke up feeling well rested in a way she hadn't felt for days. She sat up, stretched and checked what time it was on her mobile. She had slept for almost five hours! She listened but couldn't hear any sound, which made her a little worried. Sylvia usually didn't go this long without wanting food. Normally she used to eat about every three hours.

She stood up and walked up to the bedroom where she stopped in the doorway. Her eyes filled with tears and her heart with warmth as she saw Skulduggery sitting in the rocking chair with Sylvia in his arms and how they were both fast asleep. She walked over to Skulduggery and gently shook his shoulder so as not to wake Sylvia. The moment he woke up and raised his head to look her in the eyes, she gave him a kiss.

"Thank you, love," she whispered lovingly.

October

It was a cold autumn evening at the end of October and the stars lit up the night sky. Valkyrie and Skulduggery were out walking hand in hand along with Sylvia who was in the stroller. She had just woken up from her little power nap and the three of them were now heading back to the house where Skulduggery promised he would cook Valkyrie a nice dinner while she fed Sylvia.

"You spoil me, Skulduggery."

"Nonsense, I can never spoil my wife enough."

Valkyrie laughed and squeezed Skulduggery's hand. He pushed her hand back and looked up at the sky. He stopped so suddenly that Valkyrie was about to fall. She stopped and turned to ask Skulduggery what he was doing, when she was interrupted by Skulduggery's voice. "Valkyrie, look."

Valkyrie looked up at the starry sky and saw a shooting star. Her face broke into a big smile. She turned to their daughter and lifted her from the stroller. "Look there, Sylvia. That's called a shooting star, and when you see one like that, you're bound to wish for something. If you are lucky, your wish will come true."

Sylvia smiled widely and stretched her hands up to the sky, as if trying to catch the shooting star and all the stars that were around it. Her eyes twinkled in the light from these and she laughed happily.

"I wonder what she wished for?" Skulduggery said.

"I don't know, but I know what I wanted anyway."

"Oh really? Do you want to tell me what you wished for?"

Valkyrie smiled and looked into Skulduggery's eye sockets. "To keep feeling this happy," she replied before leaning forward and kissing him.

December

Sylvia had just turned six months old, and her parents had decided it was time for her to try regular food. Valkyrie had talked to her mother about what they could start with, and she had recommended banana and fruit purees and some porridge.

They had fruit at home as Valkyrie was in the habit of eating at least one fruit a day and they had decided to try mashing some banana for Sylvia as most children liked banana as it was easy to swallow and tasted a bit sweet. Valkyrie had taken out a banana and started to peel it when Skulduggery interrupted her by taking the banana from her.

"I'll take Sylvia for a while so you can have some time of your own, Valkyrie. Didn't you mention earlier today that you would need to shop? Go and do it now. Take your time. If Sylvia would like something more than the banana while you're gone, I'll warm up some formula for her."

Valkyrie smiled and gave Skulduggery a kiss on his cheekbone. "Thanks Skulduggery. Do you know how lucky I am to have a husband who is willing to take on as much responsibility as you do?"

"Anything for my favourite women in the world to feel good and be happy."

Valkyrie gave Skulduggery another kiss - on his teeth this time - before walking out into the hall and donning her winter coat, hat and mittens. She took the keys to the Bentley hanging from a hook on the wall and put her hand on the doorknob before turning to Skulduggery and Sylvia standing in the kitchen doorway. She raised her hand and waved to her husband and daughter before getting out to the Bentley and driving off.

"Shall we eat some banana?" Skulduggery asked his daughter to which he received a gurgle in response. "I'll take that as a yes," he laughed and went into the kitchen.

He strapped Sylvia into her highchair before placing a pillow behind her back to help her sit upright as she hadn't developed the muscles needed to properly sit up on her own yet. Sylvia followed her father with her eyes as he prepared her food. She bounced up and down as she stretched out her hands.

"Calm down, honey. You'll get to taste it soon. I'm just going to get a plate and a spoon so I can mash the banana."

Skulduggery split the banana in half and placed one half on a small plate. He mashed it with the back of the spoon he had picked out and then put a small piece of banana on it. He held out the spoon to Sylvia's mouth, but she did not open her mouth. Instead, she pursed her mouth and furrowed her brows. Skulduggery cocked his head and watched his daughter. "I thought you wanted the banana. Now what is wrong?"

Sylvia didn't answer and just continued to purse her mouth. Skulduggery thought for a moment before a thought struck him. He started moving the spoon up and down and back and forth while making little car noises. This caused Sylvia to widen her eyes and stare in fascination at the spoon in her father's hand. Skulduggery laughed and it wasn't many seconds before Sylvia started laughing too.

"Do you know what this is, Sylvia? It's dad's car, the Bentley, that comes driving and she's tired after driving you, your mom and dad. Now she needs to rest for a while in the garage. Do you think the garage could open its doors for her so she can drive in?"

Skulduggery brought the spoon to Sylvia's mouth and now she gaped wide. She chewed a few times before swallowing. At the same moment that the banana went down into her stomach, she opened her mouth again. Skulduggery laughed and placed another piece of banana on the spoon. He made car noises again and Sylvia laughed again. He repeated this until Sylvia had eaten the whole banana and when she was done, he wiped her mouth before lifting her up.

"You love dad's car, don't you? I've noticed how calm you are every time we go for a ride in her. How happy you get every time dad calls her by name. I can't blame you; the Bentley is a great car and Dad will never replace it. I might even let you drive her when that time comes."

The front door opened, and a cold gust of wind swept into the house. Sylvia shivered from the cold air and Skulduggery hugged his daughter. "There's no danger, it's just mom who's home from her shopping trip."

"I am home!" Valkyrie called from the doorway as she closed the door. "How did it go? Has she eaten any banana?"

Skulduggery went out to his wife and the moment Sylvia saw her she started smiling and stretched out her arms to her mother. Valkyrie laughed and took Sylvia into her arms. "Have you been a good girl while mom was away?"

"She ate half a banana. I wasn't going to put anything in her at first, but as soon as I started playing that the spoon was the Bentley, she gaped without the slightest protest. She loves my car, which doesn't surprise me one bit."

Valkyrie looked at Skulduggery before rolling her eyes. "She's your daughter, Skulduggery. She must have inherited some of your genes and I'm not at all surprised that one of them became your taste in cars."

"You are just jealous that our daughter has good taste in what cars to drive and what not to drive."

Valkyrie gave Skulduggery a dark look and he laughed. Sylvia looked at her parents before noticing the car keys in Valkyrie's hand. She grabbed them and held them up to her father while saying "Ah!"

"As I said, Valkyrie: Our daughter has good taste, that's for sure."