AN: Hey there to all you who follow this. I really thank you for your support, I know I'm not very consistent. But I did get inspired to carry on the tiniest bit. So here is chapter 2. :)

His eyes were drooping and his head was lolling forward somewhat each time before he caught himself. It had been hundreds of years since the Skeleton Detective remembered what being tired was like. And now the feeling was all too irritating as he just barely managed to park the Bentley in his driveway before stumbling out. He glanced up at his home, the large house on the end of Cemetery Road, and truly comprehended for the first time how gloomy the house was. He'd been drawn to a place of sadness and mourning, but he no longer lived that life.

The need for sleep brought a new weakness to Skulduggery. He failed to notice the security spells were disarmed as he slid the key into the lock. His senses thankfully kicked in time so that he could dodge a flying kick that resulted in his attacker getting his foot stuck in the door. Skulduggery whipped around, two balls of fire in his hands as he snarled at his attacker.

"What do you want?" The attacker stopped struggling against the door to hop on one foot so he could look behind him at Skulduggery.

"Oh. Sorry. Looking for the skeleton." He said in a thick Bronx accent.

"You found him, cupcake. Start talking before I set fire to the door." Skulduggery said, placing his burning hand against the wood of the door.

"Bullshit. The skeleton's a damn…well…skeleton!"

"Oh he was, certainly. Very astute observation but you are trying my patience." The fire in his hands grew to begin burning the door, the man tried to struggle until Skulduggery manipulated the air to press him against the door, nearly breaking the man's leg in the process.

"THE AMERICANS!" The man hollered as he strained against the unseen force of air. Skulduggery dropped his hands, causing the man to fall to the floor, his ankle still stuck in the charred and smoking door.

"Which Americans, and why?" Skulduggery asked as he crouched down next to the man.

"The New York Sanctuary. They heard that you were living and breathing again and they wanted me to confirm. I'm a Sanctuary Agent. You can't hurt me!" Skulduggery gave a strained smile.

"In other news, an American man was found nude and strapped to a water tank on top of a funeral home on Cemetery Road in the early hours of the morning. When authorities questioned him, he was reported to have fled the scene. Police are currently seeking a lanky Caucasian male wearing white briefs."

Valkyrie stared at the TV with an open mouth for a few moments before she turned her head to look at her partner who was trying on a fine grey suit that Ghastly had just made for him.

"Seriously?"

"The Americans wanted to know if I'm still a threat. They have their answer. I am still not to be crossed, am I wrong, old friend?" Skulduggery asked Ghastly who was brushing lint of the shoulders of the suit.

"I'm still struggling to come to terms with the fact you have a face again." Ghastly muttered as he stepped back to admire his work.

"Fits beautifully." Skulduggery said, turning to smile at his friend who simply shrugged modestly before turning to Valkyrie.

"I made something else for you. I figured you need to expand your wardrobe beyond work clothes too." Ghastly said with a slight smile as he led Valkyrie to the back where a stunning black dress lined with red was hanging off a mannequin.

"All the magical properties of your work clothes as well as looking fantastic, if I do say so myself." Ghastly said proudly as Valkyrie ran her hands over the material.

"You realize this means you're taking me out tonight." Valkyrie said to Skulduggery who raised his hands in a confused shrug.

"I take you out every night!"

"Not work!" Valkyrie and Ghastly said in unison causing blood to rush for the first time to Skulduggery's cheeks.

"Oh my god, he's blushing." Ghastly said in wonder, causing Valkyrie to spin around with wide eyes.

"Aww! You're so cute."

"No! I am not blushing! I am flushing with anger! I don't blush!" he said walking from the shop, turning redder as he left. Ghastly and Valkyrie exchanged a smile.

"So have you two had 'the talk' yet?" Ghastly asked as he wrapped her dress in a parcel.

"Um…kind of…he wants to meet my parents…" Ghastly looked over with a raised eyebrow before looking back to the string he was tying with a smile.

"You know he used to say when you weren't around how much he wished your parents could see you as you were." Ghastly said handing her the parcel.

"Yeah he said that last night. Said he assumed that our partnership would be more serious than it was before. Such a charmer." She said with a wry smile.

"Trust me, once he picks up his charm again. You won't be able to resist. The war was difficult enough as it is without half of our allies swooning over him." Ghastly chuckled.

"Is that longing I hear, Mr Bespoke? How would Mrs Bespoke feel about that?"

"Tanith knows Skulduggery and I share a special relationship."

"Oh god." She laughed before they heard Tanith yell "What?!" from upstairs.

"Good luck." Valkyrie said before she left a fearful looking Ghastly to join her…partner…outside by the car.

"Are you my boyfriend?" she asked, causing pools of dark blue eyes to look up at her and widen comically. Seeing all of Skulduggery's emotions played out in front of her was almost overwhelming after years of having to get used to the slight gestures of his skeletal form.

"Well-…I-…mean…I'm certainly no boy. But I mean…if you say boyfriend, and someone asks me if I have a girlfriend-."

"God, you are pathetic sometimes." Valkyrie said with a roll of her eyes as he fumbled over his words. Skulduggery didn't need his master skills of deduction to see that Valkyrie was displeased with his fumbling, and so before she could storm into the car, he gently took her hand in his.

"You are so much more to me than a girlfriend. You are…my partner, and now it is truly in every sense of the word. My time didn't have such terms as boyfriends and girlfriends, but from what I understand of these words…the answer is yes, Valkyrie. At least I hope am your… boyfriend." Skulduggery smiled, before leaning forward to kiss her. Valkyrie fought off a smile as she pulled away.

"Damn Ghastly….he was right." She muttered to herself as they both got into the Bentley.