Some of you aren't happy that it's not long enough. I'm sorry that you don't like it but it's the easiest way for me to do it. This one is longer and I do try to make them all a little long but sometimes it's just easier to do them short. Sorry!

Anyway, on with the story and sorry for mistakes!

Valkyrie took a long and hard look at herself in the bathroom mirror of Skulduggery's home. She knew she had changed heaps from her 'playing the field' days but surely not so drastically. There was no denying that she wanted Skulduggery. People always say that if your doubting something then you shouldn't do it but Valkyrie didn't know if there was anything to be doubting.

She'd always thought she would want to get married when she was about twenty-three. She was now twenty. Valkyrie shook her head and chose to forget about it.

She changed into a pair of grey tracksuit pants and changer her shirt. She took a glance at the mirror seeing a flash of white. She realised that she had never seen the scar since Sanguine cut her stomach. Instead of the scar being a lump, Sanguine had cut it so deep that it was actually a dip about 3 millimetres deep.

It stunned her for a minute but she shook it off and walked out to Skulduggery. He was on the couch reading the newspaper. Valkyrie sighed as she sat next to him and switched the TV on. Skulduggery put the newspaper on the coffee table in front of them and wrapped his arms around her waist and nestled his face into her neck. "What's wrong?" He mumbled. Valkyrie had dreaded the question though should have been expecting it.

She shrugged. "Nothing. I like this." She murmured. Skulduggery pulled back and gave her a dazzling smile. He knew something was wrong with Valkyrie but he was going to let it go... for now.

He gave her a kiss and it was short and sweet but they stayed together in their embrace. Valkyrie really didn't want to move but her stomach rumbled.

"Dinner time." He said and jumped up pulling Valkyrie along. Something clicked in Valkyrie's head so she tugged him back and she looked up into his eyes.

"You always said those words to me when you were a skeleton. When I was the only one who got hungry and when you couldn't eat." Skulduggery sighed and pulled her to the dining table. He sat opposite her and rested his hands on the table.

"This skin I have is all real but there is some defects to becoming 'human'. I don't have to eat and I don't have to sleep or do any of the other humanly things. I have no internal organs. However, I do have a sense of taste and smell and I can eat but it's just that I don't have to." Valkyrie took little time to process this. She couldn't figure out if it was still okay or if it was torture for him.

"So... are you okay with this? What happens if you get shot or something? What happens then? And if you can eat... then where does it go? And before, you've been eating and drinking, why?" Skulduggery chuckled at all the questions.

"Yes I am okay with this. If I get hurt then I'll get healed but if anything happens really badly to this skin then I just go back to my skeletal self. China might be able to redo it but it will be difficult. And I was eating and all that stuff so maybe I wouldn't have to tell you. I realised how much of a burden it all was when I could be doing much more important things so I gave up. Anyway what do you want for dinner?"

"I'm not hungry anymore." Valkyrie wasn't quite convinced that Skulduggery was okay with it all. He looked a little disturbed. Skulduggery looked concerned as he looked at Valkyrie's vacant face.

There was a knock at the front door, startling both of them. Skulduggery and Valkyrie walked into the living room. Valkyrie began watching TV on the couch while Skulduggery answered it.

He swung the door open revealing an upset Erskine Ravel. He walked through the doorway without an invite and sat down on the single chair. Valkyrie sat forward, surprised while Skulduggery made mock faces. "Oh sure Erskine, come in! How have you been? Oh I've been good thanks." He said sarcastically and sighed.

Valkyrie sat on the seat closest to Erskine and touched his arm.

"What happened Erskine?" Valkyrie asked.

"Simone broke up with me!" He wailed.

Skulduggery groaned. "Not this again!"

"Shoosh you." She looked at Skulduggery and winked. He was stunned for a second and pulled it together. Skulduggery rolled his eyes and sat next to Valkyrie placing a hand on her knee.

"Every time he gets dumped, he has a cry and always thinks she was 'the one'" He murmured low in her ear. Valkyrie laughed quietly and nodded.

"Are you okay Erskine?" Valkyrie asked half-heartedly.

"I will be. It's just... I thought she was the one, y'know?" He sobbed. Skulduggery chuckled quietly and shook his head. Valkyrie nudged him with her other arm and nodded quickly to Erskine when he looked at her.

"Well maybe you should stay and have some tea for a bit." Valkyrie suggested. Erskine nodded.

"That would be nice." He stood and walked into Skulduggery's kitchen and sat at the dining table.

Skulduggery rolled his eyes playfully to Valkyrie and she laughed. There were only two chairs at the dining table so Skulduggery insisted Valkyrie sit at the last one. She refused and jumped on the bench to sit. Valkyrie realised that no one really knew they were a couple except for the people who had seen them. Tanith probably yelled it to the world anyway.

A couple more hours of Erskine's sobbing and he left. Valkyrie and Skulduggery decided to go to bed since it was 9:30.

Skulduggery grabbed her hand and pulled her into his bedroom. They laid there for ages just talking about everything. Valkyrie's eyes began to droop closed as she was in Skulduggery's arms. He didn't sleep of course, but he laid there all night.