Chapter Text
Skulduggery fell to his knees. She was there. Right there.
Right there in front of him.
She was snuggling the stuffed skeleton toy he gave her. She was in her bed at his house. She was asleep.
Now… DO IT NOW!
Skulduggery fingered the trigger on his gun.
Do it now before you realise just how much you-
He lowered his gun.
… just how much you …
He let it drop to the floor.
He held his bony head in his bony hands. His shoulders shook. It sounded like he was sobbing. No tears were falling. Impossible.
All over the world he’d looked for her. Everywhere. And here she was, in his home. She looked happy and warm and safe. How could everyone expect him to do it?
How could anyone?
“Skul?” Darquesse cracked open an eye, “Please don’t cry.”
Her voice was heavy with sleep. It was Valkyrie’s voice.
He sobbed harder.
Her hand stretched out lazily to him, no threat in the gesture.
“What’s wrong?”
His empty eye sockets looked up at the sleepy jaguar.
“Please.”
She waited for him to say more. He didn’t look right. His shoulders quaking with his voice. Where was his tall, charming, arrogant self? What happened to break him?
Again, she added as an afterthought.
“Please,” he repeated.
“If you don’t tell me what’s wrong, how am I supposed to make it better?”
“Don’t leave.”
“Does it look like I’m going anywhere?” She stretched out both arms to him now.
He looked up at her welcoming embrace. Maybe it was all a dream? A really bad, bad, bad, bad, bad dream? A hallucination maybe? Yes. Yes. Maybe-
She’d rolled out of the bed. Her arms wrapped around him, holding him together.
“I’m sorry I left.”
He held her back, “Take me with you.”
“You’re a good guy Skulduggery, remember? You’re supposed to be all suave and beat up the bad guys and look impeccable while doing it.”
He chuckled at that remark, a little hollow, but wasn’t he always?
“I’m not the good guy, I’m just…” he rested his skull against hers, “I’m your partner.”