Hi! I would like to start by saying thanks for dropping in! This story takes place like nothing happened after Valkyrie returned at the end of DOTL, I dont think you need to know anything besides that. I also changed Vals magic abilities. Please let me know what you think at the end! And this hasnt been edited by anyone other than me so please be nice and if you want to help, it would be appreciated.

"Ill post next chapter soon hopefully!


Valkyrie Cain was unconscious when Skulduggery Pleasant carried her into the Sanctuaries medical bay

Their latest case had taken them to the slums of Roarhaven where they were tracking what appeared to be a group of rogue mages attacking mortals. Later investigation revealed a group that called themselves the Neo-Diablerie that was killing mortals to worship the Faceless Ones. At first the Arbiters had underestimated the new group. But then the Neo-Diablerie proved harder to track and capture than expected, and the body count started to grow. Skulduggery and Valkyrie had been tracking them for months now across Ireland and Europe, and the detectives were finally closing in. The group had rapidly grown. Killing more and more , as well as, gaining followers of the Faceless Ones on their side. The increase of the pace of their sacrifices meant that when the Arbiter Corps had the chance to make a move and capture the guilty party they had to take it, no matter the odds.

The most recent opportunity to capture the Neo-Diablerie came with little warning and no time to plan. There was enough time to call in Cleaver for back up, but that was it. The detectives and their team were going in practically blind but there wasn't another option. The risk was calculated and it had been determined that the Neo-Diablerie needed to be stopped. The Arbiter team should be able to bring down the guilty with minimal loss and injury, but there was still a risk.

However they were going in, and they were going in with no further plan than Skulduggery's favorite of "Let's kick in the door and see what happens.

In the past whenever Skulduggery suggested this plan Valkyrie had always laughed and shook her head while rolling her eyes. Anyone that worked with the pair knew this routine well. Nothing had been different about this time, except the outcome.

In the past no matter the fight or the odds Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain walked out of the fire side by side. Laughing and making sarcastic comments about whatever bad guys they had just taken down the entire time.

This time was different though.

It happened in the middle of the fight. At one point Skulduggery and Valkyrie had been fighting back to back as they always did. The Cleavers worked around them as everyone fought the Neo-Diablerie.

Skulduggery could see Valkyrie fighting at the edge of his eyesight. Her hands were closed around a longsword made of shadows, it had been centuries since her surge. Skulduggery had joked once about mages that were 'magically ambidextrous' and Valkyrie was one of these mages. She went freely between her energy throwing, necromancy, elemental, and psychic powers. The ability of her different powers varied highly. In a fight, however, the combination was deadly and people knew it. People were in awe of it. Dexter Vex had once joked about Valkyries capabilities saying that "If people stepped out of the Dead Man's way they cowered out of Valkyries". He was right.

But that didn't mean she won every fight.

It happened faster than Skulduggery could process. One second after the last member of the Neo-Diablerie had fallen and was placed under arrest, Murder Rose stepped from the shadows where she had been watching the fight, unnoticed by the Arbiters.

There was a flash of metal and before Skulduggery could process what was happening or shout a warning to his partner there was a knife sticking out from her back. The blade was protruding from her left shoulder, having just missed her heart. The hilt was stuck in her skin while the point came out of her front. Valkyrie's eyes met his and he could see the shock and the pain. Skulduggery had rushed forward to catch Valkyrie as she stumbled forward from the force of the impact.

Before he could get there, there was another flash and another knife sticking out of her abdomen just under her ribs.

The Cleavers cleanly removed Murder Roses head from her shoulders, she hadent even tried to escape, choosing instead to take down the Arbiter she had grown to hate over the centuries.
Skulduggery caught Valkyrie as she fell to the ground, calling her name and trying to keep her awake.

Hours later, after Skulduggery had brought Valkyrie into the Sanctuary doctors he refused to leave. He was staring at the operating room doors waiting for Dr. Jayr to come through with news of his partner.

Skulduggery thought back on their years together. It had been 250 years of a partnership at this point, 157 of being a couple, and 43 of being married.

Skulduggery stared down at his hands folded in his lap, he slowly pulled off his left glove to examine the titanium ring sitting on his bone fingers. Valkyrie had always teased him for wearing his ring under his gloves, saying he was embarrassed by her and trying to keep it quiet that they were married. To which he would respond teasingly how half the time she never even remembered to wear her ring and what did that then mean. He knew that she was of course joking but when she woke up he couldn't wait to prove it to her.

Skulduggery had seen his partner get injured before. Quite terribly on occasion. He had never seen her fall quite like she did today though. Melancholia had put her in the hospital, Serpine had broken her bones, Malevolent had tried to break her, Darquesse did break her. But he had never seen panic quite like that in her eyes. She knew that Murder Rose had hit her just right and that she was going down, quite possibly never getting up again.

The doors opened and Dr. Jayr walked out.

"Mrs. Pleasant will be okay." The short doctor smiled

"It's Cain, she refused to change it." Skulduggery was still staring at his ring, not registering the doctor's words as he thought back over their time. Suddenly his skull popped up, "She's okay?"

Dr. Jayr chuckled and ran a hand over his greying hair. "She'll be better than okay, they are doing fine and should be up now I think. I've left her affects sitting on the bedside table, you can go see her if you wish, but-"

Skulduggery had shot up before the doctor finished speaking and was through the doors. They banged open before swinging shut again violently as he moved down the hallway to his wife's room. He could see her through the window in the door. She looked pale and shocked but was awake and in a very sensible blue hospital gown, he calmed himself before entering the room.

Valkyrie's eyes came up to meet him, she looked drowsy.

"Time for another nap? You just woke up." Skulduggery tried to make his voice light.

"Skulduggery.."

"You did get stabbed quite violently with two very big knives so I supposed you can sleep if you want." He made his way to her bedside lightly taking up one of her left hand in his. With his other hand he reached to her bedside table, picking up the simple band that matched his. He slid it onto her ring finger.

Valkyrie was watching him work, not saying anything. She had a bandage on her head right about her left eye, he hadn't noticed that injury before. After her ring was in place Valkyrie looked up to meet his eye sockets. He met her eyes with an unwavering eyeless gaze. Slowly he brought her hand up to press a lip less kiss to her skin and the ring. Skulduggery Pleasant was not an overly affectionate husband. Especially in public. So the simple display of his love briefly made Valkyries heart flutter. Wordlessly Valkyrie held her arms out to him, asking him to get in bed and hold her. Being the caring skeleton he is, he obliged only vaguely begrudging.

Valkyrie tucked herself into his side while they settled into the bed. His arms as tight as they could be without causing pain.

"How are you, my dear?" Skulduggery pressed a soft kiss to her head. He could smell the coconut shampoo she used, it calmed him to breath it in.

"Jayr says I'm pregnant." Came her whispered reply.

Despite his lack of muscles she can feel him tense.

"I know, I don't know how. Neither does he entirely but you thought it was possible! All those years ago, with Abyssinthia. You thought you could be Caisson's father…" She was starting to sound hysterical and exhausted the more she talked. Her words gathered momentum as the thoughts came faster. "Skulduggery you have to believe me, I would never cheat on you. I wouldn't! You're my husband, I love you. I'm not 15 anymor-"

Skulduggery pulled away sharply to look down at her, "Stop talking for a second." He brushed her hair from her face and brought her face up to meet his. "I know you wouldn't. Even if you wanted to cheat on someone as magnificent as me you couldn't. We spend every second together practically." Skulduggery paused. He had no idea what to say, what to do. "I'm just.. Shocked." Another pause. "Shocked is a good word for it. As for how, well you see when two people love each other very much-"

Valkyrie smacked him and pulled away, practically falling off the other end of the bed. He had to grab for her to keep her up. "This isn't funny!" She was practically shouting. "I'm pregnant! This isn't funny! It's not okay! How did this happen?"

"Valkyrie calm down, everything will be okay." Skulduggery had to admit, his wife's reaction was throwing him for a loop.

Admittedly Valkyrie had told him time and time again that she did not want children. Ever. This had been one of Skulduggery's main hang ups when they first started dating, he couldn't give her a family. Valkyrie had convinced him this didn't matter to her though. It took many long conversations and late nights but eventually the skeleton came to accept that a pregnancy and a child was not something Valkyrie Cain wanted in her future. When they still discussed the topic of children she had assured him, she would never want kids and if she did they could adopt because she sure as hell wasnt raising one alone or with some dumb ass. She had quickly followed that with Skulduggery was a different type of dumbass than normal men she was referencing. Skulduggery was almost positive; those were her exact words.

"Do not tell me to calm down." Valkyrie's eyes were dark. She had calmed her movements and was sitting on the bed next to him. He saw the panic slowly leave her eyes and it was replaced with a look that appeared to be sad resignation. "Skulduggery, I can't have a kid. I'm horrible at kids. And we together are terrible at staying out of trouble, something will go wrong."

Skulduggery had just opened his jaw to respond to his wife's claims that they would fail at raising a child when the door to the room opened.

Jayr walked in pushing a computer cart.

"Hello!" His grey head bobbed up to the bedside. "What do you say to an ultrasound?" The old physician was smiling at the couple, oblivious to what he just walked into.

"Dr. Jayr is now really the best time?" Valkyrie's voice was more timid than Skulduggery had ever heard her.

"Of course, my dear!" Jayr was warming up the machine and squirting some gel into the ultrasound wand. "Detective Pleasant, could you hop off the bed. And Mrs. Pleasant please lay back and lift your gown over your abdomen."

Skulduggery was staring furiously at the oblivious doctor. The tension between the married couple was so thick it was almost palpable but Jayr noticed nothing. The skeleton detective started to slide off of Valkyrie's bed, but not before he leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Valkyrie, play along and he will leave. It will be alright."

Normally Skulduggery Pleasant would never stand to be pushed around by an old doctor but he saw this time as an advantage. Maybe in the time it took to do an ultrasound he would be able to gather the thoughts swirling in his skull. Maybe his wife would have a chance to breathe and process. Maybe this would even excite her. Maybe Skulduggery would be able to choke down some of the sadness threatening to overwhelm him as he thought of his first child. Maybe Skulduggery could focus on the glimmers of hope and joy shining through.

Valkyrie looked at him with panic rearing again in her eyes. He tilted his head in just a way that he knew she would understand. It was calming, reassuring, and almost pleading with her to comply. Which she did. Slowly Valkyrie Cain slid down to lay on the bed, drawing her blue hospital gown up. "My name is Cain and its detective." She sounded absent minded as she spoke to the doctor, correcting him again on her title.

"Right, sorry." Jayr just chuckled before moving the wand to Valkyrie's stomach.

When the wand met Valkyries skin you would have thought there was an electric jolt sent into her skin the way she jumped. One of her hands flew from her hospital gown to grab her husband.

Skulduggery was shocked by the action but quickly grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. His wife didn't often look for comfort or support, in that moment he was reminded of how much of a child she was compared to him. He felt guilt for a moment as her panic and fear was due to his actions. It was irrational, but it was how he felt. Skulduggery started to dwell on his feelings while staring into his young wife's eyes when suddenly a soft fluttering sound filled the room.

Both detectives' heads snapped to Dr. Jayr. "That's your baby's heartbeat." Jayr said softly. He was staring intently at the screen.

"That his heartbeat?" Skulduggery repeated after the doctor, seeking confirmation.

Jayr wasn't paying him any attention, however. The physician was solely focused on the screen now. He was forming words with his lips but no sound was coming out. He appeared to be counting but neither Skulduggery or Valkyrie were sure.

"Jayr, what is it? Is something wrong?" Valkyrie asked sharply. The hysteria had seeped back into her tone which caused Skulduggery's head to turn back to her. With his free hand, he raised it to stroke back her hair. Hoping to cause some comfort.

"Nothing is wrong Mrs. Pleasant"

"Detective Cain." The pair corrected him together.

"Right. Detective Cain. Detective Cain, how long has it been since your last menstrual cycle?" Dr. Jayr turned away from the machine and handed her a wrag, indicating she should wipe off the gel.

"A month maybe. Why?"

"Are you sure?" Dr. Jayr was studying her intently.

"Yes! No. I don't know!" Valkyrie turned to her husband for help. "I dont know." She eventually settled on this answer. "It's always been extremely irregular with all the punching and kicking and running."

"Yes, that's what I was concerned about."

"You said there was nothing wrong." Skulduggery's voice came out deep, low, and dangerous.

"Nothings wrong!" Dr. Jayr repeated, stepping away from the partners who were now staring at him intently. "But there is a risk of things being wrong. I am concerned because I believe Ms. Cain to be further along than expected."

The air in the room seemed to go still as the powerful elemental tried to reign in their emotions and tame their powers, "Its detective. How much further?" Skulduggery asked. He had a hand placed on the crook of Valkyries neck and shoulder, lightly massaging as he could feel her becoming tense and nervous.

"6 months."
The room went silent.

"You think I am 6 months pregnant?" Valkyrie asked slowly.

"Yes. I think if you thought over these past months, many symptoms would present themselves. They just weren't noticed because of your lifestyle. For instance, you never take sick days so you brush off nausea. You work out every day so you wouldn't have a period normally, you don't sleep so fatigue is nothing new. Your aches and pains could be attributed to a fight. All of these symptoms were written off because they were not uncommon for your life normally. In this case, however, they were indicating your pregnancy."

Skulduggery and Valkyrie were silent for a moment as they took in this information. "Valkyrie cant have been pregnant for 6 months. She's been in fights, we have been on missions. We hunted a serial killer, and a werewolf." The skeleton tried to rationalize.

"Which is the other cause for concern. As of right now, your pregnancy is no cause for worry but that could very quickly change. My worry is that one wrong step and there could be disastrous consequences." Jayr had walked to the side of the room as he talked, sinking into a chair there. "I would advise you to go onto bed rest for the remainder of your pregnancy. No work, definitely no fights, no working out, minimal walking and movement around the house."

Valkyrie was staring at the doctor, dumbfounded. All of a sudden a nervous laugh bubbled up out of her chest, Skulduggery turned to look at her, his head tilting curiously. "I'm gonna be sick.." She whispered while looking at him.

Dr. Jayr jumped up from his seat, handing a trash bin to the detective just in time.