The rising sun peered through the open windows and seeped onto Valkyrie's sleeping form. The sunlight pierced through her closed eyelids, making her groan in frustration and place a throw pillow over her head in a sad attempt to block out the blinding light. She heard Skulduggery chuckle at her. Blindly, she threw the pillow in his general direction and then sat up to glare at him. He had his pants on and had just pulled his arms through his shirt. He smiled, than sat down next to her.
"So, how did you sleep?" he asked, running a hand up and down her arm.
"Well," she said, sitting up, making sure to keep the sheets up around her chest, "Besides the fact that I didn't get much sleep, pretty well." Valkyrie slid a hand down his bare chest and brushed her lips against his cheek.
"But I did enjoy my time with you," she whispered. Skulduggery smiled as his lips found hers. She kissed him back passionately, slipping her arms around his neck as he slid his hand down her bare back. She gently pushed him away as his hand slid under the sheets.
"I think we should get dressed," she muttered. Skulduggery smiled.
"But we could stay like this," he whispered, leaning over to kiss her neck. Valkyrie smiled, but pushed him away again.
"I think we should get dressed," she stated again, firmly. He sighed and stood back up.
"Fine, you win."
The city was busy. People were bustling every which way, bumping into the confused Valkyrie. She had lost Skulduggery amongst the crowd and was now looking for an escape so she could try and figure out where in the world she was. She frantically looked around and spotted a large park across the street.
Dodging several people and lunatic drivers, she fell onto the soft grass in exhaustion, the high afternoon sun beating down on her face. She held her hand above her head casting a shadow across her eyes and sighed in relief.
The sound of child's laughter soon filled her ears. She rolled over onto her stomach and watched a young child, no older than two, run toward a woman who was squatting down with her arms wide open, welcoming the child. She scooped the small child up, earning loud screams of delight in return. She continued to spin around, and then hugged the child close to her chest, kissing her forehead.
Valkyrie's thoughts began to creep back to her possibility of being pregnant as she continued to watch the mother and her child. She wanted to believe Skulduggery in saying that she had nothing to worry about, but something was telling her that there was indeed something for her to be worried about. The question was though: did she want to be pregnant?
Watching the mother with her child, Valkyrie felt as though she wanted to be pregnant, almost wishing she was. She sighed in frustration. She didn't know what she wanted.
'It doesn't even matter,' she thought, 'If Skulduggery is right, then I'll probably never be pregnant whether I want to be or not.' She watched the mother carry her baby away. Valkyrie continued to stare at the spot where they had been, making a mental image of herself standing there, playing with her own child.
Her peaceful thoughts were interrupted as someone stood next to her, casting a dark shadow over her head. She turned to see Skulduggery standing there, smiling down at her.
"Excuse me sir, I believe you are standing in my light," she stated, rolling over onto her back.
"Am I?" he replied with mock surprise, "I had no idea." Valkyrie rolled her eyes as he cocked his head.
"Isn't it customary to sit on a bench while relaxing in a park?" he asked.
"Aren't doors customary?"
"Touché." He held a hand out to her and she reluctantly took it as he harshly pulled her up into his chest and wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her there. Valkyrie sighed and buried her face in his neck.
"So what's on your mind?" he asked, running his fingers through her hair.
"Just life," she replied, "What about you?"
"Just how I'm going to spend the next couple of days with you." She smiled and kissed him.
"Aren't you sweet," she said, "So what are your thoughts?" He shrugged.
"Stay here for a couple more days, then head to New York City and stay there for a while?" Valkyrie nodded.
"I like it here; I wouldn't mind staying for a little while." Skulduggery smiled.
"Then I don't mind either."
For a week they stayed in Chicago, and then headed to New York City. Valkyrie fell asleep half way through the trip so when they arrived, Skulduggery had to carry her bridal-style to their room. They had been there for six days when Valkyrie's worries began to come back again: she had missed her period.
She thought that maybe she was just having a late start, so when Skulduggery said he was going out to take care of some business, she went out and bought a pregnancy test, telling herself that if her period didn't start by the time they arrived home, then she would take the test. She sat on the end of the bed, twirling the white stick between her fingers.
'This is going to be the longest wait of my life,' she thought fell backwards onto the bed.
