Okay so here it ends, my first story. 10 chapters and ive loved it. except this ending, its a bit meh for me. but as a 'Im sorry im sick and ive been away and my last chapter sucks because of it' present ive written a small i guess prelude to the sequel, hope you have enjoyed it as much as i have! and look lout or the sequel, it will be out soon ;) also, small One-Shots will be written for the events between this and th sequel, not overly important, just a little fun ;) anyway enjoy!

Chapter 10-

He was getting the silent treatment.

In fairness he had been spending most of his time avoiding the Sanctuary, least he be slammed with messages and phone calls of either appreciation or liability from Ode and the rest of the English officials. He had been spending a lot of time in the Hiberian, both recovering and waiting. He was waiting for her to stop sulking and talk to him. She wasn't mad at him, he knew that, she was mad at herself for being beaten. At least they were alive, for god sakes.

It had been four days until they were both released by Kenspeckle. Helling had been sneaking of the areas of the laboratory for sneaky cigarettes when he needed one, and once Tanith had been walking, practicing her bad leg, and he seen him, giggled a little at his choice of hiding spots (A closet full of test tubes and other such sciency stuff) and that was about all he had gotten out of her, not even so much as a thank you for carrying her all the way to the cinema. She wasn't heavy, but the distance had tired him.

He had walked out of the cinema, hoping to get one last cigarette before forcing a conversation out of her, when he found her that is. But as he was about to pull one out and light it with a still dented Zippo his phone rang. He picked it up without thinking about his 'don't pick up' rule and poke down it.

"Hello?" 'Fuck why did you pick it up moron.'

"Helling." He dropped the cig from his mouth as the deep and tired voice of Corthernus Ode spoke down the other end. "I believe we are entitled to a little civil chat, don't you agree?"

"Depends what you class as 'Chatting' Corthernus." Rome responded with a tone that suggested any insults and Ode would only hear the sound of him hanging up.

Ode took a deep breath, and as he spoke it was like he wasn't speaking to Rome directly, but to another person who was putting words into his mouth. "I think… That I might have been quick to judge your… opinion on the Irish matter and would like to extend my sincerest…" he faltered and Helling had to bite his lip from the laughter that might escape his lips at the Elders next words. "Apologies."

Rome had to pull the phone away from his ear in fear at he might lose his cool. He put it back up to his ear. "Right, okay. So I'm no longer branded a traitor and I can return home?"

Ode sighed and tried his best to put on a positive tone. "Of course, and your post is still available for you to resume working, and maybe even a promo- A PROMOTION!" he could hear Ode furiously argue with an inaudible voice until he returned defeated. "A Promotion might even be due in the near... future."

Helling covered the speaker on the phone and let out a chuckle of disbelief. An apology from Ode, and his job just got a lot better. He really did like happy endings. "Well I must say, Elder Ode, I am extremely grateful by your offer." Laughter filed his chest.

He was going home. He wasn't sure how, but he could return to his life. That was good. Or was it? He had made friends here in Ireland. He had Grim as well, she could go with him, but he doubted she would be allowed her freedom. She had killed people, yes, but she could change.

And hadn't he changed as well? He no longer wanted to stay behind the fight. He wanted to be at the front, fighting for what he believed in. wasn't that why he came to Ireland for anyway? And Tanith… He remembered what it was like getting close to her, the feelings he got when he was around her, and when she was in danger, how angry he got. He couldn't get close to her.

He couldn't stay in Ireland. He couldn't get close. Ode was right about one thing. Ireland was a magnet for trouble, and if someone he was close to was lost, he wasn't sure what he would do.

He realised Corthernus was still on the phone, and he put it back to his ear. "I have one condition…"

Helling had stopped by the apartment above the department store to pick up Omega on the way to the airport. He explained to her what they were going to do, and she agreed smiling. She was excited about changing herelf, she had even left her black clothing and had adorned a new style of simple tee's and ripped jeans, even light green highlights streaked her hair. A good look for her. She even changed her chosen name. Grim Alpha. 'A new beginning' she would say.

They drove to the airport, Skulduggery as their personal escort. Skulduggery want one to be directly nice so he obviously wanted something, but the drive up was quiet. Valkyrie was also in the Bentley, she looked different. The fight with the Grotesquery had its effects on her most of all.

They reached the terminal and got out, their bags packed and tickets ready for a flight to England. Skulduggery finally found a good time to speak. "You did a good job, for a Brit."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Helling laughed at Skulduggery's attempt at friendliness. "I guess this is good bye. Thanks for everything." He held out his hand but Skulduggery shook his head. He black eyes of the skull boring into his.

"You'll be back."

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't." He said with a gesture to the air behind Rome. "But she might know." Helling turned to find the familiar blond hair and hard eyes that always gave him butterflies. Tanith smiled at him, and Skulduggery patted his shoulder in goodbye and got back into the Bentley. Valkyrie waved at him, then gave Tanith a grin before quickly getting into the car.

"I'll get a space in the line." Grim said before entering the airport. It was just them now. He hadn't seen her in days, there was so much he wanted to say but couldn't, because before he could she pulled him into her and kissed his lips once. The warmth of her lips crashed into his, and as quick as it happened it ended, and she strutted over to he parked bike and climbed on, only turning her back to wink at him before riding off.

He stood there, his legs feeling like they might give way. A smile finally spread his lips as he walked into the terminal. He got the message clearly.

'Come visits sometime, if you think you're hard enough.'

Five years later.

Helling stood on the shore of the salty water. He gazed out onto the pier that sat in Haggard, the most underrated place in Ireland he reckoned. The beach was nice at night, maybe even nicer if dark clouds weren't hanging over him threatening the chance on wet clothes. He liked it by the ocean, it reminded him of home, in more ways than one. He wasn't even sure how he got here, but he knew what drew him here, what called to him at nights like this.

He had the scars of the battles he fought over the past 4 years he had been out of Ireland. His left hand and sided bandaged heavily from the fighting. The events of that night 4 years before had replayed in his head over and over since he touched foot to soil. The ambush, the Infected, Blunder dead, the fight with Decorous. It was all too vivid to forget. His body was healing, but his mind? His memories?

He heard a slight crunching sound of another person descending the rocky beach. He didn't need to turn to guess it was Valkyrie Cain. She lived around here, plus he had been hoping to catch up with the girl.

He let her stop next to him and just stand there contemplating with him. She was an enigma alright, something about that girl was… familiar. Rome couldn't put his finger on it. He eventually broke the silence. "It's going to rain soon. You might get cold."

She didn't respond to the question, but instead straight to the point. A trait only someone close to Skulduggery could learn. "I'm fine."

"You're about as fine as I am." He turned to her showing the black blemishes that were still left on his arms and belly where Decorous had sent his energy into him all that time ago.

"What's bought you back here then?"

"Business." He said simply.

"The Supreme Council type business, Mr lead Foreign Investigator?" she said with the mocking tone he had actually sort of missed.

"No… Personal business."

"Oh." She picked up a stone and skimmed the surface of the waves, which were getting slightly choppier. "Helling, She's gone, no use making her a burden."

She was a 16 year old girl, what might she know of his burdens. But something about her, that something he had felt a long time ago but more present. He decided if anyone would understand his burdens, she might.

"Have you ever wondered why Sirens are always show to be by the coast? Monsters who lure sailors into rocks then devour them?" she raised an eyebrow but let him continue. "Well, that's because the ocean is where my power comes from, its origin. An Elemental gets their power from a spark or the air or a river. My source is constant. It calls to me." He said plainly, taking out a pack of new cigarettes and a new golden Zippo, engraved with a sailing ship.

"Calls to you?" she asked, showing a surprising amount of interest.

He let the smoke drift out of his mouth, as he did the whispers in his head calmed there calls for his return, his release, and his home-coming. "It whispers to me, the ocean. It is where my power is from and where it shall be returned. When I'm angry, and I turn into the Siren, that's the true power of the ocean. Merciless, unforgiving, wrathful." He took a long drag and waited for her to take this information.

"It feels good, doesn't it?" she asked him. "When it consumes you."

"It does." He said, finishing the fag and dropping the unlit blunt in his pocket, so as not to pollute his ocean dearest.

"But, you fought it, you controlled it." She told him, and he smiled.

"That's because I have a louder voice in my head now." He said, closing his eyes and hearing the gentle voice of the women whom he often thought about. "One that can be extremely annoying. And one I hope to hear again someday."

Valkyrie stopped at this, like a painful memory had resurfaced, but she turned back to him.

"The voices get loud, don't they." It was more a statement then a question.

It was his turn to raise an eyebrow. "I want to find that voice again Valkyrie." He looked at her. She had grown, she was no longer a girl. She was fierce, powerful. She was a little Tanith with black hair, and a something…

"I hope you find a voice too, Valkyrie." And with that he walked off the beach, leaving her to her thoughts. He hadn't much time. He was back for a reason after all.

Buisness. Personal.