A/N: I don't own Valkyrie, Skulduggery, Ghastly, Erskine, Dexter, Saracen, China, Lord Vile, Darquesse, the Dead Men or Valkyrie's reflection. Um, this is set shortly after the books so Val's in her 20s. I took liberties but they are so tiny you'll never notice them. I swear. Massive spoilers, obviously.

Valkyrie Cain sat in the bar waiting on her new partner as she stared into her beer. She didn't drink as a rule. She wasn't a prude, she just didn't like the taste and thought the effects were overrated. So now she stared into a nonalcoholic draw that the barman had promised her would taste like horse whizz and she reckoned it pretty much did.

She took a sip and made a face. Valkyrie idly wondered how people knew things tasted like horse whizz then mentally shook herself. Her new partner should be there soon. She was early or he was late, but she supposed it truly didn't matter. She smiled softly to herself. Her Uncle Gordon had met his partner in a bar. And he and Skulduggery had had many adventures together. So she hoped meeting her new partner in the bar would be a good luck charm for her too.

Though now that she thought of it she couldn't remember if they had met inside the bar or outside of it. She frowned to herself then shrugged. She supposed it didn't matter. What did matter, and the reason she was in the bar in the first place, was that she and Skulduggery Pleasant were no longer partners.

Valkyrie could forgive a lot of things but taking another partner in her absence hadn't been one of them, and it hadn't been the same, had it? He'd had a long enough time to be poisoned against her by that partner and things hadn't been the same between them. Because I'm not a little girl anymore, that's why. She thought with a sigh. I made a fool out of myself by telling him I was in love with him and he's never forgiven me.

Valkyrie didn't even know if she was in love with him anymore. Or if she'd ever really been in love with him. Maybe she'd loved the idea of him. The magic and mystery that surrounded him. Or that he was dashing and heroic. She wasn't even sure if it hadn't been a childhood crush. Even in a few years she'd changed so much that she wondered if it hadn't been.

She just hoped her new partner would get there while there was still room at the bar for him. And as if on command a man materialized at her elbow, plunking a shamrock charm made of emerald green gemstones down beside her. "Luck of the Irish, Miss?" The man asked and Valkyrie turned to him, ready to throw a punch. But she couldn't, she could only stare at him in shock.

"You." She breathed as she took in the tan overcoat and oversized hat. The frizzy hair and oversized sunglasses paired with the scarf.

"Me." He agreed and Valkyrie felt as if all the years in between their first meeting had never passed and was off her stool and hugging him fiercely before she could remember how very angry she was with him. Skulduggery hugged her back just as tightly, chuckling slightly.

"Sorry I'm late, I had a case."

"You took a case without me?" Valkyrie growled.

"Drink your beer."

"It tastes like horse whizz."

"I trust you to know."

"Skulduggery!"

This time he really laughed, holding on to the bar, his gloved hand reflexively rubbing at his sunglasses as if he were crying. "Sorry, Valkyrie. Then how about we get out of here and I'll tell you about my case?"

"I can't. I'm waiting on my new partner."

"You're looking at him." Skulduggery said brightly as he palmed the shamrock off the bartop and slipped it into her coat pocket.

"What?"

"New partners. Here and now. What do you say? I met your uncle in a bar. Or was it outside? Anyhow he vomited all over my shoes. You aren't going to vomit on me, are you?" He was peering anxiously at her and Valkyrie snorted laughter.

"I had one sip and it's nonalcoholic, so, no."

"Right, then. Shall we?" Skulduggery offered Valkyrie his arm and she took it. He escorted her out of the bar looking chuffed with himself. Outside he turned to her. "Now, then, would you like to know what my case was about?"

"Not really." She said sulkily.

"I was looking for my lost partner."

"Wait, what?" Valkyrie was confused and Skulduggery sighed.

"Let me tell you a little story. Once upon a time Lord Vile decided to hide in plain sight. And one of the things that makes him so downright lovable is his ability to take any side when he needs to. Even to take a partner he actively despises and intends to kill after she helps him rescue his real partner."

"Oh. I rather like that story." Valkyrie said as she smiled at him.

"I thought you might." He led the way to the Bentley and they got in. Skulduggery turned to her. "You haven't even mentioned that I'm wearing my old disguise."

"I thought you wore it so I'd forgive you."

"I did. Seatbelt." He said and she complied as he put the Bentley into drive. Valkyrie sat back with a smile as he drove. It did feel like the old days, back when they were first partners. Of course a lot had changed since then and she supposed a lot more would change for them as time went by.

"Hungry?" His velvety voice startled her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry?"

"Are you hungry?" He sounded slightly exasperated.

"Sorry, Skulduggery, and yes, I am."

"I thought as much." He sounded slightly amused. "I suppose I shall have to feed you. Or we could go back to the bar and you could finish your horse whizz and eat peanuts off the floor."

They both started laughing at the same time. "Moron." Valkyrie said, looking at him fondly.

"Always." He agreed cheerfully.

"I missed you, you know." She admitted.

"Well, of course you missed me. I'm me."

"Did you miss me?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you miss me?"

"Miss is such a very strong word." He began then shook his head. "Of course I did, Valkyrie. I kept waiting on you to come back to me. And then you did, but not really. The you I was waiting for was off having a grand sulk. I do believe I apologized to you already." He said grumpily.

"You did. I didn't feel like forgiving you yet."

"Ah." He said as they pulled up to a small diner. "Forgiven me yet?" He asked, not moving to get out.

"Are you two or three?"

"Forgive me or we sit here forever."

"Fine, you're forgiven." She growled, but Valkyrie was secretly pleased they were already back to normal. Back to how it used to be before they had drifted apart. And it hadn't even been Valkyrie's fault, well, not entirely.

She shook off her thoughts as she looked at the menu, then ordered her usual burger and a coffee. Skulduggery settled in, clearly intending to watch her eat and Valkyrie looked at him. "You aren't just trying to be adorable, are you? You need the disguise."

"That I do." He agreed.

"What did you do?"

"Got rid of the facade. It was time."

"It malfunctioned, didn't it?"

He hesitated, then nodded. "That too. Why can't you just believe anything I tell you? You used to."

"Having a pathological liar for a partner gave me trust issues." Her coffee came and Skulduggery watched her dreamily from behind his disguise.

"What does it taste like? I always wondered." He was curious and it softened her heart that he couldn't eat or drink like anyone else.

"Well, saying like coffee isn't helpful. Earthy, strong. A little woody, I guess." Skulduggery nodded as if what she'd said had made total sense.

"And burgers, and fries?"

"Not to hurt your feelings, but are you all right?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, quite. But what are they like?" Valkyrie felt a blip on her radar. Skulduggery was up to something. His voice was far too innocent for her liking. But she gamely described the food when it came, aware of his intense gaze, even if the pitch black sunglasses hid his hollow eye sockets completely.

It was only after she finished and they'd returned to the Bentley that she realized he'd been trying to get her to talk to him. At least she thought that explained the strange questions. And she realized that her partner of over a decade had felt the tiny bit of anger she'd been holding on to. "Skulduggery?"

"Yes?"

"Do we have a case?"

"Yes, and we solved it, but you'll still be spending the night at my house. We'll just tell Erskine that we both had to look for you." He said lightly. Valkyrie laughed softly at that.

"You're being silly again."

"I'm never silly. You're just a very strange girl that finds inappropriate thing funny, that's your problem." He nodded smartly and Valkyrie felt her smile grow at the laughter in his voice. She knew she was letting him win, letting him get his way, but it was what she wanted too, so for one rare moment they had both won. They made his house in good time and Valkyrie looked around the kitchen in wonder as Skulduggery led her in for coffee.

He had a fridge now, a proper one, and everything else a kitchen needed. She blinked back sudden tears and busied herself with her mobile. If Skulduggery sensed her sudden emotions he ignored them, but then, he was good at that. "I suppose I should be giving you tea, with lots of sugar. But that's Ghastly's job. He'll be foisting it on you tomorrow when we report in."

"I really have a job then? I'm still a detective?" Valkyrie asked, looking up, startled at the idea that any of this was anything but a hallucination.

"You have a job, and I'm real by the way. You have that look on your face you get when you think you've lost your mind. How many times do I have to tell you to embrace your inner lunatic?"

"Didn't you also tell me a story about Lord Vile hiding in plain sight?"

"I did."

"You know, he never needed shadows. He could have just talked people to death."

"Now that wasn't nice."

"If I were nice you'd worry about me, you know you would."

"True." They kept up the nonsense until Valkyrie drug herself up to her bedroom. She wasn't sure if the bedroom had changed but the room itself and the attached bath reminded her of how devoted Skulduggery had always been to her.

She showered then hopped into bed and was asleep in an instant for the first time in a very long time. In the morning Skulduggery was shaking her awake, and she was hurrying to get ready, and then they were going out to the Bentley. "We're expected to eat something with our esteemed Elders and Grand Mage. Well, you are." Skulduggery said.

"Doughnuts and coffee?"

"If you're lucky." Skulduggery shrugged. Then he tossed her a look. "I don't usually tell you what to do because you don't listen worth a damn, but you let these men fuss over you, Valkyrie. They can't take you being put out with them."

"They're Dead Men." Valkyrie argued, then sighed. She wasn't even angry with them, not really. But if she had been avoiding Skulduggery she'd figured it was easier to ignore all their mutual friends too. Skulduggery, of course, seemed to read her mind.

"They are also our friends, Valkyrie. And you know them. Erskine can sulk for weeks and Ghastly can be bullish and stubborn and shut down, but to them that's OK. Because it is them doing it, of course." He elbowed her softly and she sensed his smile behind his disguise.

"Of course." She agreed in amusement and soon enough she was being gathered into a fierce hug by Ghastly.

"Good to see you again, Val." He rumbled. The words somehow managing to be a threat and loving all at once, but Valkyrie knew it was only because of how much he cared for her and felt a lump in her throat.

"You too." She managed. Then he was releasing her and a nervous Dexter Vex was approaching her.

"Val, I'm so sorry for what I did." He tried, but Valkyrie tackled him in a hug.

"I thought we lost you. Why didn't anyone tell me you made it?"

"Because you ran away to America." Skulduggery snarked and Valkyrie turned to punch him, but Erskine cleared his throat and all four of them looked at him expectantly.

Valkyrie." He said, staring at her intently. She couldn't read his emotions and it worried her. Erskine had always given her the creeps, even if he'd turned out to be one of the best friends she'd ever had. He smiled at last. "It's been a long time. You didn't have to leave, you know."

"I did. I think it gave me time to accept what I had to do. I don't forgive myself, but I accept it."

"Fair enough. I might as well be the one to tell you, we have a new Elder. You'll be reporting to him when we are too busy to help you babysit Skulduggery."

Skulduggery huffed and Valkyrie would have punched him in the arm but the new Elder was walking towards her. It couldn't be possible. He had to be dead. But Saracen was alive and well. And it was such a shock that the world suddenly started spinning then went all black.

Valkyrie came to on the couch in Ghastly's office, Skulduggery looking at her in amusement. "Just like the first night we met. Well, we met before that, actually. But you know what I mean."

"Yeah, and that's sad if you think about it."

Ghastly seemed relieved to see her well enough to snark back at Skulduggery, but he still brought her tea. "The others will be in with the breakfast in a second, Valkyrie. Sorry, we should have prepared you."

"Skulduggery should have prepared me." Valkyrie growled.

"But you like surprises." Skulduggery protested and they both glared at him. He started to sulk, staring at the floor with his arms crossed. "See if I ever surprise you again." He grumbled and Valkyrie felt her lips twitch into a smile.

Then the other men were with them, using Ghastly's desk as a makeshift table and she was eating take away while they got caught up. Valkyrie noticed that Skulduggery had remained where he was and fairly quiet, something not normal for him. He would watch her, or at least she thought he was watching her, but if she looked at him his head was turned down. He hadn't taken off the disguise yet either, and that was distinctly odd inside the Sanctuary. "Skulduggery?" Valkyrie said and he kept staring at the floor. "Skulduggery?" He could be rude, even childish, but he was staring at the floor again without moving.

Valkyrie got up and touched his shoulder. "I think he's meditating." She said in surprise.

"More than likely." Dex said around a mouthful of eggs. "He's been busy feathering his nest and not sleeping much. Ow!" He yelped when Ghastly gave him a rap to the back of the skull.

"He's been doing no such thing, Val." Ghastly assured her then glared at Dexter.

"I was just trying to make her happy." Dex grumbled as he massaged the back of his head. Valkyrie smiled and shook her head. Nothing had changed between the Dead Men at least. Dex was still the village idiot, or competing for the title with Saracen. Erskine was still pretty and pretty useless and Ghastly was the actual engine of the group.

But Skulduggery falling into meditation while standing up was a new one and soon they had him shifted to the couch. Ghastly looked at him, then at Valkyrie as the others drifted back out. "Are you back? He needs you to be, Val."

"I am. I just don't know what to do with him now. It seems the same as when we first met to be honest, but different too." She described the changes to Skulduggery's home and Ghastly listened.

"I wish I could tell you what's going on in that rather thick skull of his, but I can't. Let him take the lead and just be there for him. He's been acting odd lately, he wasn't even allowed cases until you returned."

"What? Why?"

"He was like he used to be. Now I know you had things to sort out but that man is all of two-years-old where you are concerned."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. I knew you'd need the time to process what you had to do. But your reflection was behind you having to make that choice and she'd have seen this world dead and gone before she saw you save the day."

Valkyrie shivered. Her reflection had started out as a cover for her work with Skulduggery but as the years had gone on it had warped into a heartless thing. Capable of mimicking human emotions but much more evil in its own way than Darquesse had ever been. It had been perfectly willing to kill Valkyrie and end the world all in a bid to prove it was the good one, the helpless victim.

Skulduggery grunted and Valkyrie looked over. She'd hated him for ever letting that thing near him. But when Darquesse had taken over Skulduggery had teamed up with her reflection. Valkyrie knew she should have guessed his real reasoning but it still felt like a betrayal. She watched him get up, reminding herself she had to let it go if she was going to be there for him.

"Sorry." Skulduggery mumbled. "I didn't meditate last night."

""Do you need to see a doctor?" Valkyrie asked worriedly and he shook his head. He stared at her again then after a murmured goodbye to Ghastly led the befuddled young mage back to the Bentley.

The whole ride home he was silent and Valkyrie watched him worried he'd slip into meditation again and wreck the Bentley. He didn't, but he was so clearly weary when they got out that Valkyrie had her partner and best friend lean on her and led the way to his house.

Skulduggery was almost instantly meditating the minute he hit his chair, his disguise at last shed, and Valkyrie wondered if Dexter was right. Was Skulduggery in love with someone? Was he feathering his nest for the return of his family maybe? Or for China? Valkyrie winced at the thought but she guessed it was a possibility.

No, China had died during the war. So for who then? She had no idea. Skulduggery was insane, she knew that. He didn't always live in the real world. For some reason it reminded her of an old song and Valkyrie started to hum "Misty" as she covered Skulduggery then roamed through the various living rooms. She finally settled on a book of Gordon's and took it back to read as she kept vigil, but despite not wanting to be she was sleepy.

Valkyrie was relieved to be near Skulduggery again so even as she stretched out to read her eyes started to close. Valkyrie tried to fight through it with an annoyed grunt, but she was so very tired herself and the book tilted forward as sleep claimed her.

She woke up with a crick in her neck and to find Skulduggery watching her. "TV broke?" She asked and he laughed.

"No, you're just more entertaining."

"Do we have any pop tarts? I'm hungry." Valkyrie asked as she stretched and yawned. Skulduggery shrugged and trailed her into the kitchen.

Valkyrie looked at the fridge for a second, and at Skulduggery's gesture it opened. It was fully stocked and at her surprised gasp he just tilted his head in a smile. "Your kingdom awaits, my Lady." He said with a definite grin in his voice and gestured towards the fridge. Valkyrie laughed and rooted around inside the fridge.

"I know you don't like being thanked, but thank you." She said as she popped back out with her arms full.

"Whatever for?" Valkyrie sighed and rolled her eyes, but set about making herself a snack. Skulduggery watched her eat and Valkyrie didn't mind. "I did miss you, you know. I suppose Ghastly told you they fired me."

"I'm sure the bad guys had it coming." She said softly and he smiled his gratitude in a head tilt.

"They did, actually. I just wasn't the same without you here."

"I wasn't the same without you." She admitted. Valkyrie wanted to say more but she thought better of it. Skulduggery liked ignoring his emotions and for all she knew the fridge was part of a plan to sell his house.

"Then I suppose I have to let you move in." He said, sighing out a breath he didn't really need and Valkyrie looked at him.

"Yeah, I suppose you do."

"And feed you. Lord."

"That too."

"And I suppose since you love my voice so much I'll be obliged to talk to you every day."

"You will."

"I see how it is." He sighed again and Valkyrie grinned at him. "Valkyrie?"

"Yes, Skulduggery?"

"There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about, and I've known how you've felt about the matter for a long time but I haven't wanted to say anything and hurt your feelings. But it's time you knew the truth." Valkyrie felt her heart break as he paused. "That Dublin jersey has to go. It's hardly appropriate as nightwear."

"What?"

"That jersey you sleep in? Hideous." It took Valkyrie a moment but she realized Skulduggery had been winding her up as he always did. She felt like hitting him, she really did. But what had she expected, really? Skulduggery would sulk or go on a rampage if she sulked too long over the insult and they both knew it.

Still, she didn't find it funny. He had to remember what she'd said then. And he was laughing at her over it like he always did. Valkyrie looked at him. "Fine." She said flatly.

"What?"

"Fine, I'll get something else, it isn't a problem."

"You used to be fun to tease. I went too far didn't I? Sorry." He even looked contrite.

"Really?"

"No." His shoulders started to shake with laughter. "You should see the look on your face, Valkyrie. About as entertaining as the look on China's face when I threw her in the Accelerator."

"I hate you."

"No, you don't. You love me, you just don't want to admit it."

"Skulduggery!"

"Saying my name already, are we?" He teased and Valkyrie flushed crimson.

"That was hardly appropriate." She managed even though she wanted to laugh. "I don't remember you being like this before."

"Mm. I'm treating you like my adult partner now, as I always should have. A few inappropriate jokes aren't going to kill you."

"Tell Ghastly that." Valkyrie said dryly. Skulduggery waved his hand airily in response and the kitchen radio kicked on. "Misty" started to play and he was tilting his head in a smile.

"Dance with me?" He asked as he rose and Valkyrie took his hand, happy to dance with him to the music. She stared into his eye sockets, hoping this wasn't one more joke in poor taste on his part but it didn't seem to be from the way he held her. The song ended and he clasped her close then pulled away to look at her thoughtfully. "You're a rather strange girl, Valkyrie Cain."

"I have a rather strange partner."

"True enough. So we are partners then? And friends?"

"We are."

"Good. Because we'll have a case soon enough and I need you there with me."

"I know."

"Just so you know."

Aww. I missed these two so freaking much. Viva Valduggery!