A/N: I don't own Valkyrie Erskine, Tipstaff, Ghastly, Saracen, Corrival, Hopeless, Larrikin, Anton, Skulduggery, Darquesse or any of the Dead Men. Val is about, well however old she will be after the books end. Say 22 or 24? Oh, "Your Wildest Dreams" is a song by the Moody Blues and I don't own them or the lyrics either.

I took my shower, closing my eyes, trying not to think of Skulduggery. Had had just disappeared one day, several months ago without warning. Then we'd found him, still and lifeless. And we never had found any leads. Why, Skulduggery? Why leave and face your death alone? I wondered.

But I'd known why the instant we'd found him. He'd returned to the place where he'd lived with his wife and simply let go. Searching for a killer was just denying the truth. I hadn't even wanted to keep working at the Sanctuary, but Erskine had insisted they needed me and gave me a new partner. A man twice as stubborn as Skulduggery and who would gladly drag me to work if he had to.

A man so skilled at Elemental magic he could have probably beaten Skulduggery to a pulp, and Lord knows he looked big enough to. But he was also kind to a fault and picking me up early so we could enjoy breakfast out before getting our new case files. I wondered as I waited outside if he'd been forced to take me or had chosen me. I wanted very badly for him to have chosen me without knowing why. My thoughts fled as his van pulled up to idle rumbling and my heart beat a little faster. I got in and he smiled at me. "Good morning, Valkyrie. How did you sleep?"

I smiled over at Ghastly. "Good morning, Ghastly. A little better, you were right, the tea helped. Thank you."

"Of course it did. Oh, I made you something. I don't know why I didn't think of it before, but I noticed the sunlight bothers your eyes. I hope you like it."

He reached into the pocket of the van door and handed over a ball cap made of what seemed to be crushed velvet. Done in black with red roses so subtle you could hardly see them unless you tilted it right, the styling matched my jacket. "That is also immune to magic, knives and bullets." He commented as he pulled away from the mansion and I turned it round and round in my hands admiring his work.

"Ghastly, it's beautiful. You didn't have to make me anything, you know. Thank you, and I mean that." I said, using the vanity mirror to make sure it was adjusted right.

I sensed his smile behind his upturned collar. This was the third gift in as many weeks and I wondered idly why he was being so nice. I guessed he felt sorry for me. Everyone had expected me to go off the deep end when we'd found Skulduggery, but I'd been happy for my best friend, I truly had. He had peace now and I was sure in the arms of the only woman he'd ever loved though he'd always sworn up and down that when he died he'd be past caring about anything. I missed him of course, terribly. He'd have known why the gloves then the scarf and hat had been given.

I looked over at Ghastly but he didn't notice. They certainly weren't romantic gifts, were they? In your wildest dreams. I thought, recalling an old song lyric and I felt a pang deep inside. I blinked, turning my gaze away, returning to the present.

Something had gone haywire with Ghastly's façade to the point where he'd had it removed, so he was back to hats slouched down and scarves among other disguises. But always rather dapper, even as a retired boxer since he was also the finest magical tailor in all of Ireland.

Ghastly flipped the radio on and blues music filtered into the van. I grinned in appreciation. I had thought that his bio at the Sanctuary like mine was a joke, but he did indeed love blues music, though I'd never seen him raising dogs. I left the notion of him liking romantic films to better minds than mine, but they would suit him.

Ghastly loved women, but not in a creepy way. The Dead Men once upon a time had offered tales about him but he'd blushed so furiously over even a hint of one that I hadn't had the heart to ask. He was a gentleman and it just never seemed to fit him, the idea of leaving his duties and being with some woman for a weekend. I knew he'd certainly loved Tanith and I supposed he still did. But we didn't talk about things like that since one, they were none of my business and two, they were none of my business. Not that a gentleman talked about such things anyhow. Not with me.

Ghastly glanced over at me as he drove. "It suits you. You should wear it tonight to the reunion."

I looked at him in surprise. "What reunion?"

"The Dead Men are meeting tonight. It isn't so much of a reunion as a stakeout and you're coming. I won't take no for an answer, Val. You need to get out of that mansion more often. I know it hurt loosing Skulduggery, it hurt all of us, but you're one of us now and we need you there."

"Thanks, Ghastly and I mean that, though I have my doubts about being one of you."

Ghastly snorted. "I'd like to see you tell any of the men tonight you aren't their sister. Lord, Valkyrie, those men need you there. I need you there. Don't abandon them or me, all right?"

I smiled over at him. "Wouldn't dream of it, you are my family, all of you. I'm just behind on my social skills. I personally blame Skulduggery. You know what the funny thing is, Ghastly? I'm not even angry with him. I'd have run I guess if you and Erskine hadn't stopped me and all I would have done is ended up alone."

I looked away. I hadn't meant to admit that. I was still used to Skulduggery as a partner and discussing my feelings or showing a weakness was something I never did with him. Ever. Ghastly seemed to read my mind. "You aren't weak, Val. Didn't I just give you a truly lovely speech about us needing you? Most healthy people do need friends and families, you get both from the Dead Men, lucky you." We both laughed as he pulled up to the diner. Ghastly wasn't a rich man or if he was he didn't flaunt it. He liked diners and small inexpensive places that catered to magical people as much as I did. But he would, I knew, spend freely on me so I always tried to order something cheap but filling.

Ghastly seemed to have other ideas as we sat, him being a gentleman and getting my chair for me. "They have steak and eggs, Val. I'll get us two orders and no protesting. I'm hardly destitute." He smiled as he sat down across from me and I was grateful he'd found a place where I could see that smile.

Ghastly looked much better without the fedora and tipped up jacket collar though I didn't have the heart to tell him that. I'd grown to find him very handsome, even more so when he smiled and as I smiled back I wondered what the problem with other women was. Yes, Ghastly has scars, but that didn't make him a monster. Despite the fact that he didn't smile much at work and being serious and reserved compared to the other Dead men, he was sweet and kind. Well, if you weren't a bad guy. Then he was the last thing you ever saw before you woke up in the Sanctuary gaol.

"Who's coming tonight?" I asked and his smile broadened since he knew it meant I was coming.

"Everyone. It's harder as time passes for us to get together, so I'm excited you're coming. We might not see some of them again for a long time and they want a chance to do all sorts of male bonding with you, even though they are aware you're female. So more like picking on little sister for the entire stakeout." He grinned and I laughed.

We ate, but not at a hurried pace and still managed to get to the Sanctuary early. Erskine looked up as we entered his office. "All ready for the reunion tonight, you two?"

We both nodded and he grinned. "I'm glad you're coming, Valkyrie. I'd say having pretty girls along makes things more fun, but you'd hit me, wouldn't you?"

"I'd hit you." Ghastly rumbled before I could reply, causing Erskine to pale slightly.

"Right." He said nervously. "Uh, here are your case files and best of luck with that, and stay away from my desk, Ghastly. Val's like a sister to me." But Ghastly was only moving to pick up our files though the look he gave Erskine was frightening to the point of having the Grand Mage back up.

I frowned to myself. Ghastly was not a violent man. If anything he was gentle and slow to anger. He also had never minded any of Erskine's jokes and flirting before, which were always in good fun. Erskine, despite acting like the world's greatest lover was about as lethal to the ladies as a kitten and respected women. I shrugged a silent apology to him and followed Ghastly out of the office.

"Ghastly, you know he was teasing. God, Erskine's like a brother to me. He'd never try anything." I said as we reached his office.

"Tea?" Ghastly asked, his voice chipped and I nodded.

"Yes and thank you. Thanks for being willing to defend me too, I appreciate it, I really do. There aren't too many men who would do that."

Ghastly smiled setting down our mugs of tea. "Not a problem, Valkyrie. But you are my best friend as well as my partner. I get touchy if people talk about you a certain way. I suppose I'll have to go apologize later." He sighed and put his face in his hands a gesture he usually only used when Skulduggery did something idiotic.

Then he seemed to collect himself, though he didn't move. "What's our case about?" He asked, his voice muffled.

I picked up the file. "Um, unless we are using invisible ink, nothing. All these pages are blank. Your file too, Ghastly."

He looked up and flipped through both files. So far our partnership was wonderful but this always happened. Either we got the wrong case files, two different files, or things like this. It was almost as if someone didn't want us being partners.

But who? Not Erskine, who was proud to have us in the field and not Tipstaff who had smiled when we'd first became partners and become downright friendly with me. I shrugged off the thought and got up, collecting the files. "I'll find Tipstaff, you go ahead and do some exciting Elder work, I'll help if you set something aside."

Ghastly nodded and in no time at all I was standing in a bewildered Tipstaff's office. "These aren't the files I gave to Erskine, Valkyrie. I'd stake my job on that. They were about your case, the one you'll need the Dead Men on."

"Could someone have stolen the files?" I asked.

"What for? I always keep a copy, just give me a second... This file's been replaced as well." He gave me a troubled look. I knew he hadn't done it, Tipstaff was far too in love with protocol to play jokes. I was about to ask who could have switched the files when it hit me. These were the right files. Somebody was making us see blank paper. Somebody who could "just know things" and could apparently make people see what he wanted to as well. I grinned. Saracen had to be close by.

There was a slight pop and he appeared, pocketing an invisibility device. "Hey, Valkyrie! I knew you'd be the one to figure it out." He came and gave me a brief hug. "I have to go but just wanted my little sister to have some fun with those boring files. You can see them now just fine." And he was right they were just fine.

I left a bewildered Tipstaff in his office finding Ghastly hard at work in his. I looked through our case file, not wanting to disturb him until I had something. He seemed tense, like he was ready to fight with somebody and I had no idea why. I didn't mention having met Saracen, unsure of how he'd take another Dead Man teasing me, well, teasing us. The case file talked about the location an abandoned farmhouse and barn, but was vague otherwise, not having good information on or suspects, but that of course was why we needed a stakeout.

I repressed a sigh and looked at Ghastly. Something was wrong today, but what was it? I looked at him taking in his new clothes, his neat appearance. New clothes, of course. Men loved compliments as much as women, didn't they? And I had missed them entirely. "I fixed the files, sort of. Nothing much we don't know already. Those are new clothes, aren't they? You look handsome in them, not that you don't always, of course." Ghastly looked up and raised a skeptical brow but he smiled at me all the same.

"I didn't think you noticed. Take this the right way, Val. But I know I'm no Skulduggery. People don't notice me the way they noticed him. You don't notice me, not usually. I don't mind. I don't mind that you've settled for me. I know I'm not your first choice, not compared to him."

I stared at him. "Ghastly! Now you get that idea out of your mind this instant. You are my partner now. My partner as in forever partner, not a place holder or an also-ran. You're my best friend, I'd never turn my back on you, no matter what. You know that, right?"

I'd managed to startle both of us, and also Erskine who had walked into the office unnoticed. Erskine smiled. "I told you as much, Ghastly. Our Val's loyal, she won't abandon you the instant some new detective comes along." He said the last part so intensely we both stared at him.

Erskine shrugged, blinking back angry tears. "He hurt you, Valkyrie. I'd never let anyone hurt you, ever. I know he didn't die on purpose but it feels like he did." He was actually shaking from being so angry. Ghastly made him tea without even asking and we got him settled in a chair. I stroked his shoulders soothingly, feeling the coiled tension.

"Shhh, it's all right. I know all my big brothers want to hurt the bad man for hurting me and them. But I'm OK. I'm getting to see all of you tonight and I love each and every one of you for wanting to protect me. I know it hurts that you can't. I'd kill him myself, for hurting all of you." I said gently and Erskine smiled at me as I took my seat.

Ghastly laughed softly. "You'll get to play nurse again for all your brothers." He said, smiling gently at me.

"I don't mind, Ghastly, honestly. I'm glad I could help." I thought back remembering doing an Army crawl over to Erskine on the battlefield, Erskine torn open from a magical attack, his life blood gushing out. It had been a miracle I could save him and I still didn't know how it had happened.

Erskine seemed to read my mind. "How did you save me?" He asked quietly and I shrugged.

"I- I honestly don't know. I can tell you now but I think I hallucinated for most of the Sanctuary war, stress, I guess. But it let me help you."

"What do you mean "hallucinated?" Ghastly asked, concerned.

"I was seeing and hearing people that weren't there, for one thing. But I haven't again, not since the war." I added hurriedly.

But they both asked concerned questions, dragging a confession out of me. I told them I thought the two men I saw were ghosts. I had seen three but it was the ID of the third one that had let me know I was seeing things. Corrival was dead. He was never coming back.

As I described the men Erskine stared at me. "You just descried Larrikin and Hopeless, Val. Two men who died long before you were born and there's no way you ever met them or saw pictures of them. Well, I believe you. They came back to help you." His voice was soft, gentle.

Ghastly nodded. "We told you stories, but never described them. This explains your abilities. You had them working through you though I never knew either man was a healer. No, Hopeless was, wasn't he? Hence his Taken Name being a running joke."

Erskine smiled and stood up, seeming to have calmed himself down. "Thanks for telling me that, Valkyrie, I mean that. I'll see both of you this evening then." He walked out and I settled back into my chair, think of the night ahead and wondering what other revelations were in store.

Ghastly was content to spend the day with me, insisting I didn't need to change for a stakeout so we had caught an early dinner then drove to pick up the Dead Men, each meeting us along the way. Erskine was first and he flashed a grin at me as I relinquished the front seat.

I didn't mind as I knew Anton was next and out of all of the Dead Men I liked him about the best. He was friendly, a skilled fighter and his Gist made me feel he understood partly what being Darquesse was like. He knew of course, they all knew since going Darquesse had helped save some of them during the war.

Anton smiled at me and sat down beside me, drawing me into a hug. I heard gasps from the front seat and Anton pulled back, smiling contentedly. "I don't hold sisters who saved my life to the no hugging rule. Just annoying Dead Men." He said, smiling gently and getting a laugh out of me.

The others joined us soon enough, Dexter settling in protectively on my other side and Saracen sitting behind us. It felt incomplete without Skulduggery by me, but I reminded myself I was there for my brothers.

I had tried to stay outside of the Dead Men, to not bond with any of them for my own reasons, but they had each, in his own way, drug me in, insisting on being a brother to me. I realized Ghastly was the only one who never called me sister and wondered why but put the thought out of my mind as we turned down a rutted road and bounced along until he parked under an old tree by the side of the road a hill obscuring us from view.

Magic of course has its uses, and it didn't take long before we each could see a flickering version of the suspected hideout shimmering on the side of the hill. The barn and farmhouse looked like the set of a horror movie. A depressing white colour they hunkered in the moonlight like evil beasts, seeming to be waiting for us to drive closer so they could pounce and devour us.

I was suddenly very happy that stakeouts never required getting out of the van if we didn't want or absolutely have to. Happy too as we all settled in to watch that the Dead Men kept up a stream of friendly chatter with me and each other. I'd missed them so much after the war.

Something about the stakeout was bothering me. Each man had brought food with him and the conversation wasn't hushed. If this was a stakeout we were doing a rubbish job of it. I looked up at the flickering image as I sipped a cold Coke somebody had brought and nibbled on a doughnut. The house was familiar. A little too familiar. I sat up as it clicked into place. "Did anyone else notice that is EXACTLY the same house from the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacare" movies?" I asked and was met with laughter as the men realized they'd been found out.

Erskine turned around to grin at me. "Sorry, Val. We couldn't think of a way to get you out of the house without an excuse. A stakeout seemed like a really good excuse at the time. But at least we can pull up to the real house now and go in."

Ghastly grinned at me in the rear view mirror as he drove. "I told them you'd recognize it. No, they said, girls don't watch horror movies." He snorted. "Ill have you all know your little sister has two great loves in her life. Chasing bad guys and watching horror movies."

Then men laughed and we were soon out of the van and in the house. Erskine looked around. "We should have checked this place before we rented it. It looks like the set of a horror movie."

We soon settled in though, ignoring falling plaster that flaked off the ceiling and catching up. Everyone missed Skulduggery of course. We all half expected him to saunter in, I think. It had taken weeks until I stopped having nightmares of him being buried alive, us having made a hideous mistake. Now as I settled into a broken down couch with Ghastly beside me I mostly listened, my brothers being only too happy to tell me stories about the other wars they'd fought in, other adventures. Erskine had looked at me, Ghastly too, then they shared what I'd told them about the war.

Dexter whistled. "I KNEW you were seeing something we didn't. Good for you, Val. Unless you start seeing ghosts everywhere then you'll need the Sanctuary to get you one of those charming necklaces they make for Sensitives." He rolled his eyes in disgust.

The necklaces dampened a Sensitives power. I shook my head. "I'm an Elemental. I had to choose after my Surge and I did, so no chance of me seeing ghosts all the time. At least I hope not."

"Why not?" Ghastly asked, stretching his arm along the back of the couch behind me.

"I imagine most of them would want things, like you see on those psychic shows."

Saracen laughed. "Those mortals hacks pretending to be psychic? No Val, seeing the dead is a rare talent, maybe being the youngest triggered it for you. They were worried about you. Besides, Dead Men tend to look out for one another. Don't be surprised if you see them again."

He smiled and I relaxed. "So I'm not crazy? Then Corrival was there too?"

"He was?" Anton asked.

"Mm. Mostly he cursed me out a lot and told me to move faster and to keep my head down if I didn't want it blown off."

"Oh, that was Corrival, all right." Erskine laughed. "He must see some of Skulduggery in you. He used to chew Skulduggery out seven days a week. He was wild then, Valkyrie. Wouldn't listen to orders, had a penchant for landing us all in trouble too."

Dexter smiled. "We ALL got chewed out Val, not just Skulduggery. The Corrival you met at that meeting was a lot more sedate than the man I remember." We talked several hours more, then there were flights to catch and days to get ready for, so we piled back into the van. I hugged each of my brothers tight as they got out and then there was only Ghastly and myself.

He drove me back to the mansion and we sat there watching the sun rise, neither one of us moving for the longest time. "Thank you, I know you were behind this, Ghastly. It's the nicest thing that anyone's ever done for me."

He smiled, almost shyly. "You deserved it, Val. We all have the day off, tomorrow too. You go get caught up on your sleep. Thanks for coming and I mean that." I nodded and got out, trudging up to the mansion barely managing to wave goodbye.

I heard the van pull away and as I entered the mansion I sighed. They lyrics to the song came back to me and I felt the same hollow pang in my heart. I'd never even had a relationship with Ghastly to remember, but somehow the song fit because I wished I had. I half hummed, half sang the lyrics to myself as I got into bed. "I wonder if you know. I wonder if you think about it. Once upon a time. In your wildest dreams."

Aww. A nice angsty one-shot. Poor Val, in love with Ghastly and wishing he loved her too. This was supposed to be happy and have them be together, I swears. But it just didn't play out that way. Hope you liked it!