THEIR REDO-FIRST DATE

GEPOV

Skulduggery tapped Valkyrie's shoulder, "Erm, can we go now?" He asked.

She smiled and rolled her eyes, "Fine." She turned back to Vendetta and Rife, "Hey, I gotta go. By Vendetta." Vendetta waved back as Valkyrie followed Skulduggery out, "God, are you really going to hold a grudge against him?"

"He could have been wrong." He countered.

"So? We stopped Serpine with a weapon that was based on legend."

Skulduggery grunted, "I just don't like him. He's too…" Valkyrie caught on fast.

"You're worried he's better than you, aren't you?" She teased as she buckled her seatbelt.

Skulduggery didn't answer, "Do you want to have that date now?" He asked.

"What time is it?"

"Six thirty-seven."

"Alright, sure. At Gordon's, right?" Skulduggery took a sharp turn to the left, "Ow." She mumbled, rubbing her head.

"Sorry." He said, quickly glancing at her.

"It's OK." He laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, I don't know why I laughed." She shrugged off the thought and played with the radio, "Any movies in particular?"

"Something that we'll both shut up for and that's also good."

"Sucker punch?" Valkyrie suggested.

"What's that?"

"A girl who wants freedom from an asylum. The soundtrack is the best."

"I'm fine."

"Bond?"

"Which one?"

"Moon Raker."

"Alright." They chatted more stuff until they reached her house. As usual, Gordon was working on his novel.

"Gordon?" Valkyrie asked.

"Yes?" He asked and turned.

"Get out, please?"

He frowned, "Why?"

"Because." Her headed twitched towards Skulduggery.

"Ah." He smiled and walked into the study. Valkyrie barricaded the door with a table.

"Smart. I assume." Skulduggery muttered. Valkyrie smiled and pulled out the DVD and fed to the machine, "Popcorn?" He asked.

"No butter." She glanced at Skulduggery who was nuking butter, "Never mind." Valkyrie rolled her eyes. He shrugged and brought a bowl of popped kernels to her.

"Play the movie." Skulduggery advised. Gordon screamed behind the study and Valkyrie pushed the table away and opened the door.

"Gordon! What happened?"

"I can't find my book!" Valkyrie eased and Skulduggery joined her side.

"Which book?" Skulduggery asked.

"My new novel!" Gordon shrieked. Valkyrie glanced around and found the book under the keyboard and handed it to him, "Th-thank you."

"Bye Gordon." Valkyrie closed the door and giggled.

"Can we get back?"

"Please" Valkyrie smiled and went rigid, "Behind you." Skulduggery acted faster before the man could reacted.

"Who the hell are you." Skulduggery demanded and whipped out his gun. The man shrieked under his balaclava.

"Don't kill me!" He pleaded and slowly stood up and removed the mask. His face had a square jaw, low cheek bones, tousled brown hair and hazel eyes. Skulduggery's gun didn't waver down.

"Skulduggery, it's me, Larrikin." Gun not wavering.

"Larrikin died, I saw it." Skulduggery coldly answered, "Valkyrie, bound him." She obliged and 'Larrikin' didn't resist the cuffs locked with a click. His face didn't ripple to another, it didn't at all.

"I told you! It's me! Can you take these off of me, please?" Skulduggery nodded and Valkyrie unlocked them, "Thank you." Larrikin replied and rubbed his wrists.

"How the hell did you survive?" Skulduggery asked and they did a 'man-hug'.

"I'm a Dead Man!" He beamed, "I see it didn't turn out so well for you though." He hinted.

"How'd you really do it?"

"Used my reflection, believe it or not." He laughed, "Where's shudder?"

"Working at a hotel." Valkyrie interjected.

"Ah. Hopeless?"

"Dead."

"Oh. Bespoke?"

"Council, along with Ravel. Corrival is dead."

"Vex?"

"On another suicide mission." Larrikin shrugged and laughed, "How'd you get here?"

"I did things in my absence and, from what I heard, Gordon Edgely could help me."

"Larrikin?" Gordon squealed and opened the door, "Good to have you back."

"Good to be back, about that help?"

"Oh, yes." Gordon shuffled back inside.

"Larrikin, this is my partner, Valkyrie."

"Hi." She greeted and shook his hand.

"'Ello, are you two dating yet?" He asked and Valkyrie flushed red and Skulduggery tilted in a smile.

"Actually, this is our first redo-date." Skulduggery said put his arm around her.

"Larrikin, here you go." Gordon passed him a sheet.

"What's that for?" Valkyrie asked.

"Nothing, really."

Skulduggery shrugged and walked into the kitchen, "Coffee?" She offered.

"Please." Valkyrie poured a mug and handed it to him, "Thanks"

"Now what, Skul?" He asked.

"Tomorrow we'll go to the Sanctuary."

"OK, cool. I need a place to stay though." He turned to Valkyrie and she sighed.

"Fine! As long as Skulduggery sleeps in my room, I've heard tales." Skulduggery went rigid and Larrikin mischievously smiled. Valkyrie took a moment to register what she just said.

"I don't exactly sleep though." He mentioned.

"Fine, I'll drag in a chair and you can meditate on that, K?"

"Alright." He shrugged and Larrikin kept his smile.

"Do you have a guest room? I'm so tired."

"It's only eight, though."

"Yeah, but jetlag, please?" Valkyrie sighed.

"Fine, but you need a shower first."

"Whatever, sure." She lead him upstairs to the guest bedroom with the washroom.

"Towels are in that closet with some of Gordon's clothes." He smiled an she stepped down the stairs as the water started.

Skulduggery was standing at the bottom with the cold popcorn, "Well?"

"What?"

"Am I really going to sleep with you?" He curiously asked.

"I didn't mean like that." Valkyrie replied and blushed, "I meant, like, sleeping side by side and nothing more than chatting, I guess."

"Alright." He awkwardly replied and sat on the couch.

"Alright." She mumbled and joined his side.

"Hey!" Larrikin called from above and ran down the stairs wearing only a towel, "How do you stop the water?" He asked and clenched the towel.

Valkyrie obverted her eyes and Skulduggery never took his focus away from the screen, "Just push in the knob, Larrikin."

"OK, thanks." He walked up and Valkyrie looked at Skulduggery.

"That's the real Larrikin?" She asked and he laughed.

"That's him, rowdy Larrikin." the movie finished.

Like the bad ending?… one of my favorite authors is Sabrina Sparrow, I recently read a fanfic of hers called 'what an odd pair!' it was about Larrikin and Shutter in love and I was in the midst of creating a new story-case, why not add Larrikin? If you haven't met Gale Maladroit yet and you want to read chapter 13 of my short stories. Bye!