A/N: I don't own Valkyrie, Erskine, Dex, Ghastly or Skulduggery. Val is 27 here at least if Skulpedia was right about the Requiem Ball dates. Set after the novels, so AU, I guess.

Valkyrie Cain was happy for once as she sailed into her home one fine afternoon. All her troubles were surely behind her. The dreaded Requiem Ball would not be a problem. Not at all. Erskine had asked her if the could hold it at Gordon's mansion again and she'd agreed, provided she didn't have to attend. Erskine had looked crestfallen, but Valkyrie had been happy to have him cave in so quickly.

Now she had a few days to think of where to go. She shrugged out of her jacket, looked at her answering machine and sighed. There were calls, and she thought she knew from who. Sure enough, when she pressed the button one Dead Man after another either carped at her for abandoning her brothers or whined for her to come. Well, mostly Dex whined. On and on. "Please, please, please come, Valkyrie. It will be boring without you there. And odd, considering it's your mansion."

Valkyrie smiled. She'd miss seeing them, but she didn't want to endure one more ball. One had been quite enough. The only Dead Man to not call had been Skulduggery, and he was clearly not through with giving her the silent treatment.

Valkyrie shrugged mentally and went to the fridge to find leftover pizza and a can of soda. Not exactly nutritious, but after their case she'd earned it. She'd just dug out the goodies and was settling down in front of the TV when her mobile rang. Skulduggery. But even he couldn't kill her good mood, so she answered cheerfully enough. "Skulduggery? Do we have a case?"

"No, not a case. You do know you are going to the Requiem Ball, right?"

Valkyrie took a bite of pizza before answering. "I'm not going. It's a couple's thing."

"Since when? Ghastly has time to make you a dress and you're going. And put down that disgusting pizza, it looks off. I'll take you out." Valkyrie started, then looked towards the window to see Skulduggery's uncovered skull peering in. In broad daylight. She flicked off the TV and hurried over to the window to let him in, pizza and soda abandoned as he drew her outside with him.

He tilted his head in a smile and put his fedora on and wrapped his scarf around his jaw. "Shall we be off then?" He asked.

"Yeah, I think I lost my partner though. Have you seen him? Tall, super thin. Was giving me the silent treatment?" He titled his head again and she heard his velvety voice abrupt in laughter.

"We shall launch an investigation." He said cheerily as he led the way to the Bentley and Valkyrie smiled at her partner. At least he was back to his old cheerful self. "Seatbelt." He said and she complied. "Besides, you have to go to the Ball. I need someone to dance with."

Valkyrie looked at Skulduggery as he put the car into drive. "I'm sorry, you said you needed someone to dance with?" She asked and he nodded. That confused her. A long time ago they'd agreed to be nothing more than partners. And ideally the Ball meant taking a date, a date who would sweep her off her feet and be madly in love with her. Valkyrie sighed and slumped in her seat. Why couldn't she meet a guy who was in love with her, just once?

Wheee! I needed that? Did you need that? I needed that.