A/N: I don't own Valkyrie, Skulduggery, Ghastly, Darquesse, Dexter or Saracen. Set after the novels so may be spoliers herein. There are, actually, and I meddled quite a bit. Val's in her twenties. Gay canon pairing. Yes, it's Sexter. Gods, we need a better couple name, that is just nasty. But it was 5:30 when this dream woke me up and I'm currently fueled by coffee. So hope this makes some actual sense.
Valkyrie was tumbling through one of those rather pleasant dreams that kept looping over and over as if she herself were writing it even as she watched it unfold. Which was distinctly odd for although Saracen and Dexter were two of her best friends, she had no real reason to be dreaming about them. In the dream Valkyrie was watching as her friends moved supplies into a cabin. Were they on a mission? The men were laughing as the same actions kept repeating themselves, they were teasing one another as they got things moved in. Valkyrie blinked, vaguely aware she was between being awake and asleep and the dream continued.
The supplies they were moving in, boxes of food, other odds and ends, were they on vacation instead? Then the dream was distinctly odd because Valkyrie wasn't just watching it, it shifted as dreams tend to do and suddenly she was moving in with the men and the three were in a cabin in... A tremendous boom of thunder that shook the mansion awoke Valkyrie and she got up with a sigh. Ever since she'd learned to fuse her two halves she'd been having strange dreams.
She knew better than to take off as herself or Darquesse. After she'd scared the hell out of Skulduggery and Ghastly on various occasions, thinking the dreams were literal omens, her friends had kindly suggested that she keep them to herself. Valkyrie got up and stretched. It was still dark outside as rain lashed the mansion windows and thunder boomed. There was a lightning flash and then another. Bad storm. No wonder I had a strange dream about being with them.
Valkyrie put on jeans underneath her jersey then grabbed a ratty pair of trainers and padded out to the kitchen to put on the kettle for coffee. She felt haggard, but she knew better than to bother the men. Still. Something about the dream had seemed so real. Had they been on the run, hiding from the enemy? It would be just like Dex and Saracen to make a game out of a dangerous mission. "Enough." Valkyrie mumbled sleepily as she got herself some coffee.
The radio boomed on and Chicago's "Will You Still Love Me For The Rest Of My Life" thundered into the kitchen. Valkyrie stared at the radio wide-eyed her heart hammering in her chest. She laughed shakily then got her mug of coffee. Things like this happened all the time now. Radios turned on and TVs. At first Valkyrie had thought she was getting signs through a new type of powers, but the signs hadn't panned out any more than the dreams had.
Still, this felt right. It felt real as if the abilities, if that was what they were, were starting to align. So why see the men moving into a cabin then? Were they on the run and needed help or was she seeing the future? Valkyrie sighed again, not liking not knowing then screamed and nearly dropped her coffee when she entered the living room and flicked on the light to find Skulduggery waiting in her living room. His ethereal form sat placidly cross-legged on the couch and he tilted his head at her in a smile. "Hello." He said innocently as if he hadn't just frightened a century or so off her life.
"Skulduggery!" She yelled, anger and fear mixing together in her voice. Then she recovered, but only just. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but why were you sitting in my living room in the dark in the middle of the night?"
"Almost dawn. And I've been having strange meditations."
"Ah, I see."
"Dexter and Saracen? Ring any bells?"
"If it did it isn't our business, you know that, right?"
"When has that ever stopped us?
"True. What did you dream?" Valkyrie asked as she settled on the couch beside him.
"Those two, cabin. I'm also why you're up, by the way." Valkyrie stared at him and sipped her coffee. Skulduggery said a lot of strange things, but it was entirely possible he had awakened her. Her not sensing him in the room meant nothing. Still, she frowned.
"How?"
"You were aware of me. But, Valkyrie, the dream wasn't all sunshine and happiness was it?" He pressed.
"I don't know. The three of us were living together in the cabin but it felt like we were on the run from something. Or not. I honestly couldn't tell you, sorry."
Skulduggery nodded. "Which is why we should call them."
"Now? Skulduggery, no one pays attention to my dreams, but if you want to ring them, be my guest." Skulduggery stared at her, his current ethereal state making that rather hard. He'd taken to walking about in his dreams, something that terrified their friends more than Darquesse just appearing in a burst of shadows.
Valkyrie sighed and dug out her mobile. Which one to ring, then? Saracen was usually in a good mood but she also didn't want to hear some strange woman answer his mobile. She cringed and was debating ringing Dexter when the power went out. "Perfect." She mumbled, pocketing the mobile. Skulduggery watched her get up and head back into the kitchen for a torch.
He followed as she banged into a chair and cursed, then felt her way blindly to the counter. "You do remember that you are an Elemental, right?" He asked doubtfully as she searched. Valkyrie glared at him the best she could in the murky gloom and he snapped his fingers, drawing a flame.
"Thanks."
"Think nothing of it. We're interfering for a just cause." He assured her. Valkyrie nodded then the pair looked up from her search as a pounding began on the front door. Valkyrie's mobile rang and after a confused call she was letting a drenched Dexter and Saracen in. The sodden men hugged her, then stared at the ethereal Skulduggery.
"Astral projection." Valkyrie said with a sigh then told the men they could get showers and find some suitable clothes in Gordon's old bedroom. The went off and she saw to more coffee, now wide awake and debated making the men breakfast as the power kicked back on. Skulduggery disappeared, then he reappeared in a mass of shadows, now wide awake.
"See? They need us!" He said brightly and Valkyrie glared at him.
"See if you can't make some breakfast. I need to get dressed."
"But you are dressed."
"I need a bra, Skulduggery. And my hair! Oh my God, I must look terrible." Skulduggery chuckled. And when Valkyrie went back to her room she saw why. Her hair was sticking up all over and she looked like a crazy woman from her lack of sleep. Valkyrie got a quick shower, got ready and reentered the kitchen to find Saracen cooking eggs and bacon while Dex sat at the kitchen table having coffee.
"Hey, Val, hungry?" Saracen asked and she nodded as she sat and accepted coffee from Dex. "Sorry to just show up but the rental broke down. And we remembered the mansion was here, so..."
"Were you going camping?" Valkyrie asked and Dex smiled.
"Told you she knew. Sort of, Val. We're are moving into a cabin, Skul told us about you two having dreams." Valkyrie wanted to exchange glances with Skulduggery in the worst way. Neither man sounded especially in love. And even though she and Skulduggery hadn't mentioned it, it had been clear in her dream at least the men had been a couple.
"Anything you two want to tell us?" She asked as Saracen set down a platter of eggs and bacon then added a plate of toast and some orange juice.
"Um, you look very pretty today?" He tried then gave her a wry smile. "What do you two have, advanced gaydar? We just met each other earlier tonight, well, last night. And the trip just felt right. And yes, it felt right because we realized we have feelings for one another."
"She's gayer than you are, Saracen, you can feel free to tell Valkyrie anything you like." Skulduggery said sweetly and Valkyrie kicked him under the table. He yelped and the men laughed.
"I'm pan, and you should talk!" Valkyrie said as she flushed. Skulduggery gleefully told the men about the cute little barista that had shot Valkyrie down and even she had to admit it was a little funny.
"Poor, Val. It's hard going down in flames, isn't it?" Saracen asked with a grin.
"I'm surprised she had a chance to get shot down." Dex murmured and it was Skulduggery's chance to look uncomfortable.
"Yes, well, she's only in her twenties..." Skulduggery began. "And we're partners And best friends. It would be weird, dating my best friend."
Valkyrie had a flash of insight and looked at the men. "Road trip?" She asked and they nodded.
"I knew you two would be together and it seemed right." Saracen admitted. "I don't know why but the trip just feels right. And maybe the car didn't actually break down."
Valkyrie smiled softly at him. The Dead Men tended to lie, and put more lies on top of the old lies when caught. But a road trip sounded great and soon she was packed, grabbing a duffel Skulduggery had stored at the mansion ages ago, just in case. Well, it was more like days ago and she could only wonder as they all headed to the door, the storm having ended and a bright new dawn shining forth, if the trip was meant to be.
It was five freaking thirty AM when the dream got me up. It makes perfect sense if you're jacked up on coffee.