A/N: I don't own Valkyrie, Alice, Ghastly, Skulduggery or anyone else you may recognize. Val is 40, so set after the books. Spoliers. Some teeny tiny changes you won't even notice. Eh, wrote this on my birthday (May 24) so I was kinda looped on caffeine and such.

Valkyrie Cain looked around the mansion and smiled to herself. Things could change so quickly, couldn't they? When she'd been in her twenties had you'd asked her what she'd be doing on her fortieth birthday she would have either shrugged or said she'd be on a case with Skulduggery. She could have never forseen his sudden retirement or her career as a single detective.

She also could have never seen picking up a younger partner in her twenties and now Valkyrie waited on her. She was late and Valkyrie wondered if it just was her being young and thoughtless or a bad family habit. Probably both. But eventually Alice did show up and Valkyrie forced a smile onto her face. She loved her sister, she really did, just not the costume she was currently carrying. But her sister worshiped Valkyrie as her hero and her sister had strange ways of showing that worship.

Like dragging her senior partner to a cosplay convention for her birthday. Alice was already dressed as Alice Pleasance, whoever that was, and had a Mad Hatter costume done all in black to suit Valkyrie's tastes with her. Alice squealed happily as she always did when she saw Valkyrie and ran to hug her bigger sister. Valkyrie returned the hug, reminding herself she was lucky that Alice did love her. "Val! I brought your costume! Aren't you excited?"

"Um, yes?" Valkyrie tried and took the garment bag, a wicked-looking cane and topper from her sister. Valkyrie got changed and had to laugh at her reflection in the mirror. She looked like a cross between an insane Willy Wonka and Wreath. A moody, manic-depressive Hatter, that's what she looked like and she decided she liked it just fine.

Alice wanted to drive and Valkyrie had no problem with that. As her sister drove Valkyrie thought of how lucky she was. Her sister was magical and so the women would have a long time together. Her sister not only knew what Valkyrie had done to save the world, but she'd chosen to adore Valkyrie for it. "You do want to go, right?" Alice asked anxiously and Valkyrie nodded.

Alice was a great little sister. She had taken her own name tacking Cain on the end and it had worked. She was stubborn and headstrong at times, but sweeter than Valkyrie could ever be and that's what made the relationship work. And with her naturally blond hair and blue eyes she did make a great Alice. "Hey, you could have taken a friend, you know." Val said and Alice shrugged.

"I wanted you out of the house for your birthday, and we don't have a case. Besides, you know how some people are." Alice shivered slightly and Val nodded. The majority of people at conventions were harmless if a bit odd. But you always got one or two Romeos who figured they'd put on a costume. Again, most were harmless but Valkyrie didn't blame Alice for wanting company.

And at the convention she didn't mind strolling through the endless booths or watching Alice talk to other cosplayers. And since Valkyrie didn't feel like talking she could just stare at people the way Anton would and most of the cosplayers thought it was great fun. Valkyrie smiled inwardly, it was fun. Not that she'd ever admit it of course.

And by the end of the day when her sister was laden with bags of plushes and other things she'd bought Valkyrie would have been happy to return to the mansion, having already posed for enough photos and had enough tea foisted on her by a group of fans who were really into Jervis Tetch, whoever that was.

But Alice had another stop in store. "I have to stop at Ghastly's shop for my new work clothes, OK?"

Valkyrie nodded wearily and fell asleep in the passenger seat. She awoke in time to go into Ghastly's shop where his lips twitched into a smile and he offered her tea. Valkyrie had to laugh. "Yeah, I get it. And yes, tea would be lovely, thank you."

Alice looked puzzled. "You know you were cosplaying the Mad Hatter, right?"

"Yes, but until I had to dance with all my new fans I had no idea he was a villain from a kid's show." Ghastly snorted laughter but managed to collect himself by the time he served the girls tea.

"You look simply lovely, Val, and Happy Birthday, by the way. Where did you get the costume? The material, well, it looks magical. And it was certainly tailored to fit you." Valkyrie shot a glance at Alice.

"Maybe it is sort of, kind of, magical? I know you hate robes and since you fused your light and dark halves, well, black does suit a Necromancer so they're kind of a gift." She blushed furiously and Valkyrie smiled at her. Her little sister seemed to see Necromancers as the rock stars of the magical world, and considering Darquesse and Vile had fought back to back to save the world she supposed she had a point.

"Thanks, but the only people who make clothing for us are Necromancers..." Valkyrie face-palmed it explained so much. The style of the clothes the top hat, the cane that Valkyrie had learned didn't fit the cartoon character. Valkyrie hefted the cane and looked at it. Definitely a Necromancer's weapon. "Wreath helped you, didn't he?" Valkyrie asked, flushing. He'd never let her hear the end of it, of course.

"Yes, he said to tell you the cane is a present, he said you could smash the ring if you liked. The cane is stronger."

"Ah." Valkyrie nodded and she would switch to the cane, just not in front of anyone. She wasn't ashamed of Necromancy, but she appreciated that it tended to scare the hell out of people.

They drank their tea and chatted then were off, Alice's clothes would be ready soon. "Dinner out?" She offered and Valkyrie looked at her carefully.

"Are you keeping me out of the house for some reason?" She asked and Alice shook her head no which Valkyrie knew meant yes. "OK, then dinner out." She agreed, hoping that her family or friends hadn't made a fuss. She knew Skulduggery wouldn't. They would always be best friends but he had taken to his retirement quite well and not even rang her.

But she forgot about all of that over dinner and then for the ride home. Valkyrie was glad that Alice understood she needed to live alone at Gordon's. And as she let herself in she only wanted a nice shower and perhaps some coffee. She'd seen enough tea in one day to last her a lifetime.

Valkyrie put on the kettle then meandered into the living room to find Wreath waiting on her. He seemed amused to see her still in costume. "You like the cane?" He asked as he rose, looking handsome as always, and came to hug her.

"Of course, you always did give the best presents." Valkyrie said as she returned the hug. "You managed the clothes too, didn't you?"

"I did. I don't imagine you'll wear the hat much or the tie but the rest of the styling suits you." That Valkyrie agreed with. Though she was honestly growing fond of the hat and reckoned she could wear it without the 10/6 card.

"It was nice of you. Can I make you something? Coffee, hopefully?" She asked and he smiled thoughtfully at her.

"You could let me have the honour of destroying your ring." Valkyrie agreed, not surprised Wreath destroyed it this time with his own shadows. Then her shadows and powers writhed and fused with her cane and the wicked-looking weapon got darker if it was possible.

"Wow."

"Wow, indeed." Wreath agreed to stay for coffee and Valkyrie could feel him coming around to something.

"Are you happy being a detective?" He asked and she shrugged. It was OK, Alice was a good partner if not a great one, but it wasn't the same. "That means no. Well, those are as good traveling clothes as any. Would you like to become my traveling companion?"

"You're serious?"

"Yes, you can learn more from me as we travel, we can work together. Perhaps in time I'll become a detective again."

Valkyrie bit her lip as she considered the offer. She knew Alice would be disappointed, but she also knew Alice was a bit too much for her to handle. Valkyrie was no Skulduggery, she couldn't cover Alice's mistakes or need to run headlong into danger the way Skulduggery had done for her.

Valkyrie nodded then looked at Solomon thoughtfully. "I do have time to pack, right?"

"I've taken the liberty of getting your emergency bag. It's in my car behind the mansion. So shall we?" Valkyrie grinned hugely as she rose and at her nod Wreath approached, his shadows enveloping them both then they were gone.

Mm, I have no idea what I was thinking of either. The dang strangest thing I've ever read and I wrote it. Sorry about that. Staying a one-shot unless readers say otherwise.