Chapter One: Just like old times

It had been sixteen years since they had last saw each other. After china had sent Valkyrie to work for the American sanctuary and had kept Skulduggery in Ireland they had barely been able to talk to each other on the phone. Valkyrie's appearance hadn't changed a lot. She was taller probably about the same height as Skulduggery. She had cut her long black hair shorter to where it was barely below her shoulder blades. Other than that everything was the same except she was wearing mortal clothes,

Her time of working as head detective in the American sanctuary was over, she was headed home. She had called Fletcher Renn that morning and asked him to meet her in front of the sanctuary at 3:00 that afternoon. She asked him to keep it secret from the others, especially Skulduggery, because she wanted it to be a surprise. She was excited to see him again but not as much as skulduggery.

As Valkyrie thought about what was to come that day she threw her clothes into a black suitcase that sat on the bed. She went to throw a pair of jeans on top of the huge pile atop the bed and she jumped as the suitcase hit the floor. She leaned down to pick it up and started singing with the music playing on her phone as she folded the clothes up neatly and stacked them back into the suitcase. When she was finished she zipped her suitcase and grabbed her phone. She did a quick glance through the apartment and then walked out the door.

As she walked down the stairway to the street she dug through her bag trying to find her earphones, she found them and plugged them into her phone and turned the music back on. It was raining when she got outside so she threw her hood up over her head. Even if she was still an elemental she would have had to do it because it would have been odd seeing a woman walking down the street completely dry why everyone else was getting soaked. Then again it was New York so maybe not.

She signaled a cab over and jumped in, she told the driver where to go and sat back as he pulled away from the curb. When he arrived in front of an old abandoned theater building. Also known as the American sanctuary to sorcerers. She climbed out and paid the cab driver she watched as he drove away and only turned back toward the building when she heard the soft pop signaling Fletcher Renn's arrival.

She smiled and walked over to him to give him a hug when they separate; he looks her up and down and whistles. "Man, you're really tall!" and she realizes instead of looking him straight in the eye like she did last time they saw each other she was looking at him at a downward angle.

"Yeah I guess I am." She says.

He smiles. "You might even be taller then skulduggery, wouldn't that be a sight to see!"

They both laugh at that. "Yeah right!" she says still giggling.

"Yeah, just kidding, how have you been?"

"Good, what about you?"

"Good,"

"What about everybody else?"

"About the same but very busy,"

"Hmm,"

"Well, um... are you ready to go home?"

She leans down to grab the handle of her suitcase. "Yep,"

"okay then hold on tight."

She grabs his upper arm and a second later they are standing in the middle of Gordon's living room. "Holy," she says looking around. "What?" Fletcher asks her. "I haven't been here in ages; it's nice to be back."

"I bet it is. Here I'll take your bag upstairs for you and then we can go to the sanctuary and surprise the others." he holds his hand out and she hand the suitcase to him less than a second he's gone. She walks over to the coffee tables and runs her finger across the top. When she pulls it back it's covered in dust. She was going to have to do some serious cleaning when she got the time. She's rubbing the dust off on her pants when Fletcher reappears in the room. "Ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." She replies. He laughs and she grabs hold of his arm again and they are soon standing in front of the Irish Sanctuary glittering in all its glory. Valkyrie takes a minute to let it all in and a few seconds pass before she feels a tap on her arm. She turns toward Fletcher. "You okay?" he asks her. "Yeah," she replies.

"You sure"

"Yes, Just it never ceases to amaze me, you know?"

"Yeah I know you ready to see your friends?"

"Yep, let's go," she follows Fletcher into the fancy and suave lobby and stands by the door as he walks over and talks to a lady with bright red hair and ice blue eyes behind the counter. A few minutes later Fletcher walks over with a smile on his face. "Where's Tipstaff?" she asks him.

"Tipstaff? Oh he retired a few years back probably tired of being china's slave is my guess. Anyways, Rachael notified china that all of them have a visitor wanting to see them so they'll be in the meeting room, do you want to teleport or walk?"

"Are they all there?"

" Yeah, they should be."

"Let's teleport, it's faster." She grabs his arm,

"That it is." He says and then they are standing outside a glistening silver door that only could be china's doing. Valkyrie looks at Fletcher "Silver?"

He smiles. "Silver is the new white. At least that's what china says."

"Well I'm glad Skulduggery doesn't wear white suits."

" Well..."

"Please don't tell me that Skulduggery wears white suits now because they really don't go with his complexion."

Fletcher laughs, "No, I was just kidding you." Valkyrie smiles at the joke well made and wipes her hand across her forehead "phew. That scared me for just a second." He smiles and nods toward the door. "You ready to go in?" she looks at the silver door then back at Fletcher. "Yep, it's about time I saw my friends again."

"Well then let's go." Fletcher walks in first and the chatter dies down; Valkyrie can hear Tanith say "Really Fletcher?" Valkyrie smiles "What did I do now?" Fletcher asks indignantly.

"Well we have an important case that we're talking about right now and no offense Fletcher but your hair tends to distract us more often than not and you just don't give much intelligent conversation to the matter at hand." Skulduggery's voice comes through the door.

"The hair is not going to change and I do give intelligent conversation you just don't recognize it!"

"Come on guys. Fletcher you got to know better to know then argue with Skulduggery when he is working on a case. The only one that can do that is Valkyrie." Tanith tries to cut in.

"Tanith is right guys we really don't need both of our best guys arguing with each other now do we?" Dexter's voice now, it must be close to getting into a fight Valkyrie thought to herself.

"Ha! I'm one of the best guy's skull now you can't insult my hair, ha!" Fletcher says.

What the hells are you doing Fletcher? Valkyrie thought to herself. She heard a chair squeak on the floor as Skulduggery stood up and then Dexter's voice, pleading now, that isn't good," Skulduggery now think this through, he just messing with you. Sit back down."

"Yeah, sit back down Skulduggery be a good boy."

" That's enough Renn."

" Oh, I'm not even close to being done pleasant."

Valkyrie burst into the room right as Skulduggery raised his arm to punch Fletcher into tomorrow. She grabbed Fletchers arm and pulled him to the doorway and kicked him out and shut the door in his face. She turned around.

Dexter was in a half sitting half standing position, probably going to try and stop the fight. Saracen sat next to him with a big grin on his face; he probably knew she was standing right outside the whole time. Sitting at the end of the table was gracious and Donagen who were both wearing identical expressions of shock. China sat on the other side of the table with an expression between anger, shock, and surprise. Tanith stood next to her with her sword pulled half way out of its sheath she also had a look of pure shock pasted on her face. Skulduggery stood where he was when he was going to punch Fletcher but his hand was down by his side and he was looking at her as if she wasn't really there but was.

Valkyrie gave them a small smile and said "Well... I'm back." Tanith gave a very loud squeal and launched herself over the table at her when she hugged her Valkyrie had to take a step back just from sheer force of compact. "Where the hell have you been the last sixteen years?" Tanith yelled when they pulled apart.

"New York, the sanctuary needed me over there. Since you guys were busy I was the only one available for China to send and help. I kept in contact just a lot has happened these last few years so it's been kind of hard to catch each other, I swear Skulduggery and me played phone tag for two hours straight one day."

" Well you're going to have to tell me everything and why didn't you come in sooner and stop Fletcher from being a jerk?"

"Yes I will and I don't know. Saracen does though." Tanith turns toward Saracen. "You knew she was outside this very door and you didn't tell us?"

Saracen took on a very sheepish look and stood up. "Yes I did but I knew that Valkyrie wanted to surprise you guys so I didn't say anything because Valkyrie can be a very threatening person when she wants to be and I would even say she's scarier then you and I didn't-"he was babbling now and when Tanith lunged at him he stumbled back and almost fell over Valkyrie.

"Hey Saracen how are you!"

"Hello Valkyrie nice to see you again."

"Same here... you might want to leave."

"Yep couldn't agree more. Bye Valkyrie."

" Bye Saracen."

He ran toward the door and Tanith landed right where Saracen was just standing when she jumped off of the ceiling to catch him by surprise. "Dang know it all," she mumbled as she ran out of the room. Valkyrie turned toward the others, Dexter had settled back down in his seat again and he had a wide smile on his face. Gracious and Donagen had got over their shock and were laughing silently at Saracen and Tanith. China's expression had settled on being surprised and she wore a welcoming smile. Skulduggery still stood but he was now looking out the door at Tanith and Saracen fighting. His head was tilted at an amused angle and Valkyrie could tell he was smiling.

"Well guys I don't know where to start. It's been a long time since we've seen each other and I'm definitely going to need some bringing up on the things that I have missed here but right now I need to say hello to everybody so Dexter nice seeing you again." he nods and says "Same here."

She looks at Gracious and Donagen. "I'm guessing the last sixteen years you have found a lot of new monsters I expect a full list."

They both grin. "You'll have your whole living room full of them." Gracious says.

"Good." She says and turns toward china.

"Dear Valkyrie it is so nice to see you again, I planned to visit the sanctuary this coming week to see you I guess you saved me the trouble."

"Years ago a woman once told me she didn't do house calls because she wasn't that nice of a person. She sure has changed never thought I'd see the day."

"Oh dear, you underestimate me. Old dogs can learn new tricks you see?"

"It's nice to see you again china."

" It's the same here my dear."

Valkyrie turned toward Skulduggery, she hadn't noticed it but he was wearing her favorite suit a navy pinstriped one with a dark blue hat and indigo ribbon that wrapped around the base of it giving it a very dignified look but also adding a splash of color to it.

He gazed at her with his empty eye sockets and she stared back at him. "It's been a long time." He finally said.

"Yes it has."

"I missed my partner in crime, you know?"

"I guessed as much. Believe me so did I. I couldn't wait to get back here and see you again."

" So how was your time in America? You seem to have picked up their accent I see."

Valkyrie glares at him. " Well I'm sorry I didn't try not to fit in. It's kind of hard not to when your stuck there for sixteen years."

"I'm sorry to cut in but what do you mean you were stuck there for sixteen years. I thought you went willingly." Dexter cuts in.

Valkyrie looks at him. " I was sent there to help them for a month I was told and each time I tried to leave they came up with another case I had to solve and when I got ahold of China to see if Skulduggery needed me he didn't so I stayed there tell I just gave up and decided to come back whether he needed me or not."

Everybody was looking at her and China took on a very guilty look. Without knowing it Valkyrie had just told everybody the truth and showed that China had lied to all of them for the last sixteen years.

"She told you I didn't need you?" Skulduggery asked very calmly and quietly.

Valkyrie looked at him because whenever his voice sounded like that something bad was going to happen soon. "Yeah, It's not her fault you were busy it's the stupid American sanctuary's." Valkyrie says trying to get China out of trouble without knowing what it was even about.

Skulduggery turns toward China who is trying to look at anything but Skulduggery but not succeeding when everyone it looking at her. "You told her that I didn't need her when you knew that I did?"

"Now just wait a second Skulduggery before you jump to conclusions. She was busy and I knew you were to so I didn't want to intrude on anything and..."

" You told her I didn't need her China you lied to all of us. Why China? Pray tell me why you did not tell me that she wanted to come back home?"

China stared at him and then at Valkyrie. " Valkyrie I didn't mean to tell you that he didn't need you. You just sounded like you were busy and so I didn't want to pull you away from what you were doing and I wouldn't have told you that if I had known that you wanted to come home truly dear I wouldn't have. Please forgive me."

Valkyrie gazes at her then at Skulduggery. She can see everybody looking at them waiting for what's to come.

"You needed me?" she asks him.

He gazes right back at her and puts his hand on her shoulder. " I'll always need you Valkyrie. Until the end."

"Until the end." Valkyrie who had started to tear up at that hastily wiped them away and turned to China.

" I don't know why you lied to all of us and I know I'll probably never find out because I know you. And I also know because of your precious ego you most likely won't except it but, I'm sorry that you had to find out nothing will keep me and Skulduggery apart for very long."

The room went quite as China stared at Valkyrie. Skullduggery's hand was still on Valkyries shoulder and he squeezed gently after Valkyrie had finished joking with China. China stood up slowly and gazed at her. Valkyrie knew if looks could kill she would be dead right now.

"China, what are you doing?" Dexter asked he was looking at China with a confused look on his face. China ignored him and raised her hand to her left for-arm. She was still staring at Valkyrie as she did it.

"China what are you doing? STOP!" Skulduggery screams as China touches her for-arm and a blue lights starts to shine.

The next thing Valkyrie knew she was thrown in the air and at the wall. She hit the wall so hard that she broke through and landed in the corridor outside. Valkyrie just lied there for a few seconds trying to gather her wits.

When she tried to get up she saw someone coming at her but she was so dizzy she didn't realize who it was.

China went to grab Valkyrie right as something solid with no mass whatsoever hit her in the back and sent her tumbling. She landed on her feet to see Skulduggery leaning down beside Valkyrie and trying to help her back up. China started running at them and then Dexter came out of nowhere and collided with her. They both went tumbling and then Dexter punched her in the face and everything went black.

"Are you okay?" Skulduggery asks as he leans down beside Valkyrie as she tried to sit up from the ground. His skull starts to blur for a second and she catches herself as she starts to fall backwards again. Skulduggery grabs her up bridal style and starts walking toward the infirmary. I just got her back and this had to happen. Skulduggery thinks to himself as he walks to the infirmary. "Skulduggery, I'm okay. You can set me down." Valkyries says staring up at him as the dizziness goes away. He looks down at her and then sets her down gently.

She stands there for a few seconds and then takes a few steps to make sure she won't fall over. Skulduggery watches as Valkyrie takes a few shaky steps ahead of where they were standing and then turning around and walking back. By the time she was standing next to him she had her normal swagger in the way she walked back but he could tell she was still sore from being thrown through the wall. " So, that was an exciting event wasn't it?" Valkyrie says looking back at the hole in the wall a few feet away.

Some people were staring at it as they walked by but most of them just went on ahead without any glance toward the hole in the wall as if it had happened every day.

"Yeah. Maybe For a few moments at least, it wasn't so exciting when I had to watch you being thrown through the wall."

"Come on, you have to agree that you wanted to be the one to throw me through that wall just a little."

"Nope. Believe it or not I actually didn't."

"You're kidding me. I know you wanted to do it."

"Valkyrie. You have got to know by now when I am kidding and not kidding. I'm not kidding at the moment."

Valkyrie smiles and punches him in the arm even though it made her knuckles ach. "I knew you cared about me. Just take me awhile to make you actually admit it but I did it!"

Skulduggery looks at her. "What?"

"You heard me."

"Yeah I heard you I was giving you a chance to take it back was all,"

"To late skull. Already said it, no taking it back."

"Damn it,"

"What did I do?"

"Its not what you did. That wasn't china that did that to you. She had been acting weird ever since her and me had that run in with the time traveler."

"So..."

"Thank about it Valkyrie, Time traveler, China acting weird, Trying to kill you?" Valkyrie looks at him. "Put it all together and what do you get?"

"No, you thank he sent her to a different time and put a killing robot in her place?"

"Well you got the first part right but I don't know anything about the killing robot. Clone maybe."

"Oh you think that it is a clone."

"I'm an exceptionally smart person for having no physical brain what so ever and if I can figure something out as easy as that and you, someone who does have a physical organ to call a brain can't. Then there is something wrong with that picture don't you think?"

"Shut up!"

"Just saying."

"So... how do we get China back to this time?"

"Well first we have to find someone that has the ability to time travel which would be the one that sent her away in the first place because they would be the only one who knows where she is, and than we have to finds someone that is willing to go find her." Skulduggery looks down at her.

"And I'm guessing what you mean by someone that is willing to go find her would really actually be us?"

"That's exactly what I meant,"

"Well than, what are we waiting for? Let's go get our selves into trouble." Skulduggery tilts his head at an angle. "Just like old times." He says to her."

"Just like old times."