A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Valkyrie, Ghastly, Wreath or the Dead Men. Val is still 24.

I watched the message burn and felt good about it. I was not only standing on my own two feet, I was proving they no longer had any power over me. How many times had I jumped into action because they told me to or they needed me?

They only wanted me back now because they figured I'd just come back and all would be forgiven. Well, it wouldn't be. I'd given up my family to serve the Sanctuary, to protect magic. I'd given up the wonderful and unlimited power of Darquesse to save an indifferent world. I'd wasted years waiting for a man who didn't love me to finally notice me, well, no more. I was done with being used.

The phone rang and I ignored it. There was nobody in the world that I wanted to talk to, ever again. It rang over and over and I finally went over and pulled the jack out of the wall. Well, if they wouldn't let me be, I'd leave Canada early. I started packing and looked up at a sharp knock on the door. I went and looked out the keyhole to see a woman in a fawn coloured robe standing there. Now what did she want? I opened the door and glared at her. "What?" I barked, and she trembled. Weakling.

"The Irish Sanctuary needs you to come right away, please, right this instant. I can- I can teleport you there." She offered, trembling. I was enjoying scaring her and I hoped she'd pass her fear on to them and infect them. Scare them bad enough and they'd leave me be.

Or hunt me, and then I'd be free to kill them all. "You tell the Irish Sanctuary I don't care what they need. I don't care if the Sanctuary burns down and everyone dies. No, scratch that. I'd buy tickets to see that. You want to protect these pathetic mortals, you go right ahead. Now run along and bow and scrape for your masters and remind them they don't own me." I growled and slammed the door in her face.

Killing Wreath had changed me, I realized. It had been my anger and hate that helped me kill him. Not love, not kindness. Maybe I'd just been looking for my right path and never found it until I embraced my true nature. I shrugged to myself, then glowered as the teleporter popped into the room. "Please, I beg of you, let them call you. They've agreed to let you be in peace ever after if you'll only talk." I wanted to kill her then, I really did. They had me backed into a corner and I didn't like it. But maybe I should take that call so I could let them know how very much I hated them all. I gave a stiff nod and replaced the jack.

The phone rang and I answered coldly. "Yes?" I hissed.

"Valkyrie? This is Ghastly. Please, whatever it is, please set it aside and let the teleporter bring you here. Skulduggery- Skulduggery is dying."

"Oh, I see. You're loosing him so you want me to come in and be his replacement, do you? Not interested."

"Valkyrie, didn't you hear me? He's dying! He wants to see you." There was pain in Ghastly's voice, but I ignored it.

"And I should care about that why?" I asked coldly.

I heard Ghastly gasp. "Because he's your partner, your best friend and all he wants is to see you one last time. Please, just come see him and we'll never bother you again if that's what you want. You have my word on that."

"Fine, if it will satisfy you pathetic mortal lovers, I'll do it. But you have my word that if I ever see any of you ever again after this night, I will kill you." I growled and rang off.

The teleporter barely wanted to touch me and I reveled in her fear. She caught onto my hands at last and we were in the Sanctuary near the area where patients stayed. The Dead Men were already there, gathered together. How pathetic. They needed one another. I needed no one.

I ignored them, the offered embraces, the murmured words of support and strode into Skulduggery's room. I hissed through my teeth in surprise. He was indeed dying. He looked to have aged thousands of years. His bones were no longer healthy, strong and gleaming white, but they looked ancient, a unhealthy mottled mix of browns and yellows. Ghastly was speaking soothing words to him as I watched and Skulduggery was barely able to raise his fingertips in reply. So, he was dying. I shrugged to myself. At one time I would have made a spectacle of myself, crying like a lost child.

Now the coldness in me gave me the maturity of an adult. I wouldn't have shed a single tear if he had died that instant. I approached the bed and looked down at him. Skulduggery moved his head feebly. A small sound escaping him. He was trying to speak but was far too weak to do so. I gave him a sharp nod, then turned to leave. "Valkyrie." I heard the one word. It was a plea, a prayer. He'd managed to grasp the back of my jacket with a skeletal hand. I felt my emotions starting to return and fought them, head bowed. I would not cry over this man I would not cave in and give him his way like I always did.

I reached back around and removed his hand, but he misinterpreted the gesture and clasped mine. I turned to look at him to tell him to let go and saw the expression on his skeletal features. He was pleading silently with me to stay. I realized then he had no idea why I had left. No! I couldn't let my heart soften. But he looked at me, seemed to summon the last of his reserves. "Valkyrie? Please stay with me, I haven't meditated in a long time. Please, stay." I felt tears starting to come to my eyes. I realized he was trying to rally for me, to hold on. I stroked his skull, unable any longer to hold back my tears, and nodded.

"I'll stay. It's all right, Skulduggery. You get some rest now, I'll be here when you wake up, I promise." He didn't even hear what I said. His skull lolled back and it was only him not falling to pieces that let me know he'd passed out.

Ghastly turned me around to face him and held me as I wept, stroking my hair, speaking soothingly. "I always knew you two would come to this. I'm so sorry it had to happen this way."

I looked up, confused. "We'd come to what? Not being partners?" Ghastly sighed and looked at me. He pulled up the other visitor's chair and gestured for me to sit.

"I know why you left. Skulduggery said or did something to let you know how he felt at long last, and you didn't feel the same. I'm sorry nobody came for you, I really am. Skulduggery missed you every day, he pined away for you, he's been willing himself to die because he knows you don't feel the same way. He needs you so much, Val. You're his source of strength, his only reason to live. I know you don't love him, but please, have pity on the man."

"Pity? Do you want to know why I left? I was coming to your office to tell you something, and Skulduggery was there. It had to be fate, I thought. I'd tell you both, then. And do you know what I heard the man you think is in love with me say? That he wished I'd grow up and stand on my own two feet, that he no longer wanted to deal with my childishness."

Ghastly just stared at me so I continued. "I felt sorry for him, right now. Seeing him like this. I did. But everything in this blasted Sanctuary has always been about the precious Skulduggery Pleasant and keeping him happy. I'm twenty four, Ghastly. Old enough by mortal standards to have my own family. If the man was in love with me, truly in love with me, why didn't he say something?"

Ghastly just looked at me helplessly. "Do you know how many times he told me he was going to tell you? But how he'd back down at the last minute because he'd convinced himself you didn't love him? He is in love with you, Valkyrie. Truly and deeply in love. And if you feel the same you'll stay with him. But if you don't you can leave now and know you're killing him, because he will die without you. Is that what you want? Do you hate the man that much? He wasn't even talking about you that day, Valkyrie. God!"

I blinked. That was news. "Oh."

"Oh, indeed. I wish you would have just called me. At first he was convinced you'd been abducted, then he started hunting for you, but he was always a step behind you. He took ill like this several weeks ago, and he's gone downhill each day. The doctor's say he won't make it. You see how he is. Sit with him, spend the time he has left with him. Please." I nodded and went to sit by Skulduggery. He was so still he seemed to be dead already, but I'd seen him die before. I took his hand, tears coming to my eyes again. Why hadn't he ever said anything? Why hadn't I? He could die now and it was all my fault. I had been childish, an adult would have confronted him, or at least did something.

No, I had run away, turning my back on my partner and best friend because my feelings got hurt. I stroked his thumb, trying to will some life and vitality back into his bones. Ghastly looked at me, then touched my shoulder and left, murmuring something about bringing me coffee while I sat vigil. For out of all the people on the Earth I knew Skulduggery well enough to know he could let go at any moment and die. I doubted very much that anything else was going to happen. He couldn't get better. Not after this. I settled into my chair to keep him company and waited, waited for Skulduggery Pleasant to die.

My word, that was rather grim, wasn't it? Oh, In the Arms of an Angel is the title to one of the most depressing songs ever, so I figured it fit. Hope you liked it.