Gordon's mansion still held undiscovered secrets for Valkyrie Cain. Even when she thought that she had uncovered every nook and cranny, it always surprised her, as she realised when her eye fell on an unopened door at the top of the stairs. She frowned and worked her way up the staircase. When she reached the top, she cautiously put one hand on the handle, pushed down, and then smiled at what she found inside.

A large well-lit room opened up before her. Red and gold oriental wallpaper lined the walls, large windows let in the lazy sun-rays of Ireland. On the sleek wooden floor sat a leather sofa, a harp, a stereo, and a beautiful black grand piano.

Valkyrie back out of the room and leaned over the banister.

'Skulduggery?'

Skulduggery Pleasant snapped shut the book he was reading, walked towards the hallway and looked up at Valkyrie.

'Yes?'

'Come here!' Valkyrie called back and dashed back into the room again. Skulduggery walked up the staircase and entered the threshold of the room she was in. She grinned at him and casually strummed her hand over the harps strings. He leaned against the door pane.

'A music room.'

'Yeah.'

Skulduggery walked into the centre of the room, hands in his pockets. Valkyrie glanced at the piano and played a note. She looked back up at him.

'Can you play?'

Skulduggery nodded.

'It's been a long time since I last put a chord together, but yes, yes I can.'

Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. 'I knew it.'

'How?'

She pointed at his hand. 'You have pianist fingers.'

He pulled a hand out of his pocket and inspected his fingers. 'Meaning?'

Valkyrie smiled at him. 'Long and thin,' she stepped closer towards him, 'I mean, I've never seen you without your gloves on, but your fingers look perfect, defined…' Valkyrie realised what she was saying and stopped abruptly, her head drooping. Skulduggery jabbed his hand back in his pocket and coughed loudly to break the silence.

'The last time I played piano was when I was alive, a long time ago.'

She looked up at him. 'Please play something.'

'I would have forgotten how to.'

'Please?'

'No, it's getting late anyway, I should be getting back.'

Valkyrie hesitated. 'Well…you can stay here tonight…'

Skulduggery stepped back slightly. 'I'm sorry?'

'You could stay here tonight…there's a spare room…' she swallowed and looked at the floor, 'but you don't have to.'

'Okay.'

Valkyrie looked up at him. 'Really?'

'Yes, well, it would be easier for me, and I have a spare suit in my car.'

She smiled at him and then looked down at her hands.

He nodded awkwardly at her.

Then they both spoke at the same time;

'I better get your room ready.'

-'I should get my other suit.'

They both laughed nervously and looked at the floor. Skulduggery walked quickly out of the room in the direction of the Bentley, whilst Valkyrie wandered off towards the spare room.

When Skulduggery returned from the Bentley holding the spare suit, he found Valkyrie standing in a white spare room.

'Why do you keep and extra suit with you anyway?'

He shrugged and dropped it onto a chair. 'You never know.'

Valkyrie smiled at him. 'I'll see you in the morning, yeah?'

Skulduggery nodded at her. 'Night.'

'Happy meditating.'

She walked out quickly to her room.

Skulduggery sat up on the bed and stretched his non-existent muscles. He glanced at his pocket watch on the side of the bed. Half past six. Joy. He sighed, dressed quickly and walked across the landing out of the bedroom. His gaze fixed onto the piano in the music room. He hesitated, and then walked over to it. He played a note and then took his gloves of. Pianist fingers. He chuckled quietly and rested one hand on the pianos keys, and then started to play. His fingers drifted across the keys quickly but gently. 'So, I can still play.' He thought to himself, as he worked his way through the song.

Valkyrie sat up and frowned from her bed. Is that a piano? She pulled on her coat over her pyjamas and walked towards the music room. She leaned against the door pane, arms folded, a smile creeping across her face at the sight of Skulduggery playing wonderfully on the piano. He carried on playing, seemingly unaware of the audience, until he said, 'You're in awe of me.'

Valkyrie walked closer towards him and leaned against the piano.

'You play beautifully.'

Skulduggery was thankful that he couldn't blush and nodded at the piano.

'Thank you.'

Valkyrie leaned over him, looking at the keys he was playing. She smiled again.

'You're not wearing your gloves.'

He nodded quickly at the gloves on the top of the piano, before returning to looking at the notes he was playing.

'They keep slipping off if you try and play the piano with them on.'

She pulled back from the piano and looked behind it, noticing a large box containing sheet music. Valkyrie rooted around until she found a song she liked. She picked it up and stood it in front of Skulduggery.

'Play please.'

Skulduggery stopped playing and looked up at the sheet music of 'My Immortal.' He examined the first notes and started to play. Valkyrie sighed at him.

'That is so beautiful.'

Skulduggery nodded. 'It is, isn't it?'

He rested both hands and started to play the chorus, as Valkyrie wandered around the room, murmuring the lyrics to herself, 'When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears, When you scream, I'd fight away all of your fears, and I held your hand through all of these years, but you still have…' She paused, sat down on the sofa and looked at Skulduggery, '…all of me.' She closed her eyes and listened to the music playing. Skulduggery turned his skull slightly towards her.

'Are you OK?'

Valkyrie smiled at him and leaned back on the sofa, her eyes still heavy from just waking up.

'Perfect, perfect playing…' she managed to say, before letting her eyes close.

Skulduggery paused, and then took his hands off the piano keys. Valkyrie smiled.

'I'm not asleep, you can carry on.'

He nodded, and started playing greensleeves. She tucked one hand under her head.

'Where did you learn to play?'

Skulduggery hesitated. 'I never had any actual lessons, I learnt from my, well, my mother.'

Valkyrie opened her eyes.

'What were you like when you were young?'

Skulduggery laughed. 'I learnt when I was your age, maybe a little older-I had medium-brown hair, green eyes, high cheekbones, broad shoulders and fair skin, with a birth mark on the back of my neck,' he turned the page over and continued playing, 'I remember the first time I did magic…my father was so proud of me. My mother taught me how to play, green sleeves, and then fur Elise afterwards. My father, he…' Skulduggery laughed quietly, 'He told me I should be out practising magic, not jabbing keys on a piano. I told him that I could manage both. And I did.'

Valkyrie smiled at him wanting to hear more.

'Tell me about your school.'

Skulduggery stopped playing, and started playing 'Breathe No More.'

'My secondary school was on the coast of Ireland, I went there like any normal boy, with friends. My best friend was, of course, Ghastly, and then a boy called Walter Flame-Chaser. My first um…' He coughed, 'My first girl-friend was a girl called Elizabeth. Elizabeth Heartbeat. She was…well…just like you, really.'

Valkyrie sat up slowly, her fixed on him. 'What?'

'She was…she was kind, charming, clever, witty, annoying,' Valkyrie laughed quietly. 'And…beautiful.'

Valkyrie blinked and sighed, as Skulduggery carried on.

'She had an amazing smile, she would laugh at everything I said, and roll her eyes when I said something about my ego. Elizabeth and I would walk across the pier at night; watch the tide go in and out, for as long as we pleased.'

Valkyrie smiled at him. 'Just…like me?'

Skulduggery nodded. 'Yes…she was my first girlfriend…and my last.'

'You married her?'

'I did. 28th September, 1929, when Elizabeth Heartbeat became Elizabeth Pleasant. My Elizabeth. The only person I ever loved apart from y-' Skulduggery stopped himself quickly.

Valkyrie frowned slightly. 'She was just like me…charming, clever, witty, annoying…beautiful.' She looked back at him. 'You think I'm all of those things?'

He finished the song he was playing, and closed the piano lid, trying not to answer Valkyries question.

'Well, I…I don't quite know what you mean.'

Valkyrie stood up and walked slowly towards the piano. 'Yes you do, Skulduggery.'

He cleared his non-existent throat. 'Do I?'

'.Do.'

Skulduggery stayed silent and nodded. 'Yes I do, but I don't know what to say.'

'It's a yes-no answer.'

He stood up slowly and took a step closer towards Valkyrie. 'Yes.'

Her eyes widened. 'Sorry?'

'Yes, I do think that you are all of those things, Valkyrie Cain.'

Valkyrie smiled gently. 'Thank…thank you.'

Skulduggery straightened his tie and coughed. 'Indeed.'

She swallowed. 'I…better… get…ready…'

He nodded and stepped back to let her pass. Valkyrie walked to her room and, when she was out of sight from him, skipped down the corridor to her door. When she got to her room, she shut the door and grinned to herself. He thinks I'm beautiful, she said to herself, pulling open her wardrobe. She longed to look her best in front of Skulduggery, just for today. She pulled off her pyjama top and threw it on her bed, wandering what to wear.

Skulduggery leaned against the wall of the music room. What was taking her so long? He walked slowly towards Valkyrie's bedroom door, knocking on it.

'Valkyrie?'

'Mm?'

'Are…you alright?'

'….'

'Val?'

Silence.

'Are you OK?'

Silence.

He hesitated, and put his hand on the handle. 'I'm going to come in now…'

Silence.

'Okay…three…two…'

'No! Don't come in!'

But Skulduggery opened the door to a red-faced Valkyrie holding a top to herself. He stopped dead (lol) and shook his skull.

'I…'

'Go away!'

'I'm…going to go away now…' He quickly closed the door. Valkyrie buried her face in the top she was holding. Why me? She switched off the curlers she had used and finished getting dressed. After brushing on some foundation and some mascara, she swallowed and worked her way downstairs. Skulduggery was sitting on a chair in the hall, his elbows rested on the coffee table before him, making the top half of him slump forward. It was obvious that he was thinking, and that he was embarrassed. Valkyrie could tell easily.

'Skul?'

Skulduggery quickly sat up properly and opened the book that was on the table, not registering that it was upside-down. Valkyrie smiled at him, his back to her. She walked up to him and calmly turned the book round in his hands. He looked up at her and stared.

Valkyries dark hair was curled at the ends, her make-up was subtle but defined, lip-gloss sparkling in the light. Underneath her usual dark coat was a turquoise faded jersey, a black faded embroided necklace lined her neck underneath her real necklace of silver, with an intricate 'S' on the end. Her dark jeans had a thin silver chain running across one of her pockets, her usual boots a deep black.

Skulduggery carried on staring at her. She grinned.

'Forgotten how to read?'

'Valkyrie…you look…'

'Horrific?'

'Beautiful.'

She blushed, her hands slipping behind her back.

'Thank you.'

He shook his head at her, putting the book down.

'And I'm not just saying that, I really do mean it.'

'Well, after you burst in on me…' Skulduggery buried his face in his hands.

'Sorry, sorry.'

'…I thought I might actually look nice to show you…that…' She looked straight at him, '…that even though your wife's gone; it doesn't mean that no one cares about you.'

He cocked his head slightly, his gaze on her. 'I understand that.'

'And also,' She smiled again, 'I wanted to prove to myself that what you said was true.'

Skulduggery stood up. 'You didn't need to do that.'

'Meaning?'

He hesitated. 'I…think you're…just…how...are…yeah…'

Valkyrie frowned. 'I didn't catch a word of that.'

'I think you're perfect the way you are!' Skulduggery blurted, and then looked at the floor.

She raised her eyebrows at him, and put two hands on his chinbone, making his skull lift up at her.

'Really?'

'Yeah.'

'Well,' she put her hands around his neck.

'The feelings mutual,' she whispered to him.