Valkyrie's 24 in this. This is so long.

Valkyrie pulled on a tank top and a pair of jeans and went down stairs. She stopped outside the sitting room.

"She's like our sister." Someone said.

Shudder chuckled "We are all apparently some type of messed up family of soldiers with only one sister."

Saracen asked "If there's only one girl would that not make Val our mother?"

"I guess so but who's her husband?" Ghastly asked.
"Women don't need men to take care of children." There was a pause, "but I say that if there was a dad it would be shudder or you because they're the only REAL grown-ups around this place."

"Hey! I'm grown-up! And anyways Valkyrie couldn't be the mother she's too young." Dexter insisted

"That's the only problem with this?"

"She's the pack mother, not biological." Skulduggery suggested "And why wouldn't I be the husband?"

"You're too immature."

"I am not immature."

"I know you haven't matured past your twelve year old self."

"I was a very mature twelve year."

"At times."

There was a laugh behind Valkyrie and Tanith Low come in the front door.

"And I used to think the dead men only ever talked about serious things!" she whispered

"Psh rumours and lies. We can't have anyone think we're crazy or something!" Valkyrie said listening carefully, it had gone very quiet.

"Or something." Another voice said.

Valkyrie turned and saw a woman there with dark brown hair and brown eyes.

"Val this is Aurora Jane. Apparently I tried to kill her a few times."

Valkyrie smiled and held her hand out, "Nice to meet you. Saracen and Dexter told me about you."

"I'm sure they did." She said shaking her hand.

The talking started back up in the living room and Valkyrie smiled.

"Kitchen?"

"Food?" Tanith replied.

"Whatever's in the fridge? Haven't been home in a while."

"Oooo you been at a certain someone's?"

"Shut up. When was the last time you went home? You and Ghastly are conjoined at the hip."

Aurora grinned. "Whom has Valkyrie been staying with? And when did you start shacking up with an elder?"

Tanith went bright red and Valkyrie glared.

"I was out on a case!"

"Oh so it was Skulduggery?"

"Yes, obviously."

"So what happened?"

"We caught a killer a got food and then I went home. Now I have a house full of children."

"Well, you really did get busy."

Valkyrie huffed and threw an apple at her.

"Ask tanith about elder bespoke. I'm not dating skulduggery!"

"He's not an elder. And don't call him that, it makes him seem old." Tanith objected.

"He is old."

"He's younger than Skulduggery."

"Good thing I'm not dating him then."

"So, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor, Gentleman, Apothecary, Plough-boy, Thief. You got yourself a tailor, Tanith. What about you? Soldier, gentleman, thief?" Aurora teased.

"I'd like to think I'm none of them, thank you." Came the velvety voice from behind them.

"Jesus Skulduggery! Don't do that!" Valkyrie yelled jumping.

"Aw she's all scared!" Dexter laughed coming in behind Skulduggery with the others.

"I'm not that old by the way. There are lots of people older than me." Ghastly said, mock hurt.

"You're fine. I'm ordering pizza, there's no food here."

"There would be if you went home more often." Skulduggery pointed out.

"It's so much effort. Anyways even if I did have stuff I don't want to cook."

Valkyrie couldn't help but feel bad for the poor delivery girl who showed up with eight pizzas and ten bags of chips. Dexter and Saracen ended up on the grass while they waited and Aurora and Tanith had joined them, causing a wrestling match to commence. Ghastly, Anton, Skulduggery and Valkyrie were watching when the car pulled up. Dexter and Tanith bolted over as the girl got out.

"Pizza! Wooo!"

Valkyrie bolted over as the girl backed away, pure fear in her eyes.

"You two loonies leave her alone!" She yelled as she ran.

Thank GOD Skulduggery and Ghastly had their facades on. Dexter and Tanith stopped by the car and Valkyrie walked over quickly glaring at them.

"I'm so sorry miss."

The girl laughed, now that no one was running at her she seemed to relax. "It's fine, I'm pretty glad actually, normally we these calls for this much food and it's trouble."

Valkyrie smiled. "Can I help?"

"I'll help!" Came Dexter's cheeky voice from where he was leaning against the car's boot.

"Shut up and get an adult Dex."

"Screw you. I'm older."

"And I'm more mature." She said back smugly.

The girl laughed again, hesitantly, and opened her passenger door.

"I would say it's alright but I had to have one of the lads help me carry everything to the car so…?"

"I can take them." Valkyrie said, picking up all but two pizza boxes.

The girl nodded faintly as she watched before taking the last two.

Skulduggery came forward and grabbed half of Valkyrie's pile, which caused a few sniggers.

They got them into the house and Valkyrie turned into the living room where she had left the money.

"How much was it again?" She asked walking out the front door.

"Uh forty? You- you bought a lot of food."

"Damn right!" Came a yell from the grass.

Valkyrie smiled thinly at the girl. "There's fifty. I really am sorry for my friends."

The girl smiled back brightly and waved as she got into her car.

"I swear, the oldest didn't look over 20 something and they were in this huge house. Two of them bolted over at me when I pulled over. Then this other chick came running over yelling at them to back off."

There was faint mumbling of 'Bet that was fun' and she laughed.

"Well I was pretty glad. They were all ripped. I mean you know all those pizzas? She picked practically all of them up without a problem. I think she owned the place really. I'm telling you, she gave me a fifty and apologised for her friends runnig at me!"

A faint 'How many of these people were there?' came over the speaker.

"Dunno, I saw three girls and then six guys, maybe? Only two of the guys came up. The one who came over to the car and another who helped carrying the boxes?"

'Wasn't that that dead horror writers house? He left it to his niece apparently. Do you think she was there?'

"I guess maybe. It's not like I've seen a photo of him or his niece to know."

I'd like to point out I have a huge family so I actually decided on a fairly small amount of food. ~Scarlet