Skulduggery – Crow

Anton – Bear

Ghastly – Panda

Dexter – Wolf

Saracen – Weasel

Erskine – Snake

Solomon – Raven


Chapter 53

When Valkyrie woke up, she sulked in her room, having worked out exactly why she was upset with Crow. She was jealous that he liked someone else. It didn't even matter what type of like, whether it was friendship, companionship or something more, she just wasn't happy about it. He was her friend, her kind-of father and when she tried getting Crow and Raven to be friends again she hadn't exactly counted on Crow suddenly ignoring her or passing her over in cases because of it.

So she did what she always did when she got bored and upset – she cleaned her room.

That was probably the only upside of all that. And talking with Nadia on the phone all morning as she worked since it was the weekend.

"But why would he cut you out?" Nadia asked her through the phone as Valkyrie worked on sorting through her papers and schoolwork. "I get before when he was upset with you, but now it makes no sense."

"I don't know, it's just what he's doing," Valkyrie griped.

Nadia hummed. "I think he's just excited."

"Excited?" Valkyrie asked, pausing to look at her phone. "I'm not sure about that. More like insufferable."

"Val, he just got his friend back, I bet he is quite excited to catch up. Especially since you did say that you think he always liked Solomon, he just hated him at the same time. It was a long time to like him without talking or doing anything together. He lives with you, but he only has so much time of the day with Solomon."

Valkyrie shook her head as she sorted through the books. "No, that can't work because – well I don't know, alright, but even if it was true he still shouldn't push me out just because he found someone else to be happy with! He's my adoptive father, he can't just do that."

"I know baby, I know, I wasn't saying that," Nadia said softly. Valkyrie pouted a little as she continued to clean, wishing she could see the girl. They hadn't seen each other in over two months. "I was just saying why he might, not that it's right."

She sighed. "I know. I'm just upset, and I know I was being stupid so I don't want to see him, but I also do and what to just get it over with. I don't want to lose my job, I love my job and I love working with Crow every day. I'd hate to stop. But I – you know what I mean, I just don't want to be passed over. God, my head is all over the place."

"Yeah, I can tell. Just keep tidying, I'm sure your room needs it."

Valkyrie smiled, looking it over. "I mean, it's a little better. I just have a lot, like a lot a lot, of washing to do. I have four used towels in here to wash. That's a lot of towels."

"Why do you own so many towels?"

"I don't know, there's so many of us we just keep them all in one place and share. And I mean share them once cleaned, not share after someone else used it," Valkyrie verified. "We're close but not that close."

"Good. I'm glad you have boundaries," Nadia said with a smile. Valkyrie loved she could hear Nadia's smile, it was the best thing to listen to. "You really need to do your washing. Mum said I'd have to start doing my own washing soon. I don't even know how."

"You're nearly sixteen, how have you never done washing?" Valkyrie asked with a laugh. "Don't worry, I'll teach you."

"I know you are, I' counting on it."

There was a knock on Valkyrie's door then and Valkyrie knew it was Crow. "Nadia, Crow's at my door, I'll talk to you later, love you."

"Love you too, bye!"

Valkyrie hung up and tossed the phone on her stripped bed. She opened the door and went back to her sorting. "Hi."

"Good morning," he said. "You didn't come down to breakfast."

She bit her cheek as her stomach growled. "I didn't. I was busy."

"You need to take care of yourself," he said, sitting in a chair. "Even if you are upset with me."

She didn't say anything, just moved a large stack of paper and books to the recycling pile.

He coughed slightly and continued. "I know I upset you yesterday by sending you away. I spoke with Solomon and he suggested that I was not spending as much time with you as I was before we… rekindled our friendship. I wanted to say I'm sorry. I didn't mean or realise I was doing it but now it has been pointed out to me, I see that I have been doing that quite accidentally. I am sorry Valkyrie. I didn't mean to ignore you."

Valkyrie sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I'm sorry for getting annoyed with you. I should have just said something instead of getting in a strop."

"I completely forgive you, it was my fault," Crow said and stood up with his arms open. Valkyrie quickly came in to hug him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Nothing between us will change, and if ever it does, I want both of us to be happy with that change. Okay?"

"Okay. Thank you. I forgive you too by the way."

He kissed her hair and pulled away. "Now, I would suggest going out or on a case, but I have a private appointment with China for a facade. It should be good."

"Like the one Panda got last week?" Valkyrie asked.

"Hopefully. Now I need to go, I mustn't keep China waiting. I will see you later. Get something to eat. And do your washing too. Why do you have so many towels?"

.*****.

After putting on two loads of washing – they had invested in two new massive washers and driers to help with the amount of laundry nine people generated – she called Nadia back and told her the conversation she had just had and made herself a big brunch out of the breakfast leftovers before finishing up her room. She was glad to get it done, to be honest, and it really increased in size now she could see the floor.

She took the rubbish out to the bin and almost threw the piles of papers in the air when Fletcher popped in front of her.

"Valkyrie, I have–"

"What the fuck Fletcher?!" Valkyrie shouted, glaring at him until he had wilted down. She growled and threw the papers in the recycling bin. She swirled back around to punish him. "Why do you keep doing that?"

"I needed to talk to you, so I teleported," he smirked, running his hand over his spiky hair. "I'm a Teleporter – or did you forget?"

Valkyrie glared a last time for good measure but decided not to comment on that. "What do you want?"

"I have a question," he said, following her into the house giddily. "We need to talk about what's happening once I turn eighteen."

"When's your birthday?"

"February," he said. "So only, what, four months away? I need to know the plan."

Valkyrie frowned and made her way up the stairs. "Plan? What makes you think I have a plan?"

"You always have a plan," he said quickly. "So tell me."

Valkyrie sighed and stopped in the hallway to her room. "Look, I haven't really thought about it–"

"Come on Val," he said pleadingly. Valkyrie crossed her arms and looked at him standing at the top of the stairs, the big windows showing the late summer white sky, and his stupid hair. He looked desperate. "You know I'm useful. I might not be a Dead Man, or super trained, or the best, and I know I annoy you a lot, but I do the chores I'm asked to, I keep things clean and other than talking, I'm quiet."

Valkyrie hummed, knowing it was true. He was annoying. But he was also useful and generally a good house guest.

"And if you keep me around, it'll be your circumstances," he said excitedly. "I decided to do what you said and do some work. I talked to that Peregrine bloke and got some advice, I've been practising my magic, and the Sanctuary is helping me startup work. I know it's not my own business, and I'm only a beginner level employee, but I'm working. So I can pay you to live here."

Valkyrie shifted on her feet and thought about it. "I suppose it wouldn't be too bad," she said cautiously. "But I'd have to talk to the others. And we'd have to have a contract. And you'd have to pay rent. But we could work something out I guess."

He nodded. "Exactly. And I was thinking, at the moment I'd only have enough money for that little room I'm in at the moment, but there's that big flat thing at the back of the house–"

"How do you know that's there?" Valkyrie asked.

"I went looking of course," he said, rolling his eyes. "What do you think I do all day, tan and sleep?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I think," she said.

"Well, yeah, it is, but I also went exploring and found that flat thing you've got. So when I'm making more money I could rent there instead. I mean, you're not exactly using it, and it has a place to cook so I'd be out of your way."

Valkyrie sighed, knowing she was beaten. "I'll think about it, alright. Give me a month or so, and then I'll give you a final answer."

"Sweet! Thank you," he said with a big grin. "I love living here you know. But I did want to ask, why do you have that flat?"

"It's just an old butler or maid quarters," Valkyrie said absently, looking at a message from Nadia. Her mother had just announced a business partner of her fathers was coming to dinner, and Valkyrie knew the name as someone she was secretly financing. Not that Nadia knew that, Nadia just knew he was a really annoying man that told awful jokes and wanted to merge his business with her fathers and take it over. They had him over for dinner to keep him nice instead of trying to get other businesses to throw him out. He was one of the people Valkyrie planned on being open to about her backing and forcing him to submit to her incredibly big influence on the company. They'd have gone under several times without her, or rather Gordon's, intervention. Not that that mattered for several years so she sent a little message back about acting cute and put her phone away. "What were we talking about?"

"You are going to let me rent the butlers quarters one day," Fletcher said. "And I'm going to go to Australia now – I have a date."

Valkyrie wasn't able to reply because a moment later he teleported away with a wink and Valkyrie just have to sigh at her strange turn of events in the day and continue on.


I'm not sure what happened either. But everything's okay again, and Fletcher maybe be living there, and getting a girlfriend, so it can't been all bad I guess ;) I'd love a review or like on the story, It keeps me going :)