Hello my wonderful readers,

I have another chapter! I wrote this a while ago, and found it today, so decided to edit it and see what happens... Well, this did.

*For any World As We Don't Know It readers*

I will update soon! I know it's been ages, I've just had a bit of writer's block with this particular chapter. I'll try my hardest to get it up tonight, so keep an eye out!

Okay, that's that. Alrighty, hope you enjoy, let me know what you think!

Love, Cait x

The explosion caught Valkyrie and threw her against the brick wall and she hit the ground with a sickening thud. Skulduggery watched his partner fall, and time seemed to freeze. He moved almost in slow motion, sprinting as fast as he could – but it wasn't fast enough.

He watched carefully as her head hit the wall, her skull cracking into it, her eyes flickering; closed, open, closed, and open.

Skulduggery finally reached her and knelt by her side, oblivious to the numerous enemies around him. He carefully raised her head from the ground, sat her up against the wall. When he took his hand away he saw that blood stained his glove.

Valkyrie blinked at him.

"Skulduggery," she whispered.

He leaned in.

"Skulduggery," she whispered again.

"Valkyrie? Can you hear me?"

"Well I'm not deaf."

He chuckled despite himself. "No, you're not."

"I don't feel too good. I think I might pass out."

"You have a pretty bad head injury."

"Or I might die."

"No you won't."

"Why not?"

"Because I won't let you."

"You're not in charge of me."

"You should listen to authority figures more."

"You're not an authority figure."

"You should respect your elders."

"You do realise you technically called yourself an old man, right?"

"Shut up. Also, I am an authority figure."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

"Shut up. I'm dying, remember?"

"Right."

"Now, for my funeral-"

"You're not having a funeral."

She looked pissed off. "What? Skulduggery, I'm expecting grandeur, elegance and… and all togeth-"

"Valkyrie," he said. "You're not getting a funeral because you're not going to die."

"Not this again…"

"We're leaving now." He went to lift her, but as soon as he touched her side she screamed in pain. Moving quickly, he pulled back her jacket and tore up the side of her shirt. Underneath, her side was black and blue, and covered in blood. He only froze, however, when he saw where the blood was coming from.

A piece of splintered bone tore through the skin at her ribcage.

"Valkyrie, when did-"

"I told you."

"Told me what?"

"I told you I was going to die. Now-"

"Valk-"

"Now," she said louder, "don't you dare wear black to my funeral. You're wearing the navy pinstripe, okay?" Valkyrie smiled at him warmly. "It's my favourite. It suits you."

He ignored her. "Hold on," he said. "This is going to be really, really sore." He stood, held his hands out, and Valkyrie slowly rose from the ground. She screamed again.

"You know, sometimes I love you to death," she managed. "But other times I want to kill you."

"I know," he said softly. "Concentrate on the nice feelings."

"Okay," she replied.

Moving as fast as he could, he moved her to the Bentley, which was parked at the end of the wrecked street. He nearly wrenched the door off its hinges and carefully laid her across the back seat. Then Skulduggery got in the driver's seat and floored it.

"So now," Skulduggery asked. "Do you love me or hate me?"

"Love."

"And why is that?"

"I'm about to die, I may as well be nice to you."

Skulduggery chuckled and Valkyrie grunted.

"Trust me to be killed by… By a rib. It's a stupid way to die."

"I already told you-"

"Skulduggery Pleasant, shut up. Now. I need to give a dramatic speech." She gasped. "You and I have known each other for a long time," she grunted. "You're my best friend. I'd like to say I'd be okay with you moving on, but… Quite frankly I'm not."

"Valkyrie-"

"You'd better cry," she said. "Because obviously I'm the most important thing in your life."

Oh, if only she knew.

"…and you have to use that photo of us at the beach to remember me by."

"Valkyrie," he said. "Will you…" He glanced round, and saw her eyes closed. She saw her chest rise and fall, though, so he sped up.

He made it to the sanctuary and turned.

Valkyrie lay motionless, her eyes closed. Not breathing. Skulduggery flung open the door, ran to the back of the car and grabbed Valkyrie. He shook her shoulders, but she didn't respond, and Skulduggery felt something tear inside him. He took her in his arms and sprinted through the doors. Heads turned at Valkyrie's bruises and the blood splattered over her. People dodged out of the way as Skulduggery bolted through the corridors. He burst through into the medical bay and Synecdoche looked up at the bang that the doors made. As soon as she saw Valkyrie she paled, then hurried over with a terrified look on her face.

"What happened?"

"We were fighting," Skulduggery said, struggling to keep his voice low and calm, "and then she got thrown into a wall."

"Is it just her head?"

"No." He let Valkyrie's jacket fall and Synecdoche went even more pale, if that were possible.

"Lay her on the table," she said hurriedly, whilst she cleared tools and various clipboards from the desk. He gently placed his partner down. "How much has she moved around?"

"I don't know. That didn't happen when she hit the wall - that was from before. She could have been moving for… I don't know, somewhere between ten and forty minutes."

Synecdoche removed Valkyrie's jacket and top, revealing her ruined torso. Bruises and cuts ran up the left side of her, and the skin was torn around the place where the splintered bone was sticking out. The doctor's hands started glowing and she hovered them a few inches above Valkyrie and moved them up and down the length of her. "Shit," Synecdoche muttered, almost inaudibly, but Skulduggery could hear. She looked up at him. "Sorry, that wasn't-"

"Valkyrie?"

"I, uh… Well, we have a big problem."

"Fixable?"

"Uh-"

"What is it?" he asked quickly.

"The, um, the piece of bone… It's… It's pierced her heart."

"No."

"I'm sorry, but she's already-"

"I said no."

"I can't fix-"

"Do whatever it takes."

"Mr Pleasant, you're not-"

"Whatever it takes, Synecdoche."

"Detective, I'm so sorry, there's nothing I ca-"

"Just fix it. Fix it now. I'll do anything, just fix it. Please, I beg of-"

"SKULDUGGERY," Synecdoche yelled, and Skulduggery shut up. "Sorry," she said quietly. "Valkyrie is basically dead already. There is quite literally a bone sticking into her heart. It's already stopped beating."

"But-"

"I'm so sorry. Believe me, if I could do anything at all, it'd already be done."

Skulduggery stared at Valkyrie and didn't reply. He heard Synecdoche quietly leave and stepped over to her. She lay there, not moving, not breathing. Not doing anything.

He titled his head, and folded over her jacket. He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She always did that. She'd probably appreciate it.

Yeah, she'll be thrilled.

He straightened his own tie, angled his hat, and adjusted his cufflinks. He looked down at Valkyrie. Despite it all, she was smiling slightly. He wasn't.

Skulduggery Pleasant sank to his knees beside his partner.