Promised a longer chapter! I think i have as much fun writing these, thanks guys!

Ladydarkness17

This was it, I understand I haven't seen her in so long and I shouldn't feel like this but I did. I read over the file again and again, my fingers frantically tried to find a mistake on the page. Surely capture, not kill? My mind repeated at me. I gasped and the file flew out of my grip landing on the floor. "Tanith" I whispered brokenly, I hadn't realised that Skulduggery had his hand on my shoulder. He coaxed words of comfort into my ear "Shh, stop thinking and just listen to me. You don't have to do this I should have handled it better, we can give it to other detectives-". "No." My voice was empty. I couldn't, no wouldn't live with myself with we gave it to other detectives. They would try to kill her, or even succeed! Or she would kill them- I wouldn't live with it either way.

I was pulled out of my state by Skulduggery's arms wrapping around my waist and his head on my shoulder. I released my death grip on the table and allowed him to half carry me to my bedroom. "It's ok, you'll be ok. You just need some sleep" his whispers made me melt into his arms and he could only just lift me onto the bed. As he turned to walk away I grabbed his wrist- or at least the bones. Skulduggery turned back to me, My voice was void and emotionless "Please stay". If we did have this connection then he could feel what I was feeling. Erskine had guaranteed Tanith's death by giving US that case. We never fail. We do what the case sets out and we do it quickly. It was an execution on one of our closest friends, but we would have to look into her eyes and watch her light fade from them. Skulduggery sagged as if he had just read my mind. He nodded to me and wrapped me in the covers.

"Oh my God!" I shot up as it only just came to me. "Ghastly, Skulduggery! It's bad enough we have to do it, but he doesn't even get a say- does he even know Erskine has ordered it?! He loves her so do we and we have to kill her! You can't argue with ErsKine on it?". Skulduggery nodded and said "I know Valkyrie, we'll have to go straight to the Sanctuary in the morning. Only Erskine will know about it, so we can only talk to him about it. Get some sleep- I'll meditate in the chair.". His arm slipped from my hand and I fell with my grip into the pillows. As I drifted to sleep I heard the creak of a chair and felt safer than ever knowing Skulduggery was near me.

I was running, sprinting towards a building. The timing was wrong the ground was moving too quickly beneath my feet. I almost panicked and fell. The building was huge and grey with no windows and one door. I could hear strange sounds coming from within. All I could think was Run faster. I wanted to stop and ask what was so important but I couldn't at the same time. I slammed into the door and entered a corridor with chequered tiles as the floor, it was like a corridor at a hospital. The lights above were hanging down in places and flickered. A door at the end of the corridor was lit behind but had a black outline and shadows dripped around it. I shouldn't go there, wait for Skulduggery! My feet were being pulled towards it, and the sounds got louder. It sounded like...Like people were fighting and one of them was talking the other wasn't. The door opened for me and the scene was laid out. Skulduggery was in one corner with his suit tattered and hanging off of him, he was barely standing up. I rushed to his side to support him and looked at the attacker. Tanith didn't look too good either, with burns going down her body and a bullet wound in her shoulder- her sword dropped from her grip when she saw me. "Oh Val..." Tanith whispered, I glared daggers at her. Skulduggery leant into me and whispered in my ear "Valkyrie, you don't have to do this. I should have handled it better. I can't let this get back to you. I need you.". I managed to put him on the floor where he sprawled out, I touched his cheekbone "Until the end" his nod was the reply. The room was square and gloomy, the only light coming from a bulb that had clearly fallen from the ceiling long ago. We circled each other.

"Well well well, my little sister all grown up! And who would have guessed she had fallen in love too!" Tanith geerd at me, "I have to say I thought you could do better- I mean a skellington? Really Val?" I growled at her. She now looked at Skulduggery with pity "So weak, so broken...Just like you. A match made in heaven, because Darquesse will take over you and destroy everything- including your little crush." Tanith shifted in her stance and raised her hands to a fighting position similar to my own. She lunged for me and I ducked sliding across the floor to her sword. I turned just in time for her to lunge again and I held the sword straight and strong. Like she had taught me. There was a jam against the sword and i knew it had worked, I looked up and saw her dead eyes looking back. I threw the sword to the ground, and ran to Skulduggery shaking him. I shook him and screamed his name. He wouldn't wake up. I screamed until everything went black. And there were voices in my head. "I did need you. But you weren't there, until the end? You let me die! And you killed your other best friend!" The voice was Skulduggery's. I couldn't save him like I wouldn't be able to save him one day. I will fail and loose him. I can't loose him, I love him! I can't loose this connection to him, I can't loose him- I won't. The black turned thicker with people whispering "You will fail. You will loose him, and it will be your fault." Ghastly, China, Fletcher, Ravel, Mum, Dad and even Tanith, they all whispered it. I was drowning it it, I should die before I let Skulduggery down. He always saves me, so I'll save him the hassle.

I woke up screaming and thrashing the bedcovers around. Skulduggery appeared out of nowhere and wrapped his arms around my shoulders making me sit up. "Tell me everything" He said, and I just looked at him with tears down my face. I touched his cheekbone to see if it was really him and he was actually there. In reassurance he leant his head into my hand. So I began the re-telling of the story I almost didn't want to tell him what Tanith had said but his look told me no secrets. By the end of it Skulduggery was on the bed with me, leaning against the headboard with me leaning on his chest. "Valkyrie, I would never do any of that. I would never leave you alone." Skulduggery started "I am concerned that we haven't even spoken to Ravel about this case and you are already having nightmares...Maybe we should give it to someone else?". I stiffened "And what? Do the lesser cases because I can't handle this one? Shove this responsibility onto another person? I couldn't bare it Skulduggery and neither could you." I finished. "Oh why so stubborn Valkyrie, even when I try to do something to help you?". "You wouldn't have me any other way." I couldn't help it, it just slipped out. Skulduggery laughed and went to move out from under me, but I stopped him. "Please? Just for tonight?" He nodded to me and relaxed back into his position.

I couldn't believe my luck. This man I had tried to prove I didn't love, but I was just kidding myself. How could you not love him? If you knew the real him, when he was like this. Not his crazy psychopathic alter- ego Lord Vile, not leave that part out. But this was it, I did love him. I had fallen in love with the great skeleton detective. I laughed, and Skulduggery asked me "What's so funny apart from me?" my response was "You and your ego make it hard to laugh at anything else" and I shook my head. I felt his chest move as if he was laughing and i sighed happily. Just before falling into sleep I imagined a world without the crazy laws of age and possibility of what you were- human or skeleton- and I could see Tanith with Ghastly. But the most bittersweet moment for me was that outside that world I had just thought of, in the real world with me lying in Skulduggery's arms no the best bit...I felt his arms tighten around my waist as if to never let go.

Ever so sorry, that got a little poetic at the end! But chapter 4 and Val finally admits she loves him! (Obviously not to him, and in the dream bit she left out her thoughts as well guys) Please Review, would love to know what you guys think!

Ladydarkness x