Sorry for any offence caused using the term "Dr." instead of "Doctor" when using the Doctor Who reference. – Sincerest apologies, SkulduggeryFan

"Ah, hello my lady." Fletcher smiled

"Fletcher?" She gaped.

"Aye, 'tis me, my love, your knight in shining armour."

A puff of light grey smoke floated around Valkyrie as she coughed and looked down at herself.

She. Was. Wearing. A. Bright. Pink. Dress.

She ran back into the house and looked in Skulduggery's full length mirror.

Her hair suddenly resembled that of Princess Peaches out of Mario. Her dress like princesses, a light pink shade. Although her hair was black, it did look quite good. She didn't agree with the dress though. She inspected her footwear. Glass heels! Like Cinderella! Oh wow… A kids dream come true! She spun around, letting the dress and her hair fly around her. She stopped, staring back in the mirror.

Fletcher was leaning on the doorway.

"I knew you would like it, babe."

"…Babe?" Valkyrie blinked at him.

"Yeah. Babe."

"…I'm not your… 'Babe'". She glared at him.

"Not what you said last night." He smirked back.

Valkyrie stared at him. "You're my…?"

"Yep."

"We're going out!" She screamed, horrified.

"Yep-" Fletcher's face suddenly sank. "Oh, wait… You're not my Valkyrie, are you?"

"God no!" She stared at him. "Why are you dressed like some kind of paedophile?"

"Hey!"

"…What?"

"I'm YOUR age. I'm not a paedophile!"

"Sure… YOU'RE GAY!"

She ran out of the room, pushing past a now fuming Fletcher. Fletcher jogged after her. "Knowing me," He said. "I've probably done something really stupid."

"That ain't changed then, has it?"

He scowled at her. "Val, there's gotta be something here. A clue of some sorts."

She thought.

"A clue…" An image of her talking to Gordon slammed into her head. But what was she saying…? They'd been laughing… Mystery!

"A clue, like a mystery book?"

"Sure. Why not?"

-Back with Skulduggery in the real world-

"What?"

"She's not dead!" Fletcher exclaimed. This was obviously hard for the Gang to understand. "I heard her voice!"

"You've been hallucinating. That's all." Tanith sighed. Fletcher sighed and slumped back.

"Why can't you guys believe me?"

"Because you're stupid." Skulduggery crossed his arms and legs.

"…Am not."

"Yes you are, Fletcher."

"Pffft!"

Skulduggery suddenly stood, overpowering Fletcher. Fletcher stood also, but being unable to match the skeleton detective's height. "You wanna dance?"

"Why would I want to dance?" Fletcher asked.

Skulduggery looked at Tanith and Ghastly, laughing. "Does no-one see what I mean?"

"Skulduggery…" Tanith grabbed his hand, pulling him back down into his seat. "I know this has been particularly hard on you and Fletcher but you shouldn't take it out on each other. Maybe you should get some counselling."

Skulduggery stood again, pacing. "Bah! Counselling? Me? I'm fine! Valkyrie was a friend. I've had plenty of friends die and this isn't going to affect me!" He stormed off into the kitchen.

Tanith nodded to Ghastly. Ghastly sat next to Fletcher as Tanith walked off into the kitchen.

"I know how difficult this is for you, Fletcher." Ghastly said. "If you have any extreme emotions, you just need to let them out."

Fletcher glared at him.

"It's not your fault." Ghastly nodded.

"Don't do this to me, man…"

"It's not your fault…"

"Seriously, don't make me do this!"

"It's not your fault."

Fletcher broke down. He hugged Ghastly, crying into his shoulder.

"She didn't have to die! I should have done something!" She sobbed, his muffled voice straining.

Ghastly stroked his head, trying to calm him down quite awkwardly.

Tanith found Skulduggery hunched over a sink. "Hey, you okay?"

"I'm fine." He replied sourly.

"Look, if you need help your friends are here for you. We all know how difficult this is on you, Skulduggery. She was your best friend. You don't get over that easily."

He groaned. "I'm… I'm fine." His voice sounded strained.

"Umm… Skul?"

Skulduggery suddenly wiped around his eyes. Was he crying? A true moment of weakness?

Tanith walked up to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. "It's okay…"

"I should have done something."

"What could you have done?"

"She didn't need to die. She was too young."

"There was nothing you could do."

"Yes there was!" He spun around, suddenly, staring Tanith in the eyes. Tanith could see a few glints of water in the form of droplets, gripping onto his eye holes. "She didn't need to know who I was. She didn't need to learn magic. She didn't need to join me. She didn't need to ever know I existed."

"But she wouldn't have had the amazing life she had."

They glared at each other.

"Valkyrie wouldn't want you to be like this.

Suddenly, Valkyrie appeared. "No. I wouldn't."

They started at her.

"…What?"

"V-V-Val?"

"Yeah it's a long story but I don't have long. I'm basically in my story. I need you guys to save me as the Fletcher here is keeping me from getting to the typewriter long enough to save myself."

Skulduggery grinned. Although, no-one could see it…

"You need to save me- Hey, Skul, have you been crying?"

"…"

"Take that as a yes. You need to get to the type writer and get me out of here!"

Skulduggery cocked his head in a way Valkyrie recognised as smiling. "Come here, you!"

Skulduggery and Valkyrie ran at each other, arms extended and ready to hug. Suddenly, Valkyrie went through him. "…Ah. Damn holograms."

Skulduggery sighed, turning to her. "I'll save you, Val."

"Good on y- No! Fletcher don't!"

Suddenly she disappeared.

"Allons-y."

"Stop watching Doctor Who, Skulduggery."

"Aww…" He grinned an invisible cheeky smile.

-Before, with Valkyrie…-

She ran back into the study and leaped straight over to the typewriter. "What're you doing, Baby doll?"

"Do not call me that!"

"Fine. Jeesh. What're you doing… 'Valkyrie'…"

"Me and Gordon were talking about mystery while I was writing my book." She said while examining the typewriter.

Suddenly, a paper appeared in it. It was her story!

"All I logically have to do…"

"…Is write the story."

"Exactly."

Fletcher grabbed her arm and dragged her away, spinning her to face him. "I'm not letting you go."

"Uhm… Fletch, please I need to-"

"No Valkyrie! You never cared for me!"

"Oh don't you start…" She muttered.

"You've never loved me, have you?"

"Listen here, Fletcher Renn!" She bellowed. "I've never loved you and I never will! I love Sk-"

She stopped herself.

"Skulduggery Pleasant…" He glared. "But, isn't he queer?"

"Not in my world. In my world, he's a handsome, well dressed, dapper fellow."

Fletcher sighed. "You're not leaving me again."

"Fletcher, I'm not gonna die you kno-"

"Yes you are!"

"…No, that's your Val..."

"No it isn't…"

"…Explain."

"You see, very few people get to see the world of their stories. Why do you think you, of all powerful mages throughout the world, are here?"

Valkyrie shrugged casually.

"Skulduggery is going to kill you. Skulduggery is going to kill you all!"

Valkyrie stared for a moment, and then roared with laughter. "Nice try, Fletch."

"I brought you here to save you!"

"Look, it's sweet and everything but I don't like you in that way."

Fletcher glared at her. "You've got to understand, if you go back to your world, everything alive shall perish."

"Okay when'd you get so fancy with your wording?"

"You're not listening to me, are you?"

"Nope."

He sighed. I didn't think it would have to come to this.

"Val, can I have a kiss? For old time's sake?"

Valkyrie stopped. "You can kiss me on the cheek. Nothing more."

He nodded and stepped over to her. He kissed her only very slightly on the cheek. Valkyrie's vision became suddenly blurred and unclear. Her mind started to panic. "W-What did you do to me?" She whispered, drowsily. She swayed slightly from side to side. "Sleeping spell. Needs contact with the person's head to work."

"You son of a bitc-" She collapsed, falling into an instant deep sleep.