This is Ash's bit, don't worry! xP I just want to let everyone know that I have not planned any of these and so they may seem a little disjointed at times. I'm too lazy to actually plan them thoroughly. Sorry.

"So, Mrs… um… Who again?" Skulduggery leaned on the chair and would most probably be smiling down at her. She was crouched on beside the chair with The Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver causing the beautiful yet robotic sound.

"Kilan."

He nodded, making a slight sound of agreement. "Married?" Mrs Kilan nodded. "So what're you doing here?"

She paused.

What exactly was she doing there? She didn't need to help them. She could be living out her own life but her debt had not yet been re-payed. Of course, she couldn't say all of this. This'd give Skulduggery and The Doctor a reason to be suspicious. "I want to help."

"Why?" Skulduggery snapped back, suddenly, as if knowing she was going to say that.

"Because you're in need. And dead."

Skulduggery tapped on his façade to raise his eyebrow. "I'm already dead."

"Well, yes, but you're dead-dead."

"Valid point."

She nodded, going back to work. "So,-"

"Stop with the questions, Pleasant."

"Alright, alright, keep your hair on... I'm just wondering, how long have you known me?"

She sighed, frustrated. "A few years."

Really? I don't know her- Wait. This is my future, so..

"How did we meet?"

"The Sanctuary, you bumped into me, pretty pissed."

"As in…" Skulduggery mimed a drinking action. "Or as in…" He randomly punched the air.

"Both."

"Ah… Did I throw up in your shoe, too?"

"No, you didn't."

"…Oh."

"…Yeah…" Skulduggery smiled down at her.

"What?"

"Nothing…"

A few awkward moments passed, but Skulduggery knew exactly what he was doing.

"What! Stop looking at me like that!"

His smile broadened.

"Fine, I was lying. You did throw up in my shoe."

He just stood, smiling down at her.

"Fine, again! Me and you are partners on a case when you got locked up!"

Skulduggery kneeled down to meet her eyes. "Don't lie to me. I don't do getting locked up."

"It wasn't The Sanctuary." She turned her head to face him. "The Dark Temple. You really killed his son. He was in your head to find clues about your past life and turn you into Vile once again…"

Skulduggery stared, wide eyed. "…Ah. So, this is the..."

"Dark Temple? Yeah. Unlucky."

"Mhm…" Skulduggery nodded thoughtfully. "I don't like the thought of dying, you know." He breathed out, standing up yet again and leaning on the arm of the chair, rubbing some of the dust between his fingers. "Not my thing."

"Skulduggery, what I'm doing is very complicated! Please, give me some space!" She grabbed a phone out of her pocket, dialling rapidly. "Hello?" She placed the phone gently against her ear. "I need someone to help. I can't keep Skully off my back! Yeah? Ok. Send her now."

Suddenly, Aislinn appeared in the room, making The Doctor jump. The light from her transportation disappeared gradually. "Ash." Mrs Kilan nodded.

"Kilan." They slowly smiled and hugged. Skulduggery was taken aback only very slightly by how much she seemed like Valkyrie. It all reminded him of why he put up with these guys.

Aislinn had a long grey shirt with a neck-high collar and long sleeves with red lining. She also had black jeans and boots that are folded down at the top. A red ruffle was clipped onto her shirt by bronze buttons going all the way down. She had black leather fingerless gloves and there was a knife sheath on her thigh.

Very much like Valkyrie.

"So, uh, you are…?" Skulduggery smiled weakly at Ash.

"Aislinn Night, you can call me Ash." She smiled back politely.

"So… 'Ash'… you a friend of Kilan here?"

"Mhm." She hummed, picking up some of the skeleton dust in her fingers. It was as fine as sand and slipped slowly, dropping back down onto the chair. "And I'm only here to keep you pre-occupied."

Skulduggery laughed. "I'm not a kid! I don't need to be occupied."

"Oh Skulduggery, so naïve…" She sighed, standing beside him. Mrs Kilan had gone back to doing something with the chair. "This, is gonna hurt."

She grabbed the knife from her leg and stabbed it though his back bone, paralysing him instantly.

He collapsed to the ground as Mrs Kilan look up at her and smiled.

Mrs Kilan grabbed a knife and summoned a dark orb kind of thing into her hand. The knife was I the centre of the orb and it was aiming at her actual 'partner in crime' and The Doctor…

Meanwhile, Skulduggery could see… nothing. Pictures from his past. What he was doing while he was missing. Val was meant to be tracking him down while she was writing, but she got carried away. He returned from his mission. I guess you could say he was blinded by anger after chasing China. That sounds quite poetic. Blinded by anger after chasing China. Heh. But, Skulduggery hadn't really… spoke to Valkyrie after he returned. He certainly regretted it now.

You see, he was in America. Reports of a woman running through the streets came in thick and fast and he followed her wherever she went. Then, she turned up at Valkyrie's door… Guilt and regret stabbed at him, as the life left his body...