After a couple hours, since they were having trouble with the computers causing Cain to get aggravated and throw one at Pleasant, Ravel finally managed to get the payment out and passed it out to each of the criminals. Dusk, Sanguine and Jack were walking out of the Sanctuary for the final time. Sanguine and Jack were having fun annoying Dusk as they stepped out into the sunshine. They looked over into the grassy area next to the Sanctuary and stopped.

"You know," Sanguine said observing the scene before them. "We've done a lot of great things in our life-span. Winning a couple wars, finding out new torture techniques and being just plain successful in our lives. But the only mistake we ever made was making that generation."

The three watched in silence the touch-football game Scratch, Shoe, Ray-Roy and Vendetta were playing. Ray-Roy, just released from the Infirmary, had the ball and was currently running down to one side of the grassy field. Then Vendetta came out of nowhere, tackling him to the ground.

"We're on the same team!" Ray-Roy yelled.

"I know!" Vendetta replied.

Then Shoe jumped on Vendetta and the two started going at it. Ray-Roy began trying to separate them immediately. Scratch saw the ball Ray-Roy had dropped and scooped it up. He leaped over the fray and made a mad dash down the field.

The monster made it to the end and cheered. "Hey! I got us some points!"

Scratch stopped when he realized the other three were currently rolling around on the ground yelling and fighting. He hesitated, then shrugged and threw the ball away then jumped into the fray.

Jack sighed and went over to pull his two kids apart. Sanguine waited until the two monsters were hauled off by their father, Shoe turning her head to wink at Ray-Roy, before going over to his son.

"Come on Ray-Roy," Sanguine said. "Let's get back to the apartment. Tanith'll be wonderin' where we are. Still wish she came with us but I can understand her wantin' to stay away. Don't want them Sanctuary people gettin' a hold of her."

Ray-Roy stood up and turned to Vendetta. "See ya round Pretty Lady."

Vendetta nodded, not saying anything.

"Goodbye kiss?" he said hopefully.

Vendetta punched him in the face then moved over to her father.

"Ready to go?" Dusk asked.

Vendetta shook her head. "I need to get the box old weapons I was letting you use. It's in the Sanctuary."

…..

Vendetta walked down the hall into the break room, finding her box of weapons. All of the ammunition had been used of course during the battle. She picked up the box and went back out into the hall. As she walked, she heard someone coming towards her.

Cain came around the corner holding a textbook and saw her. "Oh. Hi Vendetta. Leaving?"

"Yes," Vendetta said. Cain fell in step beside her.

"So, I guess this is goodbye then," Cain looked straight ahead.

"It appears so."

"Do you think we'll, you know. Run into each other again?"

"Maybe. Maybe not."

Cain nodded. They walked for a bit more in silence.

"Well," Cain said when they reached the Sanctuary's exit. "Goodbye Vendetta. It was an, interesting time together."

Vendetta nodded back. "Likewise."

She turned and went up to Dusk, leaving Cain behind. As they went to her motorbike Vendetta noticed that Caelan was no longer in the road. They looked around and found him walking up to Cain. The teenager was standing next to the Roarhaven lake reading from the textbook Vendetta had seen her holding before.

"Hey Valkyrie," Caelan said.

Cain wasn't expecting someone to sneak up behind her and she jumped, shrieked and turned. She saw Caelan and screamed, "Ah! Vampire!" then whacked him in the face with her textbook.

Caelan lost his balance and fell into the salt water lake. He got some of the water in his mouth and he grabbed his throat, eyes wide. Then he went still.

Cain stood in place for a moment. "Huh," she said. "My teachers are right. I do use this in real life."

She grinned and ran away calling to Pleasant that textbooks actually are useful. Vendetta and Dusk stood still for a minute.

"I," Vendetta said. "Have been around for a very long time. But I have never seen anyone be killed by a textbook before."

"Me either," Dusk said.

They were quiet for a moment then continued on to the motorbike and left Roarhaven for good.

….

Valkyrie walked down the Sanctuary's hallways with Skulduggery, telling him about what just happened.

"Seriously? You just hit him in the face and he died?" Skulduggery said.

"Well, it knocked him into the water and the salt water killed him but yeah. Pretty much."

"Interesting new tactic. What are you going to call it?"

"I was thinking 'Death by Textbook'."

"Very original."

"I think so."

Suddenly a thought occurred to her. "Hey Skulduggery," Valkyrie said with a frown.

Skulduggery looked at her. "Yes?"

"I just realized something."

"What?"

"You know how Dusk said that Vendetta was going to get revenge on me for giving him his scar?"

"Yes."

"Well, Vendetta never did anything. Why do you think that is?"

"Probably because you had to stay alive for Vendetta to get paid and Vendetta, being a professional, wasn't going to let herself slip up and jeopardize her mission. So she may have something planned for you later on when you're not working together."

Valkyrie paled slightly at the thought. Then she shrugged. "Well, I'll just have to wait and see. I have to go to the bathroom, see you later."

Skulduggery nodded to her and he continued on while Valkyrie went to the girl's bathroom. As she opened the door, she dislodged something and it fell on her head. She yelped as she slipped in the water, landing hard on her butt. Valkyrie slowly lifted up the bucket and blinked the water out of her eyes. She grinned. "Hey Skulduggery!" she called. "I don't think you need to worry about Vendetta getting her revenge anymore!"

Well that was it. The final chapter of Help From Unlikely Places. I hope you all enjoyed it and thank you SO much to all of those who supported me and reviewed and favorited and followed. It really means a lot to me. :)

Special thanks to:

MJEG, Dexter Jackson, NarahSelson, Violett-Rose Pleasant, Dave the Psychotic Chipmunk, SP(Guest) and ValCain(Guest). And anyone else I did not mention. Seriously, you guys are AMAZING.

Now, on to the second bit of business. I have also come up with another idea for ANOTHER sequel to this. Starring Vendetta, Ray-Roy, Scratch and the bad guys we know and love. I am posting the first chapter of the new story 'Old Friends' as soon as this chapter is published.

So once again, thank you all and don't forget to REVIEW! :)