Chapter 2

A/N: When the present and future join together, all the future characters will be in Italics. Please review.

In the future:

"Ellanor honey, where are you?" Valkyrie Cain was sick with worry, she hadn't seen her daughter for over an hour.

"Relax Val, she's probably just frozen the lake again or something." Skulduggery had been trying to soothe his wife for half an hour, when she had first noticed their daughter missing.

"But Skul - " Valkyrie moaned as Skulduggery began massaging her shoulders.

"shh," he muttered "I've called Tanith and Ghastly, they'll be over to help us look for her"

Valkyrie sighed, "Did I ever tell you how much I love you?"

"Not today" Skulduggery laughed.

"Hmm, well then, I should feel ashamed. But… with this amazing massage… I think I'll just sleep" Valkyrie murmured ad her eyes fluttered closed.

Skulduggery sighed, and turned to Ghastly and Tanith, who had just stepped out from the shadows.

"Was it really necessary to give her the sleeping potion." He asked Ghastly.

Tanith snorted, "Hell yeah, if she found out what had happened to Ell, she would have freaked!"

"Enlighten me" Skulduggery groaned. "I'm just gonna sit down."

"Um… well… you see..." Ghastly began,

"Spit it out Bespoke," Skulduggery growled.

Tanith cut in, "Remember that dude you pissed off a while ago? Um, what was his name again? Anyway, the dude who wore like, a hundred watches, yeah? Well he's this adept who can mess with time, and since you pissed him off, he took Ell back in time to before you and Val were even considering dating." Tanith sighed, "Isn't she gonna be the perfect match maker?"

Skulduggery swore, "So she's just going to turn up in the middle of Ireland, and begin telling people that she's from the future."

Tanith laughed "Nope, she's gonna turn up in the middle of a sanctuary meeting, tell everyone that she's from the future, begin playing matchmaker, and since the meetings back then were mostly about Vile and Darqueese…"

Tanith trailed off and Ghastly weakly finished, "She's gonna spill the secret."

Skulduggery swore again, and this time Valkyrie joined him, Three heads turned sharply in her direction, and she rubbed her neck sheepishly,

"Sleeping potion? You really thought that after however many years of being a detectives partner I would fall for sleeping potion?"

Tanith and Ghastly bit their lips while Skulduggery's façade grinned widely.

"That's my girl" he grinned.

Valkyrie just glared at him, until her eyes widened in understanding.

"You knew!" she growled accusingly "You made me think that you thought I had taken the potion, so Tanith and Ghastly would tell the story without repeating themselves."

Skulduggery just continued to grin, "And…" he began innocently,

"And to they wouldn't be interrupted by me screaming out in hysteria, because if you haven't noticed Skulduggery, OUR DAUGHTER HAS GONE BACK IN TIME, AND ITS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

Skulduggery clicked his fingers and she stopped making any noise. turning back to Tanith and Ghastly, he sighed.

"She's gonna kill me for that later." He murmured, "So," he continued louder, "How do we get back."

Back in the Present:

Valkyrie and Skulduggery looked around the room at the shocked faces of their friends and coworkers.

Valkyrie couldn't help giggling, "It looks like they've been hit with stupefy from Harry Potter."

Ellanor joined in laughing and soon the two were rolling on the floor clutching their sides.

Skulduggery looked at them in amusement and exasperation, his future wife and daughter were… his future wife and daughter.

I marry Valkyrie Cain, I marry Valkyrie, I actually marry her, I marry Valkyrie.

Putting on a neutral expression, he cleared his throat loudly. Valkyrie and Ellanor looked up at him.

"Is the middle of an extremely serious situation really the time to sprout book references." he said looking at them pointedly.

Valkyrie glared at him, "Who do you think taught me to, Mr Pleasant?" She hissed icily.

Skulduggery raised an eyebrow on his façade, "Watch your tone Valkyrie" he murmured to himself.

She sighed, "I'm sorry Skul, it's just that this whole thing is so weird, I feel like I'm dreaming or something, and that if I take it to seriously, I'm gonna wake up in the middle of that boring meeting"

"Hey it's okay, I completely understand." He whispered the last part to himself, "now how is she," He pointed at Ellanor, "gonna get back to her own time?"

Valkyrie opened her mouth but suddenly, there was another flash.

Skulduggery spun towards the flash as it died down, two silhouettes stepped out from the mist and Skulduggery felt his breath get taken away.

A man and a woman stood searching the room. She was stunning, with long straight black hair, that tumbled down to below her waist. Her eyes were big and brown with thick black eyelashes framing them. She was dressed in a tight fitting black singlet and skinny camouflage jeans, that accentuated her every curve. She wore knee high boots with knives strapped on to them, and two guns were tucked into the belt at the back of her pants.

The man stood in an expensive navy blue suit with a large hat that covered most of his face.

The woman started tapping her foot impatiently. "Where is she? You said this was the right time and right place"

Skulduggery was reminded of Valkyries attitude, "Holy crap" he muttered. He nudged Valkyrie "That's us. From the future!"

"Wow" Valkyrie whispered back to him "I am hot!"

He rolled his eyes and cleared his throat, "Are you looking for Ellanor" he said impatiently.

The man looked at him appraisingly, "Ah yes, I've always been the most well dressed at these meetings, haven't I Valkyrie my dear."

Valkyrie cuffed him on his head. "Shrink your ego, honey, because I just want to leave this place."

Skulduggery sighed, "Hello past me, and past Valkyrie, we come in peace. So if you'd just hand over our daughter we shall be going."

Ellanor ran to Valkyrie and hugged her. Skulduggery rolled his eyes "Yeah Ell, I missed you too."

Valkyrie sighed in relief at having her daughter back, and turned back to Valkyrie and Skulduggery.

"Sorry for ruining your secret, but don't worry, they get over it eventually"

"Yeah" Skulduggery muttered, "eventually."

"Anyway," Valkyrie hissed "Have a good life, which I know you do, and Skul, the answer's 1.479, that will save you a couple of years… Oh and me, or Val or whatever, it's behind that book on magic that's on your top shelf, that'll save me about 50 years. Anyway..how do you say goodbye to a past version of you."

"Au revoir!" Skulduggery said waving cheerily "Won't see you again."

There was another flash and the room had three less occupants.

"Well." Skulduggery began, as they left the rest of meeting room occupants, who were still frozen in shock.

"Just another day." Valkyrie finished miserably.

"We need new jobs" Skulduggery muttered.

"And you realise that now?"

"Maybe just a pay raise..."

"We don't get paid"

"Exactly."

"What?"

"Never mind"

"You're impossible."

"I know you are, you said you are, so what am I?"

"Are you still in kindergarten?"

"Why?"

"I stopped saying that when I was four…"

"Well you are mature for your age."

"Shut up."

"Okay."

"I love you"

"Me too"

SMACK!

A/N: Thank you for reading my story. Please review, but know that I will not be writing any more chapters.

Disclaimer: The Skulduggery pleasant series was written and belongs to Derek Landy, and as much as I'd like to own it... I don't.