This is about what happens when val and skul are followed. Skulduggery has taken his pill so he's human. The names were picked because their traditional Irish names and do not refer to anyones given names.

They were being followed. A boy and a girl. They looked about 20. The girl had her head down and seemed annoyed. It might have been because of the boy beside her. While the girl had fiery ginger hair the boys hair was scruffy and mousey brown. The boy had tried to talk to his companion but she had hushed him quickly by hissing "Patrick."

Skulduggery had agreed that Patrick was his name but that they could still be from anywhere. It was only when he boy tried to talk again and went "Oonagh(oo-na) come on!"

That they knew they were Irish. hb

The girl sighed and her hair moved back long enough to see why her head was down. She had a long scar going from her ear to her neck and towards her back. There was tattoos following the scar. The boy tapped her and she flicked her hair back to the place it was before. Skulduggery placed a hand on the small of Valkyries back leading her down a side street

"The girls Ivy Sparrow she was in car crash as a child that killed everyone but her and her twin brother and as you can see she nearly died. Im guessing that 'Patrick' is her twin, Rory Finch. She couldn't get the scar healed as a child and has been looking for a way to change that for a while now."

"But why follow us?"

"We're following you because if I can't heal it I might as well hide it." Ivy said from the entrance of the side street.

"Ah hello miss sparrow."

"You are skulduggery pleasant and Valkyrie Cain? Because I have been looking for you for a long time."

"Why not go to the sanctuary?" Valkyrie asked confused.

"I am the only person to survive a wound like this thanks to my magic and I don't plan on being tested on." She hissed.

"I know what that's like so don't you hiss at me, MISS sparrow."

Ivy grinned "Oh I like you! No one ever snaps back!"

"Why thank you! I have to say I like you too, your tough."

Skulduggery and Rory stared at the girls.

"Did you just go from enemy's to friends in 20 seconds?!"

The girls grinned and nodded.

"That's a new record for you Valkyrie." Skulduggery muttered "now miss sparrow."

"Ivy."

"Ivy. Why would you come to us for help hiding your scar?"

"A scars a lot easier to hide than a skull so I want to know where you got your façade."

"Wait which one?"

"What?"

"He's got a full body façade and a tattoo façade." Valkyrie explained.

"Well I was thinking of the tattoo façade.. But what's the other?"

"He takes a pill and it gives him his body." She said waving towards skulduggery.

"Can I see?"

Skulduggery took off his glove and flexed his hand. Valkyrie poked him and he sighed and handed her his jacket. He started unbuttoning his shirt. Underneath he had muscles and a six pact.

"Awesome!"

"Thank you." He turned to Valkyrie "can I put my shirt back on? I can feel the cold when I'm like this."

"Why are you asking me? I can't stop you from putting on your shirt."

Rory laughed as Ivy inspected skulduggery's muscles, poking and prodding.

"So where could I get one one of these facades?"

"Grand Mage Sorrows."

Ivy cursed quietly and sighed "Just my bloody luck."

"We could talk to her?" Valkyrie asked looking at skulduggery. He looked back.

"It's ok-" Ivy started.

"Shh"

He stayed looking at Valkyrie.

"Does he always do that?" Ivy whispered.

"He doesn't even know he's doing it. He just focuses on something."

"That's a bit weird."

"A lot of things a weird about us."

"I guess."

"Can I see your tattoos? I'll show you mine…"

"Sure. Where's yours?"

"My arm and shoulder."

Ivy pulled her hair back so Valkyrie could see her tattoos and her scar. She expected an intake of breath or a gasp but Valkyrie just lightly tapped a tattoo.

"You're a Leo?"

"Yeah. All my tattoos have a meaning."

"But why put them along your scar?"

"So when I find a way to get rid of it I'll still have some thing to show my battle."

Valkyrie smiled "I know what you mean" she opened her palm and Ivy could see a thin ugly scar there.

"Why didn't you get rid of it?"

"It was made by a billy-Ray sanguine's razor. Scars from that never heal."

"Can I see your tattoo?"

Valkyrie took off her jacket. Black ink swirled up her arm and over her shoulder.

"Woah." Rory breathed.

"The mercian signal."

"You actually got it? Does that mean you can be invincible?"

"I can sometimes."

Skulduggery looked over "Are you done showing off?"

"I learned from you. I used to be modest. I used to have a tiny ego. You ruined me."

"No I didn't!"

"Yes you did!"

Ivy stepped forward "I'm guessing since you're speaking that you've decided."

"Yes. We'll talk to China, ask her if she'll do one but you'll have to pay…"

"It's ok we have money."

"Ok we'll go talk to her. But I need your number."

"It's ok I have val's and she has mine."

"When did you swap numbers?!"

"We're resourceful like that." Valkyrie grinned.

Skulduggery and Valkyrie walked into the sanctuary and tipstaff hurried up to them.

"Detectives."

"Hello tipstaff could we speak to grand Mage sorrows? It's an important matter." Valkyrie said.

"Oh of course I shall inform her now." He shuffled off wondering what was so important that Valkyrie would speak. She normally lets the skeleton detective talk for her. (I personally think that Valkyrie would always speak for herself but I'm quoting a certain high priest)

"An important matter?"

"Shut up."

"I'm curious, you never get this involved in other things. Why now?"

Valkyrie sighed "She doesn't feel she can go to the sanctuary for help. That's not fair. She's only like 20 and all she wants is to be able to go out in public without being stared at! I have to watch ghastly go through the same thing even though just like Ivy he doesn't have a choice!"

"I agree."

Valkyrie who had been looking at skulduggery while she said this and hadn't seen or heard China and Mr Bliss (I love bliss so he's alive and an elder) come to the doorway whipped around and blushed.

"I didn't see you there…"

"It's ok to feel this way Valkyrie. It's a good thing." Mr Bliss said watching her sadly.

"I'm guessing that you didn't ask to speak to me for the case." China sighed.

"No. It's more of a business matter."

"Has it to do Valkyrie's out burst?"

"I wouldn't call it an out burst…."

"You were screaming at ME." Skulduggery muttered. Valkyrie hit him.

"Have you heard of Ivy sparrow?"

Both Bliss and China glanced at each other before nodding.

Valkyrie saw it then. Those eyes. Sure Ivy's were slightly darker but those eyes were the same.

"How is she related to you?"

The question shocked everyone in the room.

"How did you know?" Bliss asked.

"Your eyes. Ivy's are darker but their the same eyes."

"My my what a great teacher you have." Skulduggery muttered.

"A great teacher who didn't notice." Valkyrie shot back.

"She's our niece. It was our youngest sister who left first. She inspired bliss to leave but our family disowned her. When she died her husbands family cared for Ivy and Rory. We sent money over but we didn't want to involve them too much. Our lives weren't safe."

"She still doesn't know." Valkyrie sounded happy "it's time to fix that."

"Valkyrie…." Skulduggery starts.

Valkyrie turned to him "Pleasant unless you're about to help me I WILL give you to xeana (is that the right spelling?) so she can bury you."

Skulduggery raised his hands "I was only going to say that if the elders don't want you to do it you can't threaten them."

Valkyrie laughed "Skul they're brother and sister! I've already got lots of stories about them! I can't be frightened of them after that."

All three of them froze and Valkyrie just turned and said "I'm going to call Ivy!"

A while later skulduggery went out to Valkyrie where she was waiting for him.

"Your evil. You have scared the scariest person alive and China looked worried! You're 26 and you're officially now the scariest person alive."

"I also have stories about you, thanks to my dear 'brothers'"

Skulduggery stiffened and said "Fainted."

"I was 12 and Julie."

Skulduggery climbed into the Bentley and waited for Valkyrie to get in.

"Who told you?"

"A friend."

"Cain…"

"Pleasant.."

"Damn you ARE scary. Now where do you want to go?"

"We're meeting Ivy at Phoenix park in an hour so your going to get me ice-cream and we're going to wait."

"Yes miss Cain."

An hour later a young woman climbed out of a car and ran across the park towards the benches on the other side. When the two people sitting there saw her coming the girl started running up to her too while the two men walked behind them. The two girls crashed into each other hugging.

"You were just speaking to each other! Why are you hugging?" Rory asked watching the two girls.

"Well you're not getting one now." Valkyrie said stepping back

"Good." Skulduggery muttered from beside her.

"Aww are you jealous? Do you want a hug?"

"No thanks."

Valkyrie glared at skulduggery before turning to Rory "Do you want a hug?"

"Why are you giving out hugs?"

Valkyrie ignored him. "Ivy do you want my hug?"

Ivy laughed and hugged Valkyrie. "So Val what did she say?"

"She said she'll speak to you and figure something out."

"When?"

"We can go now?"

"Really?"

"What can I say I'm popular."

Skulduggery muttered something about being popular but Valkyrie laughed "everyone I meet tells me about how you make more enemies than friends!"

"Not everyone."

Valkyrie rolled her eyes and looked at Ivy "So? You coming?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go."

They arrived at the sanctuary half an hour later and got out. Skulduggery walked ahead with Rory while the two women walked behind whispering.

"What are you plotting?" Skulduggery said suspicious.

"Nothing." They answered sweetly.

Valkyrie smirked when skulduggery turned around and Ivy used her powers to pull the kinetic energy out of the air and watched as the men's hair raised while Valkyrie made a wall of white lighting to stop it affecting them.

As they walked through the sanctuary people kept glancing at skulduggery and Rory's hair making the young women behind them grin evilly. When they got to the throne room China looked up and froze.

"Did fletcher get to you?"

"What?"

"Skulduggery both of your hair is ridiculous you must know this."

Rory turned around "You!"

"What?" Ivy asked innocently.

Skulduggery looked at Valkyrie "What did the two of you do Miss Cain?"

"No clue what your on about Mr Pleasant." Valkyrie said but she burst out laughing.

"Val! You've blown the cover!" Ivy said before joining Valkyrie on the floor laughing.

After skulduggery and Rory fixed their hair and the two women calmed down they started the meeting again.

"So Miss Sparrow what have the detectives told you?" China asked cautiously.

"Just that you were willing to meet me and my brother."

"Ah they left us the hard part.."

"We wanted you to have something to say. Grand Mage."

"Of course you did. Will you wait outside?"

"Of course."

What happened next is another story. ;)