A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Valkyrie, Tanith, or Ghastly. Val's still 24, story is still in her POV.

I awoke later that night to thunder so loud it was shaking Skulduggery's house. Lightning forked across the angry grey sky, and at times it lit up the entire night. Rain slammed hard against the glass like liquid bullets. Skulduggery stood watching the elements serenely, his hands clasped loosely behind him. His long fingers flexed absently and I noticed he wasn't wearing any gloves. Skulduggery never took his gloves off, not even to meditate. But now I could see those perfect fingers, what his metacarpal bones looked when out of his gloves at long last. He turned his head to see me and swiftly moved his hands forward to stuff them in his pockets.

I knew he didn't like people seeing his hands, so I turned my head while he put on his gloves. His velvety voice drifted to me. "The Sanctuary called. The power is out there as it is here. I have a back up generator as do they, but they are nervous."

"So they want us to come in?"

"Yes."

I knew he wanted me to say something about his hands, but what was there to say? I'm sorry I saw them? That might imply I thought there was something wrong with them. Tell him that they were masculine yet still sculpted elegantly? That would imply something a partner shouldn't. Still he had caught me looking. "I've seen your hands before, Skulduggery." I growled.

"And such a lucky girl you are to have seen them, too. Because I know you admire my hands, you must think they are absolute perfection." I wanted to punch him for sounding so smug.

"I have nothing to say to that level of egocentrism." I growled.

"Yet I still caught you looking."

"Caught? Are you telling me you planned to catch me?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Oh God, you're weird."

He laughed, came away from the window to stand in front of me. "Better get something to eat, we may be there for hours."

"I can't see what the big deal is, Skulduggery." I grumbled as we headed for the kitchen. " The Sanctuary runs mostly on magic anyhow. It isn't like a power failure will let the prisoners escape."

"While that is true, they are still nervous. Sanctuary officials don't like anything that might attract attention. It would seem that the Sanctuary took a lightning strike, and while not serious they don't want those we protect poking around."

"Ah." He ignored the supplies we had brought back once we reached the kitchen and handed over the box of doughnuts. I was going to lecture him one day on proper nutrition, when I myself actually cared about it. I ate quickly, gulped down some cold coffee and we were off.

Skulduggery turned on the radio in the Bentley, finding some of the older music he liked so well. I tried blocking the music out to listen to the staccato rhythm of the rain as it hit the Bentley in torrents, but he insisted on knowing if I could identify Basie, Ellington, and Fitzgerald. "You know," I grumbled. "I should be keeping up on modern music. You listen to this stuff all the time and it is all I hear. No wonder I don't have any friends."

He snorted. "You have me, Tanith, Ghastly, Madam Lovegate, and I'm fairly sure Lord Vile is rather fond of you."

I laughed. "Yes, and he shows how very much he cares by trying to kill me whenever he sees me."

"See? True friendship for you, that."

The radio suddenly cut out as the storm intensified. Hard winds rocked the Bentley. Skulduggery struggled to keep it on the road, but it started to fishtail in the flooded conditions. Luckily other than a few abandoned cars, we didn't have any traffic to worry about. "Skulduggery? Should we be driving in weather like this?" I asked, scared we were going to wreck.

He grunted in response, wrestling with the wheel. "Of course, Valkyrie. Duty calls." His voice was tense, and I fell silent letting him drive. I dug out my mobile instead to call Ghastly, but I had no signal. Skulduggery flicked his gaze over. "Well, that isn't exactly encouraging, is it?"

"No, it isn't. The radio, the mobile, you don't think-"

"No, I'm sure it is just the storm, ah, the winds are letting up at least. You see? Nothing to worry about." That's when a tree slammed across our path, electrical wires tangled in its branches. Skulduggery broke hard, twisting the wheel sharply. The Bentley hydroplaned, and we were forced back in our seats as it whipped around in a complete circle. The tree's massive trunk seemed to rush towards us, filling my vision. At the last moment the brakes caught, screaming in protest, and we snapped forward in out seats. Hard.

"Ow!" I complained. My whole back was sore. I would be lucky if I didn't have whiplash.

Skulduggery sat with his hands on the wheel, head tilted forward. The look on his face was terrible.

"Are you all right, Valkyrie?" His voice was quiet. I could tell he was ready to explode in anger.

"I'm fine, a bit sore but I'm OK. Are you all right, Skulduggery?"

"No I am not "all right". That tree almost hit my car. My car, Valkyrie. My Bentley. I'd like to get out now and kick it to death. But I'm not going to do that."

"Why is that?"

"Because my door is jammed. Is your door jammed, Valkyrie?" His voice was still dangerously calm.

"No."

"Good. Excellent. Then will you please get out, so I may get out? I want to kill that tree, Valkyrie. I want to turn it into sticks. I want to turn those sticks into slivers. I want to turn those slivers into wood dust."

"There are live power lines dangling in the water, Skulduggery. I don't think even you should go out there." We watched the lines jump and writhe like living things. He sighed, shifted, and drove silently around the fallen tree. I didn't dare say a word for the rest of the drive.

When we arrived at the Sanctuary the building was in chaos. Frightened sorcerers jumped at every boom of thunder, and a group of them were valiantly trying to repair the damage to the outside of the building. But it was slow going and the corner where the lightning had struck was still smoking around a gaping hole. "Oh God, Skulduggery, I thought you said there wasn't much damage. That's where the guest rooms are. My God, that's Tanith's room." I said as we broke into a run.

"That's a new strike area. That's the one Ghastly called about." He pointed lower, and as we hurried past. I saw the stone was scorched, but not damaged. We ran to Ghastly's office, but he wasn't there. Out in the hall Skulduggery grabbed a passing sorcerer. "Ghastly! Where is he!" He barked.

"Operating room." The man gasped. Skulduggery let him go and we raced off. Ghastly met us at the doors, he looked stricken. I tried to run past him, to go to Tanith, but he grabbed my jacket, hauling me back.

"No, Valkyrie. They're operating now. They say, they say, she might even make it if we're lucky." There were tears in his eyes, and he wiped at them angrily. "Why her? Why her and not me?"

"It will be OK." I soothed. "You know how strong she is, she's going to make it." He nodded, breathed shakily and sat down. I'd never seen him this upset before. He hung his head, not looking at us. I looked at Skulduggery helplessly. I felt numb. Why had it been Tanith? She didn't deserve this. They loved one another. I wanted more than anything to have the power to heal her. I wanted it so bad I could feel it course through me. Then my armour was somehow on, the hands glowing.

I got up, staring at them. Healing power shone forth. A doctor came to the door, his own hands shaking, they had failed her. I shouldered past him, went to where she lay still and cold beneath the sheet. I tore it back roughly. Looking at her ravaged body, a cry escaped me. I placed my skeletal hands on her, felt only the desire to heal her. The power surged forth, her wounds started to close before my eyes. Burns crawled back into nothingness, shattered bones reknit themselves. I could almost see inside of her, to see her heart as it repaired itself and began to beat. But I could feel the healing energy was draining my own vitality. I felt more power drain from me as she gasped, her lungs filling with air. Her eyes opened and it was the last thing I saw before the darkness consumed me.

I awoke on the hard floor, Skulduggery bent over me. He picked me up gently. "Valkyrie! We thought we lost you!" His skull dipped to meet mine. I met him, happily, pushing my forehead into his. Somehow my hat was missing and my jacket and shirt were open. He saw my confused look and seemed to blush.

"We, we couldn't find a pulse." He mumbled. "The armour refused to come off, and when we couldn't hear you breathing..."

I heard snorted laughter, and looked over his shoulder to see Tanith. She was leaning woozily on Ghastly. I grinned broadly at her then turned back to him. "God, Skulduggery. I'm a living skeleton at the moment. It isn't that easy to kill me." He was definitely blushing now. He helped me stand gently, picked up my hat, and handed it to me.

"Right, then." He mumbled, leaving with Ghastly. Tanith and I looked at each other and burst into gales of laughter.

"I tried to tell them you're a skeleton now. Hello?" Tanith said, gasping.

"They thought I should have a heartbeat? And be breathing?" We collapsed into each others arms, snorting with laughter. A doctor wandered in, saw us both alive, and yelped. He turned and ran back out the door.

Tanith looked at me and stuck her arms out. "Attack of the zombie women, roar!" We giggled. I reached up and touched my jaws the armour coming away easily. "That armour jump-started you back up, Valkyrie. It was awesome." We smiled and hugged, turning to see the doctor being marched back in by Ghastly and Skulduggery. He examined us, pronounced us both alive, then fainted. Tanith and I burst out laughing again.

As the chaos in the Sanctuary calmed, Ghastly invited us to his office. The repairs had been made, and more importantly, Tanith was alive. Even though the Sanctuary doctors demanded Tanith stay in a proper bed, she'd moved into Ghastly's office, stretching out on the couch before the fireplace. Ghastly stared over at her fondly, then turned to me. "Thank you."

I waved it away. "She's my sister, Ghastly. I had to."

"That's because you have a good heart." I turned to see Madam Lovegate enter. She had a healing potion for Tanith she insisted she drink, never mind what the so-called doctors had to say. Tanith made a face, but drank it. Her colour looked better, and soon she drifted off to sleep. "Ah, there now, see? She'll be right as rain come morning. But you, my dear, I didn't know you were a healer." Madame Lovegate said as she came over and gripped my hands gently in her own. "I'm most impressed. You did what no doctor could. You saved your friend without a second thought. If you ever need anything, come to my office. The Sanctuary is so lucky to have you. We are in your debt."

She gave my hands a quick squeeze and left. I heard Skulduggery snort in barely suppressed laughter. He knew I hated people make a fuss. I shot a glare at him. "Shut. Up." I growled.

Ghastly got up to make tea. He smiled over his shoulder at me. "But, Valkyrie, the Sanctuary is sooo lucky to have you." He said in a high, mincing voice. "We are in your debt." He snorted, turned back to his tea preparation. My face burned red.

"Will the two of you stop fussing like old biddies? I didn't do anything special."

"Oh, we aren't fussing, Valkyrie, we're laughing at you." Skulduggery said cheerfully.

"Yes, yes we are." Ghastly agreed, bringing the tea and two mugs to his desk. "But I am happy you were here to help. Did you know you could do that?" I took the proffered tea. It was a lot better than anything Madam Lovegate ever made.

"I had no idea. I don't even know how my armour got on me."

"You're proving to be a wonderful teacher, Skulduggery. She has to figure out everything on her own as she goes. Tell me she at least managed to beat you up in training today."

Skulduggery looked pleased with himself. "Of course she did, she's my combat accessory. The armour is working perfectly now, as you can see."

Ghastly snorted again. "How has he ever managed to actually teach you anything, Valkyrie? God!"

Skulduggery looked at me expectantly. I smiled sweetly and didn't say a word.