Skulduggery – Crow

Anton – Bear

Ghastly – Panda

Dexter – Wolf

Saracen – Weasel

Erskine – Snake

Solomon – Raven

Dedicated to Lonelygirl702

Chapter 66

"So we know what this person is, and their sex," Raven said, pointing to the whiteboard in the office with his cane. "I've also told you the general looks of the man – dark, short hair and large. We also know he drives a black van and is likely working for someone but alone. Your brother Anton has also said no one has attempted to attack him or get into the Remnant room in the Midnight Hotel."

"Correct," Valkyrie said, studying it. "Have we got the general direction the van went in? And the description of the van?"

"It's a black van, square in the front and back. There are no other discernible features. They drove out to the countryside so either they meant to go there on the way to their destination or they meant to avoid cameras," Crow said.

"So either their somewhat incompetent as they could have led us to their master, or they're a professional," she stated. "From the killing technique, I'd say professional. Someone who's done this from a young age to choose the discipline he has."

"Agreed," the two men said at once. Raven wrote 'Professional' on the board.

"I'll check the recently released for anyone with this description and also see if there's any record of any visiting mages coming into the country," Crow said, getting his phone out.

"Can I ask how you do that?" Raven said, a frown marring his features.

"Check for visiting mages? There are always lookouts in the major docks and most airports around the country. They're not relied upon, but more so to help spot any well-known criminals and inform the Sanctuary."

Raven nodded and looked as if he were pondering it over. Her stomach growled loudly and Valkyrie told them she was getting food and left the room.

Strolling through the corridor, she considered what she wanted to do. Obviously, she was hungry and wanted food, but what about long-term, or at least for that year? Her mind immediately went blank of answers and she sighed, rubbing her eyes.

There was a bang followed by a thud in a room next to her and Valkyrie stilled. There were no more noises. Creeping closer and hoping she wasn't going to get in the middle of a disagreement, she slowly opened the door and threw it wide open.

Weasel and Wolf stood five feet apart with a table between them. They looked at her, clothes rumpled and sweat dripping down both their faces as well as soaking their clothes.

"Do I want to know?" She asked after a few seconds of silent staring.

Weasel and Wolf looked at each other and seemed to have a silent conversation. Valkyrie crossed her arms.

"Well," Wolf said finally, moving around the table with Weasel to sit on the edge with him. "Me and Saracen have just been doing some adult talking."

"Adult talking?" She asked incredulously.

"Yes, adult talking," he said again, putting his fingers together. "And we came to the conclusion that, well, we will consider becoming a couple."

She let a few moments pass and glanced at Weasel's grinning face and back to Wolf's serious one. "I really can't tell if this is a joke or you're serious."

"I'm very serious," Wolf said, a smirk breaking out. "At any rate, that's what we were adult talking about."

"Suuuure," she said slowly. "You know, I think I'll just let you get back to me on that when you've decided."

"Sounds good," Wolf replied.

"Have fun," she said. "Not too much, mind you."

She closed the door behind her and walking quickly down the hall, not wanting to hear if they decided to 'adult talk' about anything again. Shaking her head, she went to the kitchen and looking in the fridge, finding a good-sized tub of leftover pasta. She put it in the microwave and at almost the same time she took it out and burnt herself, Fletcher popped downstairs barely a foot away from her.

"What do you want?" She snapped, sucking her burnt finger.

He frowned. "What did you just do?"

"I burnt my finger, what's it to you?" She threw the lid in the sink and grabbed a fork. "What do you want?"

"I have a question," he announced, taking a seat opposite her at the table. "I was just thinking, you know I'm renting the big room upstairs now?"

"Yeah?"

"I wanted to know if I could bring people there?"

Valkyrie looked over at him slowly. "You want to ask my permission to bring people home with you?"

"Because of the security!" He said quickly. "You have all that people-finding security, and I wanted to know if I'd blow them up if I brought anyone in!"

"You want to know if you'll blow them up if you have sex with them here?"

"No! Valkyrie, be serious," he hissed at her angrily. "I just want to know!"

She cracked a small smiled but hid it behind her fork. Getting it under control, she nodded thoughtfully. "Well, we could make it so it's safe. But to do that, you'd have to introduce each person so they could be scanned and added to the 'friendly' list."

"Really?" He asked. "I'll have to introduce you to them?"

"That bad, hu?" She smirked at him.

He glared.

"Aww, I'm just kidding. We made sure that room alone could allow people in without setting off alarms. Just make sure they don't leave the room or the alarms will go off, and I will never let that go."

He continued to glare suspiciously. "You mean it?"

"Why would I lie to you?" She smiled sweetly. "It'll be fine, I promise."

He let out a breath of air. "Thanks."

He teleported out and Valkyrie was left to eat in silence with just her thoughts of Nadia in her head. It made her stomach hurt a little so she dumped the rest of her food in the bin and decided a shower was the best thing to do. It was only just six in the evening, but she felt tired after seeing pictures of the injured and dead. Taking a breath and dressing in a different set of protective clothing, she went back downstairs to see Raven and Crow.

At the door, she carefully looked in to see the two men standing incredibly close to each other and talking in soft voices. Nearly sighing, she decided to leave them, knowing they both deserved happiness, even if that was standing in front of murder photos and ideas of where a murderer could be. Weird.

She closed the door behind her anyway and hurried away, wondering what she was meant to do now. Fletcher was likely cahooting in his room, Wolf and Weasel were doing the same or close to it somewhere unknown and she really hoped it remained like that for her eyes, and now Crow and Raven were busy with each other. She decided to try her luck on Panda being at his shop and ran up the stairs to see Tanith.

Unfortunately for her, there were loud bangs and moans going on somewhere down the hall towards Tanith's room that hadn't been there not long ago and with a blush blooming on her face, she ran back downstairs quickly.

Standing at the bottom, her shoulders dropped. It wasn't about sex, just holding each other and the physical closeness. Her body practically ached to cuddle someone and breath in the scent of their hair. Other than maybe Bear, she was the only one with no one to so much as go to for hugs or kisses or whatever she wanted.

Not that Bear couldn't have that. For all she knew, he did.

That made her feel even worse. She was the only one. It wasn't fair.

.*****.

Night came, and Erskine strolled into the mansion whistling a nice tune and sat by Valkyrie in the living room where she was sprawled across a sofa in the dark. He turned the lamp on.

"What's up, Cub?" He asked cheerfully.

"Nothing," she said shortly.

"Doesn't sound like nothing."

"So? You're not my dad, who cares?"

He frowned at her and leaned in. "Hey, what's up? I might not be your dad, but I'll always be your brother. You can talk to me. I promise I won't tell."

She sighed and sat up, feeling bad. "Everyone has someone but me."

"You mean like their dating?" He asked in confusion. "Because I don't know how to break this to you, but I'm not dating, Dexter isn't dating, Saracen isn't, Skulduggery isn't, Corrival isn't, and God knows Ghastly doesn't know how," Snake said with a big grin. "We're all in it together, see?"

She sighed. "But you all have someone to go to. And Crow is kind of dating. Well, not exactly, I don't think. But him and Solomon are getting pretty close and it's only so long before they are, and Wolf and Weasel are essentially dating now."

"They're back at that?" Snake laughed.

"Yeah. And I'm ninety-nine per cent sure Tanith and Panda are dating now."

"Really?"

"Well, I assume so from the sounds I heard earlier," she sulked. "You and Bear can do whatever you want too. Even Fletcher is seeing someone! He literally told me so. So I'm just sitting here not doing anything all evening because everyone else is busy with whoever. I'm not even being weird about it, I just want a freaking hug and I can't even get that."

He patted her shoulder comfortingly. "It's alright, Cub. You know what you need? A rebound. Someone to kiss and have fun with until the pain goes away."

She frowned. "That sounds like a really bad idea."

"Of course it isn't! It's a tried and trusted method, I swear."

She smiled a little but shook her head. "I don't think that's going to work."

He shrugged. "If you think. I could always take you somewhere and you could meet people. You hardly have to sleep with them, just chat them up a bit for fun. You'll bounce back."

She sighed. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's an awful idea and also illegal."

He shrugged. "Maybe. But there's always that under eighteen's club near where you used to live with your mum. I'll drive you if you feel like it."

"I'll keep it in mind."

Snake stood and stretched, showing his lightly haired middle, which Valkyrie took advantage of and began to tickle. He boomed with laughter and she pushed him down and sat on his legs to fully torture him, getting right up his sides and under his pits, making him shriek and beg through his laughs.

"No!" He shouted, trying to pull her off and protect his sides at once. "I give in! I'll tell you anything! Stop! Mercy!"

She laughed so hard at him she had to stop ticking and ended up being hugged so tightly she couldn't breathe instead.

"I love you, Val!" He laughed at her. "I love you sooo much!"

She closed her eyes and hugged him back.

Right in time for the alarms to go off.

Still no real hug for her then!

Hehe, that was a fun one! I'd love some reviews on it, it's super cute! And a little sad for Val, but do not worry, I have plans! Big plans that Fletcher is not involved in before anyone else asks. Well, he'll be around, but he isn't the plan. Sorry. Anyway, I hope you liked that :)

PS, Lonelygirl702, I hope this made you less sad from the previous two chapters.

KiedisXL: we will get there, don't worry, I promise we will get there. Well, not to Fletcher, but we will get to the rest, I swear! Trust me, it may not be Fletcher as you crave it to be, but the end result of this book will be just as heartwarming and loving as that could be. And for you both, I am thinking of writing a Fletchyrie as some point anyway, so horde those feelings for then.