VALDUGGERY - catch me when I fall

Chapter Eleven ~ Fighting Yourself

Authors Note - well well well my friends... It's been a while hasn't it? But enough of that, we've got work to do! Now, in the last chapter we found that Darquesse, thinking that this was the end for Valkarie decided not to save her but to flee her body and inhabit the next vulnerable heart. Ironically, it's Fletcher. So, using Fletchers teleporter body, Darquesse payed a little visit to Skulduggery and Val, needless to say, it all ended in blood sweat and ruined furniture. In other news, I asked people to post on my wall something about getting well soon (I was sick) for an appearance in the story. So, put your hands together for Evermore_360 who will appear in this chapter! And, pieisyummy13... I'm afraid that you can't appear in this story because you we're too late to reply... Sorry! But message me soon and I'm sure I can squeeze you into another chapter! Now, on we go!

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Chapter Eleven ~ Fighting Yourself

Valkarie winced and Nye jabbed a needle into her arm. She'd been promised that it'd stop the pain that was coming from all over her bruised, bloodied and broken body. She owed Fletcher for that one. Valkarie frowned, no, not Fletcher, Darquesse. Darquesse had broken into Skulduggery's house and attacked them. It was her evil subconscious that had hijacked her friend and was now god knows where.

Valkarie could feel the cloudy liquid in the small needle being forced into her left arm and she turned the other way. Sadly, she was now looking at her other hand which had five somewhat mangled fingers bleeding into a now red towel. Nye straightened up and raked his sinister eyes over her injured body before nodding curtly and walking out in that awkwardly orchestrated fashion.

Valkarie rested her head against the wall behind her, and wondered what Skulduggery was doing. After Fletcher had left and the general shock had died down, Skulduggery had collapsed. She closed her eyes as the dusty bloody memory floated back to her.

...

...

...

For a moment, they stood there, clutching each other and staring at the place where Fletcher/Darquesse had last been. Valkarie gasped air into her battered chest and tightened her grip on Skulduggery's arm, just as his had been doing to hers for the past few moments.

Skulduggery pulled her slightly so that she fell into place behind him, before using his other arm to sweep the air in front of them, stiffening slightly. Once he was satisfied he dropped his arm back down, reached for Valkarie to hold her close to him, then faltered.

Valkarie looked up, suddenly wary.

"Skulduggery? Are you-" but Valkarie never got to finish her question. Skulduggery gasped horribly and crumpled, his legs folding as his hands formed shackles over her wrists. Dragging her down with him. His skull tipped back as Valkarie shook his shoulders.

"Skulduggery?!?" It was then that she remembered how Skulduggery had been taking all the hits for her from Darquesse, turning her so that she evaded all the impacts and always pushing her behind him. Valkarie felt a rush of unfamiliar emotions as she struggled with Skulduggery, resting his head on her lap, still shaking him weakly.

"Valkarie... Valkarie.... Val...." Skulduggery's hand reached up blindly for her face, once it found her cheek she caught it and held it there. Valkarie opened her mouth to say something back, but Skulduggery went limp, his hand dropped to his side and his jaw stopped moving. Now, Valkarie was panicking. Skulduggery after all, had not pulse or breath to check, likewise for reflexes...

Pulse.

A cold sweat broke out across Valkarie's whole body as she fumbled hurriedly with the remains of Skulduggery's jacket, but the phone she found fell into even more pieces then it had been in previously. The world spun as she looked first at the unconscious, possibly dead form in her lap.