VALDUGGERY - catch me when I fall

"what took you so long?" she asked gruffly, turning away and willing her face to stop burning.

"you looked like you had it pretty much under control..." he said in that velvet voice of his walking over. "you look hurt." he said suddenly coming over and tapping her rib lightly.

Valkarie jerked away though most of her just wanted to hug him. Her ribs burned. She let out a hiss and said in a pained voice,

"just my ribs, we should get to Nye."

Valkarie didn't like going to see Nye, not just because he had once dissected her. But because he knew who she was, more to the point he knew who Darquess was and whenever she visited he made sure she didn't forget it.

They walked back through the streets, Valkarie trying to hide just how much her ribs were hurting and how tired and heavy her legs were after all that running.

Suddenly the path swung away from her and she gasped as Skulduggery picked her up in one swooping movement then carted on walking.

"Where did you get hit?" he asked but Valkarie was in a state of minor shock and only snapped out of it when she heard herself say.

" my ribs, I think a few are broken, I didn't see it coming." she felt Skulduggery tense and waited for him to respond. When he did she couldn't help gasping.

"I'm an idiot. I thought you could handle him, a rouge vampire but it seems I was mistaken. I'm not saying that you couldn't have handled it on your own. But sometimes I forget that you need protection. And I promise that I'm going to be the one there to protect you. You will never have to ight battles on your own ever again. Next time I will be there for you, I'm sorry that I couldn't stop it."

the pain in his voice was too evident for Valkarie's liking but she didn't say anything as the Bentley came into view. She was thinking about how he was holding her and how much she wanted to tell him, right now just how she felt. How he ad liked him since the day they met and how over the years that had turned into love, love for him. As if he knew what she was thinking, the bony arms warped themselves more tightly around her until it felt like Skulduggery was protectively cradling her.

They reached the Bentley and it took all of Valkarie's will to not wrap her arms more tightly around him, to not let go. But she clenched her jaw and sat in aimed silence the whole way to the Sanctuary.

She had first started to have feelings for Skulduggery after he saved her life. An inexperienced in the world of magic twelve year old she had been thrown into Skulduggery's world and at first it'd all been to overwhelming. But he was something to hold onto, to believe in, someone who saw her as an equal. When he had been kidnapped by Serpine she had lost her partner, Stephanie Egdly had left, Valkarie Cain had come to take her place. She had re created herself for him. And when that red hand had been turned on her, she had been pulled out of near death by him. She still remembered how he had attacked Serpine after he saw her hurt. Her crush had only been small then, but it grew.

Once she had become Valkarie completely her training with Skulduggery had begun. She had definitely needed it though, the Grotesquery had been one hell of a challenge. Valkarie remembered how scared she had been as they had headed out to fight the half god at full strength. One look from Skulduggery had evaporated any fear she had, he made her brave. He made her who she wanted to be.

Valkarie still remembered how she had died inside when Skulduggery had been taken from her. Soon her life had been devoted to getting him back. The nights she had lost sleep thinking about how much he meant to her, the times she had been disappointed still haunted her now, the feeling of being utterly helpless. But then how he wasn't able to speak when she found him. How she came back again and again. Valkarie had never loved anyone more in her life.