The Sparrow Flies North for the Summer (Valduggery)

All We Can

Valkyrie sat down next to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders protectively. Ever since the... the incident, he'd been acting weird. He hardly spoke. He hadn't moved off the couch since they'd come in, other then a quick trip up to his room to change. He didn't even react to her arm around him.

Skulduggery Pleasant was in shock. Proper, whole-felt shock.

"Is there anything I can do?" She asked, squeezing him gently.

He shook his head.
At least he'd responded.

"Are you okay now?" She said softly, not wanting to push him, but needing to know. "Would you be able to answer a few questions?"

He didn't respond.

She sighed, but slid off the couch and knelt in front of him. She gently lifted his chin so that he was looking at her.

"Listen," she said, "I know, alright? I know exactly how you feel. Wanting to help, but powerless to stop it. So close and yet so far.

"But I've gotten over it; I've decided that what's done is done, there's no need to worry..."

She smiled at him, and though it was pained, he managed to tilt his head slightly.

"You did everything you could, Skul, but feeling sorry for yourself for past mistakes won't change things in a hurry. You need to come back to us. Because that thing -I'm going to presume it was the shadow monster that did this- that thing is still out there. And as far as we're aware, it's killing. No more people need to die today, Skul.

"We just need you to talk to us."

She put as much love into the words, as much empathy, as she could muster. Darquesse had killed hundreds of people; she'd had to watch. She knew what it was like to have been able to do something, but at the same time...

"It was the shadow-thing." He whispered. Her head snapped to attention. "It came out of no where... I tried to hold on, but it attacked me, and Ghastly..." he shuddered, "Ghastly panicked and pushed away. I thought he'd be able to keep himself up, but the thing it... it went after him.

"And then he was unconscious. And falling. Fast. So I, I blasted at it and I went after him but..."

He hung his head.

"I wasn't fast enough. I had to see my best friend splat on the road."

His shoulders shook.

She nodded solemnly. "Thank you, Skul. You just rest now, okay? Meditate or whatever; just don't think about it."

He tilted his head questioningly. "But the case...?"

"You're traumatised, Skul. No denying it. I'll come and get you later, but for now... rest. Distract yourself. Get back on your feet."

She smiled lovingly at him.

"Okay?"

He didn't respond for what seemed like an age. But then he spoke.

"I love you, Val."

She froze, not expecting those words. He... he actually... could he...

She stared at him long and hard, and he just stared back. Looking for an answer.

She panicked.

"I... I have to go... Rest, okay?"

She kissed the top of his head and hurried out of the room, not looking back.

He sat there for a while, his head tilted at an angle that would suggest he was deep in thought.
And then, so suddenly you couldn't see him stand up, he lithely stalked to the stairs and closed the door of his room.