(Valkyrie Cain and Dexter Vex love story)The Descendants

The 'sleepover'

I'm sorry for all the short chapters and stuff but this one is long, I promise. I'm just adding a small note, I changed the amount of time Valkyrie was in Meek Ridge for from 5 years to 14 years. So Alice is 17 now and Valkyrie would be 33. Also, it's mentioned in the Death Bringer that Alice had blue eyes, but I'm making them different in this because there is a scene I'm planning where their eyes have to be similar and I can't be bothered to work harder. Yes, I am guilty of being lazy.

Valkyrie Cain clutched a plump pillow to her chest as she curled up on the couch in Skulduggery Pleasant's house surrounded by the dead men, Tanith and China.

"So, what was the whole point of calling a sleepover on my first night back?" Valkyrie asked, getting comfy on the couch by punching the pillows.

"What do you mean? Reason? Pft, there's not a reason. Why can't we just want to hang out with our BFF?" Tanith laughed unconvincingly. She was hiding something. All of them were. Valkyrie hadn't noticed it before when she was swamped by the worry of her arrival. But now that she was in a calm state of mind she could see all the signs of the 'sleepover' being a private work meeting. Valkyrie shot her friends a sceptical look.

"Really? You're all tense and stuff. We wouldn't have a sleepover at Skulduggery's house with boys, especially Dexter."

"Why especially me?" Dexter asked with a grin and a raised eyebrow. " Don't you like me anymore Skulduggery?"

"Of course I still like you. Unfortunately, Valkyrie seems to like you even more than I do. She seems especially comfortable with your shirts staying in your cupboard." Skulduggery replied bitterly.

"I swear he's like a second father to me." Valkyrie rolled her eyes and let her hair fall in front of her face to hide her blush. She pretended to ignore what Skulduggery had just blatantly said. "Plus, Skulduggery would have told me to go home and see my family."

Valkyrie caught sight of a collective flinch among the group. "This has something to do with my family, doesn't it?" she paled. When she didn't get an answer other than a few guilty looks she bolted to the front door. Dexter caught her around her waist as she ran past and pulled her back.

She struggled and the more that she squirmed the tighter he held her. Eventually, she broke free and he had to push her to the ground and sit on her. Valkyrie tried not to enjoy it, she really did. But she failed miserably. The only thing stopping her from blushing and smiling was the fact that her family was in trouble. When she realized she wasn't stronger than Dexter, she gave in and sucked in deep breaths of air.

"Damn, you're stronger than you look," he grumbled.

"Says the one who's sitting on me," she muttered.

"Val, you have to stay calm when we tell you this, okay?" Tanith asked her slowly. By the look on her face, Valkyrie could tell it was very serious.

"What's wrong with my family? Tell me," she spoke firmly and assertively, all the playfulness leaving her voice completely.

"Look, a lot has happened since you were here last. Just stay and let us give you the briefing." Saracen instructed her calmly.

"Fine." Valkyrie sighed angrily. "Vex, get off me, would ya?"

"Not a chance, princess," he replied with a grin.

"Our psychics have been having visions lately. It started off a rumour, that turned into a slightly bigger rumour that turned into truth when we received a call from Cassandra Pharos and after her Finbar Wrong." China ignored the whole situation between Dexter and Valkyrie (which, by the way, Skulduggery was keeping a close eye socket on), and barreled straight into business.