Hello people of promise and other sentimental stuff like that!
This is Saphia, aka S.J. again!
First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who has read my first story, TOAK: TBE. If you haven't, and feel like you wanna read it, I thank you in advance.
Secondly, I'd like you to know this is a series of oneshots, subtly connected to the TOAK series, and are minor spoilers to the main story itself.
Thirdly, most of these oneshots are either dedications to various people, or stories connected to special events (or both). Or it could be I'm feeling creative (won't happen much).
Lastly, I highly appreciate your reviews and support. And above all, I hope you enjoy my stories. I WUV YOU ALL!

P.S. DON'T GIVE S.K. AND NATRONA CREDIT! :)And Happy Halloween

Disclaimer: I don't own what Tim Burton rightfully owns. And I don't have the heart to steal.

Caring

This is for you, Jasmine, because you're the Sally who cares for me. A lot.

Rating: K
Characters: Shock, Sally.

She couldn't believe it.
She'd done it.
Again.

She, a meek looking ragdoll, simply stood there, staring at her creator, sleeping peacefully due to a dose of Deadly Nightshade.

It came as a shock to her.

She didn't want to do it; and she didn't think she could, either. After all, it was never in her nature to do so, and it had startled her the first time she did it.

It must have startled the Doctor, too, for he was much stricter with her since then.

She stared at her hands; her loosely and carelessly stitched hands.

Why?

She couldn't get it.

She didn't hate the Doctor. In fact, she didn't have anything against him. She was actually grateful to him, that he brought her here, to this world of grim beauty.

Of course, there was someone else she was also grateful to…

But that was another story…

Still…

There must be a reason though, why she would perform this act, which she knew was "wrong". A reason why one would go so far as to do something they detest.

A reason she, Sally, would probably never know.

Yet…

Lately though, she had been hearing conversations from her room up in the tall tower. Conversations about this…this thing. This thing called caring.

She had pestered the Doctor many times to tell her what this thing was, but all he bothered to tell her was, "It is very powerful," before wheeling away.

She looked back at the Doctor one more time, then she silently left the room.

No, she probably would never know.

XOXOXOXO

"Where is it? Where's that key?!"

She knew it was there somewhere. She had seen the Doctor place that key in that drawer many a time. She was sure of it! She was sure it would be there… somewhere there.

But, it… wasn't there.

Ever since the first time she had escaped the Doctor's clutches, he had always locked the front door. So she needed the key.

But where was it?

Once again, she tried looking through the drawer. Maybe she just missed it. Maybe…

"Looking for this?"

Sally turned around. She saw a little girl who was dressed like a witch standing on the table, with the key in her hand, and a sneer on her face. She jumped down from the table and looked up at her.

"It's been a while, huh, Sally?" she smirked. "I see you like my Deadly Nightshade idea."

"I… I don't know what you're talking about." Sally stammered, not exactly sure what to say as she gazed down at the wiry-haired witch.

Shock rolled her eyes. "Get real, ragdoll. You pulled off your first Deadly Nightshade trick about 2 days after I gave some to the hanging men. You obviously copied me."

"Well, m-maybe I did, but… that's not important now, is it?" Sally smiled weakly. "Now would you please give me that key?"

Shock hesitated for a moment, and then she started walking towards the ragdoll, who smiled as she extended her hand.

But at the last second, the mischievous witch smiled and grabbed the key just as it was about to fall onto Sally's hands, before running away to a safe distance.

"Heeheehee! I can't believe you believed meeheehee!" She giggled, as she looked at Sally's disappointed face. She turned to the saddened ragdoll.

"Jeez, don't be such a wimp." She muttered, shaking her head.
"But… but I need that key! The Doctor might wake up any moment now!" Sally begged, but to no avail; Shock still showed no pity, as she casually juggled the key around.
"It ain't my problem."

"B-but…"

Shock walked over to her. "Why do wanna go out so badly anyway? I don't think you even have a good enough reason!" She said, crossing her arms.

"But I do!"
"What is it then?"
"Well… um…"

Sally gulped. Shock had her trapped; though she did have a reason why she wanted to go, she couldn't exactly explain it. And Shock most probably wouldn't accept "I have this feeling that I need to go see someone but I don't know why".

She nervously looked at the young witch, who was sneering; it seemed like she could tell that she was winning the argument.

"Think, Sally! Think!" the desperate ragdoll thought to herself. "The Doctor gave you brains, so think!"

Then she noticed something.

Something that might be the witch's weak spot.

"Um, where are… those boys whom you are often with? Why are they not here with you?

Shock's eyes went wide.

"Well, you see… Lock and Barrel were sent on a mission without me, since I'm a girl and everything. And I'm bored without them, so I came here to have a little fun. That's all. " She said, trying her best to sound calm.

But even Sally could detect a hint of anger and annoyance in her voice.

"It's not that I care or anything." She finished. She frowned and crossed her arms again, and she didn't look as cool and collected as before.

Seeing her chance, Sally started to think.
"There's that word again! Care! Oh, if only I knew what that word means, maybe I could answer her! Come on Sally, calm yourself and think! Think how the Doctor does!"

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"Think… what has happened where the word care was about. Both Shock and I are acting a bit funny because of it. Both circumstances happen around people we know and have a special relationship with. Taking that into consideration, the word care means…."

Suddenly, the ragdoll lit up like a light.
"I've got it!"

She must've said it a bit loudly, because it broke Shock's trance.
The little witch turned to her. "Got what?"

Now it was Sally's turn to smile.
"I've got the reason why I'm doing this. I've got the reason why I'm doing this. I understand perfectly now!"

"Whaddaya mean?"

Sally started to bend down to explain to her, but she slapped her hand away and turned her head, not noticing that the hand got ripped off.

Sally sighed, as she went to get her hand. As she got it, she placed it in front of her and went to get her needle and thread from her pocket.

Then she stole a glance at Shock.

The little witch wasn't even looking at the key anymore. In fact, she didn't seem to care. Sally knew she could easily get it and go…

"But no." She thought. "I don't want to. I had never understood the feeling of caring, but I do know, and I want to show that feeling…"

She started stitching her hand back on.

"Shock?"

No answer. Sally continued stitching. She didn't bother looking.

"Shock, I know it's hard for you to admit this to yourself, but I just want you to know, it's okay to like a specific person a lot. Everyone has at least one person, or two, that they like, and it's perfectly natural."

There was still no answer, but Sally continued talking and stitching.

"And even if you feel as if that specific person doesn't return your feelings, don't worry. Remember, there are other people who have the same problems as you."

As Sally stitched her hand on at last, she stood up. She turned, and faced Shock, who remained silent.

"So there's no reason for you to cause trouble to someone who feels the same way as you. "

SLAM!

Sally felt a piece of metal being pushed into her plush-like hand.

She opened her palm, and there sat the key, glimmering in the light of the pumpkin sun.

"I'm sorry!"

The voice made Sally look up a bit, and she saw Shock, still crossing her arms. She looked a bit embarrassed.

Sally smiled a bit; of course, she did say it a bit rudely, but an apology was an apology, and a key was a key. And furthermore, she had gotten a message across, something she wanted to do ever since she first saw the light of day.

She turned back to Shock.

"So yer headed to Town Hall, right? Everyone's gonna be there, after all. Includin' the boys..." she muttered, with a little grumble at the end.

Sally nodded.

"Well, I gotta go now, find someone to prank..." the young witch mumbled, headed for the window, the way she came in.

"Alright then..." Sally answered. She started to walk away.

Then she stopped.

She glanced back at Shock, getting ready to jump.

She actually felt bad for the little witch.

Until today, she had always trusted the rumors. The rumors about her being a mischievous little brat who didn't care about anything.

But now, she knew everyone was just being judgmental.

She could relate. She understood.

And she couldn't seem to go another step.

"You know, you could come with me if you'd like."

She walked towards her, but she pushed her hand away, with a bit less force than before.

"I can't." She sighed. "Not if I wanna stay with the guys. It's bad enough I'm a girl, and I don't have magic powers. I can't make it worse by hanging out with ya. And besides..." she looked the ragdoll in the eye.

"It's not like we're friends or anything."

Sally was taken aback by this sentence. After all this, she would've thought...

"Yeesh. If you're so sensitive. If it'll make ya feel better, let's just say I don't hate ya."

Then Sally heard a THUD. She looked up, and Shock was gone.

She stood still for a moment.

She looked at the key in her hand.

And she smiled.

"She really does care for her friends, doesn't she?"

XOXOXOXO

The Doctor's constant snoring proved he was asleep.

That was good.

And the blanket she gave him would keep him warm.

That was also good.

Sally took the key from her pocket and looked at it.

It was funny really, she thought, that the key, which was annoying her while she was trying to find it, had led her to a valuable lesson.

And she was happy it got misplaced.

KLIK.

Sally smiled, as she put the key back in her pocket.

She had once again managed to escape to the outside world.

She looked at the road to Town Hall, and wondered how Shock was doing now.

She giggled at the thought.

"Goodness, I think I've grown fond of her." she thought to herself.

And so she set off to go to Town Hall, full of a new, special feeling.

"So that's what it was..."

"Caring."

Fin.