Daddy's Girl
By TheLostPumpkinPrincess112495
This story is dedicated to my daddy; whose name is, ironically, Jack.
5-year-old Isabella Noel Skellington sat on the floor of the living room in Skellington Manor. She played with a vampire-teddy bear from the Christmas fiasco about 7 years ago. The little rag-doll was sitting there, minding her own business, when a pair of skeletal hands grabbed her and threw her in the air.
She squealed with joy. "Daddy! You scared me!" she kissed Jack's cheek and threw her arms around his shoulders.
Jack grinned and hugged his daughter tightly, "Sorry, Bella. It's a habit. We are the Skellingtons after all. You know what that means?"
Bella looked puzzled "No, daddy. What does it mean?"
Jack tickled her stomach while he said, "It means there's no one scarier than the Skellingtons!"
Bella squealed again, "DADDY! STOP! IT TICKLES!"
"What are you two doing in there?" a voice came from the kitchen. Sally Skellington emerged from behind the door, smiling at her husband and daughter.
"MOMMY! DADDY SCARED ME!" Jack tried his best to look ashamed, but he couldn't hide his skeleton grin.
Sally played along and gasped, "Daddy! Did you scare Bella?" before Jack could answer, Bella nodded. "Now Bella, why would daddy want to scare you?"
Bella grinned and threw her arms around Jack. "Because my daddy's the best at scaring! This is why he's Pumpkin King!" Jack and Sally laughed, Bella was just so adorable, who couldn't be happy around her.
Sally stroked her daughter's blood-red hair, "I'm glad you think that, honey." She kissed Jack, "I have to run over to the doctor's right quick. He has a horrible headache and Jewel needs my help to make some soup to reveal it."
Jack grinned, "Deadly Nightshade, I presume?"
Sally winked, "You know it. I'll be back in an hour or so. Supper's on the stove if you get hungry," She kissed Bella's forehead and Jack again, "Be good."
"No promises."
"Bye, mommy." Jack could see Sally roll her eyes as she walked out the door.
Jack looked at Bella and kissed her nose, "Okay, Sleigh-Bell! What should we do first?"
Bella tapped her chin with her pale blue fingers, "Let's eat. I'm hungry!"
"Okay." Jack threw Bella on his shoulders, "To the kitchen. AWAY!" Bella giggled as Jack ran to the kitchen with his fist in the air, like a super hero.
Sally had made rat tails and spider stew before she left. They happily ate, while making faces at each other.
Soon after they ate, Bella started to hum to herself. Jack knew the song she was humming, so he scooped her up in his arms and spun her around the living room; humming with her. Bella giggled as her and her daddy danced all around the living room.
After a while they got tired and sat on the couch.
Jack picked Bella up and placed her in his lap, "So, honey, what do you want to do next?"
Bella thought, and then her eyes lit up. "I know!" she hopped off of Jack's lap and ran up-stairs. She soon came back with a fairy-tales book. Jack chuckled; he already knew what story she wanted. She handed him the book and hopped back in his lap.
Jack opened the book and turned to 'Beauty and the Beast' and began to read.
'There once was a rich man who had six children-three daughters and three sons.
After a lifetime of good luck, the man suddenly fell upon hard times. His house burned down, his ships sank at sea, and his business partner ran off with all his money.
He and his children were forced to move into a small cottage in the country, where they lived on food they raised themselves. His oldest daughters were unhappy with this change, but the youngest, named Belle, tries to make their new life as comfortable as possible.
One day the man heard that one of his ships sailed safely into harbor. He decided to go to see this for himself, even though it was a long ride.
His children asked their father to bring back expensive presents for them, but Belle asked only for her father's safe return.
"Isn't there anything I can bring you, Belle?" asked her father.
"If you see one, I would like to have a rose," she said, for Belle missed the beautiful gardens of their old home.
Belle's father reached the port safely, only to find that the ship had been robbed and that he was now poorer than before. Making his way back home through a thick forest, the unlucky man was lost in a terrible snowstorm.
Suddenly, up ahead, he saw a row of flowering trees and at the same time felt warm air on his face!
The father had stumbled upon an enchanted castle. He explored the gardens, where no snow had fallen, then went inside, even though no one would answer the door.
He found a cheerful little room with a table of fresh food waiting for him. He ate hungrily then fell asleep in front of the fire.
The next morning there was still no sign of anyone, so the man got ready to leave. On his way through the gardens, he picked a rose for Belle. Suddenly, an awful beast appeared, as if it by magic! "Is this how you thank me? I feed and shelter you and then you steal from me?" said the beast.
The man begged for his life, explaining that the rose was for one of his daughters.
The beast said that he would not kill the man but would accept one of his daughters instead. He promised to treat her kindly if she would come to live with him.
The man returned home and told his children what had happened. All six children agreed since Belle's rose had started the trouble, she must be the one to go. The very next day, she rode away bravely with her father.
Again they found no one in the enchanted castle, and again supper was set on the table. But this time the beast appeared as they finished eating. Belle was frightened by the beast's terrible face, but he spoke to her gently, asking if she would stay with him to save her father's life.
Belle told the beast she would stay. So her father left her there, although it broke his heart, and she made the beast's castle her home. Belle has her own big room with mirrors for walls and a clock that woke her by calling out her name. She spent her days alone, exploring the wonders of the enchanted castle.
Every night she sat down to dinner with the beast. He was quite fierce-looking, but his voice was quiet and gentle, and he always spoke kindly to Belle. Soon she was no longer afraid of him and found herself growing more and more fond of him.
In fact Belle came to looking forward to their quiet evenings together.
After dinner they would walk through the beautiful gardens and talk of many things. No matter what they spoke of, the beast would ask Belle the same question every night.
"Am I very ugly?" he asked her.
"Yes, you are," she would always answer, "But I like you anyway."
"Then will you marry me, Belle?" he would ask.
"Oh, please do not ask me this question," she would say to the beast.
Belle was happy in the magical castle, and she had grown very fond off the beast. But she missed her own home, her brothers and sisters, and her loving father.
One night in the garden she asked the beast to let her go home for a visit. He made her promise to come back in two months and gave her two magical trunks to fill with presents for her family. No matter how much she packed, the trunks were never full.
Then the beast gave her a ring with a large jewel in it and told her it would take her home and then bring her back. All she had to do was turn it on her finger and she would be home the next day!
The next morning Belle awoke to the sound of her father's voice! She was home in her own bed. Her family was very happy to see her. Her father's luck had finally returned, and his family was rich once more.
As weeks passed, Belle missed the beast's castle where she had been so happy. But most of all she missed the beast. She spent hours thinking of their long talks at dinnertime, and she fondly remembered their evening strolls through the beautiful gardens.
Belle found that she growing restless among her family, but she was afraid to tell them that she wanted to leave. She did not want to break her father's heart again.
One night she put the magic ring on her finger and looked into the jewel. There she saw the beast, lying in his garden. He seemed to be dying!
Belle turned the ring on her finger and was magically returned to the enchanted garden. Suddenly she was by the side of the beast. He was so weak he could not speak. She lifted his head, and he opened his eyes to look at her one last time.
"Oh, please do not die!" cried Belle. "I never knew it before, but I love you!"
At Belle's words there was a sudden flash of light, and the beast leaped up. Belle saw that her ugly friend had changed into a handsome prince! Belle's love had freed the prince from a terrible spell. Since the two already loved each other, they were married and lived happily ever after in the enchanted castle. The End.'
Jack finished and closed the book. He looked down at Bella, surprised to find that she had fallen asleep. Jack smiled to himself as his rag-doll princess slept soundly on his chest. His leg had fallen asleep and was tingling from going numb, but he didn't dare move, risking waking up Bella.
Jack felt his eye-lid grow heavy, and before he knew it, he had drifted to sleep as well.
Sally was gone longer than she meant to be, by an hour at least. She came in through the front door hanging up her coat, "Jack! Bella!" she called. No answer. She walked into the living room and what she saw made her awe to herself quietly. Her king and princess had fallen asleep on the couch.
Jack had the giant fairy-tale book in one hand and an arm wrapped around Bella; who rested her head on his chest.
Sally, very quietly, got a blanket from the closet, and snuggled on the couch with them. Careful not to wake them she threw the blanket over them and she, got closer to Jack, and soon enough, fell to sleep with them.
THE END