Thankeez to all the reviewers!!! Here ya go!!! Chocolate chip cookies for everyone!!! Don't worry—my mom made them, not me. Personally, I don't think I can cook. ^_^;

And yup, you guessed it—Merle is the Sugarplum Fairy!!!!

P.S. I bumped up the rating from PG to PG13. I knew I'd have to do it eventually. Anywayzerz, rated for alcohol, the odd bad lil' word, and possibly blood in future chaps.

On a final note: I realized that after I'd written this chapter, I had neglected to include a description of Merle in her Sugarplum Fairy regalia. Since my brain has taken a vacation without my permission, I'll save her descrippie for the next chapter. Speaking of the next chapter, originally, I was gonna have 1 long super-chap, but by the time I'd finished the first ½, it was already longer then my average chapter length (that being 4 pages in Verdana font, whereas this is 6 pages in Verdana).

And for the disclaimer's: From now on, see first chap. Thank you and leave me alone, lawyers!!!

Now, to the story!!!!

* * * Nightmare Harlem—Chapter 3—The Sugarplum Fairy and Ballroom Dancing—Part 1* * *

Hitomi's heart was pounding. Why? Hell, if she knew that, it wouldn't be pounding, now, would it? OK, it still might be pounding even if she knew, but then it would be if she nearly lost her life or saw a ghost or something.

Oh. That's right. She had seen a ghost. The Harlequin. Personally, she preferred calling him Van, although the few times she had so far, he had seemed a bit unused to being called it.

But oh gods!!! She'd just flown all the way from the freaky place she landed in all the way to this gorgeous palace in his arms!!! She kept telling herself that it was the flying that was giving her goosebumps, not him, but her heart just didn't seem to listen.

So she was here now, in his palace, with no sign of the Sugarplum Fairy. According to Van—er, the Harlequin—she'd gone out shopping for a party that was to be held that night.

"Hitomi…"

"Heya, Harle."

Harlequin raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Harle. You have a problem with being called that?"

He sighed, sounding somewhat exhausted. "Nope."

"Good!"

The Harlequin paused for a moment. "Umm…Hitomi?"

"Yea?"

"Umm…would you like to go to that party?"

"I'd have nothing to wear."

"We could find something."

"Really? Ok, then. Why?"

"Because if I don't get a member of the female race to go with me, I will be subject to mass glomping by rabid women who think I'm cute but who also think that every single guy in this damned dimension is  cute and who in reality need to get a life, because throwing yourself at the feet of every single male you meet is not what I call having a life."

Hitomi giggled. "You must be funny to watch at these parties. All the women…begging for "a minute" with you…you throwing a tantrum because this happens at every single party—"

"—Correction." Van interrupted. "It happens everywhere."

"Ok, everywhere—" Hitomi paused. "What did you mean when you said "damned dimension"?  Is that where we are? In another dimension of some sort?"

"Yup. Welcome to the Nightmare Harlem. Another dimension to the one you're used to, whatever that may be called."

"Why's it called the Nightmare Harlem?"

"Dunno. So, getting back on topic, will you go with me to the party?"

"You never mentioned I'd be going with you."

He rolled his eyes. "And who else would you be going with?"

"Trying to snag a date?"

He began blushing grey again, but when he next made eye contact with her, there was a light of challenge in his eye. "What happens if I say 'yes'?"

Now it was Hitomi's turn to blush. Van silently cheered in triumph. Then an idea crossed his mind. Turning to Hitomi, he spoke. "Stay here for a minute, kay? I'll just run upstairs and grab a few dresses for you to where to the party."

"Did I say I was going?"

Then Hitomi heard Van's voice come out of thin air, followed by her own. Somehow, Van had recorded a past snippet of their conversation and was now playing it. [A/N: Conversation is in bold. Italics is used only for Hitomi thinking and Van speaking.]

'"Umm…Hitomi?"

"Yea?"

"Umm…would you like to go to that party?"

"I'd have nothing to wear."

"We could find something."

"Really? Ok, then—"'

Van smirked, while Hitomi slapped herself on the head.

"Do you not wanna go?"

"Oh no—I still plan on going."

"Then I'll be going now to get you a dress." And with that, he was gone.

One thing Hitomi did NOT like about Van—his personality changed so quickly. If Van had any mental disorder at all—or rather, if he had any mental disorder when he was alive—Hitomi was positive it would've been Bipolar Disorder. That was a mental problem which was marked by alternating episodes of happiness and depression. People with Bipolar disorder often had terribly sudden mood changes, thus making them very unpredictable. Van didn't seem too bad with his mood changes though, so Hitomi brushed it off as it being "just him" and sat down to wait and see whatever dress Van chose to bring down for her.

Meanwhile…

Van, the little demon eternal (A/N: Don't ask) had 2 dress picked out for her. The first one was an elegant sleeveless pink silk dress, and the second one was a bright red number with a plunging neckline that would majorly show off her cleavage. His reasons for picking the red one? None, really. Only that he wanted to see her cheeks flush when she saw the dress. He knew from the little conversation he'd had with her that she wouldn't be caught dead in such a dress. He just wanted to embarrass her.

And then, horror upon horrors, there was the sound of the front door being thrown open, hitting the wall, and bouncing off due to the sheer strength with which it had been thrown open. This was followed by the voice that haunted his dreams—okay, make that his nightmares.

"I'M H-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-M-M-M-E-E!!!" Merle yelled.

(A/N: No, I swear, I don't hate Merle!!! She's not my fave, but she's OK!!! I swear by it!!! NO-O-O-O!!! *screams as Merle fans proceed to kill her—the authoress, not Merle*)

* * * * *

The trio were now seated in the parlour. Needless to say, Van was Not Happy. Merle had done nothing but shriek her head off at Hitomi, then, once her voice went hoarse, curled up next to Van on the couch, draped her arms around him, and glared at Hitomi. Van figured now that Merle couldn't screech any more, it was as good a time as any to introduce them.

"Okay…" The girls looked at him, expecting him to continue.

"Time for introductions." Merle groaned loudly at this, but was silenced by a glare from Van.

"Hitomi Kanzaki, meet the Sugarplum Fairy, aka Merle. Merle; Sugarplum Fairy, meet Hitomi Kanzaki, our latest guest from the 3rd dimension."

"Greetings." Hitomi gave a phony, albeit warm, smile to Merle.

Merle just scowled.

"By the way…" Hitomi turned her attention to Van "what do you mean when you say 'the 3rd dimension'?" she questioned.

"The first dimension is a straight line. The second dimension is a square. The 3rd dimension is a cube, meaning that it's realistic. You, being an inhabitant of the Earth, are from the 3rd dimension. The fourth dimension is space. Somewhere in there—don't ask me where, I'm not a scientist—is where we are. We're three-dimensional, but we're not of the third dimension."

"Well, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Do I look like a scientist to you?"

"No, you look like a dead guy." Hitomi stated, observing that Van was looking a tad see-through.

Van paused for a moment. Good line on her part. He shrugged. Why not just admit it? That way, he'd have the last word. "Good point." he admitted. "Now, about your dress…"

"What dress?" Merle perked up.

"She's coming to the party with us."

"She is?!!! You didn't tell me that!!!"

"That's because she didn't come until today."

"No fair!!! How come she gets to go?"

"Merle, how is it 'not fair'? It's perfectly fair. You're going, too."

"It—it just isn't!!!" Merle stormed out of the room in a huff, leaving Van and Hitomi alone in the room together. Turning to Hitomi, Van figured he should pick up where he left off.

"Getting back to your dress…"

"What about it?" Hitomi replied. "You got it picked out?"

"Yup. Two of them, actually." Reaching behind the couch he was on, he pulled them both out. "Now, this first one I want your initial reaction on." He pulled out the bright red one with the very low neckline. Hitomi's jaw dropped. Smirking, he put it down. "And this is the one I think you'll actually be wearing." He showed her the pink one.

Hitomi shrieked and pounced, and the next thing Van knew, he was being glomped by an over-enthusiastic Hitomi. "Oh my god!—thank you so much, Van!!! It's gorgeous!!!" she squealed.

"Aww…no biggie." Van replied.

* * * * *

And part one of "The Sugarplum Fairy and Ballroom Dancing" is complete!!! The next chapter will actually have some ballroom dancing, so don't worry. I'm also planning for a lil' alcohol in it—whaddya think?

Review, plz!!! I'll give ya cookies…*holds out plate of chocolate-chip cookies*…and if that's not enough to get you to review…*holds out plate of donuts* take one of these.

Normally, I don't have to bribe my reviewers like this, but like I said at the beginning, my brain has taken a vacation without my permission, so until it comes back, I will be acting very strange.