So it continues! :D I don't have much else to say, really. XD

However, we come to a probably well-known conclusion. Jack and Marina are not in love. Try as they may, no love is to be seen, much to the chagrin of the parents.

Oh well. At least...love is blossoming SOMEWHERE, right? ;)

This chapter is shorter, yes, but it was mainly to cover some of the events that take place before, during, and after dinnertime. :3 Next time around, we'll flesh out some more things that come together during the days that the Finkelsteins are visiting.

It was nearing dinner time at the Skellington manor, and this was when Frederick pulled his son aside so they could talk for a moment. Their guests were now getting settled into their rooms and relaxing, and having the chance to change for dinner. Sally was of course sharing a room with Marina, so that she would be more comfortable than a room on her own.

So now, in his office, Frederick faced his son with look of concern. "Jack, I want to know something. Is everything all right?"

Jack blinked, a little puzzled as to why his father was asking that. "Why of course. Everything is fine. Why do you ask?"

"Son... I couldn't help but notice that you and Marina didn't seem to talk very much." Frederick explained, and sighed. "You two seem to get along all right. I don't understand why you two didn't interact."

"Oh." Jack realized, and he shrugged. "I don't know, Father. I do like Marina, she is a very kind and intelligent girl, and I think she would be a fitting Queen. There is nothing wrong with her at all." He said honestly. "I just simply don't know her very well. It'll just take time to get to know her."

Frederick was silent for a moment, but then addressed the next part of the issue. "I can understand that, son. However...your mother and I couldn't help but notice that you seemed to pay more attention to her sister, Sally, more than her."

This made Jack's eye sockets widen, and realize that it was true. He did talk to Sally more than Marina did ever since the Finkelsteins had arrived. Was that really such a bad thing? "Well...yes, I suppose I did. But, I assure you that I did not mean to make it seem like I was ignoring or avoiding Marina. Not at all. I was, yes, more caught up in talking to Sally. I couldn't help it, Father. I like Sally, too. She's very sweet, charming, and even though she's very shy, I enjoy talking to her."

"I understand that, and I am glad you're getting along with them both. However, I do think you should apologize to Marina. It was unfair to ignore her, though I knew that you did not intend to do so." Frederick informed him.

"I will, Father." Jack nodded. "I just hope she understands."

What Jack didn't realize, was the double meaning to that statement. None the less, he knew what he had to do, and he was going to make sure to set things well and straight, and hope that Marina understood that he was not purposefully neglecting her.

At the same time, he wondered why he was so drawn to Sally like he was. Why she seemed so much more compelling in comparison to Marina. He didn't get it at all.

Hopefully answers to his questions would make themselves clear soon, but Jack had a feeling that probably wasn't to be.

When the Finkelsteins were invited down to dinner, Jack took Marina aside, out to the garden to talk in private. He hoped she wasn't too offended, but whatever it took, he would make it up to her. While he may not have been entirely enthusiastic about marrying a woman he barely knew, he was still going to make a very concerted effort to make her feel respected and well-treated. She was a nice woman, and she did deserve to be treated well.

Much to his surprise, Marina actually wasn't angry at all. In fact, she was very understanding and even encouraged that he get along well with her sister.

"Really, Jack...I'm not mad or offended." Marina assured with a friendly smile. "In fact, I'm actually really happy that you and Sally were talking so much and getting along today. You see, well, she really doesn't have any friends at all." She said this with a bit of a sad look before smiling again. "But she really likes you, you know. I'm glad she has someone to talk to. And if you like talking to her, well, why not? I don't have any problem with that."

Jack was taken aback at this. Sally...had no friends? He could not understand why that was. Sally was such a sweet and charming girl, and very easy to talk to. Why didn't she have friends? What was not to like about her? Sure, she was shy and probably couldn't approach people very well, but once you got her to sit down and talk to you, she was really great to talk with. Was there something more to all of this that he didn't know, or was she really just that shy, and didn't get out much?

"I mean...you do like talking to her, right? Please, Jack...don't just talk to her because you feel you have to." Marina said, and bit her lip. "I really don't want her feelings hurt."

Managing to regain himself, Jack placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. "I assure you Marina, that I'm not just being nice to her. I do truly like Sally and I enjoy talking to her. I wouldn't lie about that kind of thing, and I also wouldn't talk to her this much just to 'be nice'. Still," He smiled kindly. "You are a great sister for thinking of her feelings and looking out for her. I'm sure she appreciates that very much."

"Thanks, Jack." Marina smiled. "I'm glad you understand. I just don't want her to get hurt. But I'm glad you like her and enjoy talking to her. That's a great thing. Like I said, she likes you too. You've been really nice and even patient with her when she gets shy. I'm glad. She could use a nice friend like you."

Chuckling, Jack let go of her shoulders and smiled more. "I hope I can be a good friend to her like you are."

"I do my best." The green-haired woman said, and then gestured to the door. "Shall we go inside? I think Daddy might be wondering where we are. Your butler DID say it was time for dinner, right?"

"Oh! Right, he did." Jack nodded and went to the back door, opening it up. "Ladies first." He smiled, winking.

Marina giggled and walked inside. "I guess chivalry isn't as dead as we all are, is it?"

Jack gave a laugh. "No, I suppose it isn't. Not while I'm around!"

Dinner was...a mixed bag, you could say.

To begin with, Sally was seated right across from Jack. Unfortunately, on her left side was Dr. Finkelstein, who was a little too keen to keep an eye on her and make sure she didn't "step out of line" at all. Now she felt nervous and hesitant, since talking to Jack would only be interpreted as her wasting his time or something like that. She only spoke to him when spoken to, and tried not to veer off into long discussions, as much as she wanted to.

Even while the Lord doctor was talking to Frederick, who was at the head of the table nearest him, Sally still knew her creator was not going to let her off easy.

Marina sat next to Jack, which had been decided by their parents in order to get them closer and to talk more. Unfortunately, for them anyway, even that didn't encourage them. Sure, they still talked a bit, especially now that there was more of an understanding between them, it just still didn't spark any attraction between them at all.

Jack was still even trying to talk to Sally, but he could see that she was holding back. He wondered what was wrong, and why she was quieter and more nervous. He couldn't help but wonder if her father had something to do with it, considering he almost always looked at her, especially out the corner of his eyes behind his dark glasses.

On top of that, as much as Jack tried not to stare, he couldn't help but feel captivated with how beautiful Sally looked. Gone was the regular (but still charming) patchwork dress. It was replaced by a midnight blue simple velvet dress, with a silver trim on the hem of the sleeves, skirt, and along the empire waist. Her rusty red hair was pulled into a single, long braid that was pulled over one shoulder, and even had orange and black roses weaved into it. She even wore light makeup, just enough to enhance her very expressive facial features. Her stitches along her arms, neck, collarbone, and face only seemed to enhance her very much.

The moment he'd seen her before they all sat down to eat, he couldn't look away.

Marina certainly looked beautiful as well, with her blood red strapless gown, the deep red gossamer veil wrap she wore around her shoulders and arms and her jade hair tied into a bun. She too wore some light makeup, which all the more enhanced her drop-dead beauty. Not that she was trying to steal Jack's attention, she was only dolling herself up for the sake of appearances.

It was obvious that she had done up Sally for the event tonight, giving her one of her dresses that she'd brought along, and doing her hair and makeup. Marina felt pretty proud of her work, and felt really amused with the fact that Jack couldn't take his eyes off her.

Jack was now asking Sally a question regarding a very well-known fact of the Kingdom, Halloween. He hoped this would gear her up a bit, especially since she had earlier expressed with regret that she had never seen a complete Halloween celebration.

"Tell me, what would you say is a reason we scare people, Sally?" Jack asked with a smile.

Sally looked surprised at the question, but was very intrigued by the topic. "Oh, well...I think..." She pondered a good answer, but having very little knowledge aside from researching in book, she wasn't quite sure how to put it correctly.

"Jack my boy, you can't possibly ask her such a thing. It's highly debatable!" Dr. Finkelstein cut in. "She wouldn't know, not in the least!"

"Daddy!" Marina said, clearly annoyed. "Let Sally talk. Jack asked her a question, a very legitimate question, and I think it'd be rude if you prevented her from doing so. I think he'd like to hear what she has to say."

Jack gave a nod, keeping as cool and calm and professional as possible. "Yes, Doctor. I would like to know what Sally has to say about it."

Sighing, Dr. Finkelstein grumbled before muttering an apology, though not toward Sally, and turned back to Frederick.

"Please, go ahead, Sally." Jack told her, his smile returning.

After a brief pause, Sally decided to offer her opinion as best as she could. "W-Well...don't quote me on this...as I don't really have a huge knowledge of Halloween as I wish I could have. ...However, I think...that deep down...people need an outlet...and being scared by something...especially from the elements of Halloween, kind of feeds that outlet. Deep down...people do like to be scared...challenged, in a sense."

Marina blinked, and considered her sister's input on the subject. Surely, she'd asked Sally once or twice about this, but back then she wasn't as informed and wasn't sure of the topic, and was even unsure because she didn't want to make an incorrect assumption. Now that she knew a bit more, it was no wonder she thought of a pretty good answer. She smiled. "That's pretty good, sis. I never thought of it that way before!"

Jack smiled all the more, giving a few rapid nods. "Sally, that's a very good answer! I have certainly seen it in that sense before, yes, but you certainly put it very eloquently."

A blush tinted Sally's cheeks as she looked down at her lap bashfully, toying with the fabric of her dress, mumbling a soft "thank you" to them both. It was surprising to think that she actually came up with a good answer that not only impressed her sister, but Jack of all people as well? The very Pumpkin Prince? Considered to be the scariest of them all, aside from his father? Her heart would have skipped a beat if she had one. None the less, she felt pretty good for having actually managed to come up with a good answer.

Sally then reached for the canister of crickets, all the while Jack reached over for the bottle of Wolf Creek Ginger Ale that was sitting near it. Their hands ended up brushing together, causing them to all but freeze up at the contact. Once more Sally blushed and looked away shyly, slowly withdrawing her hand. Jack also, looked away with a bashful look and managed a soft "Sorry" before he too pulled his hand back. After a few moments, both of them ended up reaching at the same time for what they had been originally trying to retrieve, and ended up bumping hands again.

Marina giggled, but tried not to divert their attention.

"Sorry..." Sally pulled her hand away again.

"It's all right." Jack managed, smiling goofily as he took the bottle.

Little did they realize that both sets of parents noticed this exchange. It was something you would see in a cliché romance story, especially between two people who were falling in love.

Frederick and Patricia exchanged glances. It was obvious to them now, whether Jack knew it or not, that he was attracted to Sally. More so than with Marina.

Dr. Finkelstein and Jewel exchanged looks as well before both of them shook their heads. They knew now full well that Sally was infatuated with Jack, and they did not like that one bit.

It's just a silly infatuation. It'll pass. All four of them thought.

Marina, however, had different thoughts in mind. Oh, they're so attracted to each other...Hee hee! Maybe they'll fall in love and get me off the hook!

The dinner went on, just as pretty much unexpected as a whole, but expected, what with how certain things unfolded over the course of the day.

After dinner, as promised, Jack took Marina and Sally up to the tower. Along the way, Jack noticed that although Sally could walk just fine for a rag doll, she did still have some physical problems. When going up the stairs, she even stumbled a couple of times. So Jack had taken her hand, and helped her along the way, making sure she was all right and asking her so.

Sally was blushing the entire time, and could not get over the wonderful feeling of her hand being held safely in Jack's bony hand.

Finally, they made it up to the observatory tower. It was very round, with the staircase coming up in the middle of the room. An all-around, panoramic view of the town and the hills and trees out back were featured through the large windows. A telescope stood nearby, looking out toward the town. Therewas also a desk, a few bookshelves with a rolling ladder, an electric chair, and some other paraphernalia. A ghost dog sat in the corner, and barked happily as he came to greet them.

"Zero! There you are!" Jack greeted happily, petting his head. "Girls, this is my dog, Zero."

"Hey, Zero!" Marina waved at him. She was more of a cat person, but she did like dogs just the same.

"Hello Zero..." Sally knelt down and scratched behind his ears. Zero happily barked and snuggled up against her.

"Awwww! I think he likes you, Sally!" Marina giggled.

Jack grinned as well, chuckling. "He loves girls, and you're giving him attention, it's no wonder. He also has a sense of how people are, so if they're nice, he likes them."

"That certainly makes sense..." Sally smiled, and continued petting Zero. She then stood up, and walked over to the windows, and was just in awe.

Being so high up, you could see the entire town, and even the dead plains beyond. The pumpkin sun was setting behind the faraway mountains, which was absolutely breathtaking. The shadowed, bright light of the hour of twilight bathed the entire atmosphere, and even poured into the room as well.

It was beautiful. She had never seen such a view like this before, which was no wonder she seemed to find it the most beautiful. It made her feel as if she were looking at the sun for the first time in her existence. She almost wanted to place her hands against the pane of the glass and lean out for a better look, but held back.

Feeling a presence beside her, she almost expected Marina to have joined up next to her, but when she turned her head a bit, she was surprised to see that Jack had come up beside her! She blushed, and looked away a little.

"What do you think?" Jack said softly, looking down at her with a smile.

"It's..." Sally looked out the window again. "It's absolutely beautiful. I've never seen anything like it."

"Yes, very beautiful..." Jack murmured dreamily, though he didn't quite realize that he wasn't talking about the view at all.

Marina did, and giggled from where she was near the back of the room.

"May I...May I look through the telescope?" Sally asked shyly, looking down at the floor.

Jack grinned widely. "Of course, Sally! Go right ahead, point it to anywhere you like."

Beaming, Sally tiptoed over to the telescope, and peered through the lens. The views of some of the buildings, the sight of people walking around, was amazing at how close they seemed through a telescopic lens. She'd looked through microscopes before, but never quite had the chance to use a pair of binoculars or a telescope. It was so fascinating. She almost wished it were nighttime, so that she could look up at the stars and have a better view of the constellations, and even mark them down.

Sally guided the telescope around the town, and toward the mountains, fascinated with seeing them somewhat close-up. "Wow..." She stood up straight, gently repositioning the viewpoint to where it had been before.

"My turn!" Marina chortled, and trotted over to the telescope to look through it.

Giggling, Sally looked over toward Jack, and brought her hands behind her back shyly. "Jack...I...I wanted to...to thank you for showing us this room... It was really nice of you..."

"You're very welcome!" Jack smiled, giving a little bow. "You two are my guests and I will see to it that you have a lovely time here. It was my pleasure to show you two the observatory, I had a feeling you'd like it!"

"Told you so!" Marina giggled, winking toward Jack.

Jack chuckled, and stood along with Sally once more as they enjoyed the view together.