A/N:
Azure129: Hi everyone! :) This is just a little epilogue we came up with! We hope you enjoy! Please R&R! Thank you!
NintedoGal: The end has come! Needless to say, it has been sad to put another lovely story to rest, but we hope you all like the finale! :D
The royal wedding was simple, yet elegant. Unexpected, and yet completely expected. It held the simple, somewhat faster-paced running of eloping, and yet everyone in the town was able to see it. When the Mayor was approached about officiating the ceremony, he called a "town meeting", but instead it was the royal wedding. Not just that, but also, considering the event, was also to be the coronation of their new (and first ever) Queen.
Which brings us to right now.
Inside the Town Hall, everyone gathered to witness the joyous occasion of their King getting married to the woman of his dreams, the woman to be their future Queen. All the night before, the tales of their efforts had been told, and it was no wonder that they revered their new soon-to-be Queen.
On the stage, Jack and Sally stood, having at first faced the Mayor as the proclamations had been made. They were then told to recite their vows, which they had originally planned to write. However, they hadn't had the time to do so, considering that they were originally going to marry sometime after Christmas was passed.
None the less, it was a moment for them to speak from their hearts, right on the spot.
They faced each other, and the Mayor prompted Sally to go first. Smiling brightly behind her veil that slightly obscured her face, she began to recite her vows.
"Jack, I... I can't even begin to express the happiness and the joy you bring to me. When we first met, I can only say that it was by far the most wonderful day of my existence, at least back then it was. You not only proved that someone could see me for who I really am, more than just a servant or a crudely made rag doll, but that someone could even love me. The love you have had for me, since I truly knew, is enough to drive a woman to her knees. My only regret is that I never realized it before, and ever since I knew I have had to catch up, to make up for the lost time. But it has been a very worthwhile achievement. Within everything, I knew all the more that you are more than just my best friend. You are my soul mate, the one person I want to share my life with. You have helped me, saved me, treasured me, accepted me, loved me, all from the depths of your heart, and I will spend all of eternity, hoping that you will feel the same from me. That I will help you, save you, treasure you, accept you, and love you with all my heart. It is my promise, from this day, that I pledge my love, my heart, my promise, my trust, my fidelity, my support, my strength, everything I can give, to you. I promise to love, honour, and cherish you...for all time. From this day forward, I promise to be a wonderful wife, and Queen to you, and I promise this with all my heart. I love you more than you know, and on this day, I happily marry you."
By now, her voice had broken, though she remained strong. Tears poured down her face, and she fought back the urge to embrace him. But now wasn't the time, they hadn't been pronounced. As she gathered her confidence, she continued.
"Last night...twice in fact, I almost lost you forever. And I knew, I couldn't bear it if you were gone. I knew more than ever that I would be lost without you. I would have gone on, even if just knowing that you would have wanted that of me. I would have gone on for you if it came to that, despite that I know I would never love another man as I love you. But together, our efforts had not only saved each other, but saved Santa Claus. We have much to be proud of, and we have learned from our mistakes."
She smiled tearfully, and brought one hand to his cheek.
"Jack...from this day forward, just as I promised to be your wife and Queen, forever...I promise you that you will never be alone again. I promise, for all of forever, that I will be right here beside you, and will love you forever. I love you. We're...simply meant to be."
Jack was trembling and in tears and smiling so warmly and completely as she finished saying her vows. He looked at her with all the adoration in the world...His Sally...Always his in some small way...from the first moment he had met her...right up through the depths of their night together last night...and now the beauty of their wedding here and now. He sighed, swallowed, and then finally managed to speak. "Sally...I saw you as a vision from the day I met you...and from then on...you've only proved your perfection that I instinctually recognized within you...Despite all of my bumbling and nervousness, you showed me such kindness and trust...You graced me with your kiss...And then when I admitted my feelings of love for you...you dove into my arms and agreed to be my bride one
day! You had faith in me...you supported me...you saved me...and you have never left me ever since our love became the mutual beautiful dream which it has grown into. In fact you've...only come closer to me...and now we will truly become as close as we can be...forever. Thank you for being with me, Sally...Thank you for letting me be the one to love you..." he finished softly, tears brimming in his eye sockets.
From behind her veil, Sally beamed in such love and adoration, her hands squeezing his own tightly, feeling so touched, seams burning with such warmth at his sweet words.
"And now the rings!" The Mayor announced.
Zero, the appointed ring bearer, floated over with the small pillow in his mouth. The couple smiled happily at the little dog, and Sally petted his head as she reached down to pick up one of the rings.
"With this ring, I, Sally, wed you, Jack..." She said softly, sliding the ring onto his finger.
Jack could have just collapsed in joy! He had daydreamt so often...Marrying Sally...Making Sally his Queen! Sally was the prettiest bride there had ever been: he had known that for so long...and now here she was. "W-W-With this ring, I, J-J-Jack S-Skellington, wed you, S-S-Sally..." He took the ring, almost dropped it twice, but then finally managed to slip it onto her finger. He smiled and looked down shyly and sheepishly.
The townsfolk tried not to laugh, but it was so amusing to see their own ruler actually stumble and stutter a little, and over a woman! So a few muffled chuckles and snickers were heard before everyone settled down.
"We'll now proceed!" The Mayor said jovially. "Do you Sally, take Jack Skellington to your husband, to love and cherish, for all time?"
Beaming, Sally nodded as more tears streamed down her cheeks. "I...I...I do...I do..."
Grinning widely, the Mayor turned to Jack. "Do you Jack Skellington take Sally to be your wife, to love and cherish, for all time?"
"H-Hmm?" Jack could only half mumble at first...He was just gazing at Sally with half lidded eye sockets and thinking that if this was a dream...it sure was a thorough one...and extra thorough if you counted the parts that were supposed to have taken place last night... "O-Oh..." he snapped out of it a tiny bit at a small nudge from Zero to his hip, "I...Oh yes...yes, I do...forever..." he said softly and sweetly.
Sally giggled, unable to keep from smiling. She squeezed his hands lightly in assurance, wordlessly telling him that this was no dream.
"It's my pleasure, as the Mayor of Halloween Town, with the power invested in me, I now pronounce you both husband and wife! The King and Queen of Halloween!" He grinned at Jack and said, "You may now kiss the bride!"
You might as well have told a child who had spent a good year eating only celery that he could walk into a Halloween candy store and consume whatever he wanted to his heart's content! Jack didn't' care if it was or wasn't a dream...
Once the veil was lifted from her face, instantly he took Sally in his arms, spun her around, and planted a kiss right on her perfect lips with the happiest smile ever spreading across his face!
Immediately, Sally was swept away by his kiss and returned it whole-heartedly, throwing her arms around him.
The townsfolk all cheered, while Jewel was crying where she sat with Dr. Finkelstein, who awkwardly but still sincerely tried to comfort her. Still, he smiled at seeing the utter happiness his creation was perpetuating. Free as a bird, happy as a clam. He couldn't have been happier for her, nor could he have been more proud to call her their Queen.
"Mmm..." Jack was learning something very interesting: now that he and Sally had shared the deepest level of intimacy that they could, the desire for it couldn't help but compulsively come over him again even in a moment of lesser intimacy. Oh but he didn't care, he just let himself indulge for a moment-he would pull back when it started to get too far but for now he just wanted to hold her body flush with his and to kiss the lips of the woman who would go from being his bride to being his wife the second their mouths finished this tender gesture. He just about wanted to run away with her into the sunset, carrying her all the way and kissing her and calling her 'Mrs. Skellington' forever...
The excitement of the townsfolk still didn't cease as they cheered, clapped, whistled, and then proceeded to start throwing pumpkin seeds and dead flower petals all around them! Such a display of love, passion and closeness that they were seeing before them now was amazing! They couldn't help but just celebrate all the more!
Oh, Sally could feel that this was going to last... But she didn't care! She was lost in the sweet passion of the moment that they were to become husband and wife... To think that not even a year ago, she was nothing more than just a plain rag doll...a servant, an isolated prisoner. But when she met Jack...everything changed. And led up to this!
Unable to help herself, she brought her arms tighter around him, nearly dropping her little simple bouquet, as she lost herself within the wondrous passion!
Jack could feel her all over him and though he wanted nothing more than to collapse in passion with her he knew he had to stop this right now before anything happened in front of anyone that the two of them might regret... He felt shy enough about getting married in front of everyone but if they all got a live visual of just how insanely intense his and Sally's love could get, he would simply never be able to look anyone in the eye again. Putting his hands on her shoulders, Jack managed to suddenly push his lips back from her lips with a light smacking sound. He stood there smiling with his eye sockets half lidded and his breathing heavy. He whispered to her quietly so that only she would hear and no one else would notice, "W-We'll...We can...g-go back to...that...this...l-later...
Th-That's what a honeymoon's for anyway, heh..." He swallowed nervously.
Although not aware of that, not completely, Sally smiled and giggled. "Of course..."
"Arf!" Zero nudged his master, holding a gold, hoopular object in his mouth.
Jack blinked and looked behind him to the little dog. "Huh? Zero boy, what have you got there?" he asked with interest.
"Arf!" Zero floated up higher, and placed the object into his hand. It was a tiara, with orange diamonds, and a couple of onyxes engraved along it, with a small pumpkin-shaped orange stone.
All of the townsfolk went "Oooohh!" at this, as they realized the exciting moment of the coronation of their first Queen!
"O-Oh..." Sally blinked, eyeing the tiara with curiosity, her eyes wide. She knew that was some kind of an add-on to their marriage that would officially declare her the Queen, but oh goodness, this was just like out of those storybooks she read!
Grinning, the Mayor nodded as well. "It's time, Sally! You are to be crowned our new, and first ever, Queen of Halloween! Please, kneel down before Jack."
Swallowing a bit, Sally smiled, and then knelt down before Jack on one knee.
Jack looked down at her and couldn't help a small, endearing smile coming to his lips. 'Sweetest creature...doesn't she realize how far above me she will always be...? At the very least, we're equals...eternally equals...' Jack cleared his throat and then reached up and took the crown. The crowd went perfectly silent and then Jack addressed Sally. "My dear Mrs. Skellington...I...Jack...the Pumpkin King...have taken you for my wife...and now I take you for my Queen...my eternal Pumpkin Queen...Will you be my Queen, Sally?" he asked sweetly and softly.
Sally looked up at him with such a touched, and very loving gaze as her smile grew. She nodded, and responded sweetly, "I will, Jack...I will be your Queen."
Oh Jack could have just burst! He could have just burst wide open with love and felt all of his bones collapse and... But he managed to just sigh and nod... "V-Very well, then...Th-Thank you..." And then he smiled more and knelt down on both knees right in front of her. He held out the crown a little. "Put your hands on it, my dearest, and we'll put it on you together...A-And after this...please, you must never kneel before me like this, my wife...my Queen...we're the same...we're one...B-Besides, since when does a miracle bow down to the man lucky enough to receive her in his life, hmm?" He chuckled sweetly a little.
Trying not to laugh, and keeping this in mind to tease him later in the future, Sally smiled and bit her lip to prevent herself from giggling, and nodded. "Oh, Jack... All right, I won't. Even though you're the miracle in my life..." She smiled more, and then reached out to place her hands on the tiara.
Jack blanched about as cutely as possible and looked down with a little shrug. "O-Oh, I...w-well...th-thank you..." he managed bashfully. And then, feeling her hand upon the crown, he began to lift it with her until they had it high and then placed it upon her head. Then they both let go. Jack looked at her and he was bursting with pride. "Um...ladies and gentleman..." he managed, never once taking his dreamy smile off of Sally... "I give you...the Pumpkin Queen!"
The townsfolk all cheered and applauded, excited that for their first Queen in Halloween Town history!
The couple stood up, and despite how nervous and shy Sally felt, she just couldn't help but beam with happiness. By now, she had proved to them, in different kind of way, what kind of Queen she could be to them. And that, served as a great feeling of comfort and accomplishment. She could move forward and show them the extent of what kind of Queen she could be to them.
"Thank you, everyone! I promise, from this day forward to be the Queen you all deserve." She said bravely.
"She will be the most splendid Queen there ever was, and thank you all so much for being here for our wedding and the coronation!" Jack announced proudly. Instantly the crowd began to cheer and whistle and wave to them, standing up in their seats. Jack chuckled and turned to Sally. "So, my Queen...what would you like to do now that you've become a wife and royalty within the last hour?" He chuckled a little.
"Oh! Um...well...first we should...well, leave down the aisle way, right?" Sally then blushed a bit. "Then maybe we could..." She whispered into his ear. "Celebrate our union and Christmas day...for a while. Then um...maybe we could go on our honeymoon...and just see where the wind takes us?"
Jack was just slumped and gurgling and had an ear to ear grin on his face. "Mmm...um..." he chuckled goofily and then addressed the crowd briefly, "Th-The, um...the Queen and I have...um...very important...stuff to see to...plus there's our honeymoon so, um..." he chuckled some more and glanced to the Mayor, still looking utterly dazed. "M-Mayor, can you handle things from here?"
The Mayor just smiled and nodded. "Certainly, Jack! Have fun on your honeymoon! And good luck with all of the important stuff you have to do!" He waved to them, obviously totally oblivious to what Jack meant.
"Thank you, Mayor!" Sally called to him jovially as the newly married couple headed down the aisle. She then giggled and tossed her bouquet over her shoulder. All of the single females clamoured to catch it, but it was surprisingly Jewel who caught it!
"Thank you, Sally dear!" She called after her, winking at a flushed and slack-jawed Dr. Finkelstein.
Jack chuckled at the sight as Sally pulled him in his daze further along down the aisle. He whispered sweetly to her as they went along. "Aww, Sally...I think Dr. Finkelstein has a little crush on his newest lady creation...Isn't that nice? Isn't love nice?" He chuckled joyfully to himself.
"I think so too, Jack!" Sally giggled, snuggling against his side. "Love is wonderful!"
"Oh yes...yes it is!" And then suddenly Jack had her scooped up in his arms and he was racing her down the rest of the length of town hall and out onto the front steps in the crisp December air and snow. "Oh darling, you're mine, all mine now-my wife! I always dreamed you would be my wife one day and now you are!" He twirled in the snow with her. "Oh my Mrs. Skellington...I adore you."
Laughing in delight, Sally threw her arms around his neck and nuzzled their cheeks. "Oh, Jack...I adore you, too! I'm your wife now...and you're my husband, I...oh, Jack...I'm so happy! What a life we'll have, just as promised each other, before...remember?"
Jack nodded eagerly. "Yes, oh yes, I remember. Just like we talked about...We'll rule our lovely town and we'll travel the world and we'll learn all we can about each other and we'll be together forever and...and maybe...later...sometime...we can...h-have a nice, little baby o-or something..." He finished, glancing down and shuffling his feet bashfully.
Giggling, Sally nodded. "Certainly, Jack... All of that sounds wonderful..." She snuggled more into him. "As long as we're together, darling..."
"Mmm..." Jack was feeling all goofy again. "C-Can we go home again now...? I f-feel like I'm going to pass out in bliss...and I'm holding you so I really don't want to do that..." He chuckled a little.
"No, we wouldn't want that..." Sally smiled more. "Yes...let's go home, darling..."
"Arf!" Zero floated outside, and winked at them before heading off toward the graveyard.
Jack gulped as he turned them in the direction of their home. ""Oh dear, Zero's leaving us all alone in our nice big house...Whatever shall we do to pass the time, Mrs. Skellington...?" Jack was smiling more and more as he spoke and now he looked to her with a big, bashful grin on his face.
"I...I don't know...um...I'm sure we'll find a way...to pass the time..." Sally beamed at him, giggling as a blush formed in her cheeks.
"Ooo, now, why in the world are we blushing?" Jack asked coyly, pushing past the gate with his hip and starting to head up their drive with her. "A-After last night...you'd think there would be no more blushing..." he managed softly, blanching a little and unable to help doing so.
"I think it will take more...getting used to before I stop blushing about it..." Sally said coyly, winking a little.
"Ah, I s-see...W-Well then...m-more reason to take the time to get a lot more 'used to it', d-don't you think?" he did his best to ask casually, though at this point he was practically shaking in joy. He couldn't help it, it was just...all the memories of their night together. Honestly, inside there was a part of him that just would have been content to stare at his Sally's perfections from the shadows: even if she never saw him, just being near her was more than enough. But last night he had practically melted into her...and she into him...There were no words to describe the feelings it had given him...and part of him still couldn't believe that this was real and that Sally was his wife and Queen for now and forever.
"Y-Yes...that's exactly what I mean..." Sally managed as her blush deepened. "Oh, Jack...let's go home, darling...and...um...well..." She giggled, knowing he'd catch on to what she meant. After all, last night was just something else. Sure, by now she had known how the "process" worked, but upon experiencing it first-hand for the first time (and quite a few more times after...) was just completely out of context. It was nothing like she had imagined. But if anything, that just made it even better. How they could go from gentle and slow, to passionate and driven, back and forth, and even right in between...
"D-D-Do you...p-p-possibly mean...wh-what I h-h-hope you mean?" Jack quietly squeaked out. "I-I mustn't ever assume that you do...E-Even if I only ever have that one night we shared, it...it's so much more than I could ever have asked for. I could never be selfish enough to bring myself to ask for another...u-unless you truly w-wanted another..." They were at the front door and he gently pushed it open with his hip, taking her inside and letting it slowly shut behind them as he gulped and smiled and waited for her reply.
Sally pouted a bit. Did he really think that? Oh, she was going to have to fix that! She giggled, and started planting kisses along his cheekbone and jawline. "Jack...my love...my husband...my King..." She cooed sweetly, with suggestion. "All I can say...is that if we are not in our bedroom, with our clothes gently put aside...I may just have to take care of it myself."
Jack clutched at her, eye sockets wide, falling back against the door and shaking a little. "Y-Y-You want to...You really want to...a-again..." was all he could whisper to himself in panic and awe. "Oh..." He barely knew what to do, he felt so frozen with joy and shyness, "Oh!" His chest started to rise and fall with deep breaths.
"After last night, Jack...why wouldn't I?" Sally assured in a coo, still applying her kisses. "You're an amazing lover...even if I have no one to compare it to...but not that I want to...Oh, darling...I longed since we left this morning to be that close to you again... I want you...I want to make love with you...I love you...As I...said last night...I've wanted you since I knew what lovemaking entailed."
Jack slumped to the floor, still holding her in his arms. His eye sockets closed and he started to moan a little at her kisses. "Mmm...I...I've wanted you...so long...I just wanted to be as close to you as I could...and then you let me...You're so...sensual...Sally. Y-You act so shy but...you're such a tender, sensual, inviting woman...Make love with me, Sally...Make me the happiest man in all the holiday towns...Love me, Sally..." He turned his skull and started catching her lips with his, giving them little kisses as she kissed him and he gently let his hands start to touch and hold her body more.
"Mmm!" Sally moaned and melted against him in a prolonged kiss, and pulled back a bit. "I will...we'll love each other... After all...only you will ever see this side of me..." She whispered enticingly. "B-Bedroom, Jack...please..."
"O-Only I w-will ever..." Oh it just set his bones aflame, thinking that she cared for him so much that she would set aside this whole, lovely side of herself just for him... "I-I shall o-only be for you too...this side of me...The side that craves our bedroom...together..." He stood up, still holding her in his arms. "Come, my Queen...your King needs you..." he said softly to her as he walked her over to the bedroom door.
"Awww...and your Queen needs you, too..." Sally whispered sweetly, and kissed his cheek. "We said too, we'll never forget last night...and I don't, but...who's to say a little reminder won't hurt?"
"Who's to say a very long and thorough reminder wouldn't hurt either?" Jack asked without missing a beat. Smiling more and looking down at her with his eye sockets narrowed a little.
"Oh my...if you put it that way, yes...I think we'll need a very long and thorough reminder..." Sally purred, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Jack just grinned down at her and then chuckled warmly. "As you wish, my Queen...your King is here to serve you..." He gave her a little bow with his skull and then instantly whisked them both past the bedroom door, closing it behind them, upon with her fell with her to their bed and chuckled and gave her kisses after kisses to start another day of their beautiful life together.
And they live frighteningly ever after.
THE END.
