Previously:
"There's just one tiny little thing we need to do," the Other Mother said telling Jack to sit down and placing the box on the table. "For you, my little doll."
A bit put off by her words, Jack lifted the lid on the box and was shocked by what her found inside...
Inside the box there were two large black buttons, a spool of thread, and a needle.
"Black is traditional," the Other Mother said, Jack only half listening only now taking in all the warning everyone was giving him and looked up to the Other Mother and Emma.
"But if you prefer blue..." she said her buttons to blue. "Or green..." Emma's buttons changed color. "Or white..." the ones in the box "Though you might make me jealous." she finished tapping her buttons and smiling.
"NO WAY!" Jack screamed sliding the box over the table "I'M NOT LETTING YOU SEW BUTTONS IN MY EYES!"
"Oh but I need a 'Yes' if you want to stay here," the Other Mother said catching the box before it fell on the floor.
"So sharp you won't feel a thing," Emma said trying to be helpful picking up the needle, getting a hiss from the Other Mother and a scared look from Jack.
"There, now. It's your decision, honey," the Other Mother said collecting the box and walking around his seat "I only want what's best for you."
Thinking of a way to get out of this, Jack had an idea on how to get home without it being suspicious.
"I... I'm going to bed. Right now." he said sliding sideways off his seat and collecting his staff.
"Bed?" the Other Mother said confused.
"Before dinner?" Emma asked.
"I'm really, really tired." Jack said faking a yawn. "And I just need to sleep on things."
"Why of course you do honey," the Other Mother said smiling "I'd be happy to tuck you in."
"Oh no thanks." Jack said spinning around to her gripping his staff tighter but not in a defensive position "You've done so much for me already."
Quickly the Other Mother slid her way between Jack and the stairs making him jump "You're welcome. And I... We," she said pulling Emma to her "Aren't worried at all honey. Soon you'll see thing's... our way."
Both of them grinning (Emma slightly less then the Other Mother) they stepped aside so Jack could go to bed.
Casually Jack went upstairs, always looking over his shoulder, then when he thought they couldn't see them anymore bolted to 'his room' and slammed and locked the door.
"What's wrong Jack?" the snowfaires came over to ask, now having button eyes too "Don't you want to play?"
Anger on his face Jack grabbed each fairy and threw her into the chest at the end of her bed.
"You want to stay don't you?" they asked together.
"I'm going home tonight bugs," Jack said as he locked the chest and barricaded the door. "And I won't be back..."
With that Jack, making sure he had a good grip on his staff so that wasn't left behind, jumped into bed and threw the sheets over his head.
"Go to sleep, go to sleep..." Jack muttered to himself.
'There's one tiny little thing we need to do.'
"Go to sleep, go to sleep..."
'So sharp you won't feel a thing.'
"Go to sleep, go to sleep..."
'Soon you'll see things our way.'
After what seemed like an eternity, Jack opened his eyes and to his shock saw the covers of the Other Worlds bed still over him.
Trying not to panic, Jack threw them off and found himself in the same room as the 'night' before, everything how it was when he tried to leave.
"Oh Moon..." Jack said to himself. "I'm still here? And where's my staff?!" he asked not feeling the wood in his hand, looking down to see it not there.
Quickly Jack got up and searched the whole room, but got nowhere closer to finding it.
As fast as he could Jack unbarricaded the door and raced to the Globe Room.
o0o
Coming to the corridor connecting his room to the Globe Room, Jack was confused to see a pair of doors blocking his way.
Pulling on them he found them to be locked, which only made him try harder, but got no where.
Trying to stay calm, Jack tried to think up a plan when he heard a piano playing.
Running to the Other North's office, Jack threw open the door and found him repeatedly playing a single note.
"Hey you!" Jack said sternly. "Where the Other Mother? I want my staff and I wanna go home."
"All will be swell, soon as Mother's refreshed," the Other North said spinning around on his chair. "Her strength is our strength."
Suddenly the gloves from inside the piano came out, covered his mouth and waggled their finger at him, spinning him back to the piano.
"Mustn't talk when Mother's not here," he said to himself.
"If you won't even talk to me I'm gonna go find the Other Emma and/or the Other Jamie," Jack said standing tall "They'll help me."
"No point," North said spinning around again "They both pulled long... faces" he said sticking his fingers into his mouth to make his face get longer. "And Mother didn't like that."
Suddenly the gloves game out again and pushed North's mouth shut and span him back to the piano.
Scared at what he has gotten himself into Jack ran to the kitchen and out the door to his Other Pond trying to get as far away from this place as possible. Or at least find another way out.
o0o
He ran down the path, pass the pond and through the forest, coming to a walk when he thought he was far enough away.
"Hey Jack..." someone said making him jump but then sighed in relief seeing it was only Sandy. "So just exactly what do you think you're doing?"
"Well..." Jack said biting his lip. "I'm getting out of here. That's what I'm doing. Staff or no staff."
At once, the surroundings turned from the forest to completely white and less and less things were there until there wasn't anything there.
"Something's wrong," Jack said looking over his shoulder "Shouldn't the old foundations of Burgess be here?" Jack asked looking around.
"There is nothing out here," Sand said shaking his head "It's the empty part of this world. She only made what she knew would impress you," Sandy said hands behind his back looking slightly proud.
"But why?" Jack asked as they continued walking "Why does she want me?"
"She want's something to love, I think," Sandy said. "Something that isn't her. And something that can't die for her to loose it," he said looking to the Winter Spirit. "Or... Maybe she just want something to eat."
"Eat?" Jack asked looking at the Sandman "That's ridiculous. Mothers don't eat their children."
Slowly something was beginning to appear ahead of them but as they got closer they saw it was only the Pole.
"What..." Jack asked looking over his shoulder seeing he was at the beginning of the path to the pond. "How can you walk away from something and still come back to it?"
"Walk around the world," Sandy said looking up at the building.
"Small world."
Out of no where a small trumpet began to be blown.
"Hang on..." Sandy said readying his whips then as the fairy came out he attacked.
"Stop!" Jack cried in worry "It's just one of the Other Tooth's fairies."
Not listening Sandy grabbed the fairy and snapped her neck, ripping it a bit.
Slowly the being changed from a small, beautiful Tooth Fairy, to a large, ugly pixie.(*)
"You know I don't like killing things at the best of times Jack," Sand said letting the pixie drop to the ground and dusted his hands off. "But this pixie, was sounding an alarm."
With that Sandy made a small sand box and placed the pixie in it, to take it away, waving to Jack.
AN (*) In stories and rhymes and almost everything else I can think of... Pixies and Fairy's have always been at war at each other. So just fitting that I make the rat a Pixie, while the mice are Fairies.