Chapter Eleven

A/N:

HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEEN! throws candy corn everywhere)

I did not update for weeks because…

1) The wait. Like I said, school, sucks, and my math grade would suggest that I am brain damaged. I couldn't get near my computer.

2) Another school related grievance. It's sprit week, and I had to throw together my costume for Costume day which just happens to fall on Halloween.

I'M GOING AS SALLY! I'M SO HAPPY!

My spelling and grammar will never be perfect. This chapter is un-betaed (it's a word now.) She's got other crap to worry about this week, and since I want to get the epilogue done so I can start the sequel, I have to do it without her.

I own the Fantabulous Trio. And that is all!

Review!

Now…the chapter!

"You're sure you're alright?"

Lizzie looked straight ahead at the spectacle in the mirror, and then back down at her mother. Sally was kneeling, hemming Lizzie's gown. She smiled wanly.

"I feel fine. Why do you keep asking?"

Sally worked the needle through the fabric steadily.

"Well, you had me convinced before. But I haven't heard a single complaint

about the dress in the entire hour we've been working on it! It's frightening me!"

Lizzie giggled. "I tackle a werewolf to the ground, and the fact that I may have an ounce of self-esteem frightens you?"

Lizzie stared at her reflection, and folded her arms over her overly-accentuated chest.

It wasn't her.

It would never be her.

The girl in the mirror wore a black dress, past the knees, and very form fitting. Her body was scrawnier, due to her starvation, but she still looked enough like a female.

The dress tied behind her neck, and opened in a key-hole design the bottom of her collar bone. Her hair fell in a feathery array of curls around her face. As much as she hated to admit it, she was satisfied.

"No Dear. It doesn't." Sally breathed. "I like it very much. And I have to tell you, I'm beginning to like Damien because of it."

Lizzie grinned. This was good. Sally was finally getting used to the idea of Damien; the boy who had unintentionally attacked her daughter (but also wooed her shamelessly) would live with them.

But Lizzie could tell that her mother had taken notice in her bright, confident air. When Damien came to her bedside with news of her success, it took both of her parents to hold her down, and prevent her from springing up out of bed. She had been mobile all that day, jumping about with Damien, and helping with the ball preparations. No one could tell she had been beaten and emaciated only days before.

"He's a nice young man. What he had was unfortunate. But he gave us our little Lizzie back. Your father did that for me you know."

Lizzie fluffed her hair. "You always said he brought out the best in you."

Lizzie only hoped her love would blossom as much as Jack and Sally's. The relationship she'd envied since she learned where babies came from.

Sally stood. "It's finished."

She put her arms on Lizzie's shoulders. "You look beautiful, my darling."

"Thank you."

"Hmmm…It looks like you've gained some weight back."

"And this time it's a good thing! But between you, and Damien shoving food down my throat through a funnel every five seconds, how could I not gain weight? I'm surprised it didn't turn into a bad thing!"

Sally laughed shortly, but her expression turned somber. She held Lizzie, and kissed her on the head.

"Poor Lizzie. I'm sorry the Doctor did those things to you."

Lizzie looked at the wooden floorboards.

"He did it to you too. Besides, I brought this on myself. You were born into it."

"You were trying to help someone you loved, when we didn't let you. It was a noble cause. And you ended up making history."

Lizzie dabbed at her eyes. Tears. How silly.

"I-I…I know."

Sally rubbed her back. "Don't cry. You'll ruin your make-up!"

Lizzie half laughed, half choked. "I'll try not to. I'm sorry."

"It's over now. It's all in the past. I should have put this behind me a long time ago. Maybe you wouldn't have gotten yourself into this. I guess what you don't know, can hurt you."

Lizzie got down from the stool, her eyes dry, and now, steely. She looked her mother in the eye.

"Don't blame yourself. Then you'll feel guilty, and then it'll never be over."

Sally rubbed at a stitch on her hand. "That's very astute. And painfully accurate."

"Well," Lizzie said breezily, heading towards the door. "I'm just trying to figure out why people do the crazy things they do…" she paused, debating whether her next question was appropriate.

Cautiously she spoke.

"I do wonder what corrupted Finkelstein."

Sally blanched slightly. "What happened to putting this behind us?"

Lizzie shrugged, and stood in the door frame. "I'm just curious."

"As always."

But Lizzie looked away.

"Although…this time I think what I don't know won't hurt me."

Meanwhile

"So no one in the human world taught you to work a tuxedo?"

Jack studied Damien, who stood in front of him, decked out in a tuxedo, and waistcoat. The boy, in return, shied away.

"I remember very little of my life there. I haven't lived here for long, but still, I forget."

Jack felt remorse in the pit of his stomach.

"I'm sorry, my boy." He said repentantly.

"Well thank you for your help." Damien said, gesturing to his ensemble. "I…" he rubbed his neck. "I hope Lizzie will like it."

Jack smirked. He couldn't help but throw aside bitterness, and adore the sweetness of his daughter's romance. Though he was wary, and cautious, as all fathers are, he was quicker than Sally to put his unfortunate problems behind, and welcome him.

"You've made my Lizzie very happy."

Damien's face lit up. "And I intend to keep her that way. Forever. She's…beautiful. If you don't mind me saying so."

Jack didn't. "She is. And she's even more wonderful when she's happy. You gave us our child back. I can't say it enough."

"I'm so sorry…' Damien apologized. "For everything."

"It wasn't your fault. Just make the best of your life now."

"Are you ready?"

Jack turned to see Sally, dressed in a long red dress, exquisite and perfect as usual, standing in the doorframe.

Jack nodded. "We are."

And peeking from the corner was his daughter, the prettiest he'd ever seen her, a sheepish smile on her face.

Damien's jaw dropped. Jack wasn't sure whether to be amused, or fearful.

"You look ravishing." He breathed, advancing towards her, his arms outstretched. He rested his palms on Lizzie's pointy shoulders, and sighed.

"Shall we then?"

Lizzie laughed. "We shall."

Later, at the ball…

Lizzie inhaled the crisp autumn air, her heart fluttering with happiness and nerves. She looked around at the bright candle-lanterns, and colorful streamers, and the elegantly dressed attendees…it overwhelmed her that they had all come together because of something she had done.

The whole town (save Finkelstein, who was at home, nursing the wounds inflicted by the Skellington females) sat at a long, rectangular table, draped with a white cloth, about to dive into a full course meal. Lizzie's sat with her parents on her left, at the head of the table, and Damien on her right, beaming proudly, his arm around her shoulder.

The mayor, on the left of Sally, was standing and holding a glass. Lizzie shrunk back, hoping, and praying that he wouldn't make her give a speech.

"Citizens! Friends! We gather here on his joyous eve to honor the heroic deeds of Elizabeth Christine Skellington and the recovery of our newest friend, Damien Blackwell."

Quiet clapping.

"We raise our glass to a young girl, who has developed a cure, undiscovered for centuries by educated scientists. All for the very noble cause that is, young love."

Lizzie blushed.

"Speech! Speech! Speech!" Someone cheered. Lizzie clenched her fists, realizing it was Lena. And soon, everyone joined in.

Damien patted her back. "Don't worry. You'll do fine."

Lizzie rose, and smiled shyly at the crowd. She raised her own glass filled with diluted wine.

"Thank you all. Thank you very much."

She thought back to everything that happened, as she scanned the crowd for ideas.

"I'd like to thank my parents, of course, for bringing me into the world that I love so much. Their assistant in all affairs, Mayor, I am also indebted."

This would earn her points on her parent's side just in case they would ground her for her escape.

"And of course, Damien. If he hadn't been such a loving, amazing person…well…"

At this she turned and winked at Damien.

"I wouldn't have gone to all that to save him, would I?"

More quiet applause came, as Lizzie looked at her father for inspiration. At the sight of his toothy grin; memories of lectures, and scolding past came flooding back to her, along with her experiences.

And suddenly, everything he told her was one hundred percent true.

"My father once told me that sometimes you have to take a couple steps back, to take a step forward. And now I finally understand what that means. The fact that Damien and I are both alive is due to that. I was attacked, beaten, and starved, and still I carried on. How, and why, I don't know. Maybe I'm just crazy…"

Some snickers.

"But it was all worth it. I'd say this is definitely, a big step forward. Thank you."

She gave a little bow.

Everyone stood, clapping, cheering and whistling. Sally and Jack hugged their daughter. Damien kissed both of her cheeks.

Lizzie just gazed out, above their heads at the curly hill in the distance. The site where her parents had confessed their love for one another. It usually filled her with envy, and emptiness. But now, as she turned back, and engaged in a kiss with Damien that made her father shudder, it gave her high hopes for the future.

The feasting was long and idle, many of the citizens coming up to congratulate Lizzie personally.

Afterwards, they danced to the tunes plucked out boy the musical trio on the sidelines.

They played Moonlight Sonata.

Lizzie and Damien were taking a breather, when they heard it. Damien immediately smirked mischievously. Lizzie smiled. It was the same smirk he'd worn the night they met. Same smirk same song. One very different Lizzie.

"It's our song." He whispered, taking her hand. Lizzie giggled.

"We have song, do we?"

He wrapped his arms around her waist, and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Indeed, we do."

He rocked her gently back in forth to the music for awhile, both remaining in complete bliss.

"Let's take a walk." He suggested.

"I'll ask my parents." Lizzie said, picking her head up, and trying to break free. Damien's grip tightened, and his grin stretched.

"Let's don't and say we did."

Before she could protest, Damien picked her up, and darted away from the crowd, and into the forest. Even as a human, he was still a fast runner. He cleared the forest, and dodged through headstones until he arrived at the curled hill.

He carried Lizzie bridal style to the top, and set her down beside him.

"If I get busted for this, I'll hurt you." Lizzie grumbled. Damien laughed.

"Oh, whatcha' gonna do, Shorty?" He taunted her, putting his hand above her head. Lizzie folded her arms.

"Oh, Ha ha. That's original." Lizzie said, bopping him on the head.

Damien put his arm around her, and sat down, pulling her into his lap.

"It's beautiful out here, isn't it?"

Lizzie nodded. "My dad used to come up here to think. My mom, told my dad…" She shook her head. "You know about the Christmas incident by now, don't you?"

"Yes. I do."

"Good. There's a reason I'm so happy I wasn't around for it. Well, after it was all over, my mom and dad had their first kiss on this hill."

Damien sighed. "Too late for us, huh?"

"Well it's not so bad…" Lizzie said. "The back of my house, under the window will always have a special place in my heart."

"Aren't you so adorably sarcastic?"

"Well another interesting fact. Keep this between us; A couple years after that, I might have been conceived a little further down the hill."

"Oh GOD!" Damien choked. "Too much. Too much."

Silence fell upon the lovers, as they both found the impulse to look up at the full moon, and the treetops, blowing in the breeze.

The sound of the clock striking midnight blocked out the loud, drunk partiers, and melancholy tunes.

Damien pressed kisses into Lizzie's hair.

"I love you so much Lizzie."

Lizzie smiled, and closed her eyes, letting a breeze blow over her face, and soothe her tired, burning eyes.

"I know. I love you too."

(A/N: Awwwwwwww…. So cuuuuuuute. Well, all I've got left is the epilogue. Then (da, da,da daaaaaaa) a SEQUEL!

Please review!

Lotsa Love!

Anna