"Well, that takes Benjamin off the guest list." Jack muttered to Sally as they left the bedroom. After he had fainted, Jack was fetched, and Jack, Shock and Clara took up the job of carrying Ben to the Skellington Manor. Sally, who knew herbal remedies, and had some knowledge of medical related conditions, decided that Ben was most likely sicker than he looked. Clara, naturally, despaired at the thought of Ben getting any worse. Shock had returned back to the tree house in an effort to make living conditions better for him- she temporarily gave up her queen sized bed for the rag doll boy's benefit. Apart from that, the place smelt vile from infrequent cleaning and much more frequent retching.

Until the tree house had become disinfected to Shock's taste, Ben was sleeping in yet another one of the guest rooms in Jack's house. His thoughts turned to concern as he recollected the look on Clara's face as she stared intently into his sickly visage. As if she would give up her whole world for him; but because of this feeling her whole being was shrouded in doubt. Jack draped his arm over Sally's shoulder, shaking the memory off.

"Sally." he said. Another, more pressing matter had floated to the top of his skull.

"Yes Jack?" he heard his love reply back uncertainly.

"Have we got everything sorted out?" he asked.

"Well... list them."

"Do you have your dress ready?"

"Yes."

"Everyone has an invitation...?"

"Yes. You reminded everyone at the Town Meeting last week."

"Ah, I remember. Let's see... the musicians are organised... Mayor is performing the service... Mrs. Corpse is making the cake the day before... the kids agreed to do the rest of the catering jobs... and the tables are in the storage room."

"Did you get the collar for Zero?" Sally asked. Jack smiled, nodding.

"Only four more days to go." he said, kissing her tenderly on the forehead.

Clara, on the other hand, had her mind on other things. As she stared intently into the face of the rag doll boy, she noticed he had more stitches than she had first counted. There were the obvious ones on his face, as well as the stitching on his wrists, which were in dire need of repair. There was a peculiar one which swirled around his neck twice- it started and finished at the back of his neck. Clara spent some time contemplating why this was. There was also one on his upper left arm; a modest stitch which distracted the viewer from recognising which part was fabric. At this point the damp cloth that was placed on his creased forehead slid off; Benjamin had violently turned to one side and back again. Clara could only assume he was having a bad dream, and she was, for the most part, correct.

Benjamin was engrossed in his most frightening vision yet. Clara's fate had not changed from the bloodied mess on the ground, no. Benjamin felt that he was running out of time. As soon as the dream had started, Ben knew that he would find Clara dead. Except this time he needed to find Clara before she was so. His whole body trembled, and he felt sicker than ever, but still, he kept running. Running to get to her in time. All he could see around himself were the tall, barren trees of the Hinterland forest, and all he could hear was his own pounding heartbeat. And then he saw her. The woman, again. Clara was just out of reach, and already the woman advanced for the kill.

He sat up abruptly, still floundering in the remains of his vision. His sobs came up sounding childish, and the tears falling down his face made stains. He had only made a single noise when an unfamiliar pair of arms was wrapped around him; protecting him from something that didn't exist yet. He hiccuped another sob, speaking to himself.

"Too late... I was too late... oh, Clara!" he cried, his voice just legible enough to understand. The hands placed on his back started stroking him rhythmically.

"Its okay, Bennie. I'm here. I'm fine. Shhh..." he heard someone say. He recognised the voice with only the slightest bit of embarrassment. His head was sideways against Clara's breast, and her arms were wrapped around him. In better circumstances, Benjamin would have been ecstatic. But now... now all he could think of was Clara's impending doom.

As Clara stroked Benjamin's back while he sobbed quietly like a lost child, she pondered over her feelings. She had never felt this way before about anyone; not even Lucy. Yes, she loved Lucy, but not to the extent that she'd gladly kill herself a thousand times for her. Thinking this fact over, she consoled herself with the fact that she did not need to kill herself for Lucy's life, because Lucy chose the path of immortality through permanent afterlife. Benjamin, on the other hand... he was fragile. She had no idea whether Halloween creatures lived forever or not. She frowned, clutching Benjamin just a little tighter to her body. At this, she smiled a little. This had to be love... it just had to. When you would give you life a thousand times to someone you barely knew; when you had no problem holding their sick body close to your heart; that had to be love. She, Clarabelle Lovett, loved Benjamin, the rag doll boy.

There was a new found peace about Jack's relative as Lock, Shock and Barrel helped Benjamin return to the tree house safe and sound. As if she now knew what she had been looking for. Jack smiled; it was such a cliché thing to say about love. To wait a thousand years at the least... Jack's smile grew wider as he recollected his very own feelings. Maybe Clara really was like him, and if so maybe even in more ways than one.

Hey guys! It's been a while since I've updated, so here's a chapter. I was going to add more to this, but I couldn't really think of anything more... so there you go. We're getting closer to the end! Yay! I've never ever finished a story before, it's pretty cool. Oh, and I may be a BetaReader! Heh heh. Love HamPickleSandwich.