Chapter Twenty-One A Nightmare Remembered

~In which everything becomes clear and yet confusing…~

Eve could feel her back against the smooth sheets of Jack's bed and this fact alone sent shivers through her body. She threw an alarming look at Jack, but he only returned in with a smile of absolute surety. Eve placed her hand upon his chest, pulling her lips from his.

"I don't even know who you are Jack and yet this is the second time in one day we've made out. And it's not just that, you know?" she said now pushing past Jack and sitting upright on the bed. Jack looked at her, ready once again to be dealt with rejection.

"It's much more than that! I feel….." she hesitated, twirling her hair in her fingers, looking very frustrated and unsure. "I feel like I do know you! The way you walk, talk, smell, taste, even the way you say my name, as though you've said it a thousand times before. Ugh!" She threw her hands up. "What kind of cheap chick flick is this?" She buried her face in hands and groaned. "Oh, not to mention I also have a fiancé!" she said, her voice muffled. Jack could feel the pang of guilt hit his heart. Suddenly, there was a twinge of anger tugging at him as well. Eve was his fiancée first, before any of this had happened and now her logic seemed flawed to him. He needed her to remember. He wrapped his hands around her shoulders and she turned to face him.

"Eve…you don't know me….but you do know me. I'm trying my best to make sense and I don't know what else to do. You know me, Eve. Somewhere, deep down…you know who I am. Don't look with your eyes; look with your heart, your soul." Jack implored upon Eve. Eve shook her head.

"This is crazy…you can't really expect me to play along with this…." She said. Jack sighed.

"You have fits, right? Nights where you simply can't sleep? You're heart beats faster and you could have sworn you felt someone in the room with you? And then Halloween comes and you feel a greater presence fill the air, the smells and sensations change. And on the autumn breeze is a whisper, a breezy kiss upon your cheek, telling you there is somewhere else you're meant to be?" Jack said his words deep, his tone sincere. Eve looked at him with wide eyes.

"How the hell do you know this?" she breathed. Jack grasped her hand and moved her ring around with his thumb.

"There are nights when this ring weighs heavily on your heart…nights when even the warmest embrace from Benjamin seems not enough, not right. And his kiss…" He paused. "His kiss is only a mere touch upon your lips and nothing more." He whispered. Eve jerked her head from him.

"Stop it. Just stop, please." She said and attempted to leave the bed, but Jack held her hand, entwining his fingers with hers. The touch was a magnet; the feeling was a rush of passion, desire, and years wasted by fate. Jack moved his free hand up and down Eve's shoulder, moving to her neck; he could almost feel the blood rushing within her. They drew close to one another; their breath was tiny puffs that mingled with each other.

"I can't…" Eve breathed into Jack's mouth. His eyes pierced hers and in them she saw something she recognized, something that followed her around for the past four years. What do I do? thought Eve. But the feeling was too overwhelming for her; she wanted to kiss him and so she did. Her lips slid onto his and he pushed back into them with vigor and desire. Their mouths opened and closed and their tongues danced, their breath finding no way in or out. Jack slid his hand up her arm and with it, lowered her back onto the bed. Their kissing became as it had been in the dance club; hot and hard, passionate and fierce and they scarcely waited to go further.

Jack ran his hands up and down Eve's body, exploring almost every inch of her. There was one place he had never ventured, but now his determination and desire to find out it's hidden secrets were about to burst from him and he could no longer hold back. However, his debonair tendencies and his timid feelings prevented him from going any further. But what was ailing Jack had no effect on Eve. Suddenly, Eve began to run her leg along Jack's, causing him to shake from the sensation. Responsively, Jack placed his legs on the bed and under hers, causing her to lift her legs up to meet his waist. Subconsciously, Jack grabbed one of them and lifted it to him, running his hand up and down as he did so. His lips moved to her neck and he began to bite at it, causing Eve to gasp with pleasure. Jack tossed his hair and proceeded to drag his lips down Eve's neck to her chest, picking up from where he left off at the dance club. To Jack's immense surprise, Eve didn't stop him he began to tug at the top of her dress. He gently slipped the fabric from her shoulders and pulled them lower and lower until he revealed her black, lace bra underneath. Jack found her breathtaking, could she be any more perfect for him? Eve tossed her head back, her hair flowing over the sheets and pillows, covering them in her soft, raven hair.

Jack pulled the dress top down to Eve's waist and began to suck at every part of her body he could access. Soon his attentions were turned to the parts of her that were unknown to him. His lips grinned against the skin of her hips, as he hurriedly pulled her dress completely off and tossed it on the ground. She wore black, lace panties to match her bra. Her skin was soft and Jack took a quick moment to glimpse at her; she was a vision to behold. The black complimented her in every way, she was a true maiden of Halloween. While Jack was distracted, Eve pulled his shirt off in one swift motion. He looked back at her dubiously, but she didn't leave him time to wonder. She quickly pulled him onto her and Jack couldn't help but feel all of this was right, even though, in the back of his head, he knew it was very wrong.

The kissing and writhing continued and heightened in intensity until finally Jack began to tug at the waist band of his pajama bottoms as he sucked on the flesh of Eve's breasts. She felt him reaching for his pants and in an instant she snapped up, causing him to fall backward into his pillow. Her look was wild.

"Wha-what are you doing?!" she asked hastily. Jack breathed heavily.

"I-I…I thought…" he stuttered. Eve sat up, looking around crazily for her clothes.

"Oh my god, oh my god…" she repeated over and over again. Finding her dress tossed on the ground, she picked up and threw it on in a second. She grabbed Jack's shirt, which wasn't lying too far from it, and tossed it to him.

"Put it on." She said shakily. Jack obeyed. Eve began to pace back and forth, making Jack feel very uneasy after several minutes of not saying anything. Finally, he decided to break the silence.

"Eve? Are you alright?" he asked gently. Eve gave him a wild glare.

"Are you serious? We….we just almost had sex!" she shouted. "I mean, I almost had sex with you! I'm not this person! I don't do this!" she yelled. Jack felt utter shame, he knew this was all his fault. He got up and attempt to console Eve.

"Look, I understand. It shouldn't happen like this…" he said, wrapping his hands around her arms, caressing them. She looked at him harshly and jerk herself from his grip.

"Don't do that. Don't do any of that! It shouldn't happen at all! You're the cause of all this, of all my confusion! You touch me and caress me and whisper sweet things in my ear, but you're just like all the rest." She snapped. She turned, grabbed for her purse, and headed for the door. Before she could grip the doorknob, she turned back around.

"At least Benjamin had always been honest of his intentions. He never did anything dishonorable, never tried to play me. You…." She paused and Jack could see tears begin to fill her eyes. "You are just like the rest of those men who play with women's affections. Who think they are entitled to any woman they want." She turned her back to him. "You're just like that guy from the club." And without another word, stepped out of the room, leaving Jack in a heap of his own misery. He stumbled backwards, near the bed and fell against it. He buried his face in his hands. After a while a knock came on the door and Wallace came in. He scuttled over the coffee table and set the fresh batch of tea upon it. He cleared his throat as he began to pour himself a cup.

"Sooooo, I see you're feeling better…" he glanced at Jack. "Or, at least you were."

"Did you hear any of that?" Jack asked helplessly. Wallace shrugged.

"Only something about…..hmmmm…you trying to play her, how you're dishonorable." He paused. "Oh and how you almost had sex." He said, blowing on his tea nonchalantly. Jack looked at him bewildered and upset. Wallace grinned.

"I take it, you're none too sure of what sex is exactly?" he said teasingly. Jack rolled his eyes and turned away. "Well, I won't go into detail now, but it's basically you sticking what's between your legs into what's between her legs." He said and sipped at his tea. Jack looked at the area between his legs and shook his head.

"This is all nonsense. I should have never come back. I don't belong here anymore. This is not my world and I should just have let Eve be. Besides, she's already made her choice." Jack said, pitying himself. Wallace set down his tea cup with a loud clink!

"What the hell are you talking about?" he said angrily. Jack looked at him. Wallace stood from his chair. "You think that…that was her decision!?" he yelled pointing at the door. "Oh no, my boy, that was not her decision! That girl is not in her right mind and you know it. Until she regains her former memories of you and all that you two have been through, you cannot sit there and tell me she has made a decision!" he finished, sitting back into his chair, shaking his head. "You're just feeling sorry for yourself." He muttered. Jack let his head hit the side of the bed and sighed. Perhaps Wallace was right. He was just feeling sorry for himself. He had not even begun to take the time and effort needed to win Eve back, he had been too busy wrestling with his conscience and his hormones. Jack stood up and walked to the mirror by the wall. He saw a very human man looking back at him and he knew somehow he needed to find the place where this man and the man from Halloween Town could come together as one within him. He studied his reflection even more closely. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He opened them again. Staring back at him was his reflection, only this time it was of his skeletal self. The image in the mirror studied the one looking back at it. It grinned and nodded. Jack blinked and instantly the image was gone. He knew now. He was losing himself and in this way, losing Eve. He needed to get his old self back, he needed to be the Pumpkin King, the Halloween King he truly was.

Suddenly a rap tap tap came from the window and Jack was overjoyed to see Zero soaring into the room.

"Zero! Boy! Where have you been?" he asked, petting his loyal friend. Zero whimpered.

"You've been to Halloween Town? How is it? Is everyone alright?" he asked, concernedly. Zero howled sadly.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend here?" Wallace said, walking over to them. Jack slid his hand over Zero's head.

"You're not scared of him?" Jack asked. Wallace chuckled.

"Dealing with you, there is very little I am scared of anymore." He said reaching out to attempt to pet Zero. Zero looked unsure at first, but quickly let go and dashed all around Wallace happily, yipping as he did so. Wallace grinned.

"He likes you." Jack said. "If there is one thing Zero is never wrong about, it's people." Jack's grin faded and he fell into deep thought.

"What?" Wallace asked, letting Zero lick his hand. Jack his fist to his chin and stared at the floor.

"Zero says that my subjects aren't doing so well. Their beings…erm, their existence is steadily declining… fading away, so to speak." Jack explained. "You're right Wallace. I need to stop feeling sorry for myself and start being who I am."

"And who's that?" Wallace asked. Jack grinned.

"The King of Halloween."

"Funny you should mention that." A voice said from the door. Both men turned in shock to see who it was.

"Myra?!" Jack exclaimed. "What are you doing here? How did you even get in?" She grinned.

"Neither of you bothered to lock the door after Eve stormed out, which is a whole other matter I need to talk to you about. But, right now, seeing as how we are focusing on you and what you need to do, I figure this is the perfect time to tell you that thing I was going to tell you about your ancestors." She said comically. Jack and Wallace looked at each curiously, then looked back at Myra.

"What thing?" they both said in unison. Myra grinned and began to pour herself some tea.

"You guys might want to take a seat."