Thank you to Wolf Lover 06, gothic girl, JackAndSally, BrotherBearKenai, Halloween Coming, and mrspencil for their kind reviews!


"Blood and bones, I hope this gets better soon," Jack complained as he limped around his house. It was a little after dusk and he'd been itching to do something all day. It had been just two days since Sally had visited and already he was beginning to regret his promise to keep off his leg.

"If it keeps Sally safe though," he thought to himself as he lay back down on his bed. He sighed and flipped open the book Edgar had sent him a few days ago - Love in the Time of Cholera. At first, he'd thought it was a bit boring, but then he'd gotten to the cholera epidemic. He was at the end of the third chapter when Abby burst in. She slammed the door behind her.

"I need you to take me to the woods," she ordered before he could say a word. "Betty's gone missing."

"W-why me?" Jack stuttered, setting down the book. "Why not Polly?"

"Polly's brewed out of his mind and you go out to the woods all the time! Please! We don't have time!"

"Alright. Just…" He stopped short as he remembered his promise. "Abby… I… I can't…" He motioned to his splint. "If I had both legs under me…"

"Fine! I'll go alone then!" she declared, rushing towards the door.

"No!" he cried, reaching out for her. "Abby, you could get lost! The woods…"

"Are dangerous, I know! That's why I have to go find her!" Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I can't lose another one, Jack. Not like this."

Jack clenched his jaw. "I… I wish I could help you. Have you talked to Stoker?"

"Stoker's useless," she spat. "He told me that he can't spare anyone unless a ghoul has been missing for twenty-four hours! She could be injured or lost in the heart of the woods by then!"

"But you can't go alone! Are you sure she's even in the woods?"

"That's what Stoker said," she replied. "And I've looked everywhere else. Edgar said he thought he saw a ghoul duck through the bars, but didn't think it was Betty. Now if you'll excuse me…" She threw open the door to find Tet standing on the street outside Jack's house.

"Tet?" she said. "What are you doing here?"

The mummy simply blinked at her.

Jack glanced at the clock. It was about the right time for Tet to bring his report. "Actually, Abby," Jack said, an idea dawning on him. "Maybe Tet could help you. He actually can ta-" He was cut off by the door slamming behind the mummy and Tet's eye glued to him with a warning look. "He actually," Jack continued carefully. "Can t-take on a lot. He's… A lot more skilled than you might think. I've been teaching him how to navigate areas based off sounds. If Betty is in the forest, he might be able to hear her and lead you to her."

"Well, he's better than nothing," Abby said, looking down her nose at Tet. She opened the door again. "Come on. We're wasting time."


"Are you sure this is the right…?"

Tet glared at her for what seemed like the hundredth time since they'd gone into the woods. Abby wasn't sure why, but the mummy kept insisting on complete silence, even flinching when she stepped on some leaves. The further they got into the woods, the more silence he insisted on. It was beginning to drive Abby crazy. She looked up at the large yellow moon which was already starting to descend.

"We've almost wasted half the night," she hissed. "Haven't you got any better…?"

Suddenly, Tet thrust his hand out in front of Abby, stopping her in her tracks.

"What is it?" she whispered. "Is it…?"

Tet motioned frantically for her to be quiet and went back to listening. After a moment, he pointed to their left and began running. Abby ran after him, just barely catching sight of his dirty white bandages as she ran. Suddenly, she heard a scream.

"Betty!" she cried. "Betty, is that you?"

"Abby?" a frightened voice answered. It was just behind a large tree to her right.

Abby sprinted around it and found Tet standing by a very frightened Betty. She was crying. "Scary," she whimpered, pointing at Tet.

Tet looked over his shoulder then back at the witch, a confused look in his eye.

"That's just Tet, witchling," Abby said, scooping up the crying witch. "Shh… He's not going to hurt you. That's just Tet."

"Want furry friend," Betty whimpered, burying her face in Abby's shoulder.

"Furry friend?" Abby asked. Tet drew back his head and narrowed his eye at Betty. "What furry friend, witchling?"

"Furry friend. She nice and fast and small. Make bad things go 'way."

Tet's eye widened.

Abby looked around the woods, clutching Betty to her chest. "Witchling, listen to me very carefully," she said after a moment. "You had a dream. This 'furry friend' is nothing more than your imagination."

"But she here!" Betty exclaimed. "She ran when Scary came. She here!"

"No, she isn't," Abigail said firmly. "You had a dream." She cradled Betty's head against her shoulder, her stern expression fading into one of consternation. She scanned the woods, trying to pick out anything in the darkness. "We don't talk about dreams, witchling," she continued, even as she scanned the forest. "When we talk about things that didn't happen, ghouls laugh at us and don't like us. You just had a dream."

"But…" Betty began uncertainly. "She here."

"No. Furry friend is pretend," Abby said, focusing her attention on Betty again. "She's nothing more than pretend." She adjusted the small witch on her shoulder. "Now let's get you home before daybreak."


Betty was asleep by the time Tet and Abigail were in sight of Halloween Town.

"I don't suppose I have to tell you to be quiet about Betty's 'furry friend,'" Abigail remarked wryly.

Tet shook his head.

"I didn't think so," she teased. Her mood suddenly turned more serious. "Thank you," she said. "For helping me find Betty. I couldn't have found her on my own."

Tet simply looked at the ground.

"I'm serious, you know," she said as they passed through the gate. "I don't give praise lightly, but you showed a lot of bravery and skill in tracking her like that."

Tet smiled under his bandages and nodded his appreciation.

"Hmm," she mused, a smile playing across her face. "You know, you'd really be something if you could talk."

Tet stopped outside Jack's house, looking her over with a critical eye.

Abby kept walking. "Wouldn't that be something," she murmured to herself.

A mischievous look flashed through Tet's eye. Then he slipped into Jack's house.

Jack looked up from his book as Tet soundlessly closed the door behind him. "Did you find Betty?"

The mummy nodded.

"Excellent!" Jack exclaimed. "Where was she?"

Tet looked up at the skeleton, worry in his eye. "With Dante."


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