A/N:

Azure129: Hi everyone :D YAY more fun married stuff with Jack and Sally! Jack's gotten more comfortable with his body around Sally…now it's time for the same thing to start happening around other people XD You'll see :) Thanks everyone!

NintendoGal: Not much to say except, well, this contains some beach fun. :)


It was another quiet, peaceful, private evening in the Skellington home, and Jack and Sally were enjoying it together in their living room. As the moonlight shone in through the windows and the fire sent eerie orange glows around the room, Sally sat upon the couch facing one of its arms with her knees tucked underneath her and reading a book, while Jack sat in a similar position behind her, a content smile on his face and his hand gently moving through her hair. He had started just touching it casually a few moments ago but somehow now, with her permission in the form of an extra smile and a nod, he had started braiding it a little. It really was so lovely to touch...so soft and warm and fragrant like autumn leaves an pumpkin pie spice... Jack sighed, smiling more, and went on braiding and also thinking. He was smiling a little as he thought of a few days ago when they had been together in that coffin upstairs...and how ever since then, he had slipped another coffin under their bed, just in case they ever wanted to try it again. His mind then drifted on to how nice it would be to spend his first summer together with Sally as his wife and how many other fun new experiences they might have with that...Picnics in the orange jack-o-lantern sunlight, walks through the forest and visits to the other worlds while most of the holidays had a lull, visits to the lakeside...They had talked about that last one once before, hadn't they?

Jack considered more. Then he spoke softly to Sally over her shoulder. "Dearest...I was wondering...I think we talked about it once and now that it's summer, would you like to take a trip out to the lake one day? Maybe we could even get a little rowboat or just have a picnic by the shore while you play near the water?" He smiled a little more. She really would look cute playing on the beach. She would probably even make herself some pretty little bathing suit and a parasol or something. The idea was positively dreamy to him.

"Ooooh..." Sally thought of the idea, and beamed. The idea of spending a warm summer day at the lake, all the fog drifting about, playing around like a young child, having a picnic, going on a boat, swimming... "Yes, that would be wonderful, Jack! We can go tomorrow, I did make a bathing suit and a sarong, though I hadn't used them yet. Ooooh, do you want one, too? Do you have one? We could also go swimming!"

Jack blinked and froze in the action of playing with her hair for a moment. "O-Oh, I..." He gulped and then smiled sheepishly and a touch nervously, "Heh...w-well, um...I-I wouldn't want to trouble you, Sally. Y-You already have your outfit all made and that's wonderful. I-I'll just go along in my usual suit and tie..." He looked away in a touch of shyness, biting his lower lip a little.

"Oh, but it's no fun swimming alone." Sally pouted a bit. "Well, not that I could go very far, I can't swim, but I can wade around in the shallow water. Won't you come with me? Please?"

'Oh dear...' Jack never did well with saying no to her pouts. But still he just...he just couldn't say yes...not to this... "I-I...um..." He looked down nervously and hesitantly. "B-But, s-silly, s-skeletons c-can't swim in full length suits...heh..." He did his best to smile, though he knew the excuse was lame. She had just offered to make him a bathing suit of his own, after all. But this had been all he had been able to think of.

Ignoring that, she sighed a little, but was understanding and concerned. "Jack, why don't you want to swim?" Sally queried, just getting to the point of the matter.

Jack sighed and looked to the side. He shrugged a little. "I...w-well...i-if we were a-at that hot tub i-in that abandoned castle in Italy th-then I wouldn't mind swimming...b-but just not in the lake here...because..." He pouted a tiny bit, feeling foolish, as he tried to think of a way to put it that wouldn't sound ridiculous.

"Because why?" Sally prompted with patience and curiosity. "Jack, you can tell me. I'm not going to laugh or make you feel silly. Just tell me why."

Jack sighed and looked to her eyes gratefully before looking down a little again. "I can't swim in the lake here, Sally...I'd have to wear a bathing suit...a-and I can't do that. Everyone would s-see my bones...I-I never let anyone see my bones. I'd feel so embarrassed." He swallowed, clasping his hands in his lap.

"...Jack...there's fog all around the lake. No one is going to see you! We'll be the only ones there." Sally assured, shaking her head. She looked a little guilty then, and sat back. "Well...if you'd rather not, I understand. I won't force you to do that."

Jack looked up at her with a little frown and then looked back down again. He pulled his legs in to his chest. "I'm sorry, Sally. I just...i-it's such an open area, so exposed. I...I'm sorry, I know it's foolish...after all, I..." his eye sockets became half lidded, his frown softened, "I let you...see and have...all of me...all of the time." Some distress came back to his eye sockets again. "But...I'm so scrawny, Sally. Perhaps no one would laugh to my face but they would certainly laugh on their own. A-And then what if the witches or Undersea Gal started m-making... 'comments' a-about my, um...body. You know, they do still tease me a little about having crushes on me, even if they don't really mean it anymore. And then I..." Jack sighed and looked to her sincerely, "I don't know, Sally...I...I could try, but...I-I don't know."

Sally sighed a little, unsure of what to say to all of that, biting her lip. She chose her words carefully, and looked toward him in concern, but understanding. "Jack...if there's one thing you taught me, is that it doesn't matter what other people think. There is a time and place when the opinions and ideas of others are essential, such as planning for Halloween, the other Holidays or thinking of new ideas to make the town function better. But on a more personal level, the way people think of you should never affect their judgment of how you work as a ruler or a person. You always said people can think what they like, but that we have the right to feel differently if we know we do. You also said to me, that something, or someone, will only bother me if I let them. ...Well Jack, that's only going to bother you if you let them. And you are letting them...you're giving them power over you, and that...well, I can understand you're not comfortable being exposed. But it is swimming, it's having fun, there really is nothing wrong with that. And if they find it to be a problem, that shouldn't matter to anyone but them." She placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing. "So...it's up to you from this point."

Jack looked at her with wide, interested eye sockets the whole time she spoke to him. He took in all of her words, her gentle squeezing of his shoulder, her loving look to him, and considered. Then he spoke softly and appreciatively back to her. "Sally...I..." He only got that far though before he put an arm around her, hugging her close from the side. "Oh Sally...thank you for that..." He nuzzled against her. "You're so smart, my Sally, and so clever and so wise...I..." he sighed, thinking a little more. Then he sat up a little and looked into her eyes. "Sally...I...I can't make any promises but...if you do have time and could make me a...a s-swimsuit, I...I-I'll at least wear it under my regular suit when we go and...I-I'll try." He smiled a little. "And I'll feel a lot better about trying...thanks to you..."

"I can make you one, and we'll go tomorrow." Sally promised with a smile. "At least you'll try...that's good to hear. If by then you truly aren't into the idea, well, that's all right. It'll just be something we'll have to work around, and that's okay."

Jack smiled back at her. "You're...You're too understanding, Sally...I'm grateful." He moved closer to her on the couch, looking down with a smile as he swung his legs a little off the edge of the couch now. "Sometimes I wish I could learn to be more like you, Sally. You're so comfortable in your body, in private and in public...It's very admirable."

"Well, in moderation." Sally giggled. "I wouldn't wear one of those...special summer dresses in public. But a simple one piece bathing suit and a sarong is fine...it is quite modestly made, anyway."

Jack nodded, understanding. "I understand, Sally. A-And I know, but it's just...you just seem so comfortable with yourself wherever you go and in whatever new thing you've chosen to wear, whether it's something for 'outside' or something for 'inside'...and I like that." Jack chuckled and then added sheepishly. "And, um...speaking of your 'special' dresses..." he looked to her eyes again, "I-I know that in the past I...I used to get a little 'funny' about the idea of you going outside in them. I'm sorry about that. I never meant to seem demanding or possessive or anything like that...i-it was just...we weren't married yet and I could never help but feel like technically you could still be available for someone else, and you really are already so very attractive to men...I know I was just being silly of course but I hope I never made you uncomfortable." He looked at her tenderly.

"Oh...Jack, don't be sorry. I can understand you felt that way. Yes...we may not have been married, but that didn't mean we weren't completely committed to each other." Sally assured. "I wasn't exactly thinking too clearly, because of the heat, when I thought to go out that way in that special dress. I had thought that since the dress kept me a bit cooler, it would be okay, and didn't think beyond that." She laughed at the memory. "You may have been jealous of that, but I can understand."

Jack chuckled too, looking at her. "Thank you for understanding, Sally." He chuckled a little more. "Aw, but you really were so cute the first time you came prancing out in one of those things. You were a vision and didn't even realize it...and that adorable fact made you all the more attractive..." He scooched just a little bit closer to her. "I still don't know how I kept myself under control with you...Oh I think the absolute worst was the time I looked over and you had pulled out the low collar of your dress to fan your chest a little...You know, when I went to pick up ice for use that day, I got a little extra before I headed back to the house and just dumped it over my skull. I think that's the only thing that kept me level for the rest of the afternoon." He smiled more to himself.

Sally blinked at this newfound information, then started laughing. "Oh, Jack...you're silly...I can't believe I hadn't realized the effect I had on you..." She smiled brightly. "I remember the ice...how you took some to cool me off with...I think that was certainly one of the most intimate moments of our courtship...or our romance as a whole. And then..."

Jack nodded, leaning closer to her. "Oh, it was so naughty of me...but I just couldn't help myself...At that point, on that day, fantasies could no longer sustain me...and the sight of you rubbing the ice upon your hot, soft skin with your eyes closed in pleasure...it was unbearable. I had to be a part of it..." He let out a shuddery sigh. "So yes...I cooled you off...and then..." He blinked a few times, looking in a daze of love.

"Hee..." Sally breamed at the memory more, and then her eyelids lowered. "And then soon after, you held me in your arms, we lay down together, then we kissed for hours."

A shuddery sigh left Jack, his eye sockets already so very deeply half lidded. "It...It was all I could do...the only think I could think of to take the edge off...to keep me from just..." His breaths were shallow. "You had so little clothing on...it would have been so easy to take it off of you...Kissing you like that was the only thing that could distract me, that could let me resist the temptation of it all..."

"I see..." Sally giggled, and then toyed with his tie, her eyelids lowering as she tugged him a little closer. "Now you won't have to." She winked.

Jack chuckled goofily. "I know...now I...now I can rub the ice...all over you...if you'd like..." His breaths were shallow and warm, his voice low, an all anxiety about his body and their swim in the lake was long gone.

Sally trembled a little, breathy gasps escaping her. "Yes, of course... That would be interesting... Ooooh...and if you ever wanted to take off that so-little clothing I had...you could." She winked again, giggling a little.

"O-Of course..." he cooed out seductively, gazing into her eyes. "First I could unpeel the cloth of your dress from the cloth of your skin...just as I've so very much desired over the last two summers...and then I would rub the ice over every inch of you that required it...and then you'd probably be cold...so I would have to warm you up again..." He leaned closer and closer to her.

"Nothing would warm me up like you can..." Sally cooed seductively, she leaned closer too, her voice lowering. "And then I would be all yours, nothing to hold back..."

"And I would hold nothing back from you either..." Jack tiptoed the fingers of one of his hands over and placed his hand gently upon her thigh.

"Remember...remember how you promised me once that I would come home during a heatwave and...find you in our room...the sheets wrapped around your bare body as you waited for me? I hope that when you don't hold back...that will be part of it..." He could barely breathe anymore.

"Oh!" For a moment Sally's countenance sparked with recollection, then she nodded and lowered her eyelids again. "Yes, of course I remember. You come home, and I wait for you in our bed...with nothing on... Don't you worry, I won't hold back..." She placed her hand on his ribcage, a little pur in her tone.

"I won't either!" Jack shook his skull, his breathing starting to accelerate a bit. "It's the start of summer, there's a lull in the holidays...we could stay up here for days and who would question it?" He put his forehead against hers, nuzzling it. "I've craved this summer, you know..."

"So have I..." Sally purred, her breathing shallow, growing faster. "This time we'll at least have a...relief from the dreaded heatwave." Her hands toyed with his tie.

"Ooh. I may sometimes wear a little dress, or sometimes...I may not dress at all."

"Wh-Whatever your heart desires, my love...Just know that I'll be here to relieve all of the heat, all of the tension...It will be the perfect summer our deep, undeniable passions..." He leaned in more as she gently pulled him by the tie. "Wh-What shall I wear, Sally? It...it really is so hot walking around here in the suit during those times..." He closed his eye sockets in pleasure.

"Mmmm...you could lose the shirt...keep your pants..." Sally cooed seductively. "But whatever you choose to do will be fine with me, of course."

"I'll lose the shirt..." Jack whispered back to her seductively... "But when I find you in our bed with only the sheets wrapped around you...I make no promises about the pants...about anything...S-Sally..." He leaned in, starting to kiss her cheek, her neck, her collar...

"Oh, I believe it..." Sally laughed a bit, her breathing more shallow as they melted into breathy gasps. "Maybe I won't even wrap the sheets around me...maybe I'll be on the sheets..."

"J-Just take me, Sally...pull me to our bed and take me...Oh you don't know how breathtaking your body is...It overwhelms me to see it just like the first time I saw it and I shivered all over with pleasure and desire..." His kisses continued and he clung to her. "And your King will make the heat all better for his Queen..."

"And your Queen will make it better for her King." Sally cooed, her fingers now kneading his ribs through the barriers of the fabrics. She moaned a little, her eyes closing in pleasure. "Oooh...we'll then make love until we pass out from exhaustion..."

"Th-Then we'll wake up...and do it all over again...Just countless days and nights of our bodies as one in the safe cocoon of our love!" Jack moaned lightly at he touches, his breaths still quick and shallow. "Sally...you know...Z-Zero is, um...o-over visiting Pearl most of the night...h-he's having dinner over there too actually...then over to play in the graveyard...He won't be back for h-hours...m-maybe not all night..."

"We will...we will!" Sally managed amidst pleasured moans, her fingers clenching.

"Oooh...that's true, isn't it? Ah, Zero deserves a nice night out with Pearl, so that's good for him, then." She smiled sweetly at the thought. "Mmm...whatever are you suggesting, darling?"

Jack's breaths were ragged and growing deeper and he still spoke between passionate kisses to her neck and collar. "I'm suggesting that we...'relieve' our own little 'h-heat wave'...right here and...right now...S-Sally...Mmm..." He moaned in deep pleasure, his hands starting to rove over her a little bit.

Pleasured moans escaped Sally, her hands clutching to his chest tightly, her breathing heavier. "Yes...yes...Oh, Jack...yes...of course." She managed to giggle a bit, sighing and gasping as his hands began to rove along her body. "Your Dark Queen accepts..."

Jack looked at her, panting with desire, a large skeletal grin on his face, hands still slowly and gently touching her. "Your spooky skeleton is very happy...And he's so warm...for her...and yet...chilly..." His grin picked up on one side and then in a flash he had her in his grasp and he pulled them both down onto the couch with her on top of him. "Spooky skeleton does love his Queenly blanket." He winked up at her.

"The winters had been long..." Sally paused a moment, thinking of something to add to their little fantasy narration. "Alone the Queen had been for many nights, longing much for her only love. Potential suitors came and went all throughout, but never once swayed her...for she always waited in her room, in the dark of the night...for her only true love...the spooking spectre of the castle walls...to return to her..."

"Oh and he waited too..." Jack's rib cage expanded and contracted with deep breaths as he looked up at her. "He saw those other suitors come...and every time one set foot near her, he seethed with jealous passion. How dare they try to court her...couldn't they see that she was his...and how long before they would know that he was hers as well? And then the winter...so cold...His bones, trembling, aching...but for more than just a warm fire..."

"The rumours floated...about the castle's own haunting creature." Sally giggled a bit, and was undoing his buttons. "Many asked the Queen of this, if it were true. A ghost hunter...who specialized in hunting these creatures came to the castle...and the Queen knew her beloved was in trouble if he caught on. She feared for his safety, but her lips were sealed. She said that she saw nothing...that if there was such a creature, she had never seen him. The ghost hunter could buy the Queen's lies, something she was good at. But the Queen feared, and waited that night awake, for her beloved to return...and warn him of the dangers."

"A-And she was in luck..." Jack sighed out breathily. He was holding her and as she undid his buttons, his hands came down to the hem of her dress to press against her thighs and to slowly move the dress up. "It was a f-frost that night and...and he couldn't bear the cold anymore...nor watching her bear the cold...and so he came to her. 'My Queen...I am here. I know you are cold...I'm cold too. But now all of those...those 'suitors'...' A look of disgust would come to his features, '...they're all gone...and I can be with you...if you will have me.' He would bow to her."

"The Queen was joyous, and yet still feared for his safety...but was thankful for relief from the cold that had passed." Sally managed, straddling him a bit as her dress rose up. "Immediately the Queen went to him, relishing his embrace! 'My love, you've come...but you must caution, there is but a ghost hunter on your trail...I have lied to buy you time, but he is investigating...do be careful...' "

"The skeleton would gasp at the news, but only for a moment...And then he would gently pull close to her. 'My darling'..." Jack's fingertips started slipping up high along Sally's thighs, under her dress a little. " 'My darling, I don't care...I just want to be with you. It's been bitter cold and I cannot bear the idea of your chills...I must warm you...completely. But I do wish you would announce our love to the world...Don't you want me to warm you for the nights...and the days...as I once promised to do when we first found each other?' He would reach up and touch her face gently." Jack removed a hand from her thigh to do just that.

"The Queen hesitated, and was unsure. So much of her wanted to announce this to the world! She had been ready when the frost came, but all this only dampened her. 'My love, understand that I wish I could, but he has his men out...and will capture you if you are exposed!' " Sally giggled, leaning her face into his hand.

"Her spooky skeleton understood her concern, and yet he was still sad..." Jack gave her a big pout with wide, adorable eye sockets. " 'If I can't have you in private as well as in public...then perhaps it's for the best and he captures me an takes me away...' "Jack smiled a little once that was over and gently touched her cheek tenderly.

"The Queen was terrified at this, and yet once more, shed a few tears. 'No...I will not let them! I will throw them off your trail, and soon they will no longer search here and we can be safe once more. My love, please...do not...I cannot lose you!' She begged with all she had, pleading him not to let this happen to him." Sally smiled all the more, turning her head into his hand and kissing his fingers.

"A-Ah..." A soft, shuddery sigh left Jack at her little kisses. He smiled more and went on. "He would assure her that he did not want their love to end...but what else could he do? 'I cannot lose you either...but I also cannot live hidden like a deep, dark secret...a source of your shame...' " Jack fake another little pout to her.

Sally giggled, even faking a pout right back. " 'I must protect you! If I cannot protect you...' The Queen sat upon her bed, crying in shame. She was out of any options that seemed logical, unsure of how to proceed from this looming danger."

"Oh dear..." Jack replied back with a tender smile to her, "The spooky skeleton would sit down on the bed with her and hold her. 'Oh my love, I don't mean to pressure you...I'm just so tired of being in the shadows, of watching...watching suitors come for you...Oh the jealousy...I couldn't bear it!' He would look at her, his breaths shallow. 'It's not fair. I don't want to pressure you...I just want to be with you...forever..."

" 'Darling, you have not. It is I who have pressured you.' The Queen lamented in despair, and held close to him with all her love. 'I have put you in danger ever since that night we lured one another into bed. I cannot bear to put you in further danger, but I cannot lose you!'"

"Oh but he would shake his head. 'No, no...I'm the one who lured you...Always acting like I was just trying to haunt you and frighten you. And then coming to your bedroom one night...interrupting the sleep of the chaste, lovely Queen...surprising her...and then surprising myself by having the courage to tell her how I felt...and to make the sweetest, most tender love to her...followed by our nights of physical oblivion and bliss after that...It's all my fault. I started this. If I hadn't...we wouldn't be so very compelled by our uncontrollable passions for one another."

"Oh, but she would rebut that! 'Darling, it is not just you...I too have seduced you... Ever since you made yourself known to me, and how I felt of you only grew, and even then all I wanted was you in my bed, and even after I did! You deserve far better, where you can haunt freely.' The Queen just then looked more vulnerable than ever, almost as if she was not the same person." Trying not to laugh, but failing, that was when she unbuttoned his shirt completely and was already caressing his ribcage lovingly.

"O-O-Oh...!" Jack moaned, eye sockets closing, spine arching in pleasure. "Yes..." left him in a heated whisper. He took a few ragged breaths and then barely managed to come back to the story: senses were going haywire and his desires brimmed.

"As the Queen mulled this over, she looked to him and then lay herself in her bed, beckoning him to lie with her. 'Darling...whatever will we do?' Was all she could ask by now." Her breath ragged, Sally giggled at his response and continued her ministrations.

"The spooky skeleton hesitated, but only for a moment, and then he laid beside her as well. He would sigh...and then speak to her softly. 'I...I have an idea, my love. I think that I should turn myself in, reveal myself to the whole castle and kingdom. I'll explain that I'm not so very spooky and that I meant no harm when haunting everyone. I'll humble myself to all of them. And then I'll humbly ask for their support as I go to court their Queen.' He would gaze at her softly. 'I believe it is the only way...Although, of course...our nights of bliss can remain between us and only us...' He wouldn't want it to happen and yet, lying beside her in the bed, the spooky skeleton would be unable to help his eye sockets roving over her lovely body, its soft curves and pale, bluish glow..." Jack let his hand leave her face to gently travel down the side of her body, touching every curve he came across.

"It was a hard decision, but the Queen knew it was likely the only way. After all, it was of course what he wanted and encouraged her to do. Now, there was no point in running. It was time to face the truth. 'My love...all right. We will. We will tell the castle staff, tell the Kingdom of our love...and I will protect you with all I have, and will let nothing happen to you...and let them know you mean no harm.' " Sally trembled in pleasure, and smiled. "Ooh, and so does it finally happen, do you think?"

Jack smiled more as Sally trembled and smiled. "D-Does what finally happen, oh dark, wicked, evil Queen?" Jack's eye sockets brimmed with passion as he savored the feeling of having her half wrapped around him.

"I think so." Sally winked, giggling and lay herself over him completely, purring a little. "They finally reveal their love..."

"Ooo...alright. I wasn't sure if you meant that or the spooky skeleton's inevitable need to make sweet love with her as he lie next to her in her bed." Jack chuckled and winked up at Sally. "Ah, but yes I...I think they do reveal their love...and that because their love is so strong and beautiful it survives all trials...and soon they are one in every way possible. And then they have lots and lots of dark, spooky princes and princesses." Jack chuckled more. "A-And then maybe their bravery inspires a certain skeleton King and his lovely little servant girl...though I suppose that's a story for another day." He winked at her suggestively.

"Oooh...we'll have to touch on that later, then..." Sally winked, trying not to laugh.

"Hmm, we'll save it..." Jack cooed back seductively. "W-We've already got plenty to work with right now...We can venture down that path later...Though in the meantime..." He faked another little pout, "There's this pesky fraction of an inch of cloth material in the form of your dress separating my bony chest from your soft, inviting bosom...It would be nice to correct that soon." He little playful, naughty chuckle left him.

"Oh dear..." Sally then laughed, beaming. "I should tell it to please vacate the premises."

"Indeed..." Jack replied in a low, right tone. "Not that your dresses aren't the prettiest creations there ever where but...it has definitely worn out its welcome." He smiled more.

"Hee... Well then." Sally gave a smile, and then sat up. She raised her dress over her head and then took it off, placing it aside. "Mmm...better?"

Jack's breaths instantly got so deep that he was amazed he didn't crack a rib with how fully his chest kept expanding and contracting. "O-Oh, y-yes..." squeaked out of him. Then his voice dropped low as his eye sockets roved over her. "S-Such a...beautiful... 'blanket'." His skeletal grin grew.

Sally giggled and leaned down again, her hair obscuring their faces like a curtain. "Hee...thank you."

Jack shook his skull, his breathing calming down but barely. "N-No...thank you..." he whispered back softly. He gulped and then added sweetly, "A-And...A-And this is what I'm talking about with the bathing suit thing and you being so naturally comfortable in your body...your breathtaking, brilliant, buxom little body...H-How I don't die all over again at the sight of you is always a miracle to me."

"It's just how I look, that's all." Sally giggled, beaming. "You know it better than anyone...having seen every inch of my form for months now."

"Y-Yet I still crave it...I still want more...Months of my deepest fantasies fulfilled and I still desire you in ways I could never desire another female creature for the rest of forever..." left him breathily. "Love of my life..." he finished, tenderly and sweetly.

"What my body seems do to you...is what yours does to me even now...love of my life." Sally cooed sweetly. "You may not agree with me...but that's all right. I just...suppose you have had me develop a whole new love and appreciation for skeletal anatomy like never before."

Jack blanched and let out a shuddery breath and glanced to the side bashfully. "I...I'm happy that my body makes you as happy as yours makes mine...a-and I'm happy that...y-you've come to care for skeletal anatomy so very much..."

"Well, of course..." Sally cooed sweetly and nuzzled their cheeks. "Knowing it's all you within it, makes it special."

Jack smiled more, nuzzling her cheek back. "I...I never thought I could...'be'...with someone they way I'm with you...until you came along. E-Everything that I used to be terrified about sharing with others...a-all of my deepest fears and darkest secrets and most unscary emotions...and my body...I can share them all with you and it feels...splendid." He gave her a little nuzzle again.

"I felt the same." Sally admitted, and this time lowered herself down to his ribs. "Sharing everything with you is liberating..." She kissed the bones, applying pressure with her lips.

"O-Oh yes..." Jack sighed out breathily, his eye sockets closing in pleasure, "L-Liberating...Such a wonderful way to put it. Liberated...W-We're free when we're together...Perfectly free..." His hands came to her back and he gently stroked through her still half-braided hair and down the length of her lovely curved back.

"We are, we're free. If our...nights, mornings...and occasionally afternoons of passion with little to nothing on our bodies was any indication." Sally laughed a bit, and trembled at his touches, and winked at him a little before tending to his ribs yet again with her fingers and lips.

Jack felt her trembles and nodded, still gently touching her. "I know. O-Oh Sally, I...I know we were both so terrified b-before the...the first time...a-and that sometimes we even thought about waiting even longer or keeping away from it as part of our relationship but...I'm so happy that we tried and made love. Making love to you has been...a fulfillment I have never known...not ever..." He kissed her cheek and her forehead a little.

"Oh, I wasn't terrified. I was just nervous." Sally pouted cutely, and giggled. "At least we tried, and now look...it really has become a fulfillment even I never knew it could be." Her ministrations continued, with more passion. "Especially that one night...we didn't even go to sleep. Hee...that always reminded me of the second night we spent in bed together, that first summer together..."

Jack chuckled, his breaths deepening at her touches. He almost couldn't bear it anymore. He almost had to have her. "O-Oh, I...remember...Th-That night when you...you let me touch you...so much of you...for the first time." He slowly moved a single fingertip up and down the curve of her spine.

Sally winked and nodded, rising up a bit to look at him clearly. "Yes, of course. ...And when you even managed to...well, entice me with your assertion and stern manner...you know, it has been a while since you did that." She winked again.

"Mmm..." Jack moaned in soft pleasure, gazing up at her beauty and then glancing to the side bashfully. "I-I know...I-It's just...it takes something so rare to...to rile me up like that...to make me seethe with emotion. I-I don't know what to say to you...to give you what you want...right now..." He looked up at her, his face hazed with love an desire though he was still trying to keep up the conversation with her.

"Oh...I can think of something..." Sally winked. "But I'll save it for later."

Jack blinked a few times, still looking in a daze though. "O-Oh, but...what is it?" He faked a pout. "I'm curious now...a-and you know how I get when I'm curious." He chuckled and winked at her.

"You want to know everything about it until you figure it out." Sally giggled. "No, it's just fuel to rile you up...but it won't work right now."

"Exactly!" Jack grinned. But then he faked a pout again. "Aw but then...how can I give you what you want, sweetest Sally?"

"Oh, it can wait..." Sally winked. "There are...other things we can do..."

Jack faked a deeper pout, looking up at her with wide, endearing eye sockets. "Well, if you insist, I suppose...Leave me curious and tempted and longing for your secret. I suppose I'll 'live'." He couldn't help but chuckle a little and wink at her. "And in the meantime...what did you have in mind, my lovely little rag dolly?" He grinned more.

"What do you have in mind?" Sally repeated, winking as her hands trailed lower down his torso.

"Mmm..." Jack moaned, his spine arched. "Wh-Whatever you'd like...anything...S-Such talented hands, Sally...I-I'll do anything...I'm at your disposal...my darling..."

"Well..." Sally then sat up, stood up off the couch. She stretched her arms, completely exposing herself in full frontal view. "My King...your demure but bold humble little servant is approaching you, with nothing on. Will you follow her to the bed?"

Jack took in and let out a very deep breath and then sat right up, looking at her with longing and passion and adoration and with a spark of something playful too. He nodded. "O-Oh yes...my sweet little 'servant'...no more coy games...my Queen...give yourself to me and make me a true King...for how can I be truly King without you?" His shirt left his body as he stood up from the couch, taking her in his arms.

"I will, my King!" Sally proclaimed in passion, desire, and a spark of playfulness. She brought her hands to his shoulders. "Take me! Take me, my King! May we reach the heights of ecstasy!""

Jack could barely breathe anymore and he clutched her to himself with passion. "I'll take you anywhere and everywhere forever, vile, voluptuous vixen!" And then suddenly he was heatedly kissing her and doing his best to let them stumble their way back to their bedroom door, while the whole time he tried not to chuckle too much as he felt her hands doing their best to loosen the small belt of his pants-the last garment of clothing between them.

Eventually they made it into the bedroom, with Sally having strangely succeeded in removing the belt, already grasping the garment in her hands. As they stumbled past the threshold, it was Sally who raised her leg and kicked the door closed.

Within some time, there was laughter, muffled sounds, before it all dissolved into passionate sounds of lovemaking...


It was a lovely, orangey-sunny mid-morning in the outskirts of Halloween Town as two familiar figures walked gently along one of the sandy, mossy paths out in the open leading to the lake. They walked side by side, the taller one with one arm around the waist of the shorter and the other arm occupied with holding a small picnic basket, and the shorter one close by him and holding a black sun parasol just over their heads. They seemed to be enjoying their leisurely stroll, the Pumpkin King and Queen, and a closer look would reveal that Jack Skellington was smiling perfectly peacefully as he walked close beside his lovely Queen, gently resting his skull upon her hair. He sighed once softly, as if in thought, and smiled more and pulled her just a little closer.

A thick fog settled along the area, to which anyone seeing them would soon see that they disappeared within the vision-obscuring depths. A little giggle escaped the very woman in question as she too reciprocated the gesture of leaning close. At the same time, she also hummed a bit in no particular tune.

At her sweet little tune, Jack nuzzled against her head more and glanced down at her for a moment. She was in her little swimming outfit and looked just adorable. He smiled a little more and blanched a tiny bit, his eye sockets looking away. He too was in a little swimming outfit she had made, though his was hid under his usual pinstripe suit at the moment. He felt a touch of nervousness go through him just like yesterday and to relieve it he let out a breath and gave his Sally a kiss on the head. "You did a very lovely job on your swimsuit, Sally. I think it's very pretty."

"Oh, thank you." Sally smiled brightly. It was a basic patchwork, modest one piece. Along with a black sarong tied around her waist. "Yours turned out fine as well, Jack."

Jack blanched a tiny bit again. "Yes, it...it did. Thank you for it, Sally." He gave a little nuzzle against her hair. "And thank you for making it so modest and so simple for me. I appreciate it. I think it'll help me be more...comfortable."

"You're welcome." Sally nuzzled back, smiling in understanding. "It was the least I could do."

Jack smiled more. "No, Sally...It was very considerate. You've been wonderfully considerate. Like last night when you talked to me about everything...a-and then after that when we were together in bed and you kept doting on my body and telling me how handsome I am, a-and well-built-looking, even despite all the bones. It was kind and it made me feel really happy." He smiled more to himself.

Well, you know..." Sally chuckled, looking away and kicking her foot against the ground a bit. "I try, I suppose." Her smile grew.

Jack chuckled a little at her cute little gesture. "And you succeed most admirably." He laughed a little more and then looked up ahead. The lake was coming into view. "Oh darling, look. Isn't it just ghastly? It's so haunting, so eerie, so very beautiful in all of its darkness. It...reminds me of your more frightful aspects, in a way, actually."

"Oh, don't be silly." Sally shook her head, and pulled back a bit to admire the haunting, eerie view of the lake. What little could've been seen within the thick, dense fog. "It is wonderful..."

It's even better being here with you...just like it's always been." He gave her a little hug from the side and then pulled back a little as they made their way toward the black and tan, sandy shores. "I packed us fried spider legs, vulture egg salad, slightly moldy bread with herbs and rotten roasted vegetables and rancid horseradish sauce, and a few cold pieces of poisonberry pie and some pumpkin juice for drinking. I hope that's all alright, dearest."

"That sounds wonderful!" Sally nodded, smiling more. "I can't wait...this will be fun, Jack..."

Jack nodded, a touch of his usual joy and glee coming to his countenance. "Oh yes, I just know it will. And there's a blanket on top that I folded up that we can lie on, and we can use your parasol for shade. It'll be a splendid, splendid day..." He kissed her cheek and then glanced to the lake shore again. The sandy path had ended and now they were walking upon the swirly black and tan sands which were getting moister and moister as they neared the water's edge. "Ooo it looks very calm today, Sally...and quiet. A lovely day for a swim..." He did his best to make the observation casually though he couldn't help at least blanching a tiny bit. He cleared his throat to move along and glanced at her as got nearer the water. "Now, I know it's clear but do please stay very near the shore, Sally. I can't swim very well if you needed help and also I don't want anything in the lake to startle you and mess up your own swimming. Besides, it's nicer near the shore. The water's a clear, cool, gray hue, and the sand is dotted with darkness like black stars. Alright?" He glanced at her tenderly.

"You don't have to warn me, I wasn't going to go far. You know I can't swim." Sally assured, waving it off a bit. "But I'll be fine. Don't you worry about a thing." She nuzzled their noses, smiling.

Jack smiled more, nuzzling her back. They reached a nice place near the shoreline and he stopped and set down the picnic basket and took the parasol from her to stick the end in the sand to create a small area of shade. He took out the blanket next and unfolded it and laid it down for the two of them. "There now, that's lovely." Jack stepped back for a moment to look to Sally and smiled more, his eye sockets half lidded. "You look...really really beautiful, Sally...V-Very fetching, really..." He looked down bashfully yet playfully.

"Oh...you always say that. Oh, but thank you." Sally blushed, then removed her sarong, heading toward the short. She smiled over her shoulder for a moment, and then continued on, already removing her shoes.

Jack just watched her go, trying not to let his smile go too goofy at the sight of her, though it was hard. She was just so cute and alluring and delightful and the way those little hips of her swayed as she happily trotted toward the water...Jack chuckled a little too himself and blanched a bit and looked away, shaking his head to himself. 'And that is how you know you are in love, Jack. Over half a year in and she still gets you just as smitten and bashful as the first time you kissed.' Jack was about to sit down on the blanket to look after her and maybe read a few pages of a book, but then he paused and considered. With a little swallow he went towards the water and sat down near the shoreline. He looked at the water, pondering it with interest and a smile.

Unaware of his musings, but feeling he must have been watching her, Sally stepped to the water. She placed her toes into it, as if testing her bath water. She drew back, giggling. "Ooh!" But didn't stop there. She stepped into the water that washed over her feet and ankles, going a little further in as she got used to the feeling.

Jack slowly blinked a couple of times and glanced up at her cute little exclamation. "Is it chilly, dearest?" he asked sweetly.

"A little. Oh, but it's fine!" Sally replied, looking over her shoulder again. "I'm going further, now!"

Jack nodded. "Alright. Just please be careful..." He couldn't help adding the little extra caution, though he maintained his smile.

"I will..." Sally promised, looking over her shoulder once more, then turned to look ahead. She stepped further into the water, beginning to disappear within the fog.

Half consciously, half unconsciously, Jack eased a little closer to the water in a small attempt at still keeping a good sight of her. He hoped she wouldn't disappear completely in the fog or anything-it would worry him a little to lose sight of her like that, though he knew she could take care of herself. His movement forward, meanwhile, caused Jack to blink and pause and look down at the sound of one of his shoes lightly slapping against the surface of the start of the lake water. He pulled his feet back for a moment, not wanting to drench his shoes or anything of course. Yet still, now that he thought about it again, perhaps it wouldn't mind touching the water a little like Sally had done. And doing so, the way he had in mind, wouldn't be too 'new' of an experience for him. He reached down and gently removed each of his shoes and placed them aside, exposing his bony feet to the outside air for the first time in a very long time. He flexed his toes a little and then gently slide them a bit into the water. "O-Oh..." The feel set a little chill up each of his legs, but nothing horrible. It was quite refreshing actually. He smiled, liking it, and even managed to kick his feet a tiny bit in the water playfully.

Giggles floated through the fog, and the barely visible silhouette and vision of Sally stopped part way through, before she lowered herself to the ground in a sitting position. The water washed over her legs and waist in refreshing coolness. "Mmmm..." She murmured, and looked out toward where Jack was. "Over here, Jack!" She waved.

Jack blinked and scooched just a tiny bit more forward, doing his best to make her out clearly. "Are you alright, Sally?" he called out, just to be sure. "Are you having fun?" The water came up to his ankles now.

"Yes!" Sally called back, splashing a bit. "This is just what I was thinking to do...come on over to me!"

Jack blinked. Oh! Um..." He considered. "A-Alright, I'll...I'll try..." he called back, as confidently as he could muster. Then he stood up. For a moment he was considering just walking out there in the full length suit-the water was only knee-high on him, probably after all. But then he abandoned the idea as rather silly and instead tried to make another effort toward loosening up a little about all of this today. He removed his jacket and folded it neatly in the sand and then he glanced around rather quickly to make sure no one was looking and rolled up his sleeves to the elbows and then his pant legs to the elbows. He had never managed any attire this casual outside of the house and although he felt funny at first, it wasn't so bad letting the cool, fresh air hit his bones, now that he admitted it to himself. He walked out toward her. "I'm sorry to be a little silly about all of this still, darling. I'm making some progress though." He smiled as he reached the point where she was. And she looked so happy and content and refreshed here that he really was starting to feel even more relaxed.

"Oh...it's all right, really. You lucked out in this case, my first time at a...beachy place was in public." Sally giggled at the memory. The green water splashed over her upraised legs, making her giggle. "You know, the water there was blue...kind of an aquamarine colour! And it was so bright with a lot of sun, and it was an enormous body of water, it was amazing! You could see far off! Oh...and the sunset was beautiful..." She hugged herself and giggled at the memory. "I wish you could've seen it with me!"

Jack blinked at the information and then smiled at the lovely look on her face. "I...I think I would have liked that too, darling. When did you get to go there? Was it during your little bachelorette party?" He chuckled a little, moving a little closer to her. Meanwhile the cool, grey water passed over the bones of his feet and lower legs and he liked it very much. It was a refreshing feeling and...he searched for the word... 'Liberating.' Yes, liberating-the word he and Sally had been using last night. That was the perfect way to describe this.

"Oh, no. It was last week!" Sally giggled. "Actually, the first ocean I had ever seen was actually in April...but no, last week, you remember when I said I was to be gone for a few hours? Hee...Flower Heart finally earned her wings, and so she kidnapped me for the day." Sally looked sheepish. "It was kind of why I wanted us to try going for a swim here."

Jack looked at her in surprise for a moment and then he laughed and sidled up right alongside her. "Oh you are just so very clever, my sneaky little Sally." He rested his forehead lightly against hers. "We can go sometime, if you want...just the two of us...We'll go at night to stay hidden. And then I'll feel less self-conscious and also, well...moonlight really is so very romantic." He nuzzled her nose with his own a little.

"Oooh, okay." Sally giggled, smiling at the idea. "It is very lovely at night too, the moonlight was amazing! And very quiet, the waves crashing along the shore."

"I bet you were a vision of dark beauty upon the shore. So lovely...yet so macabre. Just like you are now." He chuckled and winked at her.

"Hee..." Sally blushed and looked away. "Well, I'm sure you'll find out when we make a point of going...together, to sit under the stars and the moon, with only the sound of the waves...and maybe the cry of a loon..." A dreamy smile came to her face. "It'll be wonderful to spend it together."

Jack nodded, his eye sockets looking dazed. "Yes...We'll quietly sit in a little dune near the surf...and I'll watch as the moonbeams tinge your body with silver...and then I'll coo sweet nothings into your ear and we'll hold each other close in the soft sand..." He reached up and gently touched a few pieces of her hair. And he was starting to feel very warm in his bones from all of this talk. On instinct he reached up and loosened his tie and prepared to slip off his shirt. They really were so hidden in the fog and he really was quite warm and he could always take a few steps back and toss his clothes to shore if he liked.

"Oooh..." Sally beamed at the idea, and nodded. "All right, Jack...it's a date..." Leaning back a bit on her hands, more of her hair wettening from the water, her body arching a bit from the position, she sighed dreamily. "It'll be wonderful..."

Jack could have just pounced upon her right now if they hadn't been outdoors. She looked heavenly yet alluring. It always amazed him how comfortable she naturally was with her body, just like now as she savored the cool water all around her cloth flesh. "Yes...Yes, my sensual little dolly...It will be very wonderful..." he cooed softly, finishing removing his shirt and tie. It was funny but he honestly wasn't feeling nearly as awkward as he had imagined he might feel about all of this. Yes, he still felt a touch of anticipation and worry about letting himself be a bit more exposed for the first time outside but none of his old fears about experiencing utter mortification from the whole thing seemed to be happening. It was nice. He waded a few steps back from her toward the shore and gently tossed his shirt and tie onto their blanket, and then he waded back to her, pants still rolled up at his knees. "The water suits you, Sally...And you seem so happy in it. I'm glad." He smiled amorously down at her.

"Well...I...don't quite know how to describe it, but there's something enchanting and even mysterious about it." Sally murmured, opening her eyes again as she looked up at him. Despite the level she sat in didn't reach her waistline, it did still prove to do wonders in cooling her material skin.

Then she let herself go, letting herself lay over the water, with the shallow water coursing along her sides and halfway up her head, as she just stared up at the fog blanket hiding the sky.

Jack felt such a desire to lie there beside her. He wanted to hold her hand as the water gently swirled around them, and they could gaze up at the swirls of fog and talk about anything and everything. He almost knelt down to join her like this but then paused. He blinked and looked down at himself. He still had the pants on. And he knew that was going to be the hardest part for him-the last part until he was just in the bathing suit. He swallowed, trying to sum up the courage.

Opening her eyes again, Sally looked toward him, raising herself just a bit.

"Is something wrong?" She queried, a touch of concern in her tone.

Jack pouted a little, looking away in a touch of embarrassment. "I want to lie down beside you...but to do that I'd...have to take off my pants. Um...I-I've made progress but this one might t-take me a minute. I'm sorry." He looked to her with apologetic eye sockets.

"Oh...too bad..." Sally sat up then. "Well, would you like a little help?"

Jack blanched a little, eye sockets going wide. "N-No, I...I-I mean...um..." he trembled a little, "If we were inside then yes, of course, I...I'd like that, b-but n-not h-here..." He looked about as shy as could be, almost reminiscent of the way he could get sometimes during the younger days of their courtship.

"No, silly. I mean...well, being able to find the courage to just do it." Sally said with a cute smile.

"O-Oh! Um..." Jack blinked a few times and looked at her sheepishly, giving a little shrug. "S-Sorry, I didn't realize...Y-Yes, of course, Sally-your encouragement is always welcome and appreciated." He smiled at her a bit more warmly and normally now.

"Yay!" Sally let out a soft cheer barely above a whisper. "Um...could you do me a quick favour for a moment and make sure our things are still there?"

Jack looked at her curiously for a moment at the little cheer but then nodded. "Oh, sure, Sally." He turned around, taking a step or two away to squint and see their things near the shoreline. "Hmm...perhaps we did place everything too close...If the tide comes in it could all wash away and then what would we do..." he mumbled to himself in thought, still looking to the shore to make sure that nothing really had drifted off into the lake.

"Oh, I do think they'll be fine, but I suppose double checking wouldn't hurt." Sally agreed.

And then...

SPLASH!

Jack gasped as cold water suddenly drenched his bones and even his pants, though half the splash just plopped right on through him to the water past him. He turned back to Sally in bewilderment for a moment...But then the sight of her standing there in that cute little black bathing suit with parts of her skin dark blue with dampness and giggling at her little trick...oh it just made him grin! "You are a very sneaky little rag doll..." he announced with almost a pleased purring tone to this voice. He took a step toward her.

"But I didn't do anything..." Sally beamed, looking about as innocent as a guillotine.

"Oh that guileless little face of yours never could hide any deception..." His grin picked up on one side and he took another step towards her. "So, what's your plan? Soak me 'to the bone', so to speak, and then I'll pretty much just have to take off the pants, hmm?" He chuckled a little more.

"Maybe..." Sally winked, bringing her arms behind her back. "Oh, what are you going to do about it, my dearest?"

"I don't know..." He shrugged casually, sort of circling her a little. "What oh what in the world to do about it...?" He pretended like he was 'deeply pondering' the matter and the whole time he gently let one of his hands glide through the water...casual yet waiting to strike.

"You could retaliate...or do something more."

Jack chuckled a little more. "Oh I'll save the 'something more' for when a situation like this arises in the hot tub I really must build for our happy home one day...Hmm, but...retaliation?" He paused in his pacing around her and smiled. "Perhaps..." A moment passed and then instantly he pushed a huge splash at her!

"Eeee!" Sally let out a squeal, raising her arms to shield herself...which was kind of pathetic, since it did absolutely nothing to shield herself. "Why...you..." She giggled, and then splashed back again, before scurrying away.

Jack chased right after her, splashing at her as much as he could along the way. "Come back here, you wicked little water nymph!" he called out, laughing all the while. Oh who could think about bodies or how one might be exposed at a time like this? All he wanted was to tumble in the small ripples and waves with his darling dolly Sally.

"Nooo!" Sally squealed, splashing back. Then in a childish manner, she placed her thumbs in her ears, wiggled her fingers, and blew a raspberry.

Jack took the excellent opportunity to jump at her and catch her up in his arms. "Ha, I've got you! Oh I could just pounce you into the water and smother you with kisses!" He laughed happily, keeping her close.

"What's stopping you?" Sally purred, her eyelids lowering suggestively.

Jack blinked but then quickly his smile grew and his eye sockets narrowed playfully. "I-I'm thinking it's these darn pants...I really should just take them off, shouldn't I?" He pressed his hands against the cool fabric of her damp bathing suit. "A-And have I mentioned that...this suite suites you quite, quite well...?"

"Oooh...yes, I believe you should, my love." Sally purred sweetly, giggling. "So we may explore the fun we can have in the water!"

Jack chuckled warmly. "I shall, darling...I shall..." he replied softly. Then he blanched a tiny bit and then he gulped, and then he finally removed his arms from around her body to reach down and start to remove his last garment of regular clothing.

"Do you need help?" Sally queried innocently, bringing her arms behind her back, tilting her head cutely.

"P-Perhaps later, when I have you in our lovely bed...Then you can help...As long as you'll let me help you out of that damp suit at that time too..." A very playful smile came to his face as he finished with his belt, paused for just one more moment, and then pulled down and then off the pants. He straightened up and now he was standing there in the nice, black bathing suit Sally had made him. It was very basic, yet cut nicely and the black was a very rich hue. It was long, going down to his kneecaps, and overall it was very distinguished looking for being such a casual piece of attire. He folded up the pants and gave them a quick toss to the shore, and then looked back at Sally with a touch of shyness. "Um...h-how do I look?" he asked timidly with a smile.

"You look just fine." Sally smiled, meeting his gaze. "But what matters is that you're ready now, to just let loose and have fun...together, you and I...in the water..." She winked a bit.

"I-I'd like that..." Jack chuckled shyly. "Thank you, Sally." He moved closer to her. "Would...Would my favorite little water nymph like to lie down in the shallow water with me? Or maybe just sit?"

"We can sit, and see where it may take us." Sally winked, and right then, sat back in the shallow water much like before. She beckoned him, her smile beaming even within the depths of the fog.

Jack was utterly drawn to her and instantly knelt in the soft sand and cool water beside her. He turned to sit and then put an arm around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder. "I love you, Sally..." he said dreamily.

"I love you, too..." Sally nuzzled her head to his, giggling as she sat closer.

Jack sighed softly. "Can...Can we do this...often...during the summer?" He moved closer too, enjoying the warmth of being near her in the midst of the cool water.

"Oh, yes! That would be wonderful." Sally relented, her voice eager. She giggled a bit, her hand dipping into the shallow water. "A wonderful way to cool down should we encounter another heat wave."

Jack chuckled and nuzzled her hair. "We should come here after we finish overheating ourselves with sweet, summertime love making. We can cool off in the water and share our sweet, quiet afterglow in the fog..." He gently kissed her cheek.

"Ooooh, that would certainly be refreshing after the overheating of our lovemaking..." Sally purred, giggling as she nuzzled back. "Many a time I think I've been set on fire..."

A shuddery sigh left Jack. "I feel you heat up so much...I do so worry I'll scorch your sweet cloth body...If it wasn't for your cries of pleasure and pleads for more, I...I would stop so very often just to make sure you really were alright..." He gave another kiss to the side of her cheek.

"Hee...and it turns out to only just be perspiration I never knew I had." Sally purred, giggling. "Oh, but even then I would...as you said, cried in pleasure and pleaded for more..." Her finger poked his ribcage lightly.

Jack trembled a little and smiled more. "Yes...And then meanwhile, I..." he blanched a little, "...I say such things to you, I know...And my bones almost rupture with the shaking and moving we do. Oh if it wasn't for you wrapping yourself all around me I'm quite sure they would all fall apart..."

"Oh dear." Sally laughed a bit. "And I wonder how I didn't fall apart, either...all of my stitches bursting, seams splitting, my limbs falling away.. Oh dear! Then our bed would be a messy pile of bones, leaves and my body parts..."

"Mmm...It wouldn't matter...So long as we could be close...And if we really were all mixed into one unit of being like that...I would find utter bliss in it." Jack gently nuzzled into her hair.

"Silly." Sally nuzzled back, giggling. "Well, if you say so...so long as neither of us get lost."

Jack gently shook his forehead against her head. "No, never...We'll never get lost. We'll always be together. We'll always be Jack and Sally..." He rested his hand over hers just under the surface of the water.

"Of course, Jack and Sally..." A light laugh escaped Sally as she nuzzled their heads, planting a kiss on his cheekbone. "As long as we're together..."

A soft sigh escaped Jack. "Sally...kiss me?" He looked to her eyes with his eye sockets hazed with love.

"You read my mind." Sally purred, her eyelids lowered. She scooched closer and pulled her beloved into a needy kiss.

Jack's arm quickly came fully around her waist and he pulled her close, savoring the moment. "Mmm..." he moaned softly, appreciatively. He shifted forward a little and felt a compulsion to soon lean her back into the water and possibly to come over her. This whole time together was just wonderful and he adored it all so very much.

A moan of her own escaped Sally as she brought her hands to his neck, supporting herself. There was just something exciting about this, being within the thick blanket of the fog, in the water, together...sharing this romantic intimacy.

Jack was finding this quite thrilling himself. Outdoors yet hidden away...clothed yet barely wearing anything at all...It was sort of risky and it made him feel daring. He really did start to lean her back into the water.

Risky, and yet not, it seemed. Even Sally felt the same thing, that this is what it was bringing. And she liked it.

One of her hands anchored down in the water, along the rocks and sand that lay there, trying hard to keep herself up, but with no success.

Jack felt her slowly melting and weakening and he was melting and weakening too. He was very gentle as he came more over her, not wanting to overwhelm her. He paused, having both of them half way down, and removed his lips barely from hers. He was panting lightly. "I-Is this alright? I don't want to overwhelm you j-just because I'm getting more comfortable with all of this..."

"A little..." Sally admitted. "But um...the thrill is certainly...something, isn't it?" She blushed a bit, her lips curling upward.

Jack's lips returned to a smile too. "Yes, it...it is...It's rather fascinating actually...But, um.." He blanched a tiny bit and spoke softly to her, "You know that I would never...I-I would never try to actually make love with you in such an open area as this, regardless of the fog...I-I just wanted to lie with you in the water and kiss. A-Anything else can...can certainly wait until later when we're nice and safe and tucked away in our own little den of fiery romance..." He nuzzled foreheads with her.

"I wasn't implying..." Sally blushed heavily, shaking her head. "Goodness no! Not unless the entire town was evacuated for an entire day..." She laughed a bit. "No no. Even I wouldn't expect you to do that."

Jack smiled a little more and kissed her nose. "Thank you...a-and I know...I know you wouldn't...I-I just wanted to make sure you didn't think that I would request something like that from you. I just want to enjoy kissing my favorite dolly in the water...I-I can slow down though, if that would make you feel better..." He kissed her cheek a little. "I-I'd even be content just lying with you upon our blanket on the shore, resting in the fog and partial sunlight together..."

"Oh no, this is fine." Sally giggled, nodding a little. "So long as we don't get too carried away. But this is just right, really..."

Jack's smile warmed and he nodded his head against hers. "A-Alright then...A-And we won't, don't worry...I-I think the cool water will help us with that. Now, um...where were we?" He resumed his gentle hold on her, waiting for her leave to resume their kissing.

"I don't know, you tell me..." Sally cooed, and reclaimed his lips. Her fingers caressed his neck, as well as supporting herself.

Jack utterly melted at her sudden renewal of their passions and couldn't help collapsing forward, causing them both to gently fall to the sand and water. He held onto her tightly, kissing her tenderly in the gentle surf, stroking her hair and feeling his bones both heating and cooling at the same time considering their circumstances.

Feeling the rocky sandy ground beneath her, along with the water, Sally felt both cooled and relaxed, kind of like the times he rubbed ice on her shoulders and neck. Her hands coursed along his ribcage, before settling on his shoulders for leverage.

Jack meanwhile just did his very best to be as soft and gentle as possible. He didn't want to push anything on top of which he didn't want any little pebbles in the sand to hurt his Sally's skin if he layed too much against her. He just gently kissed her and snuggled close, savoring the special moment together here.

The moment went on for some time, drawing warmth, before they parted and just basked in each other. Only the sounds of the breaths they took, the gentle lapping and splashing of the water, and the cries of frightening creatures within the fog could be heard.

A little giggle escaped Sally as she closed her eyes and emitted the only response she could think of, with her voice very soft and just above a whisper. "Yay."

Jack, likewise lost in the light afterglow of their embrace, smiled a little more at the soft word and looked to her, little chuckle leaving him. "I t-take it you're happy then...my darling..." He felt overwhelmed with heat from their moment yet coolness from the air and water around them.

"Yes..." Sally giggled, nodding as she relaxed a bit more. "It's very...refreshing, you know?"

Jack nodded. "I've never felt more refreshed in my whole life...and I've never enjoyed the summer weather so much." His skeletal grin went from ear to ear.

"Neither have I...but oh, I think this certainly managed to top our first summer shared together!" Sally smiled, leaning her head back a bit into the water for a moment.

Jack chuckled. "Well now...there were at least one or two things about that first summer that...can never be beaten, in my book...Like having someone to share the heat with...like seeing so much of my pretty Sally for the first time...and also...the, um...'the ice'..." He gave her a little playful and suggestive smirk.

"Oh, I do know that..." Sally giggled. "Not everything of that summer could be topped. ...Who could forget the ice? And the...well, the dress?"

"A-And the positively seductive way which the dress clung to you...and the sensual way you moaned and moved and sighed as you let me cope with my intense desires for you that day by rubbing my hands all over the top of your pretty body..." He moved forward, nuzzling her hair a little in the water.

"Hee..." Sally blushed at the memory, nodding a little. "Of course. And...well, who knows, maybe we'll come to discover new things to try as the summers come in the future, don't you think? Kind of like right now."

Jack nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yes, definitely! We can find new activities and visit friends...We could even take a trip to a lovely southern climate. We never did get a chance to see much of the Mediterranean during our honeymoon. Wouldn't that be a lovely place to go to a beach like we talked about? And maybe we could visit Christmas Town one day where it snows all year round and spend 24 hours pretending it's winter and snuggling by a fire and drinking lots of hot chocolate." Jack chuckled. "Wouldn't that all be just delightful, my dearest?"

"Really? Oh, Jack...that would be wonderful!" Sally nodded, smiling brightly. "I'd love to try all of that, yes!" She giggled again. "At least it would be one way to cool down!"

"Exactly! And then of course once we got too chilly we could...come home and warm up again..." He tiptoed his fingers through the water toward her and winked.

"Oooh, the best of both worlds, then." Sally beamed, opening her eyes fully. "Certainly one extreme to another, but I suppose it would be very fun to try."

Jack chuckled, his fingertips trotting over onto her hip and finding their way to her navel to gently dance around it. "Yes, it's always fun to try new things with my Sally...and old things. We'll...we'll have the loveliest summers there ever were...together..." A soft, dreamy sigh couldn't help but escape him.

"Yay..." Sally laughed all the more, her body trembling lightly in response. "I have no doubt that we will!"

Jack nodded once more, his eye sockets starting to grow hazed, his fingertips begging leave to journey onward and to wrap his whole arm around her waist, pulling her close. "Yes, my shy little summer sunflower...we-ll..." Part of Jack's mind couldn't help feeling like it heard...some new sounds...in the fog beyond the shore...voice-like sounds maybe...But a much larger part of him was more distracted my Sally right now than anything else..." ...we'll...be so happy."

"Yes, we will be! That's for-" Sally paused as she then heard...voices? A mild frown of thought came to her features as she listened hard. Yes, voices. And they were getting closer.

"Um...Jack? Do you hear that?"

"Hear what, my sweet?" he merely breathed out softly, tracing little circles over her tummy. "All I hear is the light lapping of the waves and the sweet song that is your soft voice..." Charm was just pouring out of him, and it made him want to see her little question as a game of flirtation perhaps. And he did adore flirtation with her.

Sally blushed, and could see that he wasn't focused on the reality of the situation. "No, Jack...I'm serious, I hear voices nearby. I think-"

"You guys hear something?"

"I don't know...why?"

"Sounds like something's out in the fog!"

Sally blinked, turning bright red. "Jack, it's the townsfolk!"

"You see, I told you all! Something's been splashing around in my lake, and it's not a sea monster!" Undersea Gal was suddenly heard to say (and rather close to the shoreline). "And then I thought I heard laughter too! Do you think it's a prank by the trick-or-treaters?"

"Hey!" Lock's voice was heard to protest. "We've got better things to do besides splashing around in some silly old lake! Besides which, the three of us are right here!"

"Ooo maybe one of the sea monster's had a baby!" suddenly suggested Zeldabourne the witch.

"Oh dear!" the mayor was then heard to say with a touch of distress. "Another new sea monster? That'll be the third one this year! Pretty soon this place is going to be more monster than lake."

Meanwhile, Jack on an impulse had sat bolt upright in the water, pulled Sally up with him, and was now half crouching behind her and clinging to her shoulders, his eye sockets wide in surprise and fear and worry, and his rib cage rising and falling with shallow breaths.

"The heck was that noise?" Shock's voice sounded. "It sounded like splashing! Was that you, Undersea gal?"

"Hey guys, I see something!" Barrel's voice piped up next.

"Hmmm..." Helgamine the witch said thoughtfully. "Why, I see something, too! There! In the mist!"

"Let me get a look!" Clown's voice came next, and the sound of a unicycle came wheeling close.

Sally's colour drained into a pure look of horror. "Uh-oh..."

"What do you think that is? I-Oh!" Helgamine suddenly gasped in a touch of surprise. "Look everyone-a parasol and a picnic basket right here on the shore. And some kind of big, wrap around, black lace thing. And..."

There was a moment of silence and then suddenly a gasp of fright from the mayor! "Oh NO! Jack's clothes! The seamonsters ate Jack! Quickly, we have to dredge the lake and get him out before it's too late!"

"Oh would you clam up, Mayor!" Shock shouted sarcastically, and then she giggled mischievously and added, "That lacy thing probably belongs to Sally...I'll bet they're around here right now kissing somewhere. Wonder what she stuffed him into in place of yet another boring pinstripe suit!" She chuckled and Barrel and Lock joined her.

"Ooo girls..." Helgamine sighed, "If only we could have stumbled upon a chance like this before Sally came along...Jack's clothes! Ooo we could have had such a time teasing him when he came to get them back!" She laughed loudly and Zeldabourne and Undersea Gal joined in. "

Meanwhile, Jack was just about buried against Sally and blanching away. He shuddered at the idea of them all with his clothes, at the idea of them all seeing him like this and all the things they might think and say.

There were footsteps of all kinds, or at least some kind of noisy indication that the townsfolk were approaching. Sally felt nervous, then. This was a moment of confronting these beings, now her "subjects" for lack of a better term, in a more vulnerable and casual moment (aside from walking in the streets on a normal day), especially in terms of Jack. She hadn't seen him this vulnerable in front of the others before, unless he was slightly nervous, but even then he would still manage to keep in control.

Here, it was as if he were reverted to a scared little child hiding behind his mother.

Sally bit her lip, and knew that they couldn't just hide away. They had to face them, and accept the consequences. Like adults.

"...It's no use, Jack," she said as calmly as possible, despite the nervousness in her tone. "We're just going to have to keep our heads high and accept the consequences. ...And really, there is nothing to fear. They may laugh, but this is where we have to stand together and let them know it's all right. Because we're all friends here. We're all allowed to look certain ways when the time is appropriate. ...Don't worry. We're in this together." She took his hand, squeezing it.

"Hey, I heard something!" Shock announced. "Sounded like Sally!"

Jack's eye sockets popped open at the squeeze of his hand by Sally. It took a moment, but then her sweet, comforting words absorbed. His hold upon her relaxed just a little. "S-Sally..." he whispered softly near her ear. "I...I'm sorry...for being so..." he paused, then swallowed, then admitted, obviously with a touch of hurt pride in his voice, "...for being so...scared. I know it's not right...The Pumpkin King doesn't get scared, he scares others...He might get worried or startled or surprised sometimes, but never really scared...unless he's scared over someone else of course...l-like during that first Christmas when I almost lost you." He swallowed, trying not to dwell too much on the memory. "Anyway, I'm sorry for being scared. I don't mean to embarrass you..." He buried his

skull into her hair for a moment longer. "I'll try, Sally, I promise I will..."

Meanwhile, on the shore, all the townsfolk were suddenly chattering. "Sally? Ooo, do you think that's them out in the water?" asked Helgamine eagerly. "Do you think I should swim out there and see?" asked Undersea Gal. Sounds of discussion followed and it sounded like they were all leaning in favor of Undersea Gal's suggestion.

Sally smiled then, and squeezed his hand in a wordless way to assure him that she of course was not embarrassed, but merely wanted to assure his moments of vulnerability. He wasn't perfect, he had his moments, and she knew that very well. While not enabling it, she also wasn't discouraging it.

"Hello, everyone!" Sally said boldly with a smile. "I see you found us out here. We were taking a swim to cool off, actually."

"AHA! I knew it!" Shock yelled happily. "There they are! I see them!"

Jack had taken such comfort from her smile and the gentle touch of her hand. He didn't know why...though most of it felt like it was the fact that she hadn't looked back at him with shame or frustration at hearing the he was scared...But then again, he recalled, she never had cared much about those things. She had always liked him much more for being Jack than for being the Pumpkin King. That was why he had liked her so much in the first place, and that was so much of why he had fallen in love with her eternally... "Y-Yes, we...we just wanted to t-take a swim. Th-The lake really is so beautiful, we've been th-thinking about coming out to it for a while now actually. U-Um...n-no need for anyone to swim out here though...S-Sally and I will just...we'll just...come to shore." As he had

managed to find the confidence to say all of that, Jack had (shakily) stood up, gently pulling Sally along with him. He didn't 'cling' to her anymore, though he still felt the compulsion to at least hook her arm with his and to stand very close to her. He looked to Sally, doing his best to keep the confident smile on his face despite all of her nervousness. "Sh-Shall we then...my dearest, dearest...dearest friend...?" he asked softly. Then he gently nuzzled his skull to her head and added in a whisper with a growing smile, "Thank you, Sally. I love you so much."

"Oh Jack, we're just so happy you're safe!" The Mayor's happy voice was back.

"Ooo, we didn't know Jack could swim!" the witches said in unison and then giggled to each other.

"Oh please! I'm surprised he wasn't rowing her around in some goofy little love boat!" Lock added with a gagging sound.

Sally giggled and nuzzled in response, to let him know she felt the same. She then looked at the three children who made themselves seen to them within the fog, and gave a raised brow smile. "Well, children...You seem to assume a lot of things like that, don't you?"

"Well duh! What are you gonna do about it? Stare us to death?!" Shock blew a raspberry.

Barrel's eyes widened. "Um...don't give her ideas...Heh heh..."

Knowing what they meant, Sally closed one eye and leaned down toward them a little, smiling. "Don't be silly, it's not as if I can control it." She straightened. "Don't worry everyone, everything is just fine. We're sorry to have worried you in any way."

"Y-Yes..." Jack, managing to keep his spine straight and his head held relatively high, began to address the citizens as he and Sally finally made their way totally out of the fog and onto the shore, in full and unobscured sight of everyone. His voice sounded calm and casual, though he couldn't help the occassional little stutter that left him, though he tried to speak as smoothly as possible. "W-We didn't mean to worry anybody. We just like to sneak o-off together sometimes, I suppose. A-And when Sally suggested swimming in the lake last night and e-even offered to make me a bathing suit, well, I...I couldn't very well say no, of course." He tried to chuckle a little and to be as fine as possible, though a very large part of his mind couldn't help but be preoccupied with the fact that he was right now standing in front of most of the people they knew, arms, spine, most of his legs, and all of his ribs exposed. His hold on Sally's arm became a bit more secure but otherwise he continued to manage to stand his ground and to just hope for the best.

Meanwhile, of course, the witches and Undersea Gal couldn't help but look to him with a touch of awe for a moment before giggling openly to each other. Helgamine turned to Sally. "Ooo, well, Sally, you certainly did a lovely job on his bathing suit-it's very becoming. Oh if only Jack had been willing to try wearing something like that as a bachelor..." She sighed playfully.

"Aw, Helgamine, you know that never would have happened-the only clothes Jack ever wears except his pinstripe suits are the ones Sally makes. Still though..." she gave a little sigh of her own, "...you're right, it would have been nice though. Darn why aren't there any more really handsome young bachelors around town?" She pouted and Helgamine just rolled her eyes.

"Oh enough you two!" Undersea Gal interjected playfully. She looked to Jack and Sally with a smile. "I think it's nice that someone else is finally swimming in the lake..." She giggled a little and couldn't help but then turn back to the witches and add with a little shrug. "Though yes, I suppose if he had chosen to swim a long time ago, it would have been nice for all of us." The three ladies shared a small laugh.

"Now, ladies, let's not get carried away." Sally said pleasantly, not at all phased by this point. "Thank you though, I'm certainly glad it is to everyone's liking."

"It's ugly!" Shock said spitefully, sticking her tongue out.

"I kind of like it...can I have one, too?" Barrel smiled.

"Ugghh..." Shock rolled her eyes and smacked his side with her mask.

"You're crazy." Lock rolled his eyes.

"Am not!" Barrel argued.

"Children, please." Sally crouched down at their level, smiling though. "Don't start squabbling now. You don't want me to stare, do you?"

The three kids swallowed hard, and everyone laughed.

"Anyway, we do apologize once again, but we assure you all is fine.

So, whatever you choose to do at this point is up to you, of course." Sally finished, facing everyone with a kind smile.

"Y-Yes, ladies...No need to almost make Sally jealous...Y-You've never seen her jealous before. It's quite intense." Jack chuckled, his voice soft as he had managed that...and this kind of 'slowly becoming happy' smile was coming to his somewhat shy face. He was just...starting to feel...maybe okay. He wasn't sure what 'horribly cataclysmic thing' he really had been expecting from trying something different, from being more open and casual just a little bit with others besides Sally. He felt better now though and he tried to go with the betterness. He even looked into everyone's eyes as he spoke. "It's very kind of you all though to admire Sally's work-h-honestly, I don't know how she manages to make things that fit me so perfectly. A s-skeleton's not an easy fit you know." Another chuckle. "Though really I think the suit she made for herself deserves most of the praise. She always does manage to create the most tasteful and yet flattering things for herself, truly. And I'm very grateful that now we can swim together in the lake if we like." He looked to Sally and smiled more. "Thank you again, Sally."

"Awl, that's so horribly sweet...!" the witches and Undersea Gal couldn't help but comment in unison with smiles at Jack's sweet words and the way he looked to Sally.

Sally blushed, and looked down shyly for a moment before straightening. "Thank you all...well, since we're all here... I think Jack and I can now declare this an all-out lakeside party!"

"Oooh! A party!"

"We've never had summer parties before!"

"Sounds awesome!"

"Let's try it at once!"

"My first!"

Jack just about beamed and he looked to everyone and nodded. "Oh yes, yes, a party! That would be just splendid! What a lovely idea, Sally! Thank you." He chuckled and turned to her again. "Besides, there really is such a holiday lull for most of this time of year-it would be nice to be able to celebrate something to fill up the time." He looked back to the townspeople. "I-I brought plenty of food as well, in the picnic basket, if you'd all care for some." He gestured to the basket with his free arm, offering it to them all gracefully.

There were murmurs of assent and many thank you and much nodding from the suddenly eager townspeople.

Almost immediately, the band members began to play some horrific but still cheery tunes to add to the atmosphere, while everyone around were either taking some food to try, and also taking to swim. Or to splash, run amuck, while Lock, Stock and Barrel of course took to shoving and splashing each other mischievously, but laughing the whole time. Within a minute or two, it did indeed turn into an all-out little beach party.

Sally felt her heart warm up at seeing everyone having, and with something new to try. Seeing it all unfold and how they all just went along with it eagerly, and with good reason, since this wouldn't be harmful at all. No visions whatsoever told her otherwise.

Turning to Jack, she squeezed his hand once more. "Well, this turned out a lot better than we thought, didn't it?"

Jack leaned up close against her and nodded with a big smile on his face. "Oh yes...I...I couldn't have planned it better myself. It...and everyone's...and you and I..." He started laughing happily and hugged her from the side. "Oh Sally, look at all of the happiness you've given to everyone. It's so nice for them all." He nuzzled her and then pulled back, laughing again. "This is so much fun, Sally. Thank you for giving this to all of us. It's very sweet of you...my sweetest Sally." He placed a little kiss upon her cheek and then pulled back with a bashful little grin.

Sally blushed, and smiled brightly as she turned around, returning the embrace. "You don't have to thank me. Well, I thought it would be nice to liven things up...and the cat was out of the bag, anyway..." She laughed a bit, and nuzzled their noses. "Let's join in on the fun, shall we?"

Jack blanched a tiny bit but the happy smile never left his face. He nodded. "Yes. Let's...Let's go have fun with everyone. We'll play and swim and splash. I...I think I'd love that, Sally...I truly would." He chuckled and then gestured forward with an arm toward the shore. "Ladies first..." He winked at her.

"All right..." Sally winked, and took his hand before leading them to the shore to join in on the party with the townsfolk.