The Two Flames

I don't own anything but my OC's.

Summary: Jack has never been more shocked in his afterlife. Until, of course, he finds out what's really going on.

Rated: K

Genre: Family/Humour

Spoilers for: Cobwebs Tend to Make Friends on Halloween, Cobwebs Tend to Vanish on Halloween and HEAVY SPOILERS for Cobwebs Tend to Want Revenge on Halloween.

Takes place: After Cobwebs Tend to Want Revenge on Halloween.

Cooking

Jack Skellington lay comfortably in his bed, asleep. Everything was far more peaceful now that Monochrome was dead and Oogie had become their friend. Jack snored happily to himself, just as a delicious scent got caught in his nose. Slowly, Jack's eye sockets flickered open. He sniffed at the air. "What is that…delectable smell?" He asked no one in particular. Unable to stay around any longer, he moved the blanket off of himself and walked over to his bedroom door. He opened it carefully, still sniffing at the air. He followed the smell downstairs. Once he reached the kitchen, he paused at what he saw.

Maverick had his back to him, dressed in his usual attire- minus the coat and hat-, as well as a pink apron wrapped around his neck and waist; protecting the front of his clothes from harm. The man had a spatula in one hand, flipping the pancake over. The sorcerer leaned in and smelled the pancake, then let out a happy sigh.

Maverick's cooking? Jack thought in shock. Dear God, someone get a picture!

Maverick saw the skeleton out of the corner of his eye and turned, smiling widely. "Jack!" He exclaimed in a very feminine voice. "Good morning!" Maverick jogged over to him, placing the spatula into the apron's front pocket. He cupped Jack's face and kissed both cheeks. Jack's eye sockets widened horrifically. Maverick released his face and walked back to the stove. He picked up the spatula from his pocket.

Jack watched him, eye sockets still wide. He must be sick! "You're very…chipper this morning…"

Maverick let out a girly giggle. "Why, yes, I am. Arachnid used to tell me that he's rarely seen me upset, which, I suppose, is true." Maverick frowned. "Well, of course, I've been upset a few times." He shrugged. "But that's what happens when you're pregnant."

"Pregnant?" Jack yelled.

Maverick turned to him, a confused expression on his face. "Jack? What's wrong, sweetheart?"

"Sweetheart? And since when were you-" Jack's questions were interrupted when he felt a chill throughout his body as Maverick's ghost walked through him.

"Ah, good morning, my horribly wonderful family." The ghost said.

Jack watched in confusion as the unusually chipper Maverick jogged over to the ghost and kissed his cheek. Jack's mouth dropped open, Maverick's kissing Maverick's cheek!

The ghost groaned. "Not in front of Jack!"

The body giggled.

"Hold on!" Jack exclaimed, startling both Mavericks. They turned to him. "Why are there two of you?" He pointed at them.

The ghost glanced at him before laughing. "Oh," He turned to the body. "He thinks you're me."

"Oh." The body said. It fell backward as Amanda's soul stepped out. "Sorry, Jack."

Jack sighed in relief. "Oh, Amanda." He chuckled. "God, I thought you were Maverick!"

"Mum wanted to cook for ya, so I let her borrow my body. She can't cook if she's a ghost and my body's the only thing she can possess." Maverick explained.

"So," Jack began, pointing to the sorcerer's mother. "When you said you were pregnant…" He trailed off.

"I meant when I was pregnant with him." She nodded to her son. Amanda laid down and disappeared, and Maverick's body sat up. Amanda, in her son's body, brushed herself off and stood in front of the stove again.

"Uh, Amanda," Jack began. "It's alright. I can cook breakfast."

"Oh, no, Jack. I insist."

Jack smiled at her before turning to his grandfather, frowning. "Why couldn't you of inherited her kindness?"

Amanda picked the pancake up with the spatula and placed it on a clean plate. She cut a piece off and scooped it up with a fork without stabbing it with the fork's prongs. She popped it into Jack's mouth. The skeleton chewed before exclaiming, "And her brilliant cooking skills!"

Before Maverick could reply, they heard a voice: "Because men don't cook."

Amanda immediately frowned and turned. "Montarg."

Montarg, who sat on the kitchen counter in the corner, frowned at her. "Woman in small child's fake body."

"I have a name!"

"And I have facial hair, but I don't announce it."

Amanda let out an angry yell through gritted teeth and turned away.

"Mandy!" She heard someone exclaim and turned.

Marcus stood behind her, mouth open. "I want some pancake!"

"Marcus, you're a ghost."

Marcus paused and turned to Maverick. "This is your fault."

"How is it my fault?" Maverick asked.

"It just is." Marcus slapped him upside the head. Maverick slapped him back, and then proceeded to have a slapping fight.

"Stop it, you two." Amanda scolded.

Both men turned to her and hung their heads in shame.

"And you keep Maverick and his friends in line?" Jack asked. He smiled and hugged her. "You can stay as long as you want!"

"While we, on the other hand, have to go." Montarg said and jumped up, taking hold of Marcus' collar and dragging him toward the kitchen doorway.

"No!" Marcus shouted. "I want my pancake!"

"Tough luck."

"Mav! Lemme borrow your body!"

Maverick shook his head. "No. My body."

Montarg dragged Marcus out of the kitchen, all the while the upset sorcerer was shouting and cursing at Maverick.

Jack sat at the table, chewing on his pancakes and watching the sorcerer get tugged out of the room.

…

Author's note:

Heh. I can only imagine Jack's face when 'Maverick' kissed his cheeks.

On another note, this one-shot is the first time we see Montarg, Amanda and Marcus in The Two Flames. Yay.