The Pumpkin King is surprised to find that he sleeps in the next morning, waking only when the sun manages to peek through his closed curtains. He surfaces from his sheets and stretches, hearing several of his bones popping as he rolls his skull to the side. A blissful sigh emerges from his lips as his frame relaxes. He wonders why he feels so good until it hits him. That's right. Sally gave him that massage last night, didn't she? That must be why he slept for so long; he's never felt so much tension leave his body before...

Jack climbs out of his bed to change into clothes, leaving himself in his undershirt as he heads downstairs. He's in the middle of buttoning it when he brings his skull up to find a figure already sitting on the couch. She's brushing her hair and staring out of a nearby window. The smile grows on his face as he hurries along with his shirt, rushing over to meet with the woman. She glances up when he's a foot away, her eyes drifting down. He notices the dampness of her hair, as well as the few droplets of water trickling along her cloth skin. He leans down and lays a kiss on her scalp, placing a bony hand on her shoulder.

"Good morning, Sally. You're looking refreshed!"

She smiles as he pulls away. "I used the shower in your bathroom. I've been waiting to dry in the meantime."

He takes a seat beside her. When he turns his skull, he finds the window beside her open, allowing the sun to seep in and soak into her skin. He admires the way the sunlight reflects off her skin, as well as the few glints of the droplets still left on her frame.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious about that," He brushes a strand of her hair behind her ear. Still a little moist. "-I was wondering if you'd find any use out of that restroom..."

"I can wash, but not that often. It takes forever for me to dry." She wrings her yarn hair to get the rest of the water out. "How did you sleep?"

"Very good, actually. I don't think I've slept that soundly before." He pauses before giving her a smirk. "-And how did you rest, my dear? If I recall, you slept for a good hour on my chest."

He can see the red tint on her cheeks. "I slept as good as my first night here. But it was more comfortable, how I feel asleep..."

His bones tingle in delight. He comes forward and leaves a kiss on her scalp, musing to himself how lucky of a man he is to be with this woman. He stands from the couch and makes his way into the kitchen, where he plans to prepare them a quick breakfast for the morning. 'I really should set us down together sometime and have a nice dinner...' He thinks to himself. He grabs the ingredients from the cupboard and listens to the humming from the other room. His frame naturally relaxes at the sound of her voice - reliving the moment where she sang to him, hoping, deep down, that another day like that will come...

Eventually, he finishes a couple servings of eggs and brings them to his beloved in the den. She thanks him as she begins eating. She compliments his cooking once more, and he thanks her warmly. Everything about the situation feels great for both of them - being comfortable enough to eat like this together already. Sally hopes things will only get better from here; that they can share peaceful meals all the time and she won't feel fatigued from slaving over the stove like before.

"Do you have any plans for today? I'm curious on hearing them if you do." Jack brings up as they finish their breakfast. She sets down her fork and thinks for a moment.

"Well, I wanted to go into town today, and start buying some supplies to sew with...with all that space, I want to start working on some new clothes right away!"

He chuckles at her enthusiasm. "That's great, Sal. You found somewhere to get supplies?"

"Not exactly. I'm hoping to find a place." She notices the frown on his skull and her posture deflates. "What's wrong?"

"-Well...Halloween Town doesn't exactly HAVE a seamstress anymore. We used to, years ago, but...she moved away, and there hasn't been a place like that in town since." He can sense her sadness and places a consoling hand on her back. "But I'm sure you can find a place that offers some fabrics or sewing supplies! I know the Town Hall has some extra supplies laying around..."

"I guess I can give it a try, anyway. It's been awhile since I've been out in town by myself." She rubs her arm before slowly dragging her eyes to his. "-Wh-when can I leave...?"

"What was that?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to say that." She squeezes her eyes shut. "I'm used to asking the Doctor when I want to go outside..."

The skeleton frowns as he notices the frustration building for her. He leans forward and rests his arms around her, bringing Sally into a close embrace. He feels her relax in his grip and inhales, presumably the cologne still lingering on him from the other night. He runs his fingers on the back of her head, humming in delight at their contact. They both relish this moment of ease, and she doesn't think of what she just said or why she said it. All she knows is that Jack is here, and he's allowing her more freedom than she's ever gotten.

"You've got all this time for yourself now, Sally. You can spend it however you want, wherever you want. I'd just like to know where you are so I don't have to worry if you're not here." He presses his lips on her forehead. "And just to let you know, I'll be in the Town Hall if you need me at all today."

She winces. "-And interrupt your work?"

"You are much more important to me than that." He pulls back to look her in the eye, touching the tip of her nose slightly. "I'd drop everything for you in an instant."

She grins and closes her eyes as he taps her nose again. "Thank you..."


The ragdoll bids goodbye to her Pumpkin King as he leaves for the morning. She refrains departing from the mansion right away, deciding to make a small list of what she will need for everything she wants to make. Fabrics are definitely her priority right now, but more sewing needles wouldn't hurt, and she lost a thimble a little while ago...Her lips drop into a frown as she writes this all down. How can she even FIND these things if there is no seamstress in town? Or anyone else with this hobby, for that matter? The only one she knows is the Hanging Tree, but he must be busy with other things...

By the time she is ready to go out, she has her basket in hand with her list in the other. She hopes to at least carry something in it by the end of the day. She takes her time walking down the Manor's staircase outside, and opens the gates to Halloween Town. There are people out today=. The ragdoll wears a smile as she passes by fellow citizens. Most of them return her greetings, the Corpse Family happily waving to her and some of Jack's previous friends acknowledging her as they pass by. It leaves her feeling confident as she approaches the shops and stands she's seen before. Her eyes lead their way to Witches' Goods, the only shop she recognizes.

The ragdoll wastes no time entering through the open doors, hesitating as she peers around inside. Nothing much has changed since her last appearance here - which, come to think of it, has at least been a couple of years ago! Deciding she is far overdue visiting here, she begins to walk around the shop in search for anything she can use. After minutes of searching, Sally unfortunately falls short as she can only find potions, magical items, and a few miscellaneous things she can't identify. She turns her head and notices the Witches sitting behind the counter up front, in the middle of a conversation, giggling to themselves quietly.

Sally sighs in relief as she approaches them, clutching the basket in one hand and waving with the other. "Hello...I was wondering if I can have some help?"

Helgamine and Zeldaborne glance towards her. Their eyes dart to each other as the smiles fall off their lips. The ragdoll tightens her grip as she lets her arm fall, and watch as they turn to her with sudden smug smiles. She recalls them being very talkative from their previous encounter. Seeing them fall silent upon greeting them gives her this uneasy feeling...

"Why, sister, look! It's Sally! The source of all the talk in town today!" Helgamine drags her gaze to the shorter witch, who chuckles in reply.

"It sure is! I can't say I'm surprised she hasn't changed from those rags she wears all the time." Sally quickly glances down at her patchwork attire. "-What do you want, Doll?"

"Um...I'd prefer it if you called me Sally." She nervously corrects, hesitant to come any closer towards them. "I was just wondering if you had any cloth to spare? Or any sewing supplies at all?"

The sarcasm is apparent in the reply. "Now, why would we have any of that?"

"Well, I'm not sure. If not, I would like to know who does. Can you tell me?"

The Witches look at each other again, and already can the taller woman sense this will not end kindly. They remove themselves from their seats as they approach her with their hands behind their back, eying her frame from head to toe. She bows her head down and turns red when she hears them laugh. What could be so funny?

"You might want to think of fixing your stitches first! All of them just look so ugly...and not in the terrible way! Why, any second it looks like you'll just fall apart!"

A long hand shoves her to the side. Sally regains her balance quickly and steps back in surprise. That's when she finds Zeldaborne down at her feet, touching the ends of her dress and scoffing. "-I don't know why Jack fell for you! You dress like you live on the streets! He should be with someone much more proper."

All of these words sting deeply. She can feel her chest growing cold and her throat too hot to form any words. She feels defeated when Helgamine narrows her eyes at her, leaning forward a little too closely for her comfort.

"And why did he pick you, anyway? We've known him longer than YOU have! You've been assembled for...what? A few years now? Why would he be with a woman who looks more like a human instead of a monster?"

One word manages to leave her dry throat. "What...?"

Zeldaborne snickers. "Yeah! You don't look scary at all! I bet you wouldn't hurt a rat!"

"-Why would she, when she's so ugly that the rat would just run away?"

"Haha! Good point! Jack's going to grow so bored of you knowing you can't scare. He's the most terrifying man around, and he doesn't need someone like you slowing him down!"

By this point, she can feel the tears threatening to leave her eyes. She wants to defend herself; assure them she can be scary and that Jack truly does love her despite everything...but she knows her words will fall on deaf ears. The two continue to laugh at her as she stands there, dumbfounded, and quickly decides enough is enough. She darts out of the building gnawing at her lip, knowing that if she lets herself stay still, she will break down crying. And she can't do that in the middle of town...not when she just left such a good impression at that meeting!

The further Sally goes into the crowds, the more she sees the distasteful look from some of the women. The Undersea Gal scoffs at her as she walks by, causing her to sink her head into her shoulders. Then some of the other ghouls give her sour looks and one even bumps her side as she walks past them. Sally notices the loose seam on her arm from the encounter and stops to tighten the stitch. As she does, she looks up and finds the same group of women smiling in delight at her struggle. A huff leaves her ruby lips as she quickly finishes the job, and she darts away from the crowds.

She doesn't really know where she's going. Anywhere people can't see her, she supposes. But the longer she leaves herself alone with her thoughts, thinking about what those witches said to her and all the distasteful looks she got in town...the more horrible she feels. Her whole body turns cold and she suddenly has an urge to go home. To hide behind those walls and never come back out...so those women can have what they want, and for her to suddenly disappear from everyone's deaths. Her leaves feel fragile as she approaches a building, and she slowly moves her gaze up to see where she has led herself:

The Town Hall.

Sally vaguely wonders what brought her here, and then it dawns on her. Jack is inside. The man of her screams, the one who told her she can come to him if anything happened...he's only a few steps away, and her body knows she wants to see him. He's the only source of comfort to her right now, and she kunderstands if she flees to their home and locks herself away, it would only be the same as when she lived with Finklestein.

Holding her breath, she climbs up the steps and opens the door slowly.


The tall skeleton is in the middle of his work before the Mayor comes into the room, carrying a small stack of papers with him. He glances from his desk and watches as the papers are set on the corner of his workspace. The coworker grins as he pats the top of it with his small hand, looking rather proud of the new paperwork he's leaving for The Pumpkin King.

Such a sight would bring some slight discomfort to the skeleton before - but now that he has someone to come home to after all of this is done, and he doesn't feel stressed one bit. In fact, he finds himself looking forward to wait awaits him in that pile. He feels greatly motivated by Halloween again; a spark that has left him for years, suddenly ignited again...and all because he's happy, now. He simply couldn't ask for anything else!

"-And here they are! All of the new Halloween ideas, freshly printed! They need your signing, and then we can move on." The Mayor tells him with pride. Jack pushes aside the stack for now.

"Great. I'll get those done by the end of today."

"Horrible! Thank you, Jack." He begins to leave the room until he suddenly stops. Even with his gaze down, the skeleton can hear his faces switching. This must not be good. "-Oh, by the way...I could have sworn I heard a woman crying somewhere outside! And it didn't sound like the pleasant types of cries...I tried to find out who was out there, but I couldn't find anyone! It's gotten quieter now, but still..."

"A woman crying?" He repeats, taking his attention away from his work. "Goodness, I hope they're alright...I better check to see if there's anyone out there."

"Awful idea, Jack! I'll be in here if you need me. I hope whoever it was just had a terrible fright!"

The taller man nods in his direction as he leaves the room. As he scans the rooms, he tries to listen for the source of any crying. He comes to no luck with anywhere inside, and decides to bring his search outside of the Town Hall. He catches the sounds of sobs as he inches closer to the back door. He opens it and peers around - eventually finding a ragdoll bunched up beside the set of stairs. For a moment, they both grow quiet. Sally looks up, surprised to find the concerned face of Jack looking down at her. He quickly shuts the door to approach her.

"Sally! Are you alright? What happened?" He asks, offering his hand. She observes it for a moment before wiping away her tears, slowly taking it and allowing him to help her to her feet.

"Oh, Jack...it was terrible! I went into town today to find what I needed, and the worst thing ha-happened..."

He notices her distress and decides to go somewhere they can have some privacy. He knows just the place and starts patting her back as he leads them down a trail. She looks confused the farther they go from the Town Hall, but when she turns her head and finds the gates of the graveyard, she relaxes her shoulders. Jack leads them both to the spiral hill, where he carefully sets her down first before sitting himself next to her. There is barely any space between them - he ensures they have contact the entire time of consoling her.

"Now, isn't that better? No one can hear or see us." He brushes her hair aside. She sniffles and nods slowly.

"Thank you...I'm sorry I had to come like this. But I couldn't...help it..."

More tears emerge from her eyes. Jack frowns and gently guides her into his arms, letting her weep on his chest. He's sad to admit that such a thing has happened before - Sally has been through a lot, and her best comfort was letting it all out on his shoulder. He doesn't mind when he feels her tears wet his suit, and brings his arms around her to keep her in an embrace. They remain like this for a few minutes until her tears run dry. She finally leans back to look at him properly, the sorrow still apparent on her features.

At her silence, he prods. "Now, what happened to get you so worked up...?"

"I went to the witches' shop to ask if they had anything I needed. What a mistake that was..." She looks away from him. "Instead of helping me, they started saying all of these awful things about me...li-like I wasn't scary, and that it-it was a mistake for you to be with me..."

"Sally-"

"-I know it's not true, but it hurt to hear those things. And I feel even worse for leaving. I couldn't say anything to them. I just...left."

Jack remains silent for a few moments as he watches her look at the ground. Here he was, thinking the town took their relationship greatly with how they talked to them yesterday...yet, that was far from the truth. The band really was right. All of the jealousy was pushed down, and the witches found an opportune time to take it out on Sally. 'Well, I'm not going to have any of that.' He thinks to himself. 'No one should think they can talk to her like this and get away with it. Not even if it's my own citizens...'

He takes her hand holds it endearingly in his, moving his skull closer to her. "I am so sorry that happened to you...Sal, I promise you I'll talk to them and let them know right away that they can't speak this way to you."

"You know I appreciate that, but it's not just them saying those things. I'm...I'm upset that I couldn't tell them that." She squeezes his hand hard. "I couldn't stand up for myself..."

"Don't be so hard on yourself...it hasn't been that long since we've told them. You shouldn't have to deal with this with everything else going on. I don't want you to be burdened with something I can easily fix while you're adjusting to moving in with me."

He leans forward to kiss her forehead, and she shuts her eyes tightly. He's right. She has so much she already has to deal with...this jealousy from some of his fans shouldn't concern her so much. Not when she knows he'll come in and do the right thing. He's only showing his protection and care for her, and she should be grateful for that. Maybe some other time she'll have to try gaining the same confidence as him...

"Thank you. I'm sorry you have to deal with this, Jack. I didn't think-"

He covers her lips quickly with his finger. "-No, no...you don't have to apologize for a thing. I should have known better than to assume EVERYONE would be fine with this...I'm just going to have to give them a good talk to get my message across so you won't have to worry about this anymore, Sally."

Before she can rebut, he quickly adds, "-Your safety is my responsibility. I don't want you to feel like everyone is upset whenever you're in town. You deserve to live a comfortable life, and I'm going to give that to you."

And just like that, she feels the sadness dissipate. She thanks him by lunging forward and hugging him tightly, so much that she starts to feel her seams loosen. A tear manages to escape from her eye, but she can't help it. She feels so grateful for this skeleton man caring so much for her...He truly understands how much she is going through and is willing to do anything to help her. She suddenly understands that coming to him was truly the best option.


He spends time with Sally until she feels comfortable enough to return to their home. He ensures she is alright before they depart. The Pumpkin King immediately makes it his goal to confront the witches before returning to work. It isn't a very merry trip as he comes into town, and while he greets anyone he passes by politely, he understands he won't be as kind as soon as he's through those doors. He even goes to the extent of closing them once he's in Witches' Goods, and starts looking for the sisters right away.

They are in the back of the shop laughing and gossiping. Jack doesn't mind interrupting them as he suddenly rounds the corner and clears his throat to get his attention. They are understandably taken by surprise and jump in alarm. The moment they see his hollow eye sockets, they relax and start smiling, even cooing slightly. The skeleton frowns as they begin to flutter their eyes, already acting completely innocent on the outside.

"Why, Jack! What a horrendous surprise!" Helgamine giggles. "What can we do you for?"

"I think you have a pretty good idea on why I'm here."

Zeldaborne plays dumb, resting a finger on her chin. "That can't be true! We're always honored when you stop by for a surprise!"

He cuts to the chase. They'll try to distract him otherwise. "-Sally was here today, wasn't she?"

"Who...? OH! You mean the ragdoll!" He arches a socket at that wording. "She came in here asking if we had sewing supplies!"

"CLEARLY we didn't have any! We sent her on her way."

"Yes, but according to her, you said some very insulting things before she left. I'm just wondering on what you said to her...?"

Helgamine playfully pushes his arm. "Come on, Jack! It's not that big of a deal! Maybe she got hurt over some things we said, but we didn't really mean them!"

"She came running to me, crying. That's not just 'some things'. I want to know what you said to her that could have hurt her so badly."

Zeldaborne rolls her eyes as she caves in. "All we said to her was that she wasn't scary and she shouldn't be holding you down like she is! Which is true! You're the most terrifying man out there! And she's...well..."

"-And maybe we mentioned a thing or two about her stitches and the way she dresses...very odd, that is!"

He frowns. He can already understand how badly that must've came from their mouths, and how Sally took it...he feels awful for letting this happen. How could his own citizens exhibit such behavior? Most of them were the friendliest out there; their whole motto was NOT to be mean or cruel! The Pumpkin King crosses his arms as he lets out a dragged sigh. Even if he's known these women for longer and highly respected him...he can't let something like this slide. He couldn't die with knowing this is how they treated Sally.

"You know I admire you ghouls-" They fawn over this, which he ignores. "-And you've known me for quite a long time-" "We sure have, Jack!" "-Then you should know that I will not tolerate this behavior, and I'm going to politely ask you both to give Sally your respect when she's around."

They both gasp. Helgamine is especially shocked. "-What? But she's...not SCARY! How can we sit here and not say anything while you're with someone who couldn't even-"

He holds up a hand. "-I'm stopping you right there. It doesn't matter how Sally looks or whether or not she can scare...you should still respect her because she's a citizen like everyone else. She's been through a lot more than you think she has."

"But-"

"-But nothing. I know you girls can be so much worse. Frankly, I don't understand why you're acting this way to her." They open their mouths to respond, but he already knows the answer. "-Sally makes me a very happy man, and the least I'm asking is for you both to be happy for me. And if not, then I will seriously be thinking of excluding you two from this year's Halloween for showing such nasty behavior."

"No! You can't do such a thing...we promise we'll be better!" They plead.

"Then I better not hear of this happening again. And while you're at it, talk some sense into the others who feel this way, too. I'm sure you've convinced them of such untrue things already."

Feeling his patience running thin, he starts to leave their store. His point got across and he doesn't feel like listening to their excuses anymore. This entire situation frustrates him, and he wishes not to deal with it again. Before he can take a step out of the door, he feels something clawing at his leg and glances down to find Zeldaborne clinging on it. The look in her eyes is desperate as he urges her off.

"Please, Jack, don't be upset with us! We didn't mean to hurt Susa- er, Sally's feelings! We didn't think she'd take such things that way..."

"Yeah!" Helgamine chimes in from behind. "Most people take such things as a compliment! It's like telling the Wolfman's his breath smells like the sewer!"

"Sally understands things a little differently. All I ask is that you be patient with her. That means not saying anything that sounds insulting." He places an exhausted hand on his skull. "I'll give you two the benefit of the doubt, but from now on, don't treat her any differently than you would with me."

"But she's not-"

"Someday, she may be your Queen." They turn silent at this. Even Jack finds himself in a knot as the words leave his tongue. He clears his throat. "Have a horrible evening, ladies. I hope not to talk about this again."

He leaves the store with no interruptions this time, except something feels different about his rib cage. He chooses to ignore the feeling as he begins his way home.


He finds Zero waiting for him the moment he opens the door to the Skellington Manor. The dog barks happily at his master as he watches him pass by. Jack hangs up his suit and goes to the couch, feeling much too exhausted at that moment. As he rests his skull on the cushion, he suddenly feels the presence of someone nearby and opens his eye sockets. That's when he finds Sally looking down at him. She leans forward to leave a kiss on his skull.

"Are you hungry?" She asks. He sits up in his seat.

"It's been awhile since I ate. Why do you ask?"

"I want to make us some dinner tonight. As a 'thank you' for talking to the witches." Her look turns concerned as she rounds the couch to sit by him. "How did that go, by the way...?"

"Well, they certainly understand it was wrong of them and I am sure they won't be doing it again." Something about talking about it makes his bones grow cold. "I hope that's the only talk I needed to have with them."

"Did they say they were sorry..?"

Jack suddenly feels very stupid for not making them apologize for such an ordeal. But it shouldn't have been to him, anyway. It should rightfully be face-to-face with the woman they insulted.

"No, but why don't you come on by their store tomorrow and ask? I'm sure they will."

She looks very hesitant with the idea, but nods anyway. "Alright. I'll do that tomorrow...hopefully they'll help me with what I need..."

"I certainly hope they can. They shouldn't be an issue for you anymore. I'm sorry that had to happen."

"It's alright. I suppose I can look forward to trying to make them my friends, then..."

He closes his eyes and smiles. Sometimes he wonders if she has the heart he's missing. Sally suddenly stands from the couch and dismisses herself into the kitchen, where she presumably is going to start on their supper. Jack starts a fire in the hearth while she is busy, and watches the flames dance around in silence. Eventually, the sky turns dark outside and the room is illuminated in oranges and yellows. Zero lays by the hearth and begins to nap, leaving Jack alone with his thoughts.

He can't get his mind off of what he said to those witches. Had those words truly meant to leave his lips? Had he even thought of such a thing prior to that moment? Something just upset him hearing Helgamine and Zeldaborne speak of Sally like she meant nothing...when, really, she meant everything to him. They've known each other for a long time now, and while they've only moved in together lately...it felt like he's loved her his own death.

He brings his gaze to the fire with three words in his mind:

A Pumpkin Queen...