A/N:
SO sorry for the near-month wait for an update!
A lot has happened...what with COVID-19, quarantine and all...it's had my attention elsewhere, and I was gone for about 4-5 days spending some time with my loved one. I have thought a lot about this story in the meantime, and it was hard getting my creativity back with everything happening. But I'm here with an update finally, and I hope to get a feel for the story again soon so I can start getting things really going.
Please remember to take care of yourselves and wash your hands often! Refrain from touching your face with unclean hands, practice social distancing, stay indoors, and follow the other procedures! We'll all get through this. I hope my writing can provide some entertainment in the meantime.
I sincerely hope the next update is soon, and please enjoy the chapter!
Since the dining room is merely a doorway's worth of distance from the kitchen, Jack Skellington is able to listen to all the commotion coming from the other room. He listens to the clanking of pots and pans and running water as he attempts to finish his work for the night. It wasn't the most proper time to work on his Halloween planning(he usually saved his space in the observatory for such things), but he had quite a bit on his mind after speaking with the Witches. It distracted him when he returned to the Town Hall, and while he initially promised the Mayor that he'd have everything done by the end of that work day, he found he still had a lot of unsigned papers he had to get to.
He supposed it was killing two crows with one stone, as he needed something to pass the time with while waiting on their first dinner together. He taps his feathered pen on the paper a few times as he listens to the sounds of Sally humming. He lifts his skull up to peek into the other room, and can only find her red hair standing in front of the stove.
"Would you like any help, my dear? I know this is a new kitchen for you, and it may seem a little hard to find some things..."
Her sweet voice replies, "Oh, no, thank you. I found everything I needed."
He leaves it at that and scribbles away at some documents. Sally must be ensuring everything is thoroughly cooked, as she gets through the meal as patiently as she can. This gives him just enough time to finish signing the last document before the ragdoll enters the room with a couple of plates ready. He pushes the paperwork aside and leaves room for her to set his serving down before him, thanking her with a smile and leaving a small kiss on her wrist. She blushes and sits across from him, setting down her own plate and observing the awaiting meal.
"Spookghetti and eyeballs?" Jack asks as he twirls the pasta in his fork. "A classic!"
"I hope you like it. I never got to make food like this very often..."
She watches as he takes his first bite, and relaxes her shoulders when he enjoys it. Unlike the Doctor, he doesn't appear to scrutinize the food as he continues to eat. She catches herself worrying so much that she neglects her own plate in front of her. She takes her first bite of the food, and is surprised at the taste. It really is good! And there's just a hint of spice somewhere that makes her mouth water.
"-Let me guess, is it because Finklestein only liked soup all the time?" He asks, biting softly on an eyeball. She nods and takes a second bite, chewing quietly.
"He did let me cook new things, but I think he liked soup the most."
The skeleton chuckles. They continue to eat in comfortable silence. This is very new for Sally, as her previous dinners were very tense and consisted mostly of hoping the meal was good enough. But with Jack - she can tell he enjoys it, and not once does he look at her sideways as he eats. He's smiling and glancing up at her only to share a tender gaze: adoration, and appreciation for the dinner. The ragdoll sets down her fork for a moment and sighs in bliss, taking a drink of the juice she brought for herself in one of his glasses.
"Thank you, Jack. Really. For what you did today. This dinner was meant to show that, but...I really enjoy sharing food with someone like this."
"Did you and the Doctor ever eat together..?"
"I tried not to." She confesses with a frown. "Most of the time, he wanted his soup in his laboratory while he worked. Whenever we had to sit down at the table together, I never ate very much in front of him."
"I hope you're not shy with me. The last thing I want is for you to starve!"
"Oh, don't worry, Jack...it feels much more comfortable, now." She takes another bite in front of him for effect. "For one, you're not telling me how I could've improved this meal..."
"Why improve something that's already so wonderful?" This makes her leaves flutter. "Thank you, Sally. I really should be sitting down and eating more like this..."
Things go quiet, but only because they are finishing up their meal. Sally works at a slow pace while Jack is already close to cleaning his plate. When he's nearly done, he suddenly gets a very strange feeling in his head...it causes him to set down his utensils for a moment and reach for some water. After he finds that it doesn't get rid of this sudden dizziness, he looks at his plate and notices something dark sprinkled atop of the meal. He initially took it for basil, but now that he's inspecting it closer...it looks like something odd.
"Sal? Did you add somethin...funnuh... to this mealhh..?"
He blinks several times hearing his words slur. Even Sally appears surprised.
"What do you mean..?"
The room around him starts spinning. Her face turns into blue and red blurs, and he holds his skull in an attempt to keep it still. That's when his hearing starts to make the noises around him inaudible. His rib cage feels like it's twisting inside-out, and the last thing he sees is the red tablecloth getting closer to his eye sockets. The blow feels like it numbs his skull - and suddenly, everything turns black.
Seeing the Pumpkin King pass out on the table across from her is not an experience Sally can say she's ever had until now. It shocks her when she hears the loud bang! of his skull face planting on the table, and jumps in surprise. She stands in alarm and reflexively gasps at the sight. She waits a moment or two before leaning forward and gently tapping his shoulder. No response. The skeleton appears to be completely limp in his chair as she frantically rounds the table. She attempts to get him to lift his skull and finds there is no reaction at all.
She begins to worry.
"Jack? Are you okay?"
His figure remains unmoved, and much too silent for her taste. Her black eyes dart over to the unfinished meal on his plate. She finds nothing out of the usual about it, but leans closer to observe what she had sprinkled on it. She gasps when she finds a recognizable dark color, and quickly darts into the kitchen to look at the container she had used. When she sees deadly nightshade sitting there, a container she grabbed last-minute to spice things up, Sally's stomach sinks. She suddenly feels very sick.
She poisoned him.
"Oh, no..." She places her hands on her face, digging her fingers into her skin. "How could I do that..? Why would I...h-how could..."
Her chest tightens as she begins to feel the moistness in her eyes. She rushes back into the dining room and finds her boyfriend still unconscious in his chair. Seeing such a sight causes her to allow the tears to roll down her cheeks, and she easily succumbs to the sobs threatening to leave her throat. She throws herself over the skeleton's figure and cries on his back. The minutes pass the longer she stays there, feeling horrible for doing something like this to someone so dear to her.
She didn't even realize she grabbed that deadly nightshade jar! While she was working in that kitchen...she felt like she was making a meal for the Doctor, after being so used to slaving over the stove all the time for him...Her movements became robotic; her habits going unnoticed by her senses. She must've watched herself sprinkle the poison on top of the food without a second thought! How could it not occur to her when she served it to Jack?
He doesn't deserve this...
Feeling her eyes start to run dry, she sniffles and looks around. She can't leave him in this chair. Just seeing him slumped over like this...it must be terrible on his back, and there's no telling what his head is doing to him right now. Sally's lip wobbles as she brings her arms over his figure, and attempts to lift him by his chest. She succeeds after a few moments of struggling - dragging him out of the chair and into the other room. Her efforts are sloppy, as she can see his long limbs dragging on the floor. She decides to bring him to the couch in his living room. She lays him on the red cushions carefully, moving his legs so he can rest properly. She even ensures his skull is supported by one of the pillows.
She sits next to his unconscious form and frowns. He didn't stir at all while she dragged him, and he certainly isn't moving now. She brings her hand over his and holds it, hoping, deep down, that he'll clutch back at any moment.
The tears come back into her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Jack...I didn't mean to do this again...Not to you..."
The words fall on deaf and nonexistent ears. The silence causes her to cry again, moving so she can hide her face on his chest. Even if he's not awake, he still feels very warm under her touch. She grabs at his shoulders and buries her face further on his shirt, weeping her soul out on him. What else can she do? She just poisoned her beloved with their first dinner here. How can things get any WORSE? First, those cruel words from the Witches, and now...now this!
Why isn't anything going right? This is all her fault...
She looks sadly up at the figure with teary eyes, and finds Jack's skull still lolled to the side. She squeezes her eyes tightly as she clings onto him, wanting to stay by his side as long as she can. If she sprinkled it on top of both their dinners...that means she must have ingested some Deadly Nightshade, too. 'Not as much as HE did...' She thinks, then bites her lip. Any moment this will hit her, too...and the only place she wants to be is with him when she falls asleep.
. . .
. . .
Are the walls pounding?
The skeleton blinks several times as he opens his eye sockets. The view of the ceiling comes as a surprise to him. His vision still feels blurry as he looks around, feeling a little dazed. His head still hurts like Hell - the pounding sensation still apparent, though less intense now. He brings a skeletal hand to clutch the side of his skull as he attempts to sit up from wherever he's resting. He's surprised to feel some weight on him before he can, and looks down to find a batch of red hair on his chest. That's when he realizes it's Sally, and exhales to soothe himself.
They're on the couch together. Odd. Weren't they just in the kitchen?
It suddenly dawns on Jack. He passed out on that table after...eating some of the dinner, didn't he? He was just asking Sally if there was something odd about the meal...'Well, I know that, now...' He thinks, bringing his hand down and combing his fingers through her hair. It almost feels like a habit by now...
The ragdoll stirs on his chest, and he ceases his movements. Sally slowly brings her head up and rubs her right eye. The moment her black eyes make contact with his sockets, they grow as big as the moon. He expects her to smile and cling onto him tighter seeing him awake - but the complete opposite happens. In the matter of a few seconds, his girlfriend begins to bawl, clutching tightly at his suit and concealing her face with her hair. Jack feels lost as he listens to her cries, and desperately brings his arms around her figure to hug her soothingly.
"Oh, Sally..." He whispers sadly. "You're crying again..."
How terrible he's had to hear this twice today...Hearing her whimper at the Town Hall, then having to console her in the Graveyard...now she's on his chest, crying again like there's no tomorrow. He doesn't want this. He doesn't want to see anymore tears falling from her eyes or having to hold her like this...He quickly sits himself up, causing Sally to sit back in his lap. She's surprised at the sudden movement, but it doesn't stop her from still grabbing at his lapels and whimpering.
"It's alright, my dear, everything is perfectly fine..." He tells her, caressing her back lightly. She shakes her head.
"Jack, I poisoned you. I-I didn't mean to-"
"I understand, Sal..."
"No. It was horrible of me to do! You didn't deserve that...I shouldn't have used that Deadly Nightshade at all..." She swallows hard. "I didn't even realize it was there..."
He holds her close and rests his skull on her shoulder, closing his eye sockets. He takes a moment to smell her hair, and already can he feel his headache going away. It hurts him to hear her so frantic, and feel her shaking under his grasp. Those last words especially hit him...she didn't realize it was there. He attempts to picture her mindlessly grabbing that poison - a habit she must've picked up after living with the Doctor for so long...A simple mistake, yet he can feel her trembling over it as she repeatedly apologizes to him.
His bones start to feel weak.
He pulls back and looks her in the eyes, lifting her chin with his finger. Firmly, he tells her, "I'm not upset."
She looks disheartened. "Why..?"
"Because I don't think the love of my death would poison me on purpose." He wipes away a tear on her cheek. "You would've run off by now if you had meant to..."
He says this to lighten the situation. It works a little, as he finds a small smile on her lips. She soon leans into his touch, exhaling sharply and relaxing her shoulders. He begins to rub her face with his thumb, gently laying himself back down so she can rest on him again. They spend a few minutes laying together in silence. After he feels no more tears falling on his suit, he brushes her yarn hair behind her ear and finds that she is finally smiling, her eyes closed in relaxation. It calms her to know that he's okay.
He finds it in him to chuckle. "I haven't seen you this distressed since that time you thought you killed the Doctor."
She recalls the memory. "That was my first time using the deadly nightshade." A few seconds pass before she starts to giggle. "It is a little funny now that I think about it..."
"How could I forget?" He attempts to mimic Sally's voice. "-'I didn't mean to! How could I have been so cruel?'"
Her giggles escalate into a laugh. Hearing him pitch his voice so high like that...she can't help it! She finds the memory humorous - being so worried about killing the Doctor, even though she continued to use the deadly nightshade on him for the next few years. She especially remembers how kind Jack was to her then. How he sat next to her since he thought she could use the company...and how they talked about Halloween after she felt better. He was at her side then, and now he's at her side now.
She shakes her head gently, resting back on him. "I was so worried about him..."
"I could tell." The skeleton frowns. "I think that was the first time I started to notice something was wrong with you and Finklestein..."
Sally doesn't say anything, closing her eyes and breathing softly. Jack finds his skull filling with concerning thoughts - vividly remembering how he found her crying a little after that happened...How she frowned when she looked at her old home, and the way she trembled just thinking about it. It feels so long ago, but it troubles him deeply. How much could she gave gone through behind those walls that he doesn't know about?
After contemplating for a little while, he remembers their position and checks on her. He finds her sleeping soundly on his rib cage, the tears now long-dried. He holds her carefully as he brings himself off of the couch and holds her in his arms. She snuggles closer in his chest as he begins his walk to her bedroom. The whole way, he can't help but admire her sleeping figure - noticing that she fell asleep with a small smile curved on her lips. He sighs in content as he reaches her door, and carefully pushes it open with his foot.
He brings her into her bed, lifting the covers and gently guiding her under the sheets. As soon as she's in, he tucks her in and pauses to admire the way her hair has fallen on the pillows. Despite sobbing to her heart's content a little less than an hour ago, she still looks beautiful. As if nothing had happened. Her skin looked so pale when he woke up - but now it's regaining its blue complexion again, which makes him relieved. He leans forward to lay a kiss on her forehead, and notes her smile widening as he pulls back. He caresses her face one last time before quietly leaving her room, climbing the stairs so he can head into his own.
The skeleton prepares for the night. When he steps into his room, he finds Zero sleeping away in his doggy bed. The pup must've slept through the whole ordeal. Not that he can blame him...sometimes the ghost comes home exhausted, and would nap for hours. He leaves the apparition alone as he finishes buttoning up his top. His gaze wanders as he does this, and it happens to land on one of the windows of the room. His hands freeze as his body momentarily stiffens at a familiar sight:
Finklestein's Tower.
He says nothing as his stare prolongs. Eventually, he moves from his spot towards the window and opens it slightly. He gets a clear view of the tower now, and decides to look at it a little longer. It feels strange staring at it now. Before, he'd feel warm and content with the sight, as he knew Sally was somewhere in there. But knowing she is here now, and that those walls only belong to the Doctor and his new creation, now...something feels different.
The sight makes his sternum ache, and not in delight. He's conflicted to think that, somewhere in there, is a man who got away with treating Sally like she was nothing. After years of neglect and mental abuse...he's still living there, with another woman now. After all the harm he has done to Sally - where Jack would find her crying in the graveyard or looking disheveled after spending restless nights there...she still has to deal with the aftermath of his harsh decisions. He clenches his fists as he starts to feel his mouth get hot, but closes his eye sockets to quietly calm himself down.
It's time to make things right.
Sally wakes up the next morning with a slight headache. She knows she slept soundly, but the aftermath of the deadly nightshade must still be lingering. She spends several minutes in bed as she waits for this pain to go away, and leaves the room once she feels less groggy. She is surprised to find a broom and dustpan in the hallway sitting against the wall just beyond her door. She looks at them for a moment before grabbing the broom and sweeping what little dust she can find on the floor.
She keeps this up on her way to the living room. She finds a little peace in the repetitive movements, and hums quietly to herself as she moves along. The melody that leaves her lips is the song that is sung at her favorite time of the year - one she has been hoping to learn, so she can sing along once the time comes again...
"This is Halloween...This is Halloween~"
She doesn't even realize she's made her way around the house until she hears footsteps coming down from the stairs. She looks up and finds the surprised face of Jack Skellington peering back at her. She stands up straight and smiles at him, gently setting down the broom and dustpan to the side. Had he heard her singing? She hopes she wasn't too loud...
"Good morning..."
"Sally..." He arches an eye socket. "What are you doing?"
"You left me these outside my room, so I assumed you wanted me to clean up." She replies easily. "I swept the hallway and inside the kitchen a little bit. I was just about to finish your living-"
"-Oh, yes, I was going to sweep that hallway myself, but I forgot something and had to leave that broom there. I was just about to come and grab it so I could get started."
She frowns as her gaze comes back to the cleaning tools. She grabbed them blindly thinking they were meant for her! That's what she gets for having a habit of always finding mops and brooms waiting for her when she lived with Finklestein...ashamedly, she offers Jack the broom and dustpan back. He frowns at the sight and gently ushers them back into her hands.
"You seem to be having a good time...go ahead."
She's relieved at his approval, and pecks his cheek in delight. She continues to sweep around the room while humming her favorite part of the song. The taller figure watches her quietly before stepping into the other room. His features are troubled, but he doesn't let Sally see that. He's not entirely sure what to make of seeing his girlfriend on a cleaning spree simply because he left a broom outside her door. He understands it's her choice, but he wanted to clean up himself so she wouldn't have to worry about these things anymore...
. . .
As he sorts through some papers, he quietly reflects on what's been on his mind that morning. He can hear the sounds of quiet singing in the other room. It makes his bones grow numb. He eventually steps back into the room and clears his throat to get Sally's attention. She had just begun to dust his pictures, and paused her movements to turn to him.
"Oh, am I doing something wrong..?"
"Not at all! Thank you for cleaning - I appreciate it. I just..." He clacked his tongue in thought. "-I just want to talk to you for a second."
She freezes, holding the duster close to her chest. "Is this about last night..? I can't say how sorry enough I am for it-"
"No, no...this isn't about...that." He comes forward to grab the brush from her hands, setting it aside. "It's about Finklestein."
Seeing as Sally's reaction to that was a mixture of fear and surprise, Jack decided to sit themselves down and get comfortable before he'd touch on the subject again. This meant getting her mind off of cleaning, and once that was accomplished, she looked to be anxious. She is pulling at her seams again and fidgeting in her seat. The Pumpkin King sighs as he sits next to hear, resting a hand on her knee in hopes of calming her down. She stops moving, and starts chewing on her bottom lip instead.
"Everything's okay. I'm sorry to bring this up to you so soon, but...after what happened last night, I think it's something we really need to address."
Her gaze comes to the floor. His stitched lips drop into a frown. He leans forward in concern.
"-I think you should talk to the Doctor again."
"Talk..?" She repeats in surprise. "Why should I do that? I moved in with you to get away from him..."
"Well, yes, but...it's clear he's still having an affect on you. I know it's only been a few days since you started living with me, but I don't want to spend another night hearing you crying over what he's done to you."
She hides her face in her hands. "It was an accident..."
"-Because you're used to poisoning him."
"I just wanted to clean-"
"-He forced you to clean."
"..."
"Sally, the first thing you did when you came here was ask me what my rules were and what chores you had. Then I hear you asking me when you're allowed to leave...I find you doing the same things you did with him, and it's starting to make me worried."
"...I know, I..."
Her voice grows weak. He gets closer to her, rubbing her back with the palm of his hand. She sinks further into her hands.
"All I'm saying is, you don't have closure with him right now. I think the best thing is to close ties with him so you don't have to think about him anymore."
She looks up from her hands. "What can I say to him? He's never listened to me before, and I've tried so many times..."
Jack hesitates for a few seconds. "Well, how do you feel about him?"
"What do you mean..?"
"Now that you're not living with him. Do you still think about him? Do you still care about how he's doing?"
She knits her eyebrows together in thought. None of that has occurred to her until now. "I guess I do."
"Tell him you still care. That you don't want to leave your relationship broken. And, even then...what kind of relationship do you want to have with him?"
"I always thought of him as...more of a father...to me..."
"That's perfect! Why don't you tell him that?"
She's quiet for a moment. "...What if he doesn't feel the same way? He tried to marry me first thing when I was created...he told me he loved me, and I'm worried if he still feels that way about me..."
"You know what I think is important?" She looks at him. "-It's about how you feel. You need to stop worrying about how he'll react and what he wants. This is about how you want your relationship with him to be. If he doesn't want to be your father, then let him live his death thinking he lost you. If he wants to have you as his daughter, then maybe the two of you can finally start over together."
She blinks in surprise at his words. This may just be the best advice he has ever given her. She looks down and fidgets with her hands, musing over what he said. She has never brought the topic up with Finklestein before...Telling a man who tried to marry you that you only see them as a parent was...not an easy feat, to say at the least. She wonders if he'll be enraged, or if he'll finally be willing to form a healthy relationship with her. How could she consider the man who gave her life anything but a father?
After a few seconds, she nods firmly. "Okay. I'll talk with him...hopefully he'll be okay with all of this..."
"If he intended on making a new wife for himself, then I certainly hope he's moved on from you." His hand slithers its way into hers. "I know you can do this, Sally. I think having this closure is the best thing for you right now."
She rests her head on his shoulder, nodding softly. "You're right...and I hadn't even thought of it."
Jack rubs the side of her face, leaving a kiss on her head. "And if you need me to be there, I'll come with you. We can do this whenever you're ready, but I just want you to get it out of the way so you can start living the life you deserve."
She closes her eyes as she inhales his cologne. "I think I'd like that..."
