There are a lot of things becoming apparent to Sally the longer she lives with the Pumpkin King.

But the taste of freedom is her favorite.

Now that she is out of the Doctor's protective clutches, she realizes how many opportunities she has missed to become her own person. All she would have done in the tower is clean and cook every day, with the occasional spare time to read books or sew clothes. It was only after she began escaping and making friends did she realize what she was capable of. She is left with all the time in the world now. With better supplies in much better circumstances...she can work on sewing as long as she wants, and she is no longer obligated to drop everything to cook for the man she's living with. She is finally able to finish a book within a couple of weeks instead of a month.

Slowly but surely, she's embracing the new things in her life. A week or so after her visit to Finklestein's tower, Jack showed her how to use his telephone. It was odd to learn how to properly use one, but she grew used to the process the more she did it. She called the Doctor and spoke with him on the same line for the first time. The conversation was awkward for the both of them. It was uncomfortably quiet for the most part, her feeling a little too shy to initiate most of the talk. Luckily, Finklestein seemed curious about her new living conditions and asked her questions. She got to speak about Jack's manor and what kind of room she has now, which resulted in either silence or a few words from his end.

It was a start for both of them. Their conversations since then have picked up, and sometimes Sally will even speak with Jewel on the phone. She learns more about her as time goes on. She is growing an interest in science and speaks of her experiments she is having with the Doctor in the laboratory. It feels nice for Sally to hear how well things are going for them, and in return, she tells Jewel how amazing it is living with Jack.

It already feels like she's talking to a pair of parents who care about how she is doing.

When all is said and done, the ragdoll is left to wander around the Skellington manor. She explores a little day-by-day in her leisurely time, finding the place much bigger than she first thought. The hallways feel longer now that she has the time to walk down them. She hears the walls suddenly creak in displeasure as she steps somewhere new. Uncertainly, she lays a hand on the wall's surface and the groans eventually go away. She then feels strangely at peace.

At least the house likes her.

Her black eyes travel over the walls curiously. Most of the space is taken by various pictures arranged in neat patterns. She remembers having a look at them the first day she was here. She hadn't gotten the chance to look at them all. She decides this is the best time and gets closer to get a better look at them.

She isn't surprised to find that many are old black-and-white photos. As she's seen before, they consist of old photographs of Halloween Town and what she assumes to be the older citizens. Her gaze eventually finds the pictures of Jack again. They haven't changed since she's last seen them. Seeing him sitting by himself in so many, with only Zero around and forced smiles aimed at the photographer... Her stomach twists unpleasantly at the sight. Something feels wrong about seeing him this way, even if it must have been so long ago. She frowns as a sudden coldness stirs in her chest, bringing a hand over it in an attempt to warm her leaves again.

She should speak to him about this when he gets home.


Jack Skellington sighs in relief when he passes through the doors of his own home. He takes off his jacket and hangs it by the door, feeling much too hot after a day of moving around. He relaxes after feeling the cool air start to chill his bones, then rolls his sleeves up to his humerus. He loosens his bat bow tie and takes it off, heading upstairs to return it to its rightful drawer in his bedroom. He is curious to hear things so quiet. As far as he knows, Sally must be home. The skeleton shrugs it off as he puts his bow tie away and kicks off his shoes. It's only when he comes out of his bedroom that he finds Sally climbing up the stairs.

"Good evening, my dearest friend." He greets her with a smile and leans forward to kiss her on the cheek. "I'm terribly sorry I came home late...it was a long day."

"I understand. I can only imagine." She feels a longing in her chest when he pulls his hand away from her face. "How are you feeling?"

"A little worked up, but nothing a few minutes with you can't solve." He chuckles. "-And how are you, Sally? I know I don't ask that enough."

"...I'm good, but-"

"Ruff!"

Zero comes out of thin air and yaps excitedly, unaware that he's interrupted them. The skeleton holds a bony finger to his beloved as he reaches in his shirt and retrieves a rib. He promptly shoves it in the dog's muzzle. The ghost makes a satisfied noise before leaving the two of them be, gnawing at the bone in the den.

Sally fidgets with her hands as she follows him down the stairs. It's hard enough to try and bring this up to him on her own, but seeing him in his undershirt and pants makes her...tingly. Usually she doesn't get a very good look at his bones, but his white t-shirt hugs his rub's curvatures and becomes only a little baggy where he lacks a stomach. She notices that he uses a pair of suspenders to hold his pants up, which hug his pelvis even tighter. She bites her lip as she looks at his back, admiring his shoulders once more.

This man can make her weak simply by removing his suit.

She follows as he heads into the kitchen and pours himself a glass of water. Her eyes are locked on him - noticing his rolled sleeves that expose his bare arms. If she didn't know any better, she'd say he's teasing her with all of the bone he is showing...that she's desperately thought about at times before, and has been so curious to see...

"Would you like some water?"

She's snapped out of her staring when he speaks. She's become so hot that she feels a little parched. "Oh, could you please?"

He nods and pours her a glass. He hands it to her and she takes a hefty gulp. It at least helps her calm down.

"Wh-when you have the time, can we please sit down and...talk?" She looks away from him. "It's something I've wanted to tell you about ever since I arrived here..."

"I always have time for you, Sal! Here, let's get comfortable before we do..."

He leads her into the den and sits them both on the couch. Zero briefly looks up from his rib to glance at them, but promptly returns to his work. The ragdoll shifts uncomfortably on the cushion as her boyfriend sits close, giving her a teasing view of his collarbone.

"What is it you wanted to tell me?"

Her eyes dart away. She needs to stay focused to bring up something this serious. "Jack, while you've been gone, sometimes I look around the house...there's still a lot I haven't seen, even though I've been here for a month. You have such a big and wonderful home..."

"-Which is yours as well..."

"Right." She nods. "I spend a lot of time looking at the photos on your walls. There's just so many, and it feels like I'm looking at a lot of history."

"Yes, I collect a lot of them. There are some creatures that have come and go through town, and I pay tribute to my past citizens by keeping their pictures in my home."

"That explains all the faces I don't recognize..."

"Why do you mention this..?"

She finally looks at him. "These pictures make it look like I'm seeing a different person. Someone who looks...sad and lonely. You don't look very happy in the ones where it's only you. And I can tell. You're usually so perked up and have this energy about you when you're happy. Just seeing you smile is contagious to me, but the ones in those pictures don't feel as sincere."

Jack's lips fall into a frown. He places a skeletal finger on his chin in thought. He hadn't realized he looked so upset in them. No one said a thing about it before. Then again, it would make sense for Sally to notice...she knows him the best, after all.

"Most of these pictures were taken in your home, so I just want to know...what was it like living here before I came along? It's never occurred to me how long you must've stayed here by yourself..."

Zero looks up and abruptly barks at them. "Arf!"

She jumps and smiles, quickly correcting herself. "-How long you must've stayed here with Zero, I mean..."

The dog goes back to chewing the rib in satisfaction. Jack laughs at the sight.

"It's true. It's been such a long time that I don't even notice the years pass by. I'd say I've been living alone for...at least a decade, if not, more than that."

Jack's smile falls again and he presses his fingers against his jaw. Recalling all of these years he's spent alone in these walls, accompanied by only his ghostly pet and the occasional guest...it isn't as pleasant to remember as he thought.

"I suppose, when you live like that for so long, you get used to it. The Mayor would come by for work, and sometimes I'd have guests. But on a daily basis, I was left to fend only for myself and Zero. I had most of my conversations with him and he'd keep my company while I worked late at night."

The dog nods in pride in the background. Sally still frowns at this information. "I imagine that gets very lonely...not having another person around for so long..."

The skeleton pauses. "-I had my citizens to see and talk with every day. But now that you mention it...yes, it was rather lonely when I came home at the end of the day. It's not a thought I dwelled on terribly much."

"-You were content just living with Zero?"

His lips form into several lines before settling on a frown.

"I believed I was. But before you came around, the thought of living with someone else never really occurred to me. I didn't feel this way with anyone - to me, the Graveyard was my escape from all the attention, but my home was my solitude. When things became overwhelming, I'd lock myself in my study and work off the stress. I didn't have anyone to go to - not anyone that would understand."

Her hand crawls its way into his. He grasps it gently and holds it tight for a few seconds, her contact momentarily pulling him away from these troubling thoughts.

She slowly draws her gaze up to him. "Were you sad..?"

He lets out an airy chuckle. "Of course I was. I was already depressed doing the same thing every year for a responsibility I had no control over. All of the attention, praises, and women who forced themselves on me-" He holds a bony hand to his mouth. "I suppose being alone for so long just made it worse. I had no one to tell these troubles to. No one but Zero."

Hearing these words, the ghostly pup flies over to the couch and gently lays the rib bone on Jack's knee. The skeleton takes it without a word and attempts to shake all the slobber off. The dog whines as he comes to his master's side, hovering his 'paws' over his leg. Sally rubs the side of Jack's arm as he pops the bone back in, feeling nothing but sympathy for him.

"It sounds like you didn't have a pleasant home experience, either..." She comments quietly.

He looks at her. She's surprised to see a grin growing on his face. He takes her hands in his own excitedly.

"-And that's exactly it, Sally! You're here now. How I felt in those pictures - how you saw me back then - is nothing compared to how I am now. I have you and Zero by my side, and I'm sharing my home with you. You've already made me such a happy man, and having you here with me makes it impossible for me to feel lonely again."

She smiles, squeezing his hands back. "I don't feel lonely anymore, either."

His stitched grin grows wider as his gaze comes to her face. He leans forward with slight hesitation. She understands right away. She leans forward and closes her eyes as they kiss. Zero wags his sheet in delight as he watches them. As they pull away, there's a look of relief on her face.

"The longer I'm with you, the more I realize how similar we really are." She confesses. "When I was trapped in my room all the time, it was the loneliest feeling in the world. Especially after I met you."

He lowers his skull and rests his forehead against hers. "-The moment I met you, every second away made me restless."

She blushes. He grips her hand tighter and brings them off the couch. He leads her out of the den and into the hallway - to the same place she spotted the pictures in the first place. They both stand there in front of the arrangement, looking at the various photographs together. When she looks at the same pictures, she feels different about them. They still upset her knowing he was so depressed at that time. But seeing the current Jack beside her, grinning widely and gripping her hand tightly, quickly assures her that things are better now.

He points a bony finger to the pictures in front of them. "You know what the best part of all of this? Now that you're here, we're going to make our own collection. I'll get rid of these old photos and replace them with ones I'll have with you."

He turns to her and winks. "-And you'll certainly know I'm going to be happy in those."

She laughs. "I'd like that."

He brings their hands up, clutching her small ones in his own. He didn't think she would care about something as small as this, noticing how upset he looked years ago. It means incredibly much, and leaves him to reflect on how his death is now. He can already imagine the walls filled with photos of him and Sally - the smile on his lips as genuine as his feelings for her.

"I love you."

The words leave his mouth as he stares at her in a moment of tenderness. She brushes her hair back and flutters her eyes at him. So beautiful.

"I love you, too."


The Pumpkin King drums his fingers along his knee as he carefully watches Sally. She is several inches away from him holding a dress above her figure. Her eyes uncertainly lock with his sockets as he observes the sight. After a moment, he gives her a confident nod and smiles, brushing some dirt off of one of his lapels.

"You got the blood color perfect, and the spiderwebs look so detailed! You'll look breathtaking."

She gives him a shy smile and nods along, returning the dress to its place in her closet. He adores spending this time with her - helping Sally with her little projects, and giving advice on her ideas. He loves her creativity and admires her talents. In this case, she's been asking him for advice on making a dress that, in her words, "screamed 'Halloween'". This last one did the job, as he liked the Vampire look she was going for.

"Thank you, Jack. I thought if anyone would know the most about this, it would be you."

He rests his skull in his hand and eyes her coyly. "Asking the master - a wise decision!"

"I just made dresses out of whatever I could before, but...with all of these fabrics you have, I'm going to make things that'll help me fit in with the town."

"Not that you have to 'fit in' here..."

She smirks. "You know what I mean. "

He hums as she organizes a little in her closet. He sits on the edge of her bed and gazes out of her open window. It feels refreshing to spend his breaks at home. Before she was around, he'd kill time by sitting around in the Graveyard or doing paperwork - neither of which was as appealing as spending time with his girlfriend. His thoughts begin to wander until he finds the blue figure stepping into view. Her hands are currently behind her back. He gives her his full attention as she stands in front of him, hesitating to speak at first.

"I wanted to mention this to you, but...I was hanging some of our pictures the other day, and I came across one of yours that I wanted to ask about."

He arches an eye socket curiously. She brings her hands out from behind her back and reveals one of the photos he had hanging up. He takes it and observes it. It was a picture taken on a past Halloween, with him perched on the town fountain while all the citizens stood in front. Everyone is either smiling or baring their teeth and claws in excitement. He isn't sure what Sally is curious about, and gives her a look for her to elaborate. She sits beside him and points to himself sitting on the fountain - grinning proudly in his Pumpkin King form.

"This is you, isn't it?"

"Why, yes it is. "

"That's what I thought." She fiddles with her fingers. "I recognized you, but it isn't how you usually look. I've only seen that scarecrow a couple times before...and I always wanted to ask you about it..."

He sets the photo aside. "What exactly do you want to know?"

"-Is it a costume? You only ever look like that on Halloween."

"...Well, sort of..."

She gives him a confused loo,. He isn't sure how to explain it and makes a few motions in the air with his hands. "It's a special form of mine I only save for Halloween, because there's really no use for it when I'm not scaring."

"...'Special form'..?"

By now, he doesn't know how to else to make his point across. He decides to simply show her instead of fumbling over his words. He closes his eye sockets and focuses for a moment, soon feeling a hot sensation spread through his body. Where he once felt little weight is now covered in straw, his clothes replaced with a burnt umber jacket torn at the sleeves. He opens his sockets and finds his vision slightly more narrowed - the familiar lens he sees through the cut slits of a pumpkin head.

Two fiery pupils dart over to Sally, who looks astonished. She even scooted back during his transformation, as the sudden flames startled her. His hands - the bones now replaced with bark and his fingers with sticks, motion to his body casually.

"-This." He states simply.

The ragdoll isn't sure what to say. In a matter of seconds, Jack managed to completely transform his body into something...new. A scarecrow instead of a skeleton. She wonders if he is still under there somewhere - his skull hidden behind that pumpkin, or his bones underneath all that straw...She's never seen this being up close. Only the few glimpses on Halloween night, where she watched it dance around the fountain and jump in the water. Or the time it blew fire in her direction. She remembers being confused the first time she saw it disappear and Jack come in its place. Now of all that make sense. It was the same person all along.

Her jaw gapes open in surprise. "I thought it was a costume..."

"Why would the scariest man around need a costume?"

She almost feels like she's looking and speaking to a different person. If it wasn't for his voice, she wouldn't even know she is talking to the same Jack Skellington. She comes forward and curiously pokes at his straw, wondering if it's real. It very much is.

"H-How is this...possible? I mean, for-for you to change how you look, and-" She pokes at his pumpkin head and notices he winces. "Are you under there?"

"You can poke all you'd like, but you're not going to feel any bone anytime soon."

She pulls her hand away. Even if it doesn't look like the same skeleton man, she knows it's her Jack. And despite how different he looks...she finds some charm in what she's looking at. This scarecrow is still as skinny as Jack, the chest and shoulders being the widest part of its body. And while the hands are now practically sticks, they're still as long and large. The longer she stares at it, the more similarities she finds to the skeleton she's grown to love.

"You're looking at me for an awfully long time." He comments. "Do you...not like it?"

"Oh, no! I'm just curious, that's all." She reaches forward and attempts to put a finger through the mouth of the pumpkin. He backs away and urges her hand down.

"I don't want to burn you." He warns.

"There's fire?"

The dumbfounded look on her face tells him that he's leaving more questions than answers. He soon sighs, finding his breath hot as the fire warms the air. It didn't occur to him that he'd have to explain this eventually to Sally - the rest of the Town has simply known his abilities and Pumpkin King form for years. It was partially why he was accredited the way he was.

"When you first asked me what 'The Pumpkin King' meant...I forgot to mention you that I am also called that because of...this." He gestures to his form again. "I'm credited for being the scariest - but it's not all necessarily because of what I can do as a skeleton. It's because of this being that I partially am."

"So, really, you're a...scarecrow, and a skeleton?"

He hesitates. "In a weird way, yes."

She looks to be thinking for a long time. He doesn't interrupt her and sits there, quietly hoping she won't think of him any differently. The time would've inevitably come she'd see him like this...

"This explains why you felt so hot when I met you in the Graveyard after that Halloween." She leans forward and trails a hand on the pumpkin again. "-It feels cold right now, though."

"I'm controlling myself. I don't want the flames harming you, or your cloth skin..."

She looks down at her stitched skin. Only now she realizes how flammable she truly is - consisting mostly of cloth on her body. Her leaves swell in delight hearing how careful he is. She leans forward and wraps her arms around his body, quietly noting how different their embrace feels when he's like this. It feels... strangely nice.

His fingers hesitantly come to her back. They're no longer as pointy as his phalanges, but the grip is still firm. "I can change out of this if you want...it might be a little strange not seeing me as a skeleton-"

She interrupts him. "-I love you no matter what you look like."

He lets out a surprised noise. He wasn't expecting that answer. Regardless, he holds her close as those words sink in. How ridiculous it was to think she'd like this appearance of his less. Sally pulls back and smiles at him. He's unable to share it, but he hopes she knows that he's smiling as well. Without any warning, she leans forward and leaves a kiss on his pumpkin. The feeling is strange - as he can feel her lips on him and it still leaves delightful tingles - but the fact that he can't return it leaves him feeling unsatisfied.

He cocks his head to the side in disappointment. "That feels much better when I have lips..."

She holds his hand and intertwines their fingers, giggling. "I think so, too."

He comes forward and wraps his thin arms around her figure, leading them both down onto the blankets of her bed. She laughs as she feels his lips on her neck, leaving a trail of kisses along her stitches. It didn't even take him more than a minute to switch back. It leaves her relieved to see his familiar face again. Not that she doesn't find his other appearance enticing in its own ways - to her, he's always going to be the attractive skeleton man she's grown to care for, but seeing his smile and feeling his gentle touch on her makes her feel more...safe. His true look is one that is etched into her mind as her protector and her lover...

He pulls back and notices the bright smile on her ruby lips. His smile falters. "-Does it scare you?"

"What does?"

"That scarecrow. It doesn't frighten you, does it?"

She thinks a little about the question, her fingers gripping the sides of his suit in thought. After a moment, she replies, "A little. It's unsettling knowing it can burn me...but I'll get used to it."

"I wouldn't ever hurt you, Sal."

He says those words with such deep sincerity that it gives her goosebumps. She caresses his skull. "I know you wouldn't, Jack."

He brings his hand into hers again and they squeeze simultaneously. There is a moment of quietness between them, the skeleton's face undergoing many expressions as Sally watches him thoughtfully. He lowers his skull and rests it beside her head. "There are parts of me that I...forget about. The scarecrow is just one of them." His grasp becomes tighter. "It's a part of me I can't change. I become this person on Halloween - a different entity - when I scare humans and creatures..."

"How is that a bad thing?" She bats her eyelashes at him. "The vampires can turn into bats, but it does not change who they are."

"You weren't even sure it was me."

"But now I know it's you. How can I possibly be afraid?"

He thinks of everything he is capable of in that moment - breathing fire through that pumpkin, easily hiding and becoming part of the shadows, and losing all stiffness in his bones if he ever so desires. It enables him to bend backwards and into disconcerting poses, crawling like a spider while having an incredible sight in the dark. Not to mention how fast he can move with his limbs, which he found is very unsettling to the humans. All of these he has used to scare mortals and alike. To build his reputation to being the most horrifying creature known.

But as he looks at Sally, he feels...different. He's a gentleman and a kind soul to his citizens, but they are scary creatures in their nature who have grown used to frightening sights. They find it rather pleasant. The whole time he's known her, he never had an urge to impose any of his shrieks or moans on Sally. She is a kind, innocent ragdoll who does not understand the horror or Halloween. For that reason, she's never seen his true, terrifying self.

And he isn't sure if she ever should.

With her, the only urges he feels are ones of romantic intention and desire. He craves her company, her words, her kind advice - the sound of her voice and the feeling of her soft fingertips on his bones. Her lips pressed against his stitched ones, soothingly telling him she's there and that she loves him. To keep her in his death so he's not lonesome or depressed anymore. Nowhere in these urges does he find a want to frighten her - although such a thing brings happiness to most creatures in Halloween Town, Jack does not want to scare Sally in any way.

He wants to keep her safe. Protected. And he'll do that as Jack Skellington.

He digs his nasal bone into her shoulder, inhaling her perfume greedily. "-Of course not. No reason to, my love."

She leaves a kiss on the top of his skull. "I mean it when I say I love you no matter what you look like to me."

He grins, his fingers snaking their way to her sides. "Of course."


A/N: Yeah, I like to go with the headcanon that Jack is actually able to form into that Pumpkin King Scarecrow. :P Oogie's Revenge had this as a concept and some people didn't like it - but I think it's interesting for Jack to be both a skeleton AND a scarecrow! It also brings up some juicy points on how different he may act in this certain form...and if Sally may ever see that...

Also, I noticed, despite it being quite a reoccurring thing in the last story, Jack and Sally have rarely said 'I love you' in here. Simply blasphemous! I can't believe no one pointed that out to me.