a/n: starts off right after What If ends. What if this time they came home, to find their father dead, and no one there to take care of them? Can they cope with his death? Who will take care of the trio now that Oogie Boogie is gone? Jack maybe? You must read to find out. Oh! And this one has a slight language warning. Not bad like "the s word" more like "Damn".

Disclaimer: see first chapter of 'What if'.

I walk in first. I notice the silence of the house and take it as a bad sign.

"Where do you think he is?" I ask.

"Let's check downstairs," Shock suggests.

We head back to the cage lift and lower it down. When we get to the window where we can normally hear or see Mr. Oogie Boogie, we notice that his casino lair's empty, but that the pot in the middle seems to be full, which we didn't notice before.

We head back up and slide down the shoot. I go first, Barrel right behind me, and Shock behind him. I start to worry about if we're really going to find him. He would always leave a letter if he went somewhere on the table upstairs. If not there, then he would have the door to the transport room open, just in case he needed to use a quick get away, and a note.

We hit bottom, Barrel landing on my back with a thud and a crack.

"You better hope that I can't get up, Barrel, for your own good!" I turn and as he gets off me, slowly rise, ready to go after him.

"Hey you simpletons! The door's locked," Shock's voice hits my ear like a rock hitting concrete: hard.

I turn to her and Barrel grabs my hand, turning me to the pot, where we see dead bugs floating in the liquid. I would have thought nothing of it, if the bugs had not been neon, just like Mr. Oogie Boogie's.

I walk over to the side of the trap and I hear Shock behind me, "No. No this can't be! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! I WON'T BELIEVE IT!"

I turn to her. "Shock," I grab her shoulders, "snap out of it! It can't be him!" my own denial taking over.

Barrel silently steps to the edge, and falls to his knees, his shoulders moving with silent sobs.

"Barrel," Shock starts, "don't cry! It isn't him! It can't be him!"

He turns, his face streaked with tears, "You know it is, Shock. You too, Lock. You both know that as well I do. So stop trying to deny it!"

"But--" Shock tries.

"But nothing damn it!" Barrel gives a slight hiss.

I turn to Shock, just to quickly catch her as she faints. She might be the leader, but she's always had a slightly weaker constitution then Barrel and I.

"Come on, Barrel," I usher him out of the room and upstairs, with Shock still in my arms.

I want to run now. I want to run to town to find our "father" laughing and to realize this is all just a big joke. But Barrel's right. That was our father.

Then something hits me: he was the only provider. Yes, we have our trick-or-treating candy, along with some other things. But who's going to be there when we hurt ourselves? Who's going to get our meals ready? Who's going to get us the food we need to make the meals?

I drop Shock on our couch and I break down. I don't care who sees me, I just want to get my "father" back. Barrel comes over and I shove him away. He takes this as a sign to leave me be, and goes to get water for Shock, who's barely coming to now.

I kneel there and I feel a hand on my back. I look up and see Shock there, compassion in her eyes. For the first time ever, I see compassion, for me. I realize now that we are all feeling the same, and I hate myself for being such a jerk.

When Barrel returns I start, "I'm--"

"Don't' start, Lock. I know you're sorry," He turns to me and smiles.

There's a sudden banging at the door and we all jump.

"Who," I start.

"Could get," Shock adds.

"Up here?" Barrel finishes.

I walk over to see Jack at the door.

"Hey, Lock. I've been yelling for you fellas for a while now," he sees my face and looks down, "You know."

That end was not even a question, instead, a statement.

I glare, "You knew!"

"Yes," he answers.

"And you didn't tell us?" my voice rising with anger.

"Put yourself in my place," he tries.

I glare harder, "I could try, but I still wouldn't understand why you couldn't warn us."

I turn and push Barrel, who had stepped behind me, to the side, headed straight for Barrel's and my room, and quickly lock the door. (a/n no pun intended, if you could consider all the times I have said that as a pun)

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a/n: well... what do you think? It wasn't easy! I cried! Did you? Did you at least like it? please review!