Author's Note: Guess who has free time! That's right, me, and we all know what I do with free time: update. The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my favorite films and musicals. I'm adding to to through this story and others. I never had a hand in creating it. The credit for that belongs to Tim Burton, Danny Elfman, Disney, and Touchstone Pictures. Capcom is making a kind of official follow-up to the movie in a video game. As for me, I'm just transferring my plot to you, the readers. Thanks for sticking with me so far and happy reading once more.

The group immediately made their way through the crowd of townsfolk gathered in front of the house. Sally reassured the Mayor that everything was fine and asked him to relay the message to everyone else. It seemed that getting to the clearing was going to be easy. Unfortunately, that was far from the case.

"Hold it right there," said the voice of a young boy from the bushes.

"Oh no!" Billy exclaimed as he began to tremble.

"What's wrong?" Sally asked him.

"I know that voice."

"Is it a demon?" Pallaton asked the mortal.

"Worse," Billy said.

"You've got that right," said the voice once more as three short figures made their way out of the bushes.

Billy nearly passed out when he saw them. Lock, Shock, and Barrel still gave the poor man nightmares. They had been so determined to get his soul the last time they met. Although Billy doubted that was what they wanted now, he still felt fear tingle up his spine upon seeing them again.

"They're children," Kimi said.

"Not just children, evil children. They tried to kill me and take my soul!"

"Hey! That's the guy who hates Halloween," Barrel pointed out to Shock.

"The toll's gonna be double for him," Shock replied.

"Toll?" Sally asked.

"You know, a lot of people have been coming to town," Lock stated, "So we started charging candy to come in and out of Halloween Town."

"So you all have to pay up, or else," Shock added.

"Or else what?" Pallaton asked.

"You don't want to know," Billy said.

"So give us some candy," Barrel said as he pointed a slingshot at Billy's forehead.

"Kids, it's an emergency," Sally said.

"Too bad. No candy, no way out of town. Even the people who took Jack had candy," Barrel said.

"You let them out?" Sally asked.

"Hey, it was good candy."

"Barrel, they told us to keep that quiet! I don't know why I work with you two morons!" Shock exclaimed.

"I'm not a moron," Lock said to Shock.

"Yes you are," Shock said.

"You're a moron times two," Lock replied.

"Moron times infinity!" Shock said, getting right into Lock's face.

"Knock it off, you guys," Barrel said, accidentally shooting Shock with a rock when he turned to speak to the pair.

"You are so dead!" Shock screamed, tackling Barrel to the ground.

"He's already dead, moron," Lock said.

"You too, Lock!" Shock said as she grabbed Lock by the ankles and dragged him into the fight.

With that, the three children starting beating on each other. The traveling group watched in amazement as the former toll-takers began a type of death match over who was a 'moron'. They left a few moments afterwards. Sally knew the trick-or-treaters could fight for hours, so they would not notice the group had left for a long time. It wasn't long until they found the clearing and all entered the Turkey Door. Soon enough, the four adults and infant were right in the middle of a Pilgrim Colony a few hours before sunrise.

"Wow. So this is what it was like," Billy said as he looked around.

"We'll give you a tour later," Kimi said to the mortal, "Jacob lives in that house."

"The one with all the lights on in the middle of the night?" Sally asked in a confused tone.

"They must be meeting," Pallaton said as they all approached the door, only to find it locked.

"I guess knocking's out of the question," Billy said.

"Kimi, could you see if there are any open windows?"

"Why would you need an open window, Sally?"

"I still have one trick left up my sleeve."

Kimi decided not to ask what that trick was and led the others around the house. Inside Jacob's house, it seemed that the Deadly Nightshade had a very strong effect on the formerly sleep deprived Pumpkin King. He was sleeping when he was taken, carried to Jacob's house, and was now snoring on a chair in the pilgrim's home. Of course, the Council could not question a suspect who was asleep, so they waited and waited for the skeleton to awaken.

"Is he up yet?" Santa Claus asked the current Jack Watchers, Rabbi Tevel and Saint Patrick.

"No. Watching him is making me tired," Tevel said with a yawn.

"Aye. I never thought the dead needed more sleep then eternal rest. I guess I was wrong," Saint Patrick added.

"How's Cupid holding up?" Rabbi Tevel asked Santa Claus, who sighed before answering.

"Jacob and the rabbit have managed to keep him patient. I don't know how long that will last, though."

"I can't believe those kids took all my Gelt," Tevel said, changing the subject as he looked through his pockets.

"Those little hooligans are the naughtiest in existence. That would be proof," Santa said.

"Aye, I would've have mistaken them for forest demons myself."

"You wouldn't be the first one, Patrick. I remember when they kidnapped me right from my doorstop."

As the three were talking, Jack began to stir. His head felt as if it had been stuck numerous times with a hammer. It was the worst pain he could ever remember feeling. He groaned as he rubbed his forehead with his right had and slowly opened his eyes. It was then he saw that he was no longer in his own bed.

"Am I dreaming?" Jack moaned.

"He's awake!" Saint Patrick yelled.

"Not so loud," Jack complained before sitting straight up, "What is this!"

"About time," Cupid said as he flew in, "Can we question him?"

"He looks confused," Jacob said as he and the Easter Bunny followed the deity.

"My head hurts," Jack said as he looked toward an open window.

No. It couldn't be. It was! A blue, stitched hand had just fallen to the floor from the outside. Sally had come to his aid. As disoriented as Jack was at the moment, he couldn't help but smile.

"What is so funny?" Cupid asked as he squared his eyes.

"Oh, um, nothing. Nothing at all."

"At least you know that."

"What's going on?"

"We caught you."

"You did?"

"Stop playing the fool! We know what you did. We want answers, Jack."

Answers, eh? Jack knew better than that. Cupid was going to have him exorcized unless Jack could prove he was innocent. The Pumpkin King knew for sure Sally would have brought the baby with her. That would be proof enough that he didn't at least eat it like the Elders had thought. Jack watched the hand crawl along the floor towards the door for a moment before distracting the Council by taking off his head.

"Merciful heavens!" Saint Patrick exclaimed.

"Was that necessary, Jack?" Santa Claus asked.

"My head still hurts. Taking it off usually makes it feel better," Jack's headsaid as he spied on the hand.

"Oh my," Rabbi Tevel said.

"You'll get used to it," Jacob told Tevel.

"Enough," Cupid said to the pilgrim and rabbi before turning to Jack, "Why did you do it?"

"I didn't kidnap the baby," Jack said.

"I must be mistaken, for I thought you were going to tell the truth," Cupid said.

"I am telling the truth, Cupid," Jack said before seeing the hand go off in the wrong direction, "To the right!"

"Excuse me?" Cupid asked, bewildered by the outburst.

"I'm sorry. My thoughts are getting a bit jumbled," Jack said as he saw the hand get closer to the door.

"You had better un-jumble them then."

"I'm sorry."

"No, you have no remorse. You are a sick creature that feeds upon the young."

"Where did you get that idea?"

"That is what monsters do, instill fear and eat the children of good people. You are a foul demon."

"I'm not a demon, I'm a skeleton. There's a difference."

"The point is you are a fiend! To think you were even there when that poor woman told us of how a demon had stolen her nephew to feed upon him! You watched her pour her soul out to us and deep down you were just waiting to get back to your ill-gotten prize. It sickens me," Cupid said.

"You're not listening to me. I don't eat people, no one in Halloween Town does. Not that I know of anyway," Jack said as the hand jumped up to the lock and opened it.

"Why should I listen to you? Why should any of us listen to you?" Cupid asked as he lunged at Jack, only to be restrained by Jacob and Tevel.

"Because he's telling the truth," said a strong, female voice.

Every eye and socket turned to the front door, which was now open. Standing at the doorway were Kimi and Pallaton, followed by Sally and Billy. Sally had bent over slightly as if she was looking for something. It was then that the Council realized that her right hand was missing. They watched it crawl from behind the open door and make its way to its owner.

"That's it. I'm closing my windows from now on," Jacob said as he and Tevel released Cupid.

"Sorry, but the door was locked from the inside," Sally said before walking over to Jack, "Are you alright?"

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Billy replied as he entered the house.

"Sorry, Billy, not you," Sally said.

"That depends," Cupid interrupted, "Did you bring the child?"

"Yes, he's alive an well," Kimi said as she lifted the carrier, "Now leave Jack alone, he is innocent."

"Are you serious? This fiend kidnapped your nephew," Cupid said to Kimi.

"No he didn't. The Elders did. Patience told me," Kimi replied.

"When did she say that?" Jacob asked.

"A few hours ago, from a jail cell."

"A WHAT?" Jacob exclaimed.

"Ow! Not so loud," Jack said as he put his head back on.

"The Elders are behind everything," Pallaton said.

"They imprisoned Patience and one of their own," Kimi said, "We don't know why though. By the way, this is Takoda," she finished as she lifted the blanket from the sleeping child in the carrier.

It was hard to believe that such a fuss was raised over an innocent baby. It wasn't his fault at all. Evil men used the infant as a pawn in their wicked plot. Now, they had to be brought to justice, but not before someone got an apology.

"Jack, I am sorry for thinking the worst of you and your people," Cupid said to the skeleton, "You really are a good chap, I forgot that."

"It's your job to think with your heart, you were just doing what came naturally to you," Jack said, "Besides, if anyone ever did that to your kid, you'd be right to think that way."

"What do we do now? The Elders run part of this world, it would throw everything in upheaval if they were deposed," Cupid said with a sigh.

"Maybe things would change for the better if they were gone," Sally said, "If we all lent a hand to fix things here, then the world could turn out better off than it is now."

"It appears you are starting to rub off on her," Cupid said to Jack.

"Oh, Jack, now you've gotten me into meddling too."

"At least I won't have to do it alone anymore."

"Excuse me, dead lovebirds?" Billy interrupted, "We still have a problem here."

"You certainly know how to ruin a moment," Cupid said before walked over to see the baby.

"Maybe you should run for Mayor of Halloween Town," Jack said to Billy.

"Jack, that's mean," Sally said, barely hiding a giggle, "Are you feeling better, Billy?"

"Yeah. Just warn me the next time you're going to take off a body part."

"Alright," Sally said.

"What's the problem, Billy?" Jack asked.

"The sun's coming up, and those Elders will probably wake up soon along with the rest of the town."

"You're right. We have to settle this once and for all," Jack said, "Get all of the Council over here. I'm sure if we put our heads together, we'll think of something."

Whew. Crisis averted! Now that the sun's rising, will Daniel and Patience undergo trial? Will the Council of Celebrations come up with a plan to declare the Elders guilty? Can Thanksgiving Town survive without its leaders? Find out next time, readers. (Re-edit Comment: I would like to thank the Addams Family marathon that was playing the day I wrote this for the whole hand idea. Forgot to thank them.)