I couldn't look away from Jack's body as it swung back and forth. I felt Michael's hand on my shoulder, squeezing almost too tight. As if he was trying to reassure me (or himself) that everything was going to be all right. Melanie was on my left side, and her gasping sobs echoed around the empty room. I reached for her hand and just held on tight. Then, I looked at Michael.

"What do you think we're supposed to do now?" he shrugged.

"Why don't you make yourselves comfortable?" Melanie had calmed down and found her voice. "The sooner we can prove to Jack that love can exist in this house the better." I saw a tiny tremor go through her body.

Michael nodded and took me to a chair, setting me down while he took the matching chair opposite it.

"Well," he declared, "I for one think we should get out of this room and go to some other part of the house. Perhaps the music room. A nice sing-along will cheer us all up."

Melanie nodded and stood up, preparing to lead the way. Michael and I rose with her, and followed her to the music room. Michael had his arms around me, and I allowed my head to rest on his shoulder. We walked through what seemed like miles and miles of rooms and doors. Nothing particularly interesting happened, except for a weird occurrence in what Melanie called "the secret room." Much like my family picture gallery at home, the secret room was full of pictures and here, all of them were of Melanie. Michael took care to point one out especially. It was a picture of Melanie and a dark-haired man with a moustache on a picnic. The man was playing a guitar while Melanie listened attentively.

"That's Jack," Michael said, stroking the part of the canvas on which his brother had been painted and looking up at the picture longingly.

I looked up at the picture as well. It was then that something struck me.

"Michael, I know you remember what my grandmother told you about where all my lost family members were hidden."

He nodded. "Yes. They were all in their pictures."

"Well, what if Jack is in his picture? What if you're touching him right now?"

After I said that, Michael pulled his hand off the picture as if it had caught on fire. Then, he looked at me and smiled.

"What if you're right?"

And at that moment, I swear I saw the Jack in the picture nod.

I sighed. "But I think getting Jack back won't be as simple as it was with my relatives. If love was the answer here, Jack would have been out of his frame and with Melanie a long time ago."

Michael was looking meditative. "We need to talk to him."

"Him who?"

"Jack!"

Then he ran ahead of me to catch up to Melanie, who apparently hadn't realized that we weren't following her. I ran after him. When we were walking alongside her, Michael spoke.

"Melanie! Is Miss Mary still here? We need to be in contact with Jack!"

When Melanie looked at him, she had tears in her eyes.

"Michael Allen-Park, that's not funny!"

He shook his head. "No Melanie, I'm not kidding, this is serious! Christine thinks that Jack is trapped in his picture like her banished relatives were. She also thinks that it will take more then just knowledge of love to free him. So we need to talk to him and see what else we need to do."

Melanie nodded and rubbed her eyes. It looked like we wouldn't be having the sing-along after all. We were led to a séance room that looked very much like Leota's at home, only Miss Mary chanted some very different incantations.

When she looked up and saw Melanie, she smiled and asked how she was. I was more then a little surprised at the warm reception.

"Miss Mary, we would like to know if you could contact Jack's spirit and see if he can tell us any more about how to get him back on earth."

The medium nodded at Melanie. "Sit around the table, all of you, and we'll see if we cannot reach into the void and contact the elder Mr. Allen-Park."

We sat. Then, Miss Mary told us to hold hands as she called to all the spirits. Suddenly, Miss Mary's face disappeared from the crystal ball and was replaced by Jack's. Melanie smiled in triumph for a minute. Then, she looked worried as she addressed him.

"Jack, where are you? Do you know how you can get back?"

Jack spoke in an ashamed tone.

"I'm in my picture Melanie, and I'm being punished. I broke the rules of propriety by continuing our relationship after your father disapproved of our being together. I have to stay here until we get your father's approval to marry."

I could hear Michael snort softly under his breath. "That'll be tough to get."

Melanie frowned at him. "Michael, hush." Then, she turned to Jack. "Don't worry; my father isn't an unreasonable man. I'm sure we'll be able to nip this thing in the bud in no time."

Michael and I looked at each other. Melanie might sound optimistic, but we weren't so sure.

Then, Jack disappeared, and Miss Mary came back. "Good luck, all of you."

And with that, we all got up and left the séance room in search of Melanie's father Henry.

When we finally found him, it was in the Thunder Mesa saloon. It looked as if he had had a bit to drink and his gaze was unfocused as he took in our presence.

Melanie kneeled down in front of him. "Daddy, you need to come home and lie down."

Henry was red in the face as he looked at his daughter. He held a full glass of whisky and ice in one hand. At the sound of Melanie's voice, his head and body jerked violently, and he hiccupped, dropping the glass on the table where it shattered.

"No…no, I can't ever go home again. There are…bad things about, danger to everyone. I feel so guilty…so guilty…"

His speech was slurred, and he hiccupped between sentences. Finally, he fell forward, snoring. The three of us looked at each other and sighed. We wouldn't get anything more out of Henry Ravenswood today.

Nobody wanted to physically carry unconscious Henry home, so we called a buggy. When we finally got back, Mr. Ravenswood had gained consciousness enough to walk upstairs to his bedroom and collapse. After he left, we talked amongst ourselves.

"I think this is a good sign." Michael said, grinning. "Jack said your father wasn't really a drinking man when he was alive, and when he was muttering, it was about him feeling guilty and evil things about. He must be talking about the Phantom, and feeling guilty because he stopped your marriage to Jack!"

Melanie nodded. "Then, when we ask him in the morning, after he's sober, we should have no trouble getting Jack out."

Henry came downstairs the next day around noon. He mixed himself a concoction with many ingredients that he told us was an old family recipe for a hangover cure. After he felt better, we sat him down and talked.

"Daddy, what do you feel so guilty about?"

Henry looked Melanie deep in the eyes. "Melanie, Jack Allen-Park is a good man with a fine head on his shoulders. I'm only sorry it took me so long to see it. Miss Mary showed me what that son of the Phantom tried to do to that young lady over there," he gestured at me, "and would have done to you too if Michael hadn't stopped him." Henry then grinned at Michael.

Melanie, realizing that her father and I had not officially met, said "Daddy, this is Christine. Her family used to come stay at the house during the hotel days."

Henry stood up and gave me a small bow. "A pleasure."

I smiled. "Charmed, I'm sure."

Then, Michael said "Mr. Ravenswood, would you please come with us to the secret room?" he nodded, and we went.

Once there, Michael led us to the picture of Melanie and Jack. Then, he said "do you consent, Mr. Ravenswood, to the marriage of your daughter Melanie to my brother, Jack Allen-Park?" Then, Michael motioned for Melanie to come stand beside the Jack in the picture.

Then, Mr. Ravenswood, undoubtedly knowing what he was going to do, looked at the picture and said "I do."

The next moment, there was a blinding flash of white light, and the part of the picture with Jack in it ripped free of the rest of the frame. Then, the Jack-shaped canvas walked over to Melanie and she kissed it. Then, what had once been canvas became flesh, and Jack and Melanie embraced. Then, Jack pulled a ring out of his pocket and kneeled down.

"Melanie Ravenswood, I know I've asked you this before, but I'm asking again. Will you marry me?"

Melanie was crying. "Yes, Jack I will!"

Then, Henry came over to them. "Do you two promise to come back and vist once in awhile?"

Melanie looked at her father. "Of course we will."

Henry smiled. "Just making sure."

As Michael and I watched them, we embraced too. It looked like the two of us were going to be party to a wedding. And soon.