Author's Note: Alright, ladies and gents. Not only does the following chapter follow the usual I-own-nothing disclaimer for everything "Nightmare," but I'vereferenced somethingfrom my travels into it too. It is said to be one of the most haunted places in the world. Its (dead) owner will be revealed in the following chapter. I did not come up with this particular ghost house, nor did I ever work in it. It is a real place that I researched and drew inspiration from to use. If any of you work in or actually own the place I will mention, please don't sue me. I'm not rich, the most you'll get from me is saved birthday money. There, before this paranoia gets out of hand, on with the show.

Doctor Finkelstein waited patiently behind the door to his laboratory. He had a feeling Jack would come rushing back to ask him more about his Earthly contact. After all, the doctor had helped put Jack together when the Pumpkin King first arrived in Halloween Town. He knew the skeleton's thinking and behavior patterns. Patience did not fit in with Jack Skellington. Acting on impulse did. Soon enough, Doctor Finkelstein heard a knock at the door.

"It's open, Jack," he said, smirking as Jack slowly pushed the door open.

"Doctor, we've made up our minds," Jack said proudly.

"We?" Doctor Finkelstein asked, watching Sally walk into the lab as well. "Ah. Once again you've returned. No need to feel tense, my dear. I don't intend on keeping you locked in here this time."

"Thank you," Sally replied in a voice only a bit higher than a whisper.

"So, what decision have you both come to?"

"We're eloping," Jack said. "Sally and I think that it would be better to marry and then have some kind of large celebration. After the Mayor and Venus have cooled off, of course."

"If they cool off," Sally sighed. "If they don't, well, it won't matter because we'll be married anyway."

"Yes, you will," Doctor Finkelstein said before wheeling himself up the ramp to a higher room. "Now, follow me, we have much to discuss."

"I can't believe it," Sally whispered to Jack as they followed the doctor.

"I didn't either at first," Jack whispered back.

"What did you say to him?"

"What do you mean?"

"You weren't talking for months and then all of a sudden he's helping us. Jack, I know it must have been something you said."

"Let's just say we had a heart-to-heart, and the both of us saw things that weren't there before," Jack said as they stepped into the room Doctor Finkelstein had entered.

"Time for a history lesson," Doctor Finkelstein said as he cleared his throat and faced the wheelchair towards Jack and Sally.

"A history lesson?" Sally asked.

"I assure you, it won't be boring. Now, I'm not sure if either of you realized this, but I can be quite difficult to work with at times."

"A little but not so much," Jack said politely.

"Well, I used to be worse. I used to throw things at Igor when things went wrong and you should have seen the battles I had with Oogie Boogie when I refused to make him torture devices. Henry saw this as a problem. So, he had me sent to Mrs. Sarah Winchester to teach me etiquette and manners. I'm surprised she took me, poor woman had tried to help Oogie as well and she kicked him out their first day together."

"Kicked him out of where?" Jack asked.

"Her house, the largest residence for ghosts on the American West Coast, a lure for the living and dead alike. In her life, Mrs. Winchester had built the to avenge the spirits of those killed by Winchester brand guns and rifles. In her death, she is the housemother of all those ghosts and toys with mortal tourists who visit. She doesn't have to stay there, but she feels her spirit would be restless anyway if she wasn't helping those ghosts."

"That's very nice of her," Sally said.

"She can be a very understanding woman, if you get on her good side. Now, before I send you off to find her, I need to go over a few ground rules for leaving a good impression on Mrs. Winchester. First of all, it helps if one of you died from a gunshot. Well?"

"I was. Henry told me before he passed the crown on to me," Jack said.

"Good, she'll sympathize with you even if you weren't shot by one of the Winchester guns. Next, Mrs. Winchester is very prim and proper. She lived in the Victorian Age of human times. Be polite and mindful of your behavior at all times. Also, she does not like people who disagree with her too much or agree with her too much. Let her have some plans for the elopement but don't forget to add in your opinions."

"Shouldn't we be writing any of this down?" Sally asked.

"No need, there's only one last thing. Leave as soon as you possible can. If you want to pull this off without too much trouble, and there will be trouble, I expect to see the both of you disappearing in the next few days."

"You mean, you're not coming?" Jack asked Doctor Finkelstein.

"Eloping means to get away from people you know to get married, Jack."

"But, it's kind of mean to do all this on your advice and not extend an invitation to you," Jack said.

"You have to come," Sally said.

"I have work to do," Doctor Finkelstein said, a bit surprised.

"But it's tradition for the bride's father to give her away at the wedding," Jack said.

"Last time I checked, elopement was not traditional to begin with."

"Doctor, if you came with us, wouldn't it make people less suspicious of what we were doing?" Sally asked.

"Go on," Doctor Finkelstein said, intrigued by Sally's train of thought.

"Well, if Jack and I happen to go to the Real World with you, people wouldn't think we were running off to get married, would they?"

"No, they wouldn't," Jack said, seeing Sally's point.

"You're crazy, the both of you," Doctor Finkelstein said, banging his right fist on the arm of his wheelchair.

"It's a good idea, doctor, admit it," Jack said.

"It is, but I have work to do."

"What kind of work is more important than coming to our wedding?" Sally asked in a hurt tone.

"Covering for the both of you while you get married, my dear. When you two pull your disappearing act, I'll make up some phony story about sending you two off to research for me. I'll keep fake contact with you, and if worst comes to worst, I'll send the Mayor and that other planner of yours on a wild goose chase so that by the time they find you you'll have already walked down the aisle," Doctor Finkelstein explained, bringing a silence afterwards.

"We don't know how to thank you for this, sir," Jack said after the lull in conversation.

"You can start by packing. Now go on back home and get ready. If you don't leave in three days, I'm going to have to blow your cover."

Not sure whether or not Doctor Finkelstein was joking, Jack and Sally thanked him and left the laboratory. As soon as they got home they began to go through what they would need for their elopement and decided to leave the following night, so as not to make anyone suspicious of their plans. Although they were excited, they felt guilty too. Venus and the Mayor had gone through a lot to plan their wedding(s) and now it would be in vain. Well, the decision was made and it was too late to back out now. Jack and Sally went to sleep knowing this would be the last time they would sleep in their house as an unmarried couple.

As Jack and Sally fell into a peaceful slumber, for the moment, the Mayor was hastily working on another plan for the wedding in the town hall. This one was going to be the one, he knew it! Of course, he also knew it approximately seventy-eight times before, but that didn't matter now. What mattered now was the Behemoth standing in his light. Well, the Mayor thought it was the Behemoth.

"Behemoth, could you move over a bit? I'm sketching out some bats on leashes and I-" the Mayor started before looking up and having his head spin around in surprise. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, no need to worry, Mr. Halloween Mayor. I will not be long," the figure replied, stretching his feathery wings out. "Sorry, it is a bit cramped in here."

"Cupid? What are you doing here at this time of night?"

"The Council would like for you to attend Jack and Jacob's, shall we say, Joint Bachelor Party."

"Really? Me? Wow, I feel so honored," the Mayor said.

"Come now, you are a friend of one of the grooms, you have to attend. It will be lots of fun," Cupid said.

"Well, if I finished my next few plans, I'll see if I can stop by."

"Wonderful! It is being held in Saint Patrick's Town, the mead hall. The grooms think it is just Poker Night, but we are going to surprise them. So, whatever you do, make sure Jack does not find out."

"I'll make sure. Thank you for telling me," the Mayor said, watching Cupid slowly walk out before asking a question.

"Mr. Halloween Mayor? What exactly are you planning?"

"Oh, the wedding. I'm the official planner you know," the Mayor said, causing Cupid to drop his quiver. "Is something the matter?"

"No, no. Just a case of clumsiness," Cupid said in a nervous voice as he picked up the quiver.

"Careful with those now, they do a lot of damage," the Mayor said before going back to his plans.

Did Cupid hear right? The Mayor wasn't planning Jack and Sally's wedding, his mother was. Whatever was happening, Cupid had to find out for himself. He flew over to Skellington Manor and pounded on the door. When no one answered, he flew to the highest tower and knocked against the curtained window until a bony hand pulled the curtain aside and opened the window.

"Hello?" Jack asked, yawning and rubbing his eyelids.

"Jack, let me in," Cupid said.

"What? What's happened? Did someone else get kidnapped?" Jack asked, stepping aside.

"No, it is not that," Cupid said as he flew into the room. "Though, I have a feeling it is much worse."

"Jack? What's going on?" Sally asked as she got up from bed.

"That is what I would like to know. For the record, how many planners does it take to plan one wedding?" Cupid asked.

That woke Jack and Sally up right away. Right away both of them began to come up with excuses for the predicament they had landed in until, finally, Jack decided to explain from the beginning. After the matter of Takoda's kidnapping had been taken care of, Jack and Sally had come home to find their house a mess. Along with that mess was the Mayor, who was explaining his plans for Halloween as usual. Jack, sleep-deprived and not patient enough to hear him out this time, offered the Mayor the chance to plan the wedding just to get him out of their hair. He accepted and began his work. Matters got worse when, after Jack and Sally's appointment with Venus, the Goddess of Love herself offered and accepted to plan their wedding as well without knowing about the previous arrangement. Jack and Sally were too scared to say no to either planner without severe consequences, and so arrived to the final point.

"We're eloping. We're leaving tomorrow night and nothing you say can stop us," Jack said to Cupid.

"But… Poker Night is tomorrow!" Cupid exclaimed.

"Sally is more important than poker. You of all people should know that, Cupid," Jack said, appalled Cupid would say such a thing.

"No, no. Jack, I am not supposed to tell you this, but the Council is throwing you and Jacob a bachelor party instead. It was meant to be a surprise. How can we throw a joint party if one of the grooms is missing."

"This gets worse and worse," Sally sighed. "I can't believe Psyche told you."

"Psyche knows you are eloping?" Cupid asked.

"Not about that. I told her about our two weddings," Sally said.

"That I found out from the Mayor just moments ago. So, he has no idea he is not the only one planning your wedding?" Cupid asked the both of them.

"Not unless you told him anything, or Venus," Jack said.

"No, I can stay quiet about this. If my mother finds out you double-crossed her she will be quite wrathful. Frankly, I like the both of you. I wish you no harm, so yes, I will keep this secret. On one condition, though."

"I'll do anything," Jack said.

"Come to the bachelor party. Act surprised, stay for a few hours, then I will help you get where you need to go," Cupid said.

"And you won't tell anyone?" Jack asked.

"If I even begin to speak of your elopement to anyone else, may I be cursed with silence until the both of you are married."

"Cupid, don't be so hard on yourself," Sally said.

"It is the only way I can be sure your elopement will not be spoiled on my account. I have a tendency to, erm, let cats out of bags," Cupid said, blushing slightly before clearing his throat. "Well, I had better be off. I might be making myself late for some appointments. I wish you both the best of luck tomorrow. See you both then."

With that, the deity took a bow and flew out of the still open window. Jack walked over to it, closed it, and walked right back to bed. Thank goodness Cupid hadn't blurted anything to the Mayor or else there would have been a much greater disturbance at Skellington Manor that night. Hopefully, that would be the last snag in eloping. Although there was the curveball of the bachelor party thrown at the couple, it couldn't be that bad. Heck, Jack was even looking forward to it in a way.

Hey, I couldn't do a bridal shower without the male equivalent now could I? What kind of entertainment has the Council gotten for Jack and Jacob? If all friends of the grooms are invited, does that mean a certain mortal from Kentucky will make an appearance? And will Cupid actually curse himself into silence? Sorry, you'll have to look to another chapter for the answer to those questions.