Author's Note: I can't wait to get this one started. First off, the usual disclaimer- I am not the mastermind behind The Nightmare Before Christmas nor do I own a piece of the Winchester mystery house. This story branches off from the former and part is set in the latter, although the plot is mine, that's pretty much all I own. And, for the record, this is the latest in a series of "Nightmare" stories I am writing. The series intermixes regularly and I would hope that if any of you readers are new to my style, you could pay attention specifically to this part: if ever you find yourself confused, take a flip through my previous stories. Chances are, whatever you needed to know will be in one of them. Thank you and read on.

For the first time in recent memory, Jack was actually a bit scared of the pumpkin sun. When it rose the next morning, he knew there was no possible way to back out on the escape plan. Not that he wanted to. He wanted to marry Sally more than anything, just not under such secretive conditions. Well, the party could always be held another day and what really mattered was the marriage, not the wedding. This would pass like many other things; all he and Sally had to do was survive it. And pack some more.

"Have anything else you want to take, Jack?" Sally asked as she was digging through some of her gift bags.

"No," Jack replied, walking over to Sally just as she found what she was looking for.

"Erato's present. Think you can put it somewhere safe, Jack?" Sally asked, passing the book to him.

"We're leaving it here?" Jack asked in return.

"Jack, if we're going to meet someone who's very prim and proper, I don't think bringing this kind of book is a good idea. The whole subject makes people act weird."

"She doesn't need to know we have it."

"She'll probably find it and we'll get in even more trouble."

"Don't worry," Jack said, stuffing the book back into the bag Sally had taken it from. "Just try to keep it hidden until I get there."

"What do you mean?" Sally asked.

"You have to go to the house first, Sally. Bachelor party, remember?"

"Oh, but I don't want to go there alone. Can't you just drop me off there and then head to the bachelor party?"

"That's actually quite a good idea," Jack said. "Better get a head start then."

"Are you sure? Wouldn't the Mayor be looking for you?"

"Cupid invited him to the bachelor party. Chances are, the Mayor is looking for something to give me so he'll try to avoid me as much as possible until the party," Jack said, opening the door to the house to find Doctor Finkelstein waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs outside. "Doctor?"

"Jack, something just came up that could jeopardize-" Doctor Finkelstein started.

"Bachelor party?"

"Yes. How do you know if it's supposed to be a surprise?"

"Cupid told me last night. He invited the Mayor and then everything kind of made itself known. Only to him though."

"Can he keep a secret?"

"Not really, but he's going to try."

"You both had better follow me. Quickly!"

Jack nodded and went back into the house for a moment. In no more than ten minutes, he and Sally were following Doctor Finkelstein out of Halloween Town, with gift bags and luggage in tow. Lucky for them, they got to the Real World without any further interruptions. Now all they had to do was find the house. That part was actually the easiest. Once they arrived in the right area, all they had to do was follow the tourists without making their presence known.

"I've heard they have doors built in floors," said one tourist to another.

"And doors that open into drops," replied the second tourist.

"Don't forget the chimney that stops short of the roof."

"Oh, yeah, can't forget that."

"Mortals are so easily amused," Doctor Finkelstein said to Jack and Sally as they passed the pair of tourists.

"Oooh."

"What is it?"

"I just felt a chill. Think it's a ghost?"

"Not in the parking lot."

"And we'll just cut the line here," Doctor Finkelstein said as they passed the line to the ticket booth and entered the house's outdoor complex.

"How much further?" Jack asked curiously.

"Just to the entrance to the gardens. She should be waiting for us there. Be on the lookout for a short woman who looks off."

"Like her?" Sally asked Doctor Finkelstein, pointing to a woman sitting on a bench next to a sign pointing towards the gardens.

She was so short that her feet didn't reach the ground when she sat. That is, if they were visible under the long black and purple striped dress she was wearing. She held a similarly designed parasol to keep the sun out of her eyes. This was obviously a habit she couldn't leave from her life because, since she was transparent, the sun should not have been bothering her in the first place. Nevertheless, she closed the parasol and forced herself up to greet the Halloween folk.

"It seems that none of you Halloween people have any manners. First that horrible bug creature, then you, and now elopers. My, how times have changed," she said to Doctor Finkelstein with a subtle curtsy and a smile.

"It's been far too long, Sarah," Doctor Finkelstein said.

"So this is the happy couple?" she asked, looking at Jack and Sally for a moment. "And Henry? Why is he missing?"

"Henry passed on the crown. Jack is the Pumpkin King now," Doctor Finkelstein explained.

"Well, not only is this an elopement, but a royal elopement?" Sarah Winchester asked before looking back to Jack and Sally once more. "Then we have much to do in very little time. Follow me."

"She seems nice," Sally said as she and Jack followed Mrs. Winchester.

"Don't let appearances fool you, she can be quite tough," Doctor Finkelstein said as he trailed behind the pair.

"Her? But she's so tiny," Jack replied quietly as they entered the house to find a group of cowboy and Native American ghosts shooting ghostly guns and arrows.

"NO FIGHTING IN THE HOUSE!" she yelled, so loudly that Jack was surprised the tour group that just passed them by hadn't heard it. "How many times have I told you that? Upstairs, all of you in the séance room. If I didn't have guests you would be in so much more trouble!"

"Yes, ma'am," said one of the cowboy ghosts before leading the entire group of troublemakers through a few walls and up some stairs.

"I am so sorry for that. I swear, things go in one ear and out the other for them," Mrs. Winchester said in a chipper mood before proceeding into the parlor.

"I warned you," Doctor Finkelstein said to Jack, who seemed to have amazingly turned pale.

"Now, let's discuss the whole plan," Mrs. Winchester said as she sat down, motioning for Jack and Sally to seat themselves as well.

"First, Jack and I would like to tell you that we appreciate your help very much," Sally said.

"Oh, no need, my dear. Just tell me, when is a good time for the ceremony?"

"Tomorrow," Jack said. "If I didn't have other plans, we would've preferred to have done it today."

"Other plans?"

"Jack's friends are throwing him a bachelor party. A farewell to the single life, Sarah," Doctor Finkelstein said

"I'm not even supposed to know about it. If I don't show up, they might suspect something," Jack said, noticing the slightly sour look on Mrs. Winchester's face.

"Oh, I understand now. It's quite all right, just be back in time to get rest and get married. And behave yourself. Doctor, you go along with him," Mrs. Winchester said before a flash stopped her train of thought.

"And here was the parlor Mrs. Winchester would greet guests in, that is, if she ever had any guests," the tour guide started. "See, her reputation of spiritual interaction made her a pariah in the community."

"The nerve of these mortals! Excuse me," she said to Jack, Sally, and the doctor before getting up, walking over to an empty chair and turning it over forcefully, smiling when the tour group ran off in a chorus of screams. "I love it when they do that," she said as she put the chair right side up.

"Well, look at the time, I need to be going," Jack said as he got up and walked over to the entrance of the parlor before Sally caught him.

"Jack, can't you stay a little longer," she whispered to him.

"I'll be back as soon as I possible can, I promise. Doctor Finkelstein, we'd better head back home."

"Yes. Sarah, it's been a pleasure, but you do have a wedding ceremony to plan for less than twenty four hours."

"Indeed. If you have any need to scare the mortals, you go right ahead and do so," Sarah Winchester said to the men before they left her sight. "Finally, we can talk about interesting things. You know, I have a dress that just might fit you, if I can find the right corset for it," she said to Sally, who had sat back down once Jack left.

"Corset?" Sally asked.

"Oh, yes. That has gone out of fashion, hasn't it?"

"A little."

"Now, now. No need to be meek with me, dear. You just tell me what you think would work out best."

"Well, the gardens looked beautiful. Maybe Jack and I could get married out there."

"Yes. I know the perfect spot too. The gazebo in the middle of the courtyard."

"Do you think the ghosts here would mind being witnesses?"

"Not if I tell them to. And don't worry about them causing a commotion, I'll have a few words with them. Speaking of which, I have some ghosts to reprimand in the séance room. You make yourself at home, I'll return shortly."

Sally looked out the window of the house and sighed. Jack at least escaped having to talk to a ghost woman who may or may not be sane. She had to plan a whole wedding with her. Still, as peculiar as she was, Sarah Winchester was doing them a big favor. Besides, her wrath seemed to be nothing compared to Venus'. Sally shook her head. She needed to stop thinking so negatively. Everything was going to be fine. Jack was going to come back and marry her. Still, why had Mrs. Winchester looked so disapproving of a bachelor party? What could be wrong with that?

Far from the Winchester house was a mortal man making his way through the woods with a large gift-wrapped box. He could barely believe he was skipping work for this, but hey, it was a party. A bachelor party for the skeleton that haunted him for years and years, but a party nonetheless. Where was he now? Oh, yes, in the center of the holiday trees. The mortal found the one with the door in the shape of a clover and entered it. He landed in a land of green, a beautiful green that tinted every blade of grass and leaf he could see. Yes, this was definitely the land of Saint Patrick.

"Hello?" he asked. "Anybody? Hello?"

"Saints preserve us!" yelled a familiar voice behind the mortal. "Oh, wait, that's me," he chuckled, banging his staff on the ground as he said so.

"Don't do that!" yelled the mortal in return. "Jesus!"

"No, I'm Patrick, remember? I was in ye house last Poker Night."

"I remember," the mortal said in an irritated tone. "Where is everybody?"

"It's still daylight out, party's at sunset, Billy,"

"Can we at least go to the place. This thing is heavy."

"Alright, lad. I'll take you. Can't miss the mead hall, it's the biggest building here," Saint Patrick said, pointing to a village a good five minutes away on foot, specifically to the largest building with a thatched roof.

"So, what's the entertainment for tonight?" Billy asked.

"You mortals, always thinking of one thing."

"It's an innocent question!"

"Ah, but from a guilty mind. Entertainment's a surprise."

"Great. And how long until sunset?"

"A few good hours, lad."

"What'll we do until then?" Billy asked.

"We're going to the mead hall, Billy Colby. I'm sure you can think of something to do there," Saint Patrick said, grinning at the enlightened look on Billy's face before he walked a little faster towards the hall. "Correction, you mortals always have two things on ye minds."

"No. Like I said before, this thing is heavy and I would like to put it down," Billy said as he walked into the hall.

"Sure," Saint Patrick answered, waving to a familiar face sitting at a round wooden table. "Always the early bird, Nicholas?"

"I'm not the only one, this time," Santa Claus said as Billy put his present down on the table. "Good to see you again, Mr. Colby."

"You're in on this too?"

"All of the Council is, and friends of the grooms, like you."

"Yes, well, that's a relative term when it comes to me," Billy said as he sat down.

"Come now, 'tis a celebration. Who's up for a pre-party mead?" Saint Patrick asked, receiving a glare from Santa Claus. "What?"

"And you wonder why your day gets the reputation it has."

"Oh, fine. But no more complaints once the festivities have begun, Nicholas."

"So what kind of entertainment do you all have planned for this?" Billy asked.

"Oh, I left all of that to the Celts. They are much better at entertainment than planning, so we split the job," Saint Patrick said as the door opened once again. "Speaking of Celts."

"What are you doing here so early?" asked a female voice from the doorway.

The men at the table looked over to find a woman gliding over to them with her green, butterfly-like wings. Everything about her was green, from the pale green of her skin to the leaves she wore as a gown. Her leafy hair tumbled down her back as she dodged a low beam and finally landed in front of the table. She gave Saint Patrick a knowing look before introducing herself to the other men.

"Pleasure 'tis to meet you. I am Brigid mother goddess of Ireland," she said with a curtsy.

"Lovely avatar you've chosen for the night, Brigid," Saint Patrick said

"Yes, I was feeling a little green today. One gets so sick of pale skin over and over and over. Still, that does not question these early birds."

"We're here to offer any help in setting up," Santa Claus said, Billy sighing in relief.

"You saints and mortals can be quite charming. Well, follow me. We have much to do and little time to do it in."

I'm quite sorry for the late, late update, readers. Higher education tends to take out a lot of writing time that isn't work related. I'll try to get the next part up to you soon. Until then, who did the Celts book as entertainment? Can Jack make it through the night without major disaster? And how sane is Sarah Winchester? Find out next time.