thank you to all my reviewers! anotherblastedromantic: thank you for that, my God it would be so priceless if Victoria attacked Lucy. what amuses me more is the idea of Lucy's reaction to such a surprising turn of events. Niteflite: thank you for that, I was wondering whether people thought Victor's and Victoria's flirting was cute, or annoying. it's good to get feedback on that, cause I was a little worried. oh, and I'm now making a greater effort to edit my work a bit more, thank you. ladyanimefreak: I don't know... what will Bonejangles do...? Mwuahahaha! Firefilly: I'm glad you like the hat part! I happen to have a bowler hat myself and I actually got the idea for that part because of my similar reaction when someone fails to put it on with any sort of panache. I'm beginning to write more and more of myself into Bonejangles which is scary. Mainly because I'm a girl. Gatekeeper: pun entirely forgiven. I do hope you haven't died holding your breath for so long. Ari: I don't need to write anything to you because I'm just going to see you tomorrow:-P I love you! Mairy: does she seem the sort? I hate it when people predict my story before I write it. and a whole chapter ahead too. ah, well, here it is. Twilight Athena: Whew. I'm glad the characters are staying in character. do tell me if they begin to stray.

cookies to anyone who can figure out what story Lucy is from. I totally give it away in this chapter, but since no one even imagined she was from another story in the lastchapter (though I certainly gave enough clues) I must now offer a reward to make you guess. And Ari, you can't compete because I already told you.

"What about me?"

"Oh I do hope Lucy and my lovely aunt Westerna won't be angry… it is on awfully late notice." Victoria said apprehensively. It was a little after dark when the three traveling companions rumbled in through the gates of Hillingham. Lucy was already outside by the time they reached the end of the long front driveway, peering curiously out the front door. "Let me get out first and talk to her. Then, if everything is all right I'll signal that you can come out, Victor. If not then we'll just have to find an alternate solution."

"Great. When do I get to come out?" Bonejangles asked. Victor and Victoria looked at him.

"Now I must warn you, Victor," Victoria continued as though the speaking Skeleton had not spoken at all, "That Lucy-"

"Wait! What about me? When do I get to come out?" Victoria bit her lip.

"Well, you don't."

"What?"

"You can get out of the carriage after everyone's gone to sleep… I suppose. You'll just have to ask George for help staying hidden."

"George is an incompetent senile old fart," Bonejangles said grumpily.

"Well he's the only one in town who didn't mind being our driver. Actually, he's the only one who didn't mind you. So if I were you, I wouldn't complain." Bonejangles folded his arms and mumbled to himself, but didn't complain aloud again.

"Now, Victor, I want you to understand a bit about Lucy before you meet her. She's, well, how can I put this kindly? She's a snake in the grass. She'll make you feel terrible about yourself and smile so brightly while doing it that you'll begin to wonder if maybe she's just doing you a service.

"She going to be hard on you seeing as you're a member of the- oh I hate using this phrase – 'noveaux-riche'. However, she will be so sweet about it that you'll hardly notice when she does it. And last but not least," Victoria's voice became icy, "if she begins to flirt with you, tell me immediately. It might be hard to tell, as she is very sly, but should it become apparent, I will do something about it. There is no innocence in the flirtations of this one. Her intentions are dangerous and she has always loved to see me fail. If she can do so by using you, it's even better in her eyes."

Victor nodded resolutely as though going off to battle and smiled at his wife. Bonejangles rubbed his chin thoughtfully at the description of the new girl and Victoria bravely opened the carriage door and stepped outside. She straightened her dress and walked towards her cousin, praying she wasn't angry.

A few more steps showed Victoria that her cousin wasn't angry at all. In fact, she was thrilled. She stepped fully from the door and ran down the remaining steps that separated herself from her long lost cousin.

"Oh Victoria!" she cried, flinging her arms around her, "It has been too long! Far too long! Nearly two years! Oh why do you never write?"

Victoria merely smiled and decided not to answer the question, for fear of sounding hopelessly rude. But Lucy didn't notice and instead continued to do all the talking.

"Oh! So many things have happened here! And you've missed it all! A shame your family had to move away in such a rush. You're back on your feet again I trust, that was a bit of a scare now wasn't it?" Victoria knew it wasn't proper for young ladies to speak of financial matters, but then, Lucy never was a particularly proper girl. "…And you simply must meet my friend Mina. You'll adore her, I just know you will! She can write shorthand you know. Did you come here all on your own or…?"

"Oh, no," Victoria replied reluctantly, "my husband, Victor, came with me." And a walking skeleton, she added to herself. Lucy gasped.

"Husband?" She peered curiously over Victoria's shoulder at the carriage which she now knew sat a newcomer, this really excited her. "Oh Victoria!" She looked back at her cousin, "What is he like? What is it like?" Victoria blushed and could find no words to answer such a question. Lucy simply laughed. "Oh, never mind, Victoria. You always were such an old ninny. Well? Where is he? I'm so eager to meet him!" Victoria grimaced at Lucy and motioned delicately for Victor to join them on the steps.

As though he were waiting with bated breath for her signal Victor immediately leapt from the carriage and briskly walked up the steps pulling self-consciously at his jacket As he approached the two ladies he met Victoria's pleading eyes and smiled reassuringly at her.

"You must be Victor," Lucy greeted warmly, extending her dainty hand, "I'm so pleased to meet you."

"Pleasure to meet you," Victor said, "Victoria has told me so much about you." Instead of kissing her hand as Lucy had expected, he took it in his and shook it jovially. Even Victoria was a little embarrassed but was pleased to note that Lucy looked shocked and put out for a moment, before smiling forgivingly.

"How quaint…" Lucy mumbled through her smile, eyeing Victor. "Oh, please do come in. My mother is still awake, and you'll have something to drink. You're staying the night, of course?" Victoria acted surprised.

"Oh! I – well, if it isn't too much trouble-"

"No trouble at all, cousin! I haven't seen you in so long and…" her eyes drifted towards Victor, "well, I would have no qualms about you staying the night."

– X –

Twenty minutes later found Victor, Victoria, Lucy, and Mrs. Westerna all sitting in the parlor having tea. Victoria's thoughts idly flitted to poor old Bonejangles, who was condemned to spend the night in the stables. She smiled as the polite conversation went from topic to topic but paid more attention to the temperature of her tea.

"So, Victor, how did you and Victoria meet?" Victoria looked up in alarm from her tea and listened warily to Victor's response. Victor smiled reassuringly at her as though saying he knew how to handle the situation, and Victoria relaxed a bit.

"Well, I had heard about her before actually meeting her. See, in the town where I'm from, not much excitement happens. I don't even think the circus has ever been near." Lucy laughed, a pretty bubbling laugh prompting a smile from Victor, "So, understandably," Victor continued, "The noble Everglotts moving in with their beautiful daughter caused quite a stir. I'd heard a lot of rumors about them before I even saw them. Of course, they didn't leave home very often. It wasn't until three weeks after that I saw them at church. That was the first time I ever saw Victoria, and… she scared me." He smiled sheepishly at Victoria as she looked on in amazement. She had never heard this story before. "She was so noble… the way she prayed. She made me feel mean and insignificant," he took Victoria's hand and they smiled sweetly at each other.

"That's beautiful!" Lucy said abruptly, cutting in, "but when did you two meet?" Victoria suddenly hated her cousin even more than before.

"Well, not until the day before our wedding," Victoria said rosily. Lucy put a hand to her mouth.

"Is that what this is?" she gasped, "You two have eloped? Why Victoria, I never would have imagined you had it in you! And to think, you two had come all the way out here to escape from the wrath of your parents."

"I think it's perfectly lovely!" Mrs. Westerna cried, without the slightest inkling about the conversation's topic. Lucy smiled forcefully while grinding her teeth. She wasn't used to her cousin outdoing her in anything and she looked like she might enjoy gouging out Victoria's eyes in a jealous rage. Victoria smiled.

"It's so romantic," Lucy finally finished. Victoria smiled at Victor sending burning messages to him to simply allow Lucy to think that they had eloped; she prayed that he could hear her thoughts.

"Actually," Victor said, "Victoria and I are not running away. Our marriage was arranged." He took Victoria's hand as though this were the most romantic thing imaginable. Apparently he could not read her thoughts, something they would have to work on. There was a long, shockedpause before Lucy finally smiled; only the vaguest hint of smugness playing on her lips.

- X -

"She's simply unbearable! Absolutely impossible!" Victoria fumed. They had finally retired for the night and were now in their large and comfortable suite.

"I was actually very surprised," Victor admitted, taking a rumpled shirt from his trunk.

"I didn't think you would believe me when I said how terrible she was. But now you know. Now you see that wretched creature for what she really is." Victoria bent over her own trunk and began to rummage through it, looking for a hairbrush.

"Oh Victoria," Victor said softly, "don't you think you're being a bit hard on her?" Victoria stood up straight and let out an indignant cry.

"Victor!"

"Well, from the way you described her, I was expecting some sort of… soul sucking vampire. But now that I've met her, she wasn't all that bad. Perhaps your memories of her are coloring your..." the look on his bride's face caused Victer to falter,"… coloring… your… present perceptions of her?"

"Victor! That's just what she wants you to think!" Victoria said in an urgent whisper. "She's terrible! Oh please, not you too Victor, please. You're smart enough to see through her, I know you are!" Victor didn't know what to say. Victoria sighed and shook her head pulling her trunk from the bed onto the floor. "Well then," she said briskly, "in that case we'd better go to bed. I, for one, am exhausted and would love some sleep. Do you have any idea how long we'll be staying here?" Victor shook his head dumbly. "Well. Goodnight then." And with that she climbed into bed and proceeded to immediately fall asleep. Or pretend to.

well,I justfound outthat there is now a Corpse Bride section on fanfiction, under movies, so this doesn't really have to be under Misc movies anymore. however, I don't know what will happen if I switch the story now. will it mess up the C2 community I'm in? if anyone knows anything about this please email me or something to help me decide whether to switch it or keep it under Misc as is, because I'm not exactly sure what will happen.