Author's Note: You guys have NO idea how bad I feel. My last post was November! gak But my computer's fixed! Yay! If you're still with me, as soon as I get ONE review I'll update! Promise!
Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue. Don't have any money to pay you, anyway...
Author's Note #2: I just realized that I made this chapter a little bit too much like the movie. If it wasn't 1:00 AM, I'd try and fix it, but my brain doesn't work right now.
Chapter Twelve
Jack stepped out of the shadows, his face tightly controlled.
"Jack?" Oogie gasped, backing up. He hit the table and put his hands up, a strange, almost apologetic smile on his face. "J-Jack, what're you doin' here?"
Zero freed Tera's wrists. She rubbed them to get the blood flowing, wincing at the pain in her broken wrist, and turned her attention to Jack and Oogie.
"What do you think I'd be here for?" Jack asked mildly. Oogie gulped.
"I don't know," the burlap sack answered, edging around the table and onto what seemed to be an extremely large roulette table set into the ground, about twenty feet in diameter. "Tea and biscuits?" Jack started to follow him, not seeing the gleeful look on Oogie's face.
"No!" Tera shouted, but she called out too late. The three casino gunmen, with their plastic bodies and glowing red eyes, starting shooting, one after the other. Jack let out a yelp and dodged the bullets, finally moving in close enough to crouch beneath their arms that vibrated with each shot of the guns.
"Well, come on, Bone Man!" Oogie shouted, grinning gleefully. He hit another button with his foot, and a large, circular saw started descending to where Jack was crouched, the blade whirring dangerously.
She threw herself at Oogie, battering him with her good fist as she shouted, "Get out of there, Jack!"
Oogie let out a growl and grabbed her injured arm, throwing her off to the side. She cried out in pain and fought the lump of tears in her throat, twisting to look over her shoulder. Jack had jumped out of the way and was starting towards Oogie, his face a thundercloud.
With an enraged shout Oogie jumped off the roulette table and hit something, and suddenly cards rose from the edges. The blades sprang out, and Tera shouted, "Jack, look out!"
She put her good arm over her head as the blades started to methodically chop at the air. One hit her lower back, opening a gash as she let out a shout of pain. She heard Jack cry her name, and she looked up, her eyes streaming. She watched Jack through slitted eyes, feeling like she was going to pass out. The way he dived and danced around the blades gave him a spider-like appearance, as not one sword touched him.
Oogie, seeing his plan wasn't working, jumped up onto the three-bladed mixer and let out a whoop. The cards slowly descended once again into the floor, and Tera let herself drop down until she was laying flat on her stomach, fighting the unconsciousness that threatened to take over.
"So long, Jack!" Oogie cried. He started laughing, sending chills down Tera's spine. Jack's face held no trace of pity, however, and he grabbed a stray thread hanging down from Oogie Boogie.
"How dare you treat my friends so shamefully!" he cried angrily. With one jerk of his long arms the thread grew longer, splitting a seam in Oogie's side. The Boogie Man let out a roar, trying to gather the bugs falling from his side.
"My bugs!" he cried. "My bugs!"
Jack watched with growing satisfaction as Oogie slowly diminished to nothing but a harmless piece of burlap. The Boogie Man was no more.
A few feet away, Tera fainted.
He ran over to her and knelt beside her still form. There was a long gash across her lower back which was bleeding profusely, and her right wrist, which was laying a bit out from her side, was twisted at an odd angle.
Very, very gently he picked her up, her arms dangling below her. Zero, whimpering softly, carefully nudged them up so they were on her stomach.
Jack walked over to where he had entered, and frowned. Then he very carefully tipped her over his shoulder, silently apologizing to her, and carried her up. Once he was safe on the bridge, Sally gently touched the long cut and winced.
"Will she be alright?" she asked softly.
Jack nodded. He carried her back to his house, and together, they helped her hurts.
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Tera blinked awake, looking up at a familiar ceiling. The jack-o-lantern sun streamed through the large window in Jack's tower as she sat up, wincing and gasping as she accidentally put weight on her hurt wrist. Her back was killing her.
She got to her feet, feeling unsteady.
"Jack?" she called hoarsely. Her throat was horribly dry, and she coughed. "Jack?"
He appeared at the top of the stairs, and his face broke out into a smile. "You're alright," he said, walking up to her. He caught her in an embrace, careful not to touch her back or wrist. His thin frame was oddly comforting.
When he pulled back she said, "I think I'm alright… I'm going to need serious therapy, though." She grinned at him. He laughed.
"I'm just glad you're safe," he said. "I was so worried when I found out you were gone."
"You shouldn't have come to save me," she whispered. He looked taken aback.
"What?" he said.
"It was just a trap," she said. "A stupid trap to get you in there so Oogie could take over Halloweentown. You shouldn't have risked your life for me, I don't deserve it."
He knelt so he could look her in the eyes and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Tell me two reasons why you don't deserve it," he said firmly.
She met his gaze with sad eyes. "I just… don't," she said quietly. "I'm not worth so much that you almost died for me --"
"Anyone's life is worth that much," Jack said softly. "You shouldn't put yourself down like that."
She struggled not to burst into sudden tears. Because of her, Jack nearly was killed. If the bullets had gone off their target just an inch, it would have hit him, and then Oogie Boogie would have taken over Halloweentown, and it would be more of a living hell for the citizens than it already was.
She sighed, reaching up to dash the tears from her eyes. When had she become this emotional?
Maybe, a voice inside her said, it was when you realized your dreams were true.
a voice inside her said,She managed to give Jack a small smile, which he returned and gave her another hug. He stood and said, "You should get some more rest. You'll feel better soon."
She nodded and settled back down into the bed. He was starting down the stairs when he paused and half-turned, his eyes on the rail instead of meeting hers.
"And," he said quietly, "we think we've found a way to get you home." Silently, he turned back and left, the soft closing of the door unheard. She was staring where his retreating back had been, her mind exulting: Home! There's a way!
Maybe, a more sensible part argued. He said they think. And since when are you so interested in leaving?
a more sensible part argued.She hesitated, the words sinking in. Just now, she registered the sadness in his voice when he said it. He didn't want her to leave. And did she really want to leave? This was the only place she hadn't been nagged about her looks, or her personality, or her interests.
She could stay. She could stay with Jack and Sally, and Zero! Her spirits rose, and she got to her feet, when something fell out of her jeans pocket. It was a worn photograph.
She picked it up, and a soft smile touched her face. It was a picture of Evelyn and her from grade seven. She had forgotten she had kept it. They were standing at the beach, their cheeks flushed and their eyes bright as they laughed into the camera.
Evelyn.
Tera rubbed her good hand over her face, all the bad memories from her life at home returning. She couldn't just disappear and leave Evelyn to deal with cancer alone.
Stuffing the picture back in her pocket, she thought miserably, It's not fair. I've got a best friend and a dream to choose between. A dream that just happened to risk his life for me. Evelyn's never done anything like that.
Don't be stupid, another part of her mind chided. You know if Evelyn had the chance she would do it for you. And think about it: Evelyn's life is at the risk every day, now, and she needs you.
Angrily, Tera slammed her fist down on the iron railing, and then bit back a curse. She rubbed her hand and sighed, sitting back in the bed.
She would decide in the morning. She needed some sleep.
Trying to clear her head, she pulled the blankets up to her chin and stared into space.