Because of how short the last chapter was, I'll be nice and give you the second chapter right away.

Okay, if you really need a disclaimer, look at the first page for crying out loud!

-2-

"Hey…isn't that you, Grim?" Penelope asked, noticing a skeleton in the image.

"…No…dat can't be me," Grim replied. "He's too short. And…he has hair? Why don' I have hair? What so special about him dat he get to have hair?!"

A little girl was seen near the small skeleton. She was pale, blonde, and had only one eye.

"Why is Mom little and wearing a Halloween costume?" Penelope asked.

"Yeah, is this from the past?" Scott asked.

"No, it's present day universal feed," the skeleton answered. "Whatever is being shown in dis ball is happening in an alternate universe dis very second."

The image moved to two new figures. One was a much taller skeleton, most likely Grim. And the other was…

"Mom?!" Scott's eyes widened in shock.

"Whoa!" Billy's eyes widened too, but for different reasons. "HOT!"

Grim gave Billy a stern look. "…Right…well, der ya have it. She apparently married me. Dat answers your question." He was about to put the crystal ball away when Billy stopped him.

"Wait! Grim!" Billy said. "I wanna see if she's happier there than…well…here."

Grim was startled. "But…she's never happy anyway. Besides, if she was married to me, why would she be happy?"

"I dunno…but she never dressed like that for me…"

"She never let her hair down either, as far as I can remember," Scott added.

"…Not helping…"

Grim sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't have shown you dis. You're a nervous wreck already, Billy."

"NO! I'm glad you showed me this!" Billy yelled. "I want to know if Mandy's life is better in that world or not! And if it is, then I…I…I is gonna leave!"

"Oh, come on now, Billy! Why you gotta be like dat? If Mandy wasn't content wit' you, she woulda left a long, long time ago! But she didn't! Heck, she even had KIDS wit' ya, mon! What more proof do ya need dat Mandy's life ain't so bad here?"

Billy stared straight into his eye sockets. "Please, Grim? I just wanna see if Mandy's life is better in there. Is that really so much to ask? …No, seriously…is it? I don't know, honestly."

Grim sighed again. "Very well. C'mon, kids: we're going to visit anot'er dimension!"

-X-

Five minutes later, Mandy came home with two cartons of orange juice. "Bill! I'm home! …Bill? …Billy? Grim? Hello?" She entered the living room and spotted the crystal ball. Near it was a note.

Mandy read the note aloud to herself. "Dear Mom: We went to another dimension to see what life would be like if you didn't marry Dad. Long story. I'll discuss it to you later. Scott." She looked at the ball. "Why would they…oh, God, Billy must've taken the fight too hard." She shook her head. "I didn't leave yet, so why would I now?"