Hey everyone! Enjoy my next chapter!

Jack was pacing back in and forth in the giant living room while Lock, Shock , and Barrel just lounged around. He was beginning to worry about Sally. She had said she would be back in 20 minutes, and 30 minutes had passed. He knew it was only ten minutes, but still something didn't feel right.

"Where is she?" He asked.

"Why are you so worried?" Shock asked.

"It's just not like Sally to be late, and the weather outside is just so bad…"

"So she's late by ten minutes. It's not a big deal. She's probably just getting a few more things."

"Yeah she probably is." But Jack still couldn't help but worry. He kept waiting, and soon 10 minutes turned into 20 then 30, and soon 40. Before he knew it Sally was an hour late. He was very worried now.

"That's it I'm going out to look for her!" He said.

"Jack, the snow storm was probably too strong and she just turned around and went home." Shock said.

"Probably, but I just want to make sure. The snow storm is really bad, and if something's happened to her…I just want to go look."

"But what if somebody sees you?" Lock asked

"Nobody except Sally would be out in this storm. I don't think I'll get seen." Jack pulled the door open, and the freezing air hit them all.

"I'll be back soon." He said. He closed the door behind him. He had never gone out the front door before, for fear of being seen, but he needed to see if Sally was out there.

"SALLY?" He called. "SALLY ARE YOU OUT HERE? SALLY?" He kept calling her name listening for a response. It was almost impossible to see anything through the snow storm. He called her name for ten minutes. Maybe Shock was right. Maybe she did head home. He thought to himself. He was just about to head back for the castle, when he looked in the distance. He saw something black lying in the snow.

He walked over to it, not sure what it was. It seemed to be hidden by a large black cloak. He kneeled down and removed the cloak to see what it was. It was Sally. Jack couldn't believe it. Her once beautiful light skin was now a pale blue. It seemed as though she was barley breathing. He also saw a cut on her cheek. The snow had dried it up, but there was one drop of frozen blood on her cheek. Oh no.

He placed his arms around her and gently lifted her up. He tried to cover her up as much as possible with her black cloak.

"Don't worry Sally, you'll be okay." He said. He knew she couldn't hear him, but he needed to reassure himself. He carried her up the hill through the snow storm. They finally reached the huge castle. Jack pushed the giant door open as Lock Shock and Barrel rolled into the room.

"So did you find…..WHOA!" Shock said as she saw a pale blue Sally. But Jack paid no attention to their expressions. He was only concerned with helping Sally.

"Shock you start a fire. Barrel get me some pillows. Lock get me some blankets, a wash clothe and some hot water. HURRY!" He said. He carried Sally into the fire place room. Shock quickly started a fire. As Jack gently placed Sally on the floor, Barrel placed a pillow under her head, and Lock placed a warm blanket over her, and handed Jack a wash clothe and hot water.

"We'll leave you alone." Shock said, as she closed the doors to the room. Jack dipped the wash clothe into the hot water, and gently went over Sally's cut with it, wiping the blood away.

He placed another blanket on her, trying to keep her as warm as possible.

"Please, please be okay." He whispered. He stared at her and tried to imagine a life with out Sally. For 20 years he had been alone, and then Sally came along. She made it worth while to live. Without her, he wouldn't even want to be alive. He held back a tear trying to stay strong.

Soon Sally's normal skin color began to return, and she seemed to take more breaths. Her eye's slowly opened. She looked up to see Jack.

"J-Jack?" She asked unsure of where she was.

"Yes Sally, it's me." He said reassuring her.

"Wh-What happened?" She said trying to remember.

"You were late coming, so I went out to look for you, and I found you lying in the snow." He said. He looked down at her as she struggled to remember what happened. She looked so helpless.

"Sally, don't you ever scare me like that again." He said still holding back tears. "I thought I'd lost you." Now Sally could feel tear coming on.

"Oh, Jack." But she couldn't hold them back like Jack could, so she began to cry.

"Oh, Sally don't cry, please don't cry." He said. He sat down next to her, took her into his arms and cradled her. She cried into his chest and he put his head on top of hers saying trying to comfort her with his words.

"It's okay Sally. I'm here. I'm here. You're safe now." He whispered these words too her, and continued to try and comfort her. But his eyes traveled back down to the scar on her cheek.

"Sally how did you get that scar?" Sally raised her hand and gently touched her cheek. She felt the scar. Suddenly her memory came flooding back to her. She remembered feeling Jet's hand coming a cross her face. One of his nails scratching her causing her to bleed.

"I-I guess I got it when I fell." She tried to say calmly.

"But there were no rocks or trees where you fell. How could you have gotten it?" Sally bowed her head down not knowing what to say. Jack lifted her head up and looked at her.

"Sally how did you get this scar?" He asked again. Suddenly Sally's tears began to pour down again. Jack held her closer, as she cried into his chest.

"Oh Jack. I-I just went down to get some things a-a-t my h-h-house. I went down and found Jet there. I had f-f-forgotten about our date, and he was really angry. He accused me of having another boyfriend and seeing him up here. I tried to tell him it wasn't true but he wouldn't listen, so he…." Sally couldn't say it.

"Sally, what did he do?" Jack asked. Sally closed her eyes. She said it barley above a whisper.

"H-He….he hit me." Jack couldn't believe it. The boy who Sally would leave his castle early to go see, hit her.

"Then he left." Sally continued. "And I needed to see you, because I knew you would help me, so I went up the giant hill. But the wind was too strong, so I tried to turn back, but I fell, and I guess you found me." She said. Neither of them spoke for a moment. Jack was still trying to understand what Sally had told him.

"He hit you?" He asked to make sure he had heard right. Sally nodded. Suddenly Jack became angry. How dare that boy hit Sally.

"Don't worry Sally. I swear if it's the last thing I do I'll…." He clenched his fists, and Sally became frightened.

"Jack, please don't get angry. I don't want to see you angry." She pleaded. Jack lowered his temper, almost forgetting how scary he could be when he was angry.

"I'm sorry Sally. I'm just so…I mean I don't understand how anybody could hit you. I mean he hit you, and I thought I was supposed to be…well the monster."

"Jack, your not…" But he interrupted Sally as he continued to talk.

"I mean you talk about him, and you would think he loved you. I love you, and I would never…." The words just slipped out. Jack stopped talking when he realized what he had said. Sally widened her eyes not knowing what to say.

"Sally I…I mean…" But the words wouldn't come out. "I'm sorry." He finally said. He stood up and began to walk away.

"Jack." She said as she grabbed his hand. She pulled him back down. Sally looked at him for a moment.

"Jack you…you love me?" He didn't speak for a moment, but when he looked up he saw a beautiful angel glowing in the fire place.

"Yes." He whispered. He looked up at her, and realized he could hide it no longer.

"Oh Sally, I love you so much." He said. "I love everything about you." He said as he placed his hand on her cheek, and the other on her hair. "I love your long red hair, your beautiful green eyes, your smile, and your wonderful voice. And I am a fool for it." He said as his hands shrank back and he looked down at the floor.

Sally placed her small hands under his chin and pulled it up so she could look at him.

"Jack I…I love you too." Jack's eyes shot open. This had to be dream. It just had to be, but no it wasn't. He could feel her warm hands on his skull.

"I…I just…when I'm around you I feel something I've never felt before. Like that day at the piano, your voice was so beautiful, and the roses you gave me, and when we kissed under the mistletoe it just felt so right…and when Jet was hurting me, I kept thinking of you whishing you had been down there, because I knew you would have protected me. I love you; I guess it just took me a while to figure it out." Jack sat there for a moment, and with out warning, took Sally into his arms and held her close too him.

"You love me." He kept saying as he kissed the top of her head. Sally snuggled in his arms.

"Yes." She said. Then Sally pulled apart from him for a moment. They looked at each other. They slowly leaned in and kissed. Jack had never felt anything like it before and he didn't want it to end. He pulled her closer to him, as they continued their kiss. Eventually thought they pulled apart, and when they did a single tear rolled down Jack's cheek.

"Jack you're…"

"I'm sorry." He said as he wiped the tear away. "It's just…I've never been loved like this before. Never." He said as he continued to stare at her. She was so beautiful, and wonderful. He pulled her in for one more kiss. He held her very tightly, but she showed no resistance to the kiss. They broke apart slowly.

"My angel." He whispered once they broke apart. Sally couldn't help but smile. She liked it a lot better then 'baby'. Suddenly Sally shivered a little.

"I…I should get you up too your room." He said.

"Okay." Sally said in return. She was about to stand up, but before she could Jack picked her up in his arms, and carried her. She clutched onto him. She loved being so close to him.

He opened a door, and took her into a room. He gently laid her down on the bed.

"There" he said. Sally couldn't help but smile.

"Jack I know this will sound a bit childish, but…will you stay with me?" She asked.

"Of course." He lay down next to her. She snuggled next to him, and felt her heart beat so fast as she laid her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, and kissed the top of her head one last time. He couldn't believe that he held the most beautiful girl in the world in his arms.

"I love you Sally."

"I love you too Jack." And with that the two fell asleep.

R & R!