Cobwebs Tend to Grow on Halloween

I don't own anything but my OC's.

Chapter 9

The silence was killing Jack. No pun intended.

But seeing the look on Cobweb's face hurt him. The look of hurt and confusion. It looked like Cobweb was contemplating where he belonged.

He knew this wasn't going to go well. He was sure that if Cobweb had been holding his jack-o-lantern, he was have dropped it; leaving it to splatter on the floor. If he had been holding anything, it would've fallen to the floor.

"No…" Cobweb whispered in disbelief. The arm was his. It had to be.

"I'm sorry, I know this is a shock-" Jack began, but Cobweb interrupted him.

"No!" Cobweb stood up, so fast, in fact, that the chair toppled over. "You're lying!"

"Cobweb, please-"

"No! This arm is mine!"

Jack stood, pressing his palms onto the table. He trudged over to Cobweb and took hold of his right wrist, using his other hand to roll his sleeve up. "I knew it."

On the humerus was a long, jagged scar.

Jack had first seen it when he had walked in on Cobweb putting on his pyjama shirt, seeing the scar on the boy's humerus. Now, Jack had been with Cobweb the whole time, so he wouldn't have gotten it while he was with Jack. Besides, if he did get it while under Jack's care, he would've told the Pumpkin King. But where was Cobweb's arm before Jack had found him? On someone else's body.

"Do you know how you got this?" Jack asked, his voice laced with seriousness.

Cobweb shook his head.

"You couldn't have gotten this while under my care. But that person, they had that spider living around them that whole time. The spider must've bitten them. That's how they died." Jack's eye sockets widened. It all made sense…The spider had killed that person, It had bitten them. The spider was protecting the person's body, like its own personal treasure. It knew Cobweb's arm belonged to them. "This is their arm!"

Cobweb shoved Jack away harshly, running passed him and into the living room.

"Cobweb!" Jack called, running after him.

Cobweb ran into the hallway, Jack hot on his heels. He jerked open the door and ran for all he was worth.

"Cobweb!" Jack called again.

Cobweb ran through town, pushing past the crowds. He blended in and Jack soon lost him. "Cobweb!"

…

Cobweb ran into the Pumpkin Patch, tears pouring down his skull. The arm was his. Jack was just being stupid.

Cobweb tripped over a pumpkin and his chin hit the ground as he landed. He sat up, hugging his knees to his chest and crying into them.

"Cob?"

Cobweb looked up after hearing that familiar voice.

Alistair stood in front of him, looking down at his friend. "You ok?"

"No, Alu, I'm not." Cobweb replied, a little louder then wanted.

"Why? What happened?" Alistair sat down next to him.

"Jack said that my right arm doesn't belong to me!"

"Doesn't belong to ya? What d'ya mean?"

Cobweb wiped his eye socket and told Alistair the whole story, about how he ate the Pumpkin Soup and had that odd vision about the spider. Alistair stayed quiet through it all, only making little gasps at some details of Cobweb's vision.

"Man," Alistair removed his hat and scratched the top of his jack-o-lantern head. "That's rough."

"I know," Cobweb said.

"Ya know," Alistair began, putting his hat back on. "I bet Jack's real worried about ya."

"No, he isn't." Cobweb snapped, making Alistair jump slightly.

Alistair knew he needed to change the subject. "So…Have you met the new vampire?"

"New vampire?"

"Alucard." Alistair spat his name out like it was poison.

"No. I haven't." Cobweb replied. "You sound quite mad."

"I don't like 'im."

"Why not?"

Alistair was silent for a few moments, and Cobweb was worried that he had offended him. "Nah…Doesn't matter."

"Oh."

Alistair sighed. "Go home to Jack, Cob."

"Why? Do you not want me here, Alu?"

"You're my friend, Cob. But you're Jack's friend too. Don't block him out just because you're angry."

Cobweb nodded. "Right." He paused. "Alu,"

"Hm?"

"Have you ever felt like you need someone as much as they need you?"

"…Not really. Why?"

"It's how I feel about Jack."

"I think I know what's going on."

Cobweb turned his head to look at Alistair. "What?"

"You're beginning to think of him as your dad."

"Dad?"

"Your father, Cob."

"But he isn't."

"You can have a fatherly figure." Alistair shrugged. He looked off into the distance after hearing a grunt. "I best be off." He stood.

"Why?"

"I'm supposed to be helping out with the pumpkins." Alistair told him. "Go back to Jack, Cob, he needs you." With that, he waved a good bye and walked off into the opposite direction.

Cobweb looked at his knees. Jack needed him…and he needed Jack.

Cobweb stood, wiping the dirt off of his backside before running off into town, heading towards Jack's manor.

…

Cobweb opened the door slowly. "Jack?" He called out.

"But you can't!" He heard Jack's voice from the living room.

"Jack?" Cobweb walked towards the living room.

"Cobweb?" Jack turned to him.

Two people stood opposite Jack. A man and a woman. The man looked like an older version of Cobweb, hair and all, except for the moustache that grew under his nose.

"Cobweb!" The woman exclaimed, throwing her arms around Cobweb and hugging him. "Mummy's missed you so much!"

"Mummy?" Cobweb asked.

"You gave us a fright there, Cobweb." The man ruffled Cobweb's hair. "And not in a good way."

"I'm sorry…Who're you?" Cobweb questioned, trying to sound as polite as possible.

"Why, Cobweb, we're your parents!"

Time froze. Cobweb's eye sockets widened.

"It true…" Jack agreed.

Just when Jack had realized how much he cared for him; just like his own son. And now…they were going to take him away from Jack.

Jack realized that he was being selfish. These were Cobweb's parents. They deserved to have their son back. They must've been so worried.

"Thank you for taking care of Cobweb, Mr Skellington." The woman said. She wore a dress very similar to Shadow's, but the material was blood red. Her hair was straight and black.

"Oh…um…You're welcome."

"Come along, dear." Cobweb's father turned to his wife. "We must be going."

"Wait…You're taking him?" Jack questioned.

"Of course," Cobweb's mother replied. "He is our son."

"Oh…of course." Jack said uncertainly.

"I'm sorry, but we must be going." The man said. "Come along, Cobweb."

"Wait…You mean I can't stay here?" Cobweb asked, sounding like he was about to burst into tears.

"Of course not. We've been looking for you, Cobweb." Cobweb's mother said. "We need to go. Now."

Both parents took hold of each of Cobweb's hands, walking down the steps to Jack's home and walking off, the door still open.

Jack fell to his knees. Zero came over to comfort his master. Cobweb was gone…He was really gone.

Jack got to his feet and went into the living room, picking up Cobweb's pyjamas. "He didn't take them…" Jack whispered.

A great sorrow began spreading throughout his ribcage. Cobweb was just here. And now he was gone. He hadn't even gotten Cobweb's parents' names. But Jack wasn't exactly thinking about that when they took him away.

Jack collapsed onto the sofa, slouching.

He heard the door shut and a soft voice call: "Jack!"

Jack barely looked up.

The person walked into the room. "Jack, I've got the spell for Cobweb's room ready."

Jack shook his head softly. "It's too late…He's gone."

"Gone? What do you mean gone?"

"Isn't it obvious, Shadow? His parents came. They took him away."

Shadow saddened. "Oh…Jack, I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. They're his parents. They deserve to have their son back." Jack sighed. "He isn't- wasn't- mine."

Shadow came and sat next to him. Her eyes took in the room until they landed on the jack-o-lantern. "What's-"

"He made it for me. A token of thanks." Jack interrupted. "I did him a favour. I did them all a favour, taking care of him." Jack rubbed his face with his hands. "I knew this would happen one day."

Shadow patted Jack's shoulder. "It's ok, Jack. I'm sure they'll let you visit Cobweb."

But Jack just shook his head. "Wouldn't even tell me where they live."

Shadow sighed. "Oh, Jack…"

"Who will tell Al that he can't see Cobweb anymore?" Jack suddenly asked, as if she knew the answer.

"I think it's best coming from you…" Shadow replied.

Jack sighed. "You're right…" His voice became wobbly, like he was about to cry. "I didn't even get to say goodbye, Shadow." He told her.

"Jack…"

…

Author's note:

Aw…Sad chapter. Poor Jack…