Musically: (releases Jack and Victoria from soundproof room) Hey. Sorry that took so long.

Jack/Victoria: I can breathe again!

Musically: Good, because you're going to be all worn out by the time this chapter is over.

Victoria: Daaaaaaaaaang.

Night fell quickly for Victoria. She and Jack spent a long time chatting amiably while he prepared dinner for her, which happened to be his specialty spaghetti and snake meatballs. After it was done, they started to eat instantly. Surprisingly, it was better than the pasta Victoria had tried in most of the Italian restaurants she went to. Jack shoveled noodles into his mouth, splattering tomato sauce messily all over his mouth. Victoria watched on in bafflement.

"You don't usually eat like…this," she observed. Jack looked up at her from his plate as though he had just realized she was sitting across from him. He took a black napkin and hastily wiped off the sauce.

"I know," he said, "I'm just excited, that's all!" Victoria raised an eyebrow as she lowered her fork.

"What's there to be excited about?" she asked curiously. In reply, Jack motioned to something behind her, looking over her shoulder in anticipation. Victoria twisted around and caught his stare. The burgundy carpet bag sat droopingly on the counter. Its middle was fat with the test tubes, beakers, and Bunsen burners it held inside. "I see."

"I can't wait to try these out; I really can't," Jack muttered ecstatically. Victoria took on a motherly tone.

"You should finish your dinner first. Do you want all that to go to waste?" she said, pointing at the half-eaten plate of spaghetti. Jack shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't worry, I have someone to fill in for me," he said. Victoria's thoughts were displayed on her face: I'm confused. Jack let out a high pitched whistle, and a barking noise was heard from upstairs. Victoria gazed up at the spiraling wood staircase, and to her surprise, a small ghost dog was gliding down the stairs to greet his master.

"Victoria, this is Zero. He doesn't bite, if that's what you're wondering," Jack said. Zero had now begun to float around Victoria and yap happily, and she laughed at the antics of the dog. His jack-o-lantern nose glowed brightly in delight.

"How cute!" she cooed as she scratched Zero behind a long, billowy ear. Surprisingly, her hand didn't go through him like she thought it would. Instead it felt quite soft and solid. It also lacked the coldness that Jack's bones would give her whenever they touched. Zero stayed to receive her praise for a minute, and then started in on Jack's forsaken pasta. To Victoria's astonishment, Jack was gone. She turned around and saw that the carpet bag was too.

Sally mixed the liquids carefully, making sure she didn't add too much witch hazel or cyanide as she shook the mixing bottle. She had to show Jack that she understood. She wasn't like the other citizens of Halloween Town, and she knew it herself. While they were drawn to blood, gore, and creepy-crawlies, Sally would much rather amuse herself with sewing or cooking. Sometimes she even let her thoughts wander to Jack's Christmas idea.

When that happened, though, she tried not to get their hopes up. Christmas could never happen in her town of Halloween. Dispelling all of these thoughts from her head, Sally corked the bottle tightly so the gas inside wouldn't leak out. Maybe if Jack saw this message in the bottle, he'd know she wanted something else too. She wrapped the green bottle in a checkerboard blanket that lay in a basket, adding a fish's skeleton for looks.

A purplish string was wrapped around her spinning wheel. Sally undid the thread and tied it around the handle of the basket, then rigged it around a hook on the ceiling to make a pulley. The rag doll pushed the iron window. It opened with a moan, revealing the blanket of stars that covered the black sky more clearly than it had before. Carefully, she lifted the basket over the edge while holding onto the string. Little by little she lowered the picnic basket down to the ground that was far below. She heard a thump, and then she let go of the string.

Sally crawled up to the window so that she was on the edge. The colors blended into the ground below, and suddenly she was aware of how high up she was. Of course, it wouldn't hurt her much to fall. A spool of blue thread was tucked into her pocket, and the silvery needle behind her ear glinted in the moonlight. She looked over her shoulder cautiously. As soon as she made sure that the doctor wasn't coming, she closed her eyes and took the leap of faith.

A blue arm and leg flew in different directions as Sally hit the ground with a deadly impact. Her eyes flickered open. Using her remaining limbs, she lifted herself up into a sitting position and grabbed her detached arm and leg. A quick fix was made as she used the needle and thread to sew herself back together again, a painless procedure that soon let Sally be on her way. She grabbed the basket and began to walk over to Jack's house.

Several minutes later, Sally found herself standing below the window that was stationed on the tallest tower of Jack's house. Light shone through the window, telling Sally where he was. She grabbed a rock, tied the string that was attached to the basked around it, and hurled it at Jack's window. Luckily, the thread was long, and her aim was good. The stone hit the window hard enough to make a noise, but softly enough so that it didn't break the glass. To Sally's relief, the window open and Jack looked out with a puzzled expression. Sally waved to him from the ground, pulling back the rock and pointing out the basket to him. Jack nodded with a smile and held out his hands. Sally tossed him the rock, which he caught and brought back into the room. Slowly, the basket began to rise up to the window where Jack would see that Sally knew. Sally felt herself beginning to blush. Without a word, she fled from the scene, leaving nothing but a confused Jack to close the window after she disappeared.

Sally began to tire of running. She slowed down by the front gate of Jack's hose, sliding down against the stone grey wall silently. She brushed a strand of red hair out of her eyes. When she could see properly, she noticed a small gathering of blackened thistles that had sprouted from the damp ground. Sally picked one, admiring its hidden beauties. Then, before her very eyes, it began to change shape.

The bristly black thistle turned green and lush as it spun around between her fingers, and little baubles decorated its new branches. A golden star twinkled at the tip. Silver tinsel was wrapped around the miniature tree and began to glisten underneath the starlight. Sally looked on in delight; it was just like the Christmas tree at Jack and Victoria's meeting! After this, to her horror, the tree burst into flames. The baubles exploded and the tinsel disintegrated, leaving nothing but the burnt thistle she had before. Suddenly, Sally felt that her first feelings about Christmas had not been the right ones.

A pumpkin-shaped sun flooded the town with a foggy light. It spilled in through the guest room window, waking Victoria abruptly from her good dreams. Sleepily, she went into the bathroom and got ready for another day, brushing her teeth and her hair until she was presentable.

"Jack?" Victoria called as she went downstairs. She received no answer. Confused, she stepped into the kitchen to see if he was busy making breakfast. There was nothing sizzling on the stove or cooking in the oven, and her skeleton friend was nowhere to be found. Zero, as she could see, was snoozing comfortably in his doggy bed with a bone clutched protectively between his canine teeth. His pumpkin nose twitched once or twice. Then, his eyes opened and he slowly glided over to Victoria, nuzzling her arm.

Victoria patted Zero absentmindedly. Where could Jack be? Surely he still wasn't doing experiments in that room…right? Just to make sure, Victoria headed back upstairs with Zero closely following.

"Jack!" Victoria called. She twisted the doorknob of the left entrance (he had told her that this was the library) and released it just as quickly. It was locked. She listened, frustrated, by his peaceful snores. Then, something else was heard.

Victoria opened the corridor window, and she heard the voices of people looking mournfully up at Jack's room. They shook their heads, talking amongst each other in hushed tones.

"Something's up with Jack, something's up with Jack."

"Don't know if we're ever going to get him back."

"He's all alone up there, locked away inside."

"Never says a word, hope he hasn't died."

Victoria echoed them as she stared warily at the door, "Something's up with Jack. Something's up with Jack!" She tried the doorknob one more time, and at the sound of the jostling handle, Jack woke with a start. He rubbed his eye sockets and went to open the door. When he did, he revealed a very angry looking Victoria, and a confused Zero.

"Oh, hello, Victoria," Jack yawned as she stomped inside.

"Jack, the townspeople are talking about you! How long have you been up here, exactly?" she asked accusingly. Jack stared at her, wondering why she was so furious.

"Victoria, honestly, I didn't mean to stay up all night! You really should see this stuff, it's fascinating," Jack said weakly, turning to his experiments. There were so many things he had yet to try! Surely there was some meaning to Christmas, and he was going to find it. He could worry about Victoria's anger and Sally's cryptic message in a bottle later.

Victoria shook her head.

"That's not good enough, Jack. I want to hear an explanation," she said as calmly as she could. Jack looked at her, and then began to delve into an account of what was going on in his head. Victoria listened intently as he started.

"Christmas time is buzzing in my skull!

Will it let me be? I cannot tell,

There's so many things I cannot grasp,

When I think I've got it then at last,

Through my bony fingers it does slip,

Like a snowflake in a fiery grip!" Jack tried to explain to her.

Victoria looked at him incredulously. Was he seriously trying to find a scientific reasoning for Christmas? That wasn't possible; she knew that.

"There's something here I'm not quite getting,

Though I try I keep forgetting! Like a memory

Long since past,

Here in an instant, gone in a flash,

What does it mean? What does it mean?"

Jack rubbed his skull. The experimenting had taken its toll on his brain, and now fatigue and confusion were blurring his senses. Victoria let him take her seat while she got up. Perhaps she could talk (or sing) some reason into Jack. She walked over to the display of dolls and toys he had lying on a table. She fingered a model car for a moment, and then turned to Jack.

"In these little bric-a-brac,

No secret's waiting to be cracked.

Do these toys and dolls confuse you so?

Do they have a reason? How do you know?

Only playthings, nothing more!

Nothing here can you explore.

Christmas really has no reason,

It's the spirit of giving!
It's part of the season!"

Jack got up from his chair, looking defiant and intimidating at his full height. Victoria glared up at him. She thought he knew better than to question things that are understood, but she guessed he was more naïve than she thought. Jack, on the other hand, had no idea why Victoria was denying his claims. He knew there had to be some explanation as to why the thought of Christmas wouldn't leave him alone.

While Victoria watched, Jack strode over to the bookshelves, pulling out his newfound Christmas stories and rhymes. Victoria rolled her eyes as she saw Jack consult them again. He began to sing again, as if he didn't hear anything she just said.

"I've read these Christmas books so many times,

I know the stories, and I know the rhymes.

I know the Christmas carols all by heart;

My skull's so full it's tearing me apart!

As often as I've read them, something's wrong.

So hard to put my bony finger on…"

Jack placed his chin in his hands as he sat down on the stairs. A look of frustration grew on his face, while Victoria's began to soften. She walked over to him and stared right at him. Maybe she could help him overcome his obsession by speaking to him nicely.

"Perhaps it's not as deep as you've been led to think.

Jack, you're trying much too hard!

You know, you've been too close to view.

The answer's right in front of you!

Right in front of you,"

Victoria pointed to a book cover that was sitting beside Jack. A picture of angels circling Earth and holding hands was in the center, and the border was made up of golden words saying, "Peace on Earth and goodwill towards men." Jack looked in the direction of her finger. Unfortunately, he saw the wrong thing. It was a black and white picture that had been taken quite recently, one of him in his usual scaring mode and looking quite terrifying in his ghostly suit.

It was then that he saw the picture within. Jack began to visualize himself wearing the tradition red coat, hat, and pants that Sandy Claws always wore, and his picture started to grin back at him. Jack smacked a bony palm to his forehead.

"Of course!" Jack exclaimed, and he and Victoria started to sing together.

"It's simple, really! Very clear

Like music drifting in the air,

Invisible but everywhere!"

"Just because you cannot see it,"

"Doesn't mean I can't believe it!"

Victoria grinned. She had actually gotten through to him! Or, so she thought. She started to sing while Jack and her danced around happily.

"Jack, you know, this Christmas thing,

Isn't as tricky as it seems."

"Yes, why should they have all the fun?

It should belong to anyone!"

Victoria stopped dead in her tracks.

"Wait, what?" she asked. Jack ignored her, taking her by the hands and twirling her around. He continued to sing, despite the confusion that Victoria was radiating.

"Not anyone, in fact, but we!
We simple folk of Halloween.

There's no reason I could find

That says I couldn't handle Christmas time!"

Victoria had realized her mistake too late. Now Jack wanted to take over Christmas! The room spun around and around as Jack danced, and Victoria tried to escape from his icy grip. She finally broke away and fell into the electric chair that Jack had sitting in the corner.

Jack kicked up strings of Christmas lights that wrapped around the chair, bonding Victoria to the seat tightly. Her heart was pounding with fear as Jack reached for the electricity lever, unaware of the girl that was tied to the death seat. Victoria, thinking quickly, slipped out of the chair from the bottom when Jack sang his last lines.

"I bet we could improve it too!

And that's exactly what we'll do."

Just as Victoria had feared, Jack pulled down on the lever, making the colored bulbs expand and burst, scattering glass shards all over the room. By now, Zero was hiding in the corner. Victoria looked in horror at the remains of the Christmas lights, now merely a string that hung loosely over the chair. That could have been her.

Without a word, she stormed over to the door. Seeing that Victoria was leaving, Jack called out to her.

"Where are you going, Victoria?" he asked cheerily. Victoria's hand, which was on the doorknob, slowly released the handle. Large dents had been impressed upon the metal. She turned around to face Jack, and the skeleton was taken slightly aback at how scary some humans could be.

Her face was contorted in disgust. White, ivory teeth that made a wonderful smile were now bared and grinding in fury and her face was a flushed red. Her fists were clenched tightly, and her eyes were the darkest green Jack had seen yet. When Victoria spoke, there was a distinct darkness in her usually mellow voice that shocked Jack.

"You," she said calmly, "nearly killed me a few minutes ago. I would have ended up like those burnt light bulbs. I'm leaving. I don't know where I'm going, or how long I will be gone, but I assure you, I will not be coming back anytime soon. Please, Jack, for your own sake and others, think before you do stupid things."

With that, Victoria opened the door and disappeared behind it before Jack could say anything in return. The exit slammed shut, and Jack flinched. Hesitantly, he glanced over at the busted lights. The glass that remained on the string had melted mostly away, and the white and rainbow colors had been burnt into a dark black. Most of them were still steaming.

Now stricken with the impact of what he had done, Jack called to Zero. His dog didn't come.

"Not you too," Jack muttered guiltily. He shook his head and went downstairs to leave, intent on finding Victoria and righting his wrongs.

A fat corpse boy tugged on his mother's dress. He had been listening to Victoria and Jack's singing, which had been louder than they realized.

"Did you hear that, Mommy? We're gonna have Christmas time! We are, we are! Jack said so!" the boy said, bouncing up and down. The mother turned to the father.

"Christmas time? You mean he wasn't kidding?" asked the father. He looked at his wife joyfully.

"Oh, this will be splendid! Come, we absolutely must tell the Howlers," the wife said, grasping both the father and the son's hands. Little did Jack and Victoria know just how far this information would spread.

Musically: Oh, noes! Victoria is gone!

Jack: This will be murder all over again. Trying to find an orange-and-black Victoria in Halloween town is trying to find Where's Waldo on the Forth of July...

Musically: Well, you did almost kill her.

Jack: I didn't mean to, though! Victoria, where are you?