1It's finally spring and the weather is warm! Hooray! Here's another chapter:

Sally spread yards of fabric across the kitchen tabletop. She knew what she wanted her wedding dress to look like. It will be lovely, she thought. The ragdoll sighed and rubbed her cheek stitches against the bolt. Sitting down, she laid her head on the cloth and cried. Tears had strained at the surface since she left her creator's home, but she wouldn't have given him that satisfaction. Now they flowed freely, soaking the seams and scars that covered her forearms. She never heard Lock come in.

Lock was early. He had been rehearsing speaking to Jack and wanted to get it over with. He planned to tell Jack to lay off with the boring books and lessons. Lock wanted something exciting to do. If Jack wouldn't listen...well, he'd listen because if he didn't Lock would return to his old ways! This goody-goody stuff was getting old fast. The boy was all set to state his case when he came across Sally, crying on the table. If his companions had been with him, he'd have laughed or made a mean joke. He'd have had to, or risk teasing of the worst kind all night. Today Barrel and Shock were helping to pour lollipop candy into molds with the corpse family. Lock had been invited, but he decided to square with Jack instead. The others would certainly pocket some lollipops and he'd help himself after they went to bed. He now stood alone, watching Jack's girlfriend cry. Alone, he wasn't sure what he should do. The boy spoke, and tried to sound as though he hadn't noticed her distress.

"Hey, Sally."

She jumped.

"Lock! You're early. Jack is with the Mayor. He'll be back soon." She straightened in her chair and quickly wiped her eyes. Lock climbed up on the chair across from her. Sally was quite unsure of Lock. She wished Jack would hurry up and return home. Still, Lock was only a little child. Sort of...

"Are you hungry Lock? I can fix you something if you'd like."

"Nah. I had three toffee bars before I came over. So...why're you crying? You don't wanna marry Jack?"

Sally frowned. She folded the fabric.

"I want to marry him. There are just some little complications is all."

"Huh. Like what?"

"Oh...just some grown-up things.", Sally said airily.

Lock snorted at that. He leaned across the table towards her.

"I heard that the Doctor still owns you. He wants to cut you up to fix his other chick. That's the problem."

Sally looked up, startled.

"Does everyone know that now?"

"Mostly, I guess. Me, I know because I overheard the witches and the Doctor talkin'. So, what're you gonna do? I think Jack should just kill the Doctor. If I were Jack I'd kill him."

Though the idea wasn't wholly unappealing to her at times, Sally disagreed.

"You can't go around killing people."

"Why not?", asked Lock. "That's what we used to do. Well, not us directly but, you know."

"I know," said Sally flatly. She cut her eyes at the boy, then returned to her task. Lock watched Sally collect paper pattern pieces she had fashioned herself from parchment. He was fascinated by her for some reason he couldn't quite explain. Her stitches and asymmetry were nothing new in Halloweentown, but her face and manner held a kind of pure beauty that was rare here. The three trick or treaters were frozen in a kind of timeless childhood. Lock in particular existed in an awkward plain of late pre-pubescence with all its uncertainty. He spent a great deal of his little life assembling schemes with some poor soul usually on the receiving end. Now, he had an idea that would help Sally, and more importantly, be quite nice for him too.

"What if I told ya I could help you with your problem?"

Sally swept a lock of hair behind her shoulder and shook her head.

"Lock, Jack has talked to that old man every day for almost two weeks. The Mayor has tried. I've tried. It's no good."

"I don't want to talk to the doctor." Lock said with a smirk. "But I have something he wants. I could help you."

"Why would you?" Sally asked. She knew enough to be suspicious of Lock wanting to help anyone. It just wasn't in his nature. Lock leaned back in his chair and smiled at her.

"Well okay, yeah. I don't help anyone without a price, Sally."

"So assuming you can help, what is your price, Lock?", Sally asked. She sounded tired.

"Three things," Lock began. He stood on the chair for emphasis. "First, if I help you, you can't tell anyone. No one. I don't want anyone to know I'm doing this kinda thing, okay? Especially Shock and Barrel. I have a reputation to uphold. Second thing, I want you to bake me cookies. A bag of those really cool ones with the chocolate and the spiders that you make. I know you do, because I've seen Jack eatin' em and I think he got them from you. You gotta make me the cookies every few weeks. Put a note on the bag that says you made 'em for me and I don't gotta share 'em with Shock and Barrel. That part is important, make sure it says that. But you can't say why you're makin' them for me f'course, 'cause that would break rule number one."

Sally rolled her eyes. He really was just a kid.

"Number three?"

Lock took a breath, considering. This was a golden opportunity. He could ask for pretty much anything after all. He was torn between the more juvenile side of his nature which would happily settle for more cookies, or perhaps for Jack to never bother him again, and the pestering voice of his inner pre-teen. He wondered what he could get away with. Not much probably, as this was Jack Skellington's girl he was bargaining with. Lock turned strangely pink and looked at the table.

"Number three... I want a kiss."

Sally looked up from her folding. Had she heard that right?

"A kiss? From me? That's what you want?"

Lock nodded.

"When I fix this, you gotta kiss me."

Sally laughed.

"Lock, if you can fix our problem, I will most certainly kiss you. You have my word."

Lock grinned, surprised.

"For real? I didn't know if you'd go for that or not. Cool." More at ease, he added:

"I don't mean a little peck on the cheek. Something decent. You know how you and Jack sneak off to the lakeside when you think no one's paying attention? Something like that would be fine."

Sally flushed purple. She shook her head 'no.'

"I will not kiss you like that...but I will kiss you," she said over her shoulder as she put away the fabric.

"Oh, okay. Whatever you think then," Lock conceded. He had figured it was worth a try.

Jack came home and laid a bolt of blue satin on the table.

"Is this what you had in mind for the train?", he asked. Sally nodded.

"Yes Jack. That is lovely. I'll start sewing tonight."

Jack got a glass of water and sat down at the table near Lock. He did a double take when he noticed the child beside him.

"You're quite early. Why?"

"I wanted to talk to ya Jack. I was just telling Sally here that I know how to help you guys. I have a heart."

Jack coughed on his water. Sally leaned her back against the kitchen counter. She looked at the little devil carefully. If what Lock said was true, that would be wonderful beyond all description. It sounded too good to believe. Jack appeared to be thinking the same way.

"A heart. You have one. Really." remarked Jack, his voice incredulous.

"Sure.", said Lock with a nod. "It's a person heart."

"How?", asked Jack. "Where is it?" He rested his skull in his hand, waiting for answers." Lock didn't waver.

"I'll take you to it, Jack. It's back home."

"Alright then. Let's go.", said Jack with a shrug. He started toward the door, following Lock. Sally caught his hand.

"I don't know Jack.", she whispered. "What if it's a trap?"

"What if it's not?", Jack countered.

Sally gave her fiancé a pained expression, but released his hand. Jack kissed her cheek. Lock beamed as they headed out. He blew a kiss to Sally before slipping through the door.