Chapter 8: Father | The Return of a Scarecrow | The Question

It was a few days after Rachel had saved the day with Jack's help. They were sitting on the Spiral Hill and talking about random things when a question popped into Rachel's head. "Hey, you never told me something." Jack looked at her, "What was that?" She hesitated, and then said, "I heard that you're father, Cedric Elroy came to Halloween Town when he died. Where is he? I'd really like to meet him but I don't think I saw him?"

Jack frowned and looked away, "You didn't. He disappeared a long time ago. He had the same fate as my mother, I think. She was taken by the Book of the Dead. I was to be the next, but my dad let himself be taken in my place." Rachel gasped, afraid to pry, but too curious not to, "What is the Book of the Dead?" Jack sighed, "It's a photo album with pictures of people in their human forms. All of them were dead though. The thing is that some Halloween citizens collected pictures of themselves when they died, I guess because they thought it would bring them good luck in the afterlife. But the book was alive. And it took the lives of many of the undead. My mother and father were the last two."

Rachel was speechless, "I'm so sorry." Jack nodded, but stayed silent. Rachel thought to herself in the meantime. She didn't like the fact that Jack didn't have his father to help him. He had only the Mayor and now herself to help him. Everyone needed a father figure, even the Pumpkin King.

"Do you have anything that belonged to him?" She asked as an idea formed. Jack looked at her and nodded, "Yeah, actually I do. Come with me." They headed back to Jack's house and, once inside and up the steps to Jack's room, Jack pulled out a box out of a secret compartment in the wall near his library. He brought it over to her, "This is the last of him. It was left behind."

He opened the box to reveal a piece of pumpkin and an unlit, slightly used candle. Rachel smiled, "Perfect…" She grabbed the two remains of Cedric Elroy and ran to the stairs, "Come on, Jack! I have a surprise for you!" Jack placed the box on his bed and ran after her. They went outside and the Enchantress floated up to the top of the fountain's statue.

Holding the two pieces that were the remains of the former Pumpkin King, Rachel began to recite the spell that she knew would work. Soon enough, a light opened within the dark sky and the greenish liquid in the fountain began to rise until it was in front of Rachel. She placed the pieces of remains within the liquid and then waited, still reciting the spell. The liquid containing the pieces floated up to the heavens and disappeared.

A crack of lightning was seen and thunder roared across Halloween Town. But as soon as the lightning was gone and the sky was silent, something began to fall from the heavens. It was hard to see at first what it was, but then it became clear. Many citizens came out to see what was going on. Jack gasped from his spot on the ground as he recognized the figure floating down. "Dad…"

Cedric Elroy was so tired that he couldn't open his eyes. He was surprised when he heard gasps coming from below and even a mumble, "Dad…" It sounded like his son, Jack. But he knew that couldn't be it. Jack was safe in Halloween Town. Or had he been taken again by the Book? Cedric didn't know. He just stayed still as he floated down to wherever.

Rachel calmly reached out and caught Cedric in her arms and let him hover just above so that all his weight didn't affect her. She smiled and brought him down, laying him on the ground near the fountain as the liquid within returned to normal. The Enchantress knew he would be too tired to move for a while, so she just beckoned Jack over and waited.

Jack bent down to his knees and watched as his father slowly opened his eye-sockets. The first one he noticed was Jack, "How? How can I be seeing you? Did the Book take you too?" Jack shook his head, tears in his eyes, "Rachel, an Enchantress, brought you back." He eyed Rachel and smiled weakly, "You brought me back?" She nodded.

"Thank you." The scarecrow said. Jack reached over and hugged his father as the tears poured down his skeletal cheeks. He didn't turn to Rachel, but he still said, "Thank you, Rachel. Thank you so much!"

Over the next few days, things returned to almost normal. With the scarecrow everyone missed back, and one of the newest members of Halloween Town as Jack's girlfriend, lots of things were happening. Halloween went by and new plans for next were started with contributions from Cedric and Rachel. Everyone couldn't be happier.

About four months after the war had ended, Jack approached his father, "Cedric," He called his father's name, having gotten used to it when he was alive and the beginning of his afterlife. Cedric looked up from a photo album he was showing Rachel. Jack blinked and motioned with his skull toward the kitchen. Cedric nodded and turned to Rachel, quickly mumbling, "Look at the next page. It's funnier." She nodded as he stood up and followed Jack.

"What is it?" He asked curiously. Jack hesitated, and then, taking a deep breath and checking to make sure Rachel wasn't listening, said quietly, "I want to marry Rachel." Cedric's eye sockets widened, "Really." It was a statement more than a question. Jack nodded, "I may have not known her for long enough, but I love her so much and I want to spend the rest of my afterlife with her.

Cedric smiled, "Then go for it, kiddo. Do you need to get the rings?" Jack shook his head, "I have everything when it comes to that." He pulled out of his coat 2 boxes. One had a ring with a silver band. The stones were three black onyxes and two orange garnets. They were arranged like black, orange, BLACK, orange, black. It was a stunning ring. The next one held two rings; both were silver and have vines and pumpkins on them. The one of the left had curlier vines. Jack pointed to it, "This one will be hers."

Cedric nodded, "That's beautiful. All of them are. You have my blessings. And I'll keep the secret until it's time." Jack smiled, "Thank you." He hugged his father and put the rings away as Rachel called, "Hey, why the heck is Jack naked in so many of the pictures on this page?" If Jack had blood and skin, he would have been blushing. He turned to Cedric who held a sheepish grin. Jack glared lividly at him.

"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaad!"

THE END

End Notes: This is not edited like the other chapters! The sequel to this is the Fanfiction Challenge, but some chapters are off with this story - incorrect, in other words. Just thought I'd let you know! ;) Also, Cedric Elroy was created by Ladybirdbuzz on deviantART and here on . By the way, I'll have a picture up on deviantART soon to let you know what the rings look like. They'll be on another account. I won't say it here, though! PM me if you want to know it! No flaming my story! Please review! Thank you.