Chapter 5: Sleepover at Skellington Manor

(Will's POV)

Once we were back at Jack's house, he decided to put up some of the decorations. And by some, I mean all of them. We hung lights, garlands, and even redecorated the dead tree. The other stuff we just stacked wherever it would fit. By the time we were done I had flopped on the couch. Sheesh, you'd think he needed everything up in one night.

Mogwai and Zero entered the room and started to explore the new findings. Noticing I was on the couch, Mogwai jumped up and started sniffing my hair.

"Mo get outta here." I nudged him away before sitting up. I stretched before sinking back into the couch. "I never want to see another ornament again."

Jack chuckled. "Now that wasn't so bad and look at how nice everything looks." He looked around the room before noticing the clock. "My its late. You should probably head off to bed."

"Jack, normally I'd argue that I'm eighteen and haven't had a curfew since Jr. High, but I'm WAY too tired."

I sat up and noticed he had a glum look on his face. "I apologize for not offering you a room, but I don't actually have a guest room. I never had an overnight guest before either."

"No big, the couch is fine," I assured him. In truth it wasn't all that bad. His couch was ebony and slightly thin, but there was enough room for me to stretch out and even sleep on it.

"Well I'll just get you a blanket and a pillow."

I tried to tell him it want necessary but it was too late. Jack went upstairs to his room, leaving me to set myself up on the couch. I grabbed my pack and undid my sleeping bag from it. I spread it on the couch and then placed my pillow on it. Then I started looking for my toothbrush. I found it just as Jack walked back into the room with the blanket and pillow. He walked over to the couch and set down the items he carried.

"You really didn't have to do that Jack," I said. "I already had sleep gear with me."

"Well I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable," he said, ever the gentleman.

"Hey, is there a place I can brush my teeth or do I have to use the kitchen sink?" I asked.

"The bathroom is down the hall, first door on the left." He pointed in the direction he'd indicated. I almost asked why a skeleton needed a bathroom, but decided against it. Heck, it could've been for guests for all I knew. This was Halloween Town, a place where monsters you associate with stories and horror movies live. Anything could happen.

I found the bathroom and quickly brushed my teeth before heading back to the living room. Jack was looking through some of the Christmas books. Apparently he'd taken the opportunity to change into his pajamas while I'd gone to brush my teeth. Basically he now wore a long, dingy brown nightshirt and matching pants. On his head he wore a matching nightcap with a tassel that dangled to one side. I started laughing.

"What?" he asked.

"I'm sorry Jack, but I just can't take you seriously right now," I pointed toward his nightcap. "That hat is just to freaking adorable." It took everything in me not to stand up, walk over, and start to bat at the tassel like a cat.

If it were possible Jack would've blushed, but I could've sworn I saw him blanch a little. I guess he realized how un-terrifying he looked in his cute little pajamas.

"Finding anything good?" I asked once I'd caught my breath.

"There so many I wish I knew where to start," Jack said as he pulled out a copy of The Night Before Christmas. I tried to hold back a giggle at the irony of it. Luckily Jack didn't seem to notice. Finally he decided to just take the box upstairs and read them all.

"And I thought I was the book nerd. Are you really going to read all those in one night?" I asked.

"Of course." He turned to head back up the stairs to his bedroom. "Pleasant nightmares Will," he called down.

"Same to you Jack," I called back. When I heard his bedroom door shut I settled myself in my makeshift bed. As I laid down on my back, I thought over the day's events. I still just couldn't believe that I was in Jack Skellington's house of all places. Part of me thought I was just dreaming and that I'd wake up tomorrow and remember this a wishful dream. Yet the other part just wanted to scream out at how utterly cool this was.

Just as I got myself comfortable, Mogwai jumped up on the bed and snuggled up to my side. Normally I wouldn't mind him sleeping next to me, but seeing as how we were on a couch that barley fit myself, I knew I'd be in for a long night.

"Mogwai, move over!"

XXX

(Jack's POV)

The sound of the rooster outside my window woke me out of a dreamless sleep. I honestly couldn't remember what time I had finally gone to sleep. I just remember looking through a few books: Santa's Workshop, A Christmas Carol, and Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer. None of these books held the answers to my questions. I even looked about my room at the decorations: garlands on the gargoyles, lights on the spider webs, and little Zero asleep in his bed with a "candy cane" in his mouth, and bells on his collar. There just had to be a logical way to explain this Christmas thing.

Finally I decided to consult the one book I could always find answers to: The Scientific Method. I guess I had fallen asleep while reading it because I woke up with the book covering my eyes. From what I read I need to look further into each Christmas item I had. There was only one person in Halloween Town who could help me.

I quickly changed into my usual suit and headed downstairs. Luckily Zero was still asleep. I made my way to the living room when I tripped over something, causing me to fall and land on the floor.

"Oww!"

I looked over my shoulder to see a large form sticking out from under my coffin table. It began to move and suddenly a blonde head emerged, and I was met with two tired, angry blue eyes.

"There'd better be coffee or someone's gonna pay," she hissed. I had almost forgotten I had a guest in my house.

"Will, what are you doing on the floor?" I asked as I got up off the ground. Will crawled out from the blue sack she was in and rubbed her eyes. Her hair was a mess and her face was a mixture of exhaustion and anger; she did not look happy.

"Stupid dog booted me off the couch," she groaned, "so I got stuck here." She stretched to crack her spin and smoothed down her hair. "Sorry for snapping at you Jack, but I am no early bird. Anyway, what are you doing up at" she turned to look at the clock "six thirty? Eww."

"I was just on my way to see Dr. Finklestein. The books didn't give me the answers I was looking for. If I'm to learn anything about Christmas I need to conduct a series of experiments."

"Why?"

"How else am I to work out the mechanisms of these strange objects." I gestured to the Christmas decorations.

"Whatever," Will said. "So you're just heading out without breakfast or a coffee, or something? You do eat right?"

Honestly I hadn't even thought about anything besides getting to the doctor's lab. Plus, since I'm a skeleton I don't really eat much. Will, however, was human and needed food. Some host I was. I decided to head to the kitchen and see if I had anything suitable to serve. I was looking in the refrigerator when I noticed Will's presence behind me.

"Hmm, looks like I need to head over to the Witches' Shop."

"Hey as long as it's not Snake and Spider Stew, I'll try just about anything," Will said. "All I really need in the morning is a cup of coffee and I'm good to go."

I closed the refrigerator door and looked over at her. "Well, I don't have either of those things."

Will let out a frustrated sigh. Then I noticed she seemed to be getting an idea. "You took a lot of stuff from Christmas Town right? You wouldn't happen to have pinched some food by any chance?"

"I think so," I said. "They would be in that box over by the cupboard."

Will walked over to the place I indicated and began rummaging through the box. Suddenly she paused before getting a big grin on her face. She pulled out a small white package.

"Yata!" she exclaimed.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Oh boy Jack, are you in for a treat. Do me a favor and warm up some water and get two mugs."

I did as she asked. I boiled some water on the stove and was about to pour it into the cups when Will stopped me.

"Not yet."

She then took the cups over to the counter. She ripped open the package she found and dumped the contents into each of the mugs. Inside the package had been a strange brown powder. I continued to watch as Will then took the pot of boiled water and poured it into both cups. Next she had me get her a spoon. I retrieved the utensil and Will used it to stir the mixtures in the cups. When she was done she handed one cup to me and took the other one for herself. She blew on the top before taking a sip.

"Mmm, this is some premium stuff for being powdered," she said.

"What is it?" I looked down at the strange brown drink. It was very warm and I noticed that my kitchen suddenly smelled like chocolate.

"It's cocoa, otherwise known as hot chocolate. It's a drink served in the winter months, especially around Christmas time," Will explained. "Kids love it and so do many adults."

I gave her a skeptical look before bringing the warm liquid to my mouth. I took a sip and, while it was quite delicious, I had neglected to remember the drink was very hot.

"Oww, ot, ot!" I quickly set the cup down and fanned my tongue.

"Let me guess, you burned your tongue?" It was more of a statement than a question. "Should of warned you. Sorry."

"No poblum." I really hoped this would where off soon. I couldn't go to the doctor's talking like this. How embarrassing would that be?

"Hey I know what will help. Wait right there." Will put her cup on the counter and then walked out of the room. When she came back she had two of those candy cane things in her hand. She handed one to me and then put the other one in her cup and started to stir with it.

"Wa are ou doin?" I asked.

"Just try it," she insisted. "Besides this will give your tongue a break while the cocoa cools."

I'm not sure what it was supposed to do, but I copied her. Just when I was about to ask what the point of this was I watched Will and, to my surprise, half her candy cane was gone. Will didn't seem to find this surprising and licked off the drops of liquid from her candy before finishing her drink. I must have had quite the look on my face because when Will looked up she started laughing. I began to wonder how many times I, the Master of Terror, was going to make this human girl laugh.

"Stirring the cocoa with a candy cane not only helps the drink to cool down, but the heat from the cocoa makes the candy cane melt. Plus it also adds a nice flavor to the drink."

I looked down and pulled my own unquiet stirring stick out. Just as Will's had, the candy had melted to a fine point. I wanted to see if my drink had changed but made sure my drink had cooled. It had so I took a long drink. It was AMAZING! The minty flavor from the stick had blended into the chocolate liquid, making the taste simply marvelous.

"I though you'd like it," Will said. "So, you still gonna see old Finklestein?"

I finished my drink before answering. "Yes. I'm sure the doctor will have just what I need for these experiments. Actually, I should probably get going in case he's working on a project. Once the doctor gets his mind on his work, he cannot be interrupted."

"Okay, but two things before you go." Will set her mug down on the table. "One, you might want to get something to carry all that lab equipment in."

I should have realized that. I ran to the hall closet and found an old suitcase. It was small enough for me to carry, but had enough room for the equipment I needed. I went back to the kitchen and presented it to Will.

"Okay that works but seriously, did it have to match your outfit?" I looked down and noticed the pattern of my suitcase was identical to my suit.

"Well I should be going then. Please make yourself at home and I shall return shortly so we can get started." I left the kitchen and was about to open the front door when…

"Ah Jack?" Will called. I turned around. "You might want to wipe off that cocoa mustache before you go out," she giggled.

I was a little puzzled at first. Will tossed me a napkin and gestured that I wipe the cloth over my mouth. I did so and found a brown smudge. I was thankful I couldn't blush from the embarrassment I felt. So I thanked Will and headed out to the doctor's lab.

XXX

(Will's POV)

Well this was the beginning of a disaster. Jack was off to gather lab equipment to use science to understand Christmas. If only I could tell him it wasn't something you could understand with logic, but I didn't want to break any forth walls or anything. Plus it would be a pain to try and explain to Jack that he was just a movie character.

[AN: Not to mention the whole plot would be ruined no matter how infuriating this guy is. *senses Jack in the back and turns with big innocent grin*]

But that didn't mean I couldn't have some fun. Just before Jack could get to far I opened the door and got his attention. "Hey Jack?"

He stopped and turned around. "Yes."

"If you happen to run into your friend, Sally, could you tell her I said 'hi'."

He seemed surprised but then smiled and told me he'd be happy to do it. I waved him off and then closed the door. Yes, I thought, that would make Sally's day. Since Doctor Finklestein would be locking Sally in her room once Jack got there, I figured I cheer her up by having Jack stop by for a visit. Hopefully he would convince the old quack to let him see her.

With that out of the way I decided to get dressed and see if there was anything else in the Christmas food box I could eat. I rummaged through my pack and found many summertime clothes. Not good. Halloween Town was a Fall season; I'd freeze my butt off in this weather. Luckily I found one pair of pants at the bottom of the pack. I wore those and a dark purple short-sleeved shirt with a gothic cross and purple roses on it. Once I was dressed I took care of my face and brushed the tangles from my hair. Then I went back to the kitchen to scavenge for food. There wasn't much in the box: cakes, pies, and cookies. I'd almost given up when I spotted a box of Ginger Thins.

"Jack pot!" I grabbed a few of those and then sat down at the table. I had just eaten my third Ginger Thin when a loud, bloodcurdling scream filled the whole house. It startled me for a second until I realized it was Jack's doorbell. However, the sound had woken up Mogwai and he started panicking when it occurred a second time, followed by a few knocks on the door.

"Sheesh, who could that be?"

I grabbed another thin and went to the door to see who'd rung the doorbell. Sure enough, who else would it be, but the Mayor himself.

"Morning Will. I didn't expect to see you here," he said with a pleasant smile on his face.

"Yeah I'm bunking here while I help Jack with Christmas," I replied. "So let me guess, you're here to see him, right?"

"Ah yes. We never got a chance to go over plans for next Halloween. There's only 363 days left you know."

"Well, sorry to tell ya but he's not here. He left about fifteen minutes ago. Not sure when he'll be back, but I don't think you'll get much from him. The guy's pretty much focused all his thoughts on Christmas; I don't think he'll even consider doing anything else until he figures it out."

That made the Mayor's head spin around to his negative face. "Not think about... But Halloween is just around the corner. There's so much to do. How are we supposed to get ready without any plans? I can't handle this by myself!"

"Mayor take a chill pill," I tried to assure him. "I understand your stressed but you need to calm down. You're putting way too much pressure on all this. I know your whole town is responsible for ensuring a terrifying holiday each year, but you can take some time off. Maybe a month or two..."

"You don't understand! These things have to be planned months in advance. There's the planning, the decorations, practicing scaring techniques, knowing what scares children." He went on and on about everything Halloween Town needed to do. Frankly the guy was one big mess. If I didn't find a way to shut him up, I'd be here listening him complain and stress for hours. Finally I decided to just bite the bullet.

"Mayor," I interrupted. "Look, how about when Jack gets back I'll let him know you need to see him. I won't promise anything, but I'll try to get him to see the importance of preparing for Halloween, okay?"

That seemed to sedate him and his face turned to the happy one again. "Oh thank you Will. Well I'll be on my way." And with that he was gone. I smiled and waved then, once he was gone, I shut the door and sighed with relief.

XXX

GodlyJewel: Yikes! You think Will's bad when she's up at 6:30 am, you do NOT want to see what happens if someone wakes her up at four in the morning. Anyway hope this story is OK. If you're still reading this, thank you. If you got bored then I won't be mad if you decide to stop reading. I still would appreciate readers to R&R.