A/N:

Hi everyone! Thank you for waiting for the update a bit—I was away all weekend for the holiday. Anyway, thank you all again for the reviews, and I hope you like this installment : )

Dearest Friends

Chapter 4:

A Merry Christmas Indeed

Several hours into cleaning and despite how much work her task might have seemed, Sally was still all but dancing around Jack's house as she finished sprucing up everything she could get her hands on. And boy had this place been a, pardon the pun, nightmare! Not that Jack's home had been 'dirty' or anything, but disorganization reigned! Sally knew Jack was a brooding and creative person on top of which (except for Zero) he did live alone, so of course she hadn't expected the inside of his house to be in perfect condition. But upon venturing down the rope ladder still attached to her window and then going up the outside stairs and entering the main section of the house, she'd had to pause briefly. "Oh…" Christmas decorations had been strewn everywhere, a portable blackboard had stood in the center of the room covered with yuletide chalk formulas and diagrams and with chalk dust coating the floor around it, tables and furniture had been pushed this way and that, books had been lying all over the place, beakers and test tubes half filled had remained out on tables, and several dozen failed attempts by Jack to cut paper snowflakes that weren't Halloween themed had been scattered all over the floor.

Eyes wide, Sally had just taken it all in, blinking a few times, trying to psyche herself up for the project at hand (and also really appreciating now how tidy Jack had made the tower for her—he really had put a great deal of effort into preparing for her comfort). However, also holding her back just a little from really starting her cleaning had been the fact that she had never actually set foot into Jack's house. The tower sort of felt like a separate space, but this…this was Jack's territory, no question. His style, his essence were everywhere—it even smelled like him in here. Her eyes had traveled over the room and noticed a doorway leading off into a small section in which she could just make out a little wood burning stove and a table… 'Jack's kitchen…' And then her roving eyes found a large, shut door shaped like a coffin in the wall behind her. Sally had blinked, blushed a bit and glanced away: Jack's bedroom obviously. And she had decided right then that though she would do her best with the rest of this place, she would leave that room alone. It was too private of a place, on top of which…not that she would ever admit it aloud, but if she went into that room she sensed there was a strong chance she might swoon and pass out peacefully right on his bed. And then Jack would come home and find her, and…

Sally had let out a deep breath, clinging to the frame of Jack's front door to steady herself. "A-All right, Sally, enough of that…" she whispered, trying to focus. "You've got work to do." She nodded to herself and then had gotten to work, opening all the curtains and windows to air things out, picking up the stray Christmas decorations and putting them neatly into boxes, organizing the test tubes, and even cleaning out the flue of the wood burning stove, among other things! She did her best not to get too carried away (she didn't want to encroach upon Jack's style or to upset him by moving something he maybe really didn't want moved), but she still tried to be thorough. Sally was determined to show Jack her gratefulness for taking her in and also to prove to him that if she was going to be allowed to live in his home, she could be a useful and productive member of the household.

Anyway, now several hours had passed and Sally was just putting the finishing touch on things. She walked in from the (now spotless, thank you very much) kitchen with a little silver spider web tray in her hands bearing two teacups on saucers, a nice silver spider web teapot with a wisp of steam curling out of the spout, and a plate of small piranha pâtésandwiches. Sally sat down on the sofa in the center of the living room, placed the tea tray down on the little coffee table in front of it and then let out a big, relieved, proud sigh. She untied the cleaning scarf from her hair and reclined back a little to relax, a smile beaming on her face.

Sally looked around the room and smiled more at how all of her efforts had turned out. Oh, she hoped Jack would like i—

KNOCK KNOCK, SCREAM!

Sally blinked and sat up straight! 'Who in the world…?' She looked to the door curiously, and then for a moment fear overtook her. What if it was Dr. Finkelstein coming to 'claim' her or something? Or what if it was the Mayor and she answered the door and he saw her and then certain assumptions were made, and then those rumors Jack had feared suddenly started to get spread all over town? Not that she wouldn't have gone public about any relationship with Jack in a heartbeat, but she knew they both really ought to talk about things and sort out the details of last night before they made any major announcements. Oh, or what if it was the witches at the door or Undersea Gal and they saw her here and got jealous, and then Jack just happened to come home right then and things got very awkward, and—

"Um…excuse me? Sa—…er…Miss Sally? I…well, I climbed the rope ladder up to the tower and knocked on the sill but no one answered, and then Zero woke up and said you weren't in there but that he thought he heard you down here, so I climbed down and came up the front steps…"

This adorable little explanation delivered humbly in Jack Skellington's voice from behind the door met Sally's ears now and put all of her fears to rest. Meanwhile, Jack paused for a moment as he cleared his throat and clearly awaited some kind of reply from Sally. And meanwhile Sally just sat there on the sofa looking about as wide-eyed and shy and flustered as she had ever looked before. 'M-Miss? He called me…Miss.' Taken out of context, it might have seemed almost a little distancing of Jack to change from just calling her Sally to adding a little title before her name, but she knew better. His adding the 'Miss' meant that for the first time he really was seeing her as a woman first and a friend or citizen second. She had never heard him give anyone the title of Miss before, and she felt very special.

And then of course contributing to Sally's surprise and elation was the simple fact that Jack was actually knocking at his own door and explaining himself to her right now, and all so sweetly and humbly. He was acting so nervous and almost like he might actually go off somewhere else if she responded that she didn't want to see him right now or something.

Suddenly Jack's voice started up again from behind the door, and all of Sally's attention was there once more.

"A-Anyway, um…are you there, Sally?" Jack asked with so much hope.

Instantly Sally blinked and was up off of the sofa, straightening her dress, running her fingers through her hair a few times, and taking some deep breaths to calm herself as she started to approach the door.

A sigh came to her ears now and the sound of Jack mumbling. "Oh dear, what if I missed her? Perhaps she's gone out…or tried to go home to the doctor. I know I should have tried to get back sooner. Oh dear, I—"

"I-I, um…I'm here, Jack. Um…Merry Christmas." This soft salutation was followed by a very small little curtsey on the part of Sally. She had just opened the door (nearly tripping over her own feet as she flew to get it before Jack might leave), and now she just stood there before him in the doorway. Sally smiled a little, her head turned down, and gently clasped her hands in front of her body.

Jack just stood there as well, though in a different posture to say the least. His mouth hung open a little, his eye sockets were wide, and his spine was straight. It had just been so sudden, her appearance…and she was…she was…

A little dreamy smile came to Jack's skeletal grin and his eye sockets went half lidded.

She was lovelier and even more captivating than he had remembered.

"M-Merry Christmas…" Jack managed to say back to her. 'Huh, I almost forgot—it's Christmas day, isn't it?' He could have almost laughed—he had made such a big hullabaloo about Christmas all these months, and now here was the day and he had almost forgotten! Though, in his defense, Sally was rather distracting, and in such a wonderful way. He sighed and managed to add to his little greeting, "I'm happy you're here. "

"I'm happy I'm here too…" came from Sally's mouth in the quietest, softest voice, and then she turned her eyes even more downward and wrung her hands slightly.

Jack blinked at the reply. "Oh…" he said back softly, rubbing one of his arms. "S-Splendid."

For a moment they just stood there in shy silence, smiling.

And then Sally blinked and cleared her throat and looked to him like she was expecting something.

Jack noticed after a moment and looked back at her. "Um…what is it, Sally?" He gulped, wondering what she might want of him, or if he had forgotten something obvious, or…

Sally blinked few times. "I…well…aren't you going to come in?" she had to ask curiously finally.

Jack blinked a few times now himself. "Oh, I…I just…yes, I just thought I should wait to get invited in, I suppose."

Sally tilted her head to the side, raising an eyebrow. "Wait until you're invited in? Jack, don't be silly, it's your own house." She smiled at him.

"I know…" Jack replied back, glancing to the side and shrugging, "But, you're here now, and I'd like you to think of this whole place as just as much your home as it is mine. And besides, I could never just burst in on a lady without knocking." He looked to her again, trying to seem less bashful than he felt.

Jack found Sally appearing surprised at first, but then suddenly she smiled sweetly. "Oh Jack…" Sally replied with a little giggle, "Come inside." Then she reached out and took one of his hands to gently pull him inside after her, the door closing behind them as she walked them over to the sofa and the tea. "And, just so you know, it's sweet of you, but you don't have to call me 'Miss' Sally," she added with a smile over her shoulder, "…Just Sally is fine. Unless of course you'd like me to start calling you 'King Jack.'" She giggled a little again, sitting down on the sofa and looking up at him with a smile.

Jack just stood there for a moment looking down at her with surprise. "Er…" He did his best to take things in as quickly as possible…her touching his hand, her giggling, her little joke about 'Miss Sally' and 'King Jack'. And now she was just being so warm and inviting, and she was talking to him in that same familiar and lighthearted way they had always talked whenever they had stumbled across each other in the past and inevitably had one of their happy conversations.

Jack smiled. "I…no, please, no 'King Jack', that's not necessary at all." He even managed to speak in a more casual tone now. He had been so nervous on his trip back from the Holiday Forest about seeing her, but suddenly he felt like everything between them would be okay. "And I…" Now that he found himself relaxing a little, Jack suddenly started to realize something and paused. This place looked…different. Jack blinked and glanced around, and soon his jaw was hanging open yet again today. He softly plopped down onto the sofa beside Sally in surprise. "Wh-What's…this?" he asked in genuine confusion. The place was just…spotless! The floors had been swept and mopped, the extra Christmas decorations were organized neatly into boxes, all of his scientific items had been carefully put away on a table, his bookshelves were all in order once more, and there were even a few bowls of herbs placed around, giving the room a nice scent like witch hazel and worms wart.

"I did it," Sally quickly replied. "I'm sorry. If you don't like any of it, I can change it back to how it was."

Jack looked to Sally again now. She was glancing down and biting her lower lip, a touch of worry and even distress in her eyes. He shook his skull. "Oh, Sally, I…no…" Jack angled his head down, trying to catch her eyes with his gaze, "I was just surprised. I like it very much actually, it's just…I hope you didn't feel like you had to do this or something—cleaning and cooking like this." He glanced at the tea and sandwiches on the coffee table and then looked back to Sally. "You do know that that's not at all why I requested to have you near me, right?" He smiled. "You're my guest Sally. I just hope this didn't inconvenience you too much."

Sally blinked, understanding his concern now. "Oh Jack, no, of course I didn't feel obligated. But I just…you were so gracious to take care of me last night and to give me a place to go to this morning, and I just wanted to thank you somehow if I could. Besides, Jack, I also wanted to show you that I could contribute somehow to this place. And if I really should think of it as just as much my home as yours now, like you said, well, then of course I wouldn't mind straightening up a little—I wouldn't do any less in a place of my own." She looked up to him with a hesitant smile. "But please let me know if you want to change anything back to how it was before. I did my best not to go overboard, but I know that you might like some things a certain way. So if you'll just let me know then I'll keep that in mind for the future." She smiled fully again.

Jack smiled more at her in return. Then he reached out to take her hand in his, gently squeezing it. He looked into her eyes as he spoke. "Sally…my dearest friend, all of this is absolutely splendid. It was so kind of you to care so much about me and staying here that you wanted to straighten up." He swallowed and then added with a touch of bashfulness, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm just sorry that you had to come down here and see this room in such a state. I've just been so busy with Christmas, and then, well, Zero and I try to keep things tidy but it's just the two of us so we tend to slip up often."

"Oh Jack," Sally waved him off with a smile, "Don't be silly. Really, it wasn't that bad, and I know you've been busy. I'm just happy you think I did all right with it." She cleared her throat and looked him in the eye and added, squeezing his hand a little, savoring the unique feeling of the bones, "I won't be a burden to you, Jack, I promise. I really want to be the best guest I can be."

Jack blinked but then smiled again and shook his head. "Oh Sally, of course you could never be a burden. I'm just happy that you're happy." He squeezed her hand a little in return, savoring the softness of her cloth.

Sally's smile grew. "And I'm happy you're happy, Jack."

For a moment they both just sat there, smiling at each other, still gently touching hands, and just enjoying being able to have this friendly conversation even after all of the changes between them from last night.

And yet they both knew that they needed to probably move on to a 'something more than friendly' conversation now

They started slowly, awkwardly…but trying just the same.

Jack released Sally's hand to clasp his own in his lap, then cleared his throat and began. "So, um…did you sleep well, Sally? I-I mean, last night outside and then also in the tower? I mean, are the accommodations in the tower to your liking?" he stammered out, clearing his throat and doing his best to smile and hoping his nervousness wasn't shining through too much. He let out a calming breath.

Sally nodded, straightening the skirt of her dress a little. "Oh yes, I was very warm outside last night, and the tower is just…well, it's just the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me." She glanced away a little, playing with a thread on one of her hems and trying not to smile too much.

Jack couldn't help but smile a touch dreamily. "Well, I…doing so much to keep me and Santa safe last night was the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me, so the blankets and the tower were the least I could do for you." He managed to shift just a little closer to her on the sofa (though he still kept a decent distance between them.)

"Oh, I…I just wanted to help you, like we said last night." Sally looked to him sweetly, her eyes going a little half lidded. "And, um, thank you again for saving me from Oogie Boogie. You were so brave, Jack, and so heroic. The moment you arrived, I knew Santa and I would be saved." She leaned a little closer in to him, barely realizing she was doing it.

Jack blinked a few times, feeling his breaths growing shallow. She thought he was brave and heroic… "Oh, I just…heard your screams, and I knew I had to save Santa and especially you. What would I do without my dearest friend after all?" He started to lean in a little closer to her as well.

Sally smiled more, feeling so nice. Oh he really did like her, didn't he? She swallowed…and decided to take the plunge. "Jack…?"

Jack nodded. "Yes?" They were so close. A part of his mind was suddenly envisioning another kiss with her, and up here it wouldn't be interrupted…and maybe he could…

"In your note, which was very sweet, you said we should talk about things from last night, Jack. Did you want to talk now?" Sally let out a soft sigh but managed to keep her eyes looking to his, though she couldn't control the feeling of a blush trying to build in her features.

Jack had known this moment was coming of course, and so he quickly came out of his reverie (and tried not to blanch at the direction his reverie had been so easily taking) and nodded to her. "Yes, I do want to talk, Sally. Um, first I…I wanted to talk to you about the doctor, naturally." Jack knew he was avoiding the big thing a little bit, but the doctor really did need to be discussed in his opinion, and so he thought he might as well get that subject out of the way now.

Sally blinked but then nodded. "Oh, um…yes, we can talk about that first. What about him, Jack?" She smiled politely, though inside she was very nervous. What if Jack wanted her to try going back to Doctor Finkelstein? She didn't want to displease Jack but, quite frankly, she refused! She outright refused! She had her freedom, and she was not going to give it up to go crawling back to Doctor Finkelstein and beg for the chance to be his 'number two' servant now or something. Her mind was made up.

However, Jack merely looked at her with a touch of sympathy and cleared his throat. "I, um…I just thought you should know that last night, I saw the Doctor, and he had another creation, Sally—another woman to take care of him, as though he were replacing you. And if me and my silly shenanigans really did cost you your place and living, Sally, then I'm so very sorry." He looked right into her eyes. "I can talk to him if you want and see if he'll take you back. Whatever you'd like me to do, Sally. I just want to help you."

Sally was both surprised and touched by this offer. She smiled, blinking a few times, and then replied brightly, "Oh Jack, I already know about his other creation. I saw them last night, and I've seen him making her for the last few weeks. And it's all right, Jack, really. I actually told the Doctor to make another caretaker. I've been telling him for months, to be honest. And I'm grateful he finally did it." She looked to Jack with conviction in her eyes and a happy smile. "I don't have to be his servant anymore—I can pursue my own interests now, work for myself! And if anything I'm grateful that everything I did to help you and Christmas finally pushed him over the edge about letting me go. I'm free now, Jack. And I have a home here with you. I've never been happier."

A passion glowed in her eyes that almost mesmerized Jack. She… 'Wow…' She didn't care at all about losing her home, her job, her protector. Her freedom meant that much to her. If anything, she was excited about the new challenges of her life! She was so amazing. "Sally…I…" Jack merely said at first in surprise, "I'm happy you're free, Sally. And I'm very grateful that I didn't ruin something you liked for you." He smiled more and added, "And of course, as I said to you in my note, the tower is yours now to do with as you wish. I won't let you be without a home, Sally…not ever."

Sally just looked back at him, so touched. "Oh thank you, Jack. That's so kind of you. And like I said, anything you'd like help with around here, please just let me know. I'll clean up after myself, I can cook for both of us, and I'll even help take care of Zero too. I don't mind work, Jack, and especially not for someone I care ab—…I…u-um…oh." Sally paused and looked down shyly, clasping her hands together upon her lap. She had almost gotten too comfortable, almost brought them too quickly to the big thing they had to talk about.

And Jack was aware of it too.

"…and especially not for a person you…care about," Jack prompted softly, his own hands clasped in his own lap, and likewise feeling a little overwhelmed. But he was ready finally to say something about the big thing between them, and it seemed she might be ready too.

Sally froze. Jack had finished her sentence again in their lives. She gulped and nodded to him. "Y-Yes…" she whispered softly.

For a moment they were silent.

"I care about you too, Sally."

Jack's soft words met Sally's ears, and then he went on.

"Sally…" Jack continued slowly, "May we talk about our moment together now?"

Sally nodded. "Yes. You don't even have to ask, Jack. We can talk about our kiss." She had her hair over one of her shoulders, and with her fingertips she played with some strands of it mercilessly, feeling a blush starting to build again.

She then heard Jack let out a deep sigh. Sally looked up at him. He was sitting there facing her, and he had an arm resting on the edge of the top of the couch, his skull leaning against his hand.

"Was I too forward Sally?" Jack had to ask first before they went any further. "If I was in any way, I apologize sincerely." He looked into her eyes.

Sally blinked, her eyes going wide, and then instantly shook her head. "Oh…no! No, not at all. I wanted you to, and you were so sweet to wait at the bottom of the hill until I let you know that it was okay and that I was ready for you to come up to me so we could have our moment…our kiss." She smiled a little.

Jack nodded. Then he sat up straight then and cleared his throat, adjusting his tie a little. "All right then, I just wanted to make sure. So then, um…yes, well…I-I'm prepared to go about this properly and like a gentleman."

Sally raised an eyebrow, not entirely sure what he might mean by that.

Then Jack let out a breath and placed his hands on his knees and looked to Sally's eyes. "Sally, I care for you as more than a friend. I find you interesting, and intelligent, and charming, and clever, and nice, and sweet, and just…splendid." He smiled a little. "I have many feelings for you, my dearest friend, and if you would indulge me with the honor, I…I…"

Sally was just tingly all over, her leaves practically trembling inside. Her head envisioned him taking her in his arms now and admitting his desire to kiss her and then scooping her up and doing so in the most passionate way possible!

"I would like to court you, Sally, if I may." Jack's words finished, and then he reached into his jacket pocket and produced a fresh red rose for her the likes of which she had never seen before.

At first Sally blinked a few times, feeling some confusion inside at her hopes being a little disappointed. Yet, of course, what Jack had just proposed certainly wasn't a bad thing, and in fact it was the biggest progression of their relationship that she could have reasonably hoped for at the moment. Okay, so he wasn't kissing her again yet and admitting passionate feelings to her—Jack really was a reserved person about things like this, so perhaps she would have to expect some delay. Meanwhile, though, how sweet was it that he wanted to formally court her? And… "Ooo…" Sally finally noticed the flower—so very different from other flowers around here. She reached out with one hand to touch it but then hesitated for just a moment, looking to Jack. "Is it safe?" she asked cautiously.

Jack smiled more and nodded, his gaze going warm. "Yes, quite safe. It's for you, Sally. It's…It's pretty and soft and smells nice and it's red, so it made me think of you. Well, I-I know that you're blue, but your hair is red so, yes…" He cleared his throat, smiling sheepishly. "Anyway, it's safe. I got it on my little journey this morning.

Sally positively beamed! She took the flower and brought it close to her face, smelling it deeply and letting the soft petals brush against her cheek. And it didn't burst into foreboding flames or anything! It was lovely! "Oh Jack, thank you," she cooed sweetly, regarding the gift with love in her eyes. And then she remembered the much bigger part of all he had just said, and she smiled widely and nodded to him. "Oh and yes of course you can court me, Jack. That would make me very happy." She put aside the rose on the tea tray and moved forward to wrap her arms around his bony body in a tight hug, her eyes shut in happiness. "I'd love to be courted by you, Jack Skellington!" she announced with a giggle.

'Oh dear…' was all that went through Jack's mind. Contact! So much contact! A tight, warm embrace just like they had shared on the hill last night! He took a breath and then gently patted her on the back before carefully separating himself from her grasp. "Thank you, Sally…heh…" Jack cleared his throat, "I-I'm very honored, and…yes, well…" No longer wrapped up in her soft, delicate arms, he cleared his throat and did his best to seem casual as he went on. "Then I guess, um…would you…may I call on you this evening? I thought dinner and a walk would be, well, appropriate for a first outing if that's all right with you?"

A part of Sally wondered why Jack hadn't really hugged her back just now, yet she was so distracted with the fact that Jack Skellington was asking her out that her concern went to the back of her mind for now. She just looked at him dreamily and sighed and nodded. "Oh Jack that would be lovely. Dinner, a walk…. I'm so happy that you feel the same way about me that I feel about you. I barely know what to say. You've been so wonderful to me, Jack, you've always been wonderful to me, and now I…Oh thank you, Jack!" she finished in a gentle, loving coo gazing at him…and then she leaned in with her lips slightly puckered, hoping to share just a small kiss of celebration on his mouth (though she would have settled for giving a brief kiss of affection to his smooth, bony cheek, or even a little peck to his non-existent nose).

Jack, however, gasped at her response, panicked, and then he tossed himself backward onto the arm of the couch, just missing getting caught by her lips. His chest rose and fell with heaving breaths as he looked up and tried to calm himself down so that he could speak, though the task was not an easy one. There was just so much happening so fast, and then all of her enthusiasm, and then another kiss? 'No, no, that's not supposed to happen right now! That's not even supposed to happen tonight! It's only our first outing! She must just be caught up in the heat of the moment or something, and I can't take advantage of her like that!' Jack shook his skull, doing his best to sit up a little again. "I-I, um…Sally…" he straightened his tie and looked to her, doing his best to speak calmly and rationally, "Heh, um…I'm happy that you accept and want to go on our outing tonight, and I'm happy that you've enjoyed our friendship and that you're enjoying our new relationship. And you're very welcome for everything, of course. But, um…now that we've talked about this, I feel that perhaps we should wait until our actual courtship outing before we…b-before anything…before we act upon our feelings, all right?" He looked to her with a gulp, but did his best to smile casually.

Meanwhile Sally now felt embarrassed. She had been so caught up in her happiness, and then she had just wanted to kiss him again but…he had ducked away from her. She had closed her eyes and leaned closer…then closer…then closer to the point where she had almost fallen over, but there had just been air. Then she had opened her eyes and blinked a few times as he had made his explanations to her, after which she had just shrunken back in utter shyness, straightening her dress and feeling so foolish. Had she been too forward just now, not just with the near kiss but with her hug as well? Did she like kissing and embracing him more than he liked kissing and embracing her? Or was there something wrong between them that she just wasn't picking up on?

But then she had listened to Jack's desire to wait until tonight. She considered and finally shrugged. 'All right…yes, maybe waiting until our official date would be better,' she tried to tell herself. 'After all, his feelings must be newer than mine, so I'm sure he's still getting used to things. Maybe he just needs some more time and the right mood before we can kiss and be close again.' Sally sighed and did her best to smile. She loved that single kiss they had shared, and she craved more, and she just hoped that soon Jack would like kissing (and other things) a lot too. "All right, Jack," Sally nodded to him, "Of course. Um…sorry, I just got carried away, I guess. I'm just so happy." She smiled warmly at him.

Jack smiled and let out a relieved sigh. 'I knew she was carried away. I was right to pull back from her.' He nodded to her. "Oh don't think of it, Sally," he assured. "After all, this is such a new thing for both of us, I…I can barely contain myself either." He smiled kindly at her.

Sally smiled kindly back, though inside she still longed a little for something more. "Of course, Jack. We can always work out more between us tonight. Um, should we meet around five maybe when the sun goes down?"

Jack nodded. "That sounds perfect. And, Sally?" He looked to her with a touch of hesitation.

She nodded. "Yes, Jack?"

"Um…" Jack cleared his throat, clasping his hands together in his lap, "I was wondering if for now we could keep our courtship a little discreet? I just…I think it would be better if we waited until things are a little more cemented and worked out between us before we let the town know. I don't want you to get bothered with too much attention, Sally, or for any rumors to start to spread that might make us feel pressured or unnerved. Is that all right with you?" His full attention was directed toward her response to the delicate situation.

Sally considered the request and finally nodded. His reasoning made perfect sense, and hadn't she been thinking the same to herself about the matter not long ago? Besides, to be honest, she didn't exactly relish the idea of running into town for some extra needles or worms wart and getting stared at by everyone and whispered about…or at least not without an 'I love you madly' and a few dozen kisses from Jack under her belt. "Yes, that makes sense, Jack. Okay, we can keep things quiet for now." She smiled. "I understand."

Jack looked to her gratefully. "Thank you, Sally. I appreciate that." Then he yawned and stretched his skull to the side a tiny bit, blinking a few times. "And now there is one more favor I have to ask of you, Sally."

Sally nodded and raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Jack, what is it?"

Jack smiled at her again, though something in his eye sockets seemed fading at the moment. "Would you hate me terribly if I spent the next few hours before our outing taking a small nap? I'm dreadfully sorry about it, but I've barely slept over the last few weeks and I've been up since before dawn and doing a lot of walking—that's where I got the rose. And I want to be at my best for this evening. So would it be okay with you if I took a few of these delightful-looking sandwiches you made back to my room and retired for a bit? And of course in the meantime you have free access to go wherever you want, inside or outside of the house," he assured with a nod of his head.

Sally smiled warmly at him. "Jack, of course, please eat something and get some rest. I don't know how you're still walking around right now at all actually. You take a nice nap, and then later we can spend time together. Oh, um…just so you know…" she swallowed and glanced to the side shyly with a little smile persisting that she couldn't help, "I cleaned everywhere down here except for your bedroom. I didn't want to intrude."

Jack blinked and glanced to the side shyly as well. "O-Oh, um…yes, of course. How considerate of you, Sally, heh…" He cleared his throat and adjusted his bat bow tie, and then he stood up from the sofa. "All right then, well…I'll see you in a few hours, Sally. Oh and don't worry about dinner, I'll take care of everything, I promise. Just be expecting me to come calling for you at five. There's a secret staircase through the attic passage in this part of the house that leads to a trap door in the floor of the tower. Please use that way to come back and forth between the house and the tower from now on—I'll be using it to come to you this evening. The trap door is near your sofa upstairs hidden by the shadow of the gargoyle alongside the fireplace. Remember, five o'clock." Jack winked at her. "Until then…" and then he summed up his courage, reached for her hand, and gave the back of it a soft kiss. "Have a spooky afternoon, and Merry Christmas again, Sally." He released her hand after a few precious seconds, gave her a bow, and then took two sandwiches and scurried off to his room with a shy smile, closing the coffin-like door behind him.

Sally just sat there on the sofa, awestruck for a moment, looking at the back of her hand.

Then (as quietly as she could) she grabbed a throw pillow and released a huge giggle into it, grinning ear to ear!

'I'm being courted by Jack! I'm being courted by Jack! Oh I'll have to fix my hair and double check all of my stitches and fix up my dress, and I should probably follow his example and take a nap so that I'm refreshed and ready too!' Sally nodded to herself and then stood up, brought the tea tray into the kitchen, and dashed back into the living room to find the attic passage in the ceiling. She pulled the cord, climbed up a ladder, and soon found herself in front of the secret staircase leading up to the tower. Sally ascended and, upon opening the trap door and finding herself in her tower room again, collapsed onto her sofa in the midst of blankets and throw pillows. She secured a promise from Zero, who was lying by the fire right near her, that he would wake her up in no more than an hour so that she would have time to get ready. And then Sally let herself fall into the happiest and most comfortable sleep she had ever had, full of dreams of her and Jack and kisses and dates and weddings galore (and perhaps some babies too).

Meanwhile, in Jack's bedroom, Jack had finished his sandwiches and removed his jacket, tie and shoes. And now he was lying down for a nap of his own, though he was having a little more trouble in dreamland than his dear Sally. Visions of himself pushing things too far too quickly and Sally leaving him flitted through his mind…as did visions of trying to kiss her again and not being able to make the moment even close to as perfect as that one last night had been (for all he knew it had been a fluke and he was in reality a horrible kisser!). Oh, and worst of all, there were visions of modest, quiet Sally being overwhelmed by what the town might say when they announced their courtship and her leaving him, unable to handle all of the attention and questions. In his sleep, Jack gripped at his pillows, willing the bad thoughts away and just trying to focus on Sally—her sweetness and kindness—and how right this felt for them, and just trying to believe that everything between them would all be okay.

On Jack's nightstand the little satchel of heart candies from Flora sat. Jack hadn't thought to eat one before his brief rest now. However, later, after his and Sally's date tonight when he was getting ready for bed, he would remember how uneasy this nap had been and recall the candies' promise to make a person more at peace with their emotions and to leave a sleeper feeling just lovely in the morning. And so Jack would chew a couple candies before falling asleep…and experience their 'effects' in short order.

But for now Jack had his doubtful sleep and Sally had her hopeful one…and they would meet tonight at five o'clock to try finally courting one another.

While Jack had been returning home and he and Sally had been getting better acquainted on more intimate terms for the first time, Flora had just been enjoying her afternoon in Valentine Town by resting upon a large tree bough near Lover's Lane, eating chocolate covered cherries (she happened to be residing in a 'chocolate covered cherry' tree, actually), and gazing at all of the loving couples passing by with a smile. A peaceful sigh left her. "We have so much love here. It'll be so nice to spread that love among the humans too in only a few weeks. And now that Halloween Town finally knows about the holidays, perhaps we can even start sharing our love among the other worlds and learning about new forms of love from them."

"Queen Cupidity Amora Flora, I know you're around here—I could sense and see your emotions a mile away." A deep sigh. "Now, please, tell me you're lounging around eating snacks and admiring the lovers with only six weeks until our holiday so that I can have a heart attack finally after all of these centuries and just get it over with already."

Flora put down a particularly large cherry she had been about to bite into and sighed deeply herself. She slumped on her tree branch, making no move to leave, but did call out in reply to the concerned and rather tired-sounding voice that had been seeking her out, "Madame Minister Marigold, how kind of you to find me and interrupt my musings." She grinned a little. "You know, I know we're on a schedule here, but love is a delicate and subtle art—it needs time to breathe and grow on its own in order to mature properly. It's a state of being that can truly be bound by no force or calendar." Flora sighed again, smiling peacefully to herself and finishing her chocolate covered cherry.

"And yet," the voice, which indeed belonged to Minister Marigold, returned in a mixture of amusement and exasperation (as meanwhile the speaker made her way through trees and brush toward Flora), "in case you've somehow missed the large ticking clock of months and days right in the town square over the last few hundred years, we do have a schedule to keep and it is indeed tied to a calendar. Does the date February 14th ring a bell?"

Flora laughed merrily. "Oh Mari, you worry too much. Every year it's the same thing." She shook her head. "We've all been working so hard—everything will be done on time just like it always is, I promise. Would could you possibly have to fret about now?"

"Oh, I don't know…" and suddenly Minister Marigold pushed through a few low hanging branches and appeared right beneath the 'chocolate covered cherry' tree, "Maybe the fact that along with lazing about in the middle of a day perfect for finishing Valentine's preparations, word on the cobblestoned streets is that we had a Halloween Town visitor, and I just know you had something to do with him not leaving for a good two hours." She let out a deep sigh and looked up at Flora, arms crossed over her chest. Marigold wore a shimmering gold robe, and she had red hair almost a deep amber in color and the lightest blue eyes like a hazy summer sky. Over those eyes she wore rose-colored glasses, but hers were only half-moon frames, allowing her either to bend her gaze down and see through the rosy glass or to glance slightly upward and see things without any assistance. Right now she was looking at Flora without aid of the rose-glass and frowning considerably, a stack of several pieces of parchment and scrolls in one of her arms.

"Mari, sometimes it concerns me how well you know me." Flora finally dropped down from the tree (revealing that in comparison to the average Valentine Town citizen like Marigold, she was actually a few inches taller). She straightened her robe and smiled at her friend. "I'm afraid you're too stressed. We really ought to get you a hobby." Her grin picked up a little on one side. "I've noticed that a few of the charming archers we have catch your eye from time to time. I could brew up some love elixir, and you know I always keep some pocket arrows in my robe. Why don't I set you up a nice little outing—you can relax, practice wooing and being wooed a little. I really think it would help you."

Marigold sighed very deeply, her look going dry. "Oh yes, let's do that six weeks before the annual purpose of our lives comes back around for us to fulfill—in fact, why don't we all just forget Valentine's Day this year and take a grand spa weekend." She threw her free arm up in the air. "It'll work out perfectly—I'm sure that crazy Halloween King, Jack whoever-he-is, would be happy to fill in for us in a pinch. Then everyone can get deadly scorpions in their chocolates and be shot with love arrows that actually physically pierce and maul flesh, and we can all have a grand laugh about it with Santa Claus." A small huff of a sigh left her and she added, gathering her parchments and scrolls together more closely. "And on another point entirely, no charming archer's catch my eye—I observe them to make sure they're doing their job right. Kind of like what I do with you only, you know, the archer's consistently take their positions seriously."

"I do take my position seriously, Marigold," Flora assured, frowning a little and gesturing to herself with a hand. "But I do have to take some enjoyment in my work along with responsibility. Otherwise maybe I'll pop off and steal another holiday myself just for a little vacation from all of this."

"Honestly, I always thought you actually would be the one to do something like that. I still can't believe that insane Halloween ruler beat you to it." Marigold rolled her eyes, grinning to herself a little as she checked something over on the scroll before her. "But enough joking around—you are to have no more visitors for now, and for the rest of the day we have to check over the valentine card production, rehearse your own archery show for the parade, look over your costume…."

"You know, I really haven't just been admiring the couples and eating chocolate this whole time I've been out of your sight. I actually met with our Halloween visitor and had a nice talk with him," Flora replied, crossing her arms over her chest and smiling mysteriously.

"And I'm sure you told him we're not looking to become a tourist attraction at the moment, at least not until after the holiday and until after we've made absolutely certain that their world does not pose a threat to ours." Marigold barely glanced up from her papers.

Flora grinned proudly. "Actually, I gave him some romantic advice, and I practiced a little diplomacy. Turns out he was none other than the one and only King Jack Skellington. Who would have guessed? I think my efforts went a long way toward setting the groundwork for some friendly relations between our worlds."

"Oh, well, that's nice…" Then Marigold blinked and her mouth hung open. Her eyes darted to Flora. "The King was here. The Halloween King was here, and you allowed him to be alone with you knowing that the last leader he was left alone with was nearly killed?!"

"Oh relax!" Flora waved her off. "I didn't tell him who I was exactly—I gauged his intentions a little first." She smiled. "He's very nice and well-mannered, and his intentions were some of the purest I've ever encountered. He's fallen quite in love with somebody back home it seems, which to me explains his recent actions very thoroughly. His feelings were repressed and it drove him a little crazy—it happens to the best of us. But now that he's aware of the true nature of the longing that made him so attracted to Christmas, he seems much better off. I advised him on love, allowed him to observe a little bit of our practices here, and wished him well." She could see Marigold about to object. Flora came forward and held up a hand. "Everything will be fine, Mari. You know I know people and their hearts better than anybody else. He is an honorable King. And I have full faith in the strength of his heart."

Marigold considered, appeared frustrated for a moment, but then just sighed and nodded. "Very well. You're right about one thing, you do know people and their hearts best of all. If you say this Jack is a good, reliable person, I know he must be. You are our Heart Queen, and I concede to your judgment as always." She smiled at Flora softly. "Just please don't overextend yourself. Along with making sure the details of our holiday run smoothly, my job is also to make sure you can do your job in happiness and peace. If this King Jack needs help directly from you, he may need to wait until after Valentine's Day, okay?"

Flora nodded, smiling softly in return to Marigold. "Of course. Our holiday must come first. I'll refrain from any direct help until after it's over. But for now I did provide him with some of my heart candies just to help ease his inhibitions a little. A good night's sleep after a few of those, and he'll feel much more comfortable about pursuing a romantic relationship with his lady friend. And I'll have spread a little love among another world." She smiled more. "Now come on, let's get on with those holiday preparations. And I promise nothing but Valentine's Day will be on my mind for the rest of the day." And with that and a nod to her most trusted adviser, Flora put her arms behind her back and proceeded to stride forward back toward town.

Marigold followed by her side. She was smiling at having gotten her Queen back on track about holiday preparations. Yet a touch of concern couldn't help coming to her features. "Flora…those candies—you know they work on humans and on our kind, but this King Jack is 'dead' and from Halloween Town. Are you certain it was safe to give him those candies? I mean, could his circumstances alter the effect in any negative way?"

Flora shook her head. "His circumstances shouldn't make a difference. Emotional responses affect their potency, not physical ones. He's simply a man who has recently fallen in love and doesn't know how to express himself to the woman he cares for. He'll be fine in the end, I can feel that. And my feelings about these things are always right."

Marigold sighed. "Yes, but sometimes your 'feelings' take the long way around before they end up being right. What if there are complications?"

"Then I will take full responsibility for them, Marigold," Flora assured in a tone suddenly very professional and with a solemn nod. As she went on, she smiled and nodded to a few subjects who waved and even bowed to her (they had just come out among the main street of the town). "I know that it might have been better for me to try an approach that didn't involve any of my scientific amorous creations, but like you said, Mari, we're running on a tight schedule at the moment, and from what Jack told me he was just shy about their first date. And it's not like I gave him anything terribly potent like elixir or potion or arrows: those candies are the mildest thing in my love arsenal. I'm sure nothing can go wrong. But if it does, he of course knows where to find me after all." She nodded to herself. "Everything will be all right, I promise." She smiled at her friend, her tone and gaze full of sincerity, her prism eyes losing their look of spontaneity and taking on a gaze of maturity.

Marigold smiled in return but then raised an eyebrow. "If he does come back soon, will you tell him you're the Heart Queen?"

Flora shrugged. "If he comes back after Valentine's Day then, of course, absolutely. But if he comes back before then, I think not unless he was to ask me directly. Jack seemed rather skittish about being in a new world, probably due to his experience with Christmas—I believe he's rather embarrassed of his actions. So along with getting over that embarrassment and getting a handle on his new relationship, I don't want him to be worrying about diplomatic relations with us. Let him get to know me like this first, without the pressure of trying to impress a holiday leader. We can make the formal introductions after Valentine's Day."

Marigold nodded. "Very well, if that's what you think is best." She smiled a little to herself and shook her head. "Six weeks until Valentine's Day and you're dedicating part of your time to playing private matchmaker to two people—to two dead people." She tried not to laugh. "I wonder if King Jack has an advisor of his own scrambling around while he's off brooding over random things and playing games come holiday time."

Flora giggled. "Oh come on, I'm not that bad, and I'm sure Jack's not either. If you're running a holiday, you have to know how to have fun just as much as anything else." Her grin picked up on one side. "And speaking of fun, if you want me to look into this Halloween advisor you haven't met yet, I could prepare a small arrow for you and set you up a nice little date—perhaps overlooking the rose fields here or overlooking the graveyard in his world. What do you say?"

"I say you truly are the Heart Queen through and through." Marigold grinned back at her. "And I say stop stalling and let's get to our preparations. Come on, Cupidity Amora Flora, we're here and it's time for work." She gave her a nudge in the direction of a large Parthenon-like building with white pillars and marble steps and the words 'City Hall' etched upon the front of the roof in gold.

Flora smiled and shook her head but went along. "Of course, Madame Minister. Whatever we need in the ways of love, I'll always be here to provide it." The two ladies went up the steps and into the building together to see to their Valentine's Day tasks for the rest of the afternoon.

And meanwhile, Jack and Sally still slept so peacefully in Halloween Town as they prepared for their first date (or 'outing' as Jack humbly liked to describe it) together.

A/N:

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter is date time ^_^ And after that, Jack starts trying some of the Valentine Town candies, and then the fun begins. I hope you like what's to come! Also, I know there can be mixed responses to OC's, so I just want to let you know that while we will see Flora again a few times through this story, she's definitely not going to be dominating things. Jack and Sally are the center of this fic all the way :)

Happy Reading!

~Azure129 aka Jenna