[Type text]
A/N:
Hi again everyone! Thank you for reading and for your reviews : ) I hope you like this latest installment! I'll try to update every week for the rest of the month if possible, but then things might go back to every other week once it hits May and my work schedule picks up again. Thank you all for your patience though! ^^ Enjoy!
Dearest Friends
Chapter 9:
Seeking Sally
Jack couldn't explain it, but if he'd thought he had slept supremely last night…boy did he feel like he had slept utterly fantastically tonight! Actually, he was only half awake at the moment, and yet even still he could sense that every bone in his body felt refreshed and invigorated, he didn't have a single kink among his joints, his spine was tingling in the most pleasant way, and his bed had never felt softer, warmer or more inviting. He wrapped himself even more around something—his pillow, he guessed?—and gave a lazy yawn, thoughts starting to form. 'Mmm…if it means I'll sleep this good afterwards, then I'll steal holidays and 'get the girl' more often…' He grinned and relaxed more amongst the trappings of his 'bed.'
A soft little sound met his ears. "Mmm…" Jack yawned and mumbled, eye sockets still shut. "Zero…I'll be up later to make breakfast. Let me sleep for now…I like it."
A giggle met his ears this time.
"Hmm?" Jack's countenance twitched a little in his slumber. Zero definitely did not make sounds like that. Ugh, was that possibly the doorbell going off then? The 'scream' sound muffled and changed somehow by coming through his shut bedroom door? "Oh, all right, I'll get up…" Jack pouted a little and sighed. "But then I'm coming right back here." He smiled at the idea and gently opened his eye sockets.
Well…this was new. He was so used to his usual view upon waking up—his mantel, his fireplace, his window covered with a dark curtain, the edge of his dresser out of the corner of his gaze.
The view he had now though was, first of all, at floor level…and second of all, the scene he was looking at featured a few burnt logs with glowing embers, the fringe of a soft blanket near the hearth, a window off to the side showing that sunrise had barely started, and a general color scheme that did not suggest his spooky bedroom at all.
Also, he seemed to have his body wrapped around his mattress, which was quite unusual as well.
And then of course Jack suddenly realized he was up in the tower, he was indeed on the floor, and the thing he was all wrapped up around was Sally. In fact, she was resting facing away from him while he held her back against his chest, his arms and hands buried along the contours of her body in her pretty silk and cotton dress, her soft yarn hair serving him as a pillow. Sally breathed gently in his grasp, still asleep, and stretched a little. "Oh Jack…yes…" left her in a gentle coo.
Jack's eye sockets went very wide, and for a moment he was just as frozen as could be. Then, gaze a blank, he struggled to remove himself from his hold on Sally (all the while trying hard not to 'accidentally' touch her too much more…which was hard considering he sort of had to push on her hip with one hand in order to get his other hand away from resting upon the warm center of her body since one of his arms had come to gently curl underneath her in the night).
It took a few awkward minutes, but Jack finally got free from his embrace with Sally upon which he laid collapsed on his back on the blanket for a several seconds, panting lightly, eye sockets still wide. He put a hand to his chest to catch his breath…only to realize he was missing his bowtie. He glanced around, but was unable to find it.
And then Sally yawned again as though she might wake up, at which point Jack, lily white in his features, forgot about everything but getting to some form of 'safety' so that he could think about and fully process this situation. He used all of his Pumpkin King stealth to stand up, tiptoe toward the door, tiptoe back over to Sally for a moment (the fire had gone out, and her dress was so thin and light, he couldn't leave her without covering her with a blanket), then tiptoe back over to the door and sneak out of the room, silently closing the door behind him.
Once he heard the click of the door shutting and sealing him off from Sally, Jack dashed down the steps to the living room and then into his own bedroom, closing that door behind him as well.
Sally woke up sometime later in a perfectly blissful state. She was comfortable, warm, and just felt…practically alive!
She just lay there for a moment in her blankets, eyes closed, lips smiling. What a lovely night… Jack's hands gently gliding over her, his little kisses coming to bare patches of her cloth skin, and his sweetly cooed words about every little feature and action of hers he had ever found attractive…and hopes on his part that one day she might repay his kindness and share her deepest thoughts on what attracted her to him. At one point she even recalled reaching up and slipping his bow tie gently off of his neck—a daydream she had always wanted to try. And he had smiled and said the nimbleness of her fingers with cloth was one of the most attractive features of her he had ever encountered. Oh and most beautiful of all, he had finally told her that he loved her…and Sally's heart had soared.
"Hmm…Jack…" Sally cooed to herself with a giggle. She yawned and turned over under her blanket, finally opening her eyes with a happy smile. "Jack, I—" She blinked…and then sighed with a bit of a dry look. "Oh…no. Really?" She sat up, pulling aside the blanket to look at the distinctly empty place beside her on the floor. "He must be in his own room. But him staying with me last night couldn't have been another dream—could it?" She pouted stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest. Not that the first part of their date last night, the part she was certain had happened (based on the picnic blanket and her dress), hadn't been lovely—eating and drinking together, holding each other by the fire, Jack whispering Halloween stories to her. Yet, was it so wrong to crave what had come next? To crave the passion and the closeness and the attraction shared between them? Sally usually didn't articulate her more extreme thoughts about Jack, but at the moment she couldn't help herself. She loved that man and wanted to be closer with him, she wanted him to be as passionate with her as she knew he could be with holidays and his duties and even his hobbies—and if he was going to keep shying away from her, she was starting to get the feeling that she was just going to grab him by his lapels and show him some passion herself!
By this point in her thoughts, Sally was a little flushed. She gripped her blanket and took in and let out a very deep breath. "Calm down, Sally, it'll be okay. I-I know it's frustrating, but…you can't really blame Jack for not actually doing what your dreams want him to do or for leaving last night after you fell asleep after dinner." She put a hand to her forehead. "Maybe you're just expecting too much from him, which isn't fair. After all, he's only felt this way about you for a few days. Just because you dreamed he was secretly attracted to you in little ways all of the time you've been friends doesn't make it true. And that's not Jack's fault." She took in and let out one more calming breath. "Just give it some more time. At least he's trying. And look on the bright side—at least you get passionate moments like that with him in dreams. And that's something." She tried to smile at this last thought. Yet, still though…if these dreams kept up, she had a feeling they were going to start feeling more like torture than anything else.
Sally sighed and thought out loud more to herself as she stood and started gathering the blankets and pillows to put them back on the sofa. "But…isn't it my own fault, though, if my dreams are bothering me more than I'm enjoying them? If I'd just tell Jack how I feel, what I want…maybe I could have that with him for real? I don't have to push him, and I don't have to tell him about my dreams. I just have to find a way to let him know I'm ready to become a little closer."
Sally smiled more to herself at the idea. Okay, she would work up her courage and talk to him. "Ah…" She yawned and stretched, her sofa back to its normal state, and then started gathering together the picnic items. "In the meantime, I'll finish cleaning up and then go downstairs and start making Jack and me a nice breakfast. That'll be a nice way for both of us to start the day." She nodded to herself and hummed a happy little tune as she proceeded to prepare her room and herself for the fresh, new day.
In her distraction, Sally didn't noticed Jack's tie still on her floor, tucked just under her little sofa.
Sally pranced happily down the stairs a little while later in her familiar patchwork dress, her frustrations of her dream already forgotten in her eagerness to start the day with another meal with her dearest Jack. "I'll make us a breakfast just as lovely as the one he made for us yesterday," she whispered to herself in excitement. But then as she moved across the living room, she caught the scent of something delicious already prepared. Sally smiled in interest and giggled. "Jack," she called out as she approached the kitchen entrance, "I'm sorry I slept in late. Did you cook breakfast for us already? It smells wonderful!" Sally entered the doorway, fully prepared to see a few platters of food on the counter and Jack standing before the stove (possibly with a 'Kiss the Cook' apron on which she would have taken full advantage of), and he would have greeted her and then they would have gone off to the dining room together for the morning.
However, instead her eyes met an empty kitchen save for a lovely large silver platter on the counter bearing several covered plates of food and a glass of sour orange juice as well as a small vase with a dried flower in it and a little folded up note leaning against the vase that merely read on the outside in flourished, black, unmistakable script 'Sally.'
Sally pouted at first. No Jack? Then she sighed and walked toward the platter, managing to smile a little. "But still, another note is nice. I wonder what this one says." Sally plucked up the note and unfolded it. Inside was Jack's unmistakable royal handwriting, and his unmistakable perfect wording of what he had to say.
Dearest Sally,
Good morning, my darling. I apologize a thousand times over for not being here to join you for breakfast. I hope the small spread I made you will at least be a start towards making up for my absence. I just had to go somewhere, to visit…sort of an advisor of mine. I know it's sudden, I know I should have waited until you awoke so that I could have said goodbye to you, but I just wanted to get an early start so that I could return to you as soon as possible. I promise, I'll be back before you know it.
Also, I would like to discuss something with you about our date last night when I return.
As always, your devoted admirer,
~Jack Skellington
P.S.
If you would like a breakfast companion, just whistle.
Even despite her slight disappointment at having to breakfast alone, Sally couldn't help a soft smile at his words and a fluttering of her leaves. He wrote to her so eloquently, so caringly, and with so much sincerity. And she knew he wouldn't have left unless he'd had some truly important matter to attend to. 'Still, I wonder who his 'advisor' is?' Indeed, Sally couldn't understand why Jack wouldn't just say the person's name since they both knew everyone in town. 'Maybe he was just tired or in a rush though and didn't think about mentioning who it was,' Sally speculated, and instantly her curiosity on the matter dropped as her attention returned to the final part of the note and her smile picked up on one side. "If I want a companion, I should just whistle. Hmm?" She glanced up and then tucked the note into her dress pocket, put two fingers in her mouth, and blew a light, clear tone.
"Arf! Arf!" Instantly a distant barking was heard, and Zero soon floated right through the wall and into the room, fresh from his tombstone and eager to greet his master's fun new pretty ragdoll roommate with kisses and nuzzles.
Sally giggled at his affections and patted him on the head. "Oh good morning, Zero, you're a wonderful breakfast companion to have!" She smiled and then picked up the tray, walking into the dining room with it as Zero followed her. "I hope you slept well," she remarked, glancing over her shoulder at him.
Zero nodded. "Rrr…" he cooed gently in a bark, raising one of his eyebrows.
Sally giggled and nodded, setting down the tray on the table and taking a seat. "Oh yes, I slept well too. It's very peaceful here, Zero. I really like living with you and Jack." Sally removed the plate covers to reveal Jack's breakfast for her. "Ooo…" He had prepared her pumpkin pancakes with poisonberry syrup, yogurt with black bananas, a dark chocolate danish, and of course there was a glass full of sour orange juice.
Zero flew to rest at the center of the table, and Sally smiled and used her fork to give one of her pumpkin pancakes to Zero. "There you go, boy. I could never eat all of this by myself anyway."
"Arf!" Zero beamed and eagerly started eating the pancake.
Sally giggled and started in on her food. "Mmm…" She sighed. "Oh I don't know why Jack keeps insisting on complimenting my cooking skills so much. He's just as talented at preparing things as I am. These are delicious." Her smile grew a little dreamy. 'And he took the time to make them all for me…' Sally giggled at the idea. But then, thinking of Jack, her thoughts turned back to his note and she looked to Zero. "Zero…I'm guessing you have an idea of where Jack went this morning. You wouldn't be allowed to tell me this time where that is, would you?" She looked to him hopefully.
Zero blinked at her question, then looked up at Sally with a touch of distress, then looked down with a guilty little pout at his remaining half of a pancake.
Sally sighed but nodded and smiled in understanding, almost having expected such a response. "It's okay, Zero. If Jack didn't want you to say anything, you don't have to tell me. I know he's your best friend—please don't feel bad. But can you at least promise me that he's safe, Zero?"
Zero's eyes went back up to her. He paused for just a moment longer but then finally flew up to her and gave her a little assuring kiss on the cheek.
Sally smiled at the gesture. But she had to raise an eyebrow. "You hesitated again, Zero. Does that mean Jack's going to the same place he was last time? And are you really sure he's okay, Zero?" The last question was asked with just a touch of worry this time.
Zero nodded to her first question and nuzzled her softly in response to her second question. He wanted to let her know that he at least believed his master was safe where he was.
But Zero really did wish Jack would come back soon. His master hadn't told him directly that he was heading off to the holiday forest again this morning. But Zero, in the graveyard in the early morning with the other ghosts, had caught sight of his master dashing in the direction of the hinterlands and knew where he must be heading. And though he did trust his master's judgment very much, Zero still harbored a great deal of concern over the soundness of Jack's compulsion to leave behind his own world for another one yet again no matter how temporarily and no matter what the circumstances. Jack belonged with Sally, and Zero wished he would stay close to her, especially after all they had been through lately.
"Ow!"
It wasn't the landing itself that hurt when a person went through the heart-shaped holiday door and dropped into the large field of Valentine Town roses…it was just the thorns! Always a person seemed to fall near some of them, and always those thorns managed to smart anyone who came in contact with them. And though Jack was virtually indestructible (which meant he was virtually pain free most of the time), a well-placed prick against one of his bones or joints could always make him wince. As the Pumpkin King stood up now, dusting rose petals off of himself (and plucking a few thorns out of his trousers), he had to smile as he recalled Sally's one little pinprick to his hand during his Sandy Claws suit fitting before Christmas, and how that single pinprick had made him say 'ow.' Thinking about it now, he realized that pinprick had also made his phantom heart skip a beat in a way. Almost no one could ever manage to find a vulnerability in his solid bone exterior, yet Sally had come upon one in such an accidental way with her nimble needle, and somehow her accomplishment had impressed and intrigued him and stuck with him deeply.
Jack chuckled at the idea as he straightened his tie now. It was the first time he had smiled all morning actually. "I needed that…" He sighed to himself, and then he turned his sights towards Valentine Town and proceeded briskly in that direction.
Indeed, Jack's morning, in fact, mostly had been filled with varying degrees of distress and uncertainty—no smiles at all. Not that he hadn't woken up feeling fantastic, but still there was the circumstance of…well… Jack sighed to himself and mumbled softly. "I spent the night with her. The last thing I remember is telling her some more old Halloween legends while we started eating dessert, and then I guess I fell asleep and…I spent the night with her." He swallowed. "What if she's upset with me? What if she wasn't ready for that? What if I wasn't ready for that? Not that anything happened…" he blanched, "But still, we…" He sighed again. "Why is it so easy to get so close with her? Should it really be this natural? Should things really be able to move so quickly? Can I really want her so much after only a few days together, or am I just getting carried away again like I did with Christmas?" Jack looked down and shook his skull as he approached the town gate. "I just need some advice. I hope Flora's around. I have a feeling she's the best person to talk to around here…except for maybe the holiday leader of course."
As Jack entered Valentine Town (and did his best to keep to the side streets and out of people's sights), he considered some more. "Come to think of it, I haven't met the King yet. I wonder what he's like." He raised an eyebrow. "I guess he's like everyone else here…except since I'm the scariest one in Halloween town, he must be the most loving and romantic person here." Jack's look went a little dry. "If I was still into stealing holidays, I might very well consider taking this one if it would mean I'd get to spend a few weeks as the type of person who could woo Sally properly without anymore problems."
Jack sighed and shook his head at the notion with a small smile. "Oh well. I'm sure I'll work it out for myself. But maybe I can get some advice from the leader at some point if he's available. In the meantime though, I know Flora can certainly assist me. But how to find her…?" Jack puzzled to himself for a moment, glancing around at all of the citizens. He really didn't want to ask anybody about her—he felt that the less attention he brought to himself the better (and he didn't want anybody giggling at the 'love' for Sally they could see inside of him again). "Hmm…" Jack considered, "Well…the first time I met her she was near Lovers Lane. I suppose I could try near there again." And with a nod to himself, Jack proceeded in the direction of the familiar location (and tried not to blanch and smile too much at the idea of all the affectionate couples he was certain to see when he arrived).
Jack soon went through the golden archway marking Lovers Lane and found himself at the start of the lovely park full of couples again. He glanced around for a moment, and then headed in the direction of the clearing where he had last seen Flora, ready to gently call out her name as a start to his search.
Fortunately, the person he was searching for found him first.
"Someone is looking for me…And, ah, it is you, Jack Skellington." The familiar voice of Jack's new friend said these words, and then Flora stepped forward from a flowerbed between two trees lining the path, smiling with interest at the Pumpkin King as she gracefully approached. She was wearing her rich, red robes again and her prism eyes were full of interest.
Jack blinked, quite surprised at her sudden appearance to say the least. "Oh, hello, Flora. I, erm…I'm sorry, it's a pleasure to see you again, and I'm glad I found you so quickly, but how exactly did you know I was looking for you?" he asked hesitantly and curiously.
Flora shrugged and looked down, hands gently clasped together. "Well, Jack, just like I'm sure you can sense 'fear' in your subjects and in all other beings, I sense 'desire' in others, romantic or friendly, and especially when that desire regards me," she replied simply. She looked up at Jack with a curious little smile, glancing around him. "Oh dear, no Sally with you? I was hoping by now you would have figured out that you're both madly in love with each other and you would have brought her here to spend some time on Lovers Lane together."
Jack blanched distinctly and looked down. "Flora, please…I-I told you, I just care for her at the moment. Being in love isn't quite for us right now."
"Oh, I was just kidding, Jack, I promise you." Flora assured. Then she added, an eyebrow raised, "Still though, I am surprised to see you so soon. After all, it must be terribly hard to pull yourself away from someone you care for so much and who cares for you in return." She smiled, her eyes glowing a little more.
Jack smiled. "Oh, it's no problem at all, Flora, really. And, yes, I came by myself..." He looked down with a little frown and nodded, "And yes, it is hard to leave Sally. Very hard. But I think that might be part of my problem, actually…" He swallowed and sighed, walking over to a log set on the ground between two trees and sitting down.
Flora followed after him and took a seat beside him. "If you're having a problem, Jack, and you want to talk about it, I would be happy to listen and give you any assistance I can. It would be an honor to help the Pumpkin King." She smiled so compassionately at him.
Jack smiled back at her. "I'd like that, Flora, thank you." He looked forward again and took a deep breath…but then hesitated. Jack cleared his throat, smiling a little sheepishly, "I'm sorry, Flora, it's just that this is a little strange for me. I'm not used to opening up to other people. And we barely know each other. And I'd be opening up to you about something so private."
Flora smiled softly. "There's no pressure, Jack. But if I could make a point…you need someone to talk to, and as a leader I'd imagine you'd feel strange and possibly guilty about talking to one of your subjects so frankly." She glanced forward and shrugged. "Everyone needs you to be very strong and very confident so that they can feel good about your holiday…I'm assuming. And now you at least have Sally to talk to, but if you're having a problem 'about' Sally, then your options are limited again. At least here, no one's relying on you or expecting you to be a certain way, so you can express your doubts and get honest advice from someone who doesn't need you to be their king and who just wants to be your friend." She glanced back at him, her smile warmer.
Jack blinked and looked back at her with surprise and interest. "Yes…Yes, that's it exactly. You've captured it all perfectly." He smiled again. "I'm very happy I met you, Flora. Thank you for taking the time to help me and for being so understanding."
Flora nodded. "It's not a problem at all, Jack."
Jack smiled more. "One day, when Sally and I feel a little closer and there's time, I'd like to bring her here to meet you. I think she'd like getting to know you very much. I know I have."
Flora beamed a little. "I would be honored to meet her, Jack. I could use a few 'outer world' friends myself. Believe me, you're just as good for me as I am for you." She laughed softly and then her prism eyes glowed with interest again. "Now, Jack, enough stalling—please tell me what's troubling you so much."
Jack nodded and sighed. "Well, I'm not sure, but I think I'm either making things with Sally move too quickly…or I'm not making things move quickly enough. And something happened last night, and…" He sighed again. "Women just make me very unsure of myself. Sally's wonderful, but you should have seen what I've been dealing with all of these years before her." He rolled his eyes. "Every other female in my town would literally chase after me through the streets in a mob each Halloween night telling me how much they adored me. It always made me so uncomfortable, and I suppose I just never learned how a real relationship is supposed to work or what I'm supposed to do when I'm the one pursuing someone instead of the one fleeing as I'm being pursued." He frowned a little. "I don't want to overwhelm Sally and make her 'flee'…and I also want to give her everything she deserves and wants. I'm just having trouble finding a balance between those two things. And last night's date didn't help." He brought a hand to his temple.
"Jack, you're putting too much pressure on yourself," Flora instantly assured. "Sally cares for you, trust me…I know about these things. And she sounds like a strong and understanding woman who wouldn't just give up on you for not being 'perfect.' I think she's much more capable of enduring for the sake of your relationship than you're giving her credit for. Has she ever given you any reason to doubt that she would be willing to fight for her passions and dreams and hopes?"
Jack lowered his hand and shook his skull. "No…In fact, if anything, she's given me every reason to believe that if she cares about something or someone enough, she'll do everything in her power to keep caring for them no matter what obstacles she faces—the expectations of the rest of the town or a monster bent on destroying me or even my own pigheadedness." He shook his head. "She saved me and Santa much more on Christmas Eve than I saved either one of them. She cared for me enough to risk her life." He smiled a little. "You're right, of course, Flora. I know she won't think of ending our courtship just because it's not perfect and sometimes I'm uncertain." He frowned a little again (and blanched just slightly). "But still, last night…"
"What exactly happened last night, Jack?" Flora asked with a little half smile, trying to sound patient though she clearly suspected whatever it was wasn't nearly as awful as Jack was building it up to be.
Jack blanched and looked down a little more. "Last night we had a date up in her room—she's been staying in a tower attached to my house. Anyway, it was late…and she was dressed so beautifully…and we'd shared a lovely meal and a bottle of wine…and then I was telling her stories by the fire, and we just…fell asleep together." Despite his look of hesitance before, Jack couldn't help smiling softly now, his eye sockets hazing. "I woke up at dawn warm with her in my arms…" He sighed and swallowed and blinked, and quickly finished, "And then I snuck away, made her breakfast, and snuck off here."
Flora's eyes lit up a little. She looked a touch impressed actually. "Oh that sounds like a delightful date!" Her smile relaxed and she spoke more gently. "Why in the world would any of that be a problem, Jack?"
Jack blinked, looking at her with wide eye sockets. "I…I invaded her privacy! I stayed in her room with her all night on a second date. Things went so quickly, but it felt so natural, so right. And I don't think I've ever slept better in my entire existence than I did with her." His dreamy grin returned but then quickly gave way to a frown of doubt. "I have no idea what to say to her about it though. She didn't wake up when I woke up to leave, but she's certainly going to realize what happened. What if she didn't like it…or what if she did like it?" He blanched a little again and shrugged. "I'm not really sure how to handle this whole thing, heh…" He smiled a little sheepishly, pulling his knees in a little closer to himself.
Flora just sighed and thought for a moment. She started slowly. "Jack, did Sally seem comfortable in your arms when you woke up this morning?"
Jack's blanching flooded his entire skull. He was recalling those few words that had escaped her this morning in her sleep. 'Oh Jack…yes…' He nodded. "Yes. She seemed more than comfortable actually."
Flora smiled a little more. "And do you remember her being comfortable being close to you last night before you fell asleep?"
Jack nodded again, smiling a little more. "Oh yes. I remember her cuddling up alongside me and listening to the stories I was telling her and asking questions." He chuckled. "And then she got a crumb of cake on her nose, and I brushed it off and she giggled, and she called me her silly skeleton and I called her my delightful dolly, and then we cuddled close and we…" He blinked a few times and cleared his throat shyly. "Erm…I mean, yes, we were quite happy last night."
Flora giggled softly. "And just one more question—have you been eating any of those candies I gave you?"
Jack nodded, glancing to Flora. "Oh yes. I had a few just before the date started actually." He smiled. "They're quite delicious—they have the strangest combination of flavors, but it's very soothing too. I've enjoyed them."
Flora's smile grew. "Then there's nothing to worry about, Jack. All of this comfort and affection is a perfectly natural progression for you and Sally. It doesn't mean you're going too fast, it doesn't mean you have to feel pressured now to move things along even more quickly. It just means things are changing between the two of you, even if those changes can take a while for you or Sally to get used to." Her gaze warmed. "Now, Jack…do you really think when you go home that Sally's going to be upset with you for last night?"
Jack smiled a little and shook his skull, looking down. "No, I don't. I think maybe she'll feel like I do actually, come to think of it. Unsure but…happy." He looked up.
Flora nodded. "I think that's a very wise guess, Jack."
Jack chuckled and looked out over the landscape for a moment with all the pretty pastel colors and all the lovers and people in bright robes. "I think I understand why there's a holiday all about love, Flora. It's absolutely necessary to have one. No one could handle being in love without traditions and history and culture all about the subject to help guide them." He glanced at Flora. "And of course the good advice from a good friend is helpful too."
Flora nodded. "You're very welcome for any assistance I can give, Jack Skellington. And thank you for the company of a new friend."
Jack smiled and nodded, but then hesitated for a moment. "Still though, when I go home I'd at least like to bring up the subject of what happened last night and apologize to Sally just in case I did make her feel uncomfortable at all."
"Follow your feelings, Jack Skellington," Flora assured. "If they've led you to Sally, I doubt they'll steer you wrong from here on out."
Jack nodded, looking out to the couples again. "Flora…you said some of the people here have only been together a few days, but they've found their true loves so…they're already in love. Is it really possible to truly fall in love so quickly?"
"Oh I know it is, Jack," Flora encouraged with a sigh and a nod, looking out to the couples as well. "Take my word for it." She smiled more. "There aren't any rules for determining when a person falls in love and when that love is true, Jack. It's just something you know inside of yourself, and that your lover will know too. It's a deep and beautiful feeling, and it can bloom after years together or even a single moment. You do have to put in work, of course, to make sure your relationship based upon that love flourishes, but if you really care for a person then making the effort doesn't feel much like work at all. It's a joy. Life's no fun without a bit of love, after all."
Jack smiled more and almost chuckled, glancing at her again. "Is that a phrase you live by around here?"
Flora smiled gently and nodded. "Yes. I'm guessing you have a similar phrase you live by in Halloween Town."
"Oh, something like that." Jack chuckled again, and then he rubbed the back of his neck and asked, "Flora…not that I don't enjoy your own company immensely but, may I ask…would it be possible for me to meet your holiday leader sometime soon? Perhaps after your holiday, since Valentine's Day is so close? I really would like to learn as much about your world as possible."
Flora blinked but then her smile grew and her prism eyes brightened. "Of course, Jack, we'd love for you to meet our leader. But, yes, after the holiday might be best." She sighed, smiling more. "You're not the only leader who gets a little overwhelmed when the 'big day' comes each year—right now I'd imagine our leader is lounging about amongst the flowers somewhere trying to just enjoy the spirit of the holiday like a normal citizen before the next decorating meeting or parade planning presentation."
Jack laughed a little and nodded. "I know the feeling. Still, he must be a very great leader for your land to be full of such happy people."
Flora blinked. "He?" Then she grinned a little more, tried not to laugh, and nodded to Jack. "Oh, er…yes, well, we don't like to brag but, we do have one of the most excellent holiday leaders around if I do say so myself, present company excluded of course." She nodded toward Jack.
Jack smiled and nodded back to her in appreciation. "Of course. Well, as long as no one really is holding the Christmas thing against me, I really will be looking forward to meeting your leader and the leaders from the other holiday worlds as well."
Flora smiled and nodded. "We'll have to look into setting up in inter-holiday meeting then sometime soon—perhaps late summer. I believe we all have a break around then. And I—" Flora paused and her prism eyes glowed a little. Then she sighed deeply a dry look coming to her face. "And now someone else is looking for me…" She grinned a little again, rolling her eyes, "And boy is she unhappy." She chuckled.
Jack raised an eyebrow but then stood. "Of course, Flora, I'm sure you and everyone else around here must have much to do today with your holiday coming up so soon. And I should get back to Sally now anyway." He held out his hand to assist her.
Flora took it and stood up. "Yes, I'm afraid I'm rather late for something actually. You can find your way back to the holiday forest on your own?"
Jack nodded. "Yes, don't worry about me, I'll be fine."
"Very good, then. But before you go…" Flora reached into the fold of her red robe and produced another little satchel for Jack, "A few more candies. Since you've enjoyed them so much so far, I think they might help you, Jack. As I said, they have a very relaxing effect on most people and can really let you embrace the spirit of love."
Jack took the satchel from her and placed it into his jacket pocket. "Thank you, Flora." He waved and then turned to head out of the Lovers Lane area. "Have a splendid day!"
"And have a lovely rest of your morning, Jack Skellington! And if you need any more advice, you know where to find me! Goodbye!" Flora called out to him, waving as he left.
Thankfully, Jack was out of sight just as Marigold came along from the other end of Lover's Lane, a clipboard in hand, her gold robes a little tousled as she briskly walked along, and a determined look upon her features. "Queen Cupidity Amora Flora, so help me…" she sighed and shook her head as she approached a grinning Flora, "One of these days I'm going to leave you to take care of your own schedule, and when Valentine's Day isn't ready to go until JULY 14th, do not come crying to me." She stood before her red robed leader, tapping her foot, her pale blue eyes tilted above her rose half moon glasses.
Flora shrugged. "Oh come on, Mari, I have at least a good two minutes before I need to be at the flower committee meeting you scheduled for me. And besides, I was here for a very good cause."
Marigold sighed, calming down a little but her look and tone still dry. "Helping matchmake for the dead again?"
Flora laughed warmly. "Oh but they're such a lovely couple, Marigold. You know, our Pumpkin King is going to bring by his lady friend soon for a visit. I think they're relationship is really working out." She sighed, stretching out her hand to admire it. "I know, I know, it's a gift."
Marigold smiled and shook her head. "If this blows up in your face sometime right before our holiday, just so you know I am not cleaning up the mess for you."
"Are you kidding?" Flora grinned. "If anything happens, I'll insist on cleaning up the mess myself! It'll give me a perfect excuse to go to Halloween Town." She winked.
Marigold scoffed and really smiled now. "Oh, you think I'd actually consider letting you leave this town any time in the next six weeks? Please, Flora, I am going to be watching you like a hawk."
"Dove!" Flora supplied as she started to walk forward toward the City Hall. "Let's keep with the theme of the holiday after all."
Mari sighed deeply, coming to walk beside her (and giving her a little nudge) as she proceeded to write some things on her clipboard. "Don't push it, Heart Queen." She grinned a little, and Flora did too. Then Mari sighed and smiled. "Now, let's get on with the day's tasks so that we can get through the next six weeks and I can get to my two week vacation after that. And while I'm gone, feel free to get into all of the matchmaking nonsense you want to."
"Okay, but when you come back to find everyone in all of the holiday worlds paired off, don't complain to me." Flora laughed, and Mari couldn't help but laugh along with her.
The two ladies continued along to the town hall.
As Jack quickly darted through the trees and side streets of Valentine Town, he gently touched against his pocket containing the fresh satchel of candies and smiled to himself. Though he still felt sorry for having to leave Sally this morning in his nervousness, he really was happy he had come here and gotten to talk to Flora. He felt a lot better, a lot more grounded…still uncertain about some things, but confident that everything would work itself out in the end.
Jack nodded to himself as he found the path to lead him through the rose fields and to the holiday forest. And as he went along through the fields, he plucked up a rose of particular beauty every now and again to make into a splendid morning bouquet for Sally. He inhaled their scent gently through his nose. So rich, so complex, so attractive… "Just like the woman they're for…" Jack blanched a little…but then decided, with his newfound confidence, to present the bouquet to Sally using just those words. 'A bouquet of the finest roses…so rich, so complex, so attractive…just like the woman they're for. Here you are, my most delightful dolly…' Jack chuckled goofily to himself. Oh yes, that seemed like a lovely way to say good morning.
Jack continued his jaunt through the many colors of roses, doing his best to reach the Halloween door and return to his Sally as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, back in Halloween Town…in a certain laboratory manor…
"Ahh, yes, my precious Jewel…a nice brain massage is just what I needed." A grinning Dr. Finkelstein was relaxing back in his wheelchair in his lab with his cranium open as Jewel gently massaged his half of their brain.
"Of course, Doctor, anything I can do to help. After all, you must have been under so much stress lately—creating me and creating all of those reindeer for Christmas and having them all get destroyed. You just relax, please, and after this I'll make you some tea." Jewel smiled kindly. She really liked her creator very much, and she noticed the kinder and more affectionate she was to him, the kinder and more affectionate he was in return. And that relationship made her sense something good inside of herself. It was hard for her to place what the 'goodness' was though exactly unfortunately. Her half of their brain seemed better at processing calculations and logic rather than 'feelings,' as the Doctor might put those other things that she assumed most people (the Doctor included) could process, but that seemed beyond her grasp.
Dr. Finkelstein sighed in peace and pleasure at her comforting words. "Hmm…Oh yes, so much creating. I'll need such a rest to be ready for Halloween." The Doctor sighed again, but then suddenly knit in his brow and let a snarl come into his lip. "Jewel…still no sign of that other girl yet…Sally?"
Jewel blinked and then frowned and shook her head. "No, Doctor, I'm sorry. It's too bad too. I would really like to meet her. I…well, she's your creation, and I'm your creation…I think it would be nice to talk to her. But no, I'm sorry Doctor, I still haven't seen any sign her."
"Mmm…" A little grumble of frustration escaped the Doctor. "Frustrating girl. Probably half dead again with cold, living in a snow bank…Foolish creature."
Jewel frowned more, still lightly massaging the Doctor's brain. "I hope not, Doctor. It would be unfortunate if something happened to her. I really hope it hasn't." Jewel bit her lip. She knew something, and she had to tell the Doctor, but she was unsure of how he would respond.
The Doctor just huffed gruffly back to her for now, eyes still closed. "If anything does happen to Sally, it's her own fault. I told her before that it was dangerous out there. She probably lost her leg in a briar patch and now can't hobble her way back here or something. But she'll come back…she always does." He smiled to himself in satisfaction…or tried to.
Jewel swallowed and then spoke up quietly if directly (her tone was always direct and logical, as were her thoughts, even regarding delivering news like this). "Doctor? When you sent me out to gather supplies for you this morning, I overheard the Mayor saying something to some of the other citizens. Something about Sally."
"Hmm?" the Doctor asked nonchalantly. "Yes, and what is that, my Jewel?" He still seemed the picture of relaxation.
Jewel took a breath and replied as she continued to massage his brain half. "Oogie Boogie caught Sally on Christmas Eve night. He was going to do bad things to her. Jack saved her and that Santa Claus man, and then the Mayor and the three trick-or-treaters came to bring them back to town, but nobody's seen Sally since then. The Mayor can't even remember for certain if Sally was in the car with them, he was so distracted with Jack being safe. I…I'm sorry, Doctor." Jewel frowned. Poor Sally… Jewel didn't know what an 'Oogie Boogie' was, but it didn't sound nice. She moved closer to the Doctor—she always felt safe near him. He could create life, and she respected and admired him for his skill. She really did like his presence very much.
The Doctor didn't respond for a few moments, and it made Jewel very nervous. "Um…Doctor? Are you all right?" she finally prompted.
Dr. Finkelstein sat up straighter now in his chair. Jewel glanced over his shoulder, and she could see his eyes darting back and forth behind his dark glasses in thought. "Oogie Boogie…what…why would she…Oogie Boogie…" he whispered to himself. Then the Doctor faintly addressed Jewel. "And no one has seen her since then, you say?"
Jewel took her hands away from his brain. She shook her head and replied softly. "No, Doctor. Not since then. Nobody."
The Doctor turned around in his wheelchair, his cranium snapping shut. "Jewel this is very bad. Listen to me very carefully. We have to go into town and get the Mayor to call a town meeting. Then we have to go get Jack Skellington. I want you to stay close by me the whole time, Jewel. I'm not sure where Sally is now exactly, but we have to find her. It's almost impossible to really kill someone from Halloween Town, so Oogie Boogie may still have some power, and if Sally's still down there in that lair…" The Doctor bit his lip and frowned. "She's not such a bad girl, just…so restless. Sally…" He was quiet for a moment and then looked up at Jewel again, speaking plainly and firmly once more. "You don't know what that thing could do to her—Oogie Boogie is a monster, and I would never wish him on anybody. Help me, my precious Jewel. Sally is my creation—I have to make sure that she's just run off again and nothing else."
Jewel frowned and clasped her hands together, nodding. "Of course, Doctor, anything to help her. If Sally's trapped by Oogie Boogie I want her to be free, and if Sally's just trapped down there by herself I don't want her to be alone." Jewel's lip trembled. She felt so new to life, she couldn't imagine suddenly being off all alone in the cold and possibly with a dangerous monster about. Sure, Sally had been around a bit longer than she herself had, but not by much. No matter how 'restless' Sally might be, no one could like to be all alone. Besides, she really did want to know Sally—perhaps they could all be friends? Jewel looked to Dr. Finkelstein. "I'll take you to the Mayor right now, Doctor."
Dr. Finkelstein nodded. Jewel then took the back handles of his chair and started to wheel him to the door. "Doctor…?" she asked softly as they came outside and headed down the winding drive leading to the road to town.
"Hmm?" he grunted in return, his thoughts obviously occupied.
Jewel frowned again. "If this world can be so scary and so dangerous like you say, then why would Sally leave the manor? Why would she be…restless?"
The Doctor was quiet, and then he sighed as they went along. "I don't know, my Jewel. I don't think she was ever happy here. I made her too different from me. We just couldn't get along. She wanted to go, but she was mine…and she didn't have any place to go anyway. I didn't know what to do. I hoped it was a phase…" He sighed again and added quietly, "…Maybe it wasn't though. Maybe it was just…how she is…who she is." He shook his head, voice growing gruff again. "I don't know, never understood her…"
Jewel just nodded. Sally sounded different…but interesting, and like a good person at heart.
"Are you happy here so far, Jewel?"
Jewel blinked as the soft question from the Doctor met her ears. "Oh…well, I…I find satisfaction in my place here, yes, Doctor. I like my room and your house and learning about science and being your pre—…your Jewel…" She smiled. She almost didn't want to say aloud the 'precious' part for fear it might embarrass him and he would never call her that anymore. She cleared her throat and went on. "You gave me half of your mind, and you're so brilliant, and it's just so very nice to be a part of our home and to have the chance to help you in there and out here."
Dr. Finkelstein considered and then nodded. "Very good…Let's just hope that that's how you truly end up liking to be." He rubbed his cranium a little.
Jewel blinked but smiled. "Oh, that is how I like to be, Doctor. I like my time with you…I like you, Doctor."
"Hmm mm!" Dr. Finkelstein nervously cleared his throat.
Jewel just smiled softly, unable to help it.
"I like you as well, Jewel…my precious Jewel…" then came to her ears softly. Then Dr. Finkelstein cleared his throat gruffly again and added, "N-Now, um…on to the Mayor and then Jack so that we can find out what happened to Sally."
Jewel just beamed and all but pranced along as they turned toward the Mayor's house. That 'good' sensation was inside of her again. "Of course, Doctor! The Mayor and then Jack Skellington! Oh I'm looking forward so very much to meeting the Pumpkin King! No one's seen him much since Christmas either, but I'm sure he must be in his house just resting from everything, and I'm sure he'll be able to help us find Sally once and for all!"
"I hope so, Jewel…" Dr. Finkelstein sighed as the Mayor's gate came into sight. "I hope so…"
And soon the search for Sally would be commencing.
A/N:
That's all for now! Next chapter, Sally quickly discovers that the Doctor is interested in finding her again, which complicates things for our favorite couple and briefly puts on hold Sally's plans to talk about their relationship. I hope you guys like it, and please review if you can :) Thank you!
Happy Reading!
~Azure129 aka Jenna