An autumn wind blew a few early-fallen leaves up on the path through the park, which was virtually empty. Apart from one figure, sat on a wooden bench next to the pond.

Phrixos felt the wind tug at his worn scarf around his neck, at his already messy hair. He'd come here to get some space, a bit of peace. Not that he was playing truant, he didn't have another class for almost an hour. Plenty of time.

He sighed, running a slender hand through his hair, thinking about all the things that had happened over the past few days. It seemed like he'd really pissed Kim off for some reason in Chemistry that morning and he still didn't know why. So Phrixos had left school to get some lunch and quiet. Not that he'd eaten the looked up at the empty swings, swinging back and forth in the wind, at the round-about, covered in leaves.

Suddenly, he had a strange feeling, which at first he thought was a mood-swing. But then he realised that it was something different, something eccentric.

"Hello."

At the sound of the voice so close to him, Phrixos jumped out of his skin and seat, and found himself stood up next to the old woman. She was very old, extremely old, and he had a horror of old people.

"Erm…" he started, two things crossing his mind; back away slowly and run. As he could do neither, he chose to stay old woman just stood there, smiling up at him. It was kinda freaky in even the warmest of atmospheres, but in the cold autumn deserted park, it was positively chilling.

"What a nice young man, you are, you are." She said, pronouncing the words strangely. She nodded quickly as she said this, still staring at Phrixos, who had taken to the first suggestion that his brain had said.

"Erm…hi. Uh, do-…do I know you?" he stopped walking backwards and gazed at the old woman, his mind piecing together something that he still hadn't clicked.

"Me? Oh, no, no, no, you don't know me. But, I know you. "

She took a seat on the bench and motioned for him to sit. Phrixos bit his lip a little; she was still a bit weird, even if she had a familiar thing about her.

"You know me?" he asked curiously, sitting down. She nodded again, quicker this time and said,

"Yes, yes, I know you. I've known you since you were a tiny baby, like this, you were." She moved her fingers close together to show him then laughed loudly, making Phrixos jump a little. He adjusted the scarf on is shoulders and thought for a bit.

"You knew my mother?" he asked.

She looked confused for a moment, and then broke into a smile, her face crumpling in on itself, a mass of wrinkles and pale flesh.

"Your mother, Jenna, yes, I knew her. So young." She said, and sighed, lost in what seemed to be a memory.

"But you don't look at all like her, no, no. You look like your father, yes, yes."

The mere word of father made him ever-more alert to their conversation, he glanced at her.

"My-…my dad?"

She looked at him, it seemed to be examining him, his face, it made him blush just a little and look away

"Phrixos."

He told her his name, and waited for hers.

"Phrixos, what a lovely name." she smiled again, looking away from him. "My name is old, so old, Libitina."

Libitina. Now there was a name that didn't ring a bell.

"So…you knew my father?" he repeated, approaching the matter a little more softly this time.

"Your father, you know, I'm not quite sure, Phrixos." This struck him as an odd answer to that question but he said nothing.

"I don't think anyone ever saw your father. But I'll tell you something, yes, something I know."

Phrixos turned to her, ruffling his hair again in eagerness.

"Your mother loved, loves him, and loves him very much."

Libitina had said something then, she wasn't sure what, but she saw him harden and turn back away. The indication of his mother in the present tense, this Libitina didn't know. He was sure of it.

"I-…" he paused, not wanting to sound rude. An idea came to him, and he glanced at his watch. Not that it mattered.

"Look, I've got to go. Sorry and all that, but…" He stood up, and smiled at Libitina.

"Yes, oh yes, don't you worry dear. You wouldn't want to miss class now, would you, Jack?"

He nodded and walked away, putting his cold hands in his pockets. It was only after, once he was sat safely in the warm classroom that it struck him. The woman, Libitina, when he'd gone to leave, she hadn't called him Phrixos.

No she'd called him…

Jack.

Libitina watched Phrixos go, her black eyes fixed on his face, that defiant and occupied expression forming on his face that reminded her of Jack. She smiled and walked back to the house, ignoring the bitter wind.

Back in Halloween Town, the annual rush and bustle was in full swing. Towners ran here and there to open all sorts of things, make sure that the bat-hats didn't escape suddenly, putting the finishing touches on yet another October 31st prank. No-one really noticed Libitina shuffling through the middle of it all, making her to the Town Hall slowly and steadily. She could already see Jack, in a meeting with the Mayor and a few other Towners. The Pumpkin King's expression of absolute boredom already visible even from this distance.

"And we'll use the marvellous Black Lagoon Lee-…" said Mayor in a booming voice, ticking numerous items off a large scroll of paper, but stopped when he saw Libitina enter. All of them turned their head, even the spider on Mayor's tie.

"Jack, Jack, and Jack." she said, approaching the group as fast as she could. She stopped before the Pumpkin King, who, even sitting, towered over her.

"What is it?"

"I have news, good news, Jack."

At these words, his skull lit up abruptly and he stood up with a flourish. He made his excuses to the others and headed for his home, cutting a path through the busy Towners.

"Tea." Was the first thing that Libitina said when they walked in. Much to Jack's dismay.

"Erm…alright." He replied, not wanting to seem inhospitable in front of his messenger. Ten minutes later, they were still sat in his study, Libitina sipping the tea loudly, while he drummed his bony fingers on the wooden desk with impatience.

"Ah, now that is nice tea. Ah, yes, Jack." She said, setting the cup down. Jack started suddenly as if she'd woken him up, and he leaned closer, holding his skull on one hand.

"You had news, I take it." He said, eagerness barely hidden.

"Yes, news, news about the Caber boy. I've seen him, yes, yes."

"You…you've seen him? Well, that's wonderful, simply marvellous! Where is he?" he asked, not bothering to conceal his excitement any longer. He'd been waiting three weeks now; he wasn't planning on waiting any longer.

"Hush, Jack, we need to take things slower. He's still in London."

For a moment, his expression became one of fatigue, but it didn't last long. Libitina took another sip of tea, and said,

"He looks like you, yes, yes, he does."

Jack thought for a moment, imagining Phrixos' face. It was easier said than done to imagine a Skellington in… human. With all flesh and eyes and hair. Gosh, he'd have hair!

"You recognised him?"

"Oh yes." She said, placing her tiny hands in her lap. A subtle smile played at the corners of her lips, in her eyes. "Yes, you can tell, just like that, he's your son, Jack."

A heavy silence formed between them like a brick wall. Jack was lost deep in his thoughts and memories, Libitina thinking more about tea, as she usually did.A son, a human son…was he ever going to get used to the idea? And if he did, what would he do?

"But there is one thing, yes, yes, one tiny little detail, Jack." Libitina muttered with a hint of worry in her voice which made his turn to look at her.

"He…you know that human and Halloween genes are supposed to mix, no, no, it interferes, Jack."

"Interferes?" he asked, frowning.

"Yes, with the mind, it does. And poor Phrixos isn't in the pink of-…of…" she stopped, reaching for the cup again.

"Of what?" Jack said, becoming a little anxious now. He waited until she'd taken the last drink of tea and heard her say,

"He's mad, Jack, he's not at all well, no, no. Poor child."

Although he should have guessed it, he'd been looking up on this kind of thing. On science books, medical books, history books. Of course Halloween and human genes didn't mix; it caused, apparently, split personalities.

"So, he's mad, then?" Jack asked to more himself than Libitina. He sighed rather dejectedly, and rubbed his skull.

He'd find something, he wanted to but what could he do?

Kim waltzed past the boys toilets, taking the headphones out of her ears as the power in her walkman gave out.

"Damn!" she said tutting and hoisting the bag up further on her shoulder. "Just when it gets to the solo."

A bit further on, she heard something. A sniff. Stopping in her tracks, she turned around and saw someone sat against the lockers, hidden from view. They obviously hadn't seen her, because they continued doing nothing as they had been for some time.

"Hey." She called, taking a step forward. Their head shot up now, the light from the doors revealing a familiar face.

Kim laughed, "Phrix." But stopped dead when she saw something else.

That wasn't Phrixos. It looked like him, but it wasn't.

There was something strange about him, something eerie, something sinister. He stood up and took a step towards Kim, who back away just a little. She could feel the walkman slipping out of her hand, loose.

"Watch out!" he said, reaching out for it, she jumped and let go. It stopped just short of the tiled floor, safely in Phrixos' hands.

"Careful, you'll break-…Kim?" he asked, voice full of concern. Kim had let out the breath she'd been holding, one glance from those light green eyes and she realised how stupid she'd been, it was him.

"I'm 'kay. Sorry." she added, laughing just a little and taking it back. She heard him sniff again, and remembered why she'd looked.

"Phrix, are you okay?" Kim said. He nodded quickly, turning away.

"Yeah, I'm-... I'm okay. I was just…erm…"

Luckily for him, the bell rang above their heads.

"C'mon, let's go." He said, laughing.

The bustle of students started up again, everyone wanting to get to their classes all at once. Kim had strayed a bit behind Phrixos, who went off didn't mind, people kept looking at her when she was with him. Any girl walking with a boy was obviously seen, as she'd find out soon enough.

"Hey, hey Kim!"

She turned, seeing a girl the same age as her walking up. She recognised her at once, to her displeasure.

"So, Kemina Johan. A little bird told me that there's a new guy, you know. Tall, dark, handsome. The whole thing." She laughed and placed her hands on her jean-covered hips.

"Uh, hey Dhina." Dhina Williams, Greygrove's gossip, drama-queen and cheerleader all rolled into one. The only thing missing was the blonde hair.

"Well? Spill, Kim!" she said, voice full of –fake- excitement.

"Erm…you mean Phrixos?" she asked, she wasn't playing stupid, honest.

Dhina rolled her eyes and said,

"Thanks, Captain Obvious! Everyone's talking about him, you're not gonna be selfish are you?" she laughed again, tossing chestnut brown hair over one shoulder. The corridor was slowly but surely getting less crowded as they stood there.

"So, he's called Phrixos then? Or is it Jack? I've heard a lot of different stuff about this guy." Kim wasn't too sure she liked the way she was talking about him, almost like-…

"C'mon Kim!" she heard Phrixos shout behind her, he tugged on her arm before spotting Dhina.

"Hey." He said simply and continued to coax Kim away.

"The famous Phrixos." She muttered, just loud enough for him to hear. He stopped, and turned to face her.

Even though she was older than Kim and by far taller, Phrixos positively towered over her. This didn't seem to faze Dhina, though, and she kept him under a steady blue gaze.

"Famous?" asked Phrixos, curious.

"Well, yeah. I mean, you're like, subject number one around here."

Something popped into Kim's head and out her lips before she could stop it.

"Talk of the town."

Both of them shot her a look, Kim blushed.

"Yeah... well, anyway." She said before turning back to Phrixos, who wasn't too sure about they way she was looking at him. Dhina flashed him a smile, and Phrixos' green eyes flashed back at her, to Kim's utter horror.

"Well, thanks...err…"

"Dhina." she said, and Kim wasn't surprised that she didn't stick her hand out for him to kiss. It was just like one of those soppy films, but, when she thought that, something turned in her stomach, a strange feeling.

"Right. Well, gotta go." He muttered hastily and took off in the other direction, leaving Kim to give Dhina Williams one backward glance and try to catch up.

Puffing and panting ten seconds later, they were outside the Literacy room, just as Miss Lake hushed them into the classroom.

"Talk of the town?" he asked quietly, raising an eyebrow. Kim elbowed him for that.

Miss Lake shushed them, and closed the door behind the last of her pupils.

"You'd like them." she added before he took up his last place at the back. Only something had changed today.

Gethin was back. Unfortunately for him –and Phrixos- the only spare seat was next to him. Phrixos' place.

Gethin wasn't going to like this.

Phrixos walked up and took the seat without a double take under Gethin's hard stare. He didn't say anything but he knew that he'd seen it. Phrixos was taller than him, Kemina could tell by his foul expression. looked at Phrixos, cool and unfazed by the well-built rugby player. That was one thing that he had over him, whereas Phrixos was thin and tall, Gethin was tall and burly, thick. And thick he sure is, Kim said to herself, smiling slightly. He was jealous.

Jealous. That word came to her suddenly. She was jealous. That was what she'd felt when Dhina and Phrixos were talking. She looked back at him now, silent. He raised his eyes and met her gaze with a defiant smile, which made her turn back, blushing. Actually blushing.

God, what was happening?

"Jeez, he's one character, he is." Said Phrixos, rejoining Kim when they came out.

She mumbled in reply, annoyed at herself. Phrixos took this as annoyance towards him and quietened.

"Kim?" he asked, gathering dignity.

"Yeah?"

"Y'know, this morning…in Chemistry…what'd I do wrong?" he muttered, avoiding a paper ball thrown by someone on the other side of the corridor.

She mouthed her surprised and said,

"Oh yeah, look, Phrix. Sorry 'bout that. It was…" she paused, not really knowing how to phrase it.

Phrixos noticed the silence. "It was what?"

"Well, you know…c'mon you know, Phrixos!"

"No, I don't." he said rather irritatedly. He stopped and Kim had taken a few steps before she stopped too.

"Erm…women's problems." She whispered, and giggled unexpectedly. She saw Phrixos raise his eyebrows before it sank in.

"Ah." Was all he said before joining in with her laughter.

"Well, I am a girl, you know."