"Jack! I'm… Oh!" Sally paused on the doorstep of Skellington Manor. It looked like the entire place had exploded into a kaleidoscope of pink, white, and red. The usual stone floor was covered with a fuzzy pink carpet, a vase of red and pink roses bedecked the kitchen table, everything smelled like frosting, and there were these strange shapes everywhere—a sort of cross between two circles and a triangle.

"Ah, Sally! There you are!" Jack cried as he came down the rhinestone covered stairs. "Isn't it wonderful?"

"Yes, but… What is it?"

"Well, I know you said that I shouldn't go to other lands, but I was really curious about what was behind this one door," Jack admitted. He ushered Sally in and sat her down onto the bright pink loveseat that had replaced their normal Victorian-era sofa. "So, yesterday afternoon, I went over and did a little… exploring," he explained. "And they have the most wonderful ideas! I'm thinking of using some of them for next Halloween."

"Jack," Sally said, glancing around anxiously at all the decorations. "You didn't get Oogie's Boys to…"

"Of course not! Don't be silly!" Jack exclaimed, carefully sliding the pumpkin patterned sack under the rug with his foot. "I just went and got some advice, that's all. They have some really spectacular ideas there, Sally, though they're a little rusty on anatomy. They think this is a heart." He held up one of the mutated triangles.

Sally tried to stifle her giggles. "That's supposed to be a heart?" she chuckled.

"Yes. I hate to imagine what they think the other organs look like," he said, turning the piece of paper 'round and 'round in his bony fingers. He grinned and let it drop to the ground. "But they have some really great ideas for treats! For example…" He crossed over to the kitchen table and brought back a series of mushroom shaped deserts with pink and white swirls on top. "They're called cupcakes," he explained, holding one out to her.

Sally gingerly took the cupcake from his bony fingers and nibbled at the edge. "It's delicious!" she cried. She looked down at her stomach. "Though I hate to think what it's doing to my stuffing."

"Oh, we can sort that out with Dr. Finklestein later," Jack said nonchalantly. He sat down next to her on the loveseat. "But now…"

"Jack Skellington!" An angry man with wings and a bow slung over one shoulder barged through the front door. Although he was fully grown, he was wearing a diaper and his tight curls reminded Sally of some of the pictures Jack had shown her of little children. "What in the name of Eros have you…" He paused to gawk at the decorations.

"Ah! And you are Cupid, I presume," Jack said, getting up to meet him. He shook the strange man's hand. "It's an honor to…"

"Don't you try any of that with me, you heartless idiot," Cupid exclaimed, swatting away Jack's hand. "I know what you did with Christmas, and I'm not about to have that happen to my holiday. Now what have you done with my arrows?"

"Arrows?" Jack echoed. "I don't know what you…"

"My arrows," Cupid growled, gesturing at him with his bow. "Where are they?"

"Oh, well… I may have… That is… Well, they are for shooting aren't they?" He gestured towards one of the rafters where a cluster of pink-feathered arrows were embedded in the wood. "I didn't have an apple and Jason was a bit busy anyway, so I just tried…"

"You idiot!" Cupid cried, flying up and snatching them out of the rafters. "They're supposed to be shot into people!"

"Oh! If I'd known they were for executions I'd have…"

"To make them fall in love," he elaborated. He snapped his fingers and the decorations all flew into the air and out the door. "Honestly…"

Jack stared in wonder as the last bit of confetti floated out the door. "That… was… fantastic!" he exclaimed. He looked up at Cupid. "Can you do it again?"

The keeper of Valentine's Day placed an exasperated hand to his forehead. "I'm not going to dignify that with a response," he replied as he floated back down to the floor. He marched up to the lanky skeleton and spread his wings so that they were in their full glory. "We talked about this at the counsel," he growled. "No stealing other people's holidays!"

"Well, I… Look," he said, pulling Cupid aside. "I just wanted to do something nice for Sally. It's our anniversary and…"

"Then get her some chocolates!" he exclaimed, his wings quivering with fury. "But leave Valentine's Day out of this!"

Before Jack could say another word, Cupid marched out the door, taking his arrows with him. Jack stared glumly ahead of him as the door slammed in his face.

"Oh Jack," Sally murmured from the far corner of the room. "You promised."

"I just wanted to do something special for you," he grumbled as he sat down on the floor where the loveseat had been.

The ragdoll smiled sadly at him. "Jack, you didn't have to do that," she said as she sat down next to him on the stone floor. She placed a hand on his knee. "I love you without any confetti or hearts or cupcakes."

"You really mean it?" Jack asked, glancing over at her.

"Of course I do, you bonehead," she smiled.

Jack smiled sadly. "I suppose it's somewhat pointless now, but… here," he said, pulling a card out of his jacket pocket and handing it to her.

"I added some of my own touches," he said as she opened the card.

"Blood is red, your skin is blue, never doubt that I love you," Sally read aloud. Tears began to form in her eyes.

Jack frowned at her. "I didn't think it was that bad," he said, looking affronted.

"No, Jack! It's… It's beautiful!" She held the card to her chest and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied. He beamed at her and kissed her gently on the lips. "Happy Valentine's Day."

Simply meant to be.

Reviews appreciated as always.