Disclaimer: I don't own Spooksville.

Warning: Bad grammar. English is not my first language. Sorry for any mistakes.

AN: I've always wanted to write a spooksville fanfic.

Summary: If only Sally had been there...

Friends in Need

Part II

Adam woke up in a warm, comfortable bed. A white tile ceiling greeted him when he opened his eyes. He turned his head to see a row of other beds next to him that were occupied by Watch, Bryce, and George. Cindy and Tira were on their own beds on his other side. They were all covered with large, thick quilts.

Adam was relieved.

They were alive somehow.

He heard the door squeak and sat up. A familiar figure walked into the room with jaunty steps.

"How are you feeling, son?" Bum asked. The once mayor of Spooksville loomed over him with concern.

"Where?" Adam croaked out.

"The high school's infirmary," Bum reached back and scratched his head. "It was the closest building."

Adam glanced out the window. The blizzard was still furiously pounding outside.

"How did we get here?"

Bum smiled.

"On the back of a magic turtle," he replied.

Adam was confused.

"Who are you calling a turtle?" a voice demanded to know.

Sally...foul-mouthed, bad attitude and all... was there, strolling in after Bum. She bristled as she crossed her arms and scowled.

Adam tried to process what was happening.

"You carried me? From the cave to here?" he asked.

"She carried all of you," Bum told him mirthfully. "One by one on her back."

Adam could only stare as Sally's face flushed bright red.

"All of us?" he asked.

"All of you," Bum confirmed. "I didn't get here till she carried the last of you out of that cave."

"And it wasn't easy," Sally groused. "Cindy weighed like a ton."

"I heard that," Cindy said weakly.

"Sally!" George yelped. Adam thought for one moment that George would cry. There was tears lurking in his eyes.

"It's so very good to see you," Tira smiled.

"Welcome back," Watch nodded.

Sally grinned.

"I hate to interrupt," Bum said. "But I think your parents should know where you are."

Adam reluctantly got up from bed. He and the others followed Bum down the hall to a closed door.

Sally picked the lock to the principle's office so that they could use the phone.

"How do you know how to do that?" George asked as Sally triumphantly threw the door open.

"That's nothing!" Sally boasted. "I can hot-wire a car in minutes!"

"Really?" George looked to Adam.

Adam reluctantly nodded.

"That's really cool," George was awed.

Sally looked thoughtful. "Here."

She handed George her pickpocket kit.

"For me?" George blinked. "But I don't-"

"That's what practice is for," Sally put him in a headlock and gave him an affectionate nuggie.

Bryce handed to the phone to Adam. "Just called my folks. Here."

"Thanks," Adam dialed.

Cindy had been the last because her parents were the most overprotective. It took almost an hour to convinced them that she was safe. She hung up and looked at the group. "What do we do now? My mom said that the snow storm won't be over for another day."

Adam's stomach growled loudly.

"I guess we have dinner," Bum said cheerfully. He led them to the school's cafeteria and they raid the refrigerator.

When they sat down to their meal of meatloaf surprise and apple sauce, Adam finally managed to ask the question that was on the tip of his tongue since he woke.

"Did you and your parents come back for a visit?" he asked Sally. Another thought occurred to him. "How did you know we were at the cave?"

Sally paused. She and Bum exchanged looks.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you about it later," she offered.

"Tell us now," Watch said. He and Sally locked eyes. "We have time, right?"

"Nah," Sally gave a sudden wide yawn. "I'm a bit tired. Let's go to bed." She grabbed Cindy and Tira. "Come on, Bum!"

Bum shrugged and followed.

"But I haven't finish eating!" Cindy protested.

Adam watched as they disappeared out the door.

"Somethings off," Bryce said with certainty.

"I agree," Watch nodded. "She's hiding something."

George looked a little lost with the conversation. Adam knew how he felt.

"There's no point in confronting her," Watch said. "She's stubborn. She'll tell us when she feels like it."

They began eating. By the time they finished and reached the infirmary, the girls and Bum were already in bed, sleeping.

"Goodnight, everyone," Adam said. He slipped underneath the covers. What felt like moments later, he was awaken by someone gently shaking his shoulders.

"Sally?"

Sally held a finger to her lips and gestured for him to follow her. She led him down the hall to an empty class room.

Adam walked to the windows and looked out. "It stopped snowing."

The moon was out. It hung in the blue sky like a shining orb. It made everything outside gleam and sparkle like a white winter wonderland. It was hard to believe that just hours ago, it had been a dangerous tempest that had almost killed him and his friends.

"So what did you want to talk about?" He turned to Sally. He staggered back in shock. Adam was so speechless, he couldn't scream.

"About this, I guess," Sally looked uncomfortable. One pale blue arm had reached up to hold her other arm that had fallen from its socket. "I won't hurt you or anything," she said hastily.

"You're...you're..." Adam couldn't say the word.

"Dead?" Sally asked helpfully.

Adam nodded his head in agreement.

Sally didn't make a move towards him, much to his relief. Instead, she moved away and sat on the teacher's desk.

"It was a car accident. It happened a little after we drove out of the state line," Sally said. "It was dark and we were on mountain road. My dad lost control of the car. We ended up driving off a cliff."

"So your parents-"

"They died instantly," Sally lowered her head. Her long brown hair hid her face, so Adam couldn't see her expression.

"And you died too?" He felt his stomach churned.

"Not right away," Sally shrugged. "I was trapped. I got caught between the backseat and the front, and I couldn't move. I tried calling for help, but the road we took was so remote not many cars passed by. Even if they did, they probably couldn't hear me. Our car had fallen a long way."

Sally and her parents had crashed a short while after they had left Spooksville... that's why she never answered any of their letters. Adam had always assumed that she was having too much fun in her new town to write back to them.

"How long were you trapped for?" Adam swallowed hard. He tried to imagine being in Sally's place; trapped with nothing but her dead parents and in pain.

"I don't know," Sally replied. She looked slightly haunted. "It felt like forever."

"I'm sorry," Adam slowly walked over to her. He was nervous when he touched her shoulder.

She was icy cold.

"I died eventually," Sally continued. "There was this really bright, warm light. My parents were behind it and they wanted me to go with them."

"Why didn't you go to it?" Adam wanted to know.

"Because I heard you," Sally said simply.

"Me?" Adam gaped.

"Yeah." Sally reached out and held his hand. "You were thinking about me and how much you wished that I was there."

"I was thinking that in the cave," Adam admitted.

"I know. I heard you. I couldn't leave when you and the others were in trouble," Sally said. "You're my friends. The next thing I know I was in my body again. I managed to pull myself loose and I started walking."

"You walked all the way to Spooksville," Adam stared.

"How else was I suppose to get there? By Taxi? Hello, I'm dead," Sally bonked him on the head. "oops."

Adam was a little queasy when her arm fell off.

"Anyway, long story short, I walked all the way to Spooksville and found you guys just in time," Sally finished.

Adam's mind whirled with all the new information. "Does Bum know?"

"Yeah. He took one look at me and knew."

Sally looked at him with a sad look in her eyes and a happy smile. "I'm glad I saw you guys one last time."

"What do you mean one last time?" Adam asked bewildered.

"It's time for me to go," Sally gave him one of her famous 'are you an idiot' look. "My parents are waiting."

"Can't you stay?" Adam asked. "Just a little while longer?"

"Nah, you guys are fine now," Sally playfully punched him. She teased him."Are you going to miss me?"

"Yes," Adam answered honestly.

Sally looked taken back. She hesitated. Before Adam realized what was happening, Sally had leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

"I like you, Adam," she confessed when she pulled away. Her eyes started to glaze. Adam caught her when she fell. "Tell the others that I'm sorry, ok? Tell them I said bye."

"I will."

She gave him one last smile before she went limp.

There was a shimmery light by the window.

Adam saw her spirit give him one last wave before she vanished.

"She was always so self-centered," Cindy muttered.

Adam turned to see everyone standing at the door. They came in and gathered around him and Sally. Adam couldn't help but cry a little even though he knew that Sally was in a better place and that she was happy.

They all cried, even Bum turned his head away.

Sally...was rude. She was condescending, aggravating, and self-centered, but when it mattered she was the best friend anyone could ask for.

Maybe...maybe when they meet again someday, Adam would confess that he liked her too.