pumpkinskeleton (pumpkinskeleton) wrote in wariscoming, @ 2010-11-26 00:33:00 |
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Entry tags: | elphaba, jack skellington |
Who: Elphaba and Jack
What: Finding and nursing
Where: A graveyard then their house
When: Evening
Rating: PG-13
It had been nearly a month since anyone had seen Jack, including Elphie. If it hadn’t been for the time jump, they might have noticed his absence a bit sooner, but as it was, it was Thanksgiving and still no Jack. Most people would assume he would have been sent back to Halloween Town, but there were still things around the showed that he was still there. Just the way the wind blew in a particular graveyard, how the plants around a specific grave were dead and haggard looking. The days were never sunny there, always dark and cloudy, like the atmosphere of the earth itself knew something no one else did.
In reality, right before the time shift, Jack had been out one night and encountered a couple of demons. They knew who he was and he could tell what they were. It was a short fight, Jack was quickly subdued with a knife to the belly. Taking care of him had been easy. He’d been tied and gagged, stuffed in a badly made coffin and buried six feet under ground. The first time he came back he looked around wide eyed, unsure of where he was and kept gasping for air, using it all up thus suffocating to death. The second time there was no air left to gasp for and he quickly went unconscious and died, again. After the second time, his body had gone into a hibernation of sorts just. . . Staying dead. After the time change, he was still there, just waiting for someone to find him, if the could at all.
The trip to the future had thrown Elphaba off a bit. She was confused by the way people had treated her then. For the first day or so since they came back, she was weirded out by it. Xander had respected her, she’d made friends, she even did a lot of good in a hopeless situation. It had taken her a day or two before she realized Jack wasn’t around. She thought that was strange. He was always around, always noticeable. When he wasn’t around her, she always heard him working on some project downstairs. But finally, she started worrying.
Even though using the Grimmerie had led to bad things at home, she seriously hoped it wouldn’t have the same outcome here. If what she’d seen in the future was true, she had been using it for good. So why not give it a try? Pulling the book out from the hiding place she kept it in, she paged through it, looking for a spell that could locate Jack. After getting all the necessary components, she cast the spell. When she got a location, she quickly made her way to the spot. Once there, it didn’t take long for her to realize he was buried.
“I’m here, Jack. I’m here! I’ll get you out of there if it’s the last thing I do.” Elphaba felt a pit in her stomach and she felt a bit shaky. It was much the same way she’d felt when Fiyero had been taken away by soldiers. She glanced around, looking for a shovel or something. She spotted one, grabbed it and started digging, almost frantic with need to get Jack out of that grave.
Jack laid scrunched up in the short coffin, his body looking like it was stuffed in much like a rag doll that was done being played with. He couldn't hear her or feel the shovel start to dig. For all intents and purposes Jack was technically dead. So until that metal shovel hit the wood of his coffin, there was nothing to show that he was still there, just waiting till she would be able to open it up and get him out and breathing again.
Elphaba dug and dug, focused solely on getting Jack out of there. As she worked, strands of black hair worked free of her braid and sweat formed on her brow. She had no idea how much time had passed by since she’d started digging, but she was broken out of her trance by the sound of the shovel hitting something hard. Her eyes widened and her heart pounded in her chest.
“Jack?!” She had no idea if he could hear her, or even respond. She tossed the shovel out of the six foot hole she’d dug and used her hands to remove the dirt remaining on top of the coffin. Once she’d gotten enough of it off, she repositioned herself, grabbed hold of the lid of the casket, and started lifting it. “Jack, can you hear me?”
His hands still tied tight in front of him, his feet bound together and shoved in awkwardly, as the gag was still firmly in place between his lips, Jack laid still as the coffin lid was pulled open revealing his pale face, made to look more dead now that he was actually in the ground. The air was something that helped get his body started again. Slowly, things started to wake up, knowing that his body could restart without problem now.
Once she got the coffin open, she looked down at Jack. She couldn’t help but wonder if she was too late. She reached out one dirty hand and brushes some hair from his face. She then removed the gag. “Oh Jack, I’m so sorry…” Of course, she felt that she was somehow responsible for this. While she really wasn’t, she was used to things like this being her fault, or being blamed on her. After a moment, she reached down, slipping her arms under him and started pulling him out of the coffin. It definitely wasn’t easy. He was tall and she…wasn’t. But it was perhaps the combination of adrenaline and the will to save him any way she could that helped her haul him out of the coffin. She unbound his wrists and ankles, then she used a levitation spell to lift them both out of the grave.
Once they were on solid ground, she used another spell to put the dirt back in the hole she’d just dug. She then sat there on the ground and held Jack in her arms, checking for any signs of life from him. “Hey, it’s okay now. You’re out of that grave. Really, you can wake up anytime now.” She was practically begging him to wake up. She really wasn’t ready to lose the one man that had shown her the greatest amount of kindness and trust since she’d arrived here.
Jack laid in Elphie's arms motionless for a few moments as everything started to wake back up. As quiet as it was, it must have been a shock to her when he suddenly jerked awake. Eyes wide and dark, his ebony eyes had no white to speak off as he gasped for air and coughed hard, curling up slightly in her lab as his body shook and jerked trying to restart so quickly.
When Jack jerked awake, Elphaba nearly leapt out of her skin. She looked at him, wide eyed, her own ebony eyes watching in shock as he took a gasping breath and coughed. She helped him sit more up right, to help him breathe easier. “It’s okay, I’ve got you.” She smiled gently at him, brushing her fingers through his hair gently. Since it was obvious he was waking up himself, she didn’t need to cast a spell or anything to help him.
It was just like getting up from a long sleep. Jack was disoriented and groggy. His eye sight kind of fuzzy as he held onto Elphie, not quite sure where he was as his body still jerked a bit. Synapsises connecting again and making sure his muscles were working and able to move. "Wh-where am-m I?" He got out, blinking rapidly trying to clear his eyes as his voice came out raspy and unused for so long. Thoughts started to connect and he remembered kind of what had happened, but was still getting his bearings.
When he spoke, she smiled in relief. “You were in a grave. But I just dug you out. When you feel like you can get up, I can take you back home. Otherwise I could fly us there.” She kept him in her arms, keeping him steady as he regained his senses and became more aware of his surroundings. She sure as Hell wasn’t about to move him until he was more coordinated. Elphaba didn’t want to make him more disoriented than he all ready was.
"El-Elphie?" He said looking up at her frowning in confusion as his vision started to clear up and he saw her face slightly better. It was more like tunnel vision, but his body was waking up and that was what mattered. Still clinging to her, he blinked looking away and around. "I-I'm. . . I don’t'. . ." He couldn't get the words out as he tried to get his brain to work right. "Home," he said feeling his body still jerk a bit, but not as bed as it was. "Go home," he said holding onto her tightly.
She nodded as he said her name. “Yes, it’s me, Elphie.” She smiled gently, still finding it a little odd that he called her that. Though that was mostly due to the fact Galinda had been the only other person to call her that. When he said home, she nodded. “Of course, we can go home.” She took a few moments to analyze the situation. Walking would be the least disorienting to him, but she knew in this state, she’d have to carry him, and she didn’t think she could get very far. “Hold on to me as best as you can, okay? I’m flying us home.” She grabbed her broom that was nearby, then pulled Jack onto her broom as best as she could, chanted the spell to allow her to fly, and promptly flew them back home.
"Kay," he said, breathing easier, more steady. He felt weak and flimsy. No food or water for nearly a month did that to you. Holding onto her like she said to, Jack shifted onto the broom. The best he could really do was hold on with shaking arms. "Home," he said again softly as he buried his face in her back, taking in the familiar scent that calmed him a bit, making it easier to come around even more.
A very soft blush came to her cheeks as Jack buried his face in her back. She flew them home carefully, but quickly. Elphaba believed there was nothing like flying, she loved the feeling of the wind in her hair, the feeling of complete freedom that came with it. It wasn’t very long before they arrived back home. Landing with expert precision, she wrapped an arm around Jack’s back and helped him inside. She led him to the nearest piece of furniture, which was a couch, and she gently set him down on it. Setting her broom aside, she went and sat next to him, taking his hand in hers, not fearing the contact anymore. “Is there anything I can get for you?” She looked in his eyes, a look of deep worry in her own. She was so thankful that he was alive, and she wanted to do everything she could to help him return to life.
On wobbly legs, Jack went into the house with Elphiba's help. Getting to the couch, he laid down slightly. "Um. . ." He wasn't sure. But he felt like sleeping a bit. But his belly ached and gurgled. "D-don't know" he said closing his eyes trying to think except everything just came out in. . . Bleh. "Food," he said softly feeling his body just start to give out from lack of energy. "P-PJs," he blinked trying to stay focused. This was not what he had planned for in his experimenting. This was just. . . Wrong. Raising a shaky hand, he rubbed his face slightly trying to think straight.
“Food and pjs. Okay, I’ll get those. Just, wait right here.” She didn’t think he’d actually move, but she said it anyway. She got up and went off to his room, finding a pair of his pjs, then she went into the kitchen and grabbed whatever food didn’t need to be cooked and brought it back to him. “Do you want me to help you change before you eat?” Elphaba was a bit frantic, hoping to do the right things to help him. She was covered in dirt, though since her dress was black, the only places it could clearly be seen was on her hands and face. There were a few dark smears on her cheeks and forehead, signs of where she’d wiped sweat from her face while she’d been digging.
Oh boy, more questions meant thinking. Jack grunted what he thought was a yes and hoped was a yes. His pajamas usually consisted of a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt, nothing fancy really. While he was in boots, jeans, button up shirt, with a vest and tie, it would be easy to take off than get on really. Hopefully she wouldn't get bashful about seeing him in his underwear, because right then he wasn't really dressing himself.
It was then that Elphaba caught on that she should stop asking questions since it was obviously difficult for Jack to speak and think. “Okay.” She set the food aside and went about peeling him out of his clothes. When she got him down to his underwear, she did get bashful, but she just made sure her gaze remained on non-naughty parts as she put his pjs on. Once he was changed, she leaned him back. “There you go, I hope that’s better. It has to be more comfortable than a cramped coffin.” She grabbed the package of food and sat back down beside him, opening it. She pulled the food out and held it up to his mouth for him. “Here’s something to eat. I’m really not much of a cook, I’d probably just poison you or something, so I hope this is all right for the moment.”
Laying back on the couch, his tall and lean figure stretched out on the couch not going anywhere. Pillows propped him up a bit so he wasn't laying flat out. Nodding slightly at the couch being better than the cramped coffin, he felt the cracker? cookie maybe? put against his lips and he started to nibble on it a bit. Not much so he didn't have to chew it thoroughly, he made himself open his eyes so he didn't just pass out right there on her with food in his mouth. Swallowing what he had, he continued to work on it till the bit was gone. "Drink?" He said turning to look at her with half lidded eyes. The pupils still engulfed his whites, his inner darkness that was from his very creation being tapped into to come back again was showing.
Elphaba smiled gently as he slowly ate. It made her feel good to do something good like this. Though she truly wished she could’ve saved Fiyero and known he was safe before she ended up in this place. When he asked for a drink, she nodded. “Just a moment.” She got up and went to get him some water. As she filled the glass, she couldn’t help but remember that rumor that had gone around Oz saying water would melt her. She of course knew that wasn’t true. A minute later, she returned with the water. “Here’s some water.” She placed one hand under his head, lifting it and putting the glass to his lips so he could drink a bit. It was only at this moment that she thought she should have gotten a straw or something.
Feeling the cool wetness of the water on his lips, he sipped it as Elphie helped hold his head up. He was feeling a bit better, but a bit was still a long way from feeling back to normal. Jack was just glad he was out of that damn box. It probably was going to give him a complex, which would just be ironic given he was the pumpkin king. "Tired," he said softly he took a bit into his belly, settling it down to where it wasn't painful. "Sleep?" He asked wondering if there was a blanket around. Jack was a pale man by nature, but he was damn near see through. His lips were cracked and dried, he. . . well looked too much like a corpse for it to be healthy on any account. This was going to last for a couple of days if not longer even with his super duper healing.
When he’d taken all the water he wanted, she set the glass aside and rested his head back against the pillow. When he asked for sleep, she nodded gently. “Of course. You can sleep.” She stood up and grabbed a blanket that was folded and sitting nearby. She unfolded it and laid it over him, tucking him in. She set a hand on his chest, really worried about his complexion, how much like a corpse he looked. “Get some rest. I’ll be right here when you wake up, okay?” She smiled gently, rubbing his chest a little bit.
Licking his lips slightly, Jack nodded with tired eyes. Reaching up, his cooler hand wrapped around Elphaba's warms hand. "Promise?" He said looking up at her, his eyes seeming so old and tired right then. Centuries catching up to him right then.
“I promise. I’ll be right here.” She smiled at him. It was probably the first wide, warm smile she’d given him. After all the things he kept trying to do to get her to smile like this, she couldn’t help but give it unprovoked now. She set her other hand over his that was on her hand.
"Kay," he said looking up at her before closing his eyes and finally letting himself go to sleep. Granted he'd been doing nothing for the past month just lay around, but death and sleep were very different. One took a lot out of you when you could come back. "Night," he said not knowing if it really was day or not, just that he was going to go pass out for some much needed rest.
“Good night, Jack,” she replied, giving his hand a little squeeze. She leaned over him then, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. She then gently brushed her fingers through his hair, putting a little order to it as he lay there looking much like Death itself. Elphaba would hold to her word, never leaving his side for a moment until he woke up again. She’d keep vigil over him, thinking that she could save him, pull him back from the brink. Apparently, she could do good deeds still and not have it turn out badly.