A/N: I'm thinking about putting out the full story around Fall time in time for Halloween. I know some of you are gonna have a long and hard wait for one of my stories, but I just thought that that would be best. Anyway, you know my rules by now, so why bother explaining them every time I upload something new? Nothing now said here isn't different as it was way back in 2013. I'll see you in your comments and I hope you enjoy this story. Happy Halloween or whatever, depending on when you read this.
October 28th...
Atticus ran with Patch back home as they both laughed, but then Atticus's laughter slightly died out.
"What's wrong?" Patch asked.
"Oh, nothing, I just feel like I'm forgetting something..." Atticus said, then looked at his watch. "Ooh, midnight, it's nearly Halloween now."
"Yeah, come on, we better get home." Patch said.
Meanwhile...
Cherry blew a noisemaker dully as she was sitting in a chair in front of a cake and a party hat on her head with a birthday banner as the candles' flames died out and she was left alone in the dark. "I can't believe it," she said to herself. "They forgot my birthday."
"I'm still here..." Forte said as he handed her a gift wrapped box.
"Oh, joy..." Cherry took the box and unwrapped it to see a jewelry box and it had a necklace inside. "Oh, how lovely, I'll probably wear this at the opera house."
"I'm sorry the others forgot your birthday." Forte said.
"It's okay, I think I'm gonna have a slice of the cake and then go to bed early..." Cherry said.
Forte nodded and he cut her a piece of her cake.
"I just wish that something would actually happen on my birthday." Cherry said.
"Oh, Cerise, it's okay..." Forte soothed.
"Some friends I have..." Cherry muttered.
The next day, everyone met up, but Cherry was running late until she came to them.
"Hey, guys..." Cherry narrowed her eyes. "Have a good night last night?"
"Yeah, you should've been there!" Atticus smiled.
"Feel like you forget anything?" Cherry clenched her teeth.
"No, did we?" Patch asked.
Atticus began to think of what Cherry meant until he realized what last night also was. "Oh... Ohh!" he said. "Oh, Cherry, I am so sor-"
"It's okay, guys, you didn't have to come if you didn't want to..." Cherry turned away, obviously hurt. "After all, it only comes once a year."
"Cherry, if there was any way I could go back in time and celebrate your birthday with you, I would." Atticus said.
"Hmph..." Cherry pouted.
"We missed Cherry's birthday?" Patch asked.
"Yes." Atticus nodded.
"Hm..." Cherry sounded mad.
"Cherry, I'm sorry..." Atticus frowned.
"Whatever, Atticus!" Cherry snapped. "Just forget about it, okay? You were obviously too busy."
"I really am sorry." Atticus frowned.
"Hmph..." Cherry folded her arms. "The cake was delicious by the way..."
Atticus sighed, feeling guilty and knew he had to make this up somehow. 'I've got to make it up to her somehow.' He then thought to himself.
Later on, Atticus was home in his room, pacing around. "What am I going to do?! Cherry probably hates me right now!"
Emily knocked on the door. "Honey, Drell wants to see you."
"Mom, I'm busy, tell him I'll come by later!" Atticus called back.
"He says it's urgent." Emily then said.
"Well, forgetting Cherry's birthday and trying to thing of a way to make it up to her is more important!" Atticus told her.
Drell opened the door anyway and leaned over Atticus. "YOU FOOL!"
"Not now, Drell!" Atticus told him as he continued to pace around.
"Okay... Fine..." Drell shrugged and walked off. "I was just about to invite you guys somewhere that might make someone as miserable as Cherry happy, but never mind!" he then shut the door and went to the linen closet. "I'll just go and make Skippy replace my Whack-A-Mole home set."
"Wait! Is this place all Halloweeny?" Atticus asked.
"But of course, in fact, it's Halloween every day down there, but you live in the land of 'I-Don't-Care'..." Drell shrugged as he walked to the closet, then held up his hand as he counted down on his large fingers. "Three... Two... One."
"Wait!" Atticus called out, stopping him from leaving.
Drell smirked, then bore a soft straight face as he looked back to the boy. "Yes...?"
"Take me and Cherry with you!" Atticus begged.
"Well, I don't know..." Drell rubbed his stomach lining with his forefingers. "I might be rather too busy for you guys..."
"Doing what?" Atticus asked.
"Eh, I dunno..." Drell inspected his fingernails, pretending not to care. "Maybe I'll go to the moon with Hilda for one of our rendezvous~..."
"Please take us with you to this place you were talking about!" Atticus begged.
"Well... I dunno..." Drell ran his fingers through his hair. "How bad do you wanna go?"
"Drell, Cherry might KILL ME!" Atticus cried out.
Drell chuckled. "Yes, she might..."
"Drell!" Atticus cried.
Drell chuckled. "I'm just pulling your leg," he put his arm around Atticus then. "Hilda and I happen to have an old friend in Halloween Town with grandchildren in this realm."
"Wahoo!" Atticus cheered.
Drell chuckled. "I can't believe you forgot Cherry's birthday though..." he then narrowed his eyes. "I oughta sock you..."
"Cherry being angry with me is much worse than you." Atticus said.
"Oh, come on, she can't be that bad..." Drell rolled his eyes.
"Let us check on her and see her then." Atticus said.
Drell then went with Atticus to go see Cherry who was pretty mad with Atticus for forgetting her birthday.
"Hi, Mrs. Butler, is Cherry home?" Atticus asked nervously.
"Yes, but now is not a good time." Michelle said.
Drell walked right in anyway. Michelle rushed over and blocked her daughter's bedroom door.
"Michelle, I am a professional, I have been in the Council for hundreds of years, I think I can handle your daughter." Drell smirked.
"Okay, but it's your funeral." Michelle sighed.
Drell came into Cherry's room without knocking.
"Funeral?" Atticus winced. "At this rate, we might as well call the mortician now."
"Cherry, stop being mad, Atticus is sorry he missed your birthday." Drell came into the perky goth's bedroom.
Michelle and Atticus soon counted down from 5.
"Get out." Cherry said.
"Hey, now, that's no way to talk to your superior!" Drell scolded.
"GET OUT!" Cherry roared which sounded rather dark and demonic.
Drell yelled out of fear and ran out of the room.
"And now he knows." Atticus said.
Michelle sighed. "I know you didn't mean to Atticus, but she's really upset about you missing her birthday."
"I know..." Atticus sighed back. "There's gotta be someway to make it up to her."
"Hmm... I know, how about taking her to Halloween Town?" Michelle smiled. "There's a bus that goes there every Halloween night before midnight."
"Halloween Town?" Atticus asked.
"Oh, yes," Michelle beamed. "My mother's old friend Aggie Cromwell usually goes to see her grandchildren on Halloween night and she was thinking this year of showing them Halloween Town herself, and if you would like, I will ask her to take you and Cherry with her."
"Yes, please!" Atticus begged.
"I'm sure Halloween Town will be the cure Cherry needs," Michelle smiled, knowing how much her daughter loved the holiday. "But, you didn't hear that from me."
"Are you guys still out there?" Cherry asked as she couldn't hear them which would be a perfect surprise.
The two of them soon shushed each other. Cherry poked her head out, showing she had on her headphones with music and shrugged as her best friend and mother seemed to vanish before she went back in her room and shut the door.
"I'll go ask her now." Michelle whispered to Atticus.
Atticus nodded. Cherry was listening to her music and soon saw her mother which made her grunt as she paused the music and put her headphones around her neck to see what she wanted, but she saw her going to a different phone.
"I need to use your phone." Michelle then told her.
"Oh... Okay..." Cherry shrugged. "What were you and Atticus talking about?"
"Oh, he just wanted to know something about the Netherworld that Grandma taught me," Michelle smiled innocently. "I'll see you at dinner."
"Oh..." Cherry frowned.
Michelle felt bad for lying to Cherry, but it would be made up for later as she soon placed a phone call in secret. Cherry sighed as she put her music back on as she felt betrayed. After a few rings, there was finally an answer.
'Hello?' A voice on the other line answered.
"Hey, Aggie, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind bringing daughter and her best friend with you to Halloween Town?" Michelle whispered to her.
'Aren't they mortals then?' Aggie asked since Michelle wasn't a biological witch.
"No, Atticus is a Wiccan and Cherry has special powers of her own." Michelle promised.
'Well... I guess that would be all right.' Aggie replied.
"You see, this is kind of a special gift for her and in a way for Atticus to make up for forgetting her birthday." Michelle said.
'Ah, I see,' Aggie replied. 'I just have to collect my grandchildren, it's little Marnie's time now.'
"Oh, my, is she thirteen already?" Michelle smiled.
'Yes, time does fly, doesn't it?' Aggie chuckled. 'But yes, it's about her time.'
"Is your daughter going to be okay with her starting her training?' Michelle asked.
'We're just gonna have to wait and see,' Aggie sighed. 'Your mother was very lucky that she could keep custody of you since you didn't have witch powers at birth when she adopted you.'
"Oh, I know," Michelle remembered that trial with the Witches Council. "I was so scared for both of us."
'I know.' Aggie smiled.
"Thanks so much, Aggie, you're a life saver," Michelle beamed. "I just know this'll be perfect for my little Cherry."
'Anything for a good friend's daughter,' Aggie giggled. 'I just hope she doesn't mind my grandchildren.'
"Hard to say, though I'm sure Atticus will want to bond with Dylan." Michelle guessed.
'We'll just have to see.' Aggie said.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Michelle beamed.
A few days later...
"Happy Birthday, Mom." Cherry handed one of her birthday cookies to her mother since it was October 30th, the day before Halloween and Michelle's birthday.
"Oh, dark chocolate, my favorite," Michelle smiled as she accepted the cookie from her daughter. "Thanks, Cherry Berry."
"You're welcome." Cherry said.
Michelle then happily ate the cookie. "Excited about Halloween tomorrow?"
"I guess." Cherry shrugged, still a little down that her own best friend forgot her birthday.
"Now, Cherry, I'm sure Atticus will do something to make up for forgetting your birthday." Michelle said.
"Mm..." Cherry hummed lowly.
"Anyway, I'm expecting someone tomorrow." Michelle said.
"Oh... Okay, I'll come out to get my dinner and give you two some privacy until I go to the cemetery." Cherry replied.
"Actually, I'd like you to be down here when she arrives." Michelle said.
"What?!" Cherry asked.
"It's just a little favor, Cherry..." Michelle told her daughter. "Agatha is a good friend of your grandmother's."
Cherry then sighed, trying not to sound like a smart aleck about it. "All right, Mom."
"Thanks, sweetie." Michelle smiled.
"Okay, Mom." Cherry replied.
Michelle still smiled, knowing tomorrow was going to be a lot of fun for her dark and gloomy daughter.
The next day came sooner than anyone knew. Of course, for Cherry, Halloween night came closer for her than anyone else, and she was wearing a ghoulish costume.
Michelle was dressed as a female vampire since that was usually what she wore when she used to trick-or-treat with Cherry's brother when he was a kid. She then heard the doorbell and she pretended not to know who it was until she opened the door to show an older blonde woman at the door. "Oh, it's Aggie Cromwell!" she then announced with glee.
"And if it isn't Michelle Butler?" Aggie smiled.
The two laughed and hugged each other.
"Hi, Aggie!" Bud smiled as he was going to be social.
"Oh, and this must be your Bud," Aggie smiled back to him before smirking playfully toward Michelle. "I'm going to snag him off your hands if you're not careful."
"Oh, ha, ha." Michelle smirked playfully back.
Aggie chuckled before looking to the ghoulish girl. "Oh, is this Cherry?"
"Yes, this is her." Michelle confirmed.
"Hello, Cherry, Happy Halloween." Aggie smiled.
"Hello, ma'am." Cherry replied dryly.
There was soon a knocking at the door.
"Oh, another visitor." Aggie smiled.
Michelle then answered the door. She soon saw Atticus dressed up as Superman. "Oh, Atticus, come on in." She smiled as she let in the strong boy.
Atticus smiled back and came inside.
"Let me feel those muscles," Bud smiled to Atticus before he soon did and where it felt like solid steel. "You should help me with a project someday."
"Maybe later, Bud." Atticus chuckled.
"You got it." Bud said.
"Hey, Cherry, Happy Halloween." Atticus smiled.
"You look like a dork." Cherry muttered.
"Cherry!" Michelle frowned.
"It's okay," Atticus said. "That's just her opinion."
"Ready to go?" Aggie asked Cherry and Atticus.
"Let's just get this over with." Cherry shrugged.
"Oh, trust me, Cherry, this will be worth it." Atticus smiled.
"Happy Halloween!" Aggie called out to Bud and Michelle on the way out the door.
Bud and Michelle waved as Aggie first took Cherry and Atticus to meet her grandchildren.
"And away we go." Atticus said.
"Joy." Cherry muttered.
"Don't be such a grumpy gus, you'll love this," Aggie soothed her. "I'm sure little Sophie is looking out the window right now, watching the little trick-or-treaters."
"Is she your oldest or youngest granddaughter?" Atticus asked.
"Sophie is the youngest." Aggie replied.
"That's good to know." Atticus said.
Cherry sighed as she didn't find this to be important, though she would be proved wrong soon enough.
It was soon dark and many kids in costumes were going around to collect candy for tonight.
"We're almost there." Aggie said.
"Joy." Cherry sighed, though she was still upset with Atticus since he had known her for a long time and he forgot her birthday.
Atticus let it slide for now as he knew she would get over it soon once Aggie would take them to the secret place. Surprisingly for them, Aggie's bag moved. Aggie waited for a bus to take them to her daughter's house where her grandchildren were and she would then take them to the fabled world known as Halloween Town. Strangely enough, the bus could fly.
"Ooh, flying bus..." Atticus spookily told Cherry.
"We see flying cars all the time." Cherry replied dryly.
"Dang it, you're right." Atticus groaned.
"Don't worry, she'll warm up once we get to the town." Aggie smiled to Atticus.
"I hope you're right." Atticus sighed as he made sure his cape didn't get caught in the door as they went on the bus.
Once in the bus, they saw the driver and many monsters in the bus. Cherry wasn't too surprised. Atticus just hoped that Cherry would forgive him by the time they would leave Halloween Town. Once they boarded onto the bus, it floated in the sky and then flew off to take Aggie, Cherry, and Atticus to where Aggie's grandchildren lived with her currently single daughter, and where Aggie was right about her youngest granddaughter.