Genre: General
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I own Nigina and Gideon. Everyone else belongs to Tim Burton.
(Background: I mentioned some of the events of this story in my Search for Lock, Shock, and Barrel fics.so here's the prequel to The Search for Lock, Shock, and Barrel! And FYI: If this sounds anything like a fanfic that has already been written, know that I came up with each lil detail on my own and am not copying anyone. That said and done.)
The year was 1721 in Romania. Nigina Damion was asleep in her mountain home. She and her children were just recovering from her husband's death. In the room next door, even through two feet of stone wall, she heard her children sleeping.her own little Lock, Shock, and Barrel. They were all so young. Barrel was only three months old, Lock a little over a year, and Shock just turned two. Nigina couldn't help thinking something bad was going to happen tonight.something that concerned the little babies in the nursery next door.
Nigina sat up slowly, flexing her bat wings. Without her wings, one would think she was human. She had pale skin, green eyes and long, straight black hair. Her face was round and young. Nigina got out of bed, her long nightdress sweeping the floor. She tiptoed next door to the nursery and peeked inside.
Barrel was in his cradle, sucking his thumb. Lock and Shock were in separate corners of the dodecahedron room. Shock was curled under her slivery-gray blanket, a vampire doll tucked under her arm, her straight black hair done up in two sweet little ponytails. Lock was almost buried alive under his midnight blue blanket. Nigina pulled the covers back a bit. He was sucking on a smooth wooden pacifier, his dark red bangs done up in tiny devil horns. Feeling a bit more relaxed, Nigina left.
~*~
Later that night, Nigina woke up again. She perked her pointed ears. Shock was crying. Nigina got out of bed. Almost as soon as she was on her feet, Shock began to scream. Nigina raced to the nursery, forgetting about her bat wings. When she arrived, she saw a bright light.and then a tall, round figure. It had tentacle-like hands and tiny feet. Under one tentacle was a basket, and Lock and Barrel sleeping inside. In the other was Shock, kicking and screaming, trying to get away.
"Stop!" Nigina screamed. "Leave her alone!"
At the sound of her mother's voice, Shock turned, her emerald eyes staring at Nigina.
"Mommy!" she cried in fear. "Mommy, help!"
The figure then stuffed Shock into the basket, before he pulled a blanket over it, the ends clinging to the basket's edge tightly, like a shower cap. Nigina ran and tried to grab the basket, but the figure pushed her back.
"You're husband owed me, Nigina," he hissed. "Gideon promised that he would give me his three little children if I spared his own life."
"No!" Nigina screamed. "Gideon is not my husband! Garrett is my husband! Garrett is dead! Gideon is his twin!"
"Don't try that old trick, Nigina. It won't work. These little children--- Lock, Shock, and Barrel, am I right?---are mine now. Don't worry. I'll take good care of them for you."
"No!" Nigina begged. "I never knew about this! They are MY children! Let them go! Let them go!"
Shock was crying from inside the basket.
"Mommy!" she wept. "Mommy!"
"Please," said Nigina, falling to her knees. "Have mercy! Let me have my children!"
"Sorry, Nigina. A deal is a deal. Take this up with Gideon. Tell him Oogie Boogie has come to collect his dues."
Oogie began to dissolve in thin air.
"No!" screamed Nigina. "Noooooooooooooooooooooo!"
She fell over Shock's bed and wept bitterly. Her own blood and kin, carrying them for nine months each, going through a lifetime of pain to give birth to them.and now they were gone, snatched from her grasp. Nigina suddenly perked up. She turned around as she saw an elderly woman with weak gray bat wings, long white hair, and a young face hobbled in, leaning on a walking staff.
"Nigina?" she asked. "What's going on in here? Where-where are the children?"
"Oh, Mama," Nigina wept. "They were stolen! Kidnapped! Abducted! Snatched from my grasp while I tried to save them! It was that Gideon! Gideon! Garrett's wicked twin! I knew he was trouble! Garrett knew it too! It was because of Gideon that they were stolen! It was because of Gideon that they're gone!"
Nigina screamed as though in agony. Her mother came in as quickly as she could and hugged her daughter. Nigina was only a widow and a young mother. Her husband had died only two months ago, and having her children stolen before her very eyes, didn't help her much.
"Try not to worry yourself, Nigina," the older demoness whispered. "We'll find them. I promise you, Nigina, we will find them again."
Nigina clung to the old woman and sobbed.
~*~
In the mists of another world, in a realm, Oogie Boogie arrived. Shock had by now stopped screaming, but instead kicked at the tarp covering her and her brothers, as though in boredom. She soon stopped, sobbing gently from being snatched away from her mother. In the shadows, a figure waited nervously. Oogie soon took notice of him.
"Don't worry, Gideon," he said. "That task is complete and your debt is paid. Your life is your own."
"T-thank you," said Gideon. "But.what will you do with my children?"
"I will raise them as my own, and when they're old enough.they will work for me. No be gone. We have no more business to tend to."
Gideon trembled as he slowly walked away, hoping his charade as Garrett still fooled Oogie. Oogie cast a small spell, and a portal appeared. He was standing beside a gnarled old tree, a deep ravine surrounding it. There was no bridge, no safe way across. Clutching the basket under one arm, Oogie crawled down the shaft with as much grace as a spider. Once down, he moved a boulder aside, revealing a secret door. He crept inside, set the basket down and replaced the boulder, before he carried the basket deep into his cave-like lair, which in three hundred years would be built into a mighty casino. (Reminder: this is in 1721)
He set the basket on a wooden table and pulled back the covers. Lock and Barrel were peacefully sleeping, Shock twitching in her sleep, her face streaked with tears. Oogie gently touched the child's face. His tentacle- like hand slipped onto her neck and felt a chain.a locket. Oogie carefully unclasped it and opened it up. Inside was a picture of Nigina and Garrett Damion. On the other side was a picture of the threesome sleeping. Oogie cackled.
"She won't need this," said Oogie. "Memories of her parents would foil with my plans..."
Oogie took the locket and threw it into the ravine. It closed and fell into a small, unused mouse hole, clear out of sight. Oogie then went inside to put the children in bed.
In his cavern, there was a small room, the only furniture three wooden cradles with cornhusk mattresses and a wooden toy chest filled with Halloween-type toys. He placed one of the sleeping children in each cradle, then quietly left the room.
~*~
It was almost dawn. Nigina had finally calmed down, her mother holding her like she was still a small child.
"Don't worry," said Magika, Nigina's mother. "You'll get them back. I promise you this."
"I hope so, Mother," said Nigina. "Stolen in the middle of the night! Before my very eyes! Curse that Gideon! Cast a plague upon his house! Have him no rest until they are once again safe in my arms!"
"Calm yourself, child!" exclaimed Magika.
"But how can I, Mama? They're MY children! Dawn is now here, and I can't leave, lest I should die! And if I die, they'll never know me! Within but a few months, their young memories will be swept away! I MUST find them again!"
"No words can heal a broken heart," Magika said quietly. "Especially the heart of a young mother. Words may not heal, but they can comfort. And right now, comfort is what you need."
"I don't want comfort," said Nigina. "I want my children."
"It is the only way to heal that torn heart. What else would help is to confront Gideon, to find out why he would trade your children for his own life."
"Then I'll send for him." Nigina took out a quill and a scroll of parchment and scribbled out a dire message.
"Come to my cave tonight at dusk. Any delays and you will pay. We have some matters to discuss, and I will not rest until we have spoken.
Yours truly,
Nigina Damion, your brother's widow"
Nigina rolled up the parchment and attached it to a bat's leg.
"Deliver this to Gideon Tremain."
The bat used a wing to salute and flew off.
~*~
The next morning, at Oogie's cavern, Shock woke up. She looked around, confused, then remembered the big, scary figure she had seen the night before. She shuddered, then sat down and softly wept, longing for Nigina. A few minutes later, she heard some soft groaning, like someone who had just woken up. She ran to a nearby cradle, where she saw Lock starting to stretch. His eyes fluttered open a few minutes later.
"Shock?" he asked, his voice small. He looked around. "Where.where Mommy?"
"I not know," said Shock in her little two-year old voice. "We tooked when it dark!"
"Mommy!" Lock exclaimed. He was scared, terrified. This was the first time he had been without Nigina. Shock hugged her little brother, her best friend.
"Shh, Lock, it all right," she said, her voice unconvincing. Lock cried even harder, missing their mother more and more by the second. It wasn't long before the door opened. Lock and Shock hugged each other tightly, scared of the huge burlap sack.
"Hello, children," he said.
"MOMMY!" Lock and Shock screamed.
"Your mommy isn't here," said Oogie, smiling wickedly. "I'm your mommy now."
"No you not!" Shock shouted, scared and angry. "You not Mommy! Mommy pretty!"
"Well, I might not be Nigina, but I'm your mommy now, you little brats."
This didn't help either Lock or Shock at all. They were scared, far away from home, wanting their mother. Oogie sighed as he picked them up.
"Put down!" Lock yelled.
"Yeah! Put down!" Shock agreed.
"Don't worry. I won't hurt you. Now, are either of you hungry?"
Lock and Shock looked at each other, then at Oogie, and nodded. Oogie left the door open to keep an ear out for Barrel as he carried Lock and Shock into the kitchen, which was two rooms down. He set each in a high chair and set some bowls in front of them. The stuff inside was a pale green. It smelled of moss and oatmeal, though disgusting to a human, it strangely sounded good to Lock and Shock. Shock tried to be a big girl and use a spoon, but Lock found it more convenient to use his hands.
Oogie watched them eat, before Lock pushed his almost empty bowl onto the floor. The leftover "oatmeal" splattered all over, and Lock laughed devilishly, clutching his sides as though it was the greatest thing on earth. Oogie chuckled. Just what he expected.
Shock laughed and did the same. Lock was covered from head to toe in his breakfast, and Shock's face and hands were a mess. Lock grabbed one of her two ponytails, then let go.
"Boing!" he exclaimed.
"Hey!" Shock exclaimed, seeing oatmeal in her hair. At that point, Barrel woke up. Oogie sighed and heated some milk over the fire while he went to fetch the tiny baby. When he came back, he placed an old, but clean blue blanket on the floor and set Barrel down, before he checked the heat of the milk. In the time he was gone, it had heated almost to perfection. It was a little cool, but it was better cool than hot. He carefully poured the milk into a glass bottle, before he put the stopper on and picked up Barrel. He fed and burped Barrel, while Lock and Shock had a food fight with their mossy oatmeal, bot laughing and giggling.
Barrel was happy for the moment, so Oogie set him down and started to heat some water to give Lock and Shock baths. While it heated, they grew tired of their food fight.
"Out!" Shock demanded.
"Out!" Lock said, just to copy his sister.
"In a minute. I have to heat your bath water first."
"Hmph!" said Shock, crossing her arms and sticking her nose in the air. Lock, on the other hand, started drawing pictures on his wooden tray, using what was left of his oatmeal for paint. Barrel started to cry. Oogie soon found he needed a diaper change. The water wasn't quite warm enough yet. Oogie was quick to get Barrel a new diaper, just narrowly missing getting squirted. Once Barrel was a happy baby again, Oogie washed his hands and checked the water. It was little too hot, but nothing a little cold water couldn't fix. He carefully dumped some in a tub and added some cold water to cool it down. Lock had fallen asleep in his high chair (Aww!), while Shock was still being a bouncing baby brat. (Quote from Hercules, heeheehee.)
Oogie added some soap to the water, making bubbles, then helped Shock out of her chair. She insisted on bathing all by herself, and Oogie let her. Shock found a blanket to use as a curtain. Oogie moved the tub to a corner, then helped her set up the curtain. Shock smiled then ran behind the curtain and undressed. A huge splashing sound told Oogie she had just jumped in. She grabbed a washcloth and scrubbed herself clean.
"Are you finished yet?" Oogie asked sweetly.
"No!" Shock said. Loudly.
"Let me know. I have a towel ready."
Shock giggled and splashed for a few minutes, then pulled the ponytails out of her hair and washed the oatmeal out of it. When she felt no more of Lock's breakfast, she decided she was done.
"To-wel!" she shouted. Oogie smiled and slipped her the towel. Shock wrapped herself up and came out, the towel covering all but her feet. She ran into the room Oogie had provided.
"I need dress!"
Oogie sighed. Fortunately, he had thought of that ahead of time. He went to a small dresser and pulled out a lavender dress and girls' underclothes, then tossed them into the room. Shock slammed the door so she could change. Oogie gently woke Lock and put him in the tub. Lock laughed and splashed around, soaking Oogie. Oogie soon pulled him out of the tub and put him in red pants and a red shirt. Lock's little devil tail made a hole with its sharp point. Oogie smiled and carried him into the playroom, where Shock had finished getting dressed. She hadn't brushed her hair, so it stuck out a bit in a strange way. She also found a tiny matching witch hat for her outfit. Oogie showed them the toy chest, where they entertained themselves for the rest of the day, save for meals.
~*~
(A/N: I have a one-year-old sib and a three-year-old sib, so I know well how babies talk. Even so, not many one-year-olds can do it.Lock and Shock are a bit smarter than most babies.a lot of their actions are based on my sibs too.I know how "Mommy's Kids" act.and how to take care of them.I have to baby sit them a lot.ok, ok, enough of my blabbing and on with the story.)
~*~
Gideon got Nigina's message and raced to her mountain home immediately. There he met an old woman with bat wings---Nigina's mother---and a very angry and upset Nigina.
"Why?" Nigina asked. "Why did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Don't play innocent with me, Gideon Tremain! Where are my children? Where are Lock, Shock, and Barrel?"
"I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know? Where has Oogie taken them?"
"I don't know where Oogie is! The last I saw him was on the outskirts of the village!"
Nigina sensed the truth in his voice. She was quiet for a minute.
"Why?" she asked quietly. "Why did you trade MY babies, my own blood and kin to save YOUR OWN rotten neck?"
"He---he was going to kill me! I made a deal with him and wanted out of it, so he wanted my children in exchange.but I didn't have any of my own. I don't even have a wife! So.so I acted as Garrett and gave Lock, Shock, and Barrel to him."
Nigina was more upset and hurt than before.
"YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" she screamed. "You should have died than cause me this grief! Have you no heart? It caused me much pain to bring them into this world, much joy to have them, much torment to have their father die, and even more torment to take them away from me like that!"
She fell to the floor, crying bitterly. Gideon backed away. Nigina looked up.
"You are going to help me find them, Gideon Tremain. Even if it kills you in the process. Have you heard of a fate worse than death? Well, you should've died when you had the chance."
Gideon was terrified. He quickly fled from the castle mountain. For days he was tormented by Nigina. She dragged him everywhere, making him do the dirty work. Finally, after nearly three weeks, he just.vanished, probably sick of Nigina's torture.
(A/N More to come...later...heeheehee.)
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I own Nigina and Gideon. Everyone else belongs to Tim Burton.
(Background: I mentioned some of the events of this story in my Search for Lock, Shock, and Barrel fics.so here's the prequel to The Search for Lock, Shock, and Barrel! And FYI: If this sounds anything like a fanfic that has already been written, know that I came up with each lil detail on my own and am not copying anyone. That said and done.)
The year was 1721 in Romania. Nigina Damion was asleep in her mountain home. She and her children were just recovering from her husband's death. In the room next door, even through two feet of stone wall, she heard her children sleeping.her own little Lock, Shock, and Barrel. They were all so young. Barrel was only three months old, Lock a little over a year, and Shock just turned two. Nigina couldn't help thinking something bad was going to happen tonight.something that concerned the little babies in the nursery next door.
Nigina sat up slowly, flexing her bat wings. Without her wings, one would think she was human. She had pale skin, green eyes and long, straight black hair. Her face was round and young. Nigina got out of bed, her long nightdress sweeping the floor. She tiptoed next door to the nursery and peeked inside.
Barrel was in his cradle, sucking his thumb. Lock and Shock were in separate corners of the dodecahedron room. Shock was curled under her slivery-gray blanket, a vampire doll tucked under her arm, her straight black hair done up in two sweet little ponytails. Lock was almost buried alive under his midnight blue blanket. Nigina pulled the covers back a bit. He was sucking on a smooth wooden pacifier, his dark red bangs done up in tiny devil horns. Feeling a bit more relaxed, Nigina left.
~*~
Later that night, Nigina woke up again. She perked her pointed ears. Shock was crying. Nigina got out of bed. Almost as soon as she was on her feet, Shock began to scream. Nigina raced to the nursery, forgetting about her bat wings. When she arrived, she saw a bright light.and then a tall, round figure. It had tentacle-like hands and tiny feet. Under one tentacle was a basket, and Lock and Barrel sleeping inside. In the other was Shock, kicking and screaming, trying to get away.
"Stop!" Nigina screamed. "Leave her alone!"
At the sound of her mother's voice, Shock turned, her emerald eyes staring at Nigina.
"Mommy!" she cried in fear. "Mommy, help!"
The figure then stuffed Shock into the basket, before he pulled a blanket over it, the ends clinging to the basket's edge tightly, like a shower cap. Nigina ran and tried to grab the basket, but the figure pushed her back.
"You're husband owed me, Nigina," he hissed. "Gideon promised that he would give me his three little children if I spared his own life."
"No!" Nigina screamed. "Gideon is not my husband! Garrett is my husband! Garrett is dead! Gideon is his twin!"
"Don't try that old trick, Nigina. It won't work. These little children--- Lock, Shock, and Barrel, am I right?---are mine now. Don't worry. I'll take good care of them for you."
"No!" Nigina begged. "I never knew about this! They are MY children! Let them go! Let them go!"
Shock was crying from inside the basket.
"Mommy!" she wept. "Mommy!"
"Please," said Nigina, falling to her knees. "Have mercy! Let me have my children!"
"Sorry, Nigina. A deal is a deal. Take this up with Gideon. Tell him Oogie Boogie has come to collect his dues."
Oogie began to dissolve in thin air.
"No!" screamed Nigina. "Noooooooooooooooooooooo!"
She fell over Shock's bed and wept bitterly. Her own blood and kin, carrying them for nine months each, going through a lifetime of pain to give birth to them.and now they were gone, snatched from her grasp. Nigina suddenly perked up. She turned around as she saw an elderly woman with weak gray bat wings, long white hair, and a young face hobbled in, leaning on a walking staff.
"Nigina?" she asked. "What's going on in here? Where-where are the children?"
"Oh, Mama," Nigina wept. "They were stolen! Kidnapped! Abducted! Snatched from my grasp while I tried to save them! It was that Gideon! Gideon! Garrett's wicked twin! I knew he was trouble! Garrett knew it too! It was because of Gideon that they were stolen! It was because of Gideon that they're gone!"
Nigina screamed as though in agony. Her mother came in as quickly as she could and hugged her daughter. Nigina was only a widow and a young mother. Her husband had died only two months ago, and having her children stolen before her very eyes, didn't help her much.
"Try not to worry yourself, Nigina," the older demoness whispered. "We'll find them. I promise you, Nigina, we will find them again."
Nigina clung to the old woman and sobbed.
~*~
In the mists of another world, in a realm, Oogie Boogie arrived. Shock had by now stopped screaming, but instead kicked at the tarp covering her and her brothers, as though in boredom. She soon stopped, sobbing gently from being snatched away from her mother. In the shadows, a figure waited nervously. Oogie soon took notice of him.
"Don't worry, Gideon," he said. "That task is complete and your debt is paid. Your life is your own."
"T-thank you," said Gideon. "But.what will you do with my children?"
"I will raise them as my own, and when they're old enough.they will work for me. No be gone. We have no more business to tend to."
Gideon trembled as he slowly walked away, hoping his charade as Garrett still fooled Oogie. Oogie cast a small spell, and a portal appeared. He was standing beside a gnarled old tree, a deep ravine surrounding it. There was no bridge, no safe way across. Clutching the basket under one arm, Oogie crawled down the shaft with as much grace as a spider. Once down, he moved a boulder aside, revealing a secret door. He crept inside, set the basket down and replaced the boulder, before he carried the basket deep into his cave-like lair, which in three hundred years would be built into a mighty casino. (Reminder: this is in 1721)
He set the basket on a wooden table and pulled back the covers. Lock and Barrel were peacefully sleeping, Shock twitching in her sleep, her face streaked with tears. Oogie gently touched the child's face. His tentacle- like hand slipped onto her neck and felt a chain.a locket. Oogie carefully unclasped it and opened it up. Inside was a picture of Nigina and Garrett Damion. On the other side was a picture of the threesome sleeping. Oogie cackled.
"She won't need this," said Oogie. "Memories of her parents would foil with my plans..."
Oogie took the locket and threw it into the ravine. It closed and fell into a small, unused mouse hole, clear out of sight. Oogie then went inside to put the children in bed.
In his cavern, there was a small room, the only furniture three wooden cradles with cornhusk mattresses and a wooden toy chest filled with Halloween-type toys. He placed one of the sleeping children in each cradle, then quietly left the room.
~*~
It was almost dawn. Nigina had finally calmed down, her mother holding her like she was still a small child.
"Don't worry," said Magika, Nigina's mother. "You'll get them back. I promise you this."
"I hope so, Mother," said Nigina. "Stolen in the middle of the night! Before my very eyes! Curse that Gideon! Cast a plague upon his house! Have him no rest until they are once again safe in my arms!"
"Calm yourself, child!" exclaimed Magika.
"But how can I, Mama? They're MY children! Dawn is now here, and I can't leave, lest I should die! And if I die, they'll never know me! Within but a few months, their young memories will be swept away! I MUST find them again!"
"No words can heal a broken heart," Magika said quietly. "Especially the heart of a young mother. Words may not heal, but they can comfort. And right now, comfort is what you need."
"I don't want comfort," said Nigina. "I want my children."
"It is the only way to heal that torn heart. What else would help is to confront Gideon, to find out why he would trade your children for his own life."
"Then I'll send for him." Nigina took out a quill and a scroll of parchment and scribbled out a dire message.
"Come to my cave tonight at dusk. Any delays and you will pay. We have some matters to discuss, and I will not rest until we have spoken.
Yours truly,
Nigina Damion, your brother's widow"
Nigina rolled up the parchment and attached it to a bat's leg.
"Deliver this to Gideon Tremain."
The bat used a wing to salute and flew off.
~*~
The next morning, at Oogie's cavern, Shock woke up. She looked around, confused, then remembered the big, scary figure she had seen the night before. She shuddered, then sat down and softly wept, longing for Nigina. A few minutes later, she heard some soft groaning, like someone who had just woken up. She ran to a nearby cradle, where she saw Lock starting to stretch. His eyes fluttered open a few minutes later.
"Shock?" he asked, his voice small. He looked around. "Where.where Mommy?"
"I not know," said Shock in her little two-year old voice. "We tooked when it dark!"
"Mommy!" Lock exclaimed. He was scared, terrified. This was the first time he had been without Nigina. Shock hugged her little brother, her best friend.
"Shh, Lock, it all right," she said, her voice unconvincing. Lock cried even harder, missing their mother more and more by the second. It wasn't long before the door opened. Lock and Shock hugged each other tightly, scared of the huge burlap sack.
"Hello, children," he said.
"MOMMY!" Lock and Shock screamed.
"Your mommy isn't here," said Oogie, smiling wickedly. "I'm your mommy now."
"No you not!" Shock shouted, scared and angry. "You not Mommy! Mommy pretty!"
"Well, I might not be Nigina, but I'm your mommy now, you little brats."
This didn't help either Lock or Shock at all. They were scared, far away from home, wanting their mother. Oogie sighed as he picked them up.
"Put down!" Lock yelled.
"Yeah! Put down!" Shock agreed.
"Don't worry. I won't hurt you. Now, are either of you hungry?"
Lock and Shock looked at each other, then at Oogie, and nodded. Oogie left the door open to keep an ear out for Barrel as he carried Lock and Shock into the kitchen, which was two rooms down. He set each in a high chair and set some bowls in front of them. The stuff inside was a pale green. It smelled of moss and oatmeal, though disgusting to a human, it strangely sounded good to Lock and Shock. Shock tried to be a big girl and use a spoon, but Lock found it more convenient to use his hands.
Oogie watched them eat, before Lock pushed his almost empty bowl onto the floor. The leftover "oatmeal" splattered all over, and Lock laughed devilishly, clutching his sides as though it was the greatest thing on earth. Oogie chuckled. Just what he expected.
Shock laughed and did the same. Lock was covered from head to toe in his breakfast, and Shock's face and hands were a mess. Lock grabbed one of her two ponytails, then let go.
"Boing!" he exclaimed.
"Hey!" Shock exclaimed, seeing oatmeal in her hair. At that point, Barrel woke up. Oogie sighed and heated some milk over the fire while he went to fetch the tiny baby. When he came back, he placed an old, but clean blue blanket on the floor and set Barrel down, before he checked the heat of the milk. In the time he was gone, it had heated almost to perfection. It was a little cool, but it was better cool than hot. He carefully poured the milk into a glass bottle, before he put the stopper on and picked up Barrel. He fed and burped Barrel, while Lock and Shock had a food fight with their mossy oatmeal, bot laughing and giggling.
Barrel was happy for the moment, so Oogie set him down and started to heat some water to give Lock and Shock baths. While it heated, they grew tired of their food fight.
"Out!" Shock demanded.
"Out!" Lock said, just to copy his sister.
"In a minute. I have to heat your bath water first."
"Hmph!" said Shock, crossing her arms and sticking her nose in the air. Lock, on the other hand, started drawing pictures on his wooden tray, using what was left of his oatmeal for paint. Barrel started to cry. Oogie soon found he needed a diaper change. The water wasn't quite warm enough yet. Oogie was quick to get Barrel a new diaper, just narrowly missing getting squirted. Once Barrel was a happy baby again, Oogie washed his hands and checked the water. It was little too hot, but nothing a little cold water couldn't fix. He carefully dumped some in a tub and added some cold water to cool it down. Lock had fallen asleep in his high chair (Aww!), while Shock was still being a bouncing baby brat. (Quote from Hercules, heeheehee.)
Oogie added some soap to the water, making bubbles, then helped Shock out of her chair. She insisted on bathing all by herself, and Oogie let her. Shock found a blanket to use as a curtain. Oogie moved the tub to a corner, then helped her set up the curtain. Shock smiled then ran behind the curtain and undressed. A huge splashing sound told Oogie she had just jumped in. She grabbed a washcloth and scrubbed herself clean.
"Are you finished yet?" Oogie asked sweetly.
"No!" Shock said. Loudly.
"Let me know. I have a towel ready."
Shock giggled and splashed for a few minutes, then pulled the ponytails out of her hair and washed the oatmeal out of it. When she felt no more of Lock's breakfast, she decided she was done.
"To-wel!" she shouted. Oogie smiled and slipped her the towel. Shock wrapped herself up and came out, the towel covering all but her feet. She ran into the room Oogie had provided.
"I need dress!"
Oogie sighed. Fortunately, he had thought of that ahead of time. He went to a small dresser and pulled out a lavender dress and girls' underclothes, then tossed them into the room. Shock slammed the door so she could change. Oogie gently woke Lock and put him in the tub. Lock laughed and splashed around, soaking Oogie. Oogie soon pulled him out of the tub and put him in red pants and a red shirt. Lock's little devil tail made a hole with its sharp point. Oogie smiled and carried him into the playroom, where Shock had finished getting dressed. She hadn't brushed her hair, so it stuck out a bit in a strange way. She also found a tiny matching witch hat for her outfit. Oogie showed them the toy chest, where they entertained themselves for the rest of the day, save for meals.
~*~
(A/N: I have a one-year-old sib and a three-year-old sib, so I know well how babies talk. Even so, not many one-year-olds can do it.Lock and Shock are a bit smarter than most babies.a lot of their actions are based on my sibs too.I know how "Mommy's Kids" act.and how to take care of them.I have to baby sit them a lot.ok, ok, enough of my blabbing and on with the story.)
~*~
Gideon got Nigina's message and raced to her mountain home immediately. There he met an old woman with bat wings---Nigina's mother---and a very angry and upset Nigina.
"Why?" Nigina asked. "Why did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Don't play innocent with me, Gideon Tremain! Where are my children? Where are Lock, Shock, and Barrel?"
"I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know? Where has Oogie taken them?"
"I don't know where Oogie is! The last I saw him was on the outskirts of the village!"
Nigina sensed the truth in his voice. She was quiet for a minute.
"Why?" she asked quietly. "Why did you trade MY babies, my own blood and kin to save YOUR OWN rotten neck?"
"He---he was going to kill me! I made a deal with him and wanted out of it, so he wanted my children in exchange.but I didn't have any of my own. I don't even have a wife! So.so I acted as Garrett and gave Lock, Shock, and Barrel to him."
Nigina was more upset and hurt than before.
"YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" she screamed. "You should have died than cause me this grief! Have you no heart? It caused me much pain to bring them into this world, much joy to have them, much torment to have their father die, and even more torment to take them away from me like that!"
She fell to the floor, crying bitterly. Gideon backed away. Nigina looked up.
"You are going to help me find them, Gideon Tremain. Even if it kills you in the process. Have you heard of a fate worse than death? Well, you should've died when you had the chance."
Gideon was terrified. He quickly fled from the castle mountain. For days he was tormented by Nigina. She dragged him everywhere, making him do the dirty work. Finally, after nearly three weeks, he just.vanished, probably sick of Nigina's torture.
(A/N More to come...later...heeheehee.)