A/N: Thank you, kind person, for taking a chance on this! As you can tell, this'll be my fan-made telling on the arrival of Jack and Sally's first baby of their eventual four or five kids. Chapters will sometimes jump forward in time or stay where they left off then continue from the previous one, which I just wanted to clear up as to make sure nobody gets confused. But hopefully, it's easy enough to follow along with!

Disclaimer: Pregnancy themes are extra prevalent in this, so if that sort of thing makes you feel uncomfy, I suggest just skippin' over those parts. This whole story will contain more than just that kind of stuff though, I assure you!

Jack Skellington paced the ground level of Finklestein Manor. His head is in a whirl, having to hold it in his hands to not topple over.

The Pumpkin King could barely believe it. After so many long months of extensive anticipation, this was it. This was finally it.

Between his long strides, he often glances up the spiralling ramp to where Sally's old bedchambers are—exactly where his wife lay at this precise moment. On the verge of giving birth to their newest member of the Skellington family, the couple's very first child, the supposed heir to his own throne. And it didn't help his rising stress that she was experiencing intense pain the last he saw of her. Who knows how much it could've worsened for her by now…

He dragged his troubled attention to focus again on the ground and carry his arms behind his back. Treading over nuts and bolts mounded across the metallic foundation, an easy tripping hazard as his concentration wavers dramatically and worrisome thoughts ravage his conscience. Now's when time felt never-ending.

Why can't I be up there? I'm at least half responsible for this child, aren't I? Jack sighs, continuing to bite the stitch marks lining his mouth. A habit he wasn't entirely sure where he picked up, but he hardly cared to ponder the measly insignificance right now.

This all seemed to just be happening so quickly when he tries, with difficulty, to pluck a distraction from thin air. He settles to recollect the events leading from where fate has brought them up to this fraught evening.

And maybe lightly, he smiled for the first time that night.

Many months prior, Jack sat in his personalized seat situated in their lounge room. The red chesterfield armchair with a towering back, more than appropriate to accommodate his enormous height—although it stretched taller than even himself when he stood straight upright. Meanwhile, Sally's chair was a large, plain white wicker chair of rotted rattan, rightly positioned opposite to his. About an appropriate arm's length apart. However, her's was presently unaccompanied. He was alone to engross the Skellington Manor with only a slumbering Zero at his feet to keep him some company, the dog absorbing the level warmth heating up the gothic room from the ignited fireplace. A sedative tool presently granting no allay to his master, though.

His beloved wife has been feeling ill all day, this especially prevalent during their demanding sessions of holiday planning with the Mayor and a fellow couple of the other officials. Come to think of it, she'd been feeling this way for a while, maybe over a week up 'till now. All of this unpleasure worrying her husband immensely, of course.

Eventually, after their royally obliged duties concluded for the day, Jack finally managed to persuade her into visiting Doctor Finklestein for a quick and much-needed check-up. And judging by the grandfather clock ticking nearby, Sally has been gone for almost an hour or so, maybe there really was something wrong with her… Jack had to force himself to stay put and not impetuously bolt to Finklestein's Laboratory when that trepidation became a plausible possibility.

His leg was bouncing, nerves almost vibrating, and dark eye sockets rarely blinking, as if he was stumped into a sporadic trance. But the moment that doorknob jiggled, Jack was instantly brought out of his daze and reclined off the red seat's cushioned back in burning expectancy. The discernible sound of the front door creaking open now making him lean forward farther. Watching the entrance to this lounge room like a starving vulture, anticipating for his wife to come through and make her awaited appearance.

Sure enough, her figure emerged underneath the arched doorway of the 'living' room. Crimson hair spread over her shoulders and hands clasped in front of her abdomen area. The squeaking of the door must have disturbed Zero enough to wake him, as the moment Sally presented herself, the ghost dog merrily flew to his mistress. Barking twice on the way before happily greeting her, circling her slender ankles once before bestowing a pleasant lick on her small blue hand. Making her lips turn up in a shining smile and release her hands, giving him an affectionate pat on the head to reciprocate the gesture.

Jack respectfully rose from his seated position, remarking at just how stunning she looked in the warm yellow beams of the burning fireplace, flickering intently with controlled sparks. It was almost as if she were glowing. A fierce wave of relief washed over him in seeing her in a neutral state of being, but he couldn't shake the sense that something was wrong. The skeleton noticed the slight twitching in her dainty fingers.

"Are you alright? What did the Doctor say?" Jack stepped across the floor's lengthy rug to meet her, wearing a comforting expression while extending his lanky arms to rub her upper sleeve and shoulder blades, in case she needed solace. Unable to mask his underlying concern.

Sally hesitated, opening her mouth for words to tumble out, only for silence. Internally having to force her voice to speak up before more seconds dragged on. "Oh, he said I've just caught some sort of bug. It should be gone pretty soon. I just need some rest," she explained, fiddling with her red painted nails and massaging her wrists.

Jack hadn't seemed to notice her uneasiness displayed by her hands this time around, however. Too engaged by her dreamy eyes concurrently, staring fondly down towards the only woman he will ever love. He sighed through his nasal bone, relaxed even at the mere sight of her ostensibly fine.

In the combined heat of the moment and intense gaze shared between the King and Queen, Jack bent down, his intentions clear towards his lovely spouse. Sally then leaned in herself, lips slightly agape as their faces came closer to meeting, ending the gap once left between them. Completely omitting the topic they had met upon as her body's posture went lax.

But one member of the household didn't quite get the memo, as Zero also brought his muzzle up to meet each of their noses, licking the two's faces wet with ghost slobber resembling a soggy goo, transparent and gross.

The couple repelled themselves backwards and out of scope from the pup's out-of-control tongue.

"Oh!" Sally squeaked. "Zero!" Jack merely laughed, wiping the wet dog slobber off with his shirt cuffs.

The two lovers simpered as Zero wagged his tail fervently, so over-the-pumpkin-moon glad to have made them happy! That's all he wanted to do and he couldn't possibly understand why sadder moments sometimes could outweigh these ones!

As they eventually calmed their giggle fits, Sally wiped away some moisture escaping the corners of her eyes before crouching down to the level Zero was hovering at. "Do you want to go on a walk, boy?"

Was she being serious in asking him that question? Of course, he always wanted to go for a walk! Zero excitedly performed multiple circles in the air, backflipping to show his oh-so-obvious answer and drain a little more energy.

"A walk?" Jack asked, furrowing his brows. Stuck in the mindset she would likely want some dinner or, in the very least, want to head to bed after their long day of planning. This caught him heavily off-guard.

Her shoulders tensed as she stood back to her full height again to face him. "Y-Yes. I was just thinking… it's dark and quiet outside… and I think I might need some air… and…" Sally began nervously toying with her hair, curling a strand of the carmine yarn around her dominant index finger.

Jack thought the proposal was a tad sudden, but how could he say no to her? She was right. Halloween Town's true beauty did shine through during the nighttime and it would be noticeably quieter. Plus, he wasn't exceedingly tired or anything. Blinking once or twice before responding. "Um—I mean, I suppose so. Is there any special occasion?"

"Oh, no. I just thought it would be nice to, maybe, go to the Graveyard tonight? Only if you feel up to it, though."

"No, no! That sounds like a fantastic idea! It has been a while since we last took a walk, hasn't it? I apologize for that, work has been getting in the way far too often as of late and—"

She placed a seductive pointer figure to his lips. "It's alright, Jack," Sally said as she quirked that crooked smile of hers, bottom lip off centre and stitches turning upwards to where her ears would be. Somehow, when she smiled, he found her eyes even more gorgeous. "Though, it is getting a little late," she acknowledged the fact. "Can we… go now?"

"Of course! I'll just fetch my coat. I won't be a second!"

And with that, Jack sidestepped out to the household's entrance, unhooking his trademark black and white pinstriped suit jacket from a hook pinned on the wall. Slipping it on with ease before holding his arm out, bony elbow elevated upwards for his lady to take.

Sally stepped out of the lounge room not a second later with a riled up ghost dog at her side, panting with built up excitement. "Thank you, Jack," she uttered, tenderly taking the offer of holding his arm.

It was indeed a silent evening. Excluding the occasional howl of a distant werewolf, fearful shriek or quiet whisper of the wind. Almost resembling a that of a ghost town adhere in permanent days of halcyon. Sticking by the familiar pathway of the scenic route to their gravesite attraction, lit merely by dim lamp posts standing tall by twisted poles.

The only residents they crossed paths with was the Zombie Band, the musical trio of three main instrumentalists equipped with talent and street-smarts. Who which the couple kindly greeted by their various first names—James, John and Jimmy, otherwise known as the three 'J's by their closest of acquaintances. Swaying intertwined to the soft tune, a brand new piece the band proudly wrote not all too long ago now. Which promptly earned praise from their small audience, the humble king repaying each with a flicked coin for good measure.

The Skellington three arriving at the Graveyard's sinuous iron gates shortly after their affable interaction. The overgrowing black weeds and bushes sprouting up the fence, giving it an ancient facade.

Jack exhibited inside his coat pockets for a certain key to open the gate, fingertips skimming over his spare change for, in retrospect, a metal stick with melted intricacies cut on one end. His one and only skeleton key, to be exact—one which opened nearly every public padlock in the town. However, Zero lacked the patience for his boney master to find and fully unlock the entrance, seeping through the bars to advance inside first.

Finding his key, he grips the iron bars to push the entrance open wide enough for Sally to pass through. Standing to the side and holding it in place specifically for his wife to enter before him. "After you, my lady." Jack performed an over-exaggerated bow. Sally curtsying to play along before stepping in to meet a thick and misty fog blown across roughly the entirety of the area's expanse. Enveloping each tombstone in the smokelike mass, ideally eerie. And although this smog should shield them from any unexpected limelight from nocturnal residents, Jack closed the gate over on habit, making it appear at first glance that this place was locked for the coming nightfall.

Catching up to Sally, as not to visually lose sight of her amongst this dropped cloud, he sparked a conversation between the two of them. "So, how have the Doctor and Jewel been lately? Doing well, I hope," he queried her about the later part of her day. Mindfully watching Zero's bright nose disappear as the canine flew off to find his own amusement.

"They're doing well. The Doctor's cough has gotten a lot better. Now he's busied himself with working on some new inventions again to get back on track and all," she reported, delighted to do so. "Jewel's gotten much better at cooking too. I think she's been reading the book I lent to her. Oh, and Igor was happy to see me visit again," she answered happily.

"Why, that's marvellous! I'm glad to hear the Doctor's gotten well, Halloween surely wouldn't be the same without his help," Jack commented.

"It's only April, dear," Sally giggled. "Goodness, how much planning has the Mayor made you been doing lately?"

Her spouse chuckled. "You would know, it's just the usual," Jack turned down his skull to wink at her.

The rag doll shook her head, lightheartedly. "You should try to take a break this week. You deserve it. Halloween is months away now, afterall."

"Dearest, you know the Mayor," he started to joke. "He would be positively lost without me if I took another day off."

Sally merely smiled, placid to muse. "I guess that's true…"

For the remainder of their pleasant outing, the lovers held hands and talked about various different topics. Jack caught up on how Sally's sewing shop had been doing as of late before she lends an ear in listening to a rant about his abundance of kingly duties. As they slowly saunter to their special spot atop of the famed Spiral Hill, a beloved landmark of the town, as well as holding a special place eternally the couple's memories. Sitting themselves aloft the large eminence then continuing to converse some more.

However, Sally was densely distracted for a majority of the time as the pumpkin sun sank beneath the horizon. Her brain was crowded, racked to the brim like thunderclouds covering a previously blue sky, though in this case, the gray clouds being her anxieties.

The Queen probably browsed over each and every conceivable way she could tell him the news. Reciting each method she could potentially ease into the topic at hand before rehearsing exactly how she was going to spill the poison beans. Structuring her chosen sentences to perfection and mulling over each of her anxieties over and over, and over again… She could barely even make sense of her flooding emotions. Neither was she sad, angry or… feeling overly felicitous. Although, excited to a degree and incredibly nervous, overall. She'd only ever dreamed of marrying and later starting a family with the Jack Skellington. To… be a mother—the thought was so nerve-wracking and both thrilling at the same time. The fact of it making her heart flutter when the Doctor first told her not a single hour or more ago.

"Jack," her tone shifted to a much more serious one, "I love you…so much." She wanted to tell him tonight, but the subject was so hard to foster.

He smiled slightly. "And I love you too, my dearest friend, more than anything. Is something the matter?"

"Jack, there's, um, something I have t-to…tell you," Sally started off very nervously, her voice sounding shaky.

Her husband instantly noticed this switch in spirit, and was all ears, gazing deeply into her eyes. "What is it?"

Sally's breathing silently became uneven, squeezing her hands tightly and chewing her bottom lip, avoiding any eye contact. Why was she so anxiously worked up? She knew Jack would never bail or cut ties with their marriage, but her heart's pace still raised to a much faster one.

"Sally, you can tell me," he prompted gently, lowering his head more down to her level. Generally worried now.

She mustered up her words, though they came out in almost a dead whisper. Taking in a breath before saying the phrase…

"Jack, we're going to have a baby."

Sally could only watch as the news slowly sank into him, metaphorically rattling his bones. It took a moment to properly process her words, but, after that, Jack's eye sockets stretched as wide as… as wide as… as pumpkins! His jaw opening in pure astonishment.

They were having a baby?

What? We're going to be parents? How? …Okay, he had a rough idea in that arena, but still! When did it…? How long ago, and when until…?

"W—What?" Jack unknowingly backed away, mouth fully agape. "H-How? When did it…? I—I c-can't… be a father?"

During his realisation hysterics, Jack had accidentally backed away a little too far, reaching the edge of the Spiral Hill and about to topple over the side.

"Jack!" Sally shrieked. Waiting for the sound of squashed pumpkins to be heard as he lands on the growing patch of the orange crop below.

But thank the Halloween gods, Jack had luckily caught himself before that mishap could befall. Having shifted his weight back in the right spot just in the nick of time before he undoubtedly would've flattened a good amount of the harvest. Although he wasn't exactly heavy in any sense, the height of the fall probably would've allowed him to crush a handful. The only hope the pumpkins would have had was if Jack's reflexes were fast enough to grab the curling spiral giving the hill its name and either lift himself or hold on if the hill unravelled at the new sensation gripping its thinnest part.

She exhaled with relief and placed a hand over the stitches crossing her chest. "Are you alright?" Sally's shy tranquillity returning.

Jack couldn't muster up the ability to speak, but if he had, his words would have been spluttered. It was as if Sally had cast a witch's mastering spell or curse upon him.

"Please say something," she quaked through a meek whisper.

Jack heaved a breath, slowly rising up to stand. Extending a skeletal hand to help her up which she coyly accepted. He then clutched her small hands in his large ones tightly—but was also gentle in the contact—gazing deeply into her large eyes. "You're pregnant? We're having a baby?"

Sally nodded subserviently. Heart beating and her head in an oblique position, almost vacantly acting submissive towards him.

Jack directly brought her into an embrace, a stunned Sally taking a moment before she wrapped her arms around his body in return. Contagious smiles forming on both of their faces. Sally had to clench her teeth to hold back tears of joy threatening to fall. Especially when Jack repeatedly rejoiced continuous "I love you"s, speaking so joyously into her soft hair. Any anxieties she previously had seemingly erased from her mind instantaneously. Forgetting the world around them and sinking into the two way cuddle.

The feeling of her chest pressed against his own and comprehension of her extraordinary news gave Jack a feeling of warmth he'd never experienced before.

Jack Skellington, the orphaned child of the pumpkin patch who's only friend or family was his ghost dog…was going to be a father. The notorious but isolated Pumpkin King of Halloween itself was going to have a little one of his own. Jack Skellington was going to become a dad and have a family to call his very own. The realisation was frightening yet made him the happiest man alive. He'd disregarded the possibility of ever having a child decades ago. Believing he was destined to stay alone forever. That was, until he met, courted and married Sally Finklestein. Jack's mind had thought of them being parents together at times, but never considered it seriously…

I'm going to be a dad, he ruminates again and again in his head.

Sally quietly sighed with contentment, relaxing in her husband's arms before she was suddenly brought out of the placid moment when he pulled back. Him leaving her touch to stand in front of her, candid. Another worried expression plastered across his white skull, making the rag doll apprehensive all over again.

"I won't—you know—hurt the baby in any way while hugging you…would I?" Jack had to admit, now that he said the thought out loud, his concern sounded rather stupid. But he still wanted to make extra certain!

His wife giggled a little, shaking her head to answer. Motioning him to sit down on the hill's surface once more alongside her. When he sat comfortably enough, she unknowingly began fiddling with her fingers moreover. "So, you're not mad or anything?" Sally hesitantly inquired, some hair falling forward over her shoulders. Using 'mad' as having the lack thereof a better word.

Jack took the lead, cupping her face and leaning in close. "Does this answer your question?" He spoke suavely before connecting with her lush lips, passionately kissing his beloved. Grinning into it when she kissed back. Her cheeks heating into a noticeable and purplish blush.

And when they ultimately broke apart, they continued to snuggle up against one another. No further words were required then, all that they needed was each other and the view, courtesy of the serene graveyard.

Simply resting taciturnly beside her husband, shoulder to shoulder in reclining positions on the ground. Often beholding their eyes up towards the clear sky, watching the never-ending expanse above transform into a ghoulishly dark night. Spotting their favourite constellations emerge the more the yellow moon proceeded to rise. Little shivers tingling down her porcelain spine as the temperature fell fractions by a fraction.

…At least, that's how Sally felt. If she weren't laying against him, Jack would've slapped himself hard in order to make absolutely certain this wasn't just another pleasant nightmare lost from reality.

"I didn't think it was possible…" Sally soon muttered, only just loud enough for him to hear.

Still relaxing on his back, he turned his head to admire her, something he's become addicted to doing for many years now.

Quite truthfully, Jack hadn't judged it possible either—for them to ever reproduce. They were dead, decaying monsters. Undead beings surrounded by everything and anything but to do with something as mortal as creating so-called life. Only a certain category here were capable of doing it. Including werewolves, vampires, some corpses and other species with the 'typical' functioning parts that had lasted in this rotting form of a world. Although, the alleged rules were pretty different in contrast to the humans' way of doing things—in some areas, at least. Especially considering the fact anyone born to a reproducing creature was birthed as undead from the very beginning of their existence, never considered alive, to begin with.

"I didn't know for certain it was either," he answered truthfully, waiting a few moments after her comment.

"I asked Doctor Finklestein how it was possible, actually," Sally alluded to, the low section of her forehead where her eyebrows would be, knitted. Thinking over her creator's explanation carefully.

Jack perked up a little. "How so, exactly?"

Sally's face flushed. Her dull blue complexion making the heat ascending across her cheeks establish her blush deeply. "Well…" she began. "He explained it was possible for us to conceive since I was—uh—built r-realistically to replicate the sort of… requirements," she turned to face him, smiling awkwardly. Knowing full well he knew what she meant. "And you're a bone-man, obviously, since you have some 'things' normal skeletons don't have…"

"Oh, of course, yes," Jack responded, laughing that off in a clumsy manner.

Unconsciously, the King and Queen touched foreheads then, while resting there. Remaining like this for a while, a minimum of five minutes at the least. But, Jack had one last burning question imparticular he desperately wanted to ask.

He eventually perched his head onto his knuckles, arm bent on the ground to sit his skull up. "Do you know when can we expect this little one?"

"The Doctor estimated it to be sometime in December," she answered. "We'll have a Christmas baby, Jack," Sally beamed.

Jack grinned equally as wide. "That's perfect." A sense of pride washing over him then, mixed with bursting elation.

That night, the realisation settled in even further.

Under the covers, he felt warmer than usual. Staring blankly up at the ceiling in deep thought, recounting everything that happened a mere hour or two ago.

His first reaction to Sally breaking the news was absolute shock followed by pure euphoria at her few special words. But, as the night dragged on, Jack couldn't find himself a strong enough will to fall into a peaceful slumber. Simply unable to shake the newfound concerns swarming every which corner of his already blurred mind.

He had zero clues on how to be a good father…

Yet, there was one thing he did know. Sally was carrying their precious baby inside of her, a defenceless little boy or girl who needed a mother and father to love them beyond all their adulting worth. Parents to raise and cherish them, to make sacrifices and achieve whatever it takes to make them happy. And he was going to be that daddy, heedless as to whether he was ready for this sudden giant leap into parenthood or even knew where to begin.

Jack was going to take care of Sally and this child with every fibre of his being.