~ As I Walk Through the Valley of Death ~

I've been a part of the Monster High fandom for a few weeks now—I'm waay too old for this show, but I find the characters so adorable, and it seems like they put some actual effort into the animated series. Abbey is my favorite, natch. XD I got the idea for this story from reading on her various bios that her necklace provides her with her icy environment while she's walking around school. I got to thinking—what if she lost the necklace? Would she, erm, "kick the bucket," if she wasn't cold enough? Well, probably not, but this story will explore that direction. Plus, I love Abbey x Heath. :D My OTP for this fandom! I'd jump at any opportunity to write for them. Whoo, and I got lucky, too—"A Perfect Match" was released just as I was finishing up this chapter. Here, they've been dating a few months, but things are about to get a little bit rocky…

Hopefully I do an okay job! Here I go!…

Rating: K Plus (I had a few swears written in, but I might edit them out—even in fanfic, I can't see these cuties using inappropriate language. XD

Update 11/11/12 - I did decide to include a few swears—these guys are in high school, after all. ;D I've increased the rating from K plus to Teen. Some mildly adult themes, as well, but nothing too intense, I don't think!)

~x~

Chapter 1:
Do Me Favor

The jeweler placed the satin box into Heath's outstretched hands. "Here you are!"

"Awesome, thank you!" Heath pried the case open and took a peek inside. On the plush pillow within lay a crystal necklace, its elegantly carved pendent sparkling. He gave the jeweler a thumbs up. "Looks as good as new!"

The goblin craftsman hobbled over to the counter and hopped up onto the stool behind the display case. He began polishing the glass surface in front of him with a rag. "Good good good. Now, Miss Bominable already paid over the phone." He removed his spectacles from his spindly nose and began polishing them, as well. "So, no need to worry."

"Oh, awesome. Thanks." Heath tucked the jewelry box into the back pocket of his jeans. He was glad Abbey had taken care of payment ahead of time, since the thought hadn't even crossed his mind he took her up on the errand. His own wallet was full of cobwebs and Dawn of the Dance ticket stubs—the first dance he had taken Abbey to, in fact.

The goblin waved his cleaning rag at him. "Take care, now!"

The customer bell jingled as the door swung shut behind Heath. The fire elemental placed his hands on his hips and glanced up and down the street. Fancying another look at Abbey's necklace, he withdrew the box from his back pocket. Yep, still as perfect as ever. His ghoul should be pleased.

Returning the treasure to its place, Heath knelt down and tied his shoe. He had already missed one class to take Abbey's necklace to the jewelers, and he was sure lunch would be ending soon, too. He wanted to be sure he got his ghoulfriend's necklace back to her as fast as bominabl—er, possible. Abbey had been acting oddly towards him that morning, and he was eager to make amends. Straightening up, he dusted himself off and then took off running down the street.

~x~

"Heath, can I ask you favor?"

The daughter of the Yeti, as well as Heath's official ghoulfriend of two months, had approached his locker after second period that morning. Abbey Bominable clutched her stack of school books at her waist, and her face wore a worried expression it did not often have.

"Sure thing, Russian doll." Heath snapped his locked shut and leaned against it. "What can I help with?"

"I need someone to run a precious errand for me." Setting her books at the bottom of his locker, Abbey reached around her neck and unclasped the crystal necklace she always wore at her throat. She held it up for him to see. "See crack?" She pointed to one of the gems. Heath squinted, and he did indeed notice a crooked fracture marring the jewel's surface. The Yeti girl grasped the pendent in her palm. Her eyebrows cinched together. "That very bad. Need fixing. Please, could you take to jeweler for me? It on Stoker Street three block over. Already made appointment, but cannot miss big Biteology exam today. Could you do that for me?"

"Oh, sure thing, ghoul!" The boy laughed and scratched the back of his head. He flashed her a sheepish grin. "I didn't do my Dragonomics homework, so I could use a reason to skip, anyhow."

Abbey smiled, though not in response to his joke. She placed a hand on his sleeve, settling the other over her chest. "Thank you, thank you. You have no idea how much mean to me."

"Of course. Anytime." Clasping the necklace in his hand, he leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.

Abbey gasped and pulled away. Turned away from him, she knelt down, a hand pressed over her cheek.

"Oh no—Abbey!" Heath jumped towards her. "I'm sorry, baby!…I didn't burn you, did I?"

Abbey peeked at him over her shoulder. "It okay—not hurt that bad." She scooped up her books and started hurrying down the hall. Her other hand still pressed against her cheek, she waved at him over her shoulder, "I see you later, okay?"

"…Yeah, okay..." Heath sighed as he watched her scurry away. The fire sprite shoved his hands in his pockets and slumped against his locker door. He had never scorched Abbey—or anyone, for that matter—with his kiss before. (In fact, she was the one usually accidentally freezing him with a casual touch.) His hair hadn't even been flaring up just now. He hoped this wasn't some new thing—it was hard enough for a fire elemental and a Yeti girl to be dating already. Sheesh.

Brooding a moment longer, he opened his hand and studied the crystal choker Abbey had left in his care. He had never touched Abbey's necklace before—or ever even seen her without it. He ran his fingers over the sharp, straight edges. Tucking the prized possession into the inside pocket of his jacket, he hurried down the hall, devising a way he could sneak off of campus for a few periods.

~x~

Abbey drummed her pencil against her desk, massaging her temple with her fingers. She had only been without her necklace a few hours, but she was already beginning to feel the effects. The margins of her Biteology exam were littered with hearts and stars instead of calculations and equations, and she was constantly wiping invisible sweat from her forehead. She snapped at her fur collar. Bah, why did the Down Belowers keep their classrooms so warm, anyhow?

A few moments later, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. A roar rumbled throughout the halls as students leapt up from their seats and stampeded out of their classrooms. Abbey sighed and pushed back from her own desk, feeling underneath her chair for her purse. Her exam hadn't gone well, but it was better than skipping it entirely, and according to Clawdeen, Hackington was absolutely murder to make up exams for. Good thing Heath had been able to run her necklace to the jewelers this morning. As she returned her pencils to her purse, Abbey's heart began racing when she realized she might be able to catch Heath by his locker in just a few minutes if she hurried. Rushing out of the classroom, Abbey made it halfway down the hall before she realized she had left all her books at her desk and had to dash back.

Her shoulders slumped when she didn't see her boyfriend leaning against his locker, waiting for her like he always did before lunch period. She slunk into the Creepateria by herself and sat at a table in the far corner, hoping none of her friends would come in and see her. She was in no mood for talking right now. Propping her head up on her fist, she pushed her food around her plate with her plastic spoon.

Abbey's heart sank further when she didn't see Heath on the way toward her sixth period class, either. She was hoping he'd be back by now—she could use a pick-me-up by seeing him before Physical Deaducation, her least favorite class. Sighing, she straightened her posture, trying to mentally prepare herself for another miserable, sweaty period. Ugh…each time she swallowed, she felt as though a wad of cotton was stuck in her throat, and whenever she wiped her sweaty cheek, she feared she was smearing makeup all over her face. Hopefully Heath would be back by the time she passed by his locker on her way to Dead Languages later that afternoon. She couldn't stand this much longer.

~x~

Heath positioned the blue satin box on his locker shelf as he collected his books for Biteology class. Abbey was probably already in Phys. Dead., so he would have to hand the necklace off to her when she passed by him on the way to Dead Languages that afternoon. He smiled—he knew Abbey's schedule by heart. That's what couples do, right?

The bell rang a second time, jolting him out of his daydream. Grabbing his slender Biteology notebook, the fire elemental was about to slam his locker shut, when he hesitated. Abbey's jewelry box looked awfully exposed, just sitting there alone on his shelf like that. He gathered up a few of his loose class notes and, having arranged them on top, slammed his locker closed and dashed off towards class before the last class bell tolled.

~x~

Abbey picked up her speed as she turned onto Heath's hall. She eager to get her necklace back—and see Heath too, of course. Her cheek still stung from where he had tried to kiss her earlier that morning; she hadn't acted fast enough, that time. During Clawculus, Ghoulia had handed her a white bandage decorated with tiny red hearts to cover her cheek. Once she had her jewelry back, she could give Heath a kiss on the cheek to apologize and say 'thank you' for running such an important errand for her.

Seeing the boy at his locker, her heart began pounding and she picked up her pace. However, feeling lightheaded, she slowed down again.

"Hello there, hello." She sidled up next to him and settled a hand on his sleeve, careful to touch only the fabric. "How you doing?" Her eyes passed from his empty hands to inside his locker. "Sorry to be forward, but do you have necklace?"

"Yep, sure do! Riiiight here." Heath began rummaging around in his locker.

He frowned. The necklace wasn't there.

"Um, hold on just a sec…" He gathered up all his loose notes and dropped them on the floor to gain better access to his textbooks in the back. As he banged around his locker, Abbey, her brow furrowing, crouched down and began shifting through the pile, but she found nothing.

"I swear I placed it under these when I got back to school…" Heath's heart began pounding. He hadn't seriously lost it, had he?

Abbey rose, her eyebrows knitted together in a mountainous crease. She pulled on her bottom lip with her thumb and forefinger. "You sure not in bag? Or pocket?" she offered.

Heath obligingly turned out his pockets, then picked up his backpack and dumped the contents out on the floor. Papers and pencils went rolling in every direction, but no box slipped out with them.

Dropping the bag on the ground, Heath leaned against his locker and scratched his head. "I'm sorry, Abbey, I'll keep looking…I swear I put it in here just an hour ago." The fire elemental's expression suddenly brightened, and he snapped his fingers. "Or, better yet—I'll buy you a new one! An even better one. I mean, I'm sure your old one was special, but, I'll make it up to you—"

"No, no—Heath…you not understanding." Abbey's skinny legs began to tremble, and the ghoul took a step back from the mess they had made. Her pale blue cheeks whitened, and, although it went unnoticed by her boyfriend, her breaths became short and labored. "Heath…without necklace…I—I…weee…"

Heath glanced up from the stack he'd been reviewing when Abbey didn't finish her sentence after a few moments. "…Hm?"

Abbey hadn't answered him, because she was spread out on the floor of the hallway, her arms and legs twisted at haphazard angles. She had fainted dead away.

~x~

So, what do you think so far? Thanks for checking this story out! ^_^