Pills and Needles: A Fran Bow and Coraline Crosover

Chapter Two: Part One: Getting Acquainted

OMG I'm so sorry this came SOOOO late. I swear, I did not give up on this tale! I had so much to do for school. But now that it's summer, I'll hopefully be able to update more often~❤️

"You guys seem to have a lot in common!" Wybie exclaimed, balancing on a ledge in the garden. The children have left the boy's grandmother's house to let her sleep. Fran was carrying Mr. Midnight in her arms, still wrapped in a blanket. She walked beside Coraline as they chatted in the garden.

The garden itself was cold and stoney, all the vegetation having died at the touch of winter. Snow was piled where the flowers had been along with the dirt underneath it.

"I guess," the blue-haired girl responded.

"That was scary. I honestly thought you were just crazy when you went on about the 'Other Mother,' but turns out you were right. I don't even know how you could sleep that night.."

Coraline smiled a bit. "Me neither."

"So," Wybie jumped off the ledge, landing beside Fran, "What freaky things have you seen?"

Fran smiled, more than happy to share. These two seemed to be rather open to weird things.

"Talking skeletons, giant ants, deedly-worms.."

"Deadly worms?"

"Deedly-worms. They kind of look like little reapers."

Wybie only shrugged. "I'll believe anything by now. Are from around here?"

"No, I usually stay with Itward, a skeleton, but his machine crashed..so I ended up here," Fran explained with a sort of sadness.

"Guess you weren't sure if we would understand if you told us the true story, huh?" Coraline asked.

"Yeah." Fran stroked her kitten's ebony head as he purred softly.

The trio were approaching Coraline's home once more, stomping off the snow on their shoes at the front porch. But before they could enter, they heard a cheery, "Hello, Caroline!"

Coraline, along with her friends, turned around to see her neighbors Miss Spink and Forcible along with some of their dogs on leashes. The two woman wore coats that looked rather elegant, Spink's decorated with white fur and Forcible's with brown, accompanied with a hat on her head.

"I say," Forcible whipped out her spectacles putting them up to her eyes. "Made a new friend, did we?"

Coraline made her way back down the stairs, her breath creating wisps in the air. "Still Coraline, Miss Forcible. And yeah, her name's Fran."

Fran walked down the steps to be greeted by three bodies of fur with three black, wet noses sniffing her. Fran in return reached down to pet them, holding Mr. Midnight close to her so they wouldn't go into a frenzy. The three Scottie dogs then licked her hand with pink tongues excitedly.

"Looks like the boys take quite a liking to you!" Miss Spink exclaimed happily. "A pleasure to meet you, Fran."

"Nice to meet you too!" Fran was about to shake her hand, then hesitated, for hers had just been licked by three dogs. But Miss Spink laughed it off.

"Quite alright, dear." So they shook hands, as did Miss Forcible. When the three had done so, Miss Spink withdrew and shivered. "Quite the weather we're having, hmm?"

Fran nodded. "Winter is really pretty, but I bet your dogs like the warmer weather, right?"

"So true," Miss Forcible confirmed, depositing her spectacles in her pockets. "They tend to become ill at this time of year."

"Speaking of illness, would you three like to come with us? We've just finished giving the boys their walks. I'm sure a nice cup of tea would warm you up."

Fran would have happily agreed to it, but she looked to Coraline before she could say a word. She responded by nodding. So Fran smiled and turned back to the woman "That'd be great!"

"Excellent." Miss Spink smiled, then paused. "However, I'm not sure if your cat will be safe in our home with our dogs."

Wybie, having stayed quiet until now, offered, "Would your mom let her cat stay in the house for a while, Jonesy?"

"Maybe. I think so. Is that okay, Fran?" Coraline turned to the younger girl. She seemed a bit sad at first to hear she had to leave her kitty, but then she nodded in understanding.

"As long as he's okay."

And so Coraline and Fran went to take Mr. Midnight inside. They set him down near a window. Fran kissed his nose, saying, "Well be back soon. Okay, kitty?"

He mewled in response. Then the two girls left. The house was quiet, except for the sound of Mrs. Jones cleaning up the last of the pots. Mr. Midnight sniffed the blanket he was wrapped in, then managed to stick on paw out. Then another. Soon, he managed to squirm out, sitting on the blanket. The black cat next attended to his fur, licking at it.

"A charming companion you have."

Mr. Midnight looked up. Golden eyes met blue as Mr. Midnight looked up to see the black cat, studying him with sapphire eyes.