Halloween and fall festivities go on for the entire month of October at the base where the Task Force considers home, but nothing compares to the huge party thrown every year on Halloween night. The brass looks the other way when the party rages on, and the punch is spiked three times over. Last year's party was the best one yet. Maybe too good.

You had been dating one of the members of the Task Force for a while at that point. Johnny. You thought he would just be a fun distraction, but he was an incredibly devoted boyfriend. He missed a lot of holidays. You weren't sure if he'd make it to the party this year even when he texted you mid-op: 'Don't buy a costume. Got you something special.'

But there it was, laid out on your bed after your shift and just your size. You put the costume on eagerly and added a few special touches. The way his eyes lit up when he saw you across the dance floor... You were dressed as a SWAT officer, yet the only thing that really signified that was the bold lettering on the back of the very short dress. You paired it with some fishnets and stole real handcuffs from a supply room on base. Johnny was dressed as a robber with a tight-fit black and white striped shirt and a cheeky eye mask. He made everything look good with those muscles.

Johnny couldn't wait to get his hands on you. He'd been on-mission for a few weeks, and seeing you in those fishnets made him lose all rationale. After dancing for only a few songs, he took your hand and dragged you to his office. The door locked behind you, and the rest is history.

A year later, you're putting your three-month-old baby in his first Halloween costume. Johnny is replacing the porch light in case any trick-or-treaters come knocking. You've squeezed into your costume from last year, since you got the baby's costume to specifically match yours: a black and white striped jumper and a black hat that can be pulled down to look like a mask.

When Johnny comes back inside, sneaking a piece of candy from the bowl next to the door, he stops in his tracks when he sees you and the baby. "No way... Ye dressed the bairn as my wee partner in crime?"

He eagerly finds his last year's costume and puts it on, adjusting the mask before taking the baby and resting him against his chest. There's a familiar heat behind his gaze as he looks at you in your old costume, "Careful, mo leannan. Might end up with two under two."