All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of Spacebabie

by: Spacebabie

Email: spacebabie@hotmail.com

Reviews can be found athttp://pub17.ezboard.com/bgargoylesx

Feedback is not only welcome but greatly appreciated.

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Party

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The warm temperature radiating from the late afternoon sun was cooled a few degrees by the crisp autumn wind. Gentle breezes blew through the island of Manhattan and loosened a few reddish brown and golden trees of their leaves and teased several people’s pony tails before it continued on its way through the valleys of tall buildings.

The cool air blew through the open windows of the stone fortress that perched on the top of the tallest building in the city. The breezes brought a cool relief to the denizens of Wyvern. The temperatures have begun to plummet to the low 50’s and to save money Owen sent out the order to keep the windows open. Only Frank had argued with the disguised fae they would be wasting more money on beverages to keep themselves refreshed and cool.

Alex wished he could drink as much soda as he wanted like the adults, but his mother argued that soda had a special ingredient that would cause him to stay up all night. He was allowed to drink root-beer, but he could only have one glass with dinner.

"My mom is unfair," the six year old complained as he selected the red plastic checker like piece from the stack in front of him. "I can’t drink Pepsi like the grown ups." He slipped the piece into the top of the golden plastic grid of his Connect-4 game.

"At least we can have juice and chocolate milk," Charlie picked up his glass of white grape juice and slurped the clear beverage through a bright red swirly straw with two large loops. "And at night we can have cocoa with marshmallows."

"Yeah, at least they aren’t making us drink water only." Alex took a drink from his glass. His own straw was clear blue with three small loops. "But what I don’t understand is why can’t I have more than one root-beer? It doesn’t have any caffeine"

"What’s caffeine?" Charlie placed one of his black pieces into the same slot as Alex placed his piece. He pointed at the diagonal of four black pieces. "Look."

"You win." The older boy pulled back on the tab, releasing the pieces into a small pile. "Caffeine is this stuff that makes you wake up."

"Like a magic potion?"

"It’s actually like a drug, but not like beer or cigarettes. It’s more like cough syrup. You don’t have to be a certain age, but still too much is bad."

"And there is none in root-beer?" Charlie glanced up at his friend.

"It’s not in root-beer and not in sodas with the word free on it. They keep forgetting I can read and spell. They treat me like a baby."

"I think my mommy is a little more fair," the weregoyle child seperated the black pieces from the pile.

"How often does she give you soda?"

"About one, two, three, four times today." He counted the numbers out on a fingers. "She gave me Sprite in little paper cups."

"In the cups they have in the bathroom?"

Charlie shook his head. "Like the kind we have at birthday parties."

"Your mom is cooler than mine." Alex took another sip from his glass before he grabbed another plastic piece.

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Fox frowned as she stood by the door to her son’s room. She paused when she heard Charlie’s triumph during the game and continued to listen as her son thinks she was unfair. Maybe she could give him more than one glass of root beer or Sprite since it lacked caffeine. The sugar didn’t cause Charlie to become hyper.

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"She’s unfair with more things than soda. I can’t play with any of my toys an hour before bed time. I can read and watch TV, but that’s it."

"At least you are allowed to do that," Charlie said as he placed his piece into the grid, starting a new game. "Before I go to bed I have to take a bath and then my mommy tells me a story."

"My mom is unfair with what I read and what I can watch before bed. I can watch cartoons and stuff after I finish my homework, but at night the last thing I’m allowed to watch has to be educational. I’m getting too old for Sesame Street. I can read books that are more fun, but she won’t let me read the second Harry Potter book until Christmas."

"At you least you can read." Charlie said softly. He was learning the letters of the alphabet from Ms Audrey Pomfour but he could not form words, not quite yet. He knew a few words such as Dad, Bed, and Bad.

"It’s still not fair. I’m a good reader. She should encourage me to read what I like. Some of my friends don’t even like to read and some are not good readers at all."

"Harry Potter is the big kid with the glasses?" Charlie asked. "And he’s got an owl and he’s in a movie?"

"Yeah, and he’s going to be in another one. He’s really cool. He fought this evil wizard and he’s got cool friends and he’s good at Quidditch." Alex pulled the straw out of his glass and waved it around spraying, droplets. "I comand thee to rise!" He pointed the straw at Charlie.

The four year old held out his arms, ready to levitate, but to his surprise nothing happened. "How come I’m not floating?"

"Cause I didn’t word it right."

"Not wizard magic, your magic. Why didn’t it work?"

"Cause I didn’t word it right," Alex placed his straw back into his glass. "Harry is so cool. I want to be Harry for Halloween."

"I want to be a super hero!" Charlie stood up and crossed his arms across his chest. He didn’t know which one, but he wanted to be a hero with powers, like Spiderman.

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Fox released a sigh of relief. She was begging to doubt her skills as a mother when the conversation shifted to Halloween. She was more than willing to help create and design the costumes for the boys. She was pretty sure Marle was going to want to help.

The thought of Marle brought a smile to Fox’s face. She and the rest of the clan’s females were already starting to show. They were no longer feeling sick and their abdomen’s bulged slightly. The males of the clan worked around the clock along with Fox, Jam and Elisa in setting up the rookery. They had cleaned out another room and already began lining the flooor with straw and feathers.

"Then they will get to see how hard it is to raise a child," she whispered. The only one who knew about raising a young curious boy was Demona, and she was a bit more lenient with him. She hadn’t heard Charlie say anything bad about her, but maybe it was because he wasn’t old enough to protest. She wondered how she should make it up to Alex. Maybe she asked the boys if they finished their juices they would be allowed to have some Sprite. No, then they would know she was listening. She could do something fun for them for Halloween.

She knocked on the door. "Are you two plotting to take over the world?" She asked in a teasing tone. It was the first thing that came to her mind. She hoped she didn’t sound like she was spying on them.

"No," Charlie replied. "We are going to save it."

"Ah, we have a couple of brave heroes," Fox’s amused chuckle was not forced. "Can I enter this great fortress of solitude."

"You can come in mom," Alex’s tone made him sound both bored and slightly annoyed. He almost sounded like what he was doing was very important and could not be bothered.

"Mom?" Fox rolled her eyes as she entered. She ws unsure if the room was in dissary or not, but she was willing to brave a few stuffed animals and pile of clothes being thrown on the floor to speak with her son. Luckily, the room was clean with only a Hot Wheels set out of the box and the Connect-4 game on the table. "Whatever happened to Mommy. Unless you need me for something."

"The big kids call their mommy’s mom." Alex did not look up at her. He was clutching on to his piece while trying to decide which would be the best spot to place it. He wanted to be able to both stop Charlie from forming a row while adding another piece to his.

"Well I guess I can buy that theory," Fox sat in the bluish green bean bag chair near the book case and spread out her limbs. "Your not to much of a big kid to enjoy Halloween are you?"

Her son shook his head. "No way. I want to go Trick or Treating."

Fox’s cerulean eyes glinted when her son expressed interest."Dress you up in a costume and you can go around a few blocks and then we can party." Both boys dropped the checker like game pieces and turned to look at her. "That is if you want a party?"

"Party?"Charlie brightened at the word. "Like with cake and games." He quickly placed his game piece into the grid, not caring where it went. The idea of a party had captured his full attention.

"Yes, a party with cake and games," Fox smiled. "But it will be a Halloween party, and it will be just for you guys."

"You mean just the two of us?" Alex asked. A faint hint of disappointment tinted his voice. He should have known it would have been too good to be true.

"Not just the two of you, but there will be Pamela and Teddy. We’ll even invite your big friends: Mandy, Sandy and Tina, and a few others." She hoped she could convince Goliath and Elisa to bring the twins and decided to invite the little girl Margot and Brendan recently adopted.

"It’s different from a birthday party?" Charlie asked. He kepts his eyes on the former TV star while he reached for his glass.

"There are going be a lot of Halloween themed games and activities," Fox said. "There will be apple bobbing and a pumpkin carving contest and when you guys get sleepy you can have a slumber party. The boys will be in Charlie’s room and the girls will be in Alex’s."

The plan wasn’t fully developed and Alex decided to protest one minor detail. "Why do the girls get my room?"

Fox sat up, or tried to on the soft chair. "Do you want to have this party." She placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes.

"Fine," Alex turned around in his chair and leaned closer to Charlie. "I told you she wasn’t fair."

Fox knew Alex was trying to whisper so she couldn’t overhear, but she heard it none of the less. So, her son though she was never fair. Well, there will be somethings she will put her foot down on. She wasn’t going to have a spoiled brat for a child. She didn’t want to dwell on what Alex thought of her, not when she had a party to plan.

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Elisa yawned as she entered the Wyvern kitchen. She wanted a glass of iced tea and a bag of banana chips before she took a shower. Hopefully by the time she had finished her snack Goliath would be back and they can take a shower together. She had finally gotten the twins to go to sleep. Both Re and Ro were fussy about changing into their pajamas. They wanted to continue playing in the new sandbox Xanatos had purchased and set up in the Wyvern courtyard. As soon as she laid them down in their cribs they closed their eyes and drifted to sleep. She guessed she should consider herself lucky she didn’t have any of the sand in her hair.

As soon as she had entered the kitchen she was bowled over by the rich aroma of chocolate. She paused to savor the scent with her eyes closed before she approached Broadway. "What are you baking?"

Broadway reached for the oven mitts specially made for the large hands of a gargoyle. "Cakes for the cakewalk. Fox asked me to bake them. She loves Owen’s cooking as much as mine but she likes my baking even more."

"Are they all chocolate?" Elisa asked as she opened the refrigerator door.

"Not all just a few," He grabbed onto the oven door’s handle. "Some are yellow cake and some are chocolate chip."

"How many cakes are you baking?"

"Twelve cakes, one for each kid." Broadway opened the oven door and pulled out a rack containing several baking pans. Each one was only slightly larger than a brownie. "I got a lot of stuff to decorate them with. I have frosting, candy corn, red licorice twists, sprinkles, gum drops, and those little candy pumpkins."

"I cant wait to see them." She pulled outage picture of iced tea. "Wait a minute. Did you say twelve?"

"Yeah. One of them is for Penelope Wellington." The little girl the portly gargoyle mentioned was the adopted four year old daughter of Margot and Brandon.

"That equals three when you also count Alex and Charlie. Then there is Teddy and Pamela , Sandy and Mandy and Tina you have eight."

"Don’t forget Macy, Re and Ro, and Fang will be in town with Spring."

Elisa shook her head. "I don’t think my children are ready for Halloween just yet."

Broadway shrugged before closing the oven door."You have to start sometime."

"I know, but maybe next year. They are still too small for any of the games." She removed a bag of banana chips from the cupboard.

"I’m sure Fox will come up with some ideas," Broadway answered as he turned off the stove. "And I think it will be cute to see them in costume."

"I don’t even know what to dress them in."

"Maybe something cute and simple, like bunnies."

"Bunnies?" Elisa raised hier brow ridges why turning up the upper corner of her mouth.

"Yeah, they have a lot of little kid costumes."

"I’m not dressing them as bunnies. I’ll think of something." She took her snack and left the kitchen.

The portly aqua gargoyle removed the mitts from his talons and smiled. She did not protest any further and when she said she would think of something he knew they were coming. It looked like twelve cakes were enough afterall.

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Elisa spoke with Goliath about Broadway’s suggestion before she drifted off to sleep, never leaving out a single detail, including the idea for the bunny costumes wich caused her mate to pause. Her voice was weary from her her mind trying to be pulled towards the direction of slumber and full our doubt. Her husband brushed his talons through her hair, convincing her they should take the twins. Before he left her room he told her his idea for Re and Ro. The costumes Elisa and Goliath worked on were not hard and they did not take long to make, no more than an hour for both. They used two pairs of pajama’s, fabric paint, slippers, headbands and different colored pieces of felt.

For once Rebecca did not mind trying on a new out fit. She brightened when she saw the gray pajamas her mother held out for her and immediately grabbed the top. The cloth was soft and had black stripes painted on them. "Petty." She squealed as she tried to slip into them.

Elisa knew she meant to say pretty. "Why thank you. Your mommy made them. It’s part of your costume.". She set the bottom down and unbuttoned the top.

"Mama make petty costoon. Make Ro?" She turned to her brother. Rowan threw his light brown top on the floor and turned to his father, shaking his head.

Goliath glanced at Elisa looking for help. It never seemed to fail with the two of them. Whenever one twin was agreeable the other had to be difficult. "Rowan, please allow me to help you into your costume."

"No!" Rowan shook his head.

"Why don’t you want to wear it?"

"Spots," the copper hued child pointed at the dark brown splotches painted on the back of his costume. "Don’t want spots. Want stipes."

"I do not know many striped puppies," Goliath explained "and it’s too late to make another costume for you."

"Puppy costoon?" Rebecca asked as her mother helped her into her striped bottom. Her wings had fit through the long oval cuts her mother placed into the back.

"Yes, your bother is going to be a puppy for Halloween, and you are going to be a kitten." Elisa brushed her finger against the long cotton stuffed cloth tail sewed into the backside of the costume. "Now you have a tail like your brother."

"I have a tail?" she reached around and grabbed the material. It was thinner and not as long. It also felt stiff and as soft as the cloth, not bendable like her brother’s. "Not like Ro’s."

"No, not like Ro’s. You have a pretend tail."

"Peten." She nodded in understandment.

Goliath sat down on the floor next to Rowan. "You see son, it is only for pretend. You like to play pretend?"

"I like to play." Rowan said while inching closer to the large gargoyle.

"Would you like to pretend your a puppy? Just for tonight." His spiked browridges ere raised tothe highest peak, threatening to slip under his hair while the corners of his mouth were pulled up into a ridiculous smile that made Elisa wish she had a camera nearby.

Rowan crawled into Goliath’s lap. "Yes."

"Good now lift up your arms." He slipped the top of the costume over his sons head and helped his arms into the sleeves. He pulled down until Ro’s head poked through the top and his wings slid through the oval holes. "Your sister is almost done." He pointed at Re while reaching for the pants part of the costume. Elisa had slipped on a pair of infant sized slippers--resewn--to look like cat paws for her feet.

"We beat your brother," Elisa said as she took a brush through Rebecca’s shoulder length sable hair. She gave it a few strokes until it was smooth and shiney before she placed a headband, with two triangular pieces of gray felt glued to the top, over her daughter’s head and slid it in place. "Now you have kitten ears." She pulled two silver make up pencils out of her pocket and removed the top off one exposing a semi dull dusky pink point.

"Make up?" Rebecca blinked.at the sight of the lip liner. "Like you?"

"Yes, you get to wear make up like me." She colored the end of her daughters nose with the pink lip liner. She used her eyebrow pencil to draw three dark whisker like streaks on each side of Rebecca’s face.

"He’s going to need his ears now, my love." Goliath said as he slipped Rowan’s light brown puppy shaped slippers over his feet. Elisa had to use a size made for a preschooler for her son’s large feet.

"Got them." Elisa grabbed onto Rowan’s hairbrush, and headband. She handed the brush to Goliath while she colored her son’s nose with the eyebrow pencil and applied dots on his cheeks.

Goliath ran the brush through Rowan’s dark brown hair a few strokes before slipping the headband on. Ro’s band had floppy brown pieces of felt glued to it. "And now they are done."

"Ah done," Rowan crawled to his feet and clapped his hands. "Woof!"

"Peten!" Rebecca squealed. "Meow, meow."

"I think they are ready," Elisa said as she picked up her daughter.

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As they neared the gargoyle’s living room Goliath felt a small twinge of doubt. He began to understand why Elisa did not want the twins to participate in the party. They could not participate in many of the games and other activities due to their young age and size. He clutched Rowan closer to his chest and glanced at his wife and mate. Elisa was smiling with every one of Rebecca’s giggles.

"Elisa, I’m begging to wonder if you we right about the twins being too small." Goliath spoke. He glanced down at the warm body in his arms.

"What?" Elisa turned her attention from her daughter.

Her husband sighed. "I just remembered the list of games and activities Fox had planned. I’m thinking this is not the best idea for them."

"Remember the conversation last night? I told you Broadway’s idea and you thought they should dress up. You told me they have to start sometime."

"Maybe we could wait a year."

She laughed. "Good lord. We are like in reverse, like the twins. Last night I said we should wait a couple of years and do you remember what you said?"

Goliath studied the way his wife’s eyebrows rose. "Two years from now you are going to still think they are two small and suggest they wait another year, and the next year you are going want to wait again until they are too old to enjoy childish games. I remembered what I said, but they are not even two yet."

"They will be in a couple of weeks."

"But they are small and they age slower than humans."

"They are faster than gargoyles. They rarely turn to stone anymore." Elisa shook her head at Goliath. "They are going." The clan leader knew when he had been defeated and followed Elisa into the living room.

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The furniture had been taken out of the living room, leaving plenty of room for the various activities. A table had been set up near the front with a bright orange, paper table cloth covering it. A crystal punch bowl was filled with light green liquid and several miniature cakes took up one half of the table. The other half was filled with minature hamburgers with the meat sculpted to look like hands, Rice Krispe treats and bowls of popcorn, cheese curls, and M&Ms. Underneath the table, Several miniature hollowed out pumpkin shells were placed on the floor.

The basin Fox used for scrying was placed in another corner of the room. The large child’s swimming pool sized bowl was filled with water and apples.

Large plastic bowling pins in bright colors were lined up in their triangular form against one side of the wall. A few feet next to it was a small black witch’s cauldron full of water, dyed macaroni noodles and numbered wooden marbles.

Near the back of the room was a large wooden sandwich board with five holes of various sizes cut out. A small wicker basket with bright orange beanbags were placed in front of it.

Fox rose from the circle of colored squares and disscarded pieces of sidewalk chalk. "The early arrivals are here." Her hands were covered with the multi colored dust residue.

"You have done a great job with the place." Elisa said as she glanced around the room, plastic skeletons and Jack-o-lanterns decorated the walls along with paper black cats, ghosts an witches. Fake spiders and bats hung from the ceiling along with bright orange and dark black streamers resembling support beams.

"I didn’t do this all by myself.," Fox explained. "I have had a lot of help. Angela, Othello, Demona, Jerry and Mercutio are setting up the haunted house in our living room, Broadway prepared the snacks, and everyone else is either with the trick or treators, or setting up the games."

"Bring it this way," Frank called out before entering the room carrying a couple of plastic fishing poles. The beaked gargoyle was dressed in deep brown slacks with the holes cut out in the knees and a renaissance style white poets shirt with puffed up sleeves and a deep slit in the front held together by loose and thick brown stitches. His light brown hair poked out from under a bright red stocking shape cap with a fringed edge. The long point ended in a round bell.

"We got it!" He was followed by Samson, Burbank, Malibu and Lucy. The ivory white gargoyle was dressed entirely in black with matching shirt and slacks.. His wings were folded to allow a black cape to be tied around his shoulders. His costume was complete with a large black hat and face mask. He was carrying several tube shaped pipes and plastic rings

Burbank was dressed in a sophisticated and neatly pressed tuxedo. His dark beard was shaved off and hair had been brushed back and slicked with a bit of gel. Gold cufflinks glinted in the light. The mustard yellow gargoyle carried in several more pipes and rings and kneeled down next to the hybrid clone.

"Dada what they do?" Rowan had blinked awake at the sound of the other gargoyles.

"I am not sure," Goliath glanced down at his son before staring up at Frank and the clones.

"Setting up," Frank explained.

"We are setting up a fishing game," Burbank explained. He and Samson had snapped the pipes together into what looked like plastic parallel bars. The rings were placed around the longest bars like shower rings on a curtain rod. "Malibu we need the prizes."

The aqua hued clone nodded. Like the twins he was dressed in fuzzy pajamas but his was white and had big clumps of cotton like material glued to it. He wore a hat with long floppy felt ears and enough cotton to top it in a puffy crown. With every step the aqua colored clone made the cotton threated to fall off and form into a fluffy pile on the floor. He slid through the gap between the wall and the box created by the bars and set the bags down.

"Fishing game?" Goliath narrowed his spiked ridges. He could not picture the children with fishing poles in their hands as they sit in the middle of a boat or on a dock.

"It’s an easy game," Elisa explained. "Kids just have to cast their lines over the sides and someone on the other side hooks on a prize. They don’t know what they are getting until they reel it in."

"Almost makes me wish we were staying," Lucy said as she hooked small, red vinyl curtains through the plastic rings and stretched the material across the poles. The pale butter yellow mixed clone was dressed in a glamorous red sequined gown. Her lavender split wings were folded across her shoulders like an enchanting cloak to complete her outfit. A necklace of shimmering white pearls hung around her neck and large glittering rhinestone rings were in each ear. Her hair was piled high on top of her head and held in a French twist. Even her make up appeared glamorous. Her golden eye shadow seemed to glitter and her lipstick appeared to be made out of liquid rubies

"Thanks for helping out," Fox said as she gathered up the colored chalk and replace them into the small coardboard box. "I think we have enough games. We shall play the dead man’s game last."

"Is this everything?" Lucy asked as she ran a hand over her slightly bulging stomach.

"Pretty much it." Frank answered.

"I think everything being cleared up except for a few things," Goliath’s eyes instantly fell on the clone’s and Frank’s costumes. "I know Samson is dressed as Zorro and Malibu is a sheep, but what are the rest of you?"

"Maybe if I had a quiver and a bow and a long blond wig like Legolas You could tell I’m an elf," Frank said before tucking a few locks behind his ear. "Maybe if I had Puck like fake ears.

Lucy placed one hand on her hips and the other behind her head, creating a glamorous pose. "Burbank and I are famous actors going to an award show."

"Very nice," Fox nodded. "But why are you dressed like a sheep, Malibu?"

The beaked clone sighed and shrugged. "Candy is dressed like little Bo Peep and we wanted to match."

"I’m feeling kind of under dressed," Goliath said as he stared down at himself. "I’m not in costume."

"Not everyone is," Fox said. "Most of us who are staying behind for the party are not dresed."

"Lucy said she and most likely Burbank are not staying. Where are they going?"

"This party is primarily for the children. Not everyone is going to stay here, some are going to the block party."

Goliath nodded while he pulled a crawling Rebecca closer to him. His eyes widened in shock at how far Rowan and crawled and grabbed onto the end of his tiny tail before he could grab onto the pumpkins.

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Alex grabbed onto the handles of his plastic trick or treat bag tightly as he danced towards the elevators leading up the castle. "See, I made it first." He pushed back the pipe-cleaners, assembled to look like glasses, further up his nose and readjusted his wizards hat. His fake glasses had been sliding down his nose throughout the night and he had to resist the urge to scratch his forehead. The make up his mother used to paint a lighting bolt shaped scar made his forhead itch. Marle stitched together and old bathrobe with a patch to resemble the Gryffindor seal and found a red and gold striped scarf. His mother assembled the hat use wires and dark vevlet to form into a pointed cap.

"Alex, wait for the rest of us!" Owen ordered as he marched up to the six year old. He was one of the few adult chaperones for Alex’s trick or treating group and the first one to enter the building after Alex. He was nearly bowled over by Charlie as the young weregoyle raced after his friend on all fours. Owen turned around to see Demona walking calmly behind. Her son’s candy bag in her talons. "He’s loping."

"He’s a fast learner, like his father," Demona said as she ran her talons through her smooth hair, flattened by a good amount of hair balm. She was dressed in a sleek white gown that did nothing to cover her bulging stomache. A bra made out of plastic skulls was stretched across her chest. "He’s already jumping of his window sill and gliding towards his bed when he thinks we are not watching."

"I keep telling him he’s not ready," Matt said as he and Maggie brought in the rest of the children. Unlike his wife he was not in costume.

"I’m surprised he’s not ruining his gloves," Owen pointed at the white elbow high gloves that were made for the young were goyle. The gloves matched his boots that came up to his calves and completed his Night Crawler costume. Fox had selected the red and black materials along with a golden yellow belt made out of painted vinyl. Demona curled his hair and worked in a washable blue die. The hardest part was tring to get the arrowhead shapped point to stay on Charlie's tail. They resorted to cutting the tip down the center and sewing in velcro tabs. As Owen pressed the button for the elevator. He turned round to count heads. Teddy had taken his cowboy hat off from his costume and fanned himself with it. Pamela smoothed out the tutu of her ballet costume before she opened her bag and surveyed the treats inside.

The eleven year old human twins, Sandy and Mandy were both dressed as slayers. Mandy had her hair dyed a lighter shade than her normal color and was styled with natraul waves. She was dressed in a white pretty cotton blouse with a long sleeved translucent top over it and a pair of black denim pants. Her belt holster held a wooden stake and a cross dangled from a chain around her neck. Sandy’s hair was smoothed straight and was dyed a dark brown. She was dressed in a red halter top and black leather pants. Her eyes were heavily made up and her lips were painted bright red.

"This is so unfair," Sandy pouted as she entered one of the elevators along with Maggie, Her sister, Tina, Matt and Penelope Wellington. The four year old’s large brown eyes almost doubled in size when she greeted Matt at her apartment door and widened again when thye group neared the castle. "We can only go trick or treating for a few more years and then we will be too old."

"Stop complaining," Tina Chavez slid her pair of sunglasses up on top of her head. She was dressed to look like Lara Croft. "We had to cut it short so we can go to the party."

"The little kids could have gone home and Matt and we could have visited a few more places."

"Why me?" Matt asked. He tried to stay out of the argument but was curious on why Sandy selected his name of the four adults.

"You are the first one I thought of," Sandy shrugged.

"You are acting like a little kid," Tina said. "And I’m more interested in the party."

"I knew you would take Mandy’s side. You always do." She swung her candy bag forward, causing the items inside to rattle back and forth.

Her sister rolled her eyes. She was not going to get into another argument with her sister when she was not already involved. She turned to the smallest passenger. "Are you having fun?"

The four year old girl stared up at her from under her witch’s hat. "I’m having fun."

"I’m sorry your parents couldn’t make it."

"Brendad is a wolf and Marma has a mind grain." She had only been living with Margot and Brendan for a few months and still wasn’t comfortable with referring them as mother and father. Her adopted father was in full wolf form when Matt rang the doorbell. Margot had removed the cold washcloth from her forhead and sat up on the couch but he yipped to her he was going to take care of it.

"It’s called a migrain and I know she will feel better." She was glad Margot and Brendan adopted Penelope, not many people would adopt a child older than three. She was also amazed at how the child was easily accepting of Brendan’s time of the month.

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Jam stood in front of the elevators, dressed in a pale blue dress with large sparkling wings and holding a plastic wand with a paper mache molar glued at the end. She had a white cardboard tooth, the size of her hand, glued to the headband that kept her pale blue dyed bangs out of her eyes, and another on her white leather belt. The second the first elevator opened she waved the wand around. "Welcome to an evening of enchantment."

Owen raised his eyebrow slightly as he surveyed her costume. The wings were made out of a sheer material and bendable wires. "Interesting."

"Are you offended?" Her voice had a coy tone.

The disguised fae shook his head. "It would take a lot more than a costume to offend me, now if you excuse me I have to see my wife and son." He brushed past her leaving behind Demona and the four children who rode with her.

Jam’s eyes brightened when she took in both mother and son. "Did you have this planned?"

Demona readjusted the skulls. "Not quite. Charlie wanted to dress as a super hero and I thought he would make a cute Nightcrawler. It seemed natraul I dress this way."

"How did you get his tail to be like that?" she pointed at the pointed tip of Charlie’s tail.

"This?" The immortal pointed at Charlie’s tail. "It’s made of cloth and sealed with velcro tipped straps." She ran her hair through her son’s hair. "This dye will wash out with a quick shampoo."

"I think all of you have nice costumes." She was still kneeling when the other elevator opened and the twins stepped out. "Rats." She ran over to them, nearly tripping over her skirt as it rustled. She quickly waved her wand around as they exited. "Welcome to a night of enchantment."

Sandy’s eyebrows raised an inch while her mouth parted in a frown. "Ah man, you used to be cool."

Jam straightened up "I’m still cool." She bent down and pointed her wand at the children. "We have a witch and the tomb raider. In the first group we have a cowboy, a ballerina, Harry Potter and Nightcrawler." She rested her wand at the twins. "What are you guys supposed to be?"

"We are slayers," Mandy explained. "I’m Buffy and she’s Faith."

"Ah cool," her smiled faded when she saw Matt. She placed her hands on her hips and shook her head. "You party pooper. You were supposed to dress up."

Matt shrugged. "I don’t know what would go with my wife and son." He pointed at her. "What are you supposed to be? The Tooth Fairy?"

She nodded. "Yeah I’m the tooth fairy." She grabbed the hem of her skirt and curtsied. "I’m the one responsible for all of your quarters."

"Jam, are the children ready?" Angela’s voice carried down the halls.

The woman in costume nodded and turned around . The lavender gargoyle was dressed in a long black gown with revealing low cut collar. Her sable hair was tucked under her Elvira wig. "We got all the children who are big enough for the haunted house here." She pointed at the children with her wand.

"Haunted house?" Teddy asked. He quickly slipped his hat over his head.

Angela nodded carefully. She did not want to loose her wig. "We have a haunted house set up for you." She reached out and took the hands of Both Charlie and Teddy and lead the children down the halls.

__________________________________________________________________________

The blond girl clenched her fists as she walked through the castle. She was sick of Sandy’s comments. When they were told it was time to go to the castle. Sandy had complained the party was going to be stupid, as they were lead to the haunted house she complained it was probably going to be lame. The next insult out of her sister and she swore she was going to smack her right on her never closed mouth.

"Here we are," Angela said as soon as they had stopped in front of the door to the Xanatos’s living room. "Tina, you lead the crowd."

The ten year old nodded as she opened the large oak double doors. A glowing green plastic skeleton lowered itself in front of the darkened room. Its large plastic teeth and eyes seemed almost black from the light emiting from the fake bones. Most of the children gasped out of surprise and Penelope squealed.

Sandy stepped back from the skeleton. Her sour mood was unfazed the slightest."It was triggered to do that," she grumbled as she followed the group into the room. She nearly crashed into the back of her sister when Mandy stopped short. "Hey."

Mandy grabbed her by one of her halter strapps and pulled her close, her right hand was raised high above her head."Stop being so negative." She barked before she walked across the squishy floor. She wondered why it was so soft, maybe they used sponges.

"Ewww," Pamela squealed as she bat against the strings hanging down. "Spider-webs." Othello had hung dozens of strings afrom the ceiling, each one was barely thicker than sewing thread.

Alex reached out in front of him. His wrist and fingers instantly came in contact with the slender threads. "Is that what it is?" He grabbed onto them wondering if they were susposed to feel sticky or not.

"Feels like the ones in the labyrinth."

"Strings," Sandy hissed as a few of them had brushed over her shoulders. "They are just strings."

Mandy grabbed her sister’s wrist and squeezed. "Don’t try to spoil their fun." She held on firmly until her sister winced from the pain.

Sandy could not believe how tough her sister had gotten. "I’m only complaining because this place is not scary." She waved her hand around the room that was only lit up with black lightbulbs and special pictures painted with blacklight paint. Candles, beads and other trinkets glowed like the fake skeleton that lowered itself for a greeting. Fog created from dry ice and water poured out of a large bowl and onto the floor, creating a blanket of fog. A lump covered in a white sheet remained in the corner. A gray gargoyle body was lying on the table against the wall with it’s back facing them. Plastic spiders, and lizards covered the body along with greasy red streaks.

Mandy slowly spung around the room taking in the atmosphere. "It is pretty creepy." She may make good on her word and pop her sister after all.

"No it’s not," Sandy said as she stepped back. "Maybe it would be if I were a little kid." She stepped back too far, and felt something press under her heel. She turned around in time for a fake vampire to pop up. The plastic vampire wobbled, threatening to fall from the trigger board it was tied down to.

Mandy waited for the squeals to die down. "It’s not scary?" Her eyebrows were raised suspiciously at the way her sister was breathing.

Her sister slapped the vampire, shouting how she was staking it for the children. "It was rigged," Sandy fought hard to catch her breath. "Just like that skeleton. If anything is going to pop out at us it will because we stepped on a trigger." She walked around raising her knees to almost chest level and stomping down. The spong like material seem to squeak more with each stomp she made.

Tina raised her eye brows at the way her friend was walking around and stepped forward. Her eyes widened when she felt a trigger being pressed under her foot and spun around to see what was going to pop out. Dozens of fake rubber spiders on strings dropped down over them. She felt her heart quicken but not a sound escaped from her throat.

"So what if I’m not scared," Tina chuckled as she smacked one of the spiders. The rubber toy flew out to as far as the string would allow it to stretch before it swung back. "I’m having fun."

"That is what we are supposed to be doing right?" Alex asked.

"Exactly," Mandy smiled as she nodded. She felt a hand grab onto hers and looked down as Penelope stared up. "Are you scared?"

Penelope shook her head and pointed at the sheet covered lump. "It moved."

The older girl looked straight ahead. The sheet was closer to the table with the body. It was no longer in one corner of the room. "Did it move?"

"Did what move?" Sandy asked as she stomped down once more and felt another trigger being pressed. A bat on a cable streaked out through the room, gliding from one end to another. She waited til the children had stopped gasping before she pointed at where the fake bat had landed. "See found another one."

Mandy removed her eyes from where the bat landed and stared at where the lump used to be. It was no longer there. It was at the opposite at the end of the room. "That thing is moving."

"What thing?" Tina asked.

"That sheet thing that used to be near the body."

"You mean this body?" Sandy pointed a the gray form. It looked too real to be a fake. She wateched as the body exapeneded. "That’s probably one of the clan, and as soon as I go near it, it will surprise me." She stepped closer to it. Tina, Charlie and Alex followed her.

"Brains!" The body rolled over, exposing bloody streaks on her ragged dress. They were wider than the painted makrs on her body and looked like liquid that had been soaked into the cloth. "I need brains." she sat up and spread her wings to their full span. The youngest children screamed while the others gasped and backed up.

"Fake blood," Sandy said as she backed into something soft. Her calves felt linen cloth and she quickly turned around. It was the large lump covered with the white sheet. It had somehow moved til it was right behind her.

"Whoooo?" The lump shook and grew taller. "Who wakes me?"

Sandy could not hear the scream of her sister or the other children. Her voice shrieked the loudest as she ran behind the rest of the children. "Run!" She grabbed onto the wrists of Pam and Teddy and dragged them with her. She waited until the last of the children were in before she shoved herself against Mandy and Tina, and pulled the door shut.

Cecilia waited until she heard the doors being slammed before she slid off the table. "Okay haunted lump, you can take off the sheet."

"Good," Mercutio coughed as he pulled his covering off him. "I couldn’t see under there." He ran his talons through his hair, doing next to nothing to straighten up his messy hair. "Do you think we were too scary?"

"Nah, but we’ll explain how we did it." The gray female smiled.

___________________________________________________________________________

"Surprise!" Macy squealed as soon as the children entered the gargoyle living room. Her bright pink gown ended in sparkly lace at her knees. The sleeves were puffed up like cotton candy and ended in more lace. Her wings were covered with special sleeves made out of the same gauzy material as the wings on Jams costume. A pink tiara was placed on top of her head, the shiney prongs covered her spiked brow ridges.

"Surprise!" The shout was echoed by a tawny cougar cub mutate with bright red hair cut to shoulder length. Spring was dressed in a white gown with the same type of wing sleeves as Macy. The material covering her wings was covered with soft white feathers. A golden headband wrapped around Spring’s head held up the little golden halo.

The sudden fear that had gripped the minds of the three eldest children was quickly forgotten at the sight of the two little girls. Mandy bent her knees as she reached out to the mutate cub. "What a cute little angel." She reached over to adjust the bent wired covered with gold foil until the two year old slipped away.

Spring shook her head a she slowly backed up into her father. Her brass colored eyes never left the older child. "Dada?"

"She’s still a bit shy around those bigger than her," Fang explained as he picked up his daughter. "She prefers being with family and kids her size." He stepped back to the refreshment table. "Sure wish your Auntie Robyn decided to join us." ‘And I wish your mother could be here.’ Whenever his boss, The Director, gave him some vacation time to visit his ex he was more than willing to take it. Robyn never minded flying him and Spring to new York since it meant family time for her as well. When Fox learned Fang and Spring were going to be in town for Halloween they sent him an invite.

"Is Macy a fairy like her mother?" Tina asked as she studied the quarterling’s costume. The wing sleevers were more gargoyle shape than the fairy structure her mothers costume had.

"Not like mama," Macy shook her head, causing her tiara to wobble. "Mama is toof fairy I’m a fairy princess."

"And you are the prettiest fairy princess in the world."

Alex rolled his eyes. What was it with older girls and babies anyway? He was more interested in the games, and food. He wanted to have some of the cheese curls before the games began, As he reached into the bowl and removed a handful of the thick puffed up snack he stared at the pumpkins on the floor and and noticed their candy bags placed in a neat row against the wall right next to them. "Here’s our candy." He quickly shoved the snack into his mouth before he searched the white plastic bag’s and noticed one with his name spelled out in purple marker. "Here’s mine."

"Don’t move them," Fox said as she pulled her son back from the bags. The handles to his were covered with golden orange hand prints. "They are there for your cakes when you win them." She quickly cleaned off the rest of the residue before she placed a sharpie into his palm.

"What about Macy, Spring and the twins?" He stared a what his mother handed him. He had no idea why he was given the gray marker tipped in black caps

"The little pumpkin bucket at the end is Spring’s. We’ll think of something for the others." She handed markers out to Charlie, Teddy, Pam, Tina, Penelope and the older twins.

"What are these for?" Tina asked as soon as she was handed hers. Like Alex’s, and everyone else, hers was covered with a glossy black cap.

"They are for the pumpkin carving contest," Mercutio said. He and Cecilia had entered the room a few minutes after the children. She had managed to wipe off the make up sticking to her body whihile her mate had left the cloth concealing him back in the haunted room "If anyone was wondering, I’m the haunted lump." He directed the attention away from the children. They were still staring at Cecilia, knowing she was the body on the table. "Did I scare you?" His resposne came in the form of clapping as most of the children and a few adults applauded his role in the haunted room.

Sandy waited until the clapping had subsided. "You made me scream, thanks." She smiled while giving the bowing gargoyle a thumbs up.

"Pick a pumpkin, draw a scary face, and give it to an adult to carve," Mercutio explained while pointing at the pile of hollowed out gourds. "I’ll judge while you participate in the cake walk."

The children selected their pumpkin shells from the small pile. Spring pointed at the activity while looking at her father. " Can I play too?"

Her father’s face fell. "Sorry sweetheart. This is something you are too young for." He remembered when Winter asked him if he felt their daughter was ready to go trick or treating. She had thought she was too young, but Fang pointed out several two ear olds were going out for the first time that night.

Charlie drew small triangular eyes pointing down and a large mouth with two fangs before he handed it to his mother. "Mommy would you cut it?" He smiled when his mother removed it from his hands and sliced around one off the eye shapes with her index talon.

"Thanks," Matt pretend to look hurt as his mate carved into the pumpkin. He didn’t see Sandy approach him until she slipped her pumpkin into his golden talons. "I’d be honored."

Xanatos had extracted his pocket knife when Alex sealed the cap over his marker. He frowned when Alex handed his gourd to Fox. "Detective, I know how you feel."

"Will you carve mine for me Mr. Xanatos?" Mandy held up her pumpkin. The billionaire smiled as he grabbed onto it. "Thank you, and thank you for giving my father a job."

"No problem," Xanatos said as he the sharp point of the blade into to the shell. When he had read over Victor Shay's resume he was amazed at the business skills the man had and couldn’t believe nobody would give him a job. He immediately hired him. A few months later Victor had enough money to move his family out of the Labyrinth and into an apartment.

Hudson watched as the children found an adult to carve their pumpkin for them. He was anxious to start the cake walk game, but he wanted to wait until the are ready. Once the last child had handed over their shells he cleared his throat. "All right ye lads and lasses it’s time fer the cake walk. Come over here to the circle." He unfolded the metal picnic chair he had brought with him and sat down.

The children had scrambled over to the squares and stood in a circle. Spring and Macy toddled over to the group and found two vacant square. Goliath and Elisa brought their children and placed them on the only two spaces available.

Elisa chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. "Now I am no longer certain." She had to wonder if it would be possible for the twins to be able to keep up with the older children.

"Everyone will be a winner," Goliath said before gently patting his son and daughter on the tops of their heads. "It’s an easy game. Just follow the leader and run as fast as you can."

"All right lad," Hudson reached for the radio he had also broguth with him. "This is fer the children."

"Them Bones," began to play and the children moved in a forward direction, walking around in a circle. The older children took slower steps than usual while the toddlers moved as fast as they could. After a minute Hudson stopped the music.

"Now I’ll call out two numbers. If ye are standing on the number I call out, ye win a cake." He spun the home made spinner around twice. "Number eleven and five."

The first two to win were Alex and Macy. The female quaterling clapped before her mother lead her to the table and picked her up so she could see the cakes easier and decide which one she wanted. She chose the cake with chocolate frosting and a jack o lantern face made out of colored sprinkles. The edges of the cake were lined with red licorice twists. Alex quickly snatched the one with the green frosting and rainbow colored marshmallows.

The music played four more times. The last round didn’t seem to matter to Sandy as she, and Penelope were the only ones left and she knew Hudson was going to declare them all winners."Just when I think this party is about to get cool," she grumbled. They had to make everybody a winner. What ever happened to the spirit of competition? "I don’t care what Mandy does to me later. I’m going to complain when the two of us are alone." She decided to look like a big kid and allowed Penelope to choose between the two cakes. She couldn’t really complain. Each cake looked delicious and hers had white frosting with a black cat made of chocolate sprinkles and candy corn border.

Mercutio held up a hand and let out a small roar. The chattering stopped and he had everyone’s attention focused on him. "Now that I have your attention. I have the winners for the pumpkin carving contest. The first division is for the four preschoolers, and the winner is Teddy Maza." He patiently waited for the clapping to cease before he continued. "And the winner for the school age division is Sandy Shay." He held out a bottle of bubble mix with wand for Teddy and a few packs of Yu-gi-oh cards for Sandy. For once Sandy did not look like she was about to complain.

"It’s time for apple bobbing for the big kids," Fox said as she pulled her son closer to the basin. "The rules are simple. You get down on your knees and try to pick an apple up with your mouth. You may not use your hands." She kneeld in front of the basin and placed her hands behind her back. She dove for the closest apple and tried to bite down on the stem. The round fruit slipped from her and floated to the rim. Fox brought her head up, not enough to stare out at the crowd, but enough to now where the apple is. She dove again, pushing the apple way below the surface until it was pinned at the bottom. She felt the water enter her ears as her teeth fastened around the stem. Fox quickly sat up, her hair whipped back and sprayed those who stood to close with a few dropplets. She ran her hand through her damp locks and she took the fruit from her mouth. "Easier than it looks." She smiled before she took a bite of her prize. She made sure there was eight more apples before she stood back up.

Elisa hugged her squirming daughter closer to her chest. "I’m sorry, Re."

"Samson and I have a couple of games set up for them," Jam said as she carried her daughter over to where the colorful pins were set up. The white clone shoved a small paper bag of prizes back and picked up a black plastic ball. "You just roll the ball over to the pins and knock them over."

Macy pulled her fingers out of her mouth and stared up at her mother. "I can play?"

"You can play," Samson handed Macy the ball. "Just roll them to the pins as hard as you can." Macy set the ball on the ground and pushed it forward. Five of the pins fell over. "You can roll it again. Just like real bowling you can have two chances to strike." He rolled it back to her.

"I can roll it again?" She pushed the ball forward, and knocked over three more pins. As soon as the plastic pins fell over, clattering against the stone floor she danced around, waving her arms around and squealing with joy.

"Now you get a prize," Samson said as he reached into the bag and pulled out a soft pink plastic elephant. It was the size of soda bottle with purple ears and eyes and bright green toenails. The top of it’s head had an easy to push button.

"What is that?" Elisa raised an eyebrow as Macy accepted her gift.

"It’s a bubble bath elephant," Jam explained. "You can unscrew the head and pour in the bubble bath and press the button and the bubble mix pours out of the trunk."

"Cute," the detective said while she stared at the apple bobbing game. Teddy, Charlie and Pam were already able to pick up an apple. She wondered if they have an advantage because of their fangs. "It’s kind of disgusting when you think about it, but it’s still cute."

Rowan was next to try to bowl and knocked over four pins on each roll. His prize was a plush toy alligator that changed colors from pale green to orange with warm and cold water. Rebecca was only able to knock over seven but she was given a bunny that also changed colors. Spring picked the ball up and swung it back before she rolled it. She knocked over six of the ten pins on her first roll, and she picked up a spare on her second.

"That’s my girl," Fang beamed as Both Elisa and Samson picked up the knocked over pins. "When I was human I was a bit of a bowler. I was even part of a team."

"You were part of a team?" Eisa placed the bright red pin in fornt of the others. "Why am I not suprised?"

"She was the first to knock over all the pins," Samson removed the last toy from the bag. "That means she gets a special prize." He handed her a golden rubber duck with a dark orange bill and bright blue eyes. "Her first bath toy.It shoots water through it’s bill like a water gun," Samson explained. "You squeeze and hold it underwater, release it and it fills, squeeze it again and it shoots."

"Thank goodness you or your brother did not win that," Elisa chortled as she carried Rebecca over to the small kettle with three paper bags, each with a number printed on the sides, next to it. Jam had already take her place behind pot. "What do we do here?"

"Easy," Jam pointed at the kettle with her wand. "The little ones reach in and pick out a wooden marble. They have numbers on them and the numbers determine the prizes."

"It does sound easy," She set Rebecca down. "Reach in and grab one of the little balls."

Re noticed the colorful noodles and wooden marbles floating around. She reached in, aiming for a marble and grabbed a noodle. She quickly let go and reached for another ball and picked it up.

Elisa removed the damp sphere and turned it around in her palms. A dark red three was painted on the side."It’s a three," Elisa read the number.

"Three’s are the ball prizes," Jam said as she reached into the paper bag marked three and pulled out a multi colored Nerf ball.

Rowan had pulled out a marble with a number two and was given a small palm sized tambourine. He shook it around, giggling at the sound the tiny silver bells made. Macy selected a one and was given ghost shaped gingerbread cookie the size of her face and decorated with white frosting and chocolate icing, sprinkles and chips. Spring also selected a number three marble and was given a glittery purple rubber ball. She dropped it on the ground and quicly chased after it followed by her father.

"What are you going to do with the rest of the balls, cookies, and noisy prizes?" Goliath asked.

Jam smirked as she picked up the bags. "I’m going to let Fang take the cookies with him when he and Spring are ready to return to Japan. The twins birthday and Christmas is around the corner."

_________________________________________________________________________

Alex watched as Mandy threw the last of her five bean bags at the wooden sandwich board. The soft bag slipped through the small hole marked 30. It was the second smallest of the holes with the smallest one marked fifty. Only two people had attempted the 50 and succeeded, Tina and himself. Sandy tried but failed and focused the rest of her tosses on the holes marked thirty and twenty.

"Good job," Frank said Before he glanced down at the note pad in his talons and wrote down the numbers of Mandy’s successful shots. "I’m going to add up everyone’s scores right now. Feel free to grab some food."

Alex didn’t need anything else to eat. He was the first one in line and after his turn was complete he grabbed about three of the hand burgers, a couple of rice cake, several handfuls of cheese curls and M&M’s and a glass of punch. He was, however, thirsty again,and quickly followed the other children over to the table and reached for the punch ladle.

"Let me get that for you," Tina grabbed the semi clear ladle and scooped up some of the Sprite and lime Kool-aid mixture and refilled Alex’s clear plastic cup. She refilled her cup before she turned around to the tossing game. "I think Frank learned how to count by now. What do you say?"

"Yeah," the six year old nodded before he took a deep gulp from his cup, draining about one fourth of the fluid. He followed Tina back to the sandwich board. "Do you have the results?"

Frank waved the red pen at them while staring down at the notepad. "Just a second" He tapped the clip board various times before he snapped his fingers. "Okay I have the results of the bean bag toss. The one with the most points is Tina!" He ignored the ten year old’s gasp and the congratulations offered by the other children and reached into the bag and pulled out several rolls of game tokens wrapped up in bright red paper. "These are for the Little Dipper Arcade."

"Cool," Tina said as she accepted the rolls.

"The second place prize goes to Penelope Wellington," Frank said before he pulled out a coupon. "Give this your mom and she’ll take you to Dairy Queen. It’s for a free child’s size sundae."

"Ice cream," Penelope said as she accepted her gift. "I’m going to ask for strawberry." She folded the coupon and placed it into her pocket.

"What’s next?" Alex pointed at the curtained area. "That’s a game right?"

Eleanor quickly took her place next to the curtained area and reached over into the hidden area. "I need the fishing poles," she whispered. She pulled out a pair of plastic fishing poles ending with velcro bottomed plastic stoppers from the other side.

"We are going fishing?" Alex asked.

"Sort of," Eleanor smiled. "Two of you sit in front of the game and cast your lines over the side. When you feel a tugging you wind the reel back. We are going to go from youngest to oldest. Teddy and Pamela can go first."

Alex watched as Teddy and Pam sat down next to the green hybrid and were handed the poles. "Do you need some help?" He asked as the mutate hefted his pole back.

The lion cub mutate tried to cast his line over the side, the plastic bounced against the curtain and the top of the pole, but it did not go over. "I could use a little help."

"Maybe it would be a good idea if the little ones stood up for this," Eleanor suggested and helped Pamela to her feet.

"Let’s give it a toss together," Alex suggested as he placed his hand on the back of Teddy’s wrist. He and the mutate swung the pole back and then forward, casting the stopper like part over the side.

"I feel a tug," Pamela said. Her hands gripped the pole even tighter.

"Okay turn the crank like this," Alex said while turning the crank back slowly on Teddy’s pole. "You can handle it from here." He handed the pole over to the mutate and stepped back to watch as Teddy pulled his clear plastic wrapped prize over the side first, a soft rubber aqua colored octopus.

Alex instantly reconized what the prize was. "It’s one of those wacky walkers," he said. "You throw it against the wall and it will slowly crawl down. Those things are pretty cool."

Pamela wheeled in a miniature stuffed racoon and asked Eleanor to tear it out of the package for her. Charlie and Penelope had their turns after the two labyrinth dwellers. The weregoyle reeled in a large striped, plastic top, and Penelope fished a ring with a red plastic stone. The second she removed it from it’s package she slipped the band on her ring finger and held it out in front of her, admiring from different angles.

Mandy rubbed her shoulder against Tina’s and pointed at Penelope. "Like mother, like daughter," She said before Tina and Alex were handed the fishing poles. Alex felt like he was too big to stand, but not big enough to sit like Tina. He rested on his knees as he swung forward, sending the lure over the side and quickly released a little more line.

"Your grandfather would be proud to see you at this game," Xanatos called out. "I think I’ll invite him to join us on our trip to the McCormick’s for Christmas break. We’ll rent a boat and go fishing." He knew his father would argue about going to Florida to fish when there were perfectly good fish swimming around Maine. His father would stop complaining when he realizes it would be a family vacation.

"Okay, daddy," Alex did not remove his attention from his fishing pole. He was waiting for the tug and quickly turned the crank backwards. His eyes lit up at the sight of his prize, a googly eyed rubber monster, was hauled over the curtain. He quickly tore it out of it’s package. It had no legs, just an aqua colored torso, arms and a head with a wide open dragon like mouth . When Alex shook it it’s arms wobbled along with it’s eyes. He turned it over and noticed it was hollow on the bottom.

"You put it on a pencil," Tina explained as she removed her prize, four pink, butterfly shaped barrettes, from her fishing pole lure. "It slips over the eraser."

The older twins were the last to play the game. Mandy reeled in a candy necklace, and Sandy’s prize were five erasers shaped, and scented like fruit.

__________________________________________________________________________

Fox covered Sandy’s eyes with the last of the blindfolds and tied the ends into a not. "It’s not too tight is it?" She had asked each one of the eight children the same question. After they placed their fishing prizes into their trick or treat bags and had a bathroom break she instructed them to sit in a circle on the floor. Most of the games were being dismantled by the volunteers and the four youngest party participants were cleaned up and placed in the four of cribs in the nursery.

"My eyeballs are not going to be squished," Sandy assured her.

"Just trying to make sure," the former television star said as she sat down between Sandy and Pamela. "I’m going to tell you all a story." She opened the plastic Tupperware containers set out in front of her. Delilah and Broadway stood in the center of the circle, ready to pass out the visual aids. "Before the Eyerie was built there was another building here. It was not nearly as tall, only twenty stories. The man who was the boss of those who worked in this building was mean. He was like Ebernezer Scrooge before the ghosts visited him."

"Bah, humbug," Mandy quoted. "It’s in our literature books. We are going to read the story in class around Christmas."

"I saw the cartoon with the ducks and Mickey Mouse," Alex said from his palce in the circle.

"He was just like him," Fox continued. "He was very old and scrawny. He had a nose like a raven’s beak and eyes that were like ice. He never gave his employees any sympathy. When someone asked if they could have some vacation time he threatened to fire them if they didn’t go back to work. One day one of his most valuable employees asked for a few weeks off because his wife was about to have a baby and the old man said no. The employee threatened to hire a lawyer and the old man became upset. He yelled at his employee until he grabbed his chest and fell over. The man was pronounced dead on a arrival."

"Does he haunt this place?" Sandy asked. The idea of the buidling actually being haunted by a mean ghost sounded interesting to her.

"He haunted the old building until they tore it down,. His ghost might still be around, and I’m sure he’s not happy I have some of his body parts." She watched as a few jaws dropped and Tina and Mandy made gagging sounds.

"Body parts?" Charlie asked.

"Yes, and you get to touch them, starting with his eyes." At her cue Delilah placed the pair of peeled grapes into Pamela’s hands. The little girl squealed and nearly dropped them, but Delilah was there to catch them. She placed them into Teddy’s hands and quickly snatched them back when the mutate child tried to sniff them. Fox waited until half of the children handled the grapes before she signaled to Broadway to reach for the container with the dried apricots. "And these were his ears." Broadway placed them into the outstretched hands of Pam. She only held them a second before she handed them back.

"They are small," Penelope said when she was handed the apricots.

"I think they shrink after a person dies," Tina shrugged.

"Oh they do," Fox dropped her voice to a low and chilling tone. "This was his hair." she had waited until Delilah placed the grapes back into their container before she announced the next body part. Delilah picked up the handful of corn silk and began to hand it around.

Food substituting for body parts were passed around two at a time. She had selected a chicken bone for a nose, a handful of corn nuts for teeth, and a rubber glove full of ice cubes for a hand. She waited until the hand was completely passed around before she announce the next part.

"This one was hard to get, we had to open his skull. Are you ready?" Several children responded with a firm yes. "Good, because here are his brains." Delilah placed a hand full of ground beef into Pam’s hands. The child squealed until Delilah took it back.

"Meat?" Teddy asked while his nostrils twitched.

"Brains can be meat," Fox said, hoping Teddy’s and Charlie’s strong sense of smell were not going to take away the element of surprise from the game. She was curious as why Pamela didn’t try to investigate, unless she was too scared from what Fox said each thing was and how it felt to smell it.

"Don’t wanna," Penelope shook her head. "Okay." She reluctantly held the burgermeat and quickly screamed and handed it back.

The clump of ground beef made it’s way down the circle, bringing out a few gasps and gags. Sandy’s hand’s trembled as she held onto the meat. "I know it’s something else, but I don’t know what."

"And after we scooped out the brains we grabbed some of what was eating the dead body," Fox said as Broadway opened the last of the containers. "The worms." Broadway took the hand full of boiled and oiled down pasta and placed it in Pamela’s hands. The little girl’s hands trembled slightly before she brought it close to her nose.

"Hmmm," the mutate halfling mumbled. "Worms smell nice."

"Bisketti?" Teddy asked when then the pasta was placed in his hands.

"It feels too slimy to be spasgeddy," Penelope shuddered when it was her turn to touch the food.

"Smells like it," Charlie said. "And it feel’s like it."

"And it sounds like it," Tina said when she squished it between her two hands.

"I’m not tasting it," Alex said when it was handed to him.

"It is spaghetti," Sandy said while her sister had her turn. She held out her hands and felt the slimy noodles enter her hands. "These are spaghetti noodles. I like the brains better."

"I guess the brains were more convincing," Fox chuckled. "I’ll remember to save them for the grand finale next time."

___________________________________________________________________________

After the children took their bags into the bedrooms of Charlie and Alex they changed out of their costumes and slipped into their night gowns and pajamas. The twins insisted on taking showers and Demona washed the blue dye out of Charlie’s hair. The blowdryer caused his fiery hair to unravel halfway from their curls.

The children protested having to go to bed but the boys were sent to Charlie’s room and Pam and Penelope were tucked into Alex’s bed. The older three girls were allowed to stay awake for thirty minutes longer and they camped out on sleeping bags in front of Alex’s TV.

Alex stared up at the ceiling in Charlie’s bedroom. The room was dimly lit with the Blue’s Clue’s lamp and Cookie monster nightlight. The six year old wondered if the other boys were asleep. Charlie was on the far right side of the bed and Teddy was in the middle. From the way the mutate was breathing he could tell he was asleep. There was only one way to ask

"Charlie," Alex whispered while sitting up. "Are you asleep?" Teddy rolled over to his side facing Charlie, allowing for his leather wings to poke into Alex’s hip.

"No," the azure child yawned. He did not sit up, but he did open his eyes.

"Do you think you can sleep with three of us in your bed?"

"I can try," the weregoyle rolled over til he was facing both the mutate and the older boy. "Are you sleepy?"

Alex rubbed the back of his head. "I’m a little bit." He glanced down at Teddy and watched how he breathed. "I think Teddy is though. You know what this mean?"

"What?"

"We can’t have a pillow fight." He slid lower in the bed. He wondered how much noice the three of them could make by slamming the pillows over their heads. His mother would have gotten mad if they did make too much noise and Owen wouldn’t be pleased if they made a mess and ruin the pillows, and with Charlie’s horns and claws and Teddy’s claws the pillows would have surely rip.

"Yeah, I’m sleepy." He turned over, his wings faced Alex.

"That was a fun party. My mom is pretty good at parties."

"Your mommy is not unfair."

"Sometimes she isn’t," Alex laid back down and yawned.