Halloween Drabble Prompt: Your character tries to ignore Halloween. (Challenge/Competition on the CM Weekly Prompts forum)

Word Count: 472

The Bet at the BAU

Garcia was waiting for the team to get back from their latest case. It was after hours, so it was easy to tell their arrival. Garcia bounded into the bull pen excitedly.

"This could be trouble," Rossi said only loud enough for a couple of teammates to hear.

"Baby Girl, what's got you so excited?"

"Well, as you know, Halloween is in a few days."

"Oh, hell no!" cried Morgan. "You know I hate Halloween."

"I love Halloween!" said Reid with a wide grin.

"We know," replied the team in unison.

"There just happens to be a new haunted house not too far from Morgan's house."

"Oh, hell no!" Morgan cried again.

"I was lucky to find it. Since I had some errands to run before checking in on Clooney, I went a different direction."

"Oh, come on, Morgan," pleaded Reid. "The people behind the creepy masks work there. You're not in any danger."

"I'm sure Reid would keep you safe," snickered Rossi.

Morgan gave him a glare. "Funny, Rossi. I'm the one that protects him."

"Excuse me," Reid said indignantly. "I can take care of myself just fine."

"You can do it, Hot Stuff." Then Garcia recalled what Hotch had said to her during the Tobias Henkel case. "Just pretend you're profiling the house. If the house could talk, what would it say?"

Everyone but Hotch looked at her strangely. Hotch wore a rare smirk.

"I have an idea," Prentiss smiled deviously. "Tomorrow, let's start a betting pool on whether Morgan can get through it without freaking out."

Morgan growled and ran a hand over his smooth head.

"What are the rules? He can't go alone or we won't know how he survived while in there," asked Rossi.

"Who do you want to go with you?" asked JJ.

"Who said I was going?"

"You can't turn down a dare, especially if there is a lot of money riding on it," reasoned Prentiss.

They spent the next few minutes setting up the pool.

-He would chicken out at the last minute and not go in.

-He would freak out and run back out the entrance.

-He would come out the exit freaked out, sweating and avoiding eye contact.

-He would come out calmly schooling his expression.

-He would come out cocky and/or laughing.

The rules:

-No flashlights

-No iPod

-He can take Reid with him.

~oOo~

The whole way to Reid's apartment, Morgan was silent. He refused to talk even though Reid tried to start a conversation a few times. He finally sighed and gave up.

When he parked in front of Reid's apartment, he asked Morgan if he was coming in for awhile.

"I don't think so. I'm too grumpy, tonight."

"I'm pretty sure I have a cure for that."

Morgan chuckled and let Reid pull him out of the car.

~oOo~

It's not too late to join us in the Halloween Drabble fun. The Challenge/Competition sign-up runs until October 8. Stories need to be written and posted by October 29.

Criminal Minds Weekly Prompts Forum