28th October

"Hollow-seen?"

"Yeah Hollow-seen." Melly smiled knowingly as she plucked the little fluff up for a pat "It's something to do with All Hollowed Out Evening, like … a special time of year where the Candy God was born or something. The hollowed out pumpkin head things might have been full of candy in the beginning before we got civilised or something."

"Ahhhhhh" little heads nodded.

"You see …. There is a bad man who wears scary masks and he sneaks around trying to steal your candy. Some people are so scared they give away the candy before they go to bed so he will not come and kill them" she went on to explain as Germ settled next to her "That's why we make Jack-her-Lanterns every year. They were his wife. She was called Jacqueline and so scary that he ran away to become so naughty. We put the Jack-Her-Lanterns out and he is too scared to come kill us and steal our candy in case it is really her."

"So … the ghosts and skeletons are the Candy Killers she had destroyed with her fiery breath?" Todd asked with wide kitty eyes.

"Yes" Melly nodded calmly in agreement "You see … we have to be careful. Vigilant. Like the red dot monster … the Hollow-Seen Candy God can be evil too. He sends his evil zombies to try to catch out the candy killer. That's why when we trick-or-treat we dress up. So they think it's one of their own kind and do not attack us for having candy."

"Ahhhhhhhh"

"And her spiders are important too" Germ chimed in, "They make nets."

"Of course"

Little heads nodded at the logic.

"So, we have to play the game. We dress scary, chase away the bad things in the darkness and hollow out the pumpkin head so she can be seen protecting us" Melly finished and little heads all nodded solemnly.

"But I's too smawls" a little one wailed.

"You could do a watermelon I guess" Germ offered, "a little one you could even fit inside to make scary noises."

"OOOOOOOOOO"

Eyes were wide as they all thought about that, little Mervin liking the sound of that and nodding enthusiastically as Pop-pop entered the room with some foodage.

"What are my little ones talking about now?" he asked happily.

"Hollow-Seen."

"Ah. Halloween. Yes. Gotta get that candy sorted, I think I know where the skull bowls are" Ianto muttered to himself as he pondered the decorations in the attic.

"Can we help Pop-pop? We wants to!"

Little voices all yelled and cried with excitement and Ianto lit up at the thought of a real adventure.

"Tell you what … we can make a real thing of it. How about we get the boxes out and someone go get Uncle Owen. We can't' do it without the mental one, he loves this time of year. More than Christmas I think. He likes to dress as Death. Has the outfit and even a big sickle too."

"What's that?"

"Death's staff, sword thing he cuts your head off with" Germ said knowledgably, "I wanna be a ghosty."

"You would make a lovely ghost, you make scary noises so wonderfully" Ianto gushed as he kissed the little fuzzy head, delighted to see another ghost in the making. Rem loved being a ghost and scaring his sister "I think I might be a vampire. I do like those teeth."

"What does Grampy go as?"

"Well … I think he wants to do something with bubba. I don't know, he is being giggly and secretive with his costume. I think Uncle Owen is helping him make something cool. Valentine is helping him too. I do know what Feather is going as. What he always goes as."

"What?" they all asked eagerly.

"A pirate of course. A bad pirate like Jack Sparrow. Has a really cool outfit" Ianto laughed softly, "Milo always goes as a shark and pretends to be trying to eat him. They do this whole stalking thing where they play all evening. Milo is a very convincing shark for a Kat. Humming the Jaws music."

"I like Uncle Milo, his purr is pretty" Cinnamon said with a wistful look, "He is so handsome."

"Not as handsome as my Jack. But then … he is exceptional" Ianto sighed theatrically and a little squeak had them all turning to see Jack hovering in the doorway, the baby asleep on his chest like a little coruscation.

They ran to him with little begging sounds so he knelt for them to all smell the baby and chirp happily. Dylan was very loved and they all wanted a turn to rub against the bump on Grampy's chest.

Dylan was snoring softly as Jack eased himself into a chair and grinned over at Ianto, "Whatcha doing good looking?"

"It's almost Halloween and they want to do the decorations. I can't' believe I almost forgot. Owen definitely has, he will be beside himself." Ianto smiled as Owen came running across the playground, slamming into the closed sliding door before opening it and falling in.

"Halloween. It's Halloween, what didn't anyone bloody tell me?"

"I forgot. Want to help get the decorations from the attic next door at the old place?" Ianto asked and Owen whooped as he raced across to Rem's and up the stairs ahead of him, already gushing about ideas for things to do.

The fluffs all swarmed at the bottom of the stairs waiting for the fun to begin.

With Uncle Owen on board, it would be epic!