Disclaimer-Characters belong to J.J. Abrams. No copyright infringement intended. Any similarity to events or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Author's Notes-Halloween's just too great. Special thanks to my Alias pals, Kerry (especially for the beta!!) and Dallas.

Spoilers-Just know that two years are missing from Syd's life.

Feedback-Always greatly appreciated

Boris Sent You-A little Halloween fun finds the Bride of Frankenstein her match.

She looked in his packed shopping cart: bags and bags of candy, bags of apples, black and orange paper plates, cups, napkins and plastic silverware, various Halloween decorations including two fog machines among various other things. "You, uh, wanna tell me something?" she asked with a grin. "I thought we just came in for groceries."

"Hm, what?" he asked, his face a picture of mischievous innocence. "I have groceries..."

"And a few more things." She smiled. "Are we haunting the apartment?"

He shook his head.

"Expecting lots of trick-or-treaters?"

"Well, sort of."

She arched an eyebrow. "Sort of?"

"It's this new thing," he said. "New holiday tradition..."

"You going to tell me what it is, exactly?"

"We've started this new tradition. A safe alternative to trick-or- treating for kids of our colleagues. Kids who have a parent out of town on business or one who's given all for the job... it's something nice we can do for them. Plus, it's fun," Weiss explained, leaving out the name of their employer.

"When did all this start?"

There was a momentary look of hesitation on his face. "Two years ago."

Sydney nodded slowly. "I see."

"You should come along, help us out... Unless, of course, you've got other plans for Samhain?"

"As it turns out, I believe I am free."

"You gotta come in costume. That's the only requirement."

"I have to?"

"An absolute must."

"I don't dress up enough at work?"

"C'mon, it's Halloween for kids. You wanna be the only one dressed in regular clothes?"

"What are you going as?"

"Ah, can't say." He grinned. "It's classified, completely on a need- to-know basis and, aww, looks like you aren't cleared for that intel."

"Can I have a hint?"

He pondered that, or pretended to. "Sorry. No."

"Oh, c'mon, Weiss... You can tell me."

"Mum's the word, I'm afraid." He winked at her.

"A mummy?"

"Did I say I was dressing up as a mummy?"

"You implied..."

"Did I?" he asked, grinning broadly.

"You're impossible."

He chuckled. "Why, thank you."

~~~

Through private donations, the CIA rented an empty warehouse in Los Angeles. On the night before Halloween, it was crawling with agents in blue jeans and tee shirts, decorating for the following night's event. Marshall, resident technical guru and father to be, was perched on the top step of a ladder, working to ensure every twist in the orange and black streamers were perfect. Dixon stood in the center of the room, supervising the work, from the refrigerator box maze to the fortune-teller tent being erected in the corner to the rows of tables where the kids and adult monsters could have something to snack on.

As Sydney and Weiss moved from stuffing the scarecrow near the door to help spread tablecloths, they heard the Director's happy comment: "I think this year's going to be better than the last."

Weiss leaned in, whispering to Sydney: "He said the very same thing last year."

She laughed slightly, reaching for an orange plastic tablecloth. "So, tell me something."

"Yeah?" he asked, picking up one to place on another table.

"What are you dressing up as?"

"Y'know, this is like the eighteenth time you've asked me that question."

She smiled. "Eighteen's my lucky number."

"Not this time, I'm afraid."

"Wolfman?"

"No."

"Dracula?"

"No."

"Aha! The invisible man! You're not actually showing up."

He looked at her, shaking his head. "Bad on both counts. I'll be here and visible."

"A ghost?"

"Syd..."

"A pirate?"

"There will be no peg legs, no."

"A wizard?"

"If I were, I'd put a spell on you to stop."

"A pumpkin?"

"I know I'm a bit on the roundish side, but no."

"A clown?"

"You can guess all you want. No matter what you try, I'm gonna shoot it down."

"Please, Weiss?" she asked, shooting him a pleading look.

"You can wait one more day."

"I could sneak into your apartment and search it from top to bottom, locating the costume..."

"You could, but you wouldn't find a thing because I rented it but it's on reserve for me. I'm picking it up tomorrow before the party."

"I have my costume in my apartment..."

"Good for you," he said, moving onto another table and another tablecloth.

"Don't you want to know what it is?"

He shook his head. "Unlike some impatient people, I could care less what you dress up as so long as you dress up."

She put her hands on her hips. "Oh, c'mon."

He grinned at her, shaking his head. "I can wait. And there are tables waiting for you, y'know," he said, nodding towards the folding tables without any decoration yet.

"You're totally impossible."

"So you've told me. Besides, what's Halloween without a little mystery?"

She sighed, though good-naturedly, meandering off to finish the tables.

~~~

Sydney entered the warehouse at a half-hour before the event, helping to finish final preparation. She poured apples into the low barrel for bobbing. She helped open the candy bags, pouring them into cauldrons, dishes, and scattering them across the tables. She was sure everyone would have a delightful sugar buzz by the end of the evening. Approaching Marshall, who was helping light the jack-o-lanterns, she asked: "Have you seen Weiss?"

Marshall, an eye covered with a floppy disk, looked up at her. "No... can't say as I have, no."

She smiled slightly. "What are you supposed to be?"

Marshall seemed to puff up, his chest out, his shoulders back proudly. "I'm a computer pirate."

She chuckled. "And the best-looking one I've ever seen, that's for sure."

He bowed deeply, throwing out an arm with a flourish. "Thank you, m'lady Frankenstein."

It was true. Sydney was the Bride of Frankenstein in a gauzy white gown, an extremely tall black and white wig, her face pale but her lips a deep blood red and her eyes dark and smoky. "You're quite welcome. If you happen to spot Weiss, will you let me know?"

He nodded. "Sure, you bet."

She wandered off, distractedly helping to put the final touches on the haunted warehouse. She wanted to see Weiss! He'd tortured her for a week, not telling her what he was dressing up as. It bugged her that he wasn't anywhere near as curious as she was to know what her costume was. Approaching a skeletal Dixon, she asked: "Have you seen Weiss?"

"I sent him out on a last-minute candy run. He'll be here shortly," Dixon said, fussing with the fake spider webbing material he was stretching across the windows.

"We don't have enough candy?"

"We're expecting a ton of kids..."

"We have a ton of candy."

"It never hurts to have some more..."

"Did you see what he was dressed up as?"

He glanced over his shoulder at her, his face blank for a moment. It was a short moment, though, as all of the sudden he began to laugh.

"What?" she asked, frowning.

But Dixon was still laughing so hard he couldn't answer, a hand on chest.

"I don't understand what's so funny," she said indignantly.

"You... you and..." Dixon tried to say between guffaws, his eyes watering.

Shaking her head, she walked off. Dixon, though he knew something, was not feeling up to telling her what he knew. It wasn't long before the kids started arriving and Sydney was on apple-bobbing duty, standing around while the princesses, firemen, and boy wizards did their best to sink their teeth into the fruit. Clapping as a lion emerged with an apple between her front teeth, Sydney casually checked her watch. Weiss? Very late.

She was beginning to wonder if he was actually going to show up. How hard could it be to make a candy run?

The front doors burst open with a thundering thud and the kids all jumped, screaming. The lion's apple fell to the floor and rolled towards Sydney's feet.

Fog rolled into the warehouse right before a realistic looking Frankenstein, as realistic, of course, as one could look stumbled inside. His green skin looked as though a sinister scientist had sewn patches together haphazardly. There were silver bolts protruding from his neck. He wore a torn, dusty suit and clunky boots. "Can-dee," he grumbled. "Must have... CANDY!" He stumbled in, his knees stiff, his elbows straight.

The music, which had mostly been background noise was suddenly blaring the Monster Mash. When the chorus began, Frankenstein, formerly stiff as a board, began to dance.

That was when Sydney recognized some of the dance moves as signature maneuvers she'd seen before. She blinked, looking down at where the apple- bobbing kids had been. They were gone, cautiously approaching the dancing monster just inside the door. A little vampire tugged on her sleeve, causing her to look down. "Yes?"

"Aren't you going to go dance with him?" she asked, looking up at her with big blue eyes.

"I'm sorry?"

"He is Frankenstein. And you're his wife, right?"

"Well, bride, but... close enough."

The vampire smiled. "Go dance!"

Sydney cautiously approached Frankenstein with the kids, a smile slowly growing on her lips. Frankenstein, it turned out, was singing along as he danced and when he spotted Sydney, he stopped singing momentarily, his dance moves not quite matching the pace of the song.

"Hey, Sydney."

She smiled broadly. "Weiss."

"C'mon, dance with me," he said, holding his green hand out to her.

She placed her hand in his and they started doing the mash, the Monster Mash, of course.

The children squealed and the adults chuckled warmly at the Frankensteins getting down with their bad selves. As the song ended, they took their bows to roaring applause and even a few catcalling whistles.

Kids came up to Weiss the rest of the night, talking with looks of pure awe in their eyes. He was the coolest monster they'd ever seen--a little scary but tons of fun. He'd tell them jokes, help them in the various games they'd set up, and tell them where the best candy was hidden throughout the warehouse.

The night slowly came to a close, with sugared-up kids reluctantly leaving with their parents. Weiss and Sydney stood at the door, telling everyone good night and that they'd see them again the next year. After the last kid wandered into the night with her father, Sydney looked at him: "Did you plan this?"

"If you'll recall, I never asked you what you were dressing up as."

"True..."

"I did plan the entrance," he said. "With a little help from Dixon."

"It was an incredible entrance, I have to admit."

"It was fun," he grinned.

"I think I needed this."

He looked at her, nodding. "I think you did, too."

She hugged him, resting her chin on his shoulder for a minute. "Thanks," she murmured.

"Anytime," he said softly.

End.

As yet untitled sequel to follow.