*INTRO*

House of Haunted Dreams

Bianca looked around the open space. She still couldn't fully fathom that this was her house.

She reached for her belly, caressing it gently. This would be their new home. Only the two of them. Bianca loved that thought. She could focus on her baby and herself. She would miss Maggie terribly, of course, but for the long run this was for the best. No confusions. Just her and the baby. Everything else coming later.

A low bump came from the entrance door.

Bianca furrowed her brows and stepped over. She looked through the peephole and started to smile. But when she opened the door, the smile transcendent into a look of disbelieve and adorableness.

"Lena..."

Lena stood overloaded with a pile of blankets and bags in front of her door.

"Let me..." Bianca reached out.

"No, I got it. Just let me in," Lena insisted urgently, having trouble to keep the things in balance.

"Oh, okay." Bianca stepped aside and watched Lena staggering in. "Just put it on the couch," she spoke seeing the lost look on the tall woman's face.

Lena moved forward and let the things fall onto the couch, in the same movement turning and letting herself fall down with an 'Ouph', too.

Bianca laughed, "How did you even get all that stuff up in your arms?"

"I don't know," Lena shrugged. "There's more in the car, too. You Americans are crazy. There are so many things you can buy."

"That doesn't mean you have to buy it all," Bianca chuckled and walked over, taking a seat on the arm of the couch next to Lena. She pushed short brown strands behind the woman's ear. "But thank you for buying all this stuff and helping me set this up." She leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek.

Lena smiled and reached for Bianca's hand, clasping it in her own. "I think this will be a fun way to christen the house." The polish woman looked around. Her eyes found the open kitchen, some cups and plates resting on the bar that separated it from the rest of the empty living room. Apart from that white walls were staring back at her.

"It looks like we have a lot to do."

"Yeah, I'm so glad that Uncle Jack and Reggie at least got this old couch in here."

Jamie was giddy.

"Mags?" He hurried to her room, pulling his shirt from his body on the way while carrying another in his hand.

He opened her door and came to a stop when spotting his new roommate.

Maggie was fiddling with her hiking boots. Her foot placed on a chair she was bend over, tugging at the laces.

"Holy," he breathed. His eyes drifted from her boot clad feet up over bare tanned muscular calves and thighs, tight black shorts hugging her backside deliciously – his gaze got stuck.

"Jamie?" Maggie asked, a smirk playing over her face by the way he openly stared. She straightened herself, her foot slipping from the chair to the floor. "Want something?"

He pulled his eyes to her face and grinned, nodding approving. "That really was a good choice."

Maggie smoothed her hands over her tight khaki t-shirt. "Yeah, well, I still don't want to go." She looked up at him, studying his dirty beige cargo pants and bare chest, "What's that when it's finished? You're going as hobo now?"

"No, look at this," he smiled like a little excited boy and pulled the white t-shirt he was holding over his head.

Maggie cocked her head to the side, taking the shirt in. "Is that a skidmark?"

"Yes, I ran over it!" When Maggie just looked blank at him, he exclaimed, "I'm a car accident victim! And now guess how I got that idea." He grinned teasingly.

"Oh, no! That's embarrassing." Maggie covered her eyes with her hand rather wanting to forget about that day and whined, "Please go as Super Mario instead."

"No, this is genius. Will you help me with the blood and cuts?"

"No," She said roughly while pulling her hair up into a pony-tail.

"Pleeaaasee," he tilted his head and stuck out his lower lip, blinking his eyes pleadingly.

Maggie rolled her eyes and sighed, knowing she would end up doing it anyway. Just like she had to go to this damn party in that damn new house miles away from her apartment. And Lena would be there, too.

She stepped to him, grabbed him at his arm and dragged him out of her room.

"Fine, but I don't think Babe will find this sexy."

Bianca took a last look in the mirror, pushing the ivy crown on her head into position. She gave herself a nod and smoothed her hands over white fabric before tugging on a light blue sash.

The door bell ringing made her push back from the basin and she excitedly made her way to the door. Her friends hadn't seen the house before, so she was curious what they would have to say.

She opened the door to find four costumed people standing on her door step, the dusk of the night surrounding them.

"Greek goddess!" Babe shouted out, making the rest jerk.

"God, it's okay," Maggie muttered, rubbing her ear.

"I thought we were going to say Trick or Treat," Jamie wondered, looking at Maggie.

"We're guessing the costumes of everyone we see," Jr explained, laying an arm around his wife.

"And I'm winning," Babe said glowing, "I'm right, ain't I?"

"Um, yes." Bianca said, "I'm going for Hera. I wanted to do something really horrible and creepy, but...that's hard to pull off with this one tagging along." She lay her hand on her ever bigger getting belly.

The group nodded.

"Now guess what we are," Babe said enthusiastically, striking a pose.

"Oh, alright," Bianca smiled looking at Babe and Jr. "Well, but this is not hard."

He wore black, except for his red cloak. Two red horns stood up from his head and he hold a trident in his left hand, while Babe wore white like Bianca, two wings sticking out from her shoulders, her head spotting a halo.

"The devil and an angel," Bianca spoke.

"Noo..." Babe said, holding up a finger. "The devil and..." She reached behind JR, picking up a red tail that belonged to his costume and spun it suggestively around, her other hand coming to rest on her equally big belly. "...a naughty angel."

Bianca burst out laughing, while Maggie murmured to herself, "Well, that's about right."

"Can we come in now? It's getting cold." Maggie said, hopping from one foot to the other.

Bianca's eyes drifted to Maggie, taking her in for the first time. She wetted her lips as her eyes scanned quickly over her barely covered body, "Well, no wonder by what you're wearing," she said, suddenly a little breathless. "Is that Lara Croft?"

Maggie nodded coyly, "I'd take my guns out and put on a show but really it's cold."

Judging by her at-her-chest-strained shirt, it was.

"Oh, sure." Bianca said as she noticed Maggie looking expectantly at her after she hadn't moved from inside the door. She stepped out of the way, letting the dark blonde pass. Jr and Babe followed before Jamie. As he passed her, Bianca furrowed her brow. "You look like you got run over by a car."

"See, people get it," Jamie said pleased.

Maggie stuck her tongue out at him, making him do so in return.

"Oh, wow, this is cool," Babe admired, looking around the room.

The only light came from candle's being placed in pumpkins in the four corners of the room, casting weird shadows across the walls. Some others stood in colored glasses in the adjoined kitchen, while blankets and pillows lay around the lit fireplace, a couch standing behind the seating area. Cobwebs adorned every possible corner, two skulls resided on the corners of the mantel and different garlands with ghosts, bats and spiders as ornaments ran from wall to wall.

"Did you do this alone?" Babe asked, while the others still looked around.

"Oh no, Lena helped me," Bianca answered smiling, making a knot build in Maggie's stomach.

"Where is Lena?" Jamie asked curiously.

"She's upstairs, changing into her costume," Bianca said, moving to the kitchen and waving them along to fully welcome them in. "Here, we prepared some drinks for the start."

She gestured to some champagne glasses that held a red liquid, darker at the bottom than at the top.

"That looks a little like when you allow blood to stand and the plasma starts precipitating from the blood cells," Maggie said with a tilted head, studying the glass which Bianca gave her.

"Thank you, Maggie," Babe said, scrunching up her face in disgust.

The two men chuckled and picked up their glasses, while Bianca gave Babe a glass with a different lighter red shade of liquid, "It's cranberry juice for us."

"And rancid blood for us," JR said, raising an eyebrow as he sniffed at the drink.

"She's not gonna poison you," Jamie laughed, shaking him teasingly at his shoulder.

JR just glared underwhelmed at him.

"You never know," Babe joked, winking at Bianca and then raised her drink, "Cheers."

The rest of the group followed her lead, raising their glasses before sipping from them.

"Hmm, not bad," Jamie licked his lips.

They heard steps above them and collectively turned to the stairs. Maggie opted to look into her drink instead, not eager for Lena to arrive.

The steps descended the stairs. At once everyone became quiet, making Maggie curious, so that she turned to the stairs, too.

"I'm sorry, I hope you did not wait."

Maggie, who was about to take a big gulp from her drink in prospect of hearing that polish thick accent, suddenly snorted and spluttered her drink.

Everyone turned to her.

She faked coughing, not an easy task since she barely could contain her laughter by the sight she got to see.

"I'm sorry, sorry," she choked out, turning away.

"Are you okay?" Jamie asked, following her and rubbing his hand over her back.

"Yes," she suppressed the chuckles that wanted to overcome her body, taking deep wheezes of breath in. "I'm..good...fine."

She steeled herself, waiting a second longer to get a certain amount of calmness before then turning around again.

Everyone still concentrated on her, while she tried to look everywhere but Lena. She couldn't help herself though and glanced at the polish woman again.

She tensed her facial muscles which wanted to tear apart and stretch into a big grin. Air piled up in her lungs, wanting to burst out, but she pushed it down.

She took the white blue uniform in. The blue short skirt. The glittering blue silver pompom in each hand.

There was no use in stopping it. She burst out laughing, tears quickly springing to her eyes.

"I'm sorry, but,..." Laughter tormented her body and she reached for Jamie to hold herself up. "Cheerleader. Really?"

"What is wrong with it?" Lena asked, looking confused down on herself.

"What's..." Maggie tried to repeat through her chuckles, but gave up, instead pulling a deep breath in. "You, this..." She waved her hands through the air. "Please tell me you won't dance the hustle next!" She laughed once anew and staggered on her feet, panting out of breath, "Please, I have to sit down."

Since there was no chair, Jamie pulled her tighter to him, letting her lean on him to recover, a small smile gracing his lips, too.

As he hold Maggie to him a funky feeling overcame him, feeling eyes resting on him. But when he looked they already had turned away.

"Is cheerleader not a good costume for Halloween?" the polish woman wondered, reasoning, "They always die first in the movies. I thought it was fun."

Bianca stepped to her, smiling, "I think it's cute."

Maggie sobered abruptly, her eyes zooming in on the brunette's fingers slowly encircling the older woman's elbow, their bodies bumping together gently. And what Babe said next didn't make it better.

"Hey, your colors match perfectly," the blonde commented, looking at the white and blue dressed pair. "Did you coordinate your costumes?"

"No, I guess we just fit," Lena smiled and lay an arm around Bianca's shoulder, making the younger woman look lovingly up at her.

Eventually they moved on from Maggie's outbreak, exploring the new house in a game of hide and seek instead of a guided tour, what was not exactly fun to play in a house with nothing in it to hide behind, under or inside. But somehow exactly that made it fun again.

They drank and ate and shared stories and at the end of the night they fell asleep next to each other, buzzed from the drinks and playful temper of the night, not knowing what would expect them in their sleep.