The Point of Halloween
Connor's given up on Halloween and Abby and Stephen want to know why. The answer is not quite what they expected. No pairings. Set season 2.
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My friend challenged me to write a fic based on the sentence "They should just cancel Halloween." This is what I came up with. I finished it before Halloween, but didn't realize I hadn't posted it. Now it's almost Christmas and I'm posting a Halloween fic. Oops. Oh well?
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Abby blinked at her roommate. "What did you just say?" she asked incredulously.
Connor shrugged and kept playing his video game. He was seated in the rec room of the ARC. Abby was lifting weights somewhere behind him and Stephen was changing his shirt at his locker to Connor's left.
"I think they should cancel Halloween," he repeated.
Stephen shook his head. "This coming from the guy who went as far as to spend two months pay on a costume from Star Trek last year?"
Connor frowned. "It wasn't Star Trek," he said petulantly. "It was Assassin's Creed."
"My point is," Stephen said with a roll of his eyes, "that you love Halloween. It's like…a free geek day," he explained lamely with a wave of his hand. He reached into his locker to grab his over shirt.
Connor shook his head. "It's a celebration derived from a dozen ancient traditions from cultures all around the world," he stated. "It's a great holiday."
Abby set her weights down and stretched her arms. "If it's so great, then why do you think it should be canceled this year?"
Pausing the game, Connor turned around in his chair to face his teammates. "Not just this year. Every year," he reiterated. "And it's just…" He waved his hands around in front of himself pointlessly. "It seems rather pointless, don't ya think?"
"How so?" Stephen asked, finishing with the last button and making sure the shirt was hanging right.
"Well," Connor began slowly, "I mean, we fight dinosaurs on a weekly basis," he said. He shrugged. "I'm just not thinking anything related to Halloween is really all that scary anymore. Think about it." He counted on his fingers as he spoke. "Witches, devils, aliens, little monsters, video game characters, maids and angels, I mean, I'm just not seeing how any of it is scary." He dropped his hands to the back of the chair. "I mean, I used to, but with what we do for a living…"
Abby lifted a curious eyebrow at him. "So if a vampire came in here, you wouldn't be scared?"
Connor shook his head. "Not saying that. Though, to be quite honest, probably not. I mean, that's the point of a vampire, isn't it? They're alluring. You're not supposed to be scared." He frowned. "All those movies and comics lately don't take that into account anymore. Vampires are scary now instead of sexy." He set his chin on his hands and pouted.
Stephen laughed once and walked over to Connor. "But if you get rid of Halloween, you get rid of Halloween parties," he reasoned.
Connor's eyebrows came together. "I never went to parties anyways," he rebuked. His frown deepened. "Never got invited to any, actually."
"I wonder why," Abby mused off-handedly.
Connor sent a glare her way, a 'whose side are you on?' look. Abby grabbed her towel from the ground by her bag and wiped the back of her neck.
"Come on, Connor," Stephen started with a pat on Connor's shoulder. Connor glanced up at him. "What happened to all the enthusiasm from last year?"
Connor leaned back, not dislodging Stephen's hand. "I don't have anyone to go out with anymore…," he muttered, not looking either of them in the eye.
Abby and Stephen glanced at each other. That's right. Last year, Connor had gone out with his friends Tom and Duncan. They hadn't asked what the three friends had done, but Connor had come in the next morning looking dead tired but thrilled. But since then, Tom had died of a future virus and Duncan had since vanished from Connor's life.
Abby stepped swiftly over to Connor and knelt down in front of him, placing her hands next to his on the back of the chair. Connor blinked curiously at her. "I'll go out with you." Connor's jaw dropped open. Abby lifted a confused eyebrow and then shook her head. "Not 'go out with you'," she said, "but, you know, go out with you. As in, for Halloween!"
Stephen was grinnong behind Connor. He tapped his fingers on Connor's shoulder. "See? You've still got people to celebrate with."
"Yea, Stephen'll come too!" Abby said loudly, looking at Stephen.
Stephen froze where he stood. He could tell she was nervous about being left with Connor alone all night. Connor frowned, but he still gave Stephen an expectant look. Stephen took his hand off Connor's shoulder and clenched his hand into a light fist. Then he let it fall loose and hang at his side.
"Yea. I'll come too," he agreed.
Connor beamed. "Really?" He jumped up from his chair. "Great! Oh, wait….but Halloween's canceled."
Abby rolled her eyes. "It's not canceled, Connor. That was just you." She stood up straight again.
"Well," Connor started, "it should be. I mean, besides brain eating zombies, I don't think anything's gonna scare me."
Stephen got a wicked gleam in his eyes. Abby saw it, but Connor didn't. He moved to stand by Abby, facing Connor. "Well then," he said, crossing his arms, "we'll have to see if we can change that."
Connor looked between his two teammates, saw the challenge on their faces, and gulped. Oh dear.
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fin.
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Hope you liked it and hope you all had a safe and fun Halloween this year.