Disclaimer: I do not own the tv show Scarecrow and Mrs. King or any of its characters. All I own is the dvd copies, and apparently, that's not enough to give me any kind of legal claim. I didn't get any money from writing this, either. In fact, nobody even gave me candy! I had to steal it myself from the candy bowl. Poor Jestress. (Oh, wait, there are Kit Kat bars in here. And Reese's Pieces! That's okay, then.)

Explanation: Shortly before last Halloween, I was attacked by vicious plot bunnies while watching the Scarecrow and Mrs. King dvds I got for my birthday. I spent Halloween night writing this while sitting by the front door wearing my witch's costume and waiting for trick-or-treaters. Halloween is my favorite holiday because it comes so soon after my birthday. Give presents in the form of reviews! :D

Florica's Fortunes

By Jestress

Chapter 1: The Pumpkin Patch

Amanda wasn't happy with her latest assignment. Lee knew how she hated to have to have her work around her family, but he insisted that it was only going to be a short errand in a place that she was likely to go anyway. What better cover for passing a message to someone in a pumpkin patch than a mother taking her children to pick out pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns? The pumpkin patch had been set up in the parking lot of a shopping center only about a mile from Amanda's house, a natural place for Amanda to take the boys, and when she suggested it to her mother, Dotty instantly approved.

Soon, Philip and Jamie were happily running around the pumpkin patch, trying to find the biggest pumpkins they could.

"But not too big, boys!" Dotty called after them. "Remember, they charge by the pound! Oh, this brings back memories of when you were little, Amanda. I remember one year when your father and I had to talk you out of buying a pumpkin almost as big as you were . . ."

"Yes, Mother," Amanda said, spotting the man that Lee had described to her manning the cash register, "but just a moment, I want to go ask that man a question."

"Ask him what, dear?" Dotty said as she continued watching the boys on their hunt for the perfect pumpkins.

"I, uh, want to see if they have any ghost pumpkins," Amanda said.

"Ghost pumpkins?"

"Yes, you know, the ones with the white skin instead of the usual orange," Amanda explained.

"I don't think I see any of those," Dotty said.

"Well, I'll just check and see if he has some more on his truck," Amanda said, slipping away before her mother could ask anything else.

When she got to the cash register, Amanda asked the man whether he had any ghost pumpkins, just as she had told her mother she would. It was the first part of the recognition code that Lee had given her.

"We did have some, ma'am," the man replied, "but I'm afraid that most of the crop was destroyed by bad weather."

"Oh, that's too bad," Amanda said, continuing with the code. "I hear that the weather has been really bad in Topeka."

Why in Topeka, Amanda had no idea. It was probably just that most people in Arlington wouldn't be likely to mention Topeka, so it was safe to use it in the recognition code.

"Yes, the worst in years," the man said, completing the code. "We're collecting for the disaster relief." That was her cue.

"I have something for you," Amanda said, handing him the envelope she'd been carrying in her purse.

"It is much appreciated," the man said. "I have something for you, too."

Then, he handed her a small keychain with a pumpkin on it. No key, just a little pumpkin charm on the chain. It was made out of plastic and had a jack-o-lantern face with triangle eyes and a mouth with vampire-like fangs. This wasn't part of the routine that Lee had told her to expect.

"But—but, sir," Amanda sputtered. "I think there's been a mistake. I didn't expect . . . I didn't think you would give me anything . . . "

"No, no," the man said. "It's a present from me, just to say thanks. Keep it and use it well." He smiled and nodded reassuringly at her.

Not knowing what else to do, Amanda smiled and nodded back, dropping the little keychain into her purse.

"Amanda," Dotty called to her, "could you give me a hand? I think we've definitely decided on one pumpkin. The boys are fighting over it now. I need your help finding another one that's about the same size."

"I saw it first!" Philip insisted.

"No, I saw it first!" Jamie argued.

"Philip! Jamie! Nice as that one is, I'm sure there's another one around here that's just as nice," Amanda said, turning her attention back to her family.

"Did they have the ghost pumpkins you were looking for?" Dotty asked.

"What? Oh, no, they didn't," Amanda said. "The crop was destroyed by bad weather."

"Oh, that's too bad," Dotty said. "Your uncle Melvin had that problem once, back when he had that farm near Topeka."

Amanda paused for a moment and then shrugged it off. She was more worried about the little pumpkin keychain. Lee had told her that she was merely dropping a message off, not picking anything up. She had no idea what the keychain was for, but she wanted to get it to Lee as soon as possible in case it was important.

"Well, maybe they'll be selling pumpkins at the carnival at school," Dotty continued. "You might be able to find one there. When did you say you were going over to help them set up?"

"Hmm? Oh, this evening, Mother," Amanda said. "They're putting up the tents and most of the decorations tonight. After we get the pumpkins for the boys, I'm going to head over to the school."

Actually, she would be leaving a couple of hours early for the carnival set-up, but it was a convenient excuse to slip away and meet Lee. As soon as she got home, she would call him to make sure that he was at the Agency.

"What about dinner? Aren't you going to have dinner with us?"

Amanda had been so concerned about the keychain that she had almost forgotten about dinner.

"They'll have food for us there," Amanda said, making a mental note to pick up something for herself on her way back from the Agency.

"That's good," Dotty said. "I'm almost finished with your costume. By tomorrow morning, it should be ready for you to try on."

"Thanks," Amanda said with a smile. "I'm sure it's going to be great."

Twenty minutes later, they managed to find another pumpkin that (more or less) satisfied the boys. It was very similar in size and shape to the first one they'd found, but both of the boys were still eyeing the first one. Even though Amanda had a hard time telling the two pumpkins apart, she had a feeling that the boys would start fighting over them again when it was time to carve them.

"Look what the man at the register gave me," Dotty said after they'd checked out. She held out a little keychain with a pumpkin charm on it, similar to Amanda's. "Isn't it cute?"

"Yes, it is. It's very cute," Amanda said. Now she was even more confused.

Maybe the keychain really didn't have anything to do with the message she'd just delivered. Maybe the man at the register gave them out to everyone he talked to just as a promotional item. But he had made it a point to tell her to use it well. Amanda shook her head and decided to concentrate on getting her mother and the boys home. Then, she would go talk to Lee.

Amanda and her family left the pumpkin lot, never noticing the two men who stood at the far edge of it, taking pictures of everyone.