Author's Note: So this was supposed to be a fun little Halloween fic involving seances, ouija boards, and so forth. However, it took a different turn when JuliaJoyBell suggested that Julia would want William to be a vampire for Halloween, then it went in a completely different direction. I don't know if I love it, but since it's Halloween, times up? Also, I'm American, so I don't want to hear about dissing Yanks.

Feedback welcome!

I don't own MM, if I did, I wouldn't be scheming on how to change careers.

Title: Transformation

Rating: Very T, but not an M.

As he stood in the corner of Mimsy Rhodes' ballroom surveying the festivities happening around him, he reflected upon the origins of this rather strange holiday as opposed to looking at the clock for the hundredth time; waiting for it to be a socially acceptable time to make his departure.

He knew that Halloween was most likely derived from the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain, in which it was believed that the dead returned to the world of the living for one day. This eventually became All Saints' Day or All Hallows Eve as the British Isles converted to Christianity, and as the Irish had immigrated to America, they had taken the holiday with them. William didn't think that the holiday was originally this festive and fun and no doubt it had been lightened in tone from its origins. But why had the Americans thought that adopting a ghoulish holiday could be fun?

Their neighbors to the south were an interesting bunch; that much was certainly true.

But why oh why had Julia thought that he would enjoy this charade?

"Oh, William, come now…it will be fun! It'll be a chance to dress up and pretend to be something you're not," Julia had cajoled him a couple of weeks ago.

What's wrong with what I am? He wondered to himself. First Julia had tried to persuade him to imbibe in various intoxicating substances, and now she wanted him in costume as someone else. However, he chose to remain silent and instead of telling her no, he'd resigned himself to an evening of small talk and finding an appropriate corner to retreat to once he'd exhausted his repertoire of acceptable conversation topics. He'd long ago learned that what was fascinating conversation for him was absolutely dreadful for most people. Thus he was at his happiest when he could spend his evenings with his wife in the comfort of their suite, a woman who shared his interests wholeheartedly.

But he also acknowledged that Julia enjoyed attending the occasional party and as her husband, it was his obligation (and honor) to accompany her. That he also had the duty and privilege of escorting her home at the end of the evening was not a detail lost on him either. Even if the event in question were a Halloween party, where costumes were not only encouraged but also required, he would persevere for her.

Making a face in distaste, he couldn't help but think of the last time he had attended a costume party: it had been far from an enjoyable evening. That time he was wrongly accused of murder and ultimately incapable of stopping Julia from marrying another despite her asking him to intervene when he'd decided to free the actual murderer himself.

If that particular detail hadn't been enough, she'd even insisted that they both go as the characters Count Dracula and Mina Harker from Dracula, a book he would forever associate with attention starved, lovesick teenage girls as opposed to his rational, intelligent wife.

When he'd said as much to Julia, she merely rolled her eyes in annoyance and commented that she was amazed at how a man as intelligent as he could be so obtuse and still not get it. When he asked for further elaboration, she'd merely stated that she would assemble his costume for him and left the room in exasperation.

Thus he found himself in a frilly shirt trimmed with copious amounts of fine lace that probably cost more than one of his usual shirts topped with a black velvet cape lined in red silk, observing the others from a well-appointed armchair while trying not to think of said outfit's cost. As he had never been to a Halloween party before, he was content to watch the other guests participate in such activities as "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" where blindfolded participants attempted to pin a tail on a paper donkey and "Bobbing for Apples" where participants dunked their faces into a tub of water and tried to capture an apple using nothing but their mouth. Although the first game looked enjoyable, the only person he would willingly wear a blindfold for was Julia and even then only when it were just the two of them as they sometimes enjoyed doing with one another. As for the second game, the lore was that if you placed the apple under your pillow, you would dream of your future lover, but seeing as he was already married to the woman of his dreams, he had no need to fantasize about her when he could enjoy her later that evening.

With a blindfold if I so wish… he thought to himself smugly, and immediately looked for and found his lover talking to a fellow physician across the room. Smiling at him, she immediately saw where he had been looking and winked back at him. Might their plans for the evening involve some games with just the two of them? He certainly hoped so and again found himself glancing at the clock in disappointment. It was still far too early to return home.

Rather than torture himself with solving the pointless mystery of wondering how an ancient Celtic holiday marking the end of the summer and harvest came to feature dunking one's face in a barrel of water to catch an apple, he decided to gaze upon his wife and ponder why she had insisted they come as characters from Dracula, and for the first time, regretted having not read the book. He knew it featured a vampire with a taste for beautiful young women in more ways than one, but he still failed to understand how someone as determined and in control as his wife wanted to be the prey to his predator. Of course he found her quite beautiful always, but she was particularly intriguing tonight in a scarlet bustled gown complete with a plunging neckline and makeup to make her appear paler than usual, all the more apparent with her heavily rouged cheeks and lips. The transformation was complete with a long, raven colored wig worn down in soft waves over her shoulders. She didn't look much like her usual self yet William knew she was still there, just beneath the surface. Julia clearly wanted them to both be someone else, but why?

He hadn't realized that he must have made a face as some matron dressed as Marie Antionette asked if he was all right. Wincing as he saw how early the hour still was and knowing that any romance with his wife wasn't going to happen anytime soon, he assured her he was. Resigning himself to at least another hour and a half amongst the so-called finest citizens of Toronto, he arose from his chair and set out for the study, where he knew he could find exotic and amazing items from Mimsy's trip to Japan last year. He was particularly curious to see the samurai helmet and sword, wood carvings, beautiful woodblock prints of courtesans or Geisha called Ukiyo-e, and fine, hand painted porcelain to name just a few of the amazing items that Julia had told him about.

Ever the gracious hostess, Mimsy spotted his exit and correctly guessed where he was headed and escorted him to the study herself and encouraged him to examine and handle anything he wanted. Ostensibly, the first thing he reached for the samurai sword or katana, which was not at all heavy and cumbersome as a Scottish broadsword, yet he immediately knew it was just as deadly. The weapon was incredibly light and the blade was thin, but William knew that the forged steel was anything but brittle. The craftsmanship was nothing short of exquisite, and William marveled at how the light, unassuming sword was an instrument of mass destruction.

However, it wasn't long before he found a folio of the woodblock prints and while he carefully admired the scenes of nature, he particularly enjoyed the bathhouse scenes of beautiful women in various stages of undress. At one glance the picture was so unassuming, yet so much more was going on in the scene than met the eye. Much like his and Julia's costumes for the evening…Julia had requested that neither of them be themselves, but why? Without realizing it, he stepped away from the folio and over to the window, where he glanced out the window at the lights of the city. Despite not reading the book, he knew there was a sexual undercurrent in there that was undeniable. It didn't sound like Dracula was a man who controlled himself as a man, unlike he typically did. Was this Julia's way of asking him to take charge and demand her complete surrender? Tonight, they were not themselves and suddenly, he realized a multitude of opportunities had opened up to them as such. Thus he spent the next few minutes contemplating all the possibilities the night held as Julia hurriedly rushed into the room, clearly on a mission.

"There you are, William! Mimsy said I could find you here," she murmured as she sidled up to him, linking her arm with his. "Here I thought we were enjoying a fine game of making eyes with one another when I noticed that you were gone. I thought for a moment the evil spirits must have made away with you," she teased, brushing her lips against his.

"I'm afraid that simply isn't possible. I'm already under the curse of another, " he replied pulling her towards him with a lascivious grin as he cupped her bottom.

"It would seem that a few have decided to play with a Ouija board across the hall if you're interested," she asked, slightly pulling his tie, which told him that she wasn't at all interested in playing with a planchette, but a game just between the two of them.

Smiling at her, he put his own hands on top of hers. "I believe it is time to depart so that I may return home before the sun rises," he replied.

"William, have you figured it out?" she excitedly asked. "I told you years ago that a vampire…" she began, fingering the collar on his cape, "represents the forbidden and savage even. He's a figure that demands complete surrender, and well…" she trailed off as she tossed back the long raven hair of her wig over her shoulder, fully exposing her neck to him, trailing her fingers down her throat. "You never did read the book, did you?" she asked disappointedly.

"No, but nevertheless, I believe I have figured it out. Please, allow me to speculate: Dracula understands and represents the forbidden passion of women…encourages it even as opposed to discourages it like so many others," he murmured, leaning in so that his breath was hot upon her neck. He felt her shiver in response.

"Did Count Dracula have his way with Mina? Did he demand complete surrender?" he asked as he made a point to scrape the stubble of his beard upon the tender skin of her neck.

"Yes, oh yes. I guess you could say that," Julia moaned as her knees buckled and he pulled her towards him.

"I see. Tonight, I'm Dracula and you are my dearest Mina," he whispered in her ear as he made a point of trailing his own fingers down her throat, stopping at her carotid artery or pulse point as she moaned.

"Then let us depart at once," Julia murmured as she pulled him towards the exit. "We only have until dawn it seems."