AN: Okies...first fanfic...Please be gentle! I'm going to be a sad and lonely loser on halloween this weekend, so I figured the Normandy could celebrate it :)

It had been a very interesting morning for Thane Krios. He had thought he had covered everything regarding human culture and holidays…but apparently he had missed one. Thankfully Kelly Chambers had explained the holiday to him, after he had attacked a crew member in a mask whom he had mistaken for an intruder. The Cerberus employee was not injured severely and thankfully did not feel any ill will towards him…after all it had been an honest mistake.

They were now on their way to Omega, where the holiday had been adopted by the resident aliens. Aria T'Loak was even reported to dress up for the occasion and most of the crew was talking of the legendary parties that took place in Afterlife that night. Thane didn't much care for it…he did not wish to be anything other than himself and it confused him why humans desired to pretend they were something else.

"But…why not?" Kasumi Goto had whined at him upon hearing his response as to what he would dress up as. He had found it hard to argue with her, seeing as she was wearing a skull for a face under her hood. Avoiding the thief's attempts to get him in costume he wandered onto the CIC, only to find himself immersed even further into the madness of the holiday.

"Thane, happy Halloween!" Yeoman Kelly Chambers beamed at him from her spot near the galaxy map. The skin of her face was the color orange, black triangles painted over her eyes and a weird zigzag line painted over her mouth. "I hope you already have a costume picked out" Her smile faded slightly as she saw Thane's minor irritation. "I am afraid I have no wish to 'dress up' I shall attend the party at Afterlife as myself." The doors to the elevator whooshed open.

"Good one dad, that'll be scary enough!" Thane turned in surprise, "Kolyat, I had no idea you were on board! I would have welcomed you had I known…" The young drell smiled before stepping out. "Nah its okay Dad…Shep just needed my help with something." He turned towards Kelly Chambers, "Almost done?" She asked, cheerfully handing him a bag. "Yeah, she just needs to get dressed…damn human skin is weird." Thane's eye ridges rose in surprise. "What is going on here?" Kolyat swung the bag over his shoulder, whistling innocently as he boarded the elevator once more. Thane turned towards the yeoman, giving her a look he normally reserved for his targets.

"Do not fear Mr. Krios, all will be revealed soon." The yeoman actually giggled. "I think you will really like the commander's costume." Thane turned towards the elevator, narrowly avoiding a human looking like a very poor imitation of a turian. Thane sighed as he rode back down to the crew deck. Humans were so strange…

As he exited Life Support to get lunch he noticed Garrus giving him a strange look. "Is something amiss Officer Vakarian?" he asked as he grabbed an apple. Shepard loved the fruit and had succeeded in addicting him as well. "No…just, have you seen Shepard yet?" The turian didn't seem to be in costume…though he was wearing orange and black turian armor. "No…is she alright?" Garrus chuckled slightly. "Yeah she's fine…just different." Thane moved to ask further questions but was interrupted as Jack and Miranda emerged.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me cheerleader, a couple's costume? That's lame!" The two women appeared from the elevator. Jack in a skin tight black leather dress and a wide brimmed, pointy hat and Miranda in a very revealing black and red cat suit, similar to her usual Cerberus uniform only lower collared in the front and with more lace. Her outfit looked more appropriate for Lieutenant Taylor's bedroom.

Thane cast the turian a questioning glance as he gestured towards Miranda. "Vampire" Garrus whispered as the two approached. Jack gave Thane a smirk as she passed. "I have a feeling you and Shep aren't going to make the party." Thane gave her a confused look. "Why is that?" Jack laughed and moved to speak before Miranda shoved her hand over the biotic's mouth. "You should just find Shepard Thane." The drell noticed the officer's enlarged, pointy canines with curiosity before she turned away, leading Jack into her office before the tattooed woman could say anything more.

"I think the commander's in the CIC." Garrus offered as Thane stood. The assassin had already suspected as such.

. . .

Shepard smiled as Kolyat handed her the dress. "Jesus that's beautiful!" The dress he had handed her was simple, but the fabric was quite silky. It was a deep blue, not quite midnight blue but almost as dark. "It's a traditional drell styled dress, suitable for the party tonight. My mother had a dress very similar hence how I knew what to look for." The young drell's ribbing seemed to flush darker and he shuffled from foot to foot.

As she entered the bathroom to change Shepard couldn't stop smiling. After her first meeting with Kolyat ending with her punching him in the face she hadn't expected them to grow so close. She was overjoyed about their newfound friendship and his easy acceptance of her relationship with his father. Her costume had even been his idea. As she entered the room, dress flowing around her she noticed him giving her a strange look.

"What?" she asked nervously. "I look really weird don't I?" He shook his head, smiling slightly. "No…it's just you look almost exactly like the real thing." Shepard laughed. "Well that is the idea."

. . .

Thane emerged from the elevator, instantly glancing around for Shepard. What he saw stunned him. "Siha?" She turned and smiled. It was undoubtedly Shepard, for she couldn't hide being human, but to an untrained eye her costume would look like the real thing. Her eyes held jet black contacts that covered the entire surface, even the whites and black paint had been smudged directly under them in a thick band. Her face was awash of color the celery green much lighter than his emerald complexion. His eyes noticed her neck had been painted with a dark blue, almost black in a design that mimicked the ribbing along his own throat. Kolyat had done an excellent job on her scales, they were so detailed he wondered if he were to caress her face the skin would be as textured as his own. Lastly her hair, which had been dyed blue, had been slicked down against her scalp, except for the ends which had been flared out to resemble frills. All in all the commander made one irresistible drell.

"Happy Halloween Thane" What a wonderful human tradition…

AN2: Shepard+Drell Costume=Thane's wet dream