Make Me Like Halloween
Written for WA: Halloween Challenge
"Ah, Perry the Platypus," Heinz Doofenshmirtz greeted his former nemesis and friend. The platypus secret agent had come into his house like the old days before he'd changed sides leaving his past of evil behind.
Perry was glaring at him with his arms crossed, giving the former villain a look that said I thought you'd given up evil, so what's this Inator for.
"I know that seems like I'm evil again or that I lied about being good now," Heinz explained. "I'm not, I promise you, Perry the Platypus. As you already know, today is Halloween and you would think with me being a former evil scientist hell bent on taking over the Tri-State area that Halloween would be my favourite holiday, but it's not. It's actually my least favourite holiday, with all the children walking the street playing pranks on people that don't give them candy. My first year after leaving Drusselstein was the worst because I didn't even know what Halloween was. Those cute little fireside girls are the worst with the pranks, don't let their cuteness fool you, Perry the Platypus. Those girls will prank you like no tomorrow, what they can do puts some of my former schemes to shame."
Heinz turned to his Inator, making the final checks that everything was in order. "While Halloween is not my favourite holiday, it is Vanessa's. I think she gets it from Charlene. When Vanessa was a baby and then a little girl, my ex-wife would dress Vanessa up in these really cute outfits. It stopped when Vanessa was six and started picking her own costumes."
Heinz put down his screwdriver and went rummaging through a few drawers, pulling out a full album. He walked to the recliner and patted the armrest. "Sit here, Perry the Platypus." He opened the album. Perry walked across the room and sat on the armrest as indicated.
"This is Vanessa's first Halloween. It feels like it was only yesterday that she was that little," Heinz reminisced. "They grow up so fast. I wish I could turn her into my little girl again."
Perry chattered to let the doctor know he agreed that children grow up too fast, but he should not be turning his daughter into a child.
"I know," Heinz sighed. "Charlene and I were still happily married then which is why Vanessa is dressed up like me." He flipped through pages finding the next Halloween. "Here she is dressed as a little bunny rabbit. I wanted her to dressed as an ocelot since I was raised by ocelots for a while, to honour my animal family, Charlene thought rabbits were cuter. Here Vanessa was going through a princess stage, then a fairy, then a mermaid. Then her costumes started to get less cute and scarier. Here she is a werewolf and a zombie oh and this is her as Frankenstein's monster." Doofenshmirtz pointed to the different pictures of his daughter. "People get that one confused all the time. He's not Frankenstein, he's created by Frankenstein. Norm would not like it if he was called Doofenshmirtz all the time."
"Yes, I would, dad," the robot in the corner insisted.
"I'm not your father, Norm." Heinz rolled his eyes. "The only person I am a dad to is Vanessa."
"Here is last year: Vanessa dressed up as a gothic vampire. If I didn't know better, I'd say she was a vampire in real life, so scary and realistic. I wonder what she'll dress up as this year, she should be here soon. Vanessa always stops by before she goes out to her party with her little friends. I'm going to take a photo and add it to my scrapbook," Heinz gushed.
He left the album open on the chair and walked back to his Inator. Perry followed.
"Behold my Make-Me-Like-Halloween Inator," Heinz announced dramatically.
"You don't need that, dad," the scientist heard the voice of his daughter tell him.
Heinz was startled to find his daughter standing in the doorway with her mother. "Vanessa, I didn't hear you come in."
Perry was at the doctor's feet, his hat hidden since Carlene was in the room and not aware of the platypus's secret agent status.
Charlene was dressed as a fairy and Vanessa didn't look much different from usual, still wearing her black outfit but with one difference. She was wearing a white lab coat like he used to wear all the time, like he was wearing tonight since he made a new Inator and wasn't being a secret agent.
"Oh Vanessa, the costume you chose for this year is much nicer than the one you wore last year," Heinz exclaimed proudly.
"Dad, I'm just wearing my usual clothes with your lab coat," Vanessa replied. "This is nothing special at all."
"And it suits you," Heinz gushed. "I was just showing Perry the Platypus old photos of your past Halloween costumes."
Perry chattered and soon found himself in Vanessa's arms. "Thanks, Perry, for keeping my dad company." She hugged her platypus friend before putting him back on the ground.
Charlene picked up the album. "Vanessa, look at this, it's your first Halloween. I dressed you up to look like your dad. It really comes full circle since you chose this look on your own this time."
Vanessa looked at herself in the black jumpsuit and white coat. "I was so small."
"One day you'll have a child of your own who will be this small. I can't wait to be a grandmother and dress my grandchildren up for Halloween," Charlene said.
Heinz looked horrified at the thought of his little girl becoming a mother after she finished university in a few years' time.
"Not happening, mom," Vanessa insisted.
"Heinz, Vanessa and I are going to a Halloween party with a few friends. You're welcome to come," Charlene offered.
Heinz looked at his daughter, he didn't want to go out; but he did want to spend time with Vanessa.
"Actually, mom, can I stay here with dad? I don't feel like going out tonight."
"You want to stay here with me?" Heinz was surprised that his daughter really wanted to spend time with him during her favourite holiday instead of attend a party.
"Are you sure?" Charlene confirmed.
"Yeah, I'm sure," Vanessa insisted.
"You know where to find me if you change your mind," Charlene told her daughter.
"Charlene, before you leave can I ask a favour?" Heinz asked before she was out of the door. "Can you take Norm with you? He wants to do something for Halloween and I have no plans to go out."
"I don't see why not," Charlene agreed.
"Oh boy, my first Halloween party. I'm so excited. Thank you for taking me with you, mom."
"She's not your - you know what, never mind," Heinz started. Norm never listened and was always trying to be included in his family despite being a robot. It wasn't even in his programming to desire a family.
Charlene waved goodbye to her daughter, taking the robot with her. Today Norm wouldn't stick out like he normally did.
"Dad," Vanessa said after her mother had left. "I didn't know you didn't like Halloween. You don't need to pretend for me. Just like you don't need to pretend to hate Christmas."
"Halloween's your favourite holiday," Heinz reminded her. "I want to like it to be close to you."
"It's my favourite holiday because I get to dress up as something fun and scary and no one looks twice," Vanessa replied. "It was also the only time that people didn't look at the way you dressed and think you were weird, especially when we were on holidays. I was embarrassed by you for the longest time. When I was really little I thought it was cool that I got to live with a Halloween character all year round. My dad the evil mad scientist."
"Aww, you really thought that about me," Heinz gushed. He hugged his daughter, who returned the hug.
Perry the Platypus watched the pair for a few moments, wiping a tear away before leaving for his own family.
"Let's build an Inator together. I want to show you what I've learnt in science and shop this year." Vanessa told her father.
Heinz nodded. He glanced over at the complete Inator he built earlier. Vanessa was pulling out wires and boards, designing her own Inator with his help. Maybe he accidentally fired his Make-Me-Like-Halloween Inator or maybe he didn't need that Inator to enjoy Halloween for his daughter. This was turning into his best Halloween spending time with his daughter doing what he loved best and Vanessa actually enjoying herself.