Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.

Written for: Criminal Minds Weekly Prompts Halloween Drabble Challenge.

Drabble prompt: pets in Halloween costumes.

Word count: 438

This is the product of a feverish brain, so I hope it's sort of coherent.

It was a relatively quiet Sunday afternoon in the Hotchner household. Hotch was settled at the kitchen table with his laptop, working on paperwork, and Jack was upstairs playing.

There was a high-pitched, tortured yowl of pain from upstairs, and Hotch bolted toward the stairs, terrified that an Unsub had somehow broken into the house and was holding Jack hostage.

When he burst into Jack's room, gun in hand, instead of finding a raging psychopath holding a knife to his son's throat, he found the seven-year-old sitting peacefully on the floor. He was trying to wrestle Millie the cat into a pumpkin costume.

"Daddy?" He looked up, wide-eyed, and Hotch realized that he was still holding his gun. Clearing his throat, he put it on safety, and placed it safely on Jack's bookshelf. He approached his son and squatted so he was on his level.

"Sorry, buddy. I guess I overreacted," he explained, ruffling his son's hair affectionately. He pulled him close and gently extricated the cat from his tight grasp. "What were you up to?"

"I was getting Millie ready for Halloween!" Jack exclaimed proudly, puffing out his chest.

"Are you sure Millie was okay with that?" Hotch asked, stroking the soft fur between the tabby's ears in an effort to calm her down.

"Yeah, she liked it. Auntie Pen said she would." He reached out small arms for her, but she narrowed her eyes and flattened herself against Hotch's legs.

"She did, did she?" Hotch clarified, raising an eyebrow. He would have to have a talk with her about giving Jack ideas. "Did she give you the costume, too?"

"Yeah, she made it! Didn't Millie look cute?"

Hotch had to admit that Jack made a pretty good case. She did look adorable, but she was clearly less-than-thrilled with being dressed in an electric orange shirt with a matching orange and green triangular top. He gently loosened the Velcro and took off the hat. Rewarded by an almost purring cat, he got to work on getting her out of the shirt.

"But Daddy, I know Millie liked it! What are you doing?" Jack asked, frowning. There was an ever-widening pout on his lips.

"You know what, buddy? I think Millie would like it even better on Halloween. It's only the 26th. But you know what I think she would really like? If we carved some pumpkins right now," Hotch said, releasing Millie, who streaked between his legs and out the door, traumatized from the afternoon's proceedings.

"Okay." Jack shrugged, and followed his dad out of the room. "Can we carve the pumpkins so they look like cats?"