Warning: Profanity, underage drinking, attempted assault.

A/N: Though Halloween has already passed, I came up with a one-shot (that's not centered around Jonesy and Nikki) to celebrate the holiday. It's a little angsty (and romantic towards the end), but I'll let you read for yourself and figure out what the real story is. I hope you enjoy!

Note: The title comes from a lyric in Kanye West's "Dark Fantasy."

"Tonight is gonna be so fun!" Caitlin squealed. She would be jumping if she wasn't wearing heels and a ballgown dress.

"I know. You've said it a hundred times," Nikki replied as she walked hand-in-hand with Jonesy.

"I wouldn't be saying it if it wasn't true. Last night I had a dream about the party and how amazing it would be. We were all dancing and laughing and kinda tipsy, but we were so in love with everything." Despite them being a couple blocks away from their destination, she already flew herself to Cloud Nine. Then again, Caitlin was dressed as a princess. Of course she would be swept off her feet by romantic dreams and languid fantasies. She sighed.

"Always a dreamer—huh, princess?" Jonesy asked.

She grinned. "Always."

"If it makes you feel any better, I think tonight's gonna be pretty special, too," Jude said.

"Thanks, Jude," she said. At least someone else believed.

As soon as the gang arrived at their destination, a mansion where a costume party would be held, Caitlin swooned. It was grand. It was a castle suited for a princess like her. She had heard tales about this place before—one of their classmates threw some legendary parties here—but she had never seen it with her own eyes until now.

Everyone at their school was invited over here this Halloween, where a contest would take place later in the night to vote for the best costume. Caitlin, having spent a lot of time searching for the right dress, heels, and tiara, hoped she would be close to winning. It would be great to have her hard work recognized.

She didn't think her friends costumes were bad, though. In fact, they worked just as hard as her to pull off their looks. Jen was dressed as a black cat, with feline features painted on her face and pointed ears adorning her head. Wyatt was dressed as Thriller-era Michael Jackson, wearing a red jacket and pants that could fool someone into thinking it was stolen from the music video itself. Jude was adorned in crimson and black, dressed as a comic-book character named Deadpool—someone she hadn't heard of until tonight. Jonesy and Nikki opted for a couple's costume that remained true to their essence: an undead bride and groom; they even went the extra mile of letting Caitlin use makeup to give their skin a cold, grey appearance. Nikki even dyed her hair a dusty tint of purple, making her hair look as lifeless as her and her tattered white dress, matching Jonesy's ripped tuxedo.

As soon as Caitlin and the rest of her friends walked through the front doors and overcame their awe about how huge the mansion was, she kept her eyes peeled for her new boyfriend Tyler. He was supposed to be her prince for the evening and she could hardly wait. She was grateful her friend Andrea introduced the two of them.

When she felt her phone vibrate, happy she had hidden pockets in her extravagant pink dress, she read her most recent text.

Turn around, princess.

With a smile gracing her face, she did as the text told her, finding her Prince Charming waiting for her.

"Hey, Caity."

"Tyler!" She leaped into his arms, letting him spin her around. When he let her feet hit the floor again, she looked him up and down, committing every thread of his costume to memory. "You look so handsome."

"And you look royal."

She blushed. "You're so sweet."

"It's just me being me." He smirked. "What do you say we go get a drink?"

"I'm not thirsty right now, but I'll come with you though."

As she walked to the kitchen with him, she felt like one-half of a whole, one-half of a power couple. As she watched Tyler drink his beer, she received plenty of compliments on their matching costumes. As she stood beside him, however, she saw him down a cup of vodka after his beer.

"Ty, don't drink too much. I don't want my Prince Charming to blackout," she said, sounding like a protective mother. She knew her dream featured tipsy behavior, but she wanted him to at least remember most of the night.

"Relax, Caity. I'm fine," he insisted, his words spoken with a bit of a slur. He smiled at her. "Nothing to worry about, baby."

She looked into his crystal-blue eyes for comfort, her qualms put at ease. "Okay."

Hearing the DJ introduce a slow song and urge couples to dance with each other, Tyler extended his hand towards her and asked, "Can I dance with you?"

Taking his hand, she said, "I'd be honored."

He led her to the makeshift dance floor and embraced her, his hands resting at her slender waistline.

"Isn't tonight magical?" she asked him.

"Yep, it's pretty special, I guess."

She gazed at him as he swayed her to the music. He was her tipsy prince, straight out of the dream she had last night. She innocently licked her lips, hoping that he would seal the deal with a kiss.

And he did.

She found herself hypnotized by his kiss. His lips felt warm and delightful. (She wanted to describe him as tasting sugary sweet but, on the contrary, he tasted like beer and a hint of vodka.)

As she sunk deeper into his embrace, into his kiss, he parted from her. She was disappointed until he asked, "Wanna make out somewhere more private?"

She giggled, attracted to the idea of kissing covertly. "I'd love to."

After checking to see if there was no one around—feeling like a princess sneaking away to make out with her lover in her castle's courtyard—she ran upstairs with Tyler, who pressed her against a hallway wall. When his lips met hers, her night felt more surreal, more like her dream.

This was one of many exciting moments being recreated from her dream. She had dreamt of being kissed by a prince last night—her dream being a blend of both fairytales and reality—and this was it. On the surface, it was as saccharine as her imagination.

Then her dream grew more bittersweet. Tyler's kisses became more aggressive than the tender ones she was used to. She wanted to tell herself it was just passion, but she would be mistaken. She knew passion when she felt it and this was not it.

"I can't wait to get you out that dress, Caity."

She gulped. This sweet dream was taking a sour turn. "But, Tyler, don't you think we should keep kissing? I mean, I'm having fun just like this."

His breath reeking of vodka and beer, he said, "But don't you wanna go further?" He lifted the tulle and chiffon of her dress. "I know I do."

She pushed his hands away. "I really don't."

"C'mon," he hissed, pinning her against the wall with his hips and gripping her wrists. "I'm not with you for the hell of it, Caitlin. I want your body on mine within the next… however many minutes it takes. You're mine tonight, Caity."

She shivered. This was not every princess's dream. This was a bone-chilling nightmare from the depths of hell.

Her breaths were speedy and shallow at the thought of being his prisoner for the night, being stolen away to fulfill his wicked desires. As soon as she thought of her limp body being forced beneath his, she cried, "Tyler, stop!"

Seeing that he refused to let her go, she panicked until she found an opportunity to escape. She stomped on his feet and kicked him in the shin, prompting her release from his iron grip.

Cursing, he fell to the floor and she escaped.

Thankful she was an expert at running in heels, she sprinted across the hallway and down the spiral staircase to seek help.

"Fuck you, slut," she heard Tyler slur. He yelled other things at her, too, but it was best to let them remain unheard.

Her heart ached on the way down. How could a trip up the stairs alter the night so badly?

Seeking help from her friends, she was lucky to find them all hanging together.

Nikki, sitting in Jen's lap on a leather couch, asked, "What's wrong, Blondie?"

The pain in her chest grew too strong. She couldn't keep her composure. She couldn't pretend she was fine—she was far from it. As soon as Nikki spoke, Caitlin burst into tears. "Tyler… He… He and I snuck away to make out, but he's so drunk that he tried to force me into having sex with him. I got away, but… but…" She sobbed harder. "I saw the look in his eyes, and it looked like he really wanted to hurt me."

Jonesy's expression grew livid as he cracked his knuckles. "Not if we hurt him first."

"Yeah," Nikki said. "How about we teach him what happens to shitty guys like him?"

Caitlin sniffled. "You guys would really do that for me?"

"Of course, Cait," Jen said, her Cait more soothing than Tyler's menacing Caity. "We're your best friends. We've got your back, through thick and thin."

"And, bra, this sounds pretty thick," Jude added, his voice muffled by his Deadpool mask.

"Where did you last see him?" Wyatt asked.

As Caitlin's tears subsided, she said, "Upstairs. I kicked him pretty hard to free myself, so he's probably still there."

"Let's go get him," Jen said, standing up after Nikki got off her lap.

With her friends stomping up the staircase alongside her, Caitlin felt less vulnerable. It was hard to feel powerful after something like this happened to her, but, nevertheless, they gave her strength.

They walked through the winding halls until they found Tyler leaning against a wall for support.

His soulless eyes were glossy and bloodshot. His hair was a tousled mess. His Prince Charming costume didn't suit him anymore. He was a disgrace, an imposter. He was a dragon in a prince's body.

What did she ever see in him?

"You're Tyler, aren't you?" Jude asked.

"Who wants to know?" he scoffed.

Jonesy warned, "We're only going to ask you once: Are you Tyler?"

"Yes. Now fuck off."

"Listen, you dick, we're not going anywhere until you confess what you tried to do with Caitlin," Nikki hissed.

"I didn't do anything she didn't want. She just flipped out on me because she's a prude bitch."

"That's not true!" Caitlin found herself exclaiming. "The fact that you're standing here and lying about it hurts me, Tyler." She hoped to get through to the ounce of decency that remained within him.

He narrowed his eyes and smirked. "Too damn bad, slut."

Her heart officially broke.

"Hey, don't talk to her like that," Jude said, his eyebrows furrowing beneath his mask.

"What are you gonna do about it, Deadbitch?"

Jonesy stepped closer to Tyler. "Listen, dude, you need to calm the hell down."

Tyler, ignoring that comment, peered over Jonesy's shoulder. "Who's that bitch over there?"

"Excuse me?" Nikki asked, realizing she was Tyler's next target.

Jonesy's fists clenched at his sides. "That woman is my girlfriend, and I'd like you to show her some respect."

"Or what?" Tyler asked. "Afraid I'm gonna screw your bitch better than you? She's hotter than Caity, any—"

With one blow to the face, Tyler fell to the floor, knocked out.

Jonesy cracked his knuckles, satisfied with the pain in them. It was worth it. "That oughta get him to shut the fuck up," he said as he walked towards Nikki, throwing his arm around her.

"Alright, Jonesy!" Jude yelled. The others cheered with him, reveling in the victory of taking Tyler down.

"That was quite a punch," Wyatt noted. "Did it hurt?"

Jonesy shook his right hand. "Hell yeah, it hurt, but that guy had it coming." He squeezed Nikki's shoulder. "Plus, it saved my undead bride and my princess."

"Our hero—right, Caitlin?" Nikki joked, looking in her direction.

Caitlin didn't register anything, not since Tyler had been knocked out. Since then, the scene before her had distorted. Words were warped. Sight was surreal. Tonight was nightmarish.

"Caitlin?" Jen asked, hoping to get through to her. "Are you alright?"

"Cait?" Jude echoed.

"I'm not fine!" Caitlin shouted. "I'm not okay! I never wanted tonight to come to this. I just wanted tonight to be my dream night with you guys and that was snatched from me. This was never how I pictured things. I never thought tonight would be hell." She burst into tears, letting her mascara stain her face. Before Jude could place a comforting hand on her shoulder, she said, "I need to go," and ran away.

Finding herself in a state of deja vu, she ran down the spiral staircase, wanting to escape this suffocating house of horrors. She needed air, space, and time.

She rested her weary bones on the mansion's front steps, scooting over in case partygoers wanted to enter or exit the home without her being in their way.

Tonight was a disaster, a mess to comprehend. She didn't know that, as soon as she set foot inside the mansion, her night would be completely different than the one she envisioned. All she wanted was to do was dance the night away with her best friends and her Prince Charming.

Tyler was the night's poison apple, the wolf in sheep's clothing. He was everything wrong about a fairytale. The very thought that she could have been sexually assaulted by him frightened her. She could have been a victim. She could have lost herself tonight. For her to have thought so quickly and escaped from him saved her life, saved herself from true doom. Whether or not she was a victim, she knew that no princess, no girl, deserved a Tyler.

Maybe fairytales and fantasies were only meant for entertainment, never for real life.

As she came to terms with the night's events, she wiped mascara from her cheeks as her sobs subsided. When she made sure her blonde curls were still intact, however, she noticed something was missing—her tiara.

Maybe she wasn't made to be a princess after all.

After she left her hair alone and slouched on the steps, leaving behind what was left of her princess act, someone asked, "Looking for something?"

She turned around to find Jude, standing in the doorway. He sat beside her and placed her tiara on her head.

"How did you find this?" she asked.

"It fell off when you were runnin' away."

Cinderella lost a shoe. Caitlin lost a tiara. Maybe that was the only thing connecting her to a fairytale. "Thanks, Jude. I appreciate you for returning it."

"No problem. I see you didn't leave yet," he said.

"I wasn't going to; I just needed some air. Besides, I carpooled with you guys."

"Yeah, but you coulda called up one of your other friends and left with them."

"That's true." She could have easily called her friend Andrea and fled far away from here, a possibility that never crossed her mind. (Even though Andrea was the one who thought Tyler would be good for Caitlin in the first place, Caitlin harbored no resentment against her; she didn't know Tyler was a villain either.) Caitlin didn't want to leave—she wanted to have arrived here with her friends and left here with her friends, Tyler wouldn't change that—but she could have left if she wanted to. Her fate was up to her.

"I'm glad you decided to stay," Jude said as he took off his mask, allowing her to see his baby-blue eyes (and his messy blonde hair). His eyes were clear and full of life, two of many things she loved about them.

"Really?"

"Of course, especially after… you know."

She appreciated him for not explicitly mentioning what happened earlier. Sitting in silence triggered enough thoughts, anyways. "Yeah… By the way, I forgot to thank you for sticking up for me. I'm really grateful for that."

"No problema, bra. That's my job as a friend. Besides, it was Jonesy who did the most work," he noted.

"Remind me to thank him later, too."

"So, how are ya feeling?" he asked, his voice solemn.

"I'm still shaken up about everything," she said, making sure the words alright, fine, and okay stayed out of her vocabulary. They would be farthest from the truth and she couldn't hide that from Jude. "To have him get that aggressive so quickly frightened me, Jude. It really did."

"You didn't deserve to be treated like that. I'm pretty sure nobody does, but especially not an amazin' girl like you."

Her cheeks flushed. "You think I'm amazing?"

"Always. That's why I'm lucky to have ya, bra. You add something to my life. I'm just glad nothing more happened to ya; I would've lost my cool and fought that dude worse than Jonesy."

To know that Jude would have lost his ever-present cool if something more happened—to know that there was a fighter inside Jude if Caitlin ever needed it—comforted her.

"I really don't like seeing you cry over these guys who don't deserve your tears; tonight kinda reassured that. It just sucks because you don't know which guys are bad until they hurt ya. You deserve a dude that makes you happy, someone who takes ya to the stars."

To hear Jude speak from hidden depths like this warmed her heart. He put her faith back in boys, though he was never like the other guys to begin with. "Jude," she said, "I never knew you thought about me like that."

"I think about all my friends pretty deeply; I just don't share that often 'cause the time's never right."

"So, you thought now was the right time to share with me?"

"Yeah. Why? It wasn't?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

"No, I needed that," she reassured, giving him a grin.

"Sweet."

When he placed his hand over hers, things felt right again. Her night didn't feel as hopeless as it did before, when she was without his presence. His touch was comforting like a prince's touch should be.

"I know it isn't the same, but remember when me and Starr broke up and I thought I'd be bummed forever?"

Though confused as to why he'd bring this up, she nodded.

"I didn't think I would be into anyone else, y'know? I didn't think anyone else would compare to her. Then I got closer to you and that changed."

Her cheeks turned red like an apple. "Jude, you… you like me like that?"

He nodded, blushing as well. "I've been diggin' on you for a while now. Didn't know how to tell ya until now, of course."

She looked away and smiled, her most genuine smile since the night began.

"I hope the timing's not wrong, considering what happened tonight and all."

"No, it's great. I needed something great like this to happen tonight." Her heart raced as she lived in this moment. He confessed to liking her more as a lover than a friend, something she never anticipated, something she may have been ready for. He treated her like a princess deserved to be, like someone worthy of love and respect, not nonconsensual sex. Her heart soared when she made her grand confession. "I really like you too, Jude. It's… It's always been you—you're my Prince Charming."

Her Prince Charming adorned in a Deadpool costume, proving that the outfit didn't make the prince—the heart beneath it did.

Their lips met in a deep kiss, a kiss both magical and sugary sweet. (Quite literally, he tasted like Skittles and Starburst.) She had a fairytale romance to celebrate after all. He wasn't the prince she pictured, nor was this the moment she envisioned, but life had its own way of interpreting dreams.

"Thank you for being brave and standing up for me," she said before pecking his lips again. It dawned on her, however, that he was not the only brave one tonight. She, too, was brave for the burst of adrenaline which allowed her to fight and escape Tyler. She was brave for getting help, for not being a victim. So, not only did she have Jude and the rest of her friends to thank for their bravery, but she also had herself to thank for her own bravery. "I really appreciate you," she confessed, both to him and herself.

"I appreciate you just for being in my life, Cait." He gazed at her, then her lips. After giving her another kiss, he said, "So where do we go from here?"

"To the stars, I hope."

He chuckled. "Someday, babe. Whenever they make spaceships for ordinary people, I'll definitely take ya there."

Placing a hand on his cheek, she said, "You already do, Jude. You already do… I really want to see where this goes."

"I do, too. I just wanna be someone who makes your day better, you know?"

"And I want to be that for you, too."

He kissed her again. "How about we start with tomorrow night? You know, if that isn't too soon for you."

She giggled. "It's perfect. If Jonesy and Nikki are free, we should make it a double date."

"I love the way you think, babe."

And she loved the way he called her babe. It reigned supreme over being called Caity. That was worse than when Smithy referred to Jen as Jenner.

"Wanna go find them and ask them?" she asked. "I need to thank Jonesy anyways."

"Sure," he replied. "Let's go!"

Finally getting off the steps, they wandered around the mansion in search of Jonesy and Nikki, stumbling upon Jen and Wyatt mingling instead.

"Hey, guys," Jen said, her eyes noticing the way Jude and Caitlin held hands. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine for once," Caitlin said, her pearly grin hard to hide. She wanted to tell the world that they guy in the Deadpool costume was her prince.

"Cait and I are going out now," he spilled to Jen and Wyatt.

With Jude around, she wouldn't need to tell the world. After giggling, she said, "We just wanted to find Jonesy and Nikki so we could talk to them about something."

"Last time I saw them, they were headed to the backyard," Wyatt said. "You might find them there."

"Thanks, dude," Jude said before he whisked Caitlin away.

Looking at Wyatt after the blushing couple left, Jen said, "Are you surprised?"

"What—about Jude and Caitlin?"

"Yeah."

"Nope. It was only a matter of time."

"I agree… God, I hope we aren't next." She paused. "No offense."

"None taken."

Meanwhile, Caitlin and Jude searched every square inch of the lush backyard until they found Jonesy and Nikki. The two had been making out in one of the garden's more secluded areas.

After parting from each other, they noticed Jude and Caitlin standing before them.

"Hey, guys. Sorry for interrupting, but we just wanted to ask you something," Caitlin said.

"What's up?" Nikki asked.

"Do you want to go on a double date with me and Jude tomorrow? We haven't worked out the specifics yet, but I know we want our first date to be with you guys."

Jonesy and Nikki exchanged glances before giving an answer.

"Sure, that sounds fine to me," Nikki said, shrugging. Asking the question of the hour, she said, "When did you guys find the time to hook up?"

Caitlin grinned as Jude squeezed her hand. "It's kind of a long story."

"Save it for tomorrow."

"Definitely. By the way, I really want to thank you guys for sticking up for me earlier. You guys are the best."

"Anytime, princess. That dude was a real dick, anyways," Jonesy said.

"Not to mention a shitty guy," Nikki added.

"At least I got to defend Caitlin and my undead babe."

Nikki smirked. "Which reminds me, I didn't finish rewarding you for that."

Jonesy purred.

"Let's leave before it gets awkward," Caitlin suggested.

"Good call," Jude said.

"We're not going to go at it now, if that's what was implied," Nikki clarified, "so you can stick around and hang if you want to."

"No, thanks," Caitlin said. "I think Jude and I might find something else to do."

"Sounds good, Cait. See you two later," Jude added.

After exchanging goodbyes with Jonesy and Nikki, Jude and Caitlin roamed the garden until Jude wondered, "Hey, aren't they supposed to announce who won the costume contest later?"

After all that happened tonight, the contest had completely slipped her mind. "Oh, that's right!" she exclaimed before calming down. "You know what? It doesn't even matter anymore."

"You sure? We can always go back inside and see."

She shook her head. "I just want to spend the rest of my night with someone who does matter."

"Aww—you mean me, don't ya?" he asked, playing coy.

"Of course, I mean you, Jude." She caressed his hand. "I just want to talk to you and kiss you and get to know my real prince. Besides, I wouldn't mind hearing you talk about Daredevil."

He chuckled. "It's Deadpool, babe."

"Oops… Well, tell me about him."

"He's one of my favorite superheroes, honestly. He's got this wicked sense of humor and talks to the readers a lot…"

She could get lost in his words. It wasn't just the content of what he said that kept her entertained; it was how he said it, how passionate he was about the things he loved. The way he talked, the way he looked at her—that was passion.

This was never the night she envisioned, but, despite some unfortunate events, she received the ending she deserved. Despite all the disaster and dissatisfaction, she found someone who regarded her as royalty. And she was.