Welcome, welcome. Some important things to note when reading this are that each chapter will be based on a different prompt and can therefore all be read as INDIVIDUAL stories. They are intended as complete and utter fluff for Halloween (my favourite time of year) so they don't fit into a particular plot line within the show. If you don't like one, keep reading because who knows, you might love another later on. The rating of each story will vary.

The title for this fic comes from the quote: "Never put your faith in a Prince. When you require a miracle, trust in a Witch." From 'In the Night Garden' by Catherynne M. Valente. It doesn't have anything to do with anything but I thought it sounded appropriate.

And with that ramble over, please enjoy your ride and keep all arms, legs and extra heads inside the carriage at all times...


- Haunted House -

There was a brief sizzling sound and a flicker of a light overhead that whizzed past too quickly for Emma to even witness it happening. A loud crackle followed within a split second and then alarms began to call out into the night from every direction. The enhanced candles took a little longer to burn out, though they were powered by electricity, rather than fire to make them child-friendly, the town's planning committee had thought to use magic to mix up the colours. It all added to the overall spooky (though no less stunning) Halloween effect… or at least it had, until the power cut.

Nevertheless, the knowledge of this still wasn't enough to stop Emma from jumping when she found herself surrounded by complete blackness. Neither did it stop her from shrieking when she felt something brush past her, a little too close for comfort in the dark. Silently, she cursed the damn power lines that had been messed up ever since Elsa partially destroyed them with her wall of ice.

"Really, Miss Swan," a familiar voice said next to her ear. "Haunted houses are designed to frighten children."

Emma tried to contain the shiver that ran down her spine before reminding herself that the other woman couldn't see her.

"Regina? How did you know it was me?" She whispered nervously into the space, her eyes still unable to focus on anything in particular.

The alarms had started to die down as people inside their houses, awaiting keen trick-or-treaters, quickly shut off the offensive noise. The nerves she felt when it was dark and quiet had come from spending nights in new foster homes when she was unsure what the unspoken rules were on how to act at night. Could she open a window? Get out of bed for a drink? Speak to whomever she was sharing a room with for comfort? That fear had never quite left her. And now she was sharing a dark space with the person who probably made her the most nervous of all, albeit for reasons on the opposite side of the spectrum to fear.

"You have the uncanny ability to sound exactly like your mother when you're scared." There was a pause before Regina explained. She could imagine the look on Emma's face as the blonde's mind wondered off to every insane interaction that could possibly lead to the Evil Queen reducing a small Snow White to screams. "She had many falls from the back of a horse and far too many more almost-fires in the kitchen before she became as skilled as she is today."

"And I suppose you take all the credit for those skills?"

"Entirely," Regina smirked.

There was another pause but it wasn't awkward. Things rarely were between them now. They had become so used to the back and forth they offered each other, switching quickly between heated arguments when one deemed the other to be acting inappropriately, and witty comments that seemed to offer a calming effect once the dust had settled between them as it always did. Neither of them ever stayed mad at the other for long any more. In fact, the time between fighting and the inevitable making up was becoming less and less.

Usually these moments would be filled with the tiniest of comforting gestures; a small smile or a hand on the arm, but due to the circumstances that gesture was replaced with them trying to get their bearings in such an unfamiliar setting.

"Any chance you remember the way out? You must have been in here before with Henry, right?" Emma asked offhandedly.

"Only once a year and they set it up differently every time," Regina stated. "I'd try to transport us but I think your magic may still be a little too unpredictable when combined with mine for that."

Emma nodded in agreement and managed to remember to vocalise a, "yeah." She could see the faint shape of Regina beside her now as her eyes slowly adjusted to the light but it still wasn't enough to catch facial expressions or small movements. She bit her bottom lip thinking of her magic lessons with Regina.

Initially, Emma had been adamant that she was unable to make her magic work. That was until her and Regina had fought passionately to the point of Emma nearly being thrown down a gorge in the forest. Now when Regina showed her how to do things and occasionally gave her a helping hand to show her how it should be done, she managed to go completely over the top. Trying to transport herself from room to room would lead them both to the middle of nowhere. Creating an item out of thin air would make two hundred of said item. And occasionally, much to Regina's annoyance, things would explode in her living room. That was why most of their lessons now took place outdoors, although Emma had taken humour from the look on Regina's face in the beginning, the scolding's afterwards became less fun every time. Eventually the clean-ups just weren't worth it.

"So now we wait?" Emma asked in relation to their current situation.

"Now we wait." Regina confirmed.

"I hope my mom remembers how to start the town's backup power supply," the sheriff thought out loud. "What were you doing in here anyway?"

"What were you doing in here?" Regina retorted defensively.

"I thought we'd already established that I'm a big kid." Emma raised an eyebrow in a way that let Regina know she was joking but still wanted an answer to her question.

"I was checking it was safe. It's an old habit – as mayor I always had to check everything was set up safely during town events," Regina said smoothly.

Emma let it go although she was far from convinced. Surely the safety checks would have been done before the carnival. Secretly, she hoped Regina Mills had a side to her that loved doing this sort of thing and not just because Henry had once been small enough to let her. Closet kid, she thought to herself, smirking.

"So what other stalls are worth me visiting tonight? Y'know, since you must have checked them all out for health and safety reasons." Emma couldn't help but tease.

Regina was the one to raise an eyebrow at the younger woman this time. "If I were you, Miss Swan, I'd go home and go to bed. You have a high enough sugar intake on regular days with all that cocoa with whipped cream and cinnamon never mind on Halloween."

Just as Emma opened her mouth to make a comment about Regina knowing exactly how she liked her drinks there was a loud buzz to accompany the last and the electricity came on with a flash. They both found themselves blinking rapidly to adjust to the sudden alteration in lighting. Though it was still dim inside the house their eyes had just gotten used to the total darkness. Being forced back and forwards this quickly was causing disorientation.

What they hadn't been prepared for, however, was that along with the lights, everything else in the room would start working too. This discovery was made when a giant fake zombie sprung out from a cupboard they had unknowingly been stood beside, causing Regina to let out the loudest scream Emma thought she'd ever heard.

In her shock, Regina reached out for the first thing she could grab onto as she stumbled backwards. It just so happened that the closest thing to her was Emma, who managed to catch her waist and stop them both falling in return.

Regina leaned her forehead on Emma's shoulder as she caught her breath. Neither of them made any movements to shift away, nor did they comment on how comfortable they seemed to be with each other in this positioning.

Slowly, Regina lifted her head and opened her eyes to meet Emma's. Moments stretched out between them as their breaths mixed in the chilly October air, faces close enough to touch but not quite there yet, hands clinging to hips and shoulders in ways that fitted just right.

When Regina breathed her name, Emma couldn't hold in her laughter any longer.

"What is it this time?" The shorter woman scowled.

"What was it you were saying earlier about these places only being designed to scare children?" Emma burst out.

Regina barely managed a playful slap on the arm before Emma skidded off into the next room, knowing Regina would follow, unable to deny her another verbal snark war.


Muhahaha, I may have left you hanging this time but after all it is the lead up to Halloween... keep reading and you might eventually get your treat. Leave a review and I'll be sugary sweet!