A/N: As promised, here's the Halloween special! Not too fluffy, bit funny, and exactly what everyone should be reading on the spookiest day of the year. Hope you folks like it, and don't forget to review!
"Damn it!" Terry hears Jazz curse out from somewhere in the back of the cave.
"What's the matter?" He calls out without leaving the console.
"This!" She replies rounding a corner. He swivels his chair to find her standing by the cases with her mask in hand and a finger pointing to a swollen and bruised eye.
"So? This isn't your first black eye."
"Halloween is tomorrow night and no amount of make-up can cover this!"
"What were you going to be?"
"A Greek goddess."
A snort of laughter escapes Terry's throat faster than he can repress it, making Jazz's good eye narrow into an icy glare. "Sorry," he quickly apologizes as he tries to hide his smile with a hand. "I'm not laughing at you."
"Well you can't be laughing with me," she replies, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Maybe next time you'll duck when someone is about to elbow you in the face."
Annoyed by his indifference, Jazz throws her mask at him. "Just fix the mask."
"Where are you going?" He asks as he examines the broken lens.
"To find a new costume," she replies, returning to the alcove to finish changing.
"Pick out something more creative this time," Terry calls out after her.
"Bite me, McGinnis!" She shouts back, making his grin grow wider.
Trying to find a new costume on such short notice ends up being a nightmare for Jazz. She spends the next day going through aisles of every Target, Kmart, and Wal-Mart in the city looking for a costume that either covers her injured face or fits her. She sorts through the almost empty shelves only to end up discouraged by the slim pickings before finally returning home empty handed and disappointed. With only a few hours left before the costume party starts, she turns to her last resort: the internet. She scrolls through the endless links of homemade costumes and rolls her eyes with every lame idea she reads. Garbage bag, laundry basket, grapes, Hanna Montana… and then there it was, the perfect costume.
With only a few minutes before Henry is supposed to arrive, Jazz rushes to pull together the last bits of her costume. A knock on the door sounds, and assuming it's her boyfriend, she yells out "come in" as she pulls a white shirt over her head.
"I'm in the bedroom!" She calls out when she hears the door open then close.
"What the heck are you supposed to be?" Terry's familiar voice asks.
Surprised, Jazz spins to find Batman standing in her bedroom doorway with one brow cocked. "Aren't you supposed to use a window?"
"It's Halloween; who cares if someone sees me. Anyway, what are you?"
"Isn't it obvious?" She asks with hands on her hips.
Terry runs his eyes over her figure trying to piece together her costume. She's dressed in white pants and a shirt with a giant black "P" stapled on her chest. "Uh," he hesitantly guesses, "pee?"
"No! Ew!" Jazz exclaims. "What's this?" She asks pointing at her eye.
"A black eye."
"And this?" She points at her shirt next.
"The letter - oh, I get it," Terry finally understands. "Black eyed pea."
"Clever, right?" Jazz asks grinning.
"Why didn't you just dress up as a pirate?" Terry asks, leaning against the doorway. "The eye patch would have covered that up for you."
She opens her mouth to counter but quickly closes it when she realizes she doesn't have a good reason. "Why didn't I think of that?" She mutters to herself before shrugging. "Anyway, why are you here?"
"I need your help. Remember the Russian mob that we've been trying to take down for the last few weeks?" She nods once. "Well, our snitch was supposed to meet up with me tonight, but he never showed. I have a feeling he's about to blow our whole plan by fessing up to the boss. I know they're meeting at a club tonight, one packed with people in costumes. I want to get my hands on the snitch before he gets to the boss, so I need a second set of eyes. You in?"
"How long will it take?"
"Not that long."
"Fine. But I'm not changing."
He runs his eyes over her one last time as he straightens up. "Fine. Less conspicuous I guess."
"You know, you could be a little festive and dress up."
"Are you serious?" He asks with a raised brow. "I'm working."
"Doesn't mean you can't be creative."
He sighs with annoyance as he walks out to the living room. Finding a marker and nametags in her desk drawer, he writes out "Jerry" and sticks it on his chest. "There; can we go now?"
A snort of laughter escapes her throat before the front door swings open to reveal Henry dressed in his costume: a giant, inflated fat suit donning a pink tutu. There's a moment of silence as Henry switches his gaze between the black-eyed pea and "Jerry" before Jazz bursts into another round of laughter.
"And you are?" Batman asks with a raised brow.
"A fat ballerina," Henry replies with a proud grin. "Ready to go?" He asks Jazz.
"Uh, actually," Jazz starts after wiping her eyes from tears; she points at Batman. "He needs me for a bit. You go ahead, I'll catch up later."
Henry's face falls at the news. "I was hoping you were going to drive considering…" He replies, tapping the giant, round gut in front of him. "But I guess I can manage," he sighs as he squeezes out the door with the other two following him.
As they ride the elevator down to the ground floor, it stops halfway and the door slides open to reveal a man dressed in a giant egg suit. To make room, Henry squeezes into a corner beside Batman so the egg can fit at the other end.
The new guest gives a smiling glance to each occupant before noticing Batman. "Oh man, are you, like, the real Batman?" Eggman suddenly asks as the elevator doors close. Terry shakes his head and points at the nametag. "Jerry?" he asks raising a brow. "I don't get it."
"Exactly," Batman replies, confusing him even more.
He turns his attention to the other two occupants. "Awesome job on the black eye. How'd you make it look so real?"
"Elbow to the face," Jazz replies.
At first, the eggman frowns at her before his face lights up into a smile. "Ha! You're funny."
"I try," she sighs. "So are you the incredible, edible egg?"
"Only when my chicken isn't around. She's waiting for me at the office party I'm going to."
"I guess that answers the age old question," Batman whispers, making Henry and Jazz stifle giggles.
"Gotta love Halloween," Henry replies before they reach the ground floor.
The elevator doors finally slide open, and the four occupants awkwardly shuffle out. After waving goodbye to Henry, Jazz follows Batman into a darkened alley where the Batmobile is parked.
"Right," Henry says to himself as he opens the car door. "This should be interesting."
He pulls up his giant gut as much as he can before sliding into the driver's seat. Once in, he lets go of it only to realize that he's now wedged between the steering wheel and his seat leaving him immobile and barely able to reach the gearshift. With the resolve that he'll dress up as Superman next year, he slowly pulls out and sets off to the private party.
"Chewy caramel?" Batman offers once the canopy closes over the two.
"You have candy?" Jazz asks taking a piece and unwrapping it.
"It's Halloween," he replies unwrapping his caramel and popping it into his mouth. "My favorite time of year."
"Really? How come?"
"Batman's the most popular guy tonight," he replies with a smile. "Kids dressing up as me; why wouldn't I love it?"
"Good point," Jazz says, popping the caramel into her mouth.
As Batman speeds over to the club, Bruce's face suddenly appears on the screen and the first thing he sees is a pair of open mouth chewers staring back at him.
"I told you not to take the caramel," Bruce reprimands with a scowl.
"I know," Batman replies with a grin before popping another one in his mouth.
"Just get the job done… Jerry?"
"Think anyone will recognize me?" Terry teases, still smiling. Bruce rolls his eyes before disconnecting. "We're here," he announces as he parks the car on the rooftop of the nightclub.
"I'll see you inside," Jazz says as she jumps out of the car and plugs a communicator bud into her ear.
Given the fact that people are dressed in masks and costumes, Terry's promise for the scouting being short is quickly broken. It's hard enough to recognize one person in an overcrowded, dark nightclub let alone one where most of the patrons are incognito and having one good eye to rely on.
However, Jazz eventually manages to spot the cowardly snitch making his way to the VIP room where his higher-ups are celebrating the evening. After relaying the information to Batman, she manages to distract the snitch long enough by playing the role of a drunk and flirtatious dancer. Despite his objections, she manages to pull him into the inconspicuous hallway leading to the bathrooms where Batman is waiting.
"Dimitri," Batman grins, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt while Jazz, staying true to her role, scurries away. "Trick or treat?" He asks before dragging his nervous snitch out the emergency exit and up onto the roof.
"Hey," Jazz's voice speaks into his mask. "Still need me for anything?" She asks as she steps out of the club.
"No; appreciate the hand tonight, Douglas."
"Anytime, Jerry," Jazz grins before pulling the ear bud out. She hails down a cab and asks to be taken to the bar Max reserved for her party.
It's a Halloween Karaoke party that Max had organized a few days ago and invited everyone she knew. Taking advantage of Jazz's connections with the bar owner, Max had managed to reserve the joint for the night, which is now packed with friends dressed in the most ridiculous costumes and singing, dancing or drinking the night away. Jazz arrives just in time to watch her ballerina boyfriend on stage singing rather well to Michael Jackson's Billie Jean.
Seated at the bar, she can't help but laugh at the sight of Henry doing the moonwalk in a tutu. She cheers him on along with the other women loving his performance and laughs at his every attempt to dance along. Although the song comes to an end, his adoring fans coax him into performing another Jackson classic: Smooth Criminal. Halfway into the song, Jazz feels a tap on her shoulder and turns to find Terry handing her a bottle of beer.
She takes it as she eyes the prop hanging around his neck; it's a giant plush magnet with yellow chicks stitched on the ends. "Chick magnet?" Jazz guesses with a grin.
"You know it," Terry slyly winks as he takes a swig of his beer making Jazz laugh. "Lucky I didn't miss out on the fun," he starts, nodding at Henry.
"Keep watching, he might moonwalk again," Jazz quips.
"McGinnis!" Max suddenly calls out making them both look over to find her grinning from across the room.
Dressed in an outrageous multicolored Lady Gaga get up, she manages to make her way towards the two without any mishaps. Terry soon finds his face buried in the feather boa wrapped around Max when she pulls him into a hug.
"I am so glad you made it!" Max happily greets before Terry pulls her away. "Have I ever told you that you are my favoritest best friend ever?"
"You like the margaritas here," Terry starts, guessing that she's had quite a few of her favorite drink.
"Oh my freaking God, they are so good," she enthusiastically replies. "Thank you so much Jazz for hooking me up!" She says, turning her attention to Jazz.
"Any time, Max," Jazz smiles back, learning for the first time that Max is a very happy drunk.
"So are you two going to sing? Oh my God, you have to sing," Max says. "People are so loving this vintage Karaoke thing. I can't understand why it ever went out of style."
Before either of them could reply, the DJ announces that it's Max's turn up on stage. Grinning again, Max pushes her way up to the stage, takes the microphone from Henry and greets her enthusiastic audience.
"Ladies, gentlemen, and fellow cow in the back," Max starts, waving at the cow-clad friend. "This one goes out to everyone who's ever been stricken with fever," she winks before nodding her cue.
Moving her hips along to the gentle beats of Fever, Max's soulful voice fills the room sending the audience into a new wave of cheers. Encouraged by the energy, she continues to sing, growing more enthusiastic as the music continues to play.
"Holy crap, she's really good," Jazz praises, watching Max flirtatiously walk across the stage, seducing the men with her voice.
"A talent showed off only after she's had a few," Terry replies, raising his bottle at his long-time friend when she winks at him. "Are you going up there?"
"Yeah, right after Max. You?"
"I can't sing to save my life."
"Neither can I," Jazz replies before grinning at Terry suggestively.
"No," he firmly states, knowing exactly what she's trying to get at.
"Yes," she counters as Max's song comes to an end. "Come on," she says, grabbing Terry's hand and pulling him to his feet.
"Not happening, Jazz," Terry tries to protest but quickly realizes he has lost when Jazz manages to drag him towards the stage.
"Loosen up, McGinnis," she grins, leading him up to the steps. After praising Max for a job well done, she takes the mic and turns to the audience. "Evening ladies; now, how many of you would love to hear this fine-looking chick magnet ruin a perfectly good song with me?" Jazz asks, sweeping a hand over a bashful Terry. The round of cheers and applause that follows seals Terry's fate, who nervously smiles in reply.
Jazz hands him a microphone and they each take a seat on the available stools set up for them. She nods at the DJ and grins at Terry, who has yet to believe he was pulled up to sing. When he hears the first few seconds of the song they will be singing to, Terry laughs when he recognizes the tune to be "Put de Lime in da Coconut".
Jazz starts the first verse while keeping her eyes on her partner and watching him slowly warm up as her shoulders gently bob to the music. Without skipping a beat, Terry starts the next verse, causing the women of the audience to cheer him on as his slightly off key voice fills the room. They continue the duet in harmony, feeding off the energy of the crowd as well as each other. By the time the song nears the end, the two are already giggling as they free style the last verse before the music fades out and the crowd hoots and cheers them on.
"Happy Halloween, McGinnis," Jazz wishes, relishing the giant grin on her friend's face.
"Happy Halloween," Terry replies, appreciatively bowing his head towards her.
END