After reassuring Krystal that she would not be stood up in her vamp dress by the other half of her costume couple, and convincing Kathy to set aside some of her fun sized candy bars for her cereal in the morning, with awhile to kill before he had to make his appearance at Confusion, Tad decided to take advantage of the harvest moon and brisk fall night and take a hallows eve stroll to the park.

Where for some reason his feet led him straight to an oddly fitting place given the date.
Trudging into the oddly serene cemetery, his hand grazed the top of the headstone and like always, a single tear fell from his eye as he sat on the bench nearby before glancing up at the starry sky.

"Hey baby...I, I know...odd night for me to, stop by here. But...what kind of Gomez would I be if I didn't, pay a visit to my Cara Mia, huh?
Oh, Dix I could definitely use you tonight, wish you'd...be here to help me show those amateurs how a real hallows eve goes. Plus, with you we would've been a lock for that costume contest. Or, at least tie with Jesse and Angie for first prize. It's a years supply of candy corn, you know? Your favorite. You know, starting right around this time of year, just relying on our cosmic connection just..doesn't seem like enough. Not when, you should be here, helping spook up the basement with that, ceiling ooze you used to concoct with the boys, or adding some finishing touches to Kathy's Tinkerbell costume that, only a mom can do. I need that, Dixie. I need you. My Snow, my Cleo, my heart and my soul back."

"Well...be glad your modern vampire wife only needs your blood. And lucky for you, according to you, I'm already there."

The petite, temporarily raven haired beauty said with a shy smile as she gingerly reached out to her soul mate, the black flowy polyester sleeve from her costume of choice draping on his shoulder, as he turned and a pair of shocked baby blues flew up to meet her own.
"D..Dix.."
Tad stammered, too stunned to move, aside from leaning his face into her palm when she brushed some hair out of his eyes, and intertwining her free hand with his own as she sat close to him on the bench.
"H..how?"
"I...it's called the witching hour for a reason, Tad."
"Wait, wha...."
"And if we play our cards right, it could give us everything we want."
"I...but..wait...h..how? I.."
"Tad...honey relax, c'mon."
Dixie soothed her trembling soul mate who looked paler than the moonlight.

"Now look, this is gonna sound insane but, trust me it's all the truth. We got a lucky break this year sweetie. I know you weren't pleased at Krystal's costume choice this year and, neither was I until I learned the gift it's gotten us."
"Gift? What..gift?"
"Another chance. Tad, if you do something tonight before midnight rolls around, you can, have me back. Forever."
"I...wait, no..Dix, you...you said we..we had another chance bef..before. And then I had to let you go, it was like you..you were nothing more than a ghost."
Tad sputtered as he quickly got up off the bench, convinced he was losing his mind and on the verge of losing his heart for the umpteenth time.

"I...what's to say that won't hap..happen again! What's to say I won't turn around and see you vanish into some ungodly cloud of mist! Dixie I..I can't, can't go through that again, you hear me I can't!"
He said on the verge of hysterics until Dixie walked up, took a grip on his arm and brought his hand to her heart.

"Tad. It's me! I'm right here, you understand me! I'm here now. And if you listen to me, and do what I ask, what we need, I'm gonna stay here babe. I promise you that. So just shut up and listen to me."
She said, fire and love flashing in her eyes as she finally got Tad to comply when he nodded.

"Thaddeus you have a choice to make tonight. One I can't make for you. At that costume party, you are gonna have to look inside that beautiful heart of yours and figure out what it wants."
"I..is that a trick question!"
Tad chuckled in disbelief.
"I know who I want and she's standing right in front of me."
"For now, yes but soon enough, I won't be."
Dixie said softly, choking back a sob in her throat and hoping he couldn't see the tears she was blinking back as he stared at her blankly and in total confusion.
"I won't be here Tad, but you will, and you'll have to, make a decision about, your life as you know it."
"Baby what..you're talking in circles here, what are you trying to say??"
Tad asked frantically, still stunned this was occurring but oddly accepting of the entire situation, bizarre as it was. Only because it involved her and without her, even the most normal days were haunting.

"Tad...I, I..."
Dixie said guiltily, wishing she could tell him everything right then and there, but after hearing an ominous throat clearing dropped her head and bit her lip angrily, knowing she had to keep quiet.
"Dix??"
"Tad...look, all I can tell you is, this will work if you want it to. If you want me, I'll be there for you when this is all said and done, I swear. Just have faith."
She sighed as she took his hands to reassure him and herself.

"Baby last time you told me that, in a blink of an eye after a beautiful dream I lost you all over. I don't have it in me to do that again!"
"You saying I do? You think I would've signed onto this if I didn't know we had a chance Tad? When, alls said and done, if we're meant to go another round, which we are, we will. I can't give you specifics just, my word that you, you won't lose me. I promise you. You know as well as I, the bond we got is stronger than any good for nothing ghouls can throw at us."
Dixie said giving Tad as much of a reassuring smile as she could before pulling him into a fierce hug. Only to glance over his shoulder and catch a wicked smirk coming from a man who now in her eyes, was the embodiment of all things evil. Leading her to give him a stony glare right back.
Nonetheless she regained her composure when she pulled back and saw Tad's eyes shining with tears and plain old confusion.

"Just remember what I said Tad. And we'll be fine, you'll be fine, I promise. Remember together forever."
She said before she pulled him into a quick but fiery hope filled kiss she prayed wouldn't be their last, and after they linked hands in the traditional gesture, before she could even blink she was standing beside the malevolent older man she swore was the devil himself. While Tad was left standing in a daze, not remembering what had just happened, just that he had to get to Confusion for that party.

Even though after he glanced at her grave again before walking off, Dixie knew that was the last place he wanted to be, breaking her heart as she felt the poser of a priest grip her arm.

"Okay geez I get I'm stuck with you for the moment, don't need to flaunt it!"
She hissed as Clarence smirked.
"I'm sorry dear, you know you do look quite bewitching tonight."
"Ah shame you didn't come in true form with your pitchfork and horns, we'd make quite a pair."
"Yes, we would, pity we'll only be outsiders at this ghoulish gathering."
"Yes, a pity."
Dixie sighed, not knowing how she was going to deal with the upcoming test she and her soul mate would be put to. Especially with the devil himself orchestrating and observing the goings on. All she knew was the gathering would appear to her the scariest horror movie ever, and all she'd be able to do was hope for a happy ending.

"Well, no sense putting off the inevitable. Shall we go?"
"How about you just go to the fiery depths where ya came from, ya son of a..."
Dixie muttered under her breath as Clarence's grip on her tightened.

"Arrgh, alright fine, I get it. Ease your grip up padre."
"You know you were such a sweet woman when we last spoke Dixie. Whatever happened to make you so bitter?"
"Oh don't you even start with me ya sorry, sick excuse for a holy man. You may as well just say you're Lucifer himself, be honest for once."
"What's to say I'm not?"
"You know, you used to be a sweet old man once upon a time. What the heck happened?"
"Well, I suppose a bit of honesty couldn't hurt. I took up a certain group on a tempting offer. And, let's just say they're not the holiest of trinities."
Clarence said as he licked some cheeto dust off his fingers, as Dixie recoiled, thoroughly disgusted.

"C'mon Dix...you can handle this, think ahead girl, think ahead."
The blond mentally coached as she braced herself and shut her eyes.
And soon enough she wound up in Confusion with Clarence at her side, invisible to the entire crowded room partying it up in the spooked up bar, including the love of her life who was sitting at the bar warily sensing something wicked was to come...

Next up...
Tad deals with an old flame (hint, with hair currently just as red) and Dixie mulls a tempting offer from the devil in disguise...