The cab dropped Megan off at Cassidy's house, where the Halloween bash was happening. It was a tradition in the department, and she'd attended it twice, skipping out last year when everything had happened to her. But time went on, and things changed. The Halloween party was also turning into a goodbye party for her, and she couldn't not go to it. She'd informed the department she'd accepted a position with Homeland Security, one with better hours, better pay, and no one could argue that it was a good change for her. Well, that is, except her partner, Zach. Since she'd informed them she was leaving, he'd almost treated her as a pariah since. They'd finished up their last case together, with the bare minimum of professional courtesy on his part, and he hadn't even wished her a goodbye when she'd packed her stuff up yesterday.

This crushed Megan, unexpectedly. She'd come to greatly like Zach in the time they'd worked together, she'd respected his opinion. He'd done everything to make her trust him after all the crap she'd been through just before he arrived. He'd doted on her during her pregnancy, she had the little yellow booties he'd given her tucked in Margot's baby box. She'd always remember that. And yes, the new job was better in terms of hours for being there for her daughter, but she was giving up her partnership with him. His reaction to her leaving left a hole in her heart, as her feelings for him lately had been turning into something more. She had no idea if he felt anything, but Megan had been putting off her feelings since she'd come back from maternity leave. She wanted something more from him, but being his partner kind of put a cramp in that plan, cause Megan was a stickler for the rules, had trouble bending them, no matter how her previous partner had tried to get her to.

So, here Megan was, dressed in a witch's costume. Formfitting, sexy, and black, high heels to make her even taller, she was prepared for her last evening with her Major Case colleagues. Her mother had taken Margot for the evening, telling her to actually have a good time and enjoy herself. She hadn't been out since her daughter had been born, if truth be told, and felt out of place and unsure of herself. She gathered up what courage she had, and knocked on the door. The place was decorated inside and out for Halloween, the outside of his house decorated like a haunted mansion. Cassidy and his wife were big buffs for this holiday, it was their Christmas apparently. They went all out, on everything. Cassidy opened the door, greeting Megan, telling her her costume was terrific, before leading her into the great hall.

The entire house was filled with every Halloween gadget and decoration possible. Megan was greeted by her colleagues as she went, she smiled and nodded in return. She made her way into the large front room, where a bar was set up. There was a cauldron bubbling and brewing, some kind of potion brewing into it. As an added bonus, the drinks were being put into beakers by someone dressed as a mad scientist. She accepted her beaker, and walked off, searching for someone to talk to. She took a sip of her "potion" and found that whatever it was, she liked it. Seeing Danny and Liz off to the side of the room, she headed in their direction. They were dressed as a pirate and a lady, pulling off the look surprisingly well. Megan would never have pictured Danny dressed as a pirate, under any circumstances. And standing beside him was Zach, dressed as the phantom of the opera.

It shouldn't have surprised her, he had the whole love of opera thing going on with him. Plus, it wasn't that far out of his way to dress up as this. A tux, a cape, and a mask, and he was set. She had to admit Zach in a tux was very appealing to her. Still, she slowed her walk in that direction, not knowing for sure whether to join them. After the last two weeks of being ignored, she didn't want to spend the night being ignored also. Screwing up her courage, she kept walking in that direction. Whatever was wrong between her and Zach wasn't going to mess up her evening.

"Megan, glad you're finally here. Are you going to be able to stay awhile?" Danny asked.

"Mom's looking after Margot. She's got her for the night, told me not to worry about her. So, for one night, I'm a free woman." Megan replied.

"Have you been out much since you had the baby?" Liz asked.

"Not really. No where to go. Thought I'd get out and enjoy this. Cassidy always throws a great Halloween bash." Megan smiled.

Zach stood silently, not saying a word, not even looking in her direction. Megan decided to try and get him to talk, at least get a hello out of him.

"Great costume, Zach." Lame, but she was nervous around him, not knowing what to say.

"Thanks. So, if you're staying awhile, will you be bothering to tell us when you leave?" Zach replied, cold as could be, not even bothering to look at her when he answered. Megan's heart fell, apparently this was how she was going to leave Major Case, with her partner hating her for leaving. She took a swig out of her beaker, needing something to concentrate on, to keep her from crying. As it was, she blinked back tears.

"You'll be first on my list." she squeaked out.

Even Danny and Liz could feel the strain between the two of them, and they tried to break the ice. Save for some small talk, it was a failure. Megan couldn't take it anymore, excused herself and walked away. She got a refill of her potion, and then was surprised when Zach seemingly made a concession to being nice, asking her to dance. Unfortunately, it was a slow song, and as the music played, they swayed gently together. Megan felt like her heart wanted to explode, she really didn't know what she was feeling. Breathing in his aftershave, being held in his arms, it made her ache. When the music ended, Megan excused herself, needing to get away from him for a few minutes. She wandered the halls, marveling at massive amount of money and time it must have taken to decorate this place. She'd heard Cassidy had married money, and the size of this house testified to that fact. She slipped into an empty room, finding herself in a library. It was huge, and from what she could see in the dim lighting, it was well decorated. Definitely the wife, she thought to herself. She went to the library doors, they lead out onto a balcony. Just before she went out, she was startled by the door of the library opening, and Zach coming in. She groaned inwardly, because she was trying to get away from him, and now, here she was, alone in the same room.

"Megan, I think we need to talk." Zach said.

"Why, Zach? You haven't wanted to talk to me in two weeks, why start to have a heart to heart now?" Megan said sarcastically.

"Maybe because it's the last time I'll see you for awhile. And I know I've acted like a jerk, but you can't blame me. You're walking out on me."

"I'm walking out on you?" she said incredulously.

"Well, you are. You didn't even ask me for my opinion on whether you should take this job or not. You just show up at work one day, say you're leaving and bam, like that, I lose you as a partner. It was bad enough when you were on maternity leave, but you came back. Now, you're gone for good. And I don't like that. I like you as my partner. And I don't want you to leave."

Megan looked at him, unbelieving. "Zach, I've liked being your partner too. I took this job because of the better hours, so I don't have to worry about being called out in the middle of the night for a case. It's nothing to do with you, I couldn't have asked for a better partner. I'm going to miss you, I've grown used to all your quirks."

"Then why do you have to go? You've managed so far, with the offbeat hours."

"Zach, I don't know if I'll have an opportunity like this again. They came to me, wanting me for this job. It's twice what I make at Major Case, and raising Margot alone, I have to think of her. And the fact is, I've been thinking of you as more than a partner lately. And that's not something we can do if we remain partners."

He didn't answer her, instead walking out on to the balcony. Megan followed him, feeling worse than ever. She walked towards him, screwing up her courage once again. She'd been feeling things for awhile, and figured that if she didn't do this now, she never would. Moonlight bathed the two of them in an bluish glow, and she came up to him, making face her. The heels she had on for her costume made her almost even in height with him, and she gazed into his eyes. Taking the opportunity, she tentatively reached in, feathering his jaw with kisses.

"Now, if we stay partners, could I do this?" she teased him. "Or this?" she kissed him gently on the lips, wondering what his reaction would be. He stiffened, but did not pull away. Instead, he pulled her tightly in to his body, deepening the kiss. Her lips were soft and gentle to the touch, but he forced her mouth open under his. Their tongues battled for dominance but eventually they both gave in and just enjoyed the feel of each other's lips. He turned his attention to the delicate skin on her neck, giving it special attention. She melted into him even more, relaxing slightly as she tipped her head to the side a little to give him better access. He trailed his hand down her side, following the curve of her hip. Suddenly, he hitched her up against him tightly. Megan groaned at the impact of her back hitting the wall, but she made no complaint as she continued to kissing Zach passionately. His hands gripped her hips firmly, pushing her further against the wall. She tasted so wonderful, a perfect taste of strawberries and cream. Her lips were much softer then he imagined and he was eager to feel the rest of her skin.

A gasp escaped her throat as Zach's hands snaked around the plunging neckline of her costume and stole to her breasts. She wasn't wearing a bra, and his bare hands felt amazing on her bare skin. Megan moaned loudly, loving the feeling of his big hands all over her. Her tongue prodded into his mouth and now it was Zach's turn to moan into her own mouth.

She was a good kisser, he'd give her that.

He broke the kiss again and trailed off onto her neck. His mouth attached now to her bare skin, he kissed her neck gently. She crooned loudly, her head falling back. His tongue was just as quick as his mouth it seemed, and the thought made her slightly giggle. She had fantasized about this for so long, and if she was dreaming again, she sure as hell hoped she didn't wake up anytime soon.

"We need to get out of here. I want to continue this, but I prefer not to have anybody walking in at any minute. The question is, do you want to continue?" Zach whispered, his voice rough. As long as Megan had remained his partner, he could put off any feelings like this he'd been having. Yes, he was a rule breaker, but sleeping with one's partner was a little too far outside his boundaries. She'd been off limits, he could pretend he had no feelings other than friendship for her. And now, with that out of the way, he couldn't hide behind it anymore.

Megan met his gaze, knowing what he was asking. She wanted him, and he was giving her the opportunity to back away, to escape. As an answer, she kissed him again. "I hope you have a car. I took a cab here."

"Then let's go."

With that, they made their escape from the party. For the two of them, this would definitely be a Halloween filled with treats instead of tricks, and a very happy one at that.