Fright Night

Kirsten was never a fan of holidays; she believed there was no logical meaning behind them. Like, who came up with the idea that a guy in a red fat suit was the symbol of Christmas? It didn't make sense to her at all. But, if there was one holiday she couldn't stand, it had to be Halloween.

Why? Playing dress-up once a year might be fun, for children. She couldn't actually imagine it for herself though. As a child, she wasn't allowed to dress up and go trick or treating. Ed had told her that she could never know what creeps were lurking in the shadows. And that you should never trust a stranger who's willing to give out candy to kids . He was depriving her of certain stages of her childhood- if she could ever say she had one. Sure, he was a loving f- paternal figure, unlike her actual father that left her behind and never looked back. However, as much as he was loving, he was very protective of her. For what reason? She still couldn't understand. Who was he supposed to protect her from? What did she have so important to offer (besides her temporal dysplasia) that needed Ed's protection?

Yes, Halloween was fun, for kids, not for adults. Adults should know better than to put on some silly costumes and play pretend for a night. What a waste of time. But nothing could have prepared her for what she heard next. It wasn't the idea itself that surprised her, but who came up with it.

"Attention everyone. You've worked very hard this year, so you ought to be rewarded for your commitment and loyalty to the Stitchers program." Maggie Baptiste, the head of the organization announced from the gallery.

"Are we getting a churros vending machine in the lab like I suggested? It was about damn time." Linus asked. His eyes always lit up when there was food involved. Fisher was a bad influence for Linus's sweet tooth.

"Don't make me shove a churros up where the sun doesn't shine. Now let her finish." Camille glared at Linus intently before elbowing him. The man let out an affected yelp that had everyone laughing before Maggie spoke again.

"Of course not. Food is not allowed in the lab and you are well aware of it. We're talking about millions of dollars put into vital equipment. Who knows what damages could ensue if we walked in and out with food whenever we please? I for one am not willing to risk that. Are we clear?" There was a hint of coldness in her tone that left the entire lab speechless. The woman could be a dragon sometimes.

"Now, I think you're all wondering what this is all about. We're going to have a Halloween party." She started descending the stairs. While Cameron and Linus scurried away to discuss costume ideas, Kirsten couldn't help but roll her eyes. That didn't go unnoticed by Maggie.

"You got a problem with that?''

''Seriously? I don't know what Cameron told you, but it's a bad idea." Kirsten always had a problem filtering her thoughts. She wasn't one to sugarcoat things. Also, she wasn't very fond of hugs either.

"Sorry to disappoint Ace, but that wasn't me." The tall brunet held his hands up above his head, in full protest mode as he came by her side.

"It was my idea. And you know I wouldn't agree to something like this if it endangered your life. "

"Couldn't you have given us a fat paycheck?" Camille intervened from behind Cameron's station. He had promised to teach her how to run a stitch in case something ever came up- like his life being at stake.

"Relax, it's just a party. It's gonna be fine, Stretch. Just trust me." He snaked a hand around her and squeezed Kirsten's shoulder in reassurance. She seemed to loosen up at his touch. It was something about how his fingers curled around her muscles. For a second, she felt… a spark of relief. But then she froze. Trust. That damn word was her kryptonite. Ever since her father walked out on her and Ed died, she had no one to trust but herself. The notion of trust was still very fresh in her mind. He asked a lot of her. She was afraid… to let people in. Letting someone in meant having a connection to someone. Connections fade in time. That's what she feared the most. She shook off that thought and a minute later, the normal Kirsten resurfaced.

"We're going to dress up." She feigned excitement. Perhaps if it wasn't for Cameron, she wouldn't have agreed to do this. Besides, she didn't want to upset Maggie if that meant her dragon side would come out again.

"Now that it's settled, does anyone have any more complaints?" Maggie patiently crossed her arms, looking around the empty lab. The rest of the technicians had taken a lunch break.

" I do. Spandex costumes give me a rash." Camille added sarcastically.

"I was talking about a real complaint." Maggie shook her head in disbelief.

"Um, that would be me." Linus was standing in the doorway with his hand raised questioningly. "Were you serious about the paycheck?"

"Do you trust me?" Here it was again. That word. Only this time she didn't know whether she could trust him or not. He blindfolded her after all.

"I don't like surprises, Goodkin." Kirsten frowned but continued to walk, her arm still linked with Cameron's. If it wasn't for the blindfold on Kirsten's eyes, they could have passed as a normal couple walking on the street.

"So we're doing last names now, Clark. If I told you where we're going, you wouldn't want to come."

"Alright, that's true. Are we there yet?" It was obvious that Kirsten was starting to lose her patience.

"And just when I thought you could be understanding, Stretch." A mischievous smile was tugging at the corner of his mouth. If the blonde would have been able to see him, no doubt she would have come up with a snarky remark to make him shut up.