Author's Note: Happy Halloween! I know it's been some time since I've written anything, and this isn't so much a return as I had a cute idea occur and wanted to get it down in the spirit of the holiday. It was sparked when it was decided that the final theme for Golden Queen week, which just ended on tumblr, was Halloween. I've long wanted to bring in characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas, as it's one of my favorite movies, and I also make references to The Haunted Mansion from Disneyland and another favorite movie: Hocus Pocus. As all these properties are Disney-owned it was easy enough to imagine they would exist in the Once-verse. Sam, Jack and Sally's son, is based on another Halloween film: Trick R Treat, which I recently fell in love with. Oh and the line "what in the Disney Hell" is lifted from Legends of Tomorrow because I could not stop laughing when I heard it and it just applies to the Once-verse so perfectly ;)

As with my previous works: expect a heavy dose of fluff. I will never stop loving Rumpel and Regina as a pairing, but the time to write them constantly has passed, as has most of my fic-writing time. While I shall never fully give it up, I want to focus on other projects.

I hope all of my fellow Golden Queen shippers have a wonderful Halloween! Enjoy this treat.

This is Halloween Everybody Make a Scene

It was no great secret that Regina's favorite holiday was Halloween. Christmas came in at an incredibly close second, but there was something about the pageantry and magic of All Hallows Eve that put the sorceress in the best of spirits.

Therefore; it was highly unusual for Rumpelstiltskin to come downstairs on the 31st of October to find his wife in a less-than-exuberant mood.

"Regina?" concerned, he moved forward: his gaze raking over her less-than-impeccable appearance. Her hair was tousled, she was still in her pajamas at almost noon, and her features seemed paler than usual. "Either you decided that beleaguered housewife is the costume of the year or…" he reached out and gently placed a hand to her forehead. "You've fallen ill."

"Don't say that," she croaked, confirming his suspicion. "I'm fine."

"You most certainly are not, my love. You have a fever," Rumpel tisked, drawing his hand away and then plucking a cup of half-drunken coffee from her hands.

"But I can't be sick! It's Halloween! I have to take Cassie out trick-or-treating, and the town masquerade is already planned and it certainly can't go on without its host –

He shushed her mid-ramble by settling both of his hands on her shoulders firmly. "Let me make some calls and it will all be fine. In the meantime: you are going back to bed missy."

She attempted to glare at him, but it wasn't terribly effective with dark circles under her eyes.

He wasn't about to let her protest, and began to steer her out of the kitchen: "Believe me, I've faced worse challenges. Now: go get some sleep, and I'll make you some tea and soup in a bit."

To his relief: instead of pressing the point, Regina's posture sagged in defeat, which definitely meant that she was feeling worse than she insisted. "Fine, but wake me if you run into any major issues," she grumbled.

He smiled and then startled his love by scooping her up in his arms and carrying her up to their bedroom. "There won't be any. Just relax and let me take care of you."

Despite her disappointment at her current predicament, Regina managed a small smile in return and rested her head against the crook of his shoulder so he could continue in his task.

True to his word: Rumpelstiltskin made every arrangement for Regina's absence. As the aforementioned masquerade was already slated for that evening, it was a simple matter of choosing someone to host in his wife's stead.

Belle, of course, was all too happy to take on the challenge – and even promised that her husband, Jefferson, would provide plenty of photographs to make up for the mastermind behind the yearly tradition not being able to attend herself.

This left the slightly more complicated matter of what to do for their daughter, but as luck would have it; that also worked out swimmingly after some magical communication.

Satisfied that he had salvaged Halloween as best he could, Rumpelstiltskin shifted his attention to caring for Regina.

"All right my darling, let's get some soup in you…" he paused in the doorway of the bedroom, his expression turning exasperated as he discovered his wife tapping away her cell-phone. "What in the Disney Hell are you doing?"

"Belle just texted me to say she was hosting tonight and I was giving her a quick list of tips – HEY!" she swiped at his arm when he yanked the phone out of her grasp.

"Belle says "go back to sleep you workaholic"," he smirked and typed back a quick response before shutting the device off. "She makes a fair point."

"Rum, come on, I can never fall asleep after waking up for the day, you know that," she pouted and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I do know that, that's why there's some sleeping potion in the tea."

"You're really taking this 'care for the sick wife' routine seriously," she muttered, but accepted the cup from him.

He placed the small tray he was carrying on her lap and then settled onto the covers next to her. "What kind of husband would I be if I didn't?"

"A fairly normal one…you're not gonna try feeding me are you? I'm sick, not an invalid."

"I know you well enough to not bother," he chuckled, but did take the bowl of soup between both hands so he could blow on it to cool it down while she drank the tea.

When she placed the half-finished cup to the side, he handed the bowl to her.

"Did you make plans for Cassie?" she queried as she grabbed the provided spoon from the tray and began to eat.

"Yes, it's all taken care of. I was able to call in a favor."

"A favor? What did Jareth owe you this time?"

"It wasn't one that Jareth owed me," Rumpel smirked.

She arched an eyebrow at the change in his expression, but went quiet as she finished her lunch.

Rumpelstiltskin rose from the bed once she was done, placed the empty dishes back on the tray, and then leaned in to kiss her forehead. "Rest now. The potion should kick in soon."

"Mmm…you're not worried about catching anything?" she teased, though she happily leaned in to the affection.

"Not when I have preventative measures at hand."

Regina rolled her eyes, but curled up against her pillow. "How long will it knock me out?"

"Just a few hours. Later you can come downstairs and we'll watch some movies. I'll do the spell to have the candy bowl refill on the porch so we can have a quiet evening."

"You really do think of everything, don't you?" she yawned as he took a minute to draw the covers up around her shoulders.

He smiled warmly. "Always."

Later that evening…

"I can't thank you enough for doing this Jack," Rumpelstiltskin ushered Jack Skellington and his son into the manor's entry.

"Oh, I'm delighted to help, my friend! I'm just sorry your lovely wife is not well," the King of Halloweentown lowered his voice conspiratorially as he added: "Besides, I believe Sam here has a bit of a crush on Cassie."

"Dad! You promised you wouldn't say anything!" Ten-year-old Sam Skellington exclaimed, though his words were slightly muffled by his burlap mask since he was dressed as a scarecrow.

Both fathers exchanged an amused look.

"I also didn't come empty handed," Jack uttered a quick incantation and a small basket appeared in his hands. "Sally sent a care package."

"She's always so thoughtful," Rumpel took it gladly. "We'll be sure to bring more apples to her before Christmas by the way. Regina got the message; she's just been very busy."

"Likely wore herself out, poor thing," Jack nodded. "Sally gets it though. We're always very busy for the last few months of the year."

"Same here. Between Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas it's no wonder Regina got ahead of herself. It's very unusual for her to get sick though…"

"Did she get her…what is it you human-types call it, a "flu-shot"?"

"You know, I'm not sure," Rumpel frowned. "I believe she took Cassie in to get one,"

"She did. Then mum insisted she didn't need one," Cassandra Gold stated while she made her way down the stairs, careful not to trip on the long skirt of her witch costume.

Rumpelstiltskin pinched his temple in frustration. "Of course she did…I really should have gone with you two."

"It's okay dad. Hey Sam," Cassie waved at her friend.

It took Sam a moment to stammer a greeting back. "H-hey Cass…you look pretty."

She blushed and ducked her head bashfully. "Thanks."

Again, the fathers exchanged an amused look.

"Yep, totally smitten. Both of them." Rumpel whispered.

"Obviously," Jack replied, grinning widely.

"Well! Would you kids like to fuel up on some apple cider before you head out?" Rumpel stooped down to talk directly to Cassie and Sam.

At the offer, Cassie's face lit up in an adorable smile. "Yes please! You'll love it, Sam, its mum's special recipe," instantly, she grabbed the boy's hand and guided him off to the kitchen.

"He's likely glad for the mask so she can't see how much he's blushing," Jack laughed.

"Clearly. So, what's the plan for tonight? Cassie's incredibly excited to go trick or treating in your world, and I'm sure you've got something up your sleeve."

"Let's just say that we're going to stop at a very special mansion."

Before Rumpel could respond to the news, Regina's voice, still raspy, broke in. "You most certainly are not taking my child to a real haunted house, Jack Skellington!"

Both men looked up to find the former Evil Queen making her way down the stairs. It was clear that she'd showered, as her hair was still damp, and was dressed casually in jeans and a sweater with a bat pattern crossing over it.

"Regina, you've been to that mansion. You know perfectly well that it's safe, and the ghosts are friendly. Hatbox even offered to conduct the tour." Jack informed.

She moved to her husband's side, still frowning. "Hatbox is all well and good, but what about that shifty bride?"

"You mean Constance?" Jack's tone was flat. "She's calmed down considerably since Hatty made an honest spirit out of her."

"Even so, I don't want her near my daughter."

"Dearest, Jack's going to a lot of trouble to give Cassie a night to remember. Don't ruin it for her." Rumpel rubbed over her back soothingly.

"I get that, I just don't want a former axe murderess near my child."

"I've requested that Constance take her particular brand of haunting elsewhere for the night, Regina. Don't worry, I've taken Cassie's age into consideration, but she's also a budding magic practitioner, as is my son, so I think they'll be able to handle quite a bit."

At Jack's words, Regina finally relaxed, leaning back against Rumpelstiltskin and nodding. "All right, just keep a sharp eye on them both. Last year Sam, well…"

"There's a reason we ensured the Sanderson house is protected by magical barriers," Rumpel added, and both couldn't fully repress a shudder at the memory of the mayhem caused during the previous year.

"Yesssss….Sam was grounded for several months for lighting that candle," Jack's expression darkened, which, on a skeleton, did look quite terrifying. "I'll be sure to not let them wander off."

"Good idea," the couple chimed in unison.

Cassandra and Sam returned from the kitchen, and goodbyes were exchanged before Jack and the children made their way out into the evening.

Regina rested her head against Rumpelstiltskin's shoulder fondly. "Now…about those movies you mentioned earlier…"

He nuzzled at her hair. "I'll make the popcorn and cider. You pick out what you want from our library."

"Deal."

Rumpelstiltskin grinned and stole a quick kiss to seal their "contract", and the rest of the evening was spent under warm blankets, with plenty of chocolate.

The End