A/N: I don't own Vampire Diaries. Thoughts are in Italics.
Damon's point of view
"A Halloween party? Are you sure, Nat?" I asked.
"It'll be fun Damon. All of the pack will be in one place," Natala reasoned with me. "And besides, the house is already decorated for it."
That's true. One night when Aspen and I were asleep, Natala took it upon herself to decorate the entire house in Halloween decorations. There were spider webs in the windows, bats hanging from the ceiling, and large figurines everywhere. I guess she couldn't sleep.
"At least you're asking me before you have it, so go ahead."
Natala cheered and skipped back to her room. She was happy. It's one night. What could possibly go wrong? Aspen walked into the living room and took a seat on the coach.
"So you're allowing us to have a party."
"Yes, I am, for once."
"Good, because Nat already told the rest of the pack about it."
"That doesn't surprise me."
"She's looking forward to tonight. I think she just wants to humiliate you in front of everyone," Aspen guessed.
"It's Natala. What do you expect?"
"Well that's true. Are you going to be in costume tonight?"
"I'm not telling you that. Follow up question. What are you going to dress up as?" I asked.
Aspen was hesitant to answer, "A ninja."
"Why the hell are you going as a ninja?"
"I lost a bet," Aspen muttered.
"With Alistair or Chloe?" I asked. Alistair and Chloe were ranked after Aspen and Natala in the pack. They looked after the others during the patrols that Natala and Aspen went on.
"Chloe."
"What was the bet?"
"Who could eat the most..."
"You were screwed right from the beginning," I laughed.
"I know."
"If you really go as a ninja, I'll go as the Grim Reaper," I offered.
"With a scythe and everything?"
"Yes, with a scythe and everything."
Aspen smiled when I said that.
"What do you think Natala is going to be?"
"There's no telling with her. For all we know she'll dress up like something that makes fun of something."
"Probably."
My phone vibrated. It's a text from Natala. Can you and Aspen please leave the house for
today?
Why? I text back.
"Who's texting you?" Aspen asked. I point towards the hallway.
Aspen laughed and yelled, "Lazy!"
I'm not done with my costume and I don't want either one of you seeing it and tell Aspen that I heard that.
Okay. I'll tell him. Are you planning a surprise for him?
"She heard that, Asp."
"She was meant to!" He yelled.
Yes and thank you, she replied.
"We're supposed to get out of the house for today. Natala doesn't want us to see her costume."
"Of course she doesn't," Aspen drawled out, rolling his eyes.
Today was going to be a little off for him. Every Halloween was. Every year Natala throws a party and she manages to surprise him with something.
"I'm going to get my costume since you talked me into wearing one."
"I'll be...somewhere. Not sure where yet."
We walked outside to our cars. "One more thing Aspen. Actually two things."
"Yeah?"
"If you end up drunk before the party starts, you're not allowed back here until you're sober and hangover free."
"Understandable. What's the other thing?"
"Happy 21st birthday."
Natala's point of view
When I hear the front door shut, I looked out the window to make sure they were gone. When both of their cars were out of sight, I ran to the back door to let Chloe in. She's my height and size but the difference between us was our hair and eyes. She dyed her hair electric blue. The vibrant color made her grey eyes seem almost silver.
"What took you so long?" She asked.
"I couldn't get them to leave."
"It was Aspen wasn't it? Or was it Damon's eyes?" She joked.
I felt myself blush and Chloe laughs at the sight of me. "It was mainly Aspen."
"Figures. Now for the fun part. Getting everything ready for the party."
"Is everything outside?" I asked.
"Yep," Chloe cheerfully replied.
We got all of the supplies and put them in the kitchen. There were three fog machines, dozens of fake spider webs, a witch's cauldron about five feet across, and several other things that still needed sorted out for the Halloween party.
"I saw on a show how to make fog that stays close to the ground," Chloe said.
"That's great. And maybe we can figure out a way to get fog to come out of the cauldron. Dry ice I thinkā¦"
"They should be scared," Chloe commented.
We got the fog machines in place back in the corners of rooms and used plastic tubes to disperse the fog. After fighting with the tubes, trying to get the fog to move on the stairs, we hung up the rest of the spider webs. When we get the rest of the decorations in place, Alistair pulls in the drive with the last decoration. A giant, fake, sacrificial rock table with blood smears on it. There's nothing like a good sacrifice to creep people out.
"Alistair, that's perfect!" I yell as he gets out of the truck. Alistair is one of the more athletic ones like Aspen but he has blonde hair and is from Canada. We're all athletic, but each has different athletics. Chloe and I, we're more of the dance and gymnastics kind. Flexibility and speed gets us out of our binds while muscle gets them out of theirs.
"I spent three days working on this. The body is a dummy and when it gets closer to the time of the party, we'll add fake blood to it. There's a built in fog machine in it as well."
"Alistair, you're our hero," said Chloe.
"I enjoy doing projects like this do it wasn't a problem," he responded.
We help him get the rock prop out of the back of his truck. After making sure everything is set for the party, he leaves.
"Everything is ready. All we have to do now is get into costume and wait," I said as I took a seat on the couch.
"Yep. I'm going as a demon. Horn and all. What are you going as?" Chloe asked me.
"It's a surprise."
"Natala, you have to tell him."
"I know," I sighed.
"Are you going to let him make the first move?"
"I don't know."
"You'll figure it sooner or later."
"You're right. What do you think the guys are up to?"
"Aspen is probably stalking someone and someone is probably stalking Damon."
Aspen's point of view
I went to the Artificial Nocturne to see if the person I met up with was there. She wasn't. To kill time I drove around Mystic Falls. Somehow I managed to pass by the school. Some of the students were decorating for a party. I wasn't going to stop, but I saw Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie near the road.
I pulled up next to them. "So there's going to be party here?"
"Yes there is," Bonnie clarified.
"This isn't going to be good."
"Why?" Elena asked.
"I'll tell you a secret, even though everyone knows it. Natala hates competition. She always has."
"She's throwing a party too?" Caroline asked.
"Yep. She's having it at Damon's house."
When I mentioned Damon, Elena tensed up.
"We'll try to be there," said Caroline.
"From past experience with school events, we'll be there," says Elena.
"That'll be great! Oh yeah, a little warning if you do come, there will be a chance of Natala humiliating me in front of everyone."
They started laughing at me. I couldn't help but smirk. My humor always was quite the charm on any girl.
"Can we invite anyone?" Bonnie asked.
"The more the merrier," I answered.
We say our goodbyes and I head back to the Artificial Nocturne. Chloe is there.
"How'd decorating go?" I asked.
"Great."
"I missed you earlier."
"I know, but Natala needed me."
I smiled at her. "Today might not be as bad as I thought it'd be."
Damon's point of view
I can't believe Aspen talked me into wearing a costume. I decided to go to a store that specializes in costumes to find a Grim Reaper costume. There was no reason to go cheap. IT was Halloween after all which meant I should go for the best way to pull off the angel of death. When I found one that suits me I heard,
"Seriously? A Grim Reaper?"
"Aspen talked me into wearing it."
"Will you do anything for them?" Anna asked, standing behind me.
"As long as it's legal."
She shook her head. "I have a question for you."
"Okay."
"Why does Ayden have a grudge against you?"
I sighed, "It's a long story."
"I have time."
"Right after Aspen joined us, we ran into a young werewolf."
"Ayden?"
"Yes, it was Ayden. He wanted to join us, but he couldn't fight and he couldn't track anything. After I rejected him the first time, he kept following us. Eventually, I took action and challenged him. After the fight he was more dead than alive, and I told him that if he ever tried to join again there would be a chance that I'd kill him on sight."
"And by the looks of it, he doesn't want to join you, he wants to end the Fading Echo pack," Anna assumed.
"That's what I'm thinking."
"The pain of rejection is slowly driving him mad."
I purchased the costume and walked out of the store with Anna in tow.
"Have you found anything?" I asked.
"No. He's been complaining about his arm."
"How exactly do you know that?"
"He thinks I'm his girlfriend."
"I see," I didn't ask about more.
"I'll see you at the party," Anna says as she walks away.
I watch her until she's out of sight. I put the bag in the car and checked the time. It's 7:30. The party starts at eight so I head back home. When I get back to the house, Natala is the only one here. She'd moved all of our personal objects. "Nice job."
"Chloe helped me and Alistair made the rock prop," she said,
"What's the surprise for Aspen?" I ask.
"So many banana cream pies." That explains why things have been moved.
"He's going to hate you."
"Exactly."
Around eight-thirty, most of the pack had already shown up. It was at nine when I noticed that Elena and some of her friends were there. No one besides the pack recognized me in my costume.
At ten, a person dressed as a white werewolf came up and asked me where Aspen was.
"Natala? Is that you?" I ask.
"Maybe..." It was her.
"Nice costume."
"Thanks. Now, where's Aspen?"
"Out in the backyard."
After I told her that, I heard yelling and I see pies flying. A girl dressed as an angel stood next to me. "The things your pack does."
"They're a family, Anna."
"I know."
"And by the way, an angel shouldn't be seen with the Grim Reaper."
"It's Halloween, species can peacefully coexist tonight."
I laugh at her. Eventually the party winded down and everyone leaves. The pack helps pick up the thrash and puts the furniture back where it belongs.
"That was fun," said Natala.
"Except for the flying pies," Aspen complains.
"That was the best part!"
They started arguing again. Ignoring them, I walked outside. The party was a great escape from reality.
