AN: I know you all think I abandoned this fic, but I haven't. Every time I think life is calming down it gets tossed back up again. My mom just spent almost 2 weeks in the hospital after having a (thankfully minor) stroke. Now that she is home I don't know how much time I will have to write as I am going to be doing all of the housework for a while to come. I appreciate your patience with me on this fic.

MN: In the last chapter, AJ said she was tired of the drivel, but she actually wants drivel in this one so I am happy to oblige. This is going to be a bunch of little snippets that wound their way into my head over the last month or so, mostly centered around Halloween and fall.

When JJ entered the kitchen, there were already two steaming mugs on the table, both with teabags soaking in the water. She paused to lift the plastic bucket full of candy from the counter top to the top of the fridge before easing herself into one of the chairs at the table.

A few minutes later, Spencer emerged through the door to his apartment and joined her. "The boys finally asleep?"

JJ nodded as she rung her tea bag out. "Yes. Henry started dozing off before I had all of the yellow off of his face, and Jack climbed into bed still wearing his overalls courtesy of a major sugar crash. I decided it was easier to just leave him like that."

She and Spencer had volunteered to take the boys Trick or Treating and the boys had somehow managed to convince them to dress as Gru and Lucy to match their Minion costumes. The costumes had met with glowing reviews and the smiles on the boys' faces had made the entire thing worthwhile.

He sipped his tea and slouched in his chair. "I have no idea how they managed to stay up this late. It's almost midnight."

JJ bounced to her feet. "Midnight? Come on! We're gonna miss it!" She darted from the kitchen and into the living room. She snatched the remote from the coffee table and flicked on the TV, changing the channel as soon as the screen was on.

Her roommate had followed and, when he realized what she was doing, he rolled his eyes. "Do we have to? I thought you watched it last week with Garcia."

She plopped on the couch and pulled him down next to her. "I did, but it's tradition. Every Halloween at midnight."

He started to say something but she shushed him as the signature red lips appeared on the screen, signaling the beginning of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

As the credits rolled, JJ stood and stretched then turned back to look at Spencer. He was still sitting on the couch with a puzzled look on his face. "I've watched this movie with you four years in a row now and I still don't 'get it'."

She laughed and gathered their empty beer bottles to take to the kitchen. "It's a completely illogical movie, Spence. You are going to 'get it' if you keep trying!"

He stood and grabbed the empty popcorn bowl and followed her. "Why would someone make a movie that makes no sense?"

"Because it's fun." She turned on the tap and rinsed the bottles.

He exchanged the bottles for the popcorn bowl and placed them in the recycle bin as she rinsed the bowl and put it in the dishwasher. "If you say so."

"I do."

He smiled at her as he leaned against the counter beside her. "Alright, we have trick-or-treated and watched your illogical movie. Is it time for bed now?"

JJ fought back a yawn. "Definitely. Night Spence."

She once again shushed the boys following her as one of them giggled. In a very un-Spencer like move, he had slept in so Henry and Jack decided they wanted to take him breakfast in bed. At the bottom of the stairs, the boys rushed past her and she narrowly avoided having the laden tray in her arms knocked to the floor.

By the time she made it through the bedroom door, the rambunctious pair had launched themselves into the bed, waking Spencer with a start. "Uncle Spencer, we made you breakfast in bed! Aunt JJ even let Henry and I help make the pancakes!"

To his credit, he took the entire thing in stride and a smile spread on his face. "Well it smells delicious. Why don't you move over here by Henry so JJ can get in here too? It isn't breakfast in bed unless everyone's in the bed, right Henry?"

The younger boy nodded enthusiastically. "Right. We made sure to bring lots and lots of pancakes too so we can all eat together."

JJ handed Spencer the tray then positioned herself next to him. She withdrew her phone from her pocket and activated the camera. "Everyone smile for Jack's dad!"

JJ shoved her hands deeper into her pockets. When they had set off on their walk after dinner, it had been warmer, but as the sun had set, the temperature had fallen quickly. A pair of mittens appeared to her left and she glanced over at her roommate as she accepted them. "Thanks."

He smiled. "No problem. I always keep gloves and mittens in my pocket this time of year."

She gladly pulled them on to find they were already warm from his body heat. "I can't believe how fast it got cold. I think we're going to have to swing by Will's in the morning and drop off Henry's warmer coat. They usually play in the yard on the weekends and I don't want him to get chilled."

He nodded but said nothing and they lapsed back into silence as they crunched through the fallen leaves. She loved fall and, despite the sudden chill in the air, was enjoying the evening thoroughly. And idea popped into her head and she grinned. "When we get home we could start a fire. Curl up on the couch with mugs of cocoa and read. Enjoy the quiet."

Spencer's smile widened. "That sounds like a great idea. Do we have any of the peppermint cocoa?"

Three hours and two mugs of cocoa later JJ set her book down and rubbed her eyes. She tried in vain to fight back a yawn as her friend closed his own book. "I think I'm about ready for bed."

"Me too. Did you want to come up and watch a little bit of TV with me?" They had been doing so on fewer nights lately and she found herself missing it.

"Sure. Let me go change and I'll be right up." He pushed from his seat and disappeared toward his apartment.

JJ made sure the house was locked up and headed upstairs. She traded her jeans and sweater for a pair of knit pants, a long sleeved flannel shirt, and a pair of fuzzy socks. She had just climbed beneath the covers when Spencer joined her. They channel surfed and wordlessly settled on a rerun of NCIS.

JJ woke with a start at a large rumble of thunder. Her jerky movement caused Spencer to bolt upright. "Jayje, you okay?"

"Yeah. The storm startled me is all." She looked over to her side of the bed at the clock. "Ugh, why can't storms be considerate at 3am and stay quiet?" She dropped back down, lying on her side facing him.

In the illumination from a flash of lightning she saw his grin. "If I ever discover a way to control the weather, I'll make sure there's an option to mute." He lay back down then rolled to face her.

"You gonna stay up here or go back downstairs?" He had actually fallen asleep before she had. Usually when that happened, at whatever point he woke up he would retreat to his own bed.

"I think I'll stay. I'm too warm to go back downstairs." He pulled the blanket up to his shoulder to illustrate his point.

"If you're warm, share. I'm freezing." She scooted toward him until she entered his bubble of heat and came to rest just a few inches from him.

He adjusted the blanket to seal them both in. "Better?"

"Much. What did I ever do to deserve a guy as great as you for a best friend?" Her eyelids were drooping, but she caught his shrug.

"That's easy. You're you." He put his arm around her and leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Now go back to sleep."

AN: Well. That was quite the load of fluff. Wonderful right? Alas, it's off to bed with me. Try to write another by week's end.