I'm sorry that this update took so long. I'm sure you guys are tired of me apologizing for late updates lol. But I'm in grad school now, and alas, I have little time to actually write what I WANT to write. But my semester is almost over so I hope to push out some more updates before my classes resume. *eye roll* ew school lol.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It is a flashback Chapter, before Lily's birth. I wanted to do a Halloween related story since I hadn't done one yet.

As always, reviews are welcomed and encouraged. Enjoy.

By the way, if you are unfamiliar with the Mass Effect games, I suggest googling the following so you have a mental image:

Femshep Mass effect 3

Garrus Vakarian Mass Effect

Wrex Mass Effect

Liara T'Soni Mass effect 3

Flashback story

Set one month before the birth of Lily Swan-Mills.

"But Reginnaaaaaaa, it's Halloween." Emma whined as she shuffled behind her wife. Regina turned swiftly, causing Emma to stumble back for a moment.

"Emma it isn't Halloween yet and no we are not going as that." Regina replied with an eye roll as she hobbled over to the couch and sat down with an 'oomph'.

"But baby you said that we would dress up for Halloween." Emma pouted as she sat next to her wife.

Regina sighed and looked at the puppy eyes and pout that graced her wife's face.

"Fine. What did you have in mind?"

"YES!" Emma shrieked in delight, lunging herself at Regina and hugging her and placing kisses all over her face.

Regina giggled and nuzzled Emma's cheek, distracting her and pulling her in for a sweet kiss.

"What is your costume idea dear?" Regina asked with a smirk.

"Do not laugh… But I want it to be a family event so that means Henry has to dress up as well." Emma said with a grin.

Regina rolled her eyes before replying.

"Let me see."

"Ruuubbyyyyy." Cora whined as she lounged on the couch, her head resting in her girlfriend's lap.

"Yes?" Ruby replied with a giggle as she looked down on the woman.

"What're you going as for Halloween?"

"I am going as myself." Ruby replied with a smirk.

"You're going as Red Riding Hood?"

"No. I'm going as the wolf." Ruby gave a toothy grin, her eyes briefly flashing golden before returning to their original color.

"Ohhhhh cool." Cora replied, pausing a moment, "I don't know what to go as though."

"I'm sure you will think of something babe."

Cora closed her eyes and pondered on it a little longer.

Emma whistled to herself as she headed to the station, happy with her earlier success at getting Regina to agree to create the costumes from magic.

"Hey Cora." Emma said in greeting as she approached her mother-in-law.

"Hello Emma." Cora replied absentmindedly.

"Something on your mind?" Emma asked, concern etching her face.

"I don't know what to go as for Halloween this year." The older woman said with a pout.

"Well I certainly wouldn't recommend going as what you went as last year." Emma cringed.

"Yes that didn't work in my favor did it?"

Flashback

Emma and Regina entered The Rabbit Hole, glancing around the room at the ongoing Halloween party. Old world traditions and new world ones were mixed together, creating a creepy and exciting atmosphere.

"Where's your mom at? I thought she would be here by now." Emma asked, her eyes squinting as she and Regina walked to the bar, searching for Cora.

Emma had dressed up as a character from Harry Potter, Gryffindor robes, tie, sweater, and wand all in hand. Regina had decided to share in the idea, although her robes were Slytherin.

They ordered drinks and talked to a few other denizens, Hook being one. He went as himself for Halloween.

Suddenly the doors to the Rabbit Hole burst open, wind billowing through the bar and bringing unsuspecting leaves along with it.

Cora, in her younger form, strolled into the bar.

"I shall destroy your happiness." Her eyes fell on Regina, "If it is the lastthing I do."

Regina was seething, her own mother dressed up as her for Halloween, and people were applauding the costume.

"Hello dear." Cora said with a smirk.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Regina shrieked before diving at her mother and tackling her to the ground.

"Regina!" Emma yelped as she tried to pry her wife off of her mother-in-law.

End Flashback

"Yeah that didn't work out so well." Emma muttered as they both remember the incident.

"She yanked a chunk of my hair out of my head." Cora muttered with a pout. "Anyways, what're you guys going as for Halloween?"

"It's a surprise. Just be at The Rabbit Hole tomorrow night and you'll see." Emma replied with a smirk, already imagining herself in her costume.

"What's this about me bar?" Hook asked as he entered the station, taking a seat next to Cora.

"Emma and I were just talking about what we are going as for Halloween." Cora replied.

"Oh? What're you going as Swan?"

"It's a surprise."

"And you love?"

"No idea yet." Cora replied with a pout.

"Would you fancy going as something together? Have a theme?"

"Hook I am not going as a bottle of rum and you as yourself." Cora replied.

"Damn."

"I'm sure you will think of something Cora. Besides, you gotta have a good costume to go trick or treating." Emma replied with a smirk, causing Cora to bust out the puppy eyes and pout.

"I wanna go trick or treating." The older woman said with a quivering lip.

The Rabbit Hole was packed, as per usual on Halloween. Emma and Regina were planning on stopping in for a brief minute to collect Hook and Cora before getting Henry at Granny's and going trick or treating.

The couple entered the Rabbit Hole, Emma emitting a super sexy swagger in her N7 Armor and Assault nerf rifle in her grasp, and drawing the attention of everyone inside the bar.

Henry had gotten her hooked on the Mass Effect games and Female Shepard was a force to be reckoned with. Plus, she got to romance Liara.

However, Regina wasn't as thrilled with her part of the costume.

The usual brunette was blue head to toe, her hair covered by a headpiece that created the asari head tentacles of Liara T'Soni. Her protruding belly and body were covered by Liara's usual armor wear from ME2 and 3.

"Commander Jane Shepard of the Normandy and first human spectre, at your service." Emma announced loudly, a grin breaking out across her face.

Regina rolled her eyes at her wife, but a small smile graced her face as she took in her wife's excitement.

The couple approached the bar and Emma ordered them two drinks, beer for herself and water for Regina.

"Any sign of your mom?" Emma asked as she took a look around the bar.

"I swear to God if she makes a dramatic entrance, dressed as me, again… I WILL destroy her happiness." Regina growled out, a little magic in the form of blue biotics circled around her body.

"OHMYGODTHATWASAWESOME!" Emma squealed as she saw the effect that Regina had been trying to perfect for her wife's sake. Regina chuckled at the blonde's excitement and took a sip of her water.

Suddenly a scream echoed throughout the bar and everyone rushed to the fallen dwarf, Leroy, to see what was wrong.

Leroy was dressed in his best Prince Charming attire, but was currently lying on the ground, an expression of fear frozen on his face.

"Leroy! What happened?!" Emma demanded as she helped the dwarf sit up.

"I got assassinated that's what!" Leroy began as he brushed off his attire, "Well, I would have been if it had been a real threat but whoever it was just did it for Halloween I guess."

"You didn't see who it was?" Emma asked.

"No I didn't. All I know is that I was pinned down on my stomach and something was pressed to my back and they said 'requiescat in pace'."

"I know that. Where do I know that from?" Emma asked aloud as she shifted her weight, the armor creaking a bit.

"It means 'rest in peace' in Latin." Regina chimed in.

"Why would someone attack you and say that and then take off? Did they take anything?" Emma asked.

"Yeah! My coin purse is gone. The son of a bitch robbed me."

"This looks like a job for Shepard and her crew."

"Dear, there is only you and I and Henry on your 'crew'." Regina reminded.

"Not true." Emma and Regina turned at the sound of the voice. "I'm with you Shepard."

"Garrus! I mean, August!" Emma said with a grin as she saw her friend, dressed fully in the costume of Garrus Vakarian a turian character from the games as well. "HA! Now there are four of us in the crew."

Regina rolled her eyes before nodding in greeting to August.

"Well let's go collect Henry and try to find this person. Perhaps we can find my mother while we are at it."

"You know, she may be behind it." August chimed in as the trio exited the bar.

"I doubt it, Cora didn't even know what she was going as for Halloween, and the woman isn't exactly subtle. Her and Hook are probably still arguing about what they should go as." Emma replied as they walked up to Granny's.

"FEAR ME, FOR I AM…. KROGAN!" Henry yelled at the top of his lungs as he charged at one of his friends, who just laughed and jumped out of the way.

"Look at the little Pyjack." Emma said with a proud smirk.

"Shepard!" Henry, or I should say Wrex, said happily as he trotted to the group, "And Liara and Garrus!"

"Henry can you see out of that mask alright?" Regina asked, her voice laced with concern. Henry was dressed as Wrex from the mass effect games, a Krogan mask adorned his face, while armor covered his body.

"I'm fine mom. Wait… where's nana and Hook… and Ruby? I thought we were all going trick or treating?"

"We have time kid, it doesn't start for another hour. But we haven't seen them yet. We have bigger problems anyways." Emma answered.

"What's going on?"

"Someone attacked Leroy at The Rabbit Hole and he didn't see who did, but all they said was 'rest in peace' in Latin." Emma said.

"What was the phrase?" Henry asked.

"Requiescat in pace." Regina replied smoothly.

"That is so hot." Emma whimpered out as she looked at her wife.

Regina merely replied with a wink before the couple turned to look back at their son.

"I know that from somewhere."

"Right?" Emma agreed.

"Let's go see if we can find anymore clues."

"Who is the next target?" The hooded man asked, coming to stand behind another hooded figure on the rooftops.

The figure merely pointed to the streets below where the festivities were being held.

"Ah I see. Shall we go then?"

The figure nodded before swiftly jumping from the roof.

A loud scream rang out through the streets of Storybrooke, just outside of Granny's diner.

"Someone is in trouble! Let's go!" Emma called, rallying her troops and running to the source of the scream.

"There!" August yelled, pointing to the two hooded figures that were swiftly running away.

"Regina, you and Henry stay here and block off the street, August and I will try and catch the perps!" Emma yelled back as her and August took off running after the figures.

The figures jumped up onto the rooftops, causing Emma to halt. She raised her nerf assault rifle and fired off a few shots, catching one figure in the back.

"I'VE BEEN SHOT!" The figure yelled out as they fell into a pile of hay that sat in the middle of the street.

"Who the fuck left this straw here?" August asked Emma as they approached the hay.

"Those fucking three little pigs. I TOLD them to keep their straw, and bricks, and twigs, out of the fucking streets. It's a HAZARD." Emma ranted while prodding the hay with her rifle.

Emma felt the gun hit something and brushed some hay aside, revealing a hooded figure.

"Alright, who are you?" Emma asked harshly, pointing her gun at the figure.

"You will never know." The voice replied.

"You sound familiar." Emma commented.

The figure coughed and spoke once more, the voice changing to a gruffer voice, "No you don't know me. Nope. Never met. Everrrrr."

Emma raised an eyebrow before gently moving the hood back with her gun.

Suddenly a flash of orange whizzed passed her while another struck her armor.

"I've been hit! Take cover!" Emma yelled as she dove behind a nearby fruit cart with August.

"Is it bad?" August asked.

"No, my shields took the hit." Emma replied, looking down at the nerf dart that rested on her chest. She pulled the dart off and loaded it back into her gun. "Let's rock this bitch."

August and Emma dove from behind the fruit cart, ready to fire. But no one was that.

"Oh crap on a spatula!" Emma growled out. "Let's get back to Regina and-."

Suddenly a flare went up into the sky.

"I think that's our party." August said before he and Emma took off running towards the flare.

What they saw was a war zone. Nerf darts flew threw the air and a slew of hooded figures were jumping off of rooftops and attacking other citizens.

"REGINA!" Emma yelled out, searching frantically for her wife in the war zone.

A dwarf flew by her, nerf darts covering his body as he hit the ground with a groan.

"Emma!" Regina and Henry called out. They had taken cover behind a cabbage cart.

"Seriously who the fuck is just leaving this shit out here?" Emma asked herself as she quickly ran to her family, "What's the situation?"

"The figures came out of nowhere and started attacking. I magicked up nerf guns for everyone and since then its become a total warzone. I don't think people will be able to hold out much longer." Regina replied before taking Emma's face in her hands.

"If this all ends tonight. I want you to know that I love you." Regina said dramatically.

"I love you too." Emma replied before engaging her wife in a passionate kiss.

"Yo. Kid here." Henry muttered to himself as his moms continued to make out.

Suddenly, a loud whistle resounded through the street and all of the hooded figures disappeared.

"Are they gone Ma?" Henry asked, peeking out from behind the cabbage cart.

"No. They're regrouping, and we should too." Emma replied before standing, "Alright everyone, let's regroup and refuel. Pick up any darts off of the ground and get ready for the next wave!"

Everyone did as instructed while Emma and Regina began creating a small fortress out of cabbage carts.

"I didn't realize cabbage was in season." Regina said aloud as she stored the cabbage off to the side for later ammo.

"Hey can you make a cabbage canon?" Emma asked suddenly, eyeing up her cabbage cannonballs.

"What's next?" One figure asked the leader.

"No doubt they are regrouping as well. We must be swift as a coursing river, with all the force of a great typhoon. With all the strength of a raging fire, and mysterious as the dark side of the moon." The leader said seriously.

"Woooow. So inspirational." Another replied whimsically, sighing softly at the speech.

"Bitch you quoted Mulan!" Another figure spoke up.

"Hey! At least I said something!"

"Guys let's not fight! You're upsetting Mr. Skillywinks." The figure said pointing to the skunk that stood at their side.

"Oh my god, seriously? You can't go a fucking day without a furry friend."

"Um, love, we know she has some mental issues." The other figure whispered to the leader.

"Cora I can't see a fucking thing from this hood." Granny gruffed, pulling the hood back.

"Alright alright, everyone take the hoods off for a few moments." Cora instructed, pulling her own hood back in the process.

"Wow I can see Mr. Skillywinks again!" Snow said happily before picking up the skunk and cuddling him.

"I am so sorry- that you have to sleep next to that every night." Cora said seriously to Charming, pointing to Snow.

"It's alright. Mr. Skillywinks doesn't smell." Charming replied with a smile, causing Cora to raise her eyebrows.

"I meant White Chocolate but okay that isn't weird as fuck or anything." Cora replied before turning to face Hook. "Are we all set with ammo?"

"Indeed we are Captain."

"Excellent. Alright everyone, hoods back up!" Cora instructed before pausing dramatically, "Let's rock this bitch."

"Alright everyone, get into your positions and stay quiet. Keep your eyes on the rooftops!" Emma called out before taking cover next to August and Regina.

"How long do you think it will take? I wanna have time to go trick or treating." August whispered to Emma.

"It shouldn't last too long, this will probably be the last round and then we can all go and get some candy. Speaking of, I think Mother Goose is giving out three musketeer bars this year."

"Oh! My favorite!" August replied excitedly before he was hit in the head with a cabbage.

"Shut up Mr. Booth, you will blow our cover!" Regina hissed before peeking up over a cart, "I see movement, get ready."

"Baby, stay low." Emma reminded before signaling everyone to take aim.

"FIRE!" Emma screamed as she dove from behind her cover and began firing at the hooded figures.

The battle commenced. Nerf darts flew through the air like tiny bullets of orange, striking targets down.

"CHARGE!" Cora screamed as she dove from a nearby rooftop and landed on a dwarf. Shooting him with a nerf dart before moving on to the next target.

Cora and her assassins ducked, dodged, and easily maneuvered through the slew of bullets flying their way.

"ATTACK!" Cora screamed before assassins rained from the sky, attacking multiple people.

"GARRUS!" Emma yelled out, signaling August to join her in her push. They took down multiple targets before she heard a shrill battle cry, "What the fuck?" Emma asked aloud, looking up to see a hooded figure barreling towards her from the sky.

A small skunk was falling with the figure, hitting the ground and barreling at Emma.

Emma raised her rifle and fired three shots at the skunk, striking him and knocking him to the ground.

"NOOOOOOO! MR. SKILLYWINKS!" The figure cried out, dramatically falling to the ground and clutching the skunk, holding him to her chest and raising him in the air. "I SHALL AVENGE THEE!"

"Mom?" Emma asked with a raised eyebrow.

The figure threw her hood back and charged at Emma.

"I got this!" August yelled out and fired shots and Snow, which the woman dodged easily.

"I got her!" Regina yelled out, releasing some magic in the form of blue biotics and hitting Snow and sending her flying into a nearby haystack.

"Seriously where the fuck are they coming from?" Emma muttered to herself as she looked at the haystack. She turned back to the battle, "FIRE THE CANONS!"

"Canons? No one said anything about canons!" Hook screamed to Cora as they ran and took cover.

The canons were fired; sending cabbages flying through the air and hitting multiple assassins.

"Look at the carnage." Cora said to Hook as they watched their men and women get leveled by cabbages.

"Aye, it is an awful site." Hook replied before peeking out. The canon fire had ceased but the battle continued. "Regina is vulnerable, I can take a shot."

Cora sighed dramatically, "she is too valuable to them. Take her out."

"Aye aye captain." Hook replied before taking out his nerf crossbow and running into battle. He ducked and dove, avoiding the oncoming fire. Leaping into the air he aimed the weapon at Regina.

Emma caught the action and her eyes widened in horror.

"NOOOOO!" She screamed, running as fast as she could and diving in front of her wife.

The world stopped, time slowed and Emma drifted in front of her wife. The nerf arrow came closer and closer to hitting Regina.

A loud pop resounded through the air as time resumed.

Emma fell to the ground, a nerf arrow stuck to her forehead, as she lay lifeless on the ground.

"Oh fuck. That ain't good." Cora muttered to herself from a haystack.

"Oh fuck." Hook muttered as he saw Regina's horror stricken expression.

"Oh fuck." Snow said from a haystack.

"Squeak Squeak." Mr. Skillywinks agreed from the haystack.

"I. Am. Going. To. KILL YOU!" Regina screamed before conjuring up some serious magick.

"I think I wet me self." Hook said aloud.

"RUN YOU STUPID PIRATE! RUN!" Cora screamed as she ran towards her daughter.

"Captain no!" Granny yelled out as her captain bravely shoved Hook out of the way and dove at her daughter.

The blast shot forward, consuming Cora in a bright blue light as she took the brunt of the blast to save her loyal squad of assassins.

"CORA!" The squad screamed as they watched the scene.

Slowly, the light faded and Cora lay on the ground, lifeless. Regina fell to her knees and cradled Emma's head in her hands.

"This fighting has to stop. Too many lives have been lost." Granny said sadly as she looked down on her lifeless captain.

"I agree. The fighting is over. Too many dead." Regina agreed as she smoothed Emma's hair from her face.

"Um. I think that may actually be accurate." Charming said with a horrified expression.

"We know mate, that's what we have been speaking of." Hook replied with an eyeroll.

"No I mean, people are actually dead."

"We know."

"No. Hook. ACTUALLY FUCKING DEAD LIKE THEY ARE BLEEDING OUT."

"What?" Hook said with surprise.

"She fucking shot me!" A voice cried out. The group turned to face the voice and saw a citizen lying in the street with an arrow protruding from him.

"Oh my god someone actually shot him!" Hook screamed out in a high-pitched voice.

"Who shot you!?" Charming yelled.

"GRANNY! HER AND THAT FUCKING CROSSBOW!" The man yelled back.

"Granny!" The group yelled in unison, making the woman stare back.

"Were we not using real arrows?" Granny asked.

"NO!" Everyone screamed.

"Oh well fuckity fuck me." Granny groaned.

"She shot me in the dick!" The man cried, "Why? Why did she shoot me in the dick?"

"I've got this." Regina said slowly. She focused all of her energy on the dead bodies and pushed forward some magick while she held tight to Emma's hand, drawing on her wife's magick.

Slowly, the blood disappeared and the denizens came back to life as their wounds closed and the arrows disappeared.

"Okay is everyone alive? Good, let's get all the fake dead up and moving now." Hook instructed.

Regina pulled the nerf dart from her wife's forehead with a pop.

"Hi baby." Emma said happily as Regina placed a kiss to her forehead.

"You're an idiot." Regina replied with a smirk.

"But I'm your idiot." Emma grinned.

"Just fuck already." Cora said as she stood, dusting herself off.

"Captain!" Hook and Granny exclaimed happily, pulling the woman into a hug.

"It's good to be alive. Once again, you all fought bravely and admirably!" Cora yelled to her troops.

She glanced at the crossbow in Granny's hand, "I'm just gonna take this though." Cora said softly as she removed it from Granny's grasp.

"Hey guys." Henry said as he approached the battleground, all of the other kids in tow.

"Hey Henry, where've you been? You missed a battle." Emma said to her son as she and Regina stood.

"I went to gather the other kids. We wanna go trick or treating now."

All of the adults looked to each other and nodded before going to their children and walking them back home.

Cora, Henry, and Hook all took off to go trick or treating together while Emma and Regina handed out candy to the other kids.

"I think Lily enjoyed Halloween." Regina said with a light laugh as she felt the baby kick a little in her stomach.

"Imagine the Halloweens when she is old enough to partake in the festivities." Emma replied with a laugh of her own.

"My mother will have her jumping on people and shooting nerf arrows." Regina commented with a trademark eye roll.

"And Lily will love every minute of it." Emma replied with a smirk before kissing Regina's belly.

"You think they will be alright together? The three of them off trick or treating on their own?" Regina asked her wife as she placed some candy in a ghosts pumpkin bag.

"Yeah they'll be fine! Don't worry baby. Henry is with two adults."

Meanwhile…

"THREE MUSKETEERS FUCK YES!" Cora exclaimed happily as she fist pumped the air.

"Aye, I do love a good candy bar." Hook replied with a smirk as he slapped Henry on the back. The three set back off down the street.

"Shall we head back to the mansion? Count our treasure?" Hook asked the group.

"You won't be going anywhere Hook." A voice said from behind them, causing the group to slowly turn and see.

Hook's scream was so high pitched that all of the dogs in the town began barking frantically. He fell to the ground and held his hands out and began kicking the air.

"No No! Don't take me!" He cried.

Belle was dressed as a bookcase and began to waddle closer to Hook.

"Not the books! NOT THE BOOKS!" Hook cried, "The paper cuts! OH THE HORROR!"

Belle moved forward, laughing wickedly as Henry and Cora began dragging the sobbing pirate down towards Mifflin Street.

"ANYTHING BUT THE BOOKS!"

Back at the mansion….

"Yeah I am sure they are juuuust fine." Emma said with a smile before kissing her wife sweetly.

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Like always, reviews are welcomed and encouraged. MWAH!