Ziva was putting the finishing touches on the snacks, there were rather a lot of them. They had to be perfect. She did have a fair bit of making up to do, after all.

The doorbell rang and Ziva looked at her clock in confusion. It was far too early for anyone to arrive. They were having a late game. In the "spirit of the day" as Amelia put it so apparently everything had to be dark and spooky outside. That and Amelia and Amina had to take their children out Trick or Treating so that had to be done first.

Still having not lost the habit of approaching the door with a concealed weapon, Ziva went to open it. She actually stopped and used the peephole (though, as she had told Tony, you couldn't tell anything from the angle it provided) but sighed and rolled her eyes as she saw who it was.

"Ducky," she scolded, opening the door to the Doctor. "You're far too early."

"It pays to be early," Ducky told her, carrying a wet umbrella. "Where can I put this?"

Ziva raised an eyebrow at him. "An hour early? And, here, I will put it in the sink."

Ducky gratefully handed the soaking wet object over to her and she quick did as she said she would. It really needed unfurled but there wouldn't be enough space.

"Would you like something to drink? Water? Coffee? Tea?"

She was already getting out the tea. It would be very unlike Ducky to select something else.

"Tea would be marvellous, my dear," he said. "Would you like me to fetch anything?"

Ziva shook her head. "You are the guest, Ducky."

"That does not mean I can't help."

Ziva was pretty sure that it did. Somehow, she managed to keep Ducky from helping as she sorted out the last few things for tonight. Which really wasn't much. This was a scrabble game they were playing, not some high-end dinner.

"Who all is coming tonight?"

"Amelia, Pamela, Fakhir, Francisca and Lukas," she listed.

"I thought you played with a lot more people."

"Not much more," she replied. "There are only two or three more and we rarely play all at once. Too many schedules."

"Ah. Well, I do hope they won't mind me joining in."

Ziva was quick to reassure him, "They really want to meet those who I work with. In particular you and McGee."

And Tony. But not because he would be a good scrabble opponent. She knew these people. They just want gossip from Tony. So, no, they weren't going to be meeting her partner any time soon. Ducky was a much safer option.

Ducky looked surprised at that.

"Me?"

Ziva gave him a fond smile and nodded. She was about to say more when her doorbell rang. Was that the time already?

It was Fakhir. Exactly on time as usual. She introduced him to Ducky and started getting the drinks out. Lots of fizzy ones tonight, it was the night for sweet teeth after all. According to Tony and Amelia anyway.

There was a steady stream of people arriving after that. Each of them wetter than the last. They all easily clicked with Ducky. Surprisingly, after all her protests and complaining, Amelia was last to arrive.

"Sorry, my ones wanted to Trick or Treat for just one more house," Amelia greeted with a sigh. "We managed to bundle them into the car eventually. But it was a fight."

"Mine are still in their costumes," Amina commiserated. "They did not want to stop being superheroes."

"I still say we should have all come in costume," Amelia grumbled as she took her place at the table.

"I have a fantastic witch one," Pamela agreed.

"Warts and all?"

"You know it."

Ziva exchanged baffled looks with the rest of her friends. She did not understand any of that. What did warts have to do with witches?

"Do you get to come in costume to work?" Fakhir asked her and Ducky. "Is this a thing in America?"

"Not in my company," Raphael said with a sniff. "Costumes are definitely not fashionable."

"Everything you design is basically a costume," Pamela said dismissively. "That doesn't count."

Raphael was so outraged he couldn't even speak much to the delight of everyone else. His mouth was open and odd squeaking noises were coming out of it, like he couldn't even bring himself to form words.

"Excuse you," he finally managed to get out, sounding thoroughly insulted. "My art is not costumes."

Ducky interrupted him before he could gather steam, "Some people dress up at NCIS."

"Not active agents," Ziva quickly added. "We could get a case."

"Of course," Ducky acknowledged. "But admin staff and those behind the scenes usually do, if their work allows. Being a medical examiner certainly doesn't allow that."

"I suppose scrubs don't exactly fit under anything," Amelia said.

"Exactly."

"So, no one you work with dressed up?" Pamela asked disappointedly.

Ziva exchanged a knowing grin with Ducky.

"Abby did."

"She is a goth, correct?" Fakhir asked. "Did she dress up as a bat?"

"That is typically what Abigail's attire reflects," Ducky told him. "No, our resident Forensic Scientist dressed up as one Marilyn Monroe."

Amelia's eyebrows went really far up her forehead.

"I'm sure that went down well."

Ziva snorted. That was one way of putting it.

"Tony and McGee certainly thought so," she couldn't help saying, smiling at the memory of Abby describing the looks on their faces. Ziva wished she had been there. It sounded like excellent teasing material.

"You will never catch me dressing up like a small child," Francisca announced.

Ziva, and everyone else, had to hide a smile at that announcement. None of them could imagine the older woman dressing up.

"Of course not, Francisca," Fakhir said soothingly.

"We would never expect you to demean yourself like that," Amelia added with a smirk.

Francisca squinted at them, probably trying to figure out if they were insulting her or not.

Ziva decided to try and save the situation by offering the woman the bag of tiles.

"Your turn," she said quickly.